Scan barcode
itsnotalakeitsanocean's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
A solid book that did what it was set out to do, and is enjoyable enough without reinventing the wheel or anything. It might be a bit bland for some people and I do agree (hence the 3 star rating). I hesitate to call it "cozy" considering the slavery/torture sections, but again, it isn't anything too challenging.
What I liked:
What I liked:
- Tal and Athlen were likeable and believable enough and had good chemistry. They're not a groundbreaking couple by any means but if you like the dynamic of their relationship -
Human Prince/Merman - you'll enjoy them enough. - (Disclaimer to this point that I am not against sex scenes, I just think that not every story needs one unless it suits the tone and story) I like the fact that Tal and Athlen's relationship was strong enough that them sleeping together happened off page was just another part of their relationship and didn't overpower the whole dynamic; especially considering that this book seems to be intended for a slightly younger audience than myself.
I liked everything surrounding Poppy and I grinned when she got to become the Sea Witch's minion at the end. Good for her. Also good for the bastard princess that ran off with her handmaiden and that other guy - probably the funniest and most endearing part of the book.
What I didn't like:
- The pacing of the book was a bit too fast and I didn't feel like I got the chance to digest anything that happened until I put the book down.
- The conflict between Tal and Athlen felt laboured and repetitive at times with how Athlen withheld key information about himself. There's nothing wrong with the trope itself but nothing particularly interesting was done with it, which feels especially egregious since Tal and Athlen have good chemistry otherwise. I think the novel could have benefitted from being slightly longer to avoid feeling rushed.
- On a related note, the ending chapters felt a bit rushed in my opinion.
In particular: 1) the confrontation with the sea witch felt like it was over before it really began. 2) For all the talk about how everyone feared magic and would be scared of Tal, nothing really came of it other than vague platitudes. I know it's supposed to be an allegory for being queer but it felt kind of redundant when the world was already accepting of Tal and Athlen not being heterosexual. - Some of the side characters felt flat, and the setting felt pretty generic. Again, this is really just a result of the book not being particularly ambitious so it's not as much of a bad point compared to what I've said above. I still would have liked to have seen a little more detail about the magic system and how it affects the world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Kidnapping, Slavery, and Torture
Moderate: Blood, Vomit, and Death
Minor: Genocide, Death of parent, War, and Alcohol
valli_alti04's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Vomit
pvp_niki's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, and Confinement
Moderate: Vomit, Torture, Blood, and Genocide
Minor: War and Death of parent
blewballoon's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
If you want a fun, adventurous, queer, mermaid (merman in this case) fantasy story, this should hit the spot. It did for me! I loved these characters and, for a change, actually wished this was a series so I could have more time with them in this world. The writing style was straightforward and immersive, so it was easy to breeze through. It definitely fits the parameters of a YA book, but I found it very enjoyable as an adult reader. I'm really glad I picked this up, I had bought it because my local bookstore had a signed copy and I liked the colorful cover.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Murder, Vomit, War, and Death
mochathebookenjoyer23's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
There needs to be more LGBTQ+ fantasy novels! This is a great one shot for anyone who is looking for something fantastical, tense, and a cute and, more importantly, HEALTHY relationship in a book. I don't think I have any other complaints. I don't really consider myself obsessed with the book, I just found it very enjoyable! I recommend this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Grief, and Vomit
Minor: War
dizzyizzyy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Kidnapping, and Confinement
Moderate: Outing and Blood
Minor: Misogyny, Alcohol, and Abandonment
staticz77's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The only complaint that U gave about this book, is that I found the start way too fast for me. Like 20 things happened in the first few pages. But I absolutely loved this book!!! The relationship between all the characters and how mysterious it is was just amazing. The romance between Tal and Athlen was so good, the way Tal was so obsessed with him when he barely knew anything about him, the way that Athlen wasn't scared for Tal's magic, their overall relationship was just really nice to read. The relationship Tal has with his family is so so sweet, I love Garrett and Kest, how they were so heartbroken when Tal was kidnapped absolutely killed me. The whole kidnapping scene was so hard to read since it was all so sad. The amount of trauma that he experienced, especially his sickness, I found it really good how that was portrayed. How he hated his magic but he used it for Athlen was such a good way to convey their relationship. I really loved this book!! The (other) only thing, is that I want a second one!-
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Vomit
storydragon's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I liked the end the most.
It is a lovely light story.
It is a lovely light story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Vomit
fanboyriot's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Read For:
๐ฎ Magic
๐ High Fantasy
๐คด๐ฝPrince x Merfolk
๐ค Rivals to Lovers Vibes
๐ง๐ผโโ๏ธ The Gay Little Mermaid
This was absolutely adorable. It was enchanting and adventurous all the while being wholesome and tense at times.
The characters were detailed and lovable. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this book, the plot and setting made this high fantasy all the more enjoyable.
There were The Little Mermaid vibes but gayer and much more interesting with the magic. It was really cute.
Release Date: 29, March 2022
POV: Third Person
Spice: ๐ถ๏ธ
Rep: Bisexual or maybe Pansexual (MC), LGBTQIA Characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Blood, Confinement, Vomit, Physical abuse, Murder, Violence, Kidnapping, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, War, Slavery, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gore
Minor: Alcohol
ankiaisreading's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Hate crime, Torture, Violence, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Sexual content, Alcohol, Death, Kidnapping, Murder, Confinement, Body horror, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Physical abuse, Slavery, and War