Reviews with content warning for Physical abuse - Song of the Forever Rains

In this fantasy romance, the world-building is superficial, and the story is light. The three daughters of the Thief King wield powerful, sometimes deadly, musical magic. The youngest, Larkyra, has a powerful voice. She must constantly control her magic lest any strong emotion come through in speech or song to hurt others. The sisters go on missions for their father, partially to protect his interests and also for some do-gooder reasons (think Charlie's Angels). Larkyra embarks on her first solo mission to discover how a potent magical drug is being smuggled out of the Thief Kingdom.

So what did I like? There's a magical being who contains both a brother and sister. They converse internally and have a gender-fluid exterior to reflect who is in the lead at that time. I loved the way this character played with gender. I liked the spin on fantasy/paranormal romance tropes that here we have a woman who is dangerous and powerful and an essentially clueless man who needs her help. And usually, we would expect the reverse to be true. I was also a major fan of the fashion. When Lark was appalled at herself for not packing clothes to properly suit the ambiance of her destination, I knew she was my kind of person. Finally, the sisterly banter is A+. They can't stop, won't stop no matter who else is around.

Unfortunately, my issues with the book ran deeper. At the very start, Larkyra undergoes a family tradition of giving up her magic and aristocratic privilege for a month leading up to her nineteenth birthday. My problem here is how performative it is. Yes, it's probably good that the three sisters don't just live in a curated bubble, but what does throwing them into the slums accomplish on behalf of other people, really? They still know it will be over in a month and that they'll have access to food, medicine, and a roof over their heads then. Lark even admits that she thinks her father would have saved her if she got in enough danger. Which, good. But also that makes the whole experience very surface-level. And at the end, Lark is meant to have learned powerful life lessons but isn't expected to put them to use in a way that would help balance the scales. I suppose she gets to pocket her newfound street smarts and pat herself on the back for now understanding that the scales even exist. While it was a relief to avoid toxic masculinity on a pedestal in this book, there is still an uncomfy vibe of high-handed paternalism from our aristocratic characters. The lower classes are meant to receive charity and benevolent leadership, passive while their betters volley power plays at one another. Also, I was frustrated that in trying to give that veneer of edginess, torture is presented as a sometimes appropriate means to an end.

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vl_411's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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emilyvictoria98's review

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

The relationships between the characters were my favourite part of this book, I would have read the book even if it was just about the Mousai sisters and their day to day antics but I am glad that we got to experience their chaotic energy when it included other people and nefarious plots too. The chemistry between Larkyra and Darius was also very well done and I would have read this book in one sitting if I could! I put the 'diverse characters' as 'its complicated' because I pictured the Mousai as women of colour but I am not sure if they are described that way and I couldn't find any quotes either way.

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izzy_reads's review

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medium-paced

4.5

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meganlowe87's review

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

This was a solid book. It had romance, it had magic, it was lighthearted at times, and serious in others.
It didn’t wow my socks off, but I did enjoy it.
Darius is lovely, and Lakira was sweet.
Nya was awesome and I enjoyed her a lot.
I do think the world building, especially at the start could’ve been much better, especially when describing the girl’s powers and the thief kingdom. I had to string the dots together on my own from what I guessed.
I also like how it doesn’t stray from some touchy subjects.
The audiobook narrators are awesome and I enjoyed it a lot!

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