Title: Rhapsodic
Series: The Bargainer #1
Author: Laura Thalassa
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Age Rating: 18+
Spice Level: 3.5/5
Published: November 15th 2016
Format: eBook
Pages: 423
Reread: Thrice
Tropes: Fae x Siren, Bargain/Deals, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Second Chance, Protective Possessive Hero, Dual timelines (flashback to past), Touch Her and Die, Fated Mates, Age Gap
Rhapsodic Laura Thalassa Book Review
Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa is the first book in The Bargainer series, a blend of fantasy and paranormal romance that I highly recommend to anyone who loves powerful fae heroes, emotional slow-burns, and suspense.
This book was sitting on my TBR for a long time. My best friend had actually recommended another book by the author, but Rhapsodic caught my eye instead. The idea of a mysterious Bargainer, a dark fairy who collects debts and favors, immediately intrigued me. After seeing rave reviews from my Bookstagram friends, I couldn’t resist picking it up.
Rhapsodic is a perfect starting point for The Bargainer series. It effectively introduces the characters, sets up the magical world, and balances romance with the unfolding mystery.
"Bargainer, I would like to make a deal."
The story follows Callypso “Callie” Lillis, a young siren who finds herself in a difficult situation at sixteen. Desperate, she calls upon the infamous Bargainer, Desmond Flynn, for help. Though he never makes deals with minors, he helps Callie—for reasons unknown—and refuses any payment.
Years later, Callie has rebuilt her life at a paranormal university but remains lonely and burdened by her past. Drawn to Des’s charisma and darkness, she calls on him again. They become friends, and Des (The Bargainer) helps her face her demons, all the while collecting favors from her as beads that form a bracelet around her wrist and arm.
Despite his mischievous nature, Des never crosses the line, but one day, he disappears from her life, leaving her heartbroken.
"Before him, I had so many reasons to fear the night."
The book alternates between the past and present, showing us Callie’s life as a teenager and then seven years later as an adult. This dual timeline made the story even more engaging for me. Watching Des and Callie’s relationship evolve — his darkness against her innocence — was surprisingly tender. Des, the terrifying King of Nightmares, is gentle and protective with her.
Rhapsodic Exclusive Book Cover. Slide 2 features Fan Art of Callypso Lillis and Desmond Flynn.
I know why he’s here. This is it, the moment I’ve been waiting seven years for. I exhale. “You’re finally here to collect.”
Seven years later, Callie is now a private investigator running her own agency with her best friend, Temperance Darling. Stronger and more confident, she thinks she’s left her past behind—until Des reappears.
He is the same dark fae that Callie’s always loved. However, there are around 320 beads – favors that Callie owes him, and Des plans to make good on them.
Their romance is what I’d call classic: friends to almost lovers, a second-chance love story that makes your heart ache in the best way. The world-building takes a backseat, but the emotional development and chemistry completely steal the show.
There’s a power imbalance, with Des holding the most of it and Callie being half human and half siren, unable to fight his magic. She still doesn’t know why Des left her and can’t decipher his intentions. As we understand their past and the present, eventually, all the secrets are revealed.
"And the stars might fall from the heavens, and night might cloak the Earth, but until darkness dies, I will be always be yours."
Desmond Flynn easily became one of my top book boyfriends. He’s dark, vindictive, dangerous, and impossibly loyal. Bargaining and collecting favors is his compulsion, but beneath that sharp exterior lies a man with deep scars and secrets.
He is this broken bad boy, with a dark past and secrets that I wanted to unravel. You want to get to know him, and he’s often compared to Rhysand of the ACOTAR series. So, SJM fans, you should definitely pick this up!
My favorite Rhapsodic Fanart featuring Desmond Flynn and Callypso Lillis
"Fee, fye, foe, fin, I caught the scent of a sweet siren. Fey, fye, fah, fing, I'll pluck her feathers and make my bird sing."
The book also introduces a compelling mystery subplot: fae women are vanishing, returning in caskets with hybrid children that drink blood. As Callie and Des investigate, their relationship deepens, and the story shifts from emotional to thrilling.
Is Rhapsodic Spicy?
Well, as the book shifts from past to present, we do see the chemistry between teen Callie and Des and adult Callie and Des. In the present, there are some sexy and intimate scenes, but they are more steamy than spicy.
What are the trigger warnings in Rhapsodic?
Explicit Scenes, Swearing, Mention of SA on the heroine (Off-Page)
Rhapsodic - The Bargainer Series Reading Order
The Bargainer series is complete. There are a total of four books in this series: Three full-length novels and one novella.
The reading order is as follows
- Book 1: Rhapsodic
- Book 2: A Strange Hymn
- Book 2.5: The Emperor of Evening Stars (Desmond’s POV)
- Book 3: Dark Harmony
Books Like Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa
- Bewitched by Laura Thalassa
- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
- Dark Fae by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti
I recommend Rhapsodic if you love all things fae and enjoy romances laced with magic, mystery, and emotional depth. It’s one of those books that stays with you long after you finish, thanks to its hauntingly beautiful writing and unforgettable hero.
For me, Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa was one of my best romance reads of 2020.
Synopsis: Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa
Callypso Lillis is a siren with a very big problem, one that stretches up her arm and far into her past. For the last seven years she’s been collecting a bracelet of black beads up her wrist, magical IOUs for favors she’s received. Only death or repayment will fulfill the obligations. Only then will the beads disappear.
Everyone knows that if you need a favor, you go to the Bargainer to make it happen. He’s a man who can get you anything you want… at a price. And everyone knows that sooner or later he always collects.
But for one of his clients, he’s never asked for repayment. Not until now. When Callie finds the fae king of the night in her room, a grin on his lips and a twinkle in his eye, she knows things are about to change. At first it’s just a chaste kiss—a single bead’s worth—and a promise for more.
For the Bargainer, it’s more than just a matter of rekindling an old romance. Something is happening in the Otherworld. Fae warriors are going missing one by one. Only the women are returned, each in a glass casket, a child clutched to their breast. And then there are the whispers among the slaves, whispers of an evil that’s been awoken.
If the Bargainer has any hope to save his people, he’ll need the help of the siren he spurned long ago. Only, his foe has a taste for exotic creatures, and Callie just happens to be one.
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About Laura Thalassa:
Found in the forest when she was young, Laura Thalassa was raised by fairies, kidnapped by werewolves, and given over to vampires as repayment for a hundred year debt. She’s been brought back to life twice, and, with a single kiss, she woke her true love from eternal sleep. She now lives happily ever after with her undead prince in a castle in the woods.
… or something like that anyway.
When not writing, Laura can be found scarfing down guacamole, hoarding chocolate for the apocalypse, or curled up on the couch with a good book.
Next in The Bargainer series...
