In a kingdom where fae rule and all other creatures are considered lesser, a siren must keep her identity a secret all the while finding a way to keep her side job as an assassin hidden from the royal family who would kill her if they knew her kind existed.... and it doesn’t help that she has just been promoted from a soldier in training to the prince’s new bodyguard.... and someone knows her secret and is threatening to out her if she doesn’t kill the royal family. Saorise has lived her life surviving on her lies, keeping her identity a secret in a kingdom that would kill her if they knew about her abilities as a siren. She keeps her family afloat and puts her sister through school by making money killing people for a dangerous group of mercenaries. By day Saorise is a soldier in training but by night she is an assassin. But when her recent examination offers her the highest promotion possible she finds herself now given the job of protecting the people she hates the most, the royal family.... however someone else out there knows her secret of being an assassin is threatening her sister unless she does what they say she knows she has no choice but to get closer to the prince... who is hunting down the killer in the town.... which just happens to be her. Yet the more she learns about the prince the more she realizes he is nothing like his parents, that he is kind and compassionate and falling for her, and that she is falling for him too. Can she unmask her blackmailer and save the prince before its too late? Or will all her lies catch up to her and everything she loves will be lost? Overall, its an interesting premise with a fun overall story arc but it did feel like it dragged at some parts. The romance was okay but I guess I just wasn’t as invested in that as I was in Saorise’s career as an assassin. I am curious to see where the second book goes after how this one ends and how Saorise and Prince Hayes’s relationship goes in the next book.

*Thanks Netgalley and Bloomsbury USA Children's Books, Bloomsbury YA for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Many, many of the readers for Sing Me To Sleep will celebrate the diverse cultural representation in this absorbing high fantasy. I have this on my recommendation lists for all of my YA (and YA at heart) readers and will be ordering copies for my library. I enjoyed the relationship between Saoirse and Hayes, and it was fast paced, easy to read, wonderful world-building and most of all, satisfying to finish. Four out of five stars for a wonderful read!

Sing Me to Sleep by Gabi Burton is a dark and intriguing YA fantasy debut that explores the themes of identity, love, and family. Saoirse Sorkova is a siren who is forced to hide her true identity as her existence is illegal in the kingdom. She survives on lies and works as an assassin for a group of mercenaries at night. When her sister is threatened by a mysterious blackmailer, Saoirse takes up the dangerous job of becoming a personal bodyguard to the crown prince, whom she should hate because of his father's brutal creature segregation laws. But as they work together to stop a deadly killer, Saoirse finds herself drawn to the prince, even though she is the one responsible for the murders. The novel features an all-Black and Brown cast and a compelling plot full of twists that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Perfect for fans of A Song Below Water and To Kill a Kingdom, this thrilling YA fantasy is not to be missed.

It was easy rooting for this truly murderous main character! I loved the worldbuilding, the slow burn romance, and the reveals as you go along. It kept me up reading several nights.

Rating: 2.5 of 5

Huh. This was... unfortunately a letdown.

I liked the premise. The writing style was great. Love the cover. But everything together just felt... mediocre. It felt like something vital was missing and I can't figure out what? All I know is when I hit the halfway mark, I just couldn't wait for the book to end. And I felt so detached. I couldn't care for any of the characters.

As much as it pains me to say this... I disliked Hayes. He just seemed so... useless? And I'm sorry but the romance came out of nowhere. I'm so disappointed. This book had so much potential. The beginning started out with much promise but slowly dwindled down to nothing. I don't know... Maybe I was expecting too much?

I'm gonna need a pick-me-up after this.

Sing Me to Sleep was a complex story of love, betrayal and loyalty. I enjoyed following Saoirse's story as she tries to hide her true identity as a siren, keep her sisters secret safe and protect her family, all while serving the royals as a guard. I really liked how well developed these characters were and it added to the storyline and the intrigue a lot. Saoirse's story is full of heartbreak, betrayals and love and I thought it was a really well written book. The dynamic between Saoirse and Prince Hayes also really added to the story. Something I would have liked to see more of was description of things in terms of world building, the creatures and the general surroundings within the story. I think it would have helped me have a better visual in my head. I also really liked that in this book the hero isn't perfect and isn't necessarily what you would think of a hero to be. It challenges that perfect hero trope and I really enjoyed that. Overall, Sing Me to Sleep was a fantastic read!

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our list for order this year and will recommend it to students.