by: Lindsey Duga
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: August 3, 2020
Publisher: Entangled ~ Teen
Amazon | Paperback | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Google Books | Goodreads
What happens when monsters run with mobsters?
Colt Clemmons is an agent in a specialized division within the Bureau of Investigation—one that hunts down not just mobsters, but also monsters.
For reasons that are kept top secret, Colt is the only person who can resist a siren's voice. But he's never had a chance to test this ability. The last siren left in the world mysteriously disappeared years ago.
Then one night, with a single word, she reveals herself. It seems too good to be true.
And it is. Because nothing about this siren—her past, her powers, or her purpose—is what it seems…
“And so it wakes,” I said, my voice low.
Immediately her head jerked to the side, eyes widening. I saw myself reflected in them, so wide with horror and fear.
Her neck craned, her eyes bulged, her body twisted, and she parted her lips. “Let me go.”
The magic in those words was incredible. I was halfway to the bed, reaching for her restraints when my instinct roared to life, halting my steps. I took just a moment to revel in my strength, to feel a rare sense of pride in what I was, when I so often resorted to self-loathing every damn day.
Rubbing my temples to get rid of the magical effects of her words, I growled, “That’s not going to work.”
She said nothing, her eyes narrowing in confusion and disbelief. Surely no one had ever been able to resist her before. Perhaps she was wondering what I was.
Your worst nightmare, siren.
She tried a different command. “Untie me.”
My fingers twitched with want to obey her. To obey the magic flowing through the air and into me, but I clenched my fists and shook my head. “You can keep trying, siren, but you won’t control me.”
Her brow furrowed. Slowly she sat up in bed, her warm autumn hair falling around her shoulders. Her fear was tangible, thick in the room like a fog, but curiosity was there too.
“If you have a question, you can ask,” I told her, not liking her fear, like I was the bad guy here, not the girl who’d caused a man twice her size to scream bloody murder. “Your voice doesn’t work on me, siren.”
Her fingers twitched in her restraints, and she slowly moved her legs to hang over the bed, her toes brushing the carpet. “Why do you keep calling me that?”
The magic within it aside, her voice was nice, lilting, and not so abnormal. If I had to place it, she sounded a bit like a chorus girl. Melodic, but not too airy—strong and clear.
“Because that’s what you are,” I answered evenly. Did she not know? Or was she just trying to fool me? No…she couldn’t be that good of an actress. The fear and confusion in her eyes were real. So maybe she understood what she was able to do, but not why she was able to do it.
Shit. This was going to be hard to explain.
Why do you need to tell her anything? a little voice in my head said. She’s a monster.
“I don’t know what that is,” she said finally.
I scanned her form, trying to determine what she was thinking. Her hands were shaking and her skin was pale. If she were completely innocent, she might be demanding why she was taken like this, but she seemed to know why. She definitely knew her own power.
“A siren is a creature with powers that allow them to exert their will over others using just their voice. In old texts, they were monsters that lured sailors to their death.”
She sucked in a small breath as her hands twisted against her restraints. The rope bristling against her skin was loud in the quiet room, while the sounds from the waking city were deadened by the window glass.
“You’re saying I’m a…”
“Monster, yes.” The faster she accepted this as truth, the easier it would be.
Her brow furrowed in anger, fingers curling into fists. “I am not a monster.”
Immediately her head jerked to the side, eyes widening. I saw myself reflected in them, so wide with horror and fear.
Her neck craned, her eyes bulged, her body twisted, and she parted her lips. “Let me go.”
The magic in those words was incredible. I was halfway to the bed, reaching for her restraints when my instinct roared to life, halting my steps. I took just a moment to revel in my strength, to feel a rare sense of pride in what I was, when I so often resorted to self-loathing every damn day.
Rubbing my temples to get rid of the magical effects of her words, I growled, “That’s not going to work.”
She said nothing, her eyes narrowing in confusion and disbelief. Surely no one had ever been able to resist her before. Perhaps she was wondering what I was.
Your worst nightmare, siren.
She tried a different command. “Untie me.”
My fingers twitched with want to obey her. To obey the magic flowing through the air and into me, but I clenched my fists and shook my head. “You can keep trying, siren, but you won’t control me.”
Her brow furrowed. Slowly she sat up in bed, her warm autumn hair falling around her shoulders. Her fear was tangible, thick in the room like a fog, but curiosity was there too.
“If you have a question, you can ask,” I told her, not liking her fear, like I was the bad guy here, not the girl who’d caused a man twice her size to scream bloody murder. “Your voice doesn’t work on me, siren.”
Her fingers twitched in her restraints, and she slowly moved her legs to hang over the bed, her toes brushing the carpet. “Why do you keep calling me that?”
The magic within it aside, her voice was nice, lilting, and not so abnormal. If I had to place it, she sounded a bit like a chorus girl. Melodic, but not too airy—strong and clear.
“Because that’s what you are,” I answered evenly. Did she not know? Or was she just trying to fool me? No…she couldn’t be that good of an actress. The fear and confusion in her eyes were real. So maybe she understood what she was able to do, but not why she was able to do it.
Shit. This was going to be hard to explain.
Why do you need to tell her anything? a little voice in my head said. She’s a monster.
“I don’t know what that is,” she said finally.
I scanned her form, trying to determine what she was thinking. Her hands were shaking and her skin was pale. If she were completely innocent, she might be demanding why she was taken like this, but she seemed to know why. She definitely knew her own power.
“A siren is a creature with powers that allow them to exert their will over others using just their voice. In old texts, they were monsters that lured sailors to their death.”
She sucked in a small breath as her hands twisted against her restraints. The rope bristling against her skin was loud in the quiet room, while the sounds from the waking city were deadened by the window glass.
“You’re saying I’m a…”
“Monster, yes.” The faster she accepted this as truth, the easier it would be.
Her brow furrowed in anger, fingers curling into fists. “I am not a monster.”
Purchase Roaring from:
Places to find Lindsey Duga:
You can follow the Roaring Blog Tour here.
Follow
This sounds very interesting. The cover is unique and really stands out.
ReplyDeleteThe cover is gorgeous. The storyline is rather unique which makes it interesting. I would love to read this book. Best wishes to the author on the novel. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDelete