This is a fairytale retelling of “The Little Mermaid” that leans fully into its gruesome origins, with a feminist subversion that is reminiscent of Angela Carter’s collection “The Bloody Chamber.” There is no doubt that the protagonist and her companion (who is a nonbinary plague doctor using they/them pronouns) are monsters, each in their own right. The pages are filled with brutal gore, mostly enacted by our protagonists. 

This story resonated with me in part because of its atmosphere and central themes which I could relate to a video essay I had recently watched about the monstrous feminine in Bloodborne. It is a very dark novel, not just because of the violence depicted (explicitly or implicitly) but because it tackles issues of trauma, bodily autonomy and the patriarchy. It is a wonderfully queer monster love story for anyone who’s ever been made to feel like an outsider.

The language Khaw uses reminds me of an Old English epic (like Seamus Heaney’s translation of “Beowulf” or even “Sir Gawain the Green Knight”). That is to say, it’s not for everyone but for those seeking a story written with intensely verbose language and a particularly descriptive voice – here is a gothic fairytale for fans of vicious mermaids, cultic sacrifice and the cathartic release of vengeance. Great for lovers of epic female revenge stories like “Lady Snowblood.” Can you tell I loved it a lot? 

The only issue I had concerns my reading experience. Oftentimes I would come across words I was completely unfamiliar with where context wasn’t helpful for suggesting a meaning but rather implying that the word I didn’t understand was essential to the image that was being constructed. Therefore I would have to stop my reading and go look up words so that I could adequately visualise what was happening or being described before continuing. Either way it interrupted my flow and made it harder to understand at times. I had to start over about halfway through the text because I was having a hard time visualising what had happened so far. The second time through I had a much smoother experience, heavily utilising the “define” tool in my phone to quickly search up definitions. It didn’t impact my connection with the story but it was slightly frustrating. Still, I am excited to one day reread this on audio because I believe it will be a better experience for me.

Thank you to Tor Nightfire and Netgalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.