A Princess of Wind and Wave: A Retelling of The Little Mermaid by Melanie Cellier
Fairy Tale. 378 Pages. 5 Stars
Synopsis:
Isla may be a mermaid princess, but she’s never felt at home in her undersea kingdom. Instead she dreams of the day her people can return to the surface–and the boy whose life she once saved. But while Isla foresees danger for her people beneath the ocean, she has no concept of the dark forces working to keep her people submerged.
When an impetuous vow sets her on the course of the truth, Isla discovers that shadowy foes beset the kingdoms of both land and sea. And when she finally finds herself onshore, Isla realizes the fight will require not only her sword but her mind and heart as well–at least if she ever hopes to overcome her enemies and win the love of the prince of her dreams.
In this reimagining of the classic fairy tale, The Little Mermaid, the princess will have to grow beyond her dreams if she wants to save two kingdoms and her own heart.
My Review:
This. Was. Stunning. *jaw drop*
This is quite possibly my favorite Little Mermaid retelling, and I’ve read lots of them. And I am almost certain this is my favorite of all of Cellier’s books thus far, and I’ve loved many of her books!! It’s hard to beat A Dance of Silver and Shadow, but wow! Just wow! I loved everything about this book, from page one. I thoroughly, and I do mean thoroughly, enjoyed this. I think it’s her best work yet.
The plot was engaging from the first line and held me captive until the very end of the epilogue. The intrigue and action were seamlessly woven into the story. And the villain honestly took me slightly be surprise. I mean, for 70% I didn’t suspect the villain in the slightest, but when it came time to reveal the villain, it felt natural and right. I loved following the problems with each kingdom, on the surface and below it, and how they were strung together in the end. The story never failed to intrigue me.
And neither did the world itself. We’ve seen many kingdoms so far in Cellier’s world, but this time we saw the sea kingdom, and I’m a bit of a sucker for mermaids. The different kingdoms were fascinating. Oddly, however, instead of there being much of a contrast, there were more similarities between Merita and her sister kingdoms, which I loved. It was a neat new perspective. And the merfolk themselves were really cool, too! I’d never seen merfolk like these before and I reveled in their society. I enjoyed getting a little into the politics of their culture, and would have enjoyed more on it, honestly. But the culture and transition from merpeople to how they lived their everyday lives and the whole relationship with the surface was beautifully done. I could have spent all day and then some (hah, I did!) in their world. I definitely hope we see more of them!
The characters in this one were some of my favorites! I grew to love Teddy and Millie and Daisy almost instantly. And Isla was one of my favorites in the series so far!! I absolutely loved her! She had so many sides and skills and passions. I loved her! I enjoyed the complex relationships with her sisters, and could relate to many of them myself, but from the oldest’s end. And the relationship with her father was excellent fodder. It played right into the plot, but I never once rolled my eyes at him. I understood him and sympathised with him, and that made it all the better. And Ray! Guys, I hear there’s gonna be a short from Ray’s pov! I can’t wait! He was an unexpected pleasure in the story.
And the lessons they learned were so well done, seamlessly woven into the story. The book was well-written. And the light allegorical elements were woven in so incredibly well. I just…y’all, I loved this one from top to bottom. Thoroughly intriguing, engaging, and full of fantastic worldbuilding and excellent characters. Just well done. <3 I very highly recommend this one! (In the proper order, of course. :D)
Clean and sweet romance, no foul language, and non-graphic violence. (There was a bit of fighting and rebellion and such, but it was all very cleanly done.)
More:
Book 1 in the Beyond the Four Kingdoms series is A Dance of Silver and Shadow: A Retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses (5 Stars)
Book 2 is A Tale of Beauty and Beast: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast (5 Stars)
Book 3 is A Crown of Snow and Ice: A Retelling of The Snow Queen (5 Stars)
Book 4 is A Dream of Ebony and White: A Retelling of Snow White (4 Stars)
Book 5 is A Captive of Wing and Feather: A Retelling of Swan Lake (5 Stars)
I have rated and reviewed the above on Goodreads. Click the links above to find out more, scroll down, and you’ll see my reviews among the others.
This series doesn’t have to be read in order, necessarily, but I would anyway cause there might be minor spoilers between stories. They stand on their own, but the characters carry over from book to book.
On GraceBought:
If you missed it, check out my thoughts on the previous books here!
A Dance of Silver and Shadow, A Tale of Beauty and Beast, A Crown of Snow and Ice, A Dream of Ebony and White, and A Captive of Wing and Feather
Also, don’t forget to check out the original series, The Four Kingdoms! And I’m told there’s to be another spin-off series! So keep an eye out for The Return to the Four Kingdoms!