(4.5 stars)
It’s been a minute since I read a book from a clearly morally gray characters point of view. The world building was so intriguing and such a delight to read. The morals, motives, and decisions were fascinating to read about . There were definitely some instances of “does this make sense” but overall I was so entertained it didn’t matter to me. I cannot wait to read the second book in this series.

saoirse is a siren, though no one outside of her family knows. if anyone else found out, it would mean execution. so perhaps it’s not the smartest idea to station herself in the castle, sleeping under the same roof as the people who put this rule in place, but when someone starts to blackmail her sister, saoirse will do anything to find them. this role brings her many surprises, including her attraction to prince hayes, who, by all means, she should hate…

i’ve followed the author on tiktok for a long time, so i’ve been really anticipating this book! i love both mermaids and hidden identities, both of which this book had. i also love strong family relationships, and it was awesome seeing saoirse’s relationship with her little sister.

this book had so many shocking twists and left my mind reeling. and with the way things ended…well, for the sake of avoiding spoilers, let me just say that book two cannot come fast enough!

Seventeen-year-old Saoirse should not exist. Since her birth, she has had to hide the fact that she is a siren in order to protect not only herself, but also her younger sister Rain. As millers, Saoirse’s family struggles to make ends meet; so, to earn the money they need to survive, Saoirse has turned to life as a hitman—where she can use her innate abilities for a darker purpose. But when Saoirse finds herself with a highly coveted job offer at the palace, her carefully crafted lies are placed in jeopardy. Bravely, Saoirse steps into danger, only to discover that the mysterious and intimidating fae royalty hold their own secrets, and Saoirse's two seemingly disparate lives ultimately intersect in the most terrible of ways.

This fantasy adventure is engagingly crafted, immersing readers into Saoirse’s reality from the first moments. Fast-paced action sequences give the story a significant amount of forward momentum, and readers will be drawn to the intensity of Saoirse’s stakes within a dangerous world. Though more details about the setting and backstory would be welcome, what is included within the narrative is sufficient for the novel to progress. Fans of The Hunger Games will recognize similarities to both the games themselves and the overarching distrust of a highly stratified social structure. Additionally, a strong enemies to lovers romantic arc is compelling and enhances the overall flavor of the story.

Particularly well-suited to mature young adult readers, this novel examines familiar social issues within a fantasy context. In order to accomplish this, the world building is extensive, introducing readers to a variety of characters as well as their roles in the society in which they live. Readers will desire to know more, however, and the potential for additional details is suggested at the novel’s conclusion. Saoirse has strong connections with several strata in her society, and her subversive activity is enough to keep readers concerned for her well-being with every potential misstep. Though strong on the outside, Saoirse’s more malleable interior begins to appear as the narrative progresses, and this humanizes her despite her more aggressive actions and behavior. Elegant and engaging, this is a memorable addition to library collections for mature young adult readers, and will leave them looking forward to the next installment.

This one took me a little while to get into. There is a lot going on here, a world with only Fae where other creatures have been killed/exiled. Keille beads that change a person’s face, and a tournament/test which finds the best of the best to work for the Royals.

There is a LOT to follow in the first 25% of the book and it felt clunky to me.

All in all though, I did enjoy this story about a Siren who is faced with dealing with the darkest part of her self. Saoirse is very morally grey and she’s powerful and honestly just doing her best.

I wish there was more relationship development between her and Hayes BUT I’m holding out hope in the next installment there may be more.

All in all, great fantasy YA debut and I loved this example of a morally grey female main character delving into the darkest parts of herself for both good and bad.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

This debut is absolutely beautiful! The lore, the prose and the characters really bring this book to life. I loved the adventure, it made me laugh, it made me cry. It is everything I wanted it to be and more!

Sing me to Sleep is an incredible fantasy novel following, Saoirse, who hides her siren identity to keep herself safe. She has to work for the prince, who she hates, and feed secrets to her blackmailer to keep her sister safe. I could not put this down! It's so faced paced and addicting, I know I will reread this soon. The world building was amazing and I loved Saoire's character, she's flawed, but not the typical fantasy main character. This book is brilliant! I can't wait to own a physical copy.

Thank you Bloomsbury and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of Sing Me To Sleep.

I thought this was a very good debut novel! The story was very unique, and the characters were intriguing. I think Gabi did a very good job setting the scene for the story, and the world-building was done quite well.

I struggled initially to get into the story because there were a lot of smaller plotlines to follow, but once the story really started moving along, I was interested to know what happened next. I have always been driven to stories about sirens, and add in the fae, witches, magic system, and more? Count me in!

I look forward to reading more books from Gabi!

I think what pulled me in with this book was the cover and the fact that the protagonist was an unapologetic killer with a hunger for it. We need more girls that are extremely messy. However, I felt that the writing was messy as well and I couldn’t find this as enjoyable as I hoped it would be.

"The fury thrashes like the sea in a storm. It sings to me. Calls me to act."

Sing Me To Sleep is Cruel Prince meets To Kill a Kingdom in this explosive new fantasy series featuring Saoirse, a siren hiding in a world where her existence is a crime via Keil beads to hide. She runs a double life as an assassin at night, and a prince's guard during the day - she may not be safe, and she hates the prince and all the royal family stands for but she's getting money for her sister and family.

But when she starts getting blackmailed by someone who knows her identity - she gets sent on errands to learn the truth of the city's past - which starts bringing her closer and closer to the prince as he hunts for the murderer in the city, which ironically is her.

I loved this book. It was so refreshing to see a MC that's drawn to a darker life - even for YA. Saoirse has killed people - and she seems to enjoy it, it's part of her desire and yearning as a siren and rarely does she feel remorse for it. I liked seeing how that came in conflict with wanting to keep her humanity and opening up to Prince Hayes - who she finds to be less and less like his cruel father.

The second half of this book is really where it shined - everything was so fast paced once a certain truth came out. The dynamics between the Fae, humans and Saoirse (the siren) really had you understanding what this world was like - there's already so much history in the past here which made it even more shocking - which made Hayes' attraction to her so much cuter.

Let's be clear - this book is darker than average for YA, but I wouldn't say graphic especially with Saoirse's seduction acts or murders. I loved seeing how she struggled with people wanting her past her looks as well. I can't wait to read book 2!

rep// Black MC

cw// murder, genocide, drowning, mind control

Thank you to the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In Sing Me to Sleep, Saoirse has to balance so many different roles and secrets. Unable to be open about her siren abilities, Saoirse is dedicated to sacrificing for her family and sister. But when she takes a position for the very government who is committed to hunting her down for her family, life is about to get even more complicated. Within Sing Me to Sleep, Saoirse's main motivation is her family, trying to protect her sister and not get caught.

There's some pretty strict and intense laws about the segregation creatures which gives you chills. It's a world that is rich in danger and stakes. For Saoirse it's a matter of life and death. Throughout Sing Me to Sleep, Saoirse has to explore the price of revenge and vengeance. How it burns and how the power aches to be twisted. Sing Me to Sleep always forces Saoirse to confront the difficulties of her decisions especially as she discovers more about their history.

Sing Me to Sleep is a captivating fantasy debut from Gabi Burton. It was super great being in this world with a more European fantasy elements, such as the typical kings and queens, fae, witches, bandits, and sirens, but have all the characters be Black or brown. I was immediately drawn to Saoirse's conflict of trying to navigate her world while secretly being a siren and protecting her human sister. (A random thought, but it was heartwarming to read a YA fantasy where the main character's parents weren't dead! I adored the family dynamics between Saoirse, Rain, and her parents, and how strongly they love and protected each other throughout the story), I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out who in the castle was behind the blackmail of her and Rain, and I definitely did not predict the numerous plot twists and reveals that happened towards the end of the book. I appreciated that even at the end of the book, Saoirse remains unapologetic about who she is and her impulses to kill as a siren. It was nice to read about a "monstrous" female main character in YA who doesn't shy away from her deadly powers.

The romance in this book was also very sweet and I enjoyed the slowburn between Saoirse and Hayes. I was disappointed that their romance did not really progress too far in this book, but judging from how the story ends, I hope we get to see more angst and growing feelings between them in the sequel.

If you're looking for a refreshing take on a siren fantasy or romance, definitely pick this book up.

I have conflicted thoughts about the heroine in this novel. She's strong-willed and fierce, which I admire — it's a relief not to have a lovelorn and/or anxious heroine in a YA novel. However, Saoirse goes so far in the other direction that it was hard for me to fully empathize with her: as a siren, she is addicted to murder and glories in using her powers to control others (usually men). It was realistic if still not entirely palatable for a teen girl to revel in her sexual attractiveness and to not adequately investigate the shadowy figure assigning her kills.

I also felt the twist at the end wasn't fully in keeping with Prince Hayes' character. But I liked Saoirse enough, am intrigued enough by the task Prince Hayes has set her, and appreciate Saoirse's friendship with Jeune enough to read the sequel.

I am so enamored by this cover. I respect Gabi committing to a 'killer heroine,' and I think the writing was best done when she wants to kill and is in the moment of 'singing' her victims to death. The rest, though, was not written very well for the plot. The stereotypical 'aloof' guard and the most ignorant heir prince to a brutal to all species except fae I've read in a while. There was WAY too much trust in our lady killer he had with her, to the point I was annoyed. Saoirse wasn't fleshed out as much as a cold-blooded fantasy killer is supposed to be. I think the other side characters are alright, but most of the guards she has to work closely with our very static, with one exception, but that was for plots for 80% of the book.
If you want a simple YA fantasy, an all-BIPOC cast, and a siren that's never in the water, this is a solid 3-star book!
This could have been an excellent 4-star one-book story, but the lore and world-building are pretty weak to make into a series, hence the rating.

This was a solid YA Fantasy debut that is perfect for the summer!

This book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Saoirse Sorkova. She has been training at a young age to be a solider for a kingdom that hates her. She does everything she can to stay out of the spotlight until she wins a position in the royal court and her employer is the prince that no one knows much about. This was all very intriguing to me. I love hidden identities and this book is filled with people trying to hide who they really are.

Saoirse is a strong and resilient character, but she is morally gray and it was such a vibe. She is not perfect and knows that she isn’t. She is filled with the desire to kill and sometimes that desire is caused by protecting her found family, especially her sister. She was very interesting to get to know through her actions and thoughts.

The other characters are just as intriguing. It’s hard to trust anyone in this book except for the prince. He wears his heart on his sleeve and I liked that about him. The ending did have me curious about his position on things and I do hope he doesn’t let me down.

It wouldn’t be a story about sirens without a romance. I obviously knew from the blurb who that love interest would be and I’m not mad about it. He is perfect for her and keeps her grounded. They have their issues, mostly with trust, but she would stand by his side and protect him until the end. Saoirse is definitely loyal.

You can expect betrayal, secret identities, banter, and political intrigue from the plot. At times the pacing lulls a bit but for the most part it is fast paced, especially towards the end when everything is ramping up! It was hard to put down. The plot twists were very well done and I didn’t see any of it coming.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read! I will now be awaiting the sequel because the cliffhanger was quite good and with so many questions left unanswered about the future of their country I need those answers!

Sing me to sleep is perfect for any little mermaid fans. I loved this debut and I thought the writing style was unique. This is a fun fantasy novel!!

Really interesting premise but just did not enjoy the execution.

Something was missing?
The world building was fascinating and the lore done well, but I struggled to connect with the main character.
Her reasonings felt odd and it was almost hard to root for her? I love a morally grey just as much as the next person but I couldn't seem to love this one.
I felt the writing lack a level of nuance. I'm not sure who the audience would be for this one as I could see both YA and NA struggling with this one.

Just not for me.

I have mixed feelings about this fantasy debut, and while I enjoyed a lot, this wasn't a story I think that will stand out from this year for me.

I loved that this book focused on a relatively unexplored area of mythology with sirens and that it does not shy away from exactly what means for both the main character and the people around her. Saoirse is a siren who is both hiding this fact and also protecting others because of it. At the same time, because of her nature, she feels the overwhelming urge to kill. She has been letting out this impulse by following the order of a secret society, believing that she is at least using her some powers to do some good.

When she becomes a guard to the Prince, she realizes the possible error of her ways, including how multi-faceted the royal family really is.

I think that my biggest issue with this book was pacing. At times it felt like it was reading really slowly, because so many scenes in the first half were set up without much real pay off or character development. Then, in the second half, SO much happens, that I actually lost track of both characters and settings at times.

I think this is a difficult balance in a debut, and I will definitely be interested to check out more books from this author.

Love this black retelling of The Little Mermaid and siren tales! It adds a new twist and perspective to the fairytale-- instead of a mermaid, you have a siren, and she has autonomy. She is morally gray and kind of a badass. Lots of twists and a grumpy/sunshine romance. A definite purchase for our collection!

Unfortunately this just didn't work for me :( I loved the premise at the beginning, and it seemed like such a cool world. The vibe, however, of the main character killing people for money was so odd. I don't know exactly how to describe it but it didn't mesh with her character and rubbed me the wrong way.

This was a really fun and unique concept. I did struggle to connect with the main character but I could see why other would like her. All in all a solid book.