A big thank you to NetGalley for providing an eArc of this book.

Songs of Vice follows Lira, a siren raised amongst humans who wants to be free of her mother’s tyranny. Upon escaping, she finds a group of bandits whom are planning a heist.

This book was entertaining and fun, however I believe it should’ve been a much longer story. The pacing was strange, as I felt not much happened yet things were moving too quickly. For example, *spoilers ahead* the relationship between Lira and Sai developed way too fast, even with them being “fated mates”. Furthermore, by having four different POVs I felt I didn’t really connect with any of the characters. I didn’t understand their motives or their background.

This is a New Adult novel that reads like YA, so I was sometimes taken aback by the cursing and graphic scenes.

I did enjoy the LGBTQ+ rep and the twist at the end, I think the author did a good job by having predictable plot twists throughout the book to distract the readers from the big plot point at the end. I would like to know where the story goes from here.

I really liked this book. It has a good story, really interesting magic system and world building. I liked the writing as well. Would recommend

I loved this book. The author truly knew what she was doing writing the characters and their social dynamics were perfect.
I do wish there was more character development in the way of backstory. I feel as though lira’s character would have really benefited from an expanded exploration of her relationship with her mother and other sirens. But overall the cast was really diverse and very loveable.
Despite seeing a few of the plot twists coming they still took me by surprise, they were so fantastically written.

A sweet and fun read with a great ending and wonderful
LGBTQIAP+ representation. I was interested in the storyline and background from the start. Sirens are a fantasy element that I never tire of, and this telling wove in magic, fae, secrets, and kingdoms perfectly. The band of characters were endearing and pretty well crafted- I especially enjoyed Lux, Neia, and Sai- and the unraveling of the motives behind each of the characters kept me reading

A sweet and fun read with a great ending and wonderful LGBTQIAP+ representation. I was interested in the storyline and background from the start. Sirens are a fantasy element that I never tire of, and this telling wove in magic, fae, secrets, and kingdoms perfectly. The band of characters were endearing and pretty well crafted- I especially enjoyed Lux, Neia, and Sai- and the unraveling of the motives behind each of the characters kept me reading (After all, I finished the book in two nights).

Lira did annoy me slightly, but that may just be a personal preference towards more fierce female leads and a frustration with female protagonists that demonstrate naivety. To her credit, by the end of the book she began to regain some long lost independence and stand up for herself, so that gives me high hopes for her character for book 2. And honestly, it allowed a good enemies-to-lovers trope set-up between her and Sai that I know I will just live for. (Huge bonus that they're clearly fated mates-bring on the tension).

The ending was chef's kiss leaving it pretty impossible to not pine for the next book- a surprising reveal and ultimatum all in just a few pages.

Thank you to the Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed it and will definitely recommend!

Thanks to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the arc of this book in exchange of an honest review

2,5/5

This is not my first time reading something by Nicole Bailey, I really enjoyed the first book from the Apollo Ascending’s series so I was excited to read this and see her take on fae fantasy. Sadly… it wasn’t for me.

Altough this book being advertised as adult fantasy I find the writing a bit too juvenil. The author tries to sneek various “steamy” scenes here and there to try to make it more mature but for me it only made the story difficult to engage. I also was not a fan of the insta-love thing between Lira and Sai, I think you can make two characters being soulmates (or Atalla) without making them so cheesy and melodramatic while just knowing each other for literally less than a week.

At 95%, IN THE MIDDLE OF ACTION SCENES HOMEBOY GOES “It was so hard to have her so close to me, the sweetness of her smell wrapping around me, all while knowing she loathed touching me.”

I’m was really hoping this one would work for me, but it didn’t. But I won’t discourage anyone from reading this, if you like fantasies that are mainly focused on romance, go for it. It also features LGBTQ and non-binary characters if anyone is looking for a more diverse read.

DNF at 70%. this is difficult for me because i think the premise of this book was so great! it had such great tropes such as found family, fated mates, chosen one, etc. but the execution of this fell flat to me. the characters felt pretty one dimensional, so their motivations to commit this heist seemed lackluster. the plot was also extremely slow moving and by the time we get to the location of the heist, nothing has actually happened. however, with that being said, i did enjoy the author’s writing style and i would be open to give this author another go in the future, i just don’t think this particular book was for me.

Songs of Vice is a fast-paced fantasy and it was very easy to digest the whole universe, but I thought that was partly a problem. The beginning of the book was missing some more complex information, it seems that everything was very shallow.

About the characters, I couldn't get attached to the sai and the lyre very easily, the secondary characters stole some of the shine for me. They were much more interesting than them. I also missed Lira using more of her powers, maybe in the second book?

Overall, it was a book that I had fun reading and it was a quick read, but I would like some more information for this world to work more with me. I think those who like books like cruel prince and violet made of thorns, will like it more! Thanks to NetGalley and the author for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review

Lira is a siren who’s bound to a future of being the leader of her magical troupe. However, when her fate is suddenly entangled with Sai, who’s a con artist with a past shrouded in secrecy and a heist to take back what’s rightfully theirs, she soon realizes that her
untethered powers run deep in secrets and deadly fae politics.

This book served some good tropes which I found incredibly fun. The dynamics between the characters were hilarious and written well, with an exciting, intriguing plot built into a beautifully-written world. You miss nothing and get everything! Tension, forced proximity, found family, soulmates trope, Sapphic side characters, a non-binary soldier, and gay princes of enemy courts. It is adventurous with fast-paced narrating and is perfect for fans seeking a casual fantasy read!

A big thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very big note to self, DO NOT trust a cartoon cover. Then tend to be quite spicy.

Songs of Vice by Nicole Bailey is an adult fantasy novel that is coined as Ocean's Eleven meets A Court of Thorns and Roses. Following a rag tag group of protagonists that consist of a siren with death in her song, a con artist with dark magic at his fingers, and a heist only they can pull off…… if they don’t betray each other first. And what ensues is a hilarious adventure full of romance, found family, and dark magic.

The only qualm I had about this book. is that it didn't go anywhere. The plot kind of dragged and dynamic between characters didn't make all that much sense. The only redeeming part was the ending. But even then it seemed a little lackluster.

Another fast-paced, enjoyable and adventurous read, I devoured it in a day.

A band of skilled beings who operate outside the law need to pull off their most important, most personal, but also most dangerous heist. Sai, a Fae with powerful magic, leads them all, a family forged by love rather than blood. When quiet Lira, a Siren, crosses paths with Sai, both their lives change dramatically.

*Magical characters 💫
*Fae Courts 👑
*LGBT+ representation 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️
*Found family 💜
*Character growth 🌳
*Fated mates ❤️
*One bed 🛏️
*Some spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
*Multiple POVs 📚

A diverse range of characters, but everyone has their place. I honestly enjoyed them all!

What a fun book! This book has humans, fae, sirens, a magical heist, and found family- what more could you ask for? I really liked all the characters of the heist- there were a couple I felt we didn't get to know very well so I hope we see more of them in the sequel. The big reveal at the end of the book made me excited to read the sequel.

I have only a couple of critiques. Firstly, I felt that there wasn't enough world building at the beginning of the book. We were just dumped into the world and about half way through the book I still didn't understand some things (how the group knew each other, who each of them were, how sirens work, etc.) Secondly, Lira herself felt wayyyyy too naive at the start of the novel through about 3/4 of the way through the book. Her constantly folding into herself and seeming scared of her own shadow lasted too long.

Other than these couple of critiques, I thought the plot was fun and adventurous and I'm excited to read the sequel when it comes out.

I wanted to love this book so much but it wasn't for me.

It was too slow to get going and although it picked up towards the end, it couldn't save this one for me unfortunately

High fantasy is one of my favorite genres of all time. I love the creation of new worlds and everything that contains. One of the major things about high fantasies is having proper world building, without that the story is difficult to understand. That was one of my problems with songs of vice, the world building wasn’t quite there.

Not much was fully explained. The last quarter of the book was when we got more information but that information would’ve been helpful more in the beginning. The politics aspect were lacking. I truly have no idea how any of the systems work. There’s monarchies but that’s really all I know to be honest.

Im assuming more will be explained in the sequel but that the problem with that is how is a reader supposed to be wrapped in when they really don’t know what’s happening? It’s hard to fall in love with a world you know barely know anything about.

Another problem I had was how repetitive things were. It felt like the same inner dialogue was repeated a thousand times. I understand insecurities will be repeated because it’s something a character struggles with. But Lira was repeating the same conflict she had constantly and it no longer had me wanting me to be empathetic. It lost its emotional effect.

One thing besides the world building that also confused me was Margo having her own pov chapters. How Lira described Margo was completely different from how Margo actually behaved and I’m unsure as to why that is. Is that because Margo hid how she really was or was it an accidental inaccuracy? Does this mean Lira is an unreliable narrator? Her chapters added more confusion than clearing it. They also felt really unnecessary. The only new thing you learned was the plot twist at the end but I feel like that could’ve easily been done without giving Margo her own chapters. I struggled to connect with any characters but I really felt nothing towards Margo except for confusion about her existence.

I really did try to enjoy and love this book but the story fell flat for me. I hope the sequel will bring more understanding and others will enjoy this series.

I can’t wait for the sequel! A siren who doesn’t know the depths of her magic, a rogue prince trying to save his people, an evil king who wants all magic under his control. If that sounds like an excellent plot to you, this is definitely the book for you!

Lira is a siren who has long disliked how her mother runs their troupe. She ends up meeting Sai, a man who appears to her to be a con-man, but is really the Prince of the Prasanna. Sai and his companions, Elisa and Neia, have a heist planned and Lira may get in the way.

I really got into this book and couldn’t believe that it ended so soon - what a gripping read. If you’re a fan of fantasy, particularly with fae and magic, you will love this.

Some of the names of characters I was unsure how to pronounce, which was a bit of a stumbling block when I first started reading. That was my only ‘issue’ with this book at all, and it’s mainly just me being picky! The diverse cast of characters was also appreciated (hello non-cis and non-hetero characters that aren’t just written to ‘fill a quota’).

Solid 5 stars from me. Sequel soon please?! 🥹

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I rate this book 3.5 / 5 stars.

This multiple perspective fantasy novel follows Siren Lira on her magical self discovery where she is stuck between duty and her values. On her way she makes friends…. Or are they enemies? And finds herself in the middle of a heist where things are more complicated then she thought.

Overall, I enjoyed the premise of this story but found it read more YA than adult and the time line jumped quickly forward without filling in some important gaps. I also felt like Sai and Lira’s relationship was a rushed (which I guess is kind of the point but it felt forced to me).

The characters and world building however were fantastic. Each character had so much variety which you got to see in their point of view (author note - please give us some Lennox POV!) I enjoyed seeing slightly different fantasy world that I’m use to where different magic and cultures could be explored. Nicole has wonderful imagery and world building which really helped set the scene. And let’s not forget to mention that cheeky plot twist in the last few pages…. Very clever you now have me hooked.

I’m hoping the next book in the series dives a bit deeper into story line and reveals some unanswered questions. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next for these characters.

This review will be punished to my Goodreads and my ‘January Reading Summary’ on TikTok.

if you loved Six of Crows and you like bokks with multiple POV, then this is the read for you! It is a dark fantasy where fae , mermaids, forbidden magic, stolen magical objects, hidden truths and betrayals are the main characters.

🔥 One thing I really appreciated is world building which,despite its complexity and the much information that are given, does not slow down or weigh down the reading in any way thus managing to get the reader into the story without any difficulty.
The element that I liked the most,however,are the characters.In fact,the different POVs manage to perfectly describe each character making them unique with their abilities and their way of Thinking. Moreover ,among them you will find,also a non-binary character and a Sapphic relationship beautifully described and treated with a sensitivity not at all common.

🧜♀️ I loved Lira: initially she reminded me a lot of Evangeline from UOABH because she is so naive and so closed in her world that you would like nothing more than to embrace her. Later,however,it was wonderful to see her grow up,learn to make decisions and learn to fight for herself and her comrades.
You know,on the other hand,as much as I loved him,I didn't always agree with his decisions ..although I appreciated that each one was made to protect her comrades.
A special mention goes to Neia and Elisa: their relationship is so sweet and so well described that every time I read one of their chapters my heart melted. The two are two different sides of the same coin and it was also wonderful to see their first meeting thanks to Neia's backstory.

✨As you may have already guessed I loved this book ..in fact I finished it in two days! It has a smooth and fast-paced writing that will keep you hooked from beginning to end entertaining you and leaving you with bated breath. In addition, the author has written a bonus story about two characters whose backgrounds I am very curious about.✨
at the and i Just want thank Netgalley and the author for the opportunity

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of Songs of Vice for the advanced readers copy.

3 ⭐️s

Fantasy | Romance

Nicole Bailey’s fantasy follows siren Lira on her journey escaping home, running into a group of Fae, and deciding to join in on their heist.

Bailey does a great job of writing a fantasy that is easy to understand and digest. She doesn’t confuse readers but creates a simple world building of Sirens and Fae.

The book was slow and seemed to not have much action until 60% through the book. Personally, the use of 4 point of views in book one of a series was a turn off when reading the book. I was unable to get past surface level with the characters and just couldn’t build a good connection with them. I wanted to love the group and feel for them but did not.

Lira and Sami’s relationship got annoying quickly. I couldn’t follow the back and forth of consistent “why do I feel this strong way about you?” throughout each chapter.

I feel the book could have been longer, less point of views, and built the characters up more for the reader.

However, I will say I did not expect the twist at the end of the book! Bailey did a good job of not leaving too many bread crumbs up to the twist (or at least to me).

I would like to start off by thanking NetGalley for a copy of this book.
I really enjoyed the concept of this book! Great for those who love the ‘fated mates’ trope of ACOTAR and the heist plot of SOC. My only real gripe with the book is that the writing style feels more YA while being marketed toward adults. The characters felt a little flat at times and the story a bit predictable but still an overall solid read.

'Songs of Vice' is the story of a young siren who flees an abusive mother, with the help of a Prince and his team. She soon becomes involved in their complicated and dangerous heist to intrude the Seelie palace and reclaim what is rightfully theirs. Lira must face complicated feelings whilst managing a heist, hiding from her mother and the sting of betrayal.

This book is written from five different POV's, meaning that each character is very well developed and their emotions and intentions are understood. I found myself falling in love with supporting characters as much as the main couple. There is a lot going on in this novel and it starts at a great pace. Unfortunately it does get a little slow in the middle however, the satisfying ending, along with one final plot twist, makes the whole book worthwhile. I will definitely be looking out for book two, as I have high hopes for the continuation of Lira's story!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for a honest review.