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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ariel - Karen. Eric - Aerik. Also, it's ten years after their fairytale ending and Aerik is a horrible person. When they both get taken by pirates (with a moral code!), can Maren escape both of them? Before the pirates discover she's a Syren whose blood fuels them? Oh and, of course, he's hot and sexy and maybe she's not in too much of a hurry to get back to the sea. Spicy, great story, and full of vengeance.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
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
adventurous
dark
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:
Complicated
Pirates, sirens, revenge, and a romance that will pull you under—this book is pure romantasy gold.
Maren, a Syren princess, struck a deal with a sea witch at sixteen: trade her fins for legs and earn the love of human Prince Aerik. But that love never came—instead, she endured ten years in an abusive marriage to the prince. Everything changes when their ship is attacked by the Nightwind, the infamous vessel of bloodthirsty pirates led by Captain Ramsay.
Seeing a chance to reclaim her fins, Maren decides to use Ramsay’s quest for revenge to her advantage. But as they sail together, something unexpected happens—love begins to bloom between the vengeful captain and the Syren princess.
This story is the perfect blend of pirate high-seas adventure and underwater Syren magic. The pacing is spot-on, propelling Maren and Ramsay through thrilling escapades, shifting alliances, and dangerous battles—both on deck and deep beneath the waves. I felt like I was right there with the crew of the Nightwind, swept along for the ride.
The romance? Absolutely scorching. Ramsay and Maren’s connection is raw, magnetic, and all-consuming—you feel it in your bones. It’s rare to find a pirate-meets-siren story that gives you such a vivid look at both worlds, but this book nails it. From ship raids to undersea fights (and make-up scenes), it’s an exhilarating, immersive journey.
Thank you to NetGalley, Karina Halle, and Metal Blonde Books for the ARC!
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶.5
Tropes:
- Syren/Mermaid × Pirate
-“Touch her and 💀”
- Feisty FMC
-Feminine rage
- Vampire pirates
- Hidden identity
- Revenge plot
- Enemies to lovers
- Morally grey MMC
- Forced proximity
- Captor × captive
- Villain gets the girl
Maren, a Syren princess, struck a deal with a sea witch at sixteen: trade her fins for legs and earn the love of human Prince Aerik. But that love never came—instead, she endured ten years in an abusive marriage to the prince. Everything changes when their ship is attacked by the Nightwind, the infamous vessel of bloodthirsty pirates led by Captain Ramsay.
Seeing a chance to reclaim her fins, Maren decides to use Ramsay’s quest for revenge to her advantage. But as they sail together, something unexpected happens—love begins to bloom between the vengeful captain and the Syren princess.
This story is the perfect blend of pirate high-seas adventure and underwater Syren magic. The pacing is spot-on, propelling Maren and Ramsay through thrilling escapades, shifting alliances, and dangerous battles—both on deck and deep beneath the waves. I felt like I was right there with the crew of the Nightwind, swept along for the ride.
The romance? Absolutely scorching. Ramsay and Maren’s connection is raw, magnetic, and all-consuming—you feel it in your bones. It’s rare to find a pirate-meets-siren story that gives you such a vivid look at both worlds, but this book nails it. From ship raids to undersea fights (and make-up scenes), it’s an exhilarating, immersive journey.
Thank you to NetGalley, Karina Halle, and Metal Blonde Books for the ARC!
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶.5
Tropes:
- Syren/Mermaid × Pirate
-“Touch her and 💀”
- Feisty FMC
-Feminine rage
- Vampire pirates
- Hidden identity
- Revenge plot
- Enemies to lovers
- Morally grey MMC
- Forced proximity
- Captor × captive
- Villain gets the girl
I know I repeat myself, but I really have to stop picking up books by Karina Halle. I can't finish a book of hers anymore. Just not my style.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
the content warning put me off it immediately. i also spotted quite a few errors, and i want to enjoy a book, not review it.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
Good combination of darkness and plot in this The Little Mermaid re-telling, perfect for fans of The Little Mermaid that perhaps didn't love Prince Eric or the fact that Ariel left the ocean for a meager man.
It was action packed with a fast moving plot, but also had tons of spice. I'm a sucker for all things pirates and these ones didn't disappoint! The characters were well-rounded and had alllllll the unhinged darkness. The ending was exactly what you'd want it to be and I loved the fact that this was a standalone.
The only reason it's not 5 stars is because I tend to only give 5 stars for absolute love-of-my-life books. This was an all around entertaining read and I definitely recommend it, it's just not a literary masterpiece.
***Thank you Karina Halle for this ARC in exchange for my honest review***
It was action packed with a fast moving plot, but also had tons of spice. I'm a sucker for all things pirates and these ones didn't disappoint! The characters were well-rounded and had alllllll the unhinged darkness. The ending was exactly what you'd want it to be and I loved the fact that this was a standalone.
The only reason it's not 5 stars is because I tend to only give 5 stars for absolute love-of-my-life books. This was an all around entertaining read and I definitely recommend it, it's just not a literary masterpiece.
***Thank you Karina Halle for this ARC in exchange for my honest review***
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
A Ship of Bones and Teeth by Karina Halle is a dark romantasy retelling of The Little Mermaid. This story follows Maren who makes a deal with a sea witch to give up her life under the sea so she can be with Princee Aerik. Little did she know Prince Aerik was not the man of her dreams. After suffering abuse at the hands of her husband over the past decade, she is desperate to reclaim her old life. While traveling across the sea, their ship is invaded by Pirates.
I really enjoyed this book! From the very first page, I was hooked. The characters are so well written, the descriptions are vibrant, the dialogue is perfect. This book was entertaining from start to finish and had a good balance of banter, pirate action, spice, and excitement. I really enjoyed that this story wasn't an exact retelling of The Little Mermaid, yes it had many similar elements but it really made the story its own. While this is a dark romance, I would say it's on the lighter side of dark which is great for me because I was a little worried at the start of the story but it was not nearly as dark as I expected. I highly recommend this book and I do plan to read the second book in the series. Karina Halle is cementing herself as one of my favorite romantasy authors! This is not my first book written by her and certainly will not be my last!
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book! From the very first page, I was hooked. The characters are so well written, the descriptions are vibrant, the dialogue is perfect. This book was entertaining from start to finish and had a good balance of banter, pirate action, spice, and excitement. I really enjoyed that this story wasn't an exact retelling of The Little Mermaid, yes it had many similar elements but it really made the story its own. While this is a dark romance, I would say it's on the lighter side of dark which is great for me because I was a little worried at the start of the story but it was not nearly as dark as I expected. I highly recommend this book and I do plan to read the second book in the series. Karina Halle is cementing herself as one of my favorite romantasy authors! This is not my first book written by her and certainly will not be my last!
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was 100% just fun vibes and I loved every single page. Almost didn’t want it to end.
A literary masterpiece? No. But a fun, steamy and adventure filled sirens + vampire pirates read. Lots of banter and funny lines as well, I was entertained from start to finish.
A literary masterpiece? No. But a fun, steamy and adventure filled sirens + vampire pirates read. Lots of banter and funny lines as well, I was entertained from start to finish.