Sound of Sirens
By Jen Minkman
4/5
()
About this ebook
An ancient land protected by a Tower of Light,
its people ever tempted by Siren song,
and a girl who falls for the wrong boy.
With Sirens lurking just beneath the ocean’s surface, not everything is as it seems on the island of Skylge… An enthralling story full of deep-sea mysteries, intrigue, and romance. 'Lush descriptions of a fantasy-tinged Dutch culture and evocative storytelling' (Publishers Weekly)
On the island of Skylge, electricity is only for the Currents – the rich ruling class who brought the holy fire of St. Brandan. Ever since, the light in the Brandaris Tower has protected the islanders from the Sirens living in the deep waters around the island.
When Skylger girl Enna welcomes her brother back from a sea voyage, he gives her a present from the mainland: an electronic record, only playable on Current devices. Enna strikes up a bargain with Royce, the local Current heartthrob, to share the LP and listen to it together – an act punishable by death. But soon she discovers that there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to Current society and the history of Skylge. Why do the Sirens tempt the islanders to give themselves up to the sea – and where does the Currents’ monopoly on electricity really come from?
While struggling with these questions, Enna begins to fall for Royce, risking everything to be with a guy who is clearly wrong for her. The sound of Sirens isn’t the most treacherous thing out there to haunt her dreams...
Jen Minkman
Jen Minkman (1978) was born in the Netherlands and lived in Austria, Belgium and the UK during her studies. She learned how to read at the age of three and has never stopped reading since. Her favourite books to read are (YA) paranormal/fantasy, sci-fi, dystopian and romance, and this is reflected in the stories she writes. In her home country, she is a trade-published author of paranormal romance and chicklit. Across the border, she is a self-published author of poetry, paranormal romance and dystopian fiction. So far, her books are available in English, Dutch, Chinese, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Afrikaans. She currently resides in The Hague where she works and lives with her husband and two noisy zebra finches.
Read more from Jen Minkman
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Related to Sound of Sirens
Titles in the series (3)
Sound of Sirens Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Light of Lorelei: Tales Of Skylge, #2 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fire of Fryslan: Tales Of Skylge, #3 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
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Reviews for Sound of Sirens
8 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Minkman's book, Sound of Sirens, is an enthralling story filled with secrets, sirens and a blooming forbidden romance between two people of two different worlds.On the island of Skylge, the Skylgers struggle each day because they have no electricity and stand mostly defenseless when the Nixen attack. The Currents are the opposite of Skylgers; they live in fortified high-rise apartment buildings, they have loud music that drowns out the merfolk call and ultimately, they have electricity. In addition, the Currents protect the people by the bright, shining light of the Brandaris Tower. Thus, the Skylgers, the original settlers of the island, are underlings of the Currents because of that. It’s quite ironic, isn’t it?Enna and Royce met officially when her brother, Sytse, came home and brought her a record from the mainland. She was confronted by Royce because he wants the LP and it was the only copy the ship brought in. Enna wouldn’t sell it to him for it was a gift, so they agreed to meet in secret. She will bring the LP and Royce will play it on his record player so that they both can enjoy the music. Then, one night when Enna was going home from Royce’s cottage she sees a shadow figure coming out of the old hut. It was her brother.What was he doing? Why was he there? What is he hiding?Sirens, romance and secrets that can change everything.I am a sucker for romances especially in books that have forbidden love because it makes everything more exciting and dangerous, don't you think? The couple's pain, sacrifices and struggles for their love - bittersweet. Just as I like it.‘Sound of Sirens’ is a refreshing, captivating read and is definitely one of my favourites. I highly recommend this book! The author’s writings never fail to captivate me and make me feel as if I am experiencing it first-hand through reading, in any of her books. That said, Minkman did a wonderful job by including the music that you can hear and feel it as well while reading. A different feeling for every song.I loved how Minkman has written the family's relationship and roles. It wasn't just the title or label of being a family member, but she also shown the interaction between all of them. Minkman clearly depicted how a specific family member do, think and act in its own way. I agree with their decision on why they hid things from Enna. They know her so much and she stubbornly denies that she would act impulsively. A few pages later, my reaction was like, "Oh well would you look at that. She couldn't keep it without blurting out a thing for a week or two".On a different note, I am happy to see how Enna and Royce's relationship progressed. I wasn't instant love and there is no love triangle. Yay! The last chapters of the book were challenging for them both. I wonder what are they planning to do next. I'm so thrilled!Minkman ended this book with a lot of questions unanswered. I just hope I will get answers when I read the next book, Light of Lorelei!I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fantasy, RomanceFor the island of Skylge only the Currents, the rich ruling class, get electricity. The Currents came from across the sea, and when they did they brought the holy fire of St. Brandan with them. Since then the light that is in the Brandaris Tower is what protects all the islanders. Because if they heed the Siren’s call they will drown and the Sirens will have their souls. The sacred light in the tower keeps the merfolk away. Enna is a Skylger girl that welcomes her brother back from his long sea voyage. He brings her a very special present from the mainland. An electronic record that can only be played on a Current devise. Royce Bolton is a Current heartthrob and a gifted pianist and he wants the record too which causes a problem. Enna refuses to sell the LP that features his favorite artist so he suggests that they share the record by meeting secretly at his private summer home. Not expecting it Enna is thrilled and agrees. She also discovers there is a lot more to both Current society and the history of Skylge. She ends up questioning why the Sirens tempt the islanders to give themselves to the sea and also where the Currents’ monopoly on electricity really comes from.As she struggles to find the answers to the questions, Enna finds herself falling for Royce. She also risks everything to be with a guy that couldn’t be more wrong for her. Enna ends up learning that the sounds of the Sirens isn’t the most treacherous thing around that haunts her dreams.This is a very different type of story that makes for a fascinating read. It makes for a story that stands out from other fantasy romances that are out there. The characters are interesting and complex and makes for a story that proves to be a fast read as the reader gets pulled in and isn’t released until the very end. It is also the start of a series that will have reader wondering just how the series will turn out. It has romance and a mystery that makes for an enjoyable read. This is one series that is worth checking out.