Book Review: Songbird of the Sorrows by Braidee Otto
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Burner Kindle!
Songbird of the Sorrows by Braidee Otto
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!
Publication Date: February 3, 2026
Series: Myths of the Empyrieos #1
Genres: Adult // Fantasy, Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Explicit Open Door)
Quick Thoughts: No one is more disappointed than me that I didn't love Songbird of the Sorrows. The premise had me hooked and this book had all the tropes I usually love, but the execution fell flat and left a lot of open questions at the end. Ultimately the story felt unsatisfying to read, but I can see someone liking this if they enjoy stories with a marriage competition that takes a darker turn, like The Weaver Bride or The Rose Bargain.
Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
-
Here are the content warnings listed on the author’s website:
Abandonment
Abduction of an adult (implied)
Battle
Blood and gore
Death and violence
Emotional abuse/manipulation
Explicit sex/sexual activities
Graphic language
Hallucinations
Mental health/PTSD
Non-consensual sex (hallucination)/sexual assault
Poisoning
Stillbirth (mentioned on page)
Substance abuse
Torture
-
Hidden/Secret Identities
Spy Missions
Royal Court Settings
Politics Between Kingdoms
Forbidden Romance
Second-Chance Love
What is Songbird of the Sorrows about?
Spy. Thief. Princess. Songbird.
Princess Aella was ousted from the Palace of Sorrows as a child, shattering her world and forcing her to abandon the truth of her royal lineage. Instead, she was raised in The Aviary, which disguises itself as a school for orphaned children but is actually a secret order designed to train its students as spies for an intelligence network embedded throughout the Empyrieos.
Now twenty-three years old and having completed her final tests, Aella is summoned to join Alpha Flight, the Aviary’s elite team of assassins that’s led by none other than her former flame, Raven. Everything about him calls to her—he’s brave, loyal, and lethal. But is Raven worth breaking the rules and risking everything she’s worked so hard to achieve?
Before she can decide, the Alpha Flight team is sent on a dangerous mission that tests Aella’s resolve in every way. Her role is crucial and she must assume her former title of Princess of the Sorrows, the identity she once had to forsake, to compete in the bridal trials held by the Prince of Eretria. As old sparks reignite and the harsh realities of the realm reveal themselves, the mission begins to unravel, and Aella must decide if she is brave enough to disobey her superiors in order to do what she believes is right.
Songbird of the Sorrows is the first book in Myths of the Empyrieos, an epic romantic fantasy series that follows a feisty heroine through trials, a perilous heist, court intrigue, kingdom politics, and a journey of self-discovery, true love, and redemption.
Songbird of the Sorrows Review
No one is more disappointed than me that I didn't love Songbird of the Sorrows. Our main character is an ousted princess turned spy sent to roleplay her former self in a marriage competition as cover to infiltrate a rival kingdom. This premise had me hooked and this book had all the tropes I usually love.
What I didn’t like
There are numerous moments throughout the book where the author struggles to lay proper context for the story, which made for an unsatisfying read. Characters share meaningful looks or their expressions darken in response to certain actions, weapons, phrases, magic, etc. but we never learn why. These moments signaled to me that something was important, but without context, I didn't understand why I should care (and we also don't get explanations for a lot of these things either). I get this is the start of a series, but too many unanswered questions left me with no compelling reason to continue reading.
The characters were equally disappointing. There was real potential for complex characters, especially the female side characters, but they all lack distinct personalities and clear motivations. Their choices feel forced, making them read more like plot devices than people.
This is also why the romance didn’t work for me. We don't get to know Raven throughout the book and we get like two-ish paragraphs worth of backstory for them. It felt rushed and jarring, so I didn’t really care and skimmed most of the romance scenes.
What I liked
Despite all of these issues, the story itself was interesting. The subplot of the spy mission and investigation of the enemy court drew me in. I enjoyed Aella's character when she was in "spy mode". I thought it was interesting how femininity is used as part of Aella's spycraft and Aella herself thinks about how gowns can be weapons too. I feel like many female romantasy leads either like pants and daggers or gowns and wit, so having a main character who could be both and codeswitch based on what the situation asked for was refreshing. Lastly, the writing was beautiful – it was lyrical but still accessible, which made this book easy to read.
So, should you read Songbird of the Sorrows?
Overall, I'm not sure if I'm going to pick up the sequel. I want to get answers, but there needs to be more details and explanations in the following books.
I can see someone liking this if they enjoy stories with a marriage competition that takes a darker turn, like The Weaver Bride or The Rose Bargain. Just be aware that we’re left with a lot of open questions at the end, so if you don’t like cliffhangers, you may want to wait until the other books come out.
Check out this review on Goodreads or Storygraph.
Happy reading!
Kim
Songbird of the Sorrows FAQs
Some of the answers may be spoilers if you haven’t read it already. Proceed with caution!
-
No, Songbird of the Sorrows is the first book in a trilogy, Myths of the Empyrieos.
-
As of the writing of this post, book 2 named, Daughter of the Tempest is scheduled for release in Fall 2026.
-
Songbird of the Sorrows is a 4 🌶️ or explicit open door. That means readers are present for spice scenes and they are written in explicit detail.
-
The spicy chapters in Songbird of the Sorrows are Chapter 21 and 25.