Fantasy lovers can’t get enough of Gabi Burton’s debut duology. Sing Me to Sleep and its sequel, Drown Me with Dreams, swept readers into a world of political intrigue and forbidden romance. Spearheading the books’ Black and Brown cast are Saoirse, an assassin hiding her identity as a siren; and Prince Hayes, the royal she falls in love with — against her better judgement. Full of twists, turns, secrets, and betrayal, the dark world Gabi has created holds all the allure of a siren song. It’s no surprise her work made waves (pun intended) on BookTok.
With Saoirse and Hayes’s story winding to a close, Gabi was gracious enough to take us behind the scenes of their gripping tale. Dive in with us as Gabi shares her writing process, provides personal perspective on Saoirse’s inner conflict — and teases her upcoming projects.
About the Author
Gabi Burton is the Sunday Times bestselling author of Sing Me to Sleep and Drown Me with Dreams. She grew up reading and writing in St. Louis, Missouri. She studied English at Bowdoin College and now lives back in the Midwest, where she enjoys the cold. When she’s not working or writing, she’s probably watching Netflix, mindlessly scrolling on TikTok, or finding beautiful places to walk — preferably near a body of water.
Thanks for joining us, Gabi! Let’s get started.
For readers new to your work, can you give us an overview of what the Sing Me to Sleep duology is about?
Sing Me to Sleep is about a girl who is the last siren in her kingdom. If anyone discovers what she is, she’ll be immediately executed. By day, she’s a soldier in disguise; by night, she’s an assassin. When she’s forced to accept a job as a bodyguard to the crown prince, she expects she’s going to hate him, since his father is the reason the rest of her kind has been wiped from existence. Unfortunately for Saoirse, the prince is nothing like she expects. Worse, he enlists her help to track down a serial killer — herself.
The series features a siren assassin as the main character. What drew you to combine mythological elements with a darker, action-driven plot?
Some friends and I were discussing monsters for Halloween, and someone mentioned sirens. From that moment on, I was fascinated by the sirens we see in mythology: beautiful women who lure sailors (men) to their deaths. I wanted to explore the question: are sirens truly monsters? When I started building this story, I did so through the lens of a young siren struggling with that same question. Saoirse has an insatiable urge to kill, yes, but I wanted to see what ways her actions could be justified. Ultimately, the question of if her actions are justified are up to the reader, but with questions I wanted to explore, the story naturally became darker and more action-driven.
How did you approach writing the duality between Saoirse’s siren identity and her role as a soldier in a human kingdom that fears her kind?
There’s a duality in all of us. The face we present to people, and the way we see ourselves. Both sides are shaped by our identities. Growing up, I was a Black girl in a very white school, and I was insecure about pretty much everything. As alone as I felt, when I started writing Sing Me to Sleep, I knew there were Black girls all over who felt the exact same way. I wanted Saoirse’s duality to mirror that very real struggle. Saoirse isn’t just feared by other people — she fears herself, in large part because of the way her kind is despised in her society. It’s hard to accept yourself in a world that doesn’t accept you — in a world not made for you. I wanted to capture that feeling in a fantastical setting.
Did any of your characters surprise you as you were writing, perhaps taking a different path than you originally planned?
Yes! I’m constantly surprised by my characters. I like to outline everything before I start writing, but as I write scenes, especially dialogue, I usually have revelations. For the most part, they all keep the same character arcs, but one character who became more integral to the story the more I got to know them was Jeune. She works with Saoirse as a guard, and over time they form a friendship. The more I wrote her, the more I liked her, and the more consequential she became to the story!
How did you balance the romantic tension and action without letting one overshadow the other throughout the duology?
I color-coded the subplots of my outline to try and make everything as balanced as possible. But even with that method, the real answer is editing! I was fortunate enough to have an amazing editor who really helped shape the story and the delicate balance act that is plotting.
What was your biggest challenge in writing a fantasy world that also feels grounded and emotionally real?
I hate worldbuilding, so that was a big challenge, lol. Because of that, I tried to be more intentional in crafting a world that feels real. For me, it helped to draw on elements from the real world. There are a lot of parallels between the fantasy world of Sing Me to Sleep and our world. In my opinion, a fantasy world feels the most real when there are people in our world who have parallel struggles. I focused on real-world power imbalances and used those to shape the world of Keirdre. The separation of different creatures, the superiority complex of the fae, the mistreatment of humans, all felt real to me, because there are groups in our world dealing with the same thing.
What message or feeling do you hope readers take away after finishing the Sing Me to Sleep duology?
A lot of people are going to try and tell you how to feel about yourself. Saoirse is separated from her history and her culture and lives in a world trying to fill in those blanks for her. They tell her she’s a monster and that’s all she’ll ever be. I hope readers walk away from this story knowing they can figure out who they are for themselves. Other people can’t define you.
Now that the duology is complete, what kinds of stories are you excited to tell next?
I always have a lot of fantasy ideas floating around! My next YA fantasy series comes out next year, and I’m super excited for it! Before I pivoted to fantasy, I used to write mysteries. I’d love to get back to that someday.
What can your readers look forward to next? Any upcoming announcements or release timelines you can share?
My next YA fantasy book is called To Steal A Throne and it comes out April 7, 2026! It’s about a girl named Mira. She’s used her lie-based magic to cheat her older brother onto the throne, collect secrets from the court, and blackmail them to stay in line. When newcomer Kaidren arrives [at] court, he threatens to upend her schemes. Not only is he after the throne, but his magic threatens to ruin Mira with a single touch. Now, Mira must compete against Kaidren in three deadly trials — winner takes the throne. But the fiercer the competition gets, the more she realizes that the one who could destroy everything is the one boy she might not be able to resist.
Thanks again to Gabi for speaking with us! You can keep up with her work through her website and her Instagram, TikTok, and X — and be sure to check out the Sing Me to Sleep duology!
Click here to read our interview with speculative fiction author Vaishnavi Patel.
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