Early Review – Siren Queen by Nghi Vo (4.5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Magical Realism/Historical Fantasy
Length: 288 pages
Publisher: Tordotcom
Release Date: May 10, 2022
ASIN : B09C4F52CS
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eGalley from NetGalley
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
“No maids, no funny talking, no fainting flowers.” Luli Wei is beautiful, talented, and desperate to be a star. Coming of age in pre-Code Hollywood, she knows how dangerous the movie business is and how limited the roles are for a Chinese American girl from Hungarian Hill—but she doesn’t care. She’d rather play a monster than a maid.
But in Luli’s world, the worst monsters in Hollywood are not the ones on screen. The studios want to own everything from her face to her name to the women she loves, and they run on a system of bargains made in blood and ancient magic, powered by the endless sacrifice of unlucky starlets like her. For those who do survive to earn their fame, success comes with a steep price. Luli is willing to do whatever it takes—even if that means becoming the monster herself.”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got a copy of this book through NetGalley to review.
Thoughts: This story follows a young Chinese girl who ends up being called Luli Wei. We follow her as she starts first as a child extra in scenes and then as she makes a deal to try for a spot on the big screen. Luli is driven by her love of the big screen beyond anything else but she has standards…she won’t play a maid, won’t do funny talking Chinese side characters, and will not be a fainting flower. That ends up leaving only one thing for her; she starts playing a monster in the films.
This was mostly fantastic with amazing imagery and characters. It captures the Hollywood glamor perfectly but weaves a dark tint into all the shine and glory. I loved this imagery and the strange portrayal of Old Hollywood but with a darkness of demons and possibly dark fae involved. This was an entrancing and enchanting read and I really loved it. I had trouble putting it down and really felt like the time and setting came alive.
This would have been a 5 star read for me but I found the ending really confusing. I re-read it a few times and still am not exactly sure what happened in the last few scenes with Luli on the set. This also has more of a magical realism feel to it…you are never sure if the demons and dark fae are real or if they are metaphors for something else. While the magical realism aspect didn’t really bother me but I would have liked a bit more closure at the end.
My Summary (4.5/5): Overall I really enjoyed this a lot. It’s not as good as Vo’s “Singing Hill Cycle” but I liked it better than “The Chosen and the Beautiful”. I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for a dark and magical read about Old Hollywood. I look forward to reading more of Vo’s books in the future.
