Reviews

The Seafarer's Kiss by Julia Ember

eletricjb's review

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3.0

3.5 stars. Excellently queer; execution somewhat lacking.

ticej76's review

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fast-paced

2.5

tinynavajo's review

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3.0

An interesting take on the story of the little mermaid, a quick read especially if you're searching for new folklore and fairy tales.

matsinko's review

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1.0

what the hell was all that not-like-other-girls-protag that's hated by all the other girls, bc obv it's how it goes (that's a huge pet peeve of mine), and who's manipulated by her best friend, bc we can't have one (1) good m/f friendship w/o it escalating into some petty one-sided crush?
the main romance was super unconvincing and it just fell flat as the "love interest" wasn't even present half of the time (gotta admit tho, in the first half they did have some cute moments). also, the super unnecessary violence outbreak at their reunion, tf was that? overall, i didn't care for any of the characters at all. i had some issues with the infertile-women-as-broken narrative and generally, i had such huge hopes for that book (f/f little mermaid retelling, are you kidding me, it sounded awesome) but i was left really disappointed. the only character i had any interest towards was loki, but they went too easily in a way? idk.

samiharts's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

whalien_reads's review

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dnf @ 20 pages

wandering_through_time's review

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4.0

Review to come!!

mckinlay's review

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4.0

[3.5 stars] RTC

bee324's review

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3.5

This is a solid book. Probably a little too short for the kind of depth and development of character, etc that I prefer. But it was a fun little read and a creative, interesting retelling of The Little Mermaid where the mermaid falls for a girl, which I found enjoyable.
My favorite part is probably that in this story the Ariel and Ursula characters are combined, thus complicating and giving an interesting backstory to Ursula.

Also, I adore the cover.  

brettmichaelorr's review

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4.0

Short, smart, and super enjoyable. I didn't know quite what to expect from this Little Mermaid retelling, but Ember has cleverly crafted a world that's partly familiar and partly new. From the intricate thought that went into mermaid physiology and diet, to the surprisingly deep character building and criticism of current misogynistic society, the whole book rests on very solid ground. With a diverse story that effortlessly expresses a bisexual character and a gender-fluid (literally, in a magical sense too) Trickster God, The Seafarer's Kiss has a little for everyone!