The world gets bigger, the stakes get higher, and yet… Siren & Scion somehow feels smaller. We leave the court politics behind for new territories and bigger conflicts, but the pacing is uneven, the romance is underwhelming, and the emotional beats don’t quite hit the way they should.
Amara is ruthless, ambitious, and emotionally walled-off, and Cassian is a rogue with a heart of gold—which should make for a dynamic romance. Instead, their relationship is frustratingly unbalanced. Amara holds all the cards, Cassian exists mostly to orbit her, and their chemistry never fully develops into something compelling.
At least the supporting cast finally gets some attention—a welcome change from Storm & Shield, where the side characters were basically furniture.
The Romance
A classic case of one character doing all the emotional work. Cassian is giving more than he’s getting, and Amara is too busy being consumed by her own trauma to meet him halfway. The attraction is there, but the relationship lacks the tension, vulnerability, and real connection that could have made it great.
The one interesting angle? Magic plays a role in intimacy, creating actual consequences for emotional and physical connection. But when you don’t feel the romance, the steamy scenes are kind of meaningless. A fascinating concept… that isn’t explored as deeply as it could have been.
The Worldbuilding & Side Characters
If Storm & Shield lacked a strong supporting cast, Siren & Scion overcorrects in the best way. Djar, Bek, Kiya, and Peio all bring something meaningful to the story, adding layers of camaraderie and conflict. The introduction of the Suloi people also expands the world in an interesting direction—though the shift from court politics to this new setting is a little jarring.
The WTF
• The pacing is weird. Some parts drag, some parts rush, and the story never quite finds its rhythm.
• Cassian is just… there. He’s likable, but he lacks the depth and drive of past love interests.
• The emotional stakes feel surface-level. There’s trauma, but the relationship feels like it happens without fully exploring how their experiences shape their dynamic.
Final Thoughts
A step forward in terms of side characters and world expansion, but a step back in romance and narrative focus. The ingredients for a great book are all here, but they don’t quite come together. There’s movement, there are stakes, but there’s no momentum. By the time the final chapters roll around, it’s hard to shake the feeling that not much actually happened, aside from setting up future conflicts.
3/5 stars. An interesting expansion in the series, but not the standout it could have been.
Reading Timeline
- Dates: January 28-February 3, 2025
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