I was initially drawn to this story by its affectionate tagline, “Stabby mermaids”. I was easily drawn into the world building and the predicament of the main characters. Normally I don’t like love triangles but in this case one of the parties was an imposter and a villain so I didn’t feel bad of her and was able to enjoy the machinations of how the relationships were resolved. I did feel the relationship building was a bit one sided/slightly rushed, but overall I quite enjoyed the book and would recommend to romantasy readers 

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.