Siren Queen
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Siren Queen Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Nghi Vo (Author), Natalie Naudus (Narrator), Macmillan Audio (Publisher)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 575 ratings
Editors' pick Best Science Fiction & Fantasy
See all formats and editions

FROM AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR NGHI VO COMES A DAZZLING NEW NOVEL WHERE IMMORTALITY IS JUST A CASTING CALL AWAY

"Natalie Naudus's skilled narration adds to the luminous and otherworldly qualities of Vo's historical fantasy." -AudioFile on Siren Queen

It was magic. In every world, it was a kind of magic.

"No maids, no funny talking, no fainting flowers." Luli Wei is beautiful, talented, and desperate to be a star. Coming of age in pre-Code Hollywood, she knows how dangerous the movie business is and how limited the roles are for a Chinese American girl from Hungarian Hill—but she doesn't care. She’d rather play a monster than a maid.

But in Luli's world, the worst monsters in Hollywood are not the ones on screen. The studios want to own everything from her face to her name to the women she loves, and they run on a system of bargains made in blood and ancient magic, powered by the endless sacrifice of unlucky starlets like her. For those who do survive to earn their fame, success comes with a steep price. Luli is willing to do whatever it takes—even if that means becoming the monster herself.

Siren Queen offers up an enthralling exploration of an outsider achieving stardom on her own terms, in a fantastical Hollywood where the monsters are real and the magic of the silver screen illuminates every moment.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor.com Books.

Previous page
  1. Listening Length
    8 hours and 43 minutes
  2. Author
    Nghi Vo
  3. Narrator
    Natalie Naudus
  4. Audible release date
    May 10, 2022
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Macmillan Audio
  7. ASIN
    B09GCQ5G1M
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 8 hours and 43 minutes
Author Nghi Vo
Narrator Natalie Naudus
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date May 10, 2022
Publisher Macmillan Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B09GCQ5G1M
Best Sellers Rank #41,808 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#92 in Asian American Literature (Audible Books & Originals)
#157 in Magical Realism Fiction
#341 in Asian American Literature & Fiction

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
575 global ratings
Life in the golden age of Hollywood studios
4 Stars
Life in the golden age of Hollywood studios
Grab your champagne cocktail and brush up on your foxtrot. Are you ready to experience Nghi Vo’s world of mystical realism?In the glamorous golden age of Hollywood studios, actress Luli Wei is hungry for fame. As a queer Chinese American woman from Hungarian Hill, she knows she has a fraught path to stardom. The biggest dangers lie off-screen, where ancient magic with a thirst for blood requires sacrifices of eager young starlets like Luli Wei. The studios want to own her. After playing a siren, she begins to take on the roles of monsters. Ironically, living her dreams may just turn the ambitious Luli into a monster herself.“Siren Queen” themes include racism, priviledge, Chinese labor, erasure and LGBTQ+ discrimination in 1920s Hollywood.Vo’s vivid descriptions and captivating prose kept me spellbound from start to finish. She is a star among “the crème de la crème” of speculative fiction authors.A huge thank you to @Netgalley and @tordotcompub for the ARC of “Siren Queen”.
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Top reviews from the United States

S. Kinnevy
5.0 out of 5 stars not just another Hollywood story
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2024
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So refreshing, a new way of seeing old Hollywood. Funny in parts, sad in others, always well written. I loved all the monsters
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Nicole
4.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2022
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An allegory of old Hollywood from the eyes of a lesbian Asian woman, this book is a quick read that is magically sweet and sour. If you're looking for a book with magical realism and enjoy a gritty story you can pick apart and chew, I'd recommend Siren Queen.
7 people found this helpful
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K. Cutchlow
3.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 ⭐
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2024
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Siren Queen is not your traditional Hollywood novel. With the rich tapestry of 1930s Golden Age cinema as its backdrop, the book weaves a story that is as enchanting as it is dark.

The typical rags-to-riches tale and transports us into a world where magic is real, and the price of fame is far steeper than one could imagine.

The racial and sexual politics laid bare are unapologetically raw and reflective of both the era it’s set in and contemporary discourse.

Siren Queen is a entertaining read that will likely resonate with those who are fascinated by the costs of fame and identity. I recommended for those who look for depth, diversity, and a touch of magic in their historical fiction.
One person found this helpful
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CGJ
5.0 out of 5 stars A most unique book
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2022
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This is the most unique view of Hollywood that I have ever read…there is simply nothing else like it. And I confess to loving the writing of Nghi Vo ( I had previously read The Chosen and the Beautiful). She writes with an ease and a flourish showing you images you would have never seen yourself. The fantasy aspect of the book gives it at times, an otherworldly flavor and yet her allegories are spot on. The film industry is wicked and cruel and magical in more than one way. The images from this book stayed with me long after I had finished it.
10 people found this helpful
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Scott Walker
4.0 out of 5 stars Siren Queen is a Mysterious Exploration of Race, Sexuality, and Cinema
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2022
I was provided an ARC of this book from BookishFirst. When I read the first sample chapters, I really admired the way the author used supernatural/magical terms to explore everyday things and common occurrences (e.g. selling "medicine" was "selling slivers of immortality".) And, for almost the entirety of the book, it was hard discern if the narrator intended these as a flower description, or a literal way of describing the magic in these books. Such as when she describes the studio heads at selling their souls to eldritch beings in order to have the success they enjoy; were they literally creating faustian compacts or is that merely a way of describing the sacrifices they made climbing to the top? Even the more overtly magical beings such as skogsrå or the robotic wolves that stood guard at the studio could have easily been particularly fanciful descriptions or a way to add extra mystery to the characters and setting. While part of me really wanted the author to just outright tell me whether or not this magic was real, I began to relish this ambiguity. Above all, the uncertainty of the narration is perhaps the biggest reason I enjoyed this book.

Beyond that, the story itself was a very interesting take on the interwar period of cinema. Additionally, the exploration of queer identity (mostly just from the lesbian perspective, but also hints of bisexuality) in the 30's was also unique; coupled with the exploration of racial identity and how those intersect in a pre-Civil Rights era. The lead character does not want to be typecast into a stereotypical Asian role like her predecessors, but at one point feels shame for this decision. Not shame from the predominately white male directors and producers, but from an actress of color who gained her stardom playing roles that the narrator saw as beneath her. Similarly, the narrator gains success from being a monster; while she cannot be a leading lady seemingly due to her race, she instead embodies the Other and becomes famous. (If this were 10 years ago, I would have loved to write my capstone thesis on that particular nugget. )

I do feel the end of the book is quite rushed. Throughout the book, the author refers to a person who we assume is her partner, but we don't really meet her until the final pages. I would have love more development there, since the narrator mentions the conversations with this character all throughout the story. The love triangle towards the end also seems a bit shoehorned in, mostly due to the speed in which it has to develop. And this reunion with the sister fell very flat for me; with little reason for it to be there and no significant development from scene, I think the author could have found a better use for those pages. But, even with the pacing issues at the end of the novel, this book still gets a solid 4 stars from me.
One person found this helpful
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Joanna
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding.
Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2023
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Magical story about "making it" in old Hollywood in the 1920s. Great characters. Racism toward people of color is addressed. The dangers and tribulations of being queer motion picture business is also a theme. Engaging and enjoyable. Hard to put down.
6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Beth
3.0 out of 5 stars Good
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 12, 2023
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This book has a good premise but the writing does not live up to the standard. It is a bit confusing at times and the world building leaves something to be desired. The setting and the romance have elevated the rating, as a fantasy this is poor.
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