Lark is a Reaper who dreams of a mortal life and escaping the control of Thanar, god of death. While helping shepherd a soul to the afterlife, she first sets eyes on fierce assassin Gavriel, denying fate in order to save his life. Having made a deal for her mortality with the witch-queen of the Netherworld, Lark enters the human world remade. However, to her dismay, she soon discovers that not only does Gavriel despise her, but she was not the only one who crossed between worlds.

Songs of the Wicked is a luxuriously written dark fantasy. I recommend you take your time to savour this dense, complex, beautiful book. While pitched as a retelling of The Little Mermaid, Songs of the Wicked stands as a confident and original work in its own right, drawing on familiar elements of the fairy tale and blending it with European folklore to create something entirely new. Adult readers who enjoyed the Throne of Glass series will relish the rich world, fiery protagonist Lark, and the enemies-to-lovers romance she shares with Gavriel.

Personally I didn't read Lark as selfish. I thought her yearning to experience a mortal life was explored so well during the early stages of the novel, and I was rooting for her to escape the influence of Thanar by any means necessary. I very much enjoyed how my expectations were subverted regarding Lark and Gavriel's first encounter, and following their intially rocky relationship as it developed was a pleasure.

Thank you to the author for providing a free eARC of Songs of the Wicked. These opinions are my own.