Reviews with content warning for Violence - Siren Queen

Siren Queen, like the Vo's other works, is fantastical, dark, cinematic, and (most importantly) queer. It also brings a nuanced perspective on the intersection of race and gender is a specific historical context. I never felt like I totally understood the magic, but honestly it just adds to the vampy, mysterious vibe

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ghosthermione's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious

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 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.

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kleine_elster_'s review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

4.5

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smalika's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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juliatsang's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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rcollins1701's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

An urban fantasy set in Golden Age Hollywood. One wonders, however, if the fantasy aspects were needed.

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vigil's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

i absolutely adored this book. it has a loose and unexplained magical realism style that might be a detriment to some people, but for me it served to further immerse me into the world and character. luli was a character i resonated with personally as a fellow lesbian woc who couldn't be sweet or dainty if i tried, and comfortably related to the idea of being a monster, or really just an other.

i think luli is a character that is to flatten and turn into a shallow “girlboss” caricature, which would be doing her a disservice. we get to know luli's insecurities and fears alongside her wants, and accomplishments in a way that despite the mystical atmosphere, keeps the narrative really grounded. it was very striking and relatable to hear about luli’s fears simultaneous to her bold actions and demeanor. i appreciated the variety in her relationships, and that regardless of their outcome, are always treated with respect by the narrative and had a clear impact on luli herself.

i can't say much about the plot, not due to a lack of one, but because this story is primarily driven by its characters. this was originally three seperate novellas, and i think you can see that somewhat in the division of the story (act one, act two, act three) but it didn't harm the pacing, and kept the thread from the previous portion weaving throughout the next. the prose itself is excellent, managing to be poetic and descriptive without being vague or dragging.

all in all, i can't recommend this one enough.

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