But how can they save a world where nothing and no one is what they seem to be— including Cas herself?

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. 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.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. Another thing to note is the great work of the narrator Jesse Vilinsky. I absolutely loved the way she narrated Elander’s voice.

I'll give the author that, but the writing was dull and it felt very YA-ish, which caused both the characters and their dialogues to also read as YA. 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. You’re much nicer after you’ve had a near-death experience. You should almost die more often, maybe.” In a world infested by magic and shaped by gods and goddesses of different hierarchies, there are many secrets and hidden truths that will challenge and change all of what Casia had ever known about her life. Unfortunately, working alongside him also means working with the handsome but infuriating captain of one of the most prestigious branches of the Kethran Army.

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The ending was a HUGE twist, like I figured out the one part and was focusing on trying to figure how it all fit together I completely did not see the other big reveal coming. The ending was incredible and the problems it complicates for the next books is exactly what I needed.

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.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. Elander is very mysterious but very, very appealing. That appeal could have a LOT to do with Jesse Vilinsky's performance of Elander, with a very sexy brogue that was magic to my ears. Elander is my favourite kind of hero where he is all gruff, guarded and bossy, but shows vulnerability in his desire for Cassie. The slow-moving relationship between Elander and Cassie was perfectly timed considering all that was going on around them. They were an interesting pair, weren’t they? Nothing but questions and doubts between them, it seemed like. 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.