Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

To be honest, it took me almost a half of the book to get into the story, but once I did, I devoured it in a few hours. The worldbuilding is still a bit confusing, but I loved the variety of magical creatures in the story. I really liked that the plot included the heist. I wish the main heroine Lira was less passive, though I understand that her time to shine should come in the second installment of the story. As to MMC, Sai, I have mixed feelings about him, I just hope Lira will make him grovel long enough for forgiveness. Though the connection between them seemed palpable, I'm not a fan of its insta-lovey nature, at the beginning it felt too rushed, not convincing enough. In spite of it all, I'm quite curious to learn what will happen next. 3.5/5

It really felt like the first 1/3 of this book was missing. There’s no introduction to the characters, no setting up motives, no real backstory, they’re just suddenly thrown together in a chaotic plot with an insta-love connection. I understand there’s a nine-chapter prequel available to download but it really needed to just be a part of this book.

I wanted to know these characters better, independent of each other. I wanted to know what drove them, who they were, what they wanted in life. I wanted to start to understand and care for them before they were all thrown in together.

I stuck around for the heist which…was barely a heist. There was next to no on-page planning or discussions of what they will do, it seemed like every character was just completely winging it, and the theft took place over the course of about 10-15 pages.

The only thing I appreciated was the diversity in the cast of characters and the way some care was actually taken in portraying these minorities.

Overall this book just felt severely underdeveloped in every regard.

Nicole Bailey quite easily became one of my favorite indie authors with A Veil of Gods and Kings and I didn’t think anything could top it. I was proved wrong. Songs of Vice has left me speechless.

Lira is a siren who wishes to get away from her mother and the cruel nature of their ways of living. Sai just wishes to get Prince Shaan’s stolen zevar back. When these two unlikely paths cross, they’re in for quite the journey. Sai is planning to pull off one of the most dangerous heists with his (wonderful) team. Lira complicates things for Sai and the heist, but never one to back down from a challenge Sai brings her along.

The team was my favorite. (I’m a sucker for found family) They are the best and Luz is my favorite. Luz is so funny and they have the best personality. They bring chaos and it never disappoints. Elisa deserves the world. Neia <3

Songs of Vice is fast-paced and full of scheming and romance. It was the PERFECT mix of romance and plot. Nicole Bailey has the best balance throughout her books, which is why I love them. The writing style is amazing and easy to read. One thing I did want more of was world-building. While the world-building was good and easy to understand (which I loved because sometimes world-building is confusing), there was so much more that could’ve been elaborated on.

Songs of Vice is a book I will recommend to those who enjoyed the heist in Six of Crows, the romance in ACOTAR, and the found family in both. I have no idea what to do until the next one comes out. I need it in my hands right now. 🥲

Thank you, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, for allowing me to read Songs of Vice early.

I am in love with this story! Books about misfits always have a special place in my heart and Songs of Vice is no exeption. I can't wait for the second installment!

Thank you to NetGalley and Nicole Bailey for this ebook in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 3 Stars

This was a really fun and different book, however, a lot of it felt a little boring and I couldn’t really feel any chemistry with the main character. Besides that, I somewhat enjoyed it!

This book has it all - a grand heist, a group of misfits, found family, court intrigue, fae, and sirens! It features a diverse cast of characters which is lovely, and the multiple POVs really goes far in terms of ensuring each character has their own voice. I enjoyed the romance storylines and the twist at the end has me begging for a sequel already! I was grateful for the content warnings at the start, I think more books should include those on the first page. The map and the pronunciation guide was also a nice touch. The only thing missing was more detailed world building but the story and world still captivated my attention. I’m so glad I discovered this author and I can’t wait to read another one of their books.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC of 'Songs of Vice' by Nicole Bailey.

This book was fabulous!! Nicole Bailey's writing style is the most marvelous thing I have read in a while, I felt immersed in the experience which was such a shock especially as this story is such a short one. Lira is an intriguing character and the way she interacts with other characters in her story is one to watch. Overall, this beautiful fantasy is such an interesting a gorgeous read.

You're a lioness who's been raised to believe she's a kitten. You could tear this world apart if you wanted it

This settles it -- Nicole Bailey is one of my favorite authors. She writes fast-paced, heart-wrenching, fantasy based stories with multiple points of view and LGBTQ+ representation, and Songs of Vice is no exception.

I've never read a novel (that I can remember) that revolves around a magical heist. This concept was so much fun! I know it's stated right there in the synopsis, but I didn't even read that thing. As soon as I saw Nicole Bailey was releasing a new book I knew I had to read it. So the heist aspect was actually a surprise to me and that was really cool.

As with her previous works, I instantly fell in love with these characters. They are all full realized individuals with distinct personalities who can make me laugh and cry. If past experience has taught me anything, I'm prepared for one (or more) of them to meet death or have their heart obliterated.

But back to the plot of The Siren's Call #1: Lira is running away from her mother and her small troupe of siren sisters, but first, she must pick a man to kill. On the night she decides to leave for good, she sees Sai stealing money from a group of commoners and decides that this guy is the one she will target.

Sai lives to see another night however and Lira joins his band of magical misfits. The members of the group have different abilities that are beneficial to their line of work (aka, theft). One can manipulate metals, another has cat-like reflexes, and another still was able to read someone's feelings. The latest heist involves stealing back the Prasanna Prince's zevar -- a magical stone that helps control and channel raw magic. That's the job. Enter the Seelie court undetected, find the zevar, take it back and then leave without getting captured. Easy, right? So while they're at it, they decided to also steal the Memoria Globe, an artifact important to someone in the group.
What could possibly go wrong?
...Spoiler alert: a lot.

OMG OMG OMG OMG THIS WAS EVERYTHING I COULD NEED AND I WAS NOT PREPARED TO HAVE ANOTHER FANDOM TO CRUSH AFTER. Queer heists with sirens and dark magic!!

The world building was really shaky. It felt like the author just added random powers in whenever she needed a quick out for a situation. Lira and Sai were a great pairing, had great chemistry. Elisa and Naia weren’t good, mainly because it was poorly written and I also hated Naia. Overall, it was great. The plot didn’t drag, the subplots were well developed and fleshed out. Sai’s character really fell apart at the end and all his development kind of disappeared.

Thanks to Netgalley and Victory Editing for the eARC so that I might provide an honest review.

This is a fantasy novel with a heist! I LOVE heists. It starts out with a bang as Lira, the cinnamon roll softie heir of a siren troupe, tries to find a companion for the night. She stumbles upon a thief called Sai and soon finds herself embroiled in a heist to steal an artifact from the Seelie court. But of course, things are infinitely much more complicated than they seem.

It was such a fun and quick indie, diverse NA fantasy read. This story has four different POVs and they're all very distinct and well-written. The characters and relationships are varied and are all so incredible; including a character that is non-binary, a beautifully written sapphic romance (Neia and Elisa are the BEST), and the author employed a sensitivity reader for the cultural references used. The world was lovely and quite different from a lot of fairy-settings. The different types of magic were all interesting and there were lots of varied creatures and lore that are somewhat atypical for the genre (naga, siren, elves, etc). There's a prophesy, amazingly varied magic types, 'fated mates' with a twist, and forbidden love. There was not a point in this story where I was not engaged; it had excellent pacing in my opinion.

I loved that Lira was a soft, vulnerable heroine despite her incredible magical prowess. I loved that despite their 'fated mates' status, she and Sai both had strong doubts about their connection and manage to complicate everything between them. The friendships are lovely and very welcome; this is a group where everyone seems like a main character and Luz, Neia, Lennox, and Elisa are all extremely well-rounded.

Can't wait to see where this goes in the future!

❄️Book Review ❄️

“You’re a lioness who’s been raised to believe she’s a kitten. You could tear this world apart if you wanted it”

Ok, so this book is real good. We follow Lira, a siren, as she journeys to escape her current life and find her own path. We also follow Sai, a fae & thief, as he embarks on a high stakes royal heist. These two paths collide and SO MUCH HAPPENS! This is a heist story, a complicated love story, and a self discovery story.

While this is a multiple POV, it truly feels like Lira’s story. Her growth in this book is incredible and I loved watching her go from timid and uncertain to a full out powerhouse. I cannot WAIT to see where this story goes with the next book.

Just like with A Veil of Gods and Kings, I found myself staying up way too late this finish this book and generally unable to put it down. Nicole really knows how to grab you with her story telling and I’m here for it.

You should definitely read this if you love:
❄️Found family
❄️Royal politics
❄️Heists
❄️Diverse casts
❄️Some spice 🌶️
❄️Familial drama

Great book for fans of six of crows or other heist stories but with fae.
This was a fun book, very little smut and cursing. The book focused more on the storyline than the romance, which I appreciated. It's a little bit of a slow read, but it's worth the time! I recommend this book to someone looking for a book featuring fae and/ or sirens.

tl;dr
Fae, magic and intrigue are all in here, but the reader's enjoyment will hang almost entirely on how they feel about the instalove trope.

Thoughts
MC and LI fall in instalove. I'm putting this here at the front because I wish I'd known. I saw "fantasy heist" and dove in headfirst, and I really should have looked before I leapt. Big oof on my part. This goes in the "it's not you, it's me" category, but instalove truly doesn't do it for me, and it is utterly baked into the plot. From the moment the MC and LI lay eyes on each other, they can't stop having feelings. Physical attraction, lust, and overwhelming longings. MC abandons her lifelong dream of a simple life in the hopes she can be useful to him. LI endangers a mission involving his friends and family just to make sure she's taken care of. Other characters even point out that this is very strange and somewhat dangerous behavior, but our leads simply cannot be apart. The narrative implies there's a magical connection about them being fated lovers that fuels this. I know it seems like I'm really hung up on this one plot point, but it permeates the book. Narration from both their POVs consistently dedicate time to their physical attraction and their desire to be together. Plot slows down in spaces just to gaze longingly at lips or rake eyes salaciously down the other person's body. The book does not want you to forget this is happening, and I surely did not.

Anyway, there is a daring heist in this, and I liked the rest of the cast a good deal. They've all got interesting personalities and varied backstories. There's also some twisty plot stuff near the end. So if you like soulmates/fated lovers and instantaneous attraction, you'll probably have a pretty good time.

WHAAAAAAAT!!!!
That was my reaction when I finished this book! Twist and turns at every chapter. At one point, I didnt know who to trust anymore, I didnt know if I could trust myself with trusting a character!

It was brilliant! Highly recommend to all fantasy fans who enjoys being thrown for a loop!

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I wanted the main female character (Lira) to have more about her - she is a powerful siren so I want her to act like it!
I enjoyed the heist vibe of the book and the different POVs, all the characters are pretty great apart from Lira.
Their is a bit of spice but I think I would prefer this to be a YA and hold off on the spice.
The last part of the book was so well paced and full of action leaving me wanting more - I will be continuing the series for sure! I need more Lennox in my life!
Thank you to NetGallery for the E- ARC.
This is my honest view of the book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌐📿🧝🏻🎶🏳️‍🌈

"You're a lioness who's been raised to believe she's a kitten. You could tear this world apart if you wanted it."

Songs of Vice by Nicole Bailey hooks you in from the first page. It is about a siren, Lira, who is running from her power-obsessive mother who then meets up with a group of magical, queer and brilliantly skilled thieves. This book has multiple POVs, following Lira, Sai, Neia and Margo, allowing you to follow the journey easily.

Lira and Sai's instant attraction to each warms my heart because I love soulmate tropes. I couldn't help but be annoyed at Sai and totally understand Lira's hurt.

Neia and Elise are GOALS. Their relationship is so cute, and I want to know more about the two of them because clearly, I'm in it for the sapphic love. Both women are badass and love each other so much it hurts.

Margo's POV was interesting, so it will be good to see how she takes everything she learns and what she does with it in book two.

I loved the side characters, our non-binary hero Luz, our gay prince Lennox, and the quick-to-anger but hilarious. Orman. I didn't care for Palaria or King Carrington.

And with that ending, I need book two pronto.

Thanks to Netgalley and Nicole Bailey for an ARC copy. I leave this review voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

2.5 stars rounded up.

The end of the book really picked up for me in terms of enjoyment. It was more interesting once it actually got to the heist part of the book, but the beginning really dragged for me. I just couldn’t get myself to care about the main characters because I didn’t feel any connection to them.

I think people could really enjoy this book, it has a unique plot and heist books are always fun if done right. Sadly, it is just not a book for me. I think this book is worth giving a chance, though. The cover is stunning, and the potential is there, I just didn’t connect with it as much as some others might.

Even though it is an adult book, it reads as though it’s for a younger audience in terms of the writing style. It had adult themes, but there wasn’t a lot of depth to the writing style. Which isn’t always a bad thing, just something I noted.

I would have liked to see Lira use her powers more. I like siren stories where they use their magic for not so good purposes at times, it makes the stories more fun and interesting. But I understand she is the heroine and she wants to be a good person. I just think it’s more fun when they are morally grey.

Luz and Orman were such fun additions to the cast of characters. I wish they were in it more! They had way more personality than the main characters. Neia and Elisa were such a cute couple. The love they had for each other was so sweet. I liked that they had an established relationship right off the bat, and you could tell how much they cared for each other.

Lennox was by far my favorite character and he was barely in the book which was so sad. He had a compelling personality. He was cool and complex. I could have read a whole book about him and Shaan, and I really hope they are explored more in the next book, even if they are not main characters. I am excited to read their short story prequel! I really connected with him right away, he made me feel for him and I could tell he had warring emotions. There is more to him than meets the eye.

Which is why it is so sad that I didn’t like the two leads.

The reason why I was going to rate this book two stars at first until the end was Lira and Sai unfortunately. They were just very flat characters in my opinion. I wasn’t rooting for them, I didn’t particularly care what happened between them or to them, and I wasn’t interested in their romance.

I never like the idea of insta-love and this book certainly had it. I understand they are most likely meant to be some type of soulmates, but I still wish things progressed between them more naturally and not just: I’m obsessed with you and would do anything for you, even go against people who I’ve known forever, right off the bat. It doesn’t make me want to root for the couple because it all just happened too fast.

Any turmoil the two of them went through with each other I didn’t care about. I wasn’t sad when Lira was upset with him, and I didn’t hope endlessly for them to be together when they wanted each other so badly. Maybe that is just me, I think other people could find their relationship compelling, but I did not.

The main conflict between the two of them made no sense in my opinion. I just feel like Lira overreacted. I get being upset about the situation, but I don’t understand why she acted so extremely about it. That is what happens when you jump into something too fast.

The last few chapters were wild though and really got me hooked! Despite my lower rating and enjoyment level for most of the book, the cliffhanger at the end makes me want to pick up the sequel just so I can see what happens! I was not expecting what happened in the last two chapters, and I feel like I could enjoy the next book a lot more because of how it ended.

I will be posting this review on my Goodreads on 1-12-23!

This book started off so so good but it let me down. The plot was interesting enough but the main couple had no chemistry and i didnt really like either of them. The side characters were kinda more interesting but it all kind of fell flat for me. I was very bored by the ending, tho the ending was kinda fun

This is an exciting, well written fantasy story with magic, Fae and sirens, a heist, and lots of twists as Lira finds out about her heritage that she doesn’t want, and is by chance drawn into the mayhem surrounding Sai and his friends. But the story is really centred on being true to yourself and your identity and protecting those you love. I hadn’t read any of Nicole Bailey’s books before this one. Here she has skilfully and sympathetically, built alternative gender choices into many of the characters lives. I am going to make sure I read the sequel and continuing story of Lira and Sai. Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine freely given.