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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Of Song and Scepter by Liesl West
4/5 ⭐️ 4/5 🌶️
Releases July 2nd, 2024
I was sent an early copy of this book as an arc reader. But this review is all my own. Thank you so much Liesl West for sending me this early!
This is a Little Mermaid retelling. It’s fast paced, full of good banter and emotion. (If you don’t like fast based books then this is not the book for you) This is darker than the Little Mermaid you grew up watching and a lot closer to the original fairytale. It’s dark, spicy and twisty. What more could you ask for? Also can we just stop and admire the cover for a second? STUNNING. Anyways, I found the world building and plot interesting! I do wish there were more details but I just love when books delve deep into lore or the world around them. (Which isn’t for everyone, but I love it) also duel POV which is my absolute FAVORITE. The spice was good without feeling too much. And overall was a great debut novel! I look forward to reading more from the author.
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Thanks to Liesl West for an ARC of this story.
What a fun debut! I love the little mermaid (og and disney-fied) and this book did not disappoint. There’s banter, there’s flirting, there’s betrayal, magic. All things i love in a story.
The pacing was so great- i never felt like there was a lull or that the info wasn’t purposeful.
My one hangup is Soren’s nickname for Enna 😭😭 the first few times he refers to her as Wicked, it’s to himself and i got over it but when he started saying it to her as a pet name i couldn’t get on board.
That aside, I really enjoyed this read and will definitely keep an eye out for Liesl’s future work!
What a fun debut! I love the little mermaid (og and disney-fied) and this book did not disappoint. There’s banter, there’s flirting, there’s betrayal, magic. All things i love in a story.
The pacing was so great- i never felt like there was a lull or that the info wasn’t purposeful.
My one hangup is Soren’s nickname for Enna 😭😭 the first few times he refers to her as Wicked, it’s to himself and i got over it but when he started saying it to her as a pet name i couldn’t get on board.
That aside, I really enjoyed this read and will definitely keep an eye out for Liesl’s future work!
adventurous
dark
emotional
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:
Yes
Stabby mermaids indeed. This was a really creative take on mermaid lore and I fully enjoyed it. A bit of a slow burn, but the spicy scenes were excellent. By the end I really felt the emotional connection between the MCs and was left with a bit of a book hangover!. As always I love a grumpy x sunshine pairing, and it was fun to get a grumpy FMC. Looking forward to more from the Adria universe!
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
I'm OBSESSED with this book! It's a siren Summer!
Of Song and Scepter is full of mermaids, sirens, and creatures of the deep. There's fast-paced action, fated mates, murder plots, royal intrigue, spice, teeth, forced proximity, hidden identity, and an appropriate amount of male booty worship! I can't think of a single thing I didn't enjoy about this book. The pacing was incredible, I couldn't put the book down (literally, I was almost late for work) and the world building was magical in its descriptions. I could envision every page as if it were a movie.
I drool over retellings that flip the script and Of Song and Scepter does exactly that. Imagine if Ariel was not your average princess, stuck under Ursula's tentacle - forced to fulfill a life-long debt and trained as Ursula's personal assassin. If this sounds like your jam, read Of Song and Scepter. DO IT. Liesl has taken a tale as old as time and completely made it her own.
The characters in this book are each so incredibly interesting. Enna? I'm in love with her! She's a stabs first, asks questions later kind of creature. The banter and flirting between Soren and her? LOVE IT. Soren is enthralled with Enna upon first glance and Enna does not make it easy for him.
I could rave about this book all day long. I absolutely enjoyed it and can't recommend it enough. Thank you so so much Liesl for gifting me an ARC. I can't wait to read more in this realm.
Of Song and Scepter is full of mermaids, sirens, and creatures of the deep. There's fast-paced action, fated mates, murder plots, royal intrigue, spice, teeth, forced proximity, hidden identity, and an appropriate amount of male booty worship! I can't think of a single thing I didn't enjoy about this book. The pacing was incredible, I couldn't put the book down (literally, I was almost late for work) and the world building was magical in its descriptions. I could envision every page as if it were a movie.
I drool over retellings that flip the script and Of Song and Scepter does exactly that. Imagine if Ariel was not your average princess, stuck under Ursula's tentacle - forced to fulfill a life-long debt and trained as Ursula's personal assassin. If this sounds like your jam, read Of Song and Scepter. DO IT. Liesl has taken a tale as old as time and completely made it her own.
The characters in this book are each so incredibly interesting. Enna? I'm in love with her! She's a stabs first, asks questions later kind of creature. The banter and flirting between Soren and her? LOVE IT. Soren is enthralled with Enna upon first glance and Enna does not make it easy for him.
I could rave about this book all day long. I absolutely enjoyed it and can't recommend it enough. Thank you so so much Liesl for gifting me an ARC. I can't wait to read more in this realm.
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Leisl West for an early copy of this book.
Overall, it was very enjoyable. I love a good cinnamon roll make love interest with a touch of “who did this to you.” I could have used a little more world building towards the beginning, but the map was definitely helpful in establishing places.
I would recommend it to friends as a light summer read with a little bit of stabbing.
Overall, it was very enjoyable. I love a good cinnamon roll make love interest with a touch of “who did this to you.” I could have used a little more world building towards the beginning, but the map was definitely helpful in establishing places.
I would recommend it to friends as a light summer read with a little bit of stabbing.
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you to Liesl West for an early copy of the book!
I read primarily fantasy books but not many about mermaids/sirens and this was such a fun change. Especially when the author creates unique phrases and gestures that one could imagine a siren would use. Such as the insult “chum brain,” or covering of the gills as a sign of respect, etc.
I have an annoying habit of being able to predict book endings, and it had seemed like I would be able to predict the ending of this book easily. But I was pleasantly surprised when I was wrong about the ending.
I can’t wait to read more Liesl West in the future!
I read primarily fantasy books but not many about mermaids/sirens and this was such a fun change. Especially when the author creates unique phrases and gestures that one could imagine a siren would use. Such as the insult “chum brain,” or covering of the gills as a sign of respect, etc.
I have an annoying habit of being able to predict book endings, and it had seemed like I would be able to predict the ending of this book easily. But I was pleasantly surprised when I was wrong about the ending.
I can’t wait to read more Liesl West in the future!
🥵 I loved every second of this.
Think Little Mermaid, but Ariel (Enna) is a stabby little thing trapped in a blood debt with Ursula (Odissa) and is stuck having her help her trick her way into the throne with the hot siren Prince Eric (Soren)...who is immediately in love with Ariel.
Thankfully in this story, Soren isn't fooled by Odissa's trickery and he is perpetually infatuated with Enna. I loved both of these MCs and having both POVs made this story so much better! Odissa was a great villain as well.
For being a debut novel, this story has a well built setting and characters that were nicely fleshed out.
I look forward to more books by Liesl.
*I received an eARC and I am leaving this review voluntarily*
Think Little Mermaid, but Ariel (Enna) is a stabby little thing trapped in a blood debt with Ursula (Odissa) and is stuck having her help her trick her way into the throne with the hot siren Prince Eric (Soren)...who is immediately in love with Ariel.
Thankfully in this story, Soren isn't fooled by Odissa's trickery and he is perpetually infatuated with Enna. I loved both of these MCs and having both POVs made this story so much better! Odissa was a great villain as well.
For being a debut novel, this story has a well built setting and characters that were nicely fleshed out.
I look forward to more books by Liesl.
*I received an eARC and I am leaving this review voluntarily*
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Yes
4.5 Wicked Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️.5/5
It's no secret that The Little Mermaid is my favorite Disney Princess, and it's books like this that remind me why I love that story so much!
So this is obviously a Little Mermaid retelling, with a unique little spin. Our mermaid, Enna, is also part Siren and has essentially sold her soul to Odissa due to a life debt. Odissa has forced her to become a death-dealer, so Enna is a very morally grey stabby murderer. Odissa orders Enna to kill the Abyssal Princess so Odissa can impersonate her, with Enna as her handmaid, so that Odissa can marry Soren, the prince from the Kingdom of Coral, to take over the Kingdom. Soren has rejected multiple marriage prospects and is out of time, as his Kingdom needs him to marry. However, he longs for love, and when he mistakenly sees Enna basically naked on the beach and thinks she is his betrothed, he believes he might just have found a bride who can give him just that, only to realize that Enna is his betrothed handmaid.
This did not read like a debut. The writing was easy to follow and sophisticated, polished, and descriptive, containing a great balance of plot and characterization. While there was some purple prose, it didn't feel like an overabundance of metaphor blended into the storytelling, however, still giving the writing that lyrical quality. I felt like I was under the sea and in this world of sirens and mermaids. I cannot stress how fully polished and clean this felt as it did not read like an author's first book. It was an incredibly captivating and realistic portrayal of what mermaid life and lore are like. I want to commend Liesl on the amount of detail and clear research she did for this. You can see the care and precision given to the world-building to accurately portray the behavior, the nuances, the way the world is described, to how they would eat fish. It was probably one of the most robust portrayals of a mermaid/siren I have seen in literature.
Our little Enna is a badass. She is feisty and fierce. It is very clear she does not want a life of killing, but she is trapped in a bargain and wants nothing but to escape out of Odissa's clutches. She is put in awful situations, where her forced hand often causes her to battle her moral compass, but she is a fighter and uses that fight to be resourceful and smart. Her story is heartbreaking and sad, and while I could see the twists in her tale pretty clearly, I didn't mind that. At that point, I was so absorbed into the story and drawn in that I was just along for the ride.
Soren is a cinnamon roll and everything you would expect in a prince. He has his mind set on what he is looking for in a wife, and he doesn't want to just settle for anybody. He is honorable, noble, and cares for his people. He is quite strong-minded but has a totally wholesome character that also makes him a total romantic at heart.
My one issue is that the ending felt very rushed and a little bit too easy, so it was a small letdown compared to the climb towards the climax. I wanted to see it drawn out a little more, and... I wanted Odissa to suffer a lot longer
Tropes in this include:
▶ Little Mermaid Retelling
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Badass Feisty FMC
▶ Hidden Identity
▶ Golden Retriever/Cinnamon Roll
▶ Political Intrigue
▶ She Stabs Him
▶ Cheating*
▶ Forbidden Romance
▶ He Falls First and Falls Hard
▶ Dual POV
▶ Amazing Worldbuilding
Overall, this was a satisfying romance and an excellent take on a Little Mermaid Retelling. If you love that trope or just like books featuring Mermaids, this one is for you!!!
Thank you to Liesl West for my gifted ARC copy!
All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Spicy Level: 🌶️.5/5
It's no secret that The Little Mermaid is my favorite Disney Princess, and it's books like this that remind me why I love that story so much!
So this is obviously a Little Mermaid retelling, with a unique little spin. Our mermaid, Enna, is also part Siren and has essentially sold her soul to Odissa due to a life debt. Odissa has forced her to become a death-dealer, so Enna is a very morally grey stabby murderer. Odissa orders Enna to kill the Abyssal Princess so Odissa can impersonate her, with Enna as her handmaid, so that Odissa can marry Soren, the prince from the Kingdom of Coral, to take over the Kingdom. Soren has rejected multiple marriage prospects and is out of time, as his Kingdom needs him to marry. However, he longs for love, and when he mistakenly sees Enna basically naked on the beach and thinks she is his betrothed, he believes he might just have found a bride who can give him just that, only to realize that Enna is his betrothed handmaid.
This did not read like a debut. The writing was easy to follow and sophisticated, polished, and descriptive, containing a great balance of plot and characterization. While there was some purple prose, it didn't feel like an overabundance of metaphor blended into the storytelling, however, still giving the writing that lyrical quality. I felt like I was under the sea and in this world of sirens and mermaids. I cannot stress how fully polished and clean this felt as it did not read like an author's first book. It was an incredibly captivating and realistic portrayal of what mermaid life and lore are like. I want to commend Liesl on the amount of detail and clear research she did for this. You can see the care and precision given to the world-building to accurately portray the behavior, the nuances, the way the world is described, to how they would eat fish. It was probably one of the most robust portrayals of a mermaid/siren I have seen in literature.
Our little Enna is a badass. She is feisty and fierce. It is very clear she does not want a life of killing, but she is trapped in a bargain and wants nothing but to escape out of Odissa's clutches. She is put in awful situations, where her forced hand often causes her to battle her moral compass, but she is a fighter and uses that fight to be resourceful and smart. Her story is heartbreaking and sad, and while I could see the twists in her tale pretty clearly, I didn't mind that. At that point, I was so absorbed into the story and drawn in that I was just along for the ride.
Soren is a cinnamon roll and everything you would expect in a prince. He has his mind set on what he is looking for in a wife, and he doesn't want to just settle for anybody. He is honorable, noble, and cares for his people. He is quite strong-minded but has a totally wholesome character that also makes him a total romantic at heart.
My one issue is that the ending felt very rushed and a little bit too easy, so it was a small letdown compared to the climb towards the climax. I wanted to see it drawn out a little more, and...
Tropes in this include:
▶ Little Mermaid Retelling
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Badass Feisty FMC
▶ Hidden Identity
▶ Golden Retriever/Cinnamon Roll
▶ Political Intrigue
▶ She Stabs Him
▶ Cheating*
▶ Forbidden Romance
▶ He Falls First and Falls Hard
▶ Dual POV
▶ Amazing Worldbuilding
Overall, this was a satisfying romance and an excellent take on a Little Mermaid Retelling. If you love that trope or just like books featuring Mermaids, this one is for you!!!
Thank you to Liesl West for my gifted ARC copy!
All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
🅱🅾🅾🅺 🆁🅴🆅🅸🅴🆆 - ᴏғ sᴏɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ sᴄᴇᴘᴛᴇʀ - ʟɪᴇsʟ ᴡᴇsᴛ
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Where do I even start?! I was beyond honoured to read an early version of this book and I truly loved it then. Now, with the storyline tweaks and changes, it’s absolutely blown me out of the water.
As a debut novel, the quality of the writing is phenomenal and much more reminiscent of a seasoned author. Spelling, grammar, punctuation and repetition are all things I look out for and I was hard pressed to find any instances in this book that bothered me! This is something I rarely ever say. The language used fit the characters and helped solidify what we knew of them and keeps you locked in their worlds.
The nods to the original fairytale throughout the book were well thought out and subtly placed so as not to feel forced. They really did bring you back to The Little Mermaid; the tentacled ‘baddie’, hiding treasures, royal pressures.
The story and character development were strong and keep you hooked from the first pages. There are some sneaky twists too to keep you on your toes.
Soren and Enna are also the cutest and so easy to get behind as a couple. It was a hard won battle but I’m so glad they made it.
If you’re a fan of fairytales, dark romance and an excellent read, this book will be for you. Superb writing, captivating story and loveable characters; you can’t ask for much more from a book. A sizzling summer read!