An amazing novel that will keep you hooked from start to finish, I can’t wait to read more by Gabi Burton

Wow! I absolutely devoured this book. I loved the main character’s struggle between good and bad. I could not guess the reveals or ending and that’s a good thing for me! By the ending I’m assuming there is a second book coming, and you can bet that I’ll be keen to read this as soon as I can.

Sing Me To Slep is a debut fantasy book by Gabi Burton.

Only fae, witches and humans live in the Keirdre kingdom. The fae are the superior ones led by the Royal family. Witches are second but mostly banished to the outskirts of the kingdom, and humans are the lowest class, working as servants. And then there is our main heroine Saoirse who is a siren in disguise as an ikatus (a fae in the looks only but with no real power or affinity for the elements) because sirens are dangerous, and their existence is illegal...... and she's the only one left.

Saoirse is someone, who lies about her identity to avoid being executed, keeps to herself, has only one friend (and she would like to keep it that way), is very hard-working, and works as an assassin for mercenaries during the nights for extra money for her family... the catch of being the assassin? While she needs the money for her sister's school tuition, she can't deny she likes to kill and needs to kill to stay sane - it's siren's nature to kill because the pull is too strong. And she's been battling this pull for the majority of her life.

Saoirse is the number one graduate soldier from the most prestigious barracks in the kingdom with a clear vision of her dream job but instead, they offer her a guard position in the Palace for Crown Prince Hayes. She doesn't want to work for the Royals, but when she finds a blackmail letter in the hands of her beloved sister with a royal seal on it, she has no other choice than to accept the position. She needs to find out who is blackmailing her for information about the barrier surrounding the kingdom, the supposed extinct creatures, and the Royals. As she balances her jobs as an assassin and the guard, she's slowly uncovering the kingdom's secrets.

And the prince seems to be fascinated by her for some reason. The more she tries to shake him off, the more he tries to get closer. And her resolve to hate all the Royals and keep away from the prince slowly crumbles the more time she spends with him and gets to know him better. He's different from the rest of the Royal family - he's kind, compassioned, tries to understand, isn't prejudiced against other races, and most importantly, he listens to Saoirse and tries to make changes with his limited power. They also need to join hands and find the killer of his friend...

Saoirse is torn between her duties as a guard (and investigator), her job as an assassin, and a hand uncovering the secrets for the blackmailer while trying not to get caught and protecting her loved ones. The only problem? Everything seems to connect to everything... And Saoirse needs to choose which side to join.

This book has the potential to be a great new series! It sucks you in very quickly and doesn't let you out. You can't put it down, and by the end, you can't believe what happened. It has everything I love: a great story, interesting characters and world, a strong morally grey female character with battling sides, magic, magical creatures, intrigues, betrayals where I haven't seen them coming, a prince easy to love, and a mystery to uncover. I also appreciate the queer side characters.

I look forward to the second book because I need answers! But don't worry - while the story continues in book two, the first one doesn't have a cliffhanger.

I would recommend it to fans of sirens and readers who enjoyed The Cruel Prince and To Kill A Kingdom.

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for granting me access to an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Mesmerizing faes, sirens, enchanting siren song - you will feel pulled into this story right from the beginning!
Sing Me to Sleep was beautiful, terrific, magical and extremely unique!

The main character Saoirse is able to taste emotions - how cool is that? In this magical world the Fae rules, and other mythical creatures and people are taken as lesser beings. Except Saoirse, who is a siren - the last of her kind, supposedly disappered. She is an assassin and ends up working where the prince is or for him. You can expect the shock, truly.

Loved that the main character was morally grey, dubious and often portrayed flawed. I really enjoyed the dynamic between the characters and that I could never just pick a side.

Looking forward to the sequel - thank you so much for Hodderscape for the eARC!

Sing Me to Sleep is a wickedly alluring debut from author Gabi Burton. Saoirse is a siren who lies about her identity to escape execution and to protect her family. When a mysterious threat against her sister arises. she must step out of the shadows and take a dangerous job to hunt down the blackmailer, all the while risking the exposure of her secrets. Working for the crown prince Hayes, Saoirse must choose between keeping her secrets or keeping the boy she is beginning to fall for.

Oh my freaking god I loved this book! I read it in under 24 hours it ws so damn good. A captivating story of hidden identities, secrets, betrayals and a slow burn romance to die for, this is a new YA favourite of mine. I cannot wait for the sequel and will absolutely be re-reading this. Saoirse is the perfect morally-grey anti-hero that you cannot help but root for. She will do anything for her family, risking her own life for her sister. She is the perfect grump of the grumpy/sunshine romance but deep down she cares, a lot.

The world building is perfect, the court and political intrigue is excellent. This book is perfect for fans of To Kill a Kingdom and All the Stars and Teeth. If you like murderous sirens and swoony princes, this book is for you! Go preorder!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hodderscape for the e-arc.

This is a young adult book with a fantastic plot: in a kingdom where fae reign superior, where witches and humans are seen as lesser beings, Saoirse lives. She is a siren, and sirens are a species that are supposed to have been wiped out due to their violently dangerous nature. So Saoirse must live in secret and satisfy her bloodlust through her assignments as an assassin. Which honestly, works quite well until she ends up working at the palace for the prince and begins to have feelings for him.

This book was very fun and was written in a way that made it very easy to digest. Our protagonist being a questionably evil character was very entertaining and I found myself continuously rooting for her despite the fact that blood was always on her hands. Although I didn't feel like the prince and Saoirse had much chemistry, by the end the slow burn had worn me down and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

The way the concept of the sirens was written was brilliant and I loved it - really hoping there will be more sirens in the sequel!

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

I'm not sure how I felt about Sing Me to Sleep. It's billed as a YA fantasy featuring a morally gray protagonist.... but your protagonists have to be pretty gray to earn that title when Rebecca Schaeffer's Not Even Bones series exist. Plus, there are a lot of YA assassin books out there, and I'd argue that a protagonist who is choosing to kill because they're compelled (which is what is heavily stressed in this book - Saoirse is compelled by the water to kill and has to learn to fight against it) is less morally gray than an assassin who is killing to get by or because they're good at it (without a magical force telling them to do it). So, yeah, that feels like an overhyped element. However, if you're a young reader and haven't read a book featuring a morally gray character before then this will probably tick that box for you.

I also didn't buy the love story. There didn't seem to be any compelling reason for Hayes to like Saoirse except for the fact that she didn't seem interested in him, which made him curious. That's not enough to convince me a couple are well-suited. Plus, he was badgering Saoirse for ages to engage with him - would any of us actually find that okay in the real world? I know this is a fantasy with sirens etc. but it leaves a sour taste in my mouth when the protagonist is basically going "I want nothing to do with this guy" and the love interest is all "I will wear her down until her feelings change".

Additionally, I don't think the characters were as well-integrated as they could be. We weren't even 30% of the way in before I'd figured out who one of the bad guys was because there was no other reason for them to be in the story. If you don't pay attention to narrative - ie. take it as it comes without really thinking about it (which is an absolutely fine way to read a book!) then I don't think this would bother you, but if you're the type of person who thinks "this character could be cut and it wouldn't change anything in the plot, therefore they're going to be significant later on and by process of elimination are likely one of the villains" then you'll be irritated.

But, saying all that, it was readable. I had the choice to finish a TV series or finish this book, and the book was so easy that it felt like the more relaxing choice. It's written in a way that makes it feel like you're eating junk food - and I mean that in a good way. It goes down easily, and even if it might not be the best thing for you it was at least enjoyable in the moment.

I would have been happy for this to have been a one-and-done, but for those who love it then they'll be glad to know there's a sequel. I doubt I'll be reading it, but I might keep an eye out for anything else Gabi Burton writes.

Thank you to netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Rating:3/5
We'll, I have mixed feelings about this book. Overall it's a gripping story that hooked me till the end. However, I could not fully enjoy the reading experience because of the writing style. The statement '*color* was so dark that it was black ' was used way too often. Another problem from which many fantasy books suffer, is using modern words like 'Hi', 'Mom', 'Dad', and 'Ass' in a fantasy world. I read a review which said that Hayes was useless and I completely agree. His only purpose was to provide the right information at the right time to Saoirse. He was extremely obnoxious and I did not enjoy his interactions with Saoirse. On the other hand, I liked the rich and immersive world-building which did not seem forced or hard to understand or remeber. The twists and turns, the climax and the ending was something that I liked. I will be waiting for the sequel!

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC of this book.

Sing me to sleep is an adventurous, magical ya fantasy with a morrally gray FMC. Saoirse Sorkova is the last siren in Keirdre and has to hide who she is. Both because her species are hunted and extinct, and because she has a side job as an assassin. When she starts working with the prince in the palace, she suddenly finds herself hunting down a killer who happens to be herself.

I loved this book. The characters were amazing. The plot was so good. Sometimes, you didn't really know who to root for or feel compassionate for. And i kept trying to guess who was supposed to be the villain or at least one of them. I can't wait for book 2.

Sing Me To Sleep has an intriguing concept, but the execution is sloppy. ⠀
The world building is a little forced, and the characters lack personality and occasionally just vanish, leaving no impression and only appearing as a complement.⠀
⠀
Each chapter feels disconnected, and there are a few plot holes strewn about.⠀
⠀
Saoirse's main goal is also obscured by plots. It might be better if the conflict centred on Raze rather than discovering who sent mysterious letters to Saoirse or being the prince's bodyguard 😪. ⠀
⠀
Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder Stoughton for sending me the eARC; I rate it 2.5 stars.

An enchanting, enthralling and effervescent tale of loss, betrayal, fear and power, intertwined with a slow burn forbidden romance to die for.

Each and every character drew me in, I didn't know who to love, who to hate or who to trust.

The FMC is flawed and powerful and frightening and yet oh so loveable in her own way. It's so powerful to read about a woman who is magically beautiful and yet inside she feels ugly. Loyal to those she loves, willing to do the dirty work, but compassionate enough to feel sorrow for it, I couldn't help but fall for Saiorse and will her through the trouble she's facing.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC, can't wait to have a copy of this on my shelf 🥰

I really really wanted to like this book because the premise is amazing. Sirens, fae, witches, blackmails, cloak and dagger: all the things I love and get excited about.
I will start with the things I liked: The world was very imaginative, I loved the idea of fae with different elemental magic powers living together with witches and humans. The class system going on was realistic and an intriguing critique to society. Prince Hayes is the highlight of this book, he is kind, warm and just in general lovely, you want to give him a hug. He was about the only consistent and likeable character in the whole book. He deserved better.

So where did it go wrong?

Firstly, the writing. Unfortunately, there were a lot of rookie mistakes in the text, such as the irrelevant info dumps in the beginning and repeating, not once, not twice, but three times what Saoirse has discovered on her quest to satisfy the blackmailer's demands. This happened a few times during the story and I really didn't need the characters regurgitating what ive just read literally 3 pages ago. My memory isn't that bad...
Further on the writing, Ive experienced a lot of 'My eyes changed to this color' or 'my eyes glowed with that color'… Hun, how do you know? In first person, how can you see the color of your own eye??

Secondly, the characters, but namely Saoirse. I was sorry to discover that she suffers from YA female MC disease, ie perfect at everything she touches, never fails, the most beautiful woman found in centuries and her actions have almost 0 consequences :) What better way to prepare teens to life than telling them if they kill someone, that's okay, as long as they say they hate themselves for it (which is said but never shown in the story) but secretly enjoy the act of taking a life.
Somehow the other characters describe her as kind and honest and compassionate, which I guess would work in making me like her, if we didn't spend every 2nd chapter following her around while she kills people for the fun of it. Yes, very kind indeed, putting people out of their misery. She's unapologetic, sure, but honest? She lies to everyone through the entire time! And Hayes, bless his beautiful heart, he somehow likes her when she doesn't have a single kind word to him or a moment of bonding. She clearly rejects him but he continues to not get the hint, which makes my heart ache on one, because he deserves better but also gives me the ick because man, No means no. Although Saoirse is really quick to change her mind once it becomes convenient to stay close to the prince, in case you know, she might face some prosecution for the killings maybe?

*Minor SPOILER ahead*

At the end of the book, Saoirse reaches the conclusion that she shouldn't deny her own nature and killings are a part of it and so, everyone who says she is wrong doesn't actually love her. Right…

*END of spoiler

All in all, unfortunately I didn't like this book, despite my high hopes, but could be that it just isnt for me. I urge everyone to go and find out for themselves and read the book. Someone else may like it.

I was so excited to be approved to read this one and it did not disappoint. The main character Saoirse will do anything to protect her sister. She is strong and willing to kill to do this, even when she knows it’s wrong. Saoirse is a siren who shouldn’t be inside the barrier and uses Keil stones to cover her identity. The fae are in control and Saoirse ends up working for the Prince inside the palace. I love most books featuring the fae and this one doesn’t disappoint.
The plot was good although I did feel it started a little slow but it did pick up. I enjoyed the world building and felt that I could see what was being described. The side characters were well developed and had plenty of depth which is something I enjoy.
I really enjoyed the writing style too and felt that it flowed nicely throughout the book.
I can’t wait to read the next book in the series after that ending.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

WOW. Thank you a million times over to NetGalley and the publishers for this e-ARC. Sing Me To Sleep was STUNNING. I am absolutely obessed. The pacing was steady and the characters well rounded. I wanted more, and can't wait till the next installment! Formal review will be available on GoodReads, socials & Amazon.

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for providing me this e-arc in exange for an honest review. My opinion is my own and not influenced by others.

I've seen this book coming up as one of the best debuts this year that would be perfect for fans who loved To kll a kingdom, Daughter of the pirate king and The cruel prince. Since I love two of those books, I couldn't wait to start reading this book. The description sounds really good, we meet Saoirse, a siren who lies to avoid being executed for being one, who is an assasssin by night. When her sister is being threatened by someone, she decides to take a job to become the personal bodyguard of the crown prince. On their journey together to find a killer, she feels drawn to the prince which makes it complicated since she is the killer.

I wanted to like the story because, like I said before, I love To kill a kingdom and Daughter of the pirate king and it has familiarities with those books, but I got really annoyed because of the writing style, I could't connect with the story and because the main character is by my opinion uncompromising, morally grey. I think this is also the reason why I didn't like this story; the main characters in To kill a kingdom and Daughter of the pirate king, are morally correct and I like those kind of characters a lot more.

Saoirse Sorkova survives on secrets. As the last siren in her kingdom, she can sing any man to an early grave - but her very existence is illegal, and if her true identity were ever discovered, it would be her life on the line.

By day, Saoirse disguises herself as a fae, pretending to be the perfect soldier-in-training. By night, she satisfies her darker urges working as an assassin for dangerous mercenaries. And all the while, she keeps the biggest secret of all: that she is not always in control of her Siren powers, or her desire to kill.

Then a blackmailer threatens her sister, and Saoirse's investigation takes her to the royal palace, and her most dangerous job yet: personal bodyguard to the Crown Prince.

*Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an Earc in exchange for an honest review*

I really, really liked Sing Me to Sleep. It had all of my favourite tropes, fast paced and fun writing and characters I would quite honestly die for.


"𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗬𝗔 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗯𝘂𝘁, 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹."

Gabi Burton has a gift. She managed to write a complex, engaging and FUN fantasy book that's also filled with complex themes if you want them and somehow there was no info dump, no boring sections and an ending that tied the whole book together beautifully.

"𝘉𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦.
𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰."

The plot twists were hidden enough that they were suprises, but just clear enough that a reader might start to guess.

"𝘞𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰."

And the characters 😍😍. An uncompromising, morally grey in every sense female heroine. A sunshine, happy-go-lucky with a darker side prince. Two guards with dark secrets. They all worked beautifully- I think I'm in love with all of them and let me tell you if Hayes or Saoirse asked me to die for them I would.

If you liked To Kill a Kingdom or Daughter of the Pirate King but thought they were a bit too... morally correct for you, then give Sing Me to Sleep a go. You won't regret it, especially with a massively diverse cast of characters.

Trope list:
◉ Sunshine x grumpy
◉ Hidden identity
◉ Forced proximity
◉ Enemies to lovers

Thank you so much NetGalley for this incredible ARC!!

Wow!! I am completely and utterly in LOVE with this book 😍

I have read books about the Fae in the past and while they have been enjoyable, they mostly lacked depth and were generally forgettable. But Sing Me To Sleep is so different from any other Fae book I have read before!

It was so full of depth and the world was rich with history and lore. The magic system was elemental, with Fae as well as other magical creatures. I really really loved how Saoirse could taste emotions. It meant I could truly feel each and every interaction of hers.

Prince Hayes was my other favourite character. I loved the interactions between him and Saoirse. The romance was so perfect, and the plot and side plots were totally gripping! I wish I could tell you more but I can’t without revealing too much.

Ultimately, this book was perfection. I am so happy I discovered Gabi Burton!

So without further ado, make sure you read this book when it officially comes out!

Is that an order?

Yes. Yes it is.

This was a terrific read, you really get drawn into the siren song.
it’s perfect for fans of dark YA. Huge thanks to the publisher for the chance to read and review this ARC, via NetGalley.

OH MY GOD THIS BOOK IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! i was hooked right from the start of the book and the twists and turns made my head spin. i can honestly see this book being the YA book of 2023 - it is honestly incredible.

this is now one of my all time favourite books and gabi burton has such an unbelievable talent with her writing. the world building was so easy to follow and it was not overwhelming at all which i normally find with fantasy books. i absolutely adored saoirse and how morally grey she is (i am such a sucker for morally grey characters). she may be very murderous but i LOVE her. the dynamic between hayes and saoirse was amazing - they have the grumpy/sunshine energy and that is one of my fave tropes. this book has it all: slow burn, badass FMC, betrayal, antiheroes, it is definitely worth the read.

ALSO THAT ENDING????? I NEED BOOK TWO RIGHT NOW! i am honestly so sad that i won’t have a physical copy of the book until june because i want it so badly. thank you so much for allowing me to read this book prior to publication. burton is such a raw talent and i cannot wait to see what happens next.