Duet with the Siren Duke - Book review
Duet with the Siren Duke is the fourth book of the Married to magic series, yet a complete, standalone novel (all books happen in the same universe). The fantasy romance was written by Elise Kova and was published in 2023.
Elise, the writer you are! Dive into this adventurous sizzling story between a human who has struck a deal with a Siren Duke and is also falling in love with him.
The whole series so far had a GraphicAudiobook version and of course I had to go with that option, because a) I am a sucker for audiobooks and b) this studio in particular has never failed to deliver! It truly feels like listening to a movie in your mind.
If you have read any of my book reviews so far, especially from this book series, you may have guessed it already: yes, this book was lent from my library through Libby! *wohooo glory to libraries!
In the next sections I will dive into what Duet with the Siren Duke is about, my thoughts, and my final verdict. In case there are any spoilers, you will be warned ahead so you’ll get to decide whether you’d like to continue reading this blog post or come back after you’ve read the book. ;)
You can also refer to my book rating guide that will be attached at the bottom.
The blurb
She sold her soul to a siren and now he’s come to collect.
Victoria risks everything to leave a dangerous marriage and gain a second chance at life. But when her escape goes awry, she finds herself caught in the strong embrace of a mysterious siren, forced to choose: temporary salvation or immediate death.
And so, a cursed deal is struck.
Five years later, Victoria is alive—and the world’s finest ship captain. But her debt to the siren looms while her conniving ex has demanded a king’s ransom as the final price of her freedom. Victoria refuses to cause her family to suffer any more on her behalf, and is determined to make things right before her time is up. But that time is cut short.
The siren comes for her. Six months early.
Taken to the magical and deadly Eversea, home of the sirens, Victoria discovers she’s the sacrifice upon which all sirens pin their hopes. If they want to appease an angry god and save a world on the brink of destruction, then they need her. Which gives her the perfect leverage.
Victoria strikes a new bargain: the Siren Duke will help save her family, and she’ll fulfill his demands. It’s a good bargain until a flicker of passion ignites in the scarred remnants of Victoria's heart, threatening all she's worked for. As the sacrifice for the God of Death, she’s meant to give up everything that draws her to the world of the living. But that’s impossible when all she can think about is how this handsome siren’s song, and his hands, make her feel very much alive.
In a realm of ancient magic, submerged secrets, and forgotten gods, can love find a place among shattered hearts as they race against time and the blossoming of forbidden desires? Or will the delicate songs of their hearts be silenced once and for all?
A Duet with the Siren Duke is a complete, *stand alone novel*. It’s for readers looking for a fantasy romance with deep lore, second-chance love, sacrifice, forbidden and slow-burn romance that sizzles on the page, and a happily ever after where love triumphs over all.
While it is set in the Married to Magic universe, readers can start with this book as all Married to Magic novels are stand alones.
(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62009833-a-duet-with-the-siren-duke)
Thoughts on the book
After struggling a bit with getting into the plot and world building of the last book of the series, Duet with the Siren Duke felt like a dive into water that had the perfect temperature, not too cold, not too warm. The setting felt different, more adventurous. The beginning started with a bang and had me hooked within the first hour.
We follow our main characters, Victoria - a human woman and Ilryth - the Siren Duke as their fates intertwine and connect them in ways they did not expect.
From wanting to save each of their worlds to a forbidden tension and love forming between the two, this book peeled off each layer gently until the body was laid bare for it to be kissed by the Summer sun on the beach.
What fun to have the male MC (main character) be the merman in the story! I enjoyed listening to the story loads! Let’s dive into it a bit deeper.
Pacing and plot
This section will include spoilers of the book. You have been warned :)
Some may say that the pacing of the book is slow and thus, this book would be labeled as a slow-burn romance. I on the other hand believe that the pacing was fine as it was. Sure, the budding romance and undeniable tension could have progressed into something more a bit faster, but something Elisa Kova does excellently well is to give characters time to grow into their story.
We witness how Victoria goes through changes a lot sooner than she expected, so her distrust was not misplaced and neither was her frustration. Yet, there was such a beautiful character development to be seen throughout the story - not only with her, but with each one that appeared in the book.
Again, the way that this world - the Eversea - fits into the whole book universe is so clever and unique! I applaud Elise Kova for her ability to write about many different magical folk without making them sound dull or one-dimensional.
Some remaining questions I do have after finishing the book:
Now that Victoria is more magical than human, does she live longer? Does she still have to eat or sleep (it mentioned that she did not feel the need to eat but missed the feeling of chewing something, because she remembered her life in her human form)
I wish we were able to find out how Victoria’s family dealt with her “second death”
What actually happened to Ilryth’s father? Did I miss out on that part?
Characters and character development
This section will include spoilers of the book. You have been warned :)
The love between the two characters was believable! We had an anxious x secure attachment style come together, forming a bond that was both vulnerable and strong. Victoria was scared to love again and Ilryth stayed patient, he listened, he accepted parts of her that she had yet to face and took her as she was, as broken as she felt, as beautiful as he saw her. Ugh, my heart.
Victoria
I genuinely enjoyed listening to Victoria’s lore being a great ship captain and ached to hear that all of her crew was wiped out by the wrath of the God(s). Why do authors make me get to know great side characters only to have them being killed of the next chapter. Our FMC (female main character) would have given everything to be able to save each and every one of them while also working hard to make sure that her family stayed safe, I commend her for that.
Victoria is clever, confident, yet also insecure - her light had been dimmed by her previous husband. To witness the development of her regaining her confidence was magnificent.
Ilryth
Now where do I start with this man and where does it put me, now that I also think about the book/move The shape of Water. Hear me out. According to the book, Ilryth’s upper half looks like that of an ordinary human, carved out of marble, made to look ethereal, but I digress.
This man, or shall I call him Siren Duke - was yearning for Victoria before she even truly knew about his existence, fascinated by her adventures and where the sea had taken her. Bring back yearning! I was intrigued by the way his character was written: a patient leader who would do everything to save his people, yet does not lack compassion, is open-minded and curious for what lies beyond the world he knows and does not shy away from being naughty. Love, love, love.
Memorable parts of the book
This section will include spoilers of the book. You have been warned :)
The reappearance of Katria’s father as a member of Victoria’s crew - I did not see that coming and loved that we as readers got to have a bit more to that story. An Easter egg for those who have read the second book of the series and otherwise just a lovely melancholic subplot in this book.
The way Ilryth never pushed for Victoria to open up to him about what happened to her, yet always supporting her through rough times. It solidified who he was as a character in the book and was a great show, don’t tell.
A love story within a love story.
The transformation of the Siren folk and how they ensured the existence of the next generation - clever, explicit, fun!
Verdict
4/5 stars
3/5 spice
If you go through the ratings on Goodreads, you’ll quickly notice that the third book did a lot better compared to this one. It was the complete opposite for me and only goes to show that general ratings shouldn’t always affect how You might come to love the book you are about to read. Duet with the Siren Duke was a great story of love with a slow build up, yet high tension.
Thank you for making it this far and reading through my review! I would love to read about your thoughts or feedback :)
Lead your dreams,
Soso
