“In Carrion, they have a saying: The devil can be seen coming from a mile away. That is where our story begins. There’s the devil you know, the devil you don’t, the devil you wish you’d never met.”

This book was so well written. This is one of those books that leaves you thinking what the…When you’re from a small town there’s always rumors about everyone, only in Carrion most of the rumors are true. A small southern town full of generations of secrets, mysterious disappearances, cultural divides, and rumors of people making deals with devils. Unraveling the mystery through multiple POVs was exciting.

This book centers around two bordering towns Carrion (I see what you did there Xan) and Lake Clearwater, Georgia. Carrion is the poor side of town, the wrong side of the tracks if you will, while Lake Clearwater is the land of exclusivity and power where the rich live and play. Every 13 years the cicadas come and people disappear but no one talks about it. This book was so intriguing I was hooked immediately. The depth of the characters was incredible.

The multiple narrators were excellent and really added so much to the story. I loved the way the podcast episodes were worked in, they added a depth to the story. They all did an excellent job of bringing this story to life. This was the kind of audiobook you could listen to again and catch things you missed the first time through. I highly recommend listening to it.

🦗 Cicadas
😈 3 Devils
🤝🏻 Deals Made
✨️ Southern Lore
🔍 Mysterious Disappearances

I love how there's several character POVs. The mystery of the story was well done. The audiobook narrators did a really good job!

The way this all comes together was fantastic. The last 10% of the book was so interesting! 👀 I will stay vague to avoid any spoilers.

*I received an advance review copy for free in the form of an audiobook (advanced listening copy) from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is my honest feedback about the book as an avid reader.*

Huge thank you to the author, MacMillanAudio, & NetGalley for letting me read & review this book. 💜

This book grabbed me immediately. I was intrigued by all the storylines, I had no idea how everything connected or where it was going. I liked main characters, they all seemed likeable even through their flaws, and the 'bad guys' weren't one dimensional.

The narration was awesome, I love having different narrators for this one particularly since there are a few POVs to deal with.

I listen to the audiobook. I really enjoyed the multiple narrators! It has southern folk lore, deals with the devil and a group of teens trying to find out where their missing friend is. Just when you think you have it figured out it takes a different turn. It’s a slow burn but once it gets going get ready to hold on!

Review for When Devils Sing (audiobook) by Xan Kaur
Narrated by Jennifer Pickens, Landon Woodson, and Michael Crouch

I was drawn to When Devils Sing for its Southern gothic horror elements, a genre I typically enjoy, and I do think the writing had richness and depth. Xan Kaur creates a vivid, unsettling atmosphere that many readers will likely appreciate.

However, the overall tone was too dark and slow-paced for my taste. I tend to prefer stories that weave in a bit of humor or levity to balance the heaviness (e.g., Grady Hendrix), and this one didn’t offer much of that. I also found it difficult to stay engaged and struggled to keep up with the many characters.

The multiple narrators—Jennifer Pickens, Landon Woodson, and Michael Crouch—did a solid job and helped differentiate the voices, which was a definite strength in an ensemble cast like this.

Ultimately, this one just didn’t hold my attention. While I can see its appeal for fans of dense, atmospheric horror, it wasn’t the right fit for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Life is Strange" meets Southern horror in this atmospheric debut from Xan Kaur—complete with deadly bargains, dangerous choices, and even deadlier devils. Set in a small Southern Georgia town plagued by screaming cicadas, strange disappearances, and the echoes of an ancient tale, the story hooked me from the very beginning. Kaur’s writing is immersive, and the world-building is both eerie and captivating. The depth only grows with the introduction of the main characters—Sam, Neera, Isaiah, and Reed—who are complex, memorable, and add real emotional weight to the story.

The audiobook takes the experience to another level. The narrators embody each character so well that it brings the entire story to life, perfectly setting the tone and enhancing the overall tension and atmosphere.

This book is downright creepy—in the best way possible. It doesn’t shy away from gore, but it balances the horror with suspense and a constant sense of unease that keeps you on your toes (and your toes curled in fear!).

My only issue was with the second half, where the pacing felt a bit rushed. The finale arrived so abruptly that I almost didn’t realize the book had ended. I would’ve loved a bit more time to sit with the resolution.

Still, this is a phenomenal debut—gripping characters, chilling lore, and a standout contribution to the Southern horror genre.

May 29 update: Posted on TikTok
Xan Kaur’s debut novel When Devils Sing combines Southern Gothic, amateur crime investigation, social commentary, and folk horror. I liked the main characters. The audiobook boasts a fantastic cast: Anjali Kunapaneni (Neera), Landon Woodson (Isaiah), Jennifer Pickens (Sam), and Michael Crouch (Reid). All of the narrators enhanced the novel’s emotional resonance. The intro and outro music suited the book well and added to the feeling of indulging in a treat.

While dealing with grief and her repressive family in their debt-ridden old hotel, teen musician Neera Singh is drawn to investigate her friend Dawson's disappearance. I like that there's a realistic social context. Instead of the overdone ‘one poor kid,’ we discover each character with their specific struggles. Carrion, Georgia has a deep social divide between the have-nots in Carrion and the elite at the lake. Although it was slow going for the first third of the book, I enjoyed how the main characters were drawn together into a team.

Strengths:
Some truly magical moments
Strong sense of place, bringing to life eerie elements of the setting
Appreciation of a legendary musician
Depiction of Neera Singh's family and how she's affected by not knowing Punjabi
Isaiah and his podcasts–I was glad to hear a bright, inquisitive, courageous Black teen in this book.

Distractions:
The beginning of the book has a lot to unpack with the back stories of multiple characters.
I found the flashbacks distancing.
It was heavy on tragedy for me. I would have preferred more focus on present-time horror.
Mixed feelings about Dawson. He seemed to exist mainly for plot points.
Although the ending had some good notes, I didn’t feel fully satisfied.

Altogether, this was an entertaining and ambitious debut novel. It’s well-written and brings something new to the depiction of devils. My personal rating is 3.5 stars. I’ll watch for Kaur’s next book, and I look forward to hearing more from these talented narrators.

Recommended for adults and young adults who are comfortable with dark themes and disturbing material.
If you have concerns about content, I’ve noted general examples below the asterisks.

Thank you, Macmillan Audio, for the ALC via NetGalley for consideration. These are solely my own opinions.

*******
*******
*******

This is not necessarily an exhaustive list, simply things I noticed:
Extended animal cruelty scenes (wild animals), multiple references to suicide, alcoholics, parental abuse resulting in injuries, threats, criminal attacks, corruption, detailed torture and murders in scene (no nudity, no SA).

What a BEAUTIFUL debut novel! Reading this after watching Sinners was definitely the move and I loved the Deep South horror/mystery vibe!

Those novel explores the rigid dichotomy between wealthy and poor people in America - thinking specifically who is allowed to prosper and who isn’t (and more importantly WHY that is).

I found the characters to be incredibly likable, layered, and REAL. How far would you go to save the person you loved the most? What are the consequences of your actions and wishes - and what happens if someone or someTHING grants them?

Truly a gorgeous debut novel! Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook arc!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC & ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Southern horror books are always a win for me! There's just something about this sub genre that just works for me. I loved the atmosphere and mystery within this book and have diverse that whole cast was. Every main character's motivations for their actions felt realistic and understandable. Xan did not hold back at all and I loved that.

If I had to pick a favorite, I would have to say it was Neera! I can't wait to get my physical copy to display on my shelves.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Xan Kaur for the advance listening copy of When Devils Sing. All opinions are my own.

⭐⭐.5

When Devils Sing takes place in the heat of summer in rural Georgia. We follow 4 perspectives as 4 teens are affected by the disappearance of Dawson Sumter and the subsequent mysterious goings-on that come with the reappearance of cicadas every 13 years.

One thing I will say about this book is that the writing is atmospheric, and I think the writing is one of the things that kept me going. Otherwise, I struggled with this story. I hesitate to even label it horror. There were a few scenes, but overall, it just felt like a surface-level mystery. And when it came to the Devils, I expected so much more. They didn't feel menacing or like the tricksters we typically know Devils to be in literature. I feel like if a perspective or 2 had been cut, we could have really dived into the lore of the Devils and how they truly affect the community. I just wanted more from this story. I feel like things wrapped up too simply and without as many consequences as there should have been.

The audiobook narrators of When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur were fantastic. The pacing was slow. I liked the cult stuff. I loved the horror of the cicadas but wanted more and felt that part of the story should have been extended. Rating 3.5 stars. ALC was provided by Macmillan Audio via NetGalley. I received an audiobook listening copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank You Macmillian Audio and Netgalley for the ARC!

This was a perfect gothic southern horror novel that showed the horrors of the rich. I loved the dual POV, the podcast that was woven throughout, and the characters. I really loved that it was clear the author is from the south, and appreciates parts of southern culture while acknowledging the bad aspects of it. Often, I find they make the southern characters stupid, and I hate that, but these kids were smart and clever. I am happy with how it ended, even though it often feels like the justice wasn't really fair.

I will be snagging as shelf trophy of this.

Xan Kaur's smashing debut, WHEN DEVILS SING, is a standout and brilliantly executed! This Southern Gothic horror suspense literary thriller will grab you from page one to the ending set in this chilling Georgia town, where the mystery at its core is far more sinister than these teens could ever imagine!

About...

Set in rural Carrion, GA, a Southwestern Georgia town in the Deep South, featuring the haves and the have-nots. Two divided communities. The poor, impoverished Carrion, where strange deaths and disappearances have haunted residents for generations, and the affluent Lakeside, where the rich keep getting richer and live longer.

The story unfolds after a chilling episode of the Secrets of the South podcast, introducing these two communities and their mysterious deaths and disappearances. The identity of the podcaster is shrouded in secrecy as he delves into the disappearance of Dawson, a local teen, setting the stage for a gripping mystery.

Meet the teens:

SAM: The daughter of Wiley Calhoun (abusive)—right-hand to the powerful Langley family. She is 18 and kicked out of her home, then mixed up in a hit-and-run tragedy with her little brother, who flatlines. There is no hope. Bad luck or something more sinister? Stepping outside of the hospital to take a breather, she meets Jack and makes a deal with the devil to save him.

NEERA: The granddaughter of Punjabi immigrants who are struggling to keep a rundown motel afloat. Her mom is unstable, but it's clear that she plans for Neera to attend college and not end up like her. Neera wants to be a musician, like her uncle Ajay (deceased), and she works at the motel cleaning rooms while holding a second job at the local tavern, where her mom works as a bartender. She overhears someone threatening her grandparents, then a fire breaks out, and she wants to find out what's going on. Additionally, while cleaning Room #4, a significant amount of blood was found.

ISAIAH: The son of a prominent judge and one of the few successful Black men in town. He wants his son to attend Harvard Law School to take over the family business. But you will find Isaiah at his grandparents' farm most of the time, which he loves, and secretly producing his true-crime podcast.

REID: Reid's father runs the town, powerful and wealthy. He has high expectations of his family. They must do as they are told, with high expectations, and ensure the messiness of the family disappears. But Reid has a conscience, and his dad does not. Currently, he is worried about his missing friend Dawson.

These four teens would love nothing more than to escape their environment, whether rich or poor, but first, they must band together to solve the mystery of their friend's disappearance, the fate of all the missing people, and the strange deaths of the past.

Every thirteen years, the cicadas surface, and every thirteen years, people go missing. And now it's happening again. The cicadas are back, and a teen boy named Dawson has disappeared. The closer the teens get to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes.

What is happening?

My thoughts...

WHEN DEVIL SINGS is evil, atmospheric, Gothic, chilling, lyrical, and suspenseful. From the serpents, crows, and cicadas shrieking their deafening screams, with their figurative meanings as treacherous and deceitful as the characters themselves, with mythology and folklore associated with evil, class, and sinister acts.

Kaur's evocative prose and the characters come to life against the backdrop of a town steeped in tradition and haunted by its past.

A bewitchingly foreboding story of sacrifice, privilege, racism, class, family, guilt, and the vengeful ghosts of a haunted past and present. The tale masterfully interweaves mystery and psychological tension, with darkness lurking at every page turn.

The author brilliantly explores the darker aspects of Southern culture, including violence, racism, classism, poverty, and social decay, as well as the complexities of Southern family dynamics and legacies of trauma, abuse, and violence.

With the use of podcasting and social commentary, the Southern Gothic genre often critiques Southern society, highlighting issues of poverty, injustice, and the enduring impact of the past. The author cleverly describes these contrasts vividly with lyrical prose. Incorporating
supernatural elements, adding to the eerie and unsettling atmosphere.

Genre-crossing from the Deep South, Southern Gothic, horror, thriller, YA, thriller, suspense, and literary, the characters are morally ambiguous, blurring the lines between good and evil while exploring the complexities of human nature.

I typically don't read a lot of horror or YA; however, I enjoy Southern fiction and books set in the South, particularly those set in Georgia. I lived in Atlanta for many years and had a client in Columbus, GA (central SW GA), which I found to be a very mysterious and haunted town. When I saw the audiobook narrator lineup, I knew I would love it.

Character-driven, what a great cast of good and evil characters. These teens are driven, determined, and tenacious. I found the two girls to be very courageous and loved how they all joined together to fight against the sins of the past, as well as the satisfying conclusion.

Mind-blowing! An author to watch. She is definitely on my list! An impressive debut. While reading, you may be thinking and singing Charlie Daniels' The Devil Went Down to Georgia and Blake Shelton's God’s Country (but in this case, the Devil did stick around).

Audiobook...

The audiobook, performed by a talented cast including Jennifer Pickens, Landon Woodson, and Michael Crouch, is a stellar production that brings the characters to life with outstanding performances. This engaging and captivating listening experience is highly recommended for all audiobook enthusiasts.

Recs...

For fans of Southern Gothic horror and those who enjoy Emily Carpenter (Gothictown), Laura McHugh, Stephen King, Michael Ferris Smith, Wiley Cash, David Joy, Ron Rash, and S.A. Cosby.

Special thanks to Macmillan Audio, MacAudio2025, via NetGalley, and Google Play for an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: May 27, 2025
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This Southern gothic horror was an amazing read! WOW. Such captivating writing and story line. Clear descriptions of all the characters. They are so well developed, and we get to see their struggles and motivations. Such natural horror throughout the book. Nothing feels forced in any of the dark aspects. Fresh style of writing with a great pace throughout. Elements of rich vs poor, urban legends, secrets and lies. Absolutely immersive and shocking twists and turns throughout.

I love when southern gothics deliver on plot *and* vibes.

This was a fantastic debut. It's dark and utterly compelling. Four POVs intersecting the way these do is ambitious, but Kaur pulls it off. The individual storylines are unique and the voices stand out from each other really well. The horror mystery is fascinating and I loved that I never knew where the story was going to end up.

Will definitely be reading more from this author in future!

This was an excellent book! I loved the many threads at play, the blend of folklore and small Southern society. There are so many themes being explored, and it was handled so well, nothing feeling under developed or weighted down by trying to cover several topics. I really loved the way Neera, Reid, Sam, and Isaiah’s stories are all connected and converge and the way the secrets of Clear Water came to light. The interludes with the podcast were especially delightful, especially in the audio. It was a well done narration and I had trouble putting it down. I cannot wait to see what Xan Kaur will write next because this was such a strong debut!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Xan Kaur killed it when it came to building this haunting atmospheric rural horror. The four characters and their interwoven narratives seamlessly flowed together and contributed to the mysterious and eerie feel of the story. They were flawed but really likable!

The only thing is… the pacing was a bit of a miss. I loved the build of the atmosphere but maybe it could have been cut down so the ending wouldn’t have seemed so rushed.

Overall, very solid and great if you like more thriller/mystery horror vs paranormal horror. The deals with the devil felt like an important catalyst but the humans and murder mystery plot were the actual focal point.

3.75/5

WHEN DEVILS SING is a 'horror' story about the residents of two small neighboring Southern Georgia communites, one affluent and one struggling,. The story's protagonists are confronted with questions of what, and to whom, they are willing to sacrifice, in order to gain and/or maintain various types of currency, (status, talent, wealth..).

I quite enjoyed listening to this audiobook, and I was immediately hooked by both the story and the narration.

I don't necessarily agree with it being labeled for Teen/YA, as I think that there is much to be enjoyed here by any reader interested in mystic intrigue, horror or suspense. In fact, I found the style of writing and storytelling to be reminiscent of a Grady Hendrix novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy of this book, My reviews will be posted to my socials on May 26, 2025, (Fable and Goodreads)

I listened to the audiobook of this one and I loved the way the narrators all came together. I thought the story moved a little slowly, but it was a truly creepy story. I loved how it centered around the song about meeting the devil down in Georgia at the crossroad. This story takes place between Carrion and Clearwater two complete opposites. Carrion is a normal enough place except every 13 years when cicadas come (and let’s all agree nothing needed to make those things creepier) and Clearwater home to all the rich and powerful. Legend said that a hundred years ago a Langley ancestor met the devil at the crossroads and gave him his dead wife’s body in exchange for food and water and worldly goods. He leads more families in joining and the town of Clearwater was born. Four unlikely young adults come together to in present day to try to find out what happened to a missing boy name Dawson and what goes around in their small town. This story is creepy and full of the devil and bargains. There are also some gruesome descriptions of animal deaths so be aware of that.

This audiobook was absolutely fantastic. Genuinely so immersive and kept me engaged in a way no other audiobook managed to do, even the dramatized ones. The mini podcast clips spread throughout were such a good idea and worked so well with the story. Oh and gosh the story was fantastic, I definitely had a favourite POV so listen to, but all of the different characters contributed so much to the story. The themes were quite dark but worked very well for a Teen Horror. There were definitely times when the story lagged a bit, but overall a fantastic read and I would highly recommend!!