Book Review: Song of the Forever Rains (Mousai #1)

Author: E.J. Mellow

The Thief Kingdom is a place hidden within the world of Aadlior. Many whisper of its existence, but few have found this place, where magic and pleasure abound. There, the mysterious Thief King reigns supreme with the help of the Mousai, a trio of revered and feared sorceresses.

Larkyra Bassette may be the youngest of the Mousai, but when she sings her voice has the power to slay monsters. When it’s discovered the Duke of Lachlan is siphoning a poisonous drug from the Thief Kingdom and using it to abuse his tenants, Larkyra is offered her first solo mission to stop the duke. Eager to prove herself, Larkyra accepts by posing as the duke’s potential bride. But her plans grow complicated when she finds herself drawn to Lord Darius Mekenna, Lachlan’s rightful heir. Soon she suspects Darius has his own motivations for ridding Lachlan of the corrupt duke. Larkyra and Darius must learn to trust each other if there is to be any hope of saving the people of Lachlan—and themselves.

Welcome to the world of Aadilor, where lords and ladies can be murderers and thieves, and the most alluring notes are often the deadliest. Dare to listen?

Song of the Forever Rains is the first novel in the Mousai series that follow three sisters (Arabessa, Niya, and Larkyra). As I received an ARC, I ended up reading the third novel first. That novel followed Arabessa, so I was excited to see what the other two stories would have to offer. The three sisters all are the daughters of Dolion Bassette, Count of Raven, one of the six elite houses of Jabari. The three novels act as standalones, but the bond between the sisters transpires between each story. While I read the first novel set in the world of Aadlior, this novel does a great job at introducing the world. Between the two novels, there is enough world-building, but they have a nice amount of their own so I think if I started with this one it would still have some nice world-building.

This story follows the youngest Bassette sister, Larkyra, whose singing has the power to slay monsters. She goes on a mission to stop the Duke of Lachlan from obtaining a poisonous drug. When she meets Lord Lachlan’s heir, Darius Mekenna, things become complicated due to her attraction to him. They may have more in common than they initially thought but trusting each other will not be easy. The main concept of this novel was to defeat the duke with a mix of romance. There were moments where this novel struggled to find the balance between the two main plots, but it did get there in the end.

There is a difference in the writing between this one and the third. While the other novel did a nice job of wrapping up everything and acting as a standalone, this one needed to work a little harder to entice the reader to pick up the rest of the series as most readers read them in order. The actual flow of the writing between the two novels was also different. I attempted to separate the two in my head to judge this one on its own, but I couldn’t quite get there. Instead, I found myself more drawn to the writing of the other novel compared to this one. The characters and plot were enjoyable, but neither was very strong (or as strong as expected based on the other novel). The novel was enjoyable, and I love the concept, but the depth of the characters and plot needed a little more. The secondary characters sometimes distracted from the main ones where I wanted their full stories instead. I did enjoy this novel, but I don’t believe it will be on my re-read list. As I’ve done two of the three stories, I can’t wait to eventually try the final one!