Nicole Bailey (1)

Another amazing book by Nicole Bailey!

"Songs of Vice" is the start of Nicole Bailey's third series. (Go read the other two!)
It's a fantasy New Adult book about Lira, who is a siren, trying to run from her cruel mother's troupe.

Nicole creates a wonderful diverse world here, full of stunning magic and brilliant characters, whom you'll love. Trust me, when I say, that I rarely have seen an author write their characters so deeply emotionally that you just have to fall for them. Nicole is a goddess when it comes to that!
Lira is so sweet and cute. She seems helpless and naive, but she has a strong will and follows her own way.
Sai, with all his banter and flashing smiles and his secrets, is just the perfect counterpart to her.

And let's not forget the side characters who are wonderfully diverse and fascinating. I wouldn't mind whole books about them all.

Together with the world and magic building and a breathtaking plot with twists and turns (which you will not expect!) we get another masterfully written book full of found family, banter, heists and romance.

I highly recommend "Songs of Vice"! It's a perfect kick-off for a new series which will definitely captivate its readers.… (meer)

This book was amazing. I entered this read expecting something different, almost an ACOTAR but make it gay, I was happily wrong. The writing was fluid and almost poetic, I loved pace of the romance and how the author didn't leave the final open with a misunderstood. I hate when we end the book in a misunderstood and was almost disappointed until the last pages.
I also found it amazing to read the story of Temi and Pip, they both made an amazing duo and I really liked the friendship they formed, including the times when Val was with them.
Apolo and Hyacinth were absolutely lovable, they both struggle with the pressure and trusted each other so much, it's a beautiful relationship and I'm happy that it was not rushed.
Also, I was not expecting the king's plan? Gladly surprised and now I'm really looking forward to read the next book!… (meer)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I gave this 4 stars, but the actual rating I want to give is 3.5 stars. "A Veil of Gods and Kings" is supposed to be a reimaging of the story of Apollo and Hyacinth. I have never read the original story, so I have no idea how true this novel stays to it. This book is an enemies to lovers, slow-burn romance. Let it be known that when I say a slow burn, I mean a SLOW burn. There are also side plotlines involving the sisters of our two main leads, and I'd say the story is fairly even split between all four of our characters. Obviously, there is slightly more focus on Apollo, but he is supposed to be the main lead, so this makes sense. The writing of the story was good, but every so often it would startle me. It would go from decent writing to this beautiful prose, and then right back to decent writing. When the author waxes poetic, it really does stand out in the very best way. The two leads, Apollo and Hyacinth butt heads at the beginning of the story, but ever so slowly throughout the book realize they have more in common than they first realize. After they stop pecking at each other, they develop a very sweet relationship. I don't want to say too much because their relationship is honestly the best part of the book. I also greatly appreciate how sex scenes are handled in this book. Nothing is overtly explicit, it's either described in a flowery manner or is a "fade to black" type of scene. The story lets you know that yes, their relationship gets spicy, but it doesn't blast you in the face with it. Epiphany and Temi, the sisters of Hyacynith and Apollo respectively, also have a very sweet platonic relationship. Though there is an EXTREMELY cringe moment between them near the end of the book, where they break the third wall a little bit. It felt like a ham-fisted "Yeah, girl power!" moment. Thankfully it only ever happened that once. There were some things in the dialogue that threw me off. The characters have a lot of moments where they seem to talk in a very modern manner, and it kept taking me out of the story. Everyone having some sort of nickname was also an interesting choice. It didn't bother me overly, but it certainly was a choice. Also, please, for the love of the universe, stop making up clunky "curse words". "Hades realm", "Hera's plight", and "Zeus's Child" are all so cringe and just plain bad sounding. Like, I understand "Hades realm" is supposed to be a "lore compliant" way of saying "hell", but what the hell is "Hera's plight" supposed to be a replacement for?! This story doesn't go too deep at any point and stays pretty surface level for its entire length. There are a few moments where you think you will go deeper into the mind of these characters, but only for a second. I wish the author went a little deeper, it felt like they only skimmed the surface. I did like "A Veil of Gods and Kings" but not enough that I will be seeking out the next part of the series on my own. Maybe if I can get an ARC copy of it, hah.

Also, this is a nitpick, but it's been driving me insane for the entire book. The descriptions of what Hyacinth was wearing in different scenes kept throwing me off CONSTANTLY. He's described as wearing a "robe" at the start. So I'm thinking, oh this is ancient Greece, so probably a chiton, or maybe the author is describing the himation he's probably wearing on top. But then one of the descriptions mention "The lapels of his robe". I was so thrown off, because huh? Greek clothing didn't have anything clothes-wise that had lapels. Then the author has a scene that has Hyacinth removing his pants and shirt in it, and another scene mentions Apollo taking off his shorts. This is where the author lost me completely. I realized that the author did NOT do some basic research into what was commonly worn in ancient Greek society. The Greeks didn't wear pants! ( "For the ancient Greeks, trousers were worn by Persian barbarians, and they were considered feminine and often ridiculed. Proper Greek men wore the chiton, a form of tunic often accompanied with a heavier cloak." (Oxbow Books) Hyacinth is a Prince, he wouldn't be wearing what would be considered "barbarian" clothing! The fact that Greeks didn't wear pants is a basic fact about Ancient Greece! There is also one scene with Epiphany that bothered me. Epiphany has to choose a dress for her presentation, and one of the characters says to her "We think we've decided on the perfect style for your presentation. It will help downplay your curves some.". Epiphany says she likes her curves but gets told "Of course you do, but you don't want to be too overt." Uh. That doesn't make any sense. "Ancient Greeks preferred curvaceous women with bellies and a nipped waist." (GeekReporter) The idea that a curvy woman would need to downplay her curves is an outdated modern idea, not an Ancient Greek one. This scene I mention ends with a "fuck the societal ideals for women" kind of moment, but it's a bit tarnished by the fact that it's very clear it's stemming from a modern mindset. There are multiple moments in the book like this, and it's jarring every time.… (meer)

This is a different retelling of the story of Apollo and Hyacinth. I found it interesting, to say the least. The story is intriguing and very engaging if you are into Greek myths. Apollo, Temi, and the rest of the Gods are so full of personality that you are waiting for lightning bolts to fly (from Zeus). There are some choppy spots but it does all come together. I did enjoy the plot twists thrown into the story because you had no clue they were coming. It is a story written for the young adults but all ages may enjoy this. I recommend it.… (meer)