Siren Queen

Written by Nghi Vo

Narrated by Natalie Naudus

FROM AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR NGHI VO COMES A DAZZLING NEW NOVEL WHERE IMMORTALITY IS JUST A CASTING CALL AWAY

"Natalie Naudus's skilled narration adds to the luminous and otherworldly qualities of Vo's historical fantasy." -AudioFile on Siren Queen

It was magic. In every world, it was a kind of magic.

"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.

Siren Queen offers up an enthralling exploration of an outsider achieving stardom on her own terms, in a fantastical Hollywood where the monsters are real and the magic of the silver screen illuminates every page.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor.com Books.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: May 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9781250856227

Nghi Vo

Nghi Vo is the author of the novels Siren Queen and The Chosen and the Beautiful, as well as the acclaimed novellas of the Singing Hills Cycle, which began with The Empress of Salt and Fortune. The series entries have been finalists for the Nebula Award, the Locus Award, and the Lambda Literary Award, and have won the Crawford Award, the Ignyte Award, and the Hugo Award. Born in Illinois, she now lives on the shores of Lake Michigan. She believes in the ritual of lipstick, the power of stories, and the right to change your mind.

Reviews for Siren Queen

[Aida O · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Unfortunately the volume of this audiobook is all over the place. It would go from barely understandable whispers to full volume every other sentence making it impossible to listen to on the go, such a shame.

Otherwise, the story was okay, but I was emotionally detached.

[ErinNantais · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic queer story of the movie age. I loved it!

[Emily Preun · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I went into this book blind. I love the narrator so I was happy to check out her latest audiorecording. The performance itself was incredibly well done! I loved the old Hollywood vibes of this story but I wasn't quite sure of the era they were trying to portray. The aspects of magic felt kind of random. I think this is a book that gets better with re-reads and could make a really neat movie or TV series.

[Kathryn Soderholm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating fantasy worldbuilding. Extra fun if you're interested in the golden age of Hollywood -- or a fan of You Must Remember This podcast. Also super queer! I appreciate that the reader/listener isn't explained everything.

Most of all, I love how proud and uncompromising the main character is. It's viscerally thrilling to see her beat the odds.

[Laurie Grauer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautifully, hauntingly written. Glad I listened to this after hearing “Seven Husbands”, I was able to better understand the Hollywood era captured in these pages. Still, the images, the pairing of historical fiction and magically realism, and the complexity of the characters still stick with me even after I finished this book.

[Erica Witt · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was pretty middle of the road for me. I typically love old Hollywood stories so I was really hopeful for this one. I enjoyed the writing style and the elements of magic mixed within, but I guess I was wanting more from the story. I don't have much to say because I enjoyed the story but I didn't love it. The narration was great though!

[Shawna · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was so many things, I'm not sure where to start. It's a beautiful story of a girl who knew what she wanted and did not settle on how she got there. Set in 30's Hollywood our lovely main character starts with small but important parts and grows to become the Siren Queen. What she she discovered about herself and the people around her is heartbreaking and beautiful. Refered to as Monsters the people around her make deals and sell their souls (almost literally) to make their own way. I'm not sure I have read anything quite like this before and I want more. Suprising and beautiful it will draw you in and stick with you.