Nghi Vo's Siren Queen was everything I expected, and like nothing I could have imagined.

Vo has taken the dark, gritty underbelly of 1930s Hollywood, infused it with magic of the most twisted kind, and presented it on a platter for us to devour in Siren Queen. I ate it up.

This is vivid, enticing, entrancing storytelling at its peak. Nghi is a master storyteller, weaving the mundane with the mystical, giving us strong characters with stronger motives that leap off the page. She has this ability to hold the fine threads of tension so tightly when she writes – I found myself unsettled for most of this book; dread trickling down my spine when she writes of the Hunt; the tight-jawed horror of missing boys and girls; the silent scream at the admission of a name. All of it brilliantly, subtly done. I didn’t even realise my body was coiled like a spring until I finished reading and came up for air.

The different love stories Vo has stitched into Siren Queen captivated me, too. Friends, family, lovers – love stories, all of them, and all of them played out to perfection. Luli understanding her own queerness and the queerness of those around her is so matter-of-fact, so solid, and I appreciated that Vo included elements of historical reality while also honouring these characters’ experiences.

From start to finish, Siren Queen blew me away. If you love the glitz and glamour of 1930s Hollywood, but are in the mood for some fantasy infused into it, and a rich, diverse cast, this is the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Macmillan – Tor/Forge for providing me with this ARC.

Siren Queen, named after the movie being shot in the book, is so much more than just a story about a movie. Told in narration, we get to know an actress called Luli Wei as she describes the world she grew up in Old Hollywood, but with a touch of actual magic mixed in. A very well written and planned out world, I was left dazed and confused by it.

The book begins when she's fourteen. It's a much different time, when everyone famous is white, and slurs are hurled at her and her sister for going to school. She trades months of her life for inches of her hair to see movies that cost a nickel, their mother builds living dolls of her daughters out of silk, and blood is drank as a tea to seal a deal. Written into a beautiful but dark and magical world, this book shows you that monsters do indeed walk among us, wearing the same skin as everyone else.

She's strong, she's smart, and she's tricky. She shows you that being quiet and doing what's right is still something you can do while you follow your dreams and achieve more than you ever thought you could. That life is hard sometimes, but you owe it to yourself to fight back.

Though this wasn't my new favourite, I finished it in about a day. It was a little hard to get into, but I was enthralled. I loved the story and the characters equally, but what I was really obsessed with was the magic and Old Hollywood. I recommend it for mature readers, not children or teens due to the graphic nature of certain scenes. It's a very unique book that I know will stick with me long after I've finished it.

2,5 stars

"Siren Queen" has an interesting premise, but the novel fell rather flat for me: the characters and their relationships with each other felt underdeveloped, the plot either felt dragged or rushed depending on the section, the magic system was inconsistent, and overall this story just didn't make a lot of sense.

I can say with confidence that I've never read anything like Siren Queen and WOW I am so glad I did! It's beautiful, strange, intriguing, violent, silver, as unforgettable as the Nat King Cole song. It's such a fascinating book with only one small bit of foot in the world of Hollywood as we know it and most of the body is some other warped world I never could've imagined.

The magic of it surprises you with that dichotomy. One minute you're in the usual world in a steaming family-run laundry, the next there's robot wolves, girls who shoot into the sky like stars, and the ability to give away years of your life in return for something you want. This mash-up was always interesting, taking the story places I never expected.

I loved the importance that was put on names in this magic world and how they could be used to reinvent or condemn a person. Luli's journey is really tied to this and (trying so hard to stay spoiler-free here!) watching her come to terms with her decisions to reach stardom was both enjoyable and at times so stressful! The world of Siren Queen is a very dangerous one, a gilded knife with a smiling masked face, and every character had some desire they couldn't help but chase compulsively.

I really enjoyed Luli as a protagonist. She's fierce and shocking and she insists on things going her way but her inner monologue is a lot softer and more anxious. It just made me root for her more to know that her solid exterior wasn't always the case inside.

I *loved* the ending. It might be my favorite book ending of 2022, it's that perfect, and honestly the last fourth of the book was truly impossible to put down. When I finished, I had to sit there a moment. It felt like my brain had been overloaded with stars and I thought, "I could totally read that whole thing again." A very weird thought considering I *never* reread books.

I cannot recommend this novel enough. It's absolutely enthralling. I can't wait to read it again.

Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

Story set in a speculative Los Angeles when silent films had given way to talkies and the glamour of Hollywood was on the rise. We meet a Chinese-American girl who is obsessed with the silver screen, lingers at filming sites and so starts her career as a walk on actor. Determined to make it in this world our protagonist will need to navigate the ancient magic fed system of blood bargains and alliances required to be a star that shines.
The corporate monster which is Hollywood (and this is quite literal) can control an actor so they are purely a puppet - so naming herself, Luli Wei, sets a path of independence from the studios and characterization they might want to impose.
Told as a memoir we meet Luli first love, first betrayal and follow her on a journey to fulfill her dream no matter what the cost. I did enjoy this story but do encourage you to read the authors previous works set in Asian mythos.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this ARC, all opinions are my own.

After how much I adored The Chosen and the Beautiful, this book was a slight let down for me. Equally magical, hard-hitting, and full of heart, Siren Queen was somehow missing something TCATB nailed absolutely perfectly. I wish I had more to say, but this one was just not it for me.

Siren Queen takes place in the 1930's Hollywood. I have to say that Hollywood and how that works has never been anything I found interesting. But I hoped that Nghi Vo could pull me over. She couldn't.

That had nothing to do with her beautiful writing. The writing itself and the way it tackles difficult issues like the pregnancy and the way these girls are treated were done so very well. That is why this book is stil rated 3 stars. But the actual story and character could barely hold my attention. It was a good thing it was so short or I might not have finished it.

I'm just going to look forward to other Nghi Vo books.

I didn't end up finishing this book after all. I was very excited to read it, but 60 pages in I put it down.
The world was confusing and the beginning of the book didn't explain even a little of what was going on. I couldn't place anything in the world except for the time period. The style and reality of it was hard to understand.

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I read Nghi Vo's The Great Gatsby retelling, The Chosen and the Beautiful, and I was not that big of a fan of the magical realism. Although the Siren Queen is similarly written, I found Vo's weaving of magical realism in the story more fitting. The concept of selling pieces of yourself to make it in Hollywood is pretty clever and the characters are interesting, but I still couldn't get invested in the story. As we journeyed through our MC's acting career, I didn't find anything profound or generally moving; she was neither likable nor faultable. Overall, the story is unique and magical realism elements are well done, but it fell flat enough to where it's just solidly okay. I'm sure other fans of speculative fiction would enjoy it, but this one was just not for me.

I've enjoyed every Nghi Vo story I've read so far, so I was very excited for this novel! Thank you to Tor Dot Com and Netgalley for giving me this free eARC in exchange for a fair review!

So far what I'd read from Vo were her two Asia-inspired novellas, which were a lot like fairy tales, so I wasn't sure what to expect here. I'd say Siren Queen is more of a cross between The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Last Night at the Telegraph Club, with added magical realism.
It's very much about the experience of a Chinese American girl in the 1930s, racism, sexism and all. It's very much a story about queer Hollywood. And, also, a story where "all the myths are true" and fae and monsters roam the studios of Hollywood and you gotta make bargains - with your voice, your talent, sometimes your body parts or your life - to get anywhere.

I found it very slow, in a positive way. It's a book you want to read bit by bit and see more of this world unfolding. And you never truly know as much as you'd want about any of it. I don't think the narrator knows everything she wants to know. I really enjoyed the fantastical atmosphere and the idea that anything (mostly something terrible) could happen at any time. The prose is lovely as always with Nghi Vo, and I may not have liked Luli as a person but I enjoyed seeing her develop as a character, and seeing where she was going to do next. I also had no clue where the story would go next, or how it would end, the whole time. I like a book that keeps me on my toes!

And throughout, this idea of queer joy that I love so much, despite the rough context of the 30s and despite the fantastical horror: queer characters embracing who they are, even if the world around them would see them as monsters - and grab what joy they can get. I don't know why queer joy and this kind of horror mix so well but they somehow do.

I reviewed this title on GoodReads, The Storygraph, in Instagram Stories, and on Edelweiss+. My GoodReads review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4757404200

Thanks to Tor and Netgalley for the ARC of this title.

I loved the weird blend of realism and fantasy Nghi Vo brought to their retelling of The Great Gatsby, The Chosen and the Beautiful, and Siren Queen is a fantastic follow-up that brings the same energy to old Hollywood. This is basically a good episode of You Must Remember This meets Hollywood Babylon's you-won't-believe-this (and shouldn't believe this) tell-all nature meets Actual Hollywood Magic. I couldn't put it down.

Siren Queen (fantasy)⁣
Rating: loved⁣
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Thank you @netgalley and @tordotcom for the #gifted digital copy. ⁣
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This was a dazzling story about the monsters of Hollywood. Literally. Think Evelyn Hugo, but instead of seven husbands, there are directors and studio owners that have made deals with the devil, and aren't quite human anymore, in exchange for success. ⁣
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This beautifully written character driven novel is about being seen when you feel invisible to the world around you and at what cost you're willing to pay to be seen. Some of it did go over my head; in particular, I didn't quite understand the fires. The first half of the novel is a bit of a slow burn, but after the halfway point it picks up quite a bit and I couldn't put it down.⁣
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Like The Chosen and The Beautiful, from this author, there isn't a ton of world building, and we're thrown into a fantasy world. That's fine with me - no note taking required! While I did enjoy TCaTB, I liked this one even more, and am surprised more people aren't talking about this author!

Siren Queen is a seductive story with a passion that echoes across every word. Nghi Vo paints a vivid image of the dazzling world of Old Hollywood and its terrifying underside. This golden age of Hollywood is given a new voice via the eyes of a young lady looking back on her trip to the spotlight - one that lurks in the bottomless deep.  It's been a long time since I read a novel that left me feeling as lonely and frantic as this one did, and I'm not sure I'll ever read another like it. However, even in the worst periods of the story, there is a radiance that shines through.

Luli's story revolves around her experiences as a queer Chinese American woman during the pre-code era of Hollywood. This environment generates a special kind of desperation and a desire to break free from the preset roles imposed by these studios and the rest of the world. Luli Wei is a fantastic example of this, as well as someone who was willing to be flawed in order to achieve her goals. While I would have liked to see more of Luli's relationship, there is a breathtaking beauty in this story tieing her to her past. Nghi Vo delves into the realities of celebrity, what it means to chase it on your own terms, and who you must become in order to succeed in her second novel.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year the second I saw this cover I knew I had to read it and it did not disappoint me at all. It was wonderful and perfect.

The setting, the fantasy, all of it was on point so that I couldn't put the book down from the moment I opened it.

Hauntingly beautiful in its use of vivid imagery. I'm swept up in a spell, pretty much right away. This was one of my best requests off Netgalley.

"Forever's a long time you know and it's no good if you can't have it like you like best."

"My father and mother, exhausted by the steam and the weight of so much silk and wool and Ray on and polyester on top of us, never even noticed."

Nghi Vo shows us the weight of the cares of the world, and it's so much more effective than being told of the struggles of immigrants trying to make ends meet. There is a lot of magic and fantastical elements, that I couldn't be sure were just literary devices.

Spells are cast, and mystical creatures brought in to feed the demon that is the film industry of the early 1900s. The story follows the rise of one Asian starlet who has been trading bits of life energy to make it big.

At one point, it has grown incredibly dark when there's a predator lurking. One who is supposed to be your God, but it's painful and yet ludicrous, how the problem is solved. Hints of mental illness and chilling reality.

Unlike Vo's previous works, this one is not as easy to gulp down in one binge fest. It plays out in black and white in my mind's eye, with mists and shadows between scenes. Luli walks through it all, beckoning you to keep up.

But after 75%, I begin to tire of it. Her new love interest is not compelling enough to keep away the tired sameness of Jacky and Emmaline. Vo is a clever writer and she ends the book at Lulu's highest point.

One of Nghi Vo's best works without a doubt!

Wow! What an amazing book!!
Would love to read more from the author.
Thankyou netgalley for the Arc!

From the premise alone, I love the idea of making deals for fame and sacrifice. And Siren Queen is a world that is distinctly not ours - because hello magic - but it feels a shade away. This insular community of decadence and decay, of homophobia and fierce ambition, feels just a track away from our world. It uses this idea of trading everything we have to be in movies, for our dreams, and magnifies it. To say I'm a fan of this world building is an understatement. There's a rawness and elegance to it.How it's all a series of trades and transactions, sacrifices for success. And Luli is a character I couldn't help but love. Not only as an Asian woman did I obviously resonate with Luli, but I loved how driven she is. How she has her ambition and isn't willing to burn some bridges and to make some compromises - but not all. And in this world of deals with demons concealed by smoke, will she be able to find a shred of authenticity? Of friendship and love?

✨ Review ✨ Siren Queen by Nghi Vo, Narrated by Natalie Naudus

This book is absolutely brilliant and I'm stumped on how to even begin describing it. For me, this was like Evelyn Hugo meets Hollywood Monsters and it was absolutely captivating. A 1930s Hollywood where stars were selling parts of their soul to the vicious monsters running the film industry - what a fascinating take on the exploitative industry that drains so many who try to enter it.

“No maids, no funny talking, no fainting flowers.” Luli Wei is desperate to enter Hollywood and become a star, but she insists on doing it on her own terms. As she tries to carve out a place for herself in the industry, she must take on gender norms and racism while also staying out of the grasp of the monsters running the industry.

A lot of this book went over my head and I think would take a second read to piece it all together, but the writing is lyrical and thoughtful and the critiques of Hollywoods are ever present and compelling. I'm in love with Nghi Vo's writing and can't wait to read more!

So much of this book is indescribable in how it pairs a fantasy world with blood magic with a space that's so like the golden age of 1930s Hollywood (and certainly resonates with the Hollywood of today). She fabulously takes on such serious issues of gender and race, and brings in queer relationships as well. In many ways, the relationships in this book felt more satisfying than those in Evelyn Hugo (*gasp*, right?)

Naudus' narration is fabulous -- I had planned to switch back and forth between the audio and ebook, but Naudus had me captivated and I FLEW through this book in a little over a day. I could NOT put it down and her narration brought this story to life!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: magical realism/fantasy, literary fiction with a f/f romance plot
Location: Hollywood, Los Angeles
Reminds me of: Evelyn Hugo meets MONSTERS
Pub Date: Out now!

Read this if you like:
⭕️ the grittier darkside behind Hollywood and its stars
⭕️ queer storylines
⭕️ magical realism fantasy narratives
⭕️ MONSTERS, mermaids, and magic

Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Macmillan Audio, and #netgalley for an e-copy of this book!

In the glamorous Golden Age of Hollywood, actress Luli Wei is hungry for fame. As a queer Chinese American woman, she knows she has a fraught path to stardom. But the biggest dangers lie off-screen, where ancient magic with a thirst for blood requires sacrifices of eager young starlets like Luli Wei. Living her dreams may just turn Luli into a monster herself.

As someone obsessed with this period in cinema history and the studio secrets, I absolutely adore this book! I love how Nghi Vo uses fantasy to show the nitty gritty side of the industry and the toll it takes on actors. Luli Wei is a complex, fierce protagonist who I wanted to follow for many more chapters. Siren Queen is very much my shit.