Mercenary Casia Greythorne cares about two things: completing her latest job and earning enough coin for the expensive medicine that's keeping her mentor alive. The mythology within the country of Kethra was absolutely magnificent. There was a whole pagan set of gods and goddesses. I loved all the different "levels"(?), might not be the right word. Can I please have an encyclopedia of all the gods in this world? I want to learn more right now. Another thing to note is the great work of the narrator Jesse Vilinsky. I absolutely loved the way she narrated Elander’s voice.

I do feel like this book is really an introduction to this series. It wasn’t that plot-heavy. We got little pieces of the plot but it wasn’t all that clear why the characters did what they did. However, Casia will have to work closely with the infuriatingly charming Captain of the Peace Keeping regiment of the King's army, Elander Revenmar. I originally bought the Kindle version of The Song of the Marked but didn't even start it because I knew I would enjoy listening more. I am SOOOO glad I listened to it. The narrator was AWESOME! She is a very talented voice actor and had some great accents in her repertoire. The world-building is impressively atmospheric and intricate. I'm aware that it takes place in the same universe as another prequel series and builds up on that, it could be why I felt a tad overwhelmed by it but it didn't cause much confusion for me. I think the pacing in general was good but sometimes it felt off especially midway. The action-scenes helped in keeping me invested in the story and the tension-building kept me on edge about what's to happen.But as the death toll rises and strange monsters wreak havoc across the realms, Cas and Elander find themselves up against meddling gods and very old magic. This is the first book I've read in a while after a mini reading hiatus... but it was really good! Glad I could start reading again with a strong series Overall, there isn't anything in particular that I strongly disliked about this book. I think it did everything well but it didn't have anything that stood out to me as being amazing. I recommend this if you're looking for a fantasy-romance series with a badass female main character. I'll definitely keep reading the rest of the series! So when the king himself offers her a job, she can't resist the massive reward he offers-even if it means working with Captain Elander, the arrogant, mysterious right-hand to that king. Cas has several close friends she brings with her to the castle. I loved how close she was with Rhea and Zev. And then her sort of adoptive mother Asra. It was so precious. They were all so caring for each other and that is absolutely what I wanted more of.

As the bodies pile up and strange monsters begin to wreak havoc throughout the realms, Cas and Elander will have to work together to protect their world whether they like it or not. Because one thing is clear: something ancient and evil is stirring in the shadows of that world.It was so much fun revisiting the world from the Serpents and Kings trilogy, with all the gods, myths and magic! New characters and new events, so you don't have to read the former trilogy before you read this book (although I highly recommend that you do, because it's damn good!). If you haven't read the Serpents and Kings trilogy you might have to spend some time getting to know the world, but no more than you usually do when starting a new series. But in a land brimming with old magic and meddling gods, nothing is ever that simple, and nothing is ever what it seems.

THERE WAS A GOOD mixture of fantasy and romance, my favorite combination in a book ❤️ The fantasy world was interesting, not like anything I've previously read before so that's always good. As the bodies pile up and strange monsters begin to wreak havoc throughout the realms, Cas and Elander will have to work together to protect their world whether they trust one another or not. Because one thing is clear: Something ancient and evil is stirring in the shadows of Kethra. The first book in the thrilling Shadows & Crowns series - perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas' Throne of Glass and Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows ! But how can they save a world where nothing and no one is what they seem to be— including Cas herself?

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So when the king himself offers her a job, she can't resist the massive reward he offers - even if it means working with Captain Elander, the arrogant, mysterious right-hand to that king. As the bodies pile up and strange monsters begin to wreak havoc throughout the realms, Cas and Elander will have to work together to protect their world whether they like it or not. Because one thing is clear: Something ancient and evil is stirring in the shadows of that world. The Song of the Marked is a book I could not put down because I was immediately drawn to the story and the characters. I wasn’t super big on the narrator of the audiobook. She wasn’t awful or anything but idk there was something I just didn’t like. I think she made Cas sound way too much like an awkward teenager almost like a Bella Swan kind of awkward. And also she made Varen sound like a Disney villain but I only listen to the audiobook occasionally, most of the time I read the physical book so it was bearable when I needed to listen to a chapter or 2 Read more If Throne of Glass and From Blood and Ash had a baby, it would be this book. That does not mean it's a carbon copy, the world and the characters just come off original and vibrant.

The romance develops at a steady pace and I'm happy it wasn't rushed because it was fun to see them face a battle of wits every time they were around each other. Mercenary Casia Greythorne cares about two things: completing whatever her latest job is and earning enough coin to buy the expensive medicine that's keeping her mentor alive. I adored the characters in this book! They were radiant and alive and each was tinged with a unique personality and a voice. The author did an excellent job at setting them apart and creating such an amazing chemistry between not only the couple, but all the characters. The found family trope in The Song of the Marked suits the story perfectly and was well-executed. I wanted even more of Casia’s friends, and I hope we’ll get that in the next book. I also quite liked Elander’s character and liked his and Casia’s chemistry. I’m curious, to see what his motives are and who he really is.The first chapter sounded interesting, although I should have read into the signs the universe was giving me when I caught myself reading the same few paragraphs over and over again because I couldn't focus on the things my braian was trying to process. They were an interesting pair, weren’t they? Nothing but questions and doubts between them, it seemed like.