Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the author, Braidee Otto, for an honest review.

Genre: Adult/Fantasy/Romance

Plot: Ask no questions. Obey your orders. Respect your masters. But most of all… Love no one.

Born without breath, Aella’s life began with a solemn promise etched in fate. Ousted from the Palace of Sorrows and gifted to the Aviary at a young age, she was shaped to fit the mold they made for her.

Spy. Thief. Princess. Songbird.

After Aella completes her training and passes the Naming ceremony, she is assigned to the prestigious Alpha Flight, led by none other than her former flame. Everything about Raven calls to her. He is brave, loyal, and lethal. But love is forbidden within the Aviary.

When Alpha Flight is tasked with infiltrating the eastern kingdom’s royal trials to seek a weapon hidden deep within its court, Aella struggles with the expectations placed on her.

As old sparks reignite and the harsh realities of the realm reveal themselves, she must decide whether to follow orders or defy them.

Songbird of the Sorrows is the first book in Myths of the Empyrieos, an epic romantic fantasy series that follows a feisty heroine, her struggles through high stakes trials, a perilous heist, court intrigue and kingdom politics, and a journey of self-discovery, true love, and redemption. This book will appeal to fans of character-driven, plot-heavy romantasy such as The Bridge Kingdom, Throne of Glass, Trial of the Sun Queen, and Spark of the Everflame.

Opinion:

“Shadows turn violet.”

“I was born to die.”

Born a princess and thrust out of her kingdom by her father, the king, Aella finds a life in the shadows with her fellow fledglings and Songbirds – the thieves and spies of the Empyrieos. After years of hiding her true identity and form, Aella has adjusted to her life as a wallflower of no importance. Her dreams of becoming a Songbird are just reached when she is given her new mission – to travel to an eastern kingdom and compete in a trial to win the heart of their prince. Her team of Songbirds are tasked with uncovering a weapon that the royal family is suspected to be hiding, and Aella must go posed as both a distraction and as her true self. But the eastern kingdom is cruel and Aella struggles to find her place between her new identity and her old one that holds a crown. 

“The Aviary is no place for soft things. 

Being soft leads to a watery grave at the bottom of the Solorai Sea.”

I am sure most of you have seen Songbird of the Sorrows flooding your socials these last few months, and how could you not? Braidee Otto has put so much love, hard work and dedication to this debut novel and the excitement for its release has become infectious among us readers. The teasers, the cover, the character art, the Bookstagram reels?! 

To Die for. 

I was one of many lucky bookstagrammers chosen for Braidee’s Street Team to help promote this book, which included an advanced reader’s copy!

And let me first say, Braidee delivered on her promises of an exciting romantasy story filled with court intrigue, trials, heists, Greek mythology and spies. This book is impossible not to smash through and devour. Braidee is able to keep her readers engaged and flipping the pages to find out what happens to our beautiful heroine. 

“Prove to me you’re not a waste of your mother’s life.”

My favorite stories are ones set in a palace with royals, spies, court politics and decadent gowns. I am a sucker for the horrible ladies of the court and the arrogance of the princes who need to be kicked in the groin. It’s just too much fun! 

Now I think we can all agree that you know you have a good book in your hands when you are presented with a map…and damn it all to hell if this map is not the most intricate beauty you’ve ever seen. 

I think one of the coolest aspects of this story is the world building and ties to Greek mythology that sparkle its pages. Though I did wish the structuring of the world and backstory for the order and kingdoms was more spread out, it will be fairly easy for readers to follow along and sink into this universe. The story follows our MC and her companions as they move from one kingdom to another by sea. The writing is descriptive, imaginative and so easy to fall away from reality into. My only complaint would be that I wish it was longer and gave me a slow-burn that made me want to rip my hair out…because I love being tortured by an author. 

Aella is a beautiful and fierce little soul. It’s impossible not to fall in love with her ability to adapt and shine in whatever circumstance she finds herself in. I found the trope of her cloaking her identity and then pretending to be herself really witty of Braidee, and I liked that it didn’t lead to the other Songbirds treating her differently or as if she is a step above them because she is royal. 

She reminds me of a nicer version of our MC in Throne of Glass. 

“And if you are freed, will you stand in the way of any looking to pass through the door behind you?” 

“I do not willingly stand in the way of fate.”

But what is a badass female lead without a little love interest?!

Come for the fantasy, but stay for the spice. 

Now I don’t want to give too much away here, but we do indeed have some forbidden love that doesn’t feel too forbidden. Once Aella and her crew come to the kingdom where the trials are to take place, I was suspicious of a love triangle that might come out of nowhere and slap me in the face, but thankfully Braidee saved us from that tired trope. The romance is spicy though, and full of passion and danger. Our love interest is one you guys will have a hard time not falling for, because he is d-r-e-a-m-y. 

One thing the author mentions in this story is the ruthlessness and strictness of the order the Songbirds belong to. They are not allowed to love or have any distraction from their duties. They are to completely give themselves over to their path, no matter what. 

The Aviary sinks its talons in—sharp claws scraping to the bone—until the two fuse together. Until you can no longer find the difference between the essence that is yours and that which is not.

I do wish this would have been a bigger theme in the story, or at least in the beginning before the crew sets out. I was hoping for more time spent within their training and how this world of theirs worked. I think it would have given us a better idea of how skilled these Songbirds are, and I think the risk breathing down Aella’s back would have added some extra tension and nervousness to the high stakes trial she was about to undergo. 

All in all, Songbird of the Sorrows was a great first novel by Braidee Otto and one that so many of us have loved being able to read. I cannot wait to see what happens with this story (because yes, this girl left us with a cliffhanger!!) and where Braidee takes these infectious characters.