3.5 ⭐ CW: Violence, murder, kidnapping

Sing Me to Sleep by Gabi Burton is book one in the Sing Me to Sleep series. We get a YA fantasy with an all black cast. This was an alright read, but something just didn't do it for me, and I can't quite pin down why. 

We follow Saoirse Sorkova, a secret siren in a world where fae are on top and all other creatures are considered inferior. Saoirse is the only one of her kind left, witches are treated with disdain and discrimination, while humans are reviled and only used as servants and labor force. She had places first in her graduating class and receives the position of palace guard to Prince Hayes, a person she hates since the royals are the reason things are so bad for everyone except fae. 

The other problem with this placement for Saoirse, is that because she's a siren, being around water makes her want to sing and kill people. Now she's tasked with investigating her own murders. We get an enemies to lovers between Saoirse and Hayes, as she learns he's nothing like his father. I love that we get a femme fatale baddie who is dark skinned and loves the water. I love how tough and unflappable she is. We also see a couple of sapphic side characters. 

On to what I didn't like. I thought Saoirse was a bit wooden and not fully developed. I don't totally buy the whole she-kills-because-she-has-to thing. Then there is the whole thing about the Raze and the Resistance. That was a little confusing. I don't think I fully understand who the Raze is as an organization. There was so much going on in order to facilitate twists here and there that it got a little lost in the weeds. I don't think I care enough about the characters to keep reading, especially if the next book is just a how to on how to stop oppressing your country.