Genre: Fantasy
Series: Mousai # 1
Publication: July 1st 2021 by Montlake
Source: I received a review copy from Wunderkind PR in exchange for a honest review.
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The Thief Kingdom is a place hidden within the world of Aadilor. Many whisper of its existence, but few have found this place, where magic and pleasure abound. There, the mysterious Thief King reigns supreme with the help of the Mousai, a trio of revered and feared sorceresses.
Larkyra Bassette may be the youngest of the Mousai, but when she sings her voice has the power to slay monsters. When it’s discovered the Duke of Lachlan is siphoning a poisonous drug from the Thief Kingdom and using it to abuse his tenants, Larkyra is offered her first solo mission to stop the duke. Eager to prove herself, Larkyra accepts by posing as the duke’s potential bride. But her plans grow complicated when she finds herself drawn to Lord Darius Mekenna, Lachlan’s rightful heir. Soon she suspects Darius has his own motivations for ridding Lachlan of the corrupt duke. Larkyra and Darius must learn to trust each other if there is to be any hope of saving the people of Lachlan―and themselves.
Welcome to the world of Aadilor, where lords and ladies can be murderers and thieves, and the most alluring notes are often the deadliest. Dare to listen?
My Thoughts
Song of the Forever Rains was a very unexpected, pleasant surprise. Although I read the synopsis before I started reading the book, I was not ready for Mellow’s intricate world building and characters. In short, I absolutely loved it.
I thought Mellow’s world building and concept was refreshing and original with each ‘world’ vividly described from Aadilor (regular/upper world), the Thief Kingdom (underworld) and even The Fade (land of the dead). From the first page I was immediately immersed within the world and felt as if I was returning to visit an old friend. While the world building was multifaceted with the right amount of complexity, the writing was well-written, easy to follow and understand. I especially loved the magic system about the old gods and those gifted with their powers. The Bassette sisters, The Mousai, are a few gifted with powers of the arts; singing, dancing and music(instrumental). Song of the Forever Rains is Larkyra's novel. Readers follow Lark's journey as she relearns about her ability with singing and all the pros and cons that come along with it. This concept, while seemingly not barrier-breaking, is unique as I've never read it anywhere else. Lark is able to affect people with her tone/frequency, manipulate the mind and heal the body.
Lark was a great heroine, exactly the type I enjoy reading about. She's intelligent and caring but also knows how to fight and make tough choices. The best part of the entire book was her banter between her sisters and Darius. Darius was also a wonderful lead and the perfect complement to Lark. For once, I'm glad we didn't have the alpha male type. There's so many of them in all genres that they've become stale and redundant in personality. Darius was a kind Lord with childhood issues but instead of having a negative outlook on life, he used his circumstances to help and better those around him. I admired that. And speaking of sisters, Song of the Forever Rains has one of the greatest and most fun family dynamics I've seen in a long time. It's kinda rare to find stories where family plays a big, integral part in the overall novel but whenever I do find them they're a treat! And the Bassette family hits all the high marks. It's even more exciting that this new series has a book focused on each sister!
I very much enjoyed Song of the Forever Rains. It exceeded all my expectations. I appreciated all the detail and research that went into the novel, it was clearly evident down to characters and cities name to the garment colors chosen. The next book in the series follows the fiery Niya, the 2nd Bassette sister and I can't wait to read her story and return to Aadilor/Thief Kingdom!
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