Sing me to sleep by Gabi Burton

The author’s dedication in this book reads ‘For Black girls everywhere who feel like they’re not enough. You are. I promise.’ The characters are all Black or Brown, and all dwell in the fantasy kingdom of Keirdre which includes fae people, witches, some humans (lowest in the hierarchy), and most formidable of all, the Siren, she of Greek mythology who lures beings to their deaths beneath the waves. Saoirse is a Siren, forced to hide her identity, in this land ruled by the fae, where all other Sirens have been banished or killed.

Saoirse is also an assassin, a paid killer. When she casts aside her disguise her beauteous looks make her a temptress that none can resist as she sings them to their deaths. She works for an unnamed Employer, in a conspiracy against the oppressive monarchy, for money for her impoverished family  . . . and for the thrill of the kill. It is in her blood, a power that is very hard to keep under control. The dilemma for Saoirse is ensuring she does keep control so that the adopted family she loves continues to care for her without fear.

Saoirse has no compassion for her victims until threatening demands from a blackmailer start raising questions in her mind, about her secret Employer, the connections between the murdered men, and whether she is actually being manipulated in her newly won role as guard to the Prince, a man she didn’t expect to like, but who gradually rises in her estimation. The quandary is whether she is actually an agent for good or for evil. Is she a monster; and can she ever be worthy of love?

This book had me enthralled from the very beginning. Although it is a fantasy novel, Burton doesn’t spend a lot of time on world-building; the setting of Keirdre is a backdrop. The central drama is the conflict within Saoirse, and her gradual change of perspective, as she gets to know and appreciate the character of Hayes, the Crown Prince, and she starts to realise how she is being used by unscrupulous forces. She has to take responsibility for her powers and for her actions; a particular challenge when she does not know who is friend and who is foe.

This is an exciting new fantasy novel for YA readers, who will be glad to know that this is only the first instalment in a duology which promises to continue with the soon to be released ‘Drown me with dreams’.

For readers who enjoy this book, I would also recommend Spice Road (2023) by Maiya Ibrahim, another brilliant fantasy novel, with diverse characters and a similar theme of finding one’s true values.

Themes: Sirens (Mythology), Assassin, Power, Segregation, Discrimination, Diversity, Fantasy, Romance.

Helen Eddy