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huffleclawbookie's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you so much Julia Ember for sending me a review copy and thank you Jennifer (aka The YA Gal) for putting together the group and allowing me to join! I greatly appreciate it!
I did not want to finish this book, hence why it took a week to read it. I wanted Ersel's story to keep going because it was so incredible! It did start a little slow but after the first chapter or two it really speeds up.
This is a great book to read if you like fairy tale retellings, The Little Mermaid and villains. It is a very quick read, which is perfect for those nice beach days (or a relaxing day off if you're not near a beach!)
SPOILER ALERT. DO NOT READ ON UNLESS YOU HAVE READ THE BOOK.
I loved Ersel as the protagonist. She grew and developed a lot in such a short amount of time. Her relationship with Havamal was definitely complicated but I'm glad they worked out their differences for the greater good. They were best friends but then Havamal became a royal guard, which cause the two to grow apart.
Loki, the God of Lies, does not have a gender identity (the proper word escapes me right now), so they go by they/them. They are very mischievous and they cause Ersel a lot of frustration to say the least.
I couldn't stand King Calder because of all the things he's done to the glacier. I mean, what kind of King locks his sister up and tortures her because he didn't want to upset the god? I'm so glad Inkeri got rescued though! I hope she writes another book to see how the glacier is doing with its rightful queen.
This is definitely a great book to read because of the diversity it has.
I did not want to finish this book, hence why it took a week to read it. I wanted Ersel's story to keep going because it was so incredible! It did start a little slow but after the first chapter or two it really speeds up.
This is a great book to read if you like fairy tale retellings, The Little Mermaid and villains. It is a very quick read, which is perfect for those nice beach days (or a relaxing day off if you're not near a beach!)
SPOILER ALERT. DO NOT READ ON UNLESS YOU HAVE READ THE BOOK.
I loved Ersel as the protagonist. She grew and developed a lot in such a short amount of time. Her relationship with Havamal was definitely complicated but I'm glad they worked out their differences for the greater good. They were best friends but then Havamal became a royal guard, which cause the two to grow apart.
Loki, the God of Lies, does not have a gender identity (the proper word escapes me right now), so they go by they/them. They are very mischievous and they cause Ersel a lot of frustration to say the least.
I couldn't stand King Calder because of all the things he's done to the glacier. I mean, what kind of King locks his sister up and tortures her because he didn't want to upset the god? I'm so glad Inkeri got rescued though! I hope she writes another book to see how the glacier is doing with its rightful queen.
This is definitely a great book to read because of the diversity it has.
chelseas_reads's review against another edition
5.0
this book was so much fun to read. it wasn't particularly long either. the writing style is so easy to follow and fast paced. there were few moments when i was bored, but for the most part i couldn't put the book down!
i absolutely adored ragna. i found her so relatable (and cool?). ersel was (almost) as cool, even though she was the main character.
i found this a very interesting and unique take on the little mermaid. i love the incorporation of norse mythology and vikings. i've never thought of the little mermaid from ursula's pov (at least, i'm assuming it is). there was so many amazing parts to this book, from the lgbt+ rep to the under represented body type.
the seafarer's kiss hasn't been getting much hype and i wish it had! it's so well written and deserves it (unlike a certain other book that recently came out).
okay but seriously, if you haven't heard of or read the seafarer's kiss, go buy it now. you've got to. i promise you won't regret it.
i absolutely adored ragna. i found her so relatable (and cool?). ersel was (almost) as cool, even though she was the main character.
i found this a very interesting and unique take on the little mermaid. i love the incorporation of norse mythology and vikings. i've never thought of the little mermaid from ursula's pov (at least, i'm assuming it is). there was so many amazing parts to this book, from the lgbt+ rep to the under represented body type.
the seafarer's kiss hasn't been getting much hype and i wish it had! it's so well written and deserves it (unlike a certain other book that recently came out).
okay but seriously, if you haven't heard of or read the seafarer's kiss, go buy it now. you've got to. i promise you won't regret it.
kappareads's review against another edition
4.0
Updated: 1/4/18
New rating: 3.5/5 stars
I enjoyed it about the same. Started rough writing style wise, but I was enjoying it all the same by the end. Half a star dropped because I realized how annoyed I was by Loki.
Full in-depth review up on my blog: https://kappareadsbooks.home.blog/2019/01/04/the-seafarers-kiss-book-review/
Original: 10/27/18
Wasn't expecting to finish this in one day BUT holy shit
I have so many feelings about this book and most of them are good.
First of all, please listen to the TWs (taken from Julia Ember's website):
Misogyny in a dystopian society, discussions of infertility/worth (#ownvoices: the author has an hormonal condition/fertility disorder, but the discussion in the book may be heavy for some), non-binary character is a villain.
(The villain one fluctuated as Loki did cause Erie to suffer, but they do give her a gift later, so overall it's kind of an "in the moment" type of thing, but still, fairly villainous for the most part. That one is also totally my opinion)
The Seafarer's Kiss is a Norse retelling of The Little Mermaid that's a origin story of sorts for Ursula. And yes, it's basically as amazing as that set up makes it sound.
Overall, I loved the beginning and the set up, the middle was the weakest, but I didn't feel bored or like I wanted to power through it, then the ending was phenomenal and I almost cried in two places.
So, to start, I loved Ersel. She's bisexual (ownvoices) and fat (these mermaids have blubber because Arctic Ocean). I love her character arc of falling for Ragna, understanding Ragna's revenge plot, her balancing her thoughts on Havamal, acting out of her own self interest, then acting for the community. I just loved her.
Speaking of Havamal, he grew on me. I was unsure of him at first, then hated him, then grew to love him because he realized the consequences of his actions and words and who he hurt with them.
Ragna's arc surprised me, but I enjoyed it none the less. I was scared with how Ersel was thinking by the end that
From what I had heard from this book previously, I was expecting to feel meh about this book, but I honestly had no problems giving this 4 stars. I loved it a lot and will be reading more from Julia Ember now. I do recommend, if you think the TW would affect you, to read own voices reviews regarding them, but I do recommend the book.
New rating: 3.5/5 stars
I enjoyed it about the same. Started rough writing style wise, but I was enjoying it all the same by the end. Half a star dropped because I realized how annoyed I was by Loki.
Full in-depth review up on my blog: https://kappareadsbooks.home.blog/2019/01/04/the-seafarers-kiss-book-review/
Original: 10/27/18
Wasn't expecting to finish this in one day BUT holy shit
I have so many feelings about this book and most of them are good.
First of all, please listen to the TWs (taken from Julia Ember's website):
Misogyny in a dystopian society, discussions of infertility/worth (#ownvoices: the author has an hormonal condition/fertility disorder, but the discussion in the book may be heavy for some), non-binary character is a villain.
(The villain one fluctuated as Loki did cause Erie to suffer, but they do give her a gift later, so overall it's kind of an "in the moment" type of thing, but still, fairly villainous for the most part. That one is also totally my opinion)
The Seafarer's Kiss is a Norse retelling of The Little Mermaid that's a origin story of sorts for Ursula. And yes, it's basically as amazing as that set up makes it sound.
Overall, I loved the beginning and the set up, the middle was the weakest, but I didn't feel bored or like I wanted to power through it, then the ending was phenomenal and I almost cried in two places.
So, to start, I loved Ersel. She's bisexual (ownvoices) and fat (these mermaids have blubber because Arctic Ocean). I love her character arc of falling for Ragna, understanding Ragna's revenge plot, her balancing her thoughts on Havamal, acting out of her own self interest, then acting for the community. I just loved her.
Speaking of Havamal, he grew on me. I was unsure of him at first, then hated him, then grew to love him because he realized the consequences of his actions and words and who he hurt with them.
Ragna's arc surprised me, but I enjoyed it none the less. I was scared with how Ersel was thinking by the end that
Spoiler
Ragna wouldn't return and the romance would just be in the first part, but then Ragna appeared! and was hella badass and dealing with how she murdered a bunch of people for revenge. Maybe would've liked a bit more, but I loved it. (Also holy shit she has a tentacle kink i fucking dIED)From what I had heard from this book previously, I was expecting to feel meh about this book, but I honestly had no problems giving this 4 stars. I loved it a lot and will be reading more from Julia Ember now. I do recommend, if you think the TW would affect you, to read own voices reviews regarding them, but I do recommend the book.
jenndmitis's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
3.25
A great retelling of the Little Mermaid
godlizza's review against another edition
3.0
This is an interesting take on the little mermaid story, but for those going into it thinking it's going to be a romance you may be sorely disappointed. While the bond between the mermaid protagonist, Ersel, and the human girl, Ragna, is the driving force of everything that happens, this book is more focused on Ersel as a character and her journey.
I've seen a lot of reviews saying they thought there wasn't enough development in Ersel and Ragna's relationship, and I'd agree if this was an epic love story (like the blurb seems to think it is), but that's not the case. Ersel states multiple times throughout the book that while she's attracted to Ragna and is inspired by her, she's not in love with her, at least not yet. After her trials with Loki she even says that she didn't do all the things she did for Ragna, she did them for herself. So yeah, it's more of a 'this is what I need right now' kind of relationship than a grand, epic romance. Never the less, I did like the scenes we got between them.
One of my major problems throughout the book was the way that Ersel viewed/talked about fertility and other women. Ersel definitely suffers from 'not like other girls' syndrome. She is resentful of the patriarchal rule of her community and the role expected of women to pump out babies. Instead she wants adventure in the great, wide somewhere, and we love that for her. However, we don't love her looking down on the other women in her community for taking the hand they've been dealt and putting worth on their fertility and ability to find a mate. The girl hate going on here was just weird, considering how the author seemed to want to write some kind of feminist manifesto. I was glad that Ersel came around by the end and saw how she'd misjudged others. Like, maybe if she actually had any women in her life other than her mum she'd realise that she's not the only girl unsatisfied with the status quo.
Otherwise this was an interesting take on the little mermaid, mixed in with some norse mythology, and ladies loving ladies. I liked the twists the plot took, however the story and the world felt under-baked to me and that kept me from enjoying it further.
I've seen a lot of reviews saying they thought there wasn't enough development in Ersel and Ragna's relationship, and I'd agree if this was an epic love story (like the blurb seems to think it is), but that's not the case. Ersel states multiple times throughout the book that while she's attracted to Ragna and is inspired by her, she's not in love with her, at least not yet. After her trials with Loki she even says that she didn't do all the things she did for Ragna, she did them for herself. So yeah, it's more of a 'this is what I need right now' kind of relationship than a grand, epic romance. Never the less, I did like the scenes we got between them.
One of my major problems throughout the book was the way that Ersel viewed/talked about fertility and other women. Ersel definitely suffers from 'not like other girls' syndrome. She is resentful of the patriarchal rule of her community and the role expected of women to pump out babies. Instead she wants adventure in the great, wide somewhere, and we love that for her. However, we don't love her looking down on the other women in her community for taking the hand they've been dealt and putting worth on their fertility and ability to find a mate. The girl hate going on here was just weird, considering how the author seemed to want to write some kind of feminist manifesto. I was glad that Ersel came around by the end and saw how she'd misjudged others. Like, maybe if she actually had any women in her life other than her mum she'd realise that she's not the only girl unsatisfied with the status quo.
Otherwise this was an interesting take on the little mermaid, mixed in with some norse mythology, and ladies loving ladies. I liked the twists the plot took, however the story and the world felt under-baked to me and that kept me from enjoying it further.
jamiezaccaria's review against another edition
3.0
The concept was cool and I loved the juxtaposition of Norse mythology with mermaid folklore but it was a bit too Young Adult for my personal taste.
gkepps's review against another edition
adventurous
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
3.0
annereads2000's review against another edition
3.0
'I'll see you rot here. Wouldn't that be something? A monster's corpse, buried here amongst the bones of the humans she loved so much?'
The Little Mermaid retelling we've all been waiting for. Ersel makes a deal with the trickster god Loki to avoid the expectations of her world, and to go live with the shield maiden Ragna instead.
This was a very short but enjoyable read. The atmosphere was absolutely amazing, based on Norse mythology and featuring a sapphic romance that was enjoyable for the most part. Ersel stole my heart, as did Havamal, the male childhood friend of Ersel. I wish it had been longer - and I feel like it easily could've been. The narration and pace of the book is very fast, and I was surprised to see how much could actually fit in 212 pages. This is part of why I wish it had been longer. The world was so interesting and wonderful, with the politics of the merworld and the mystery of Ragna's tattoos. But perhaps some of the book's charms come from the fact that it was short and without too much detail and too many side plots?
There are some instances where Ember loses me - I'm confused as to how the mermaids have air in their lungs when they breathe. It feels like it was a bit sloppy, when the rest of the story follows the idea of being underwater quite well.
With that being said, read this short and intriguing story if you want a fantasy retelling with mermaids, Norse mythology and sapphic romance - okay who doesn't want that?
TW: domestic violence that goes unchallenged + fertile mermaids are prized, while infertility is seen as being 'broken'
The Little Mermaid retelling we've all been waiting for. Ersel makes a deal with the trickster god Loki to avoid the expectations of her world, and to go live with the shield maiden Ragna instead.
This was a very short but enjoyable read. The atmosphere was absolutely amazing, based on Norse mythology and featuring a sapphic romance that was enjoyable for the most part. Ersel stole my heart, as did Havamal, the male childhood friend of Ersel. I wish it had been longer - and I feel like it easily could've been. The narration and pace of the book is very fast, and I was surprised to see how much could actually fit in 212 pages. This is part of why I wish it had been longer. The world was so interesting and wonderful, with the politics of the merworld and the mystery of Ragna's tattoos. But perhaps some of the book's charms come from the fact that it was short and without too much detail and too many side plots?
There are some instances where Ember loses me - I'm confused as to how the mermaids have air in their lungs when they breathe. It feels like it was a bit sloppy, when the rest of the story follows the idea of being underwater quite well.
With that being said, read this short and intriguing story if you want a fantasy retelling with mermaids, Norse mythology and sapphic romance - okay who doesn't want that?
TW: domestic violence that goes unchallenged + fertile mermaids are prized, while infertility is seen as being 'broken'
foggy_rosamund's review against another edition
3.0
The mermaid Erie is deeply unhappy in her home under a glacier. Then she meets Ragna, a human survivor of a shipwreck, and the two are instantly attracted to one another. This action packed story is the lesbian mermaid romance you never knew you wanted! Both the mermaid and Ragna are strongly, if briefly, drawn, and both of them appealed to me very much -- although the story is from Erie's point of view, Ragna came across very strongly and I really wanted more of her -- I need more disabled female warriors with magical tattoos! My main criticism of this story is that it is so brief -- so much happens in such a short period of time, but that's what makes it so pacy and so fun to read. Ember does a good job of creating the mermaid's under-sea world and the touches of Norse mythology are nice. I loved Ember's previous book, Unicorn Tracks, and while this didn't appeal to me quite as much, it's still very enjoyable.
wonderlandmind's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0