Siren Queen

 Siren Queen by Nghi Vo, 281 pages.

In a fairyland version of early Hollywood, Luli Wei is determined to win her place among the stars. This isn't easy for anyone in a studio system that runs on blood magic and deals with steep prices, but it especially isn't easy for a Chinese American girl who falls in love with women and insists on "no maids, no funny talking, no fainting flowers." But Luli is dedicated to earning her immortality (more literal in this world than our own), even if it means immortally portraying herself as a monster.

This is a book with a really cool premise, but I unfortunately didn't feel like the execution was strong enough to carry its concepts. There are constantly interesting elements hovering at the margins of the book, and I only wish they were pulled more fully on to the page. I think that people with an interest in pre-code Hollywood would probably like this book, and the wide inspiration drawn from darker fairy stories was really neat. I am excited to talk about this book with Orcs and Aliens tonight, as I'm really excited to see what everyone else got from it.