I really enjoyed this. The graphics were fantastic and the story was cute and intriguing. I got to the end of this volume and immediately wanted more. I'm excited to see how the relationship between the heroes grows. I highly recommend this if you're looking for a light graphic novel with good illustrations.

✰5 stars✰

I was beyond excited when I saw that this was being released as a paperback later this year, and I knew I immediately had to request it on NetGalley.

I started reading this comic when it first started being released years ago on WEBTOON, and I've followed it ever since.

This release was the perfect opportunity to go back to the beginning and read Volume 1. Having read this in the WEBTOON format originally, getting to see the transition to a book comic format was super cool. I think that it was done beautifully and nothing was disrupted from the initial reading medium.

This comic holds a special place in my heart because it was probably one of the first queer pieces of fiction that I consumed when it was first being drawn.

Kappa and Siren hold my heart and I can honestly say that are probably my Roman Empire because I think about them easily several times a week.

I will recommend this comic until the day I die. Wendy Martin you can have all of my money because I will be buying this physical copy for myself and several of my closest friends.

I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Castle Swimmer was so stinking cute y'all. It was my first time seeing these episodes and I definitely want to hop into the Webtoon soon to read some more while I wait on Volume 2!

I love the variety of Merfolk that is seen throughout this book. It's so diverse and not just your typical mermaid and merman. This book explores our purpose at birth versus the choices we decide to make for ourselves and its absolutely heartbreaking seeing Kappa and Siren struggle the way they do with their so-called destinies.

I don't want to be a beacon that shines for others. I just want to shine for myself.

That quote hit me in the massive feels, ngl.

I will say the description is a little misleading for this first volume: "In the gorgeous first installment of the hit Webtoon series Castle Swimmer, two young mermen reject their destinies and embark on an epic adventure full of romance and danger, featuring exclusive bonus material." however we don't actually see any of their adventure together and the romance is just some minor flirting. Really this installment is backstory and the two getting to know each other which was wonderful, but they haven't actually started adventuring yet.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC read. <3

I did enjoy this webcomic and am looking forward to the next volume in the series! I felt the pacing was rushed though at first and then stagnated in terms of plot for this volume. The world building specifically included a lot of tell and not show which also made the dialogue from the characters feel jarring at points rather than natural. It seems to be focusing now on building up the characterizations of our protagonists and I am honestly enjoying that and watching their relationship build. The art was fine and I really enjoyed Kappa’s design, but I saw at the back the artist did a side by side of this volumes character design for Siren and later ones and I’m looking forward to seeing the growth in the artwork to come. It was definitely a quick read, and I had fun with it overall.

3.5, but I round up!

I will definitely continue reading the Castle Swimmer series, both in book form and on Webtoons. This first installment was exceptionally sweet. The characters of Kappa and Siren are very cute and the world building is well done for a short graphic novel.

This is a webtoo featuring two young mermen who reject their destinies and embark on an epic adventure full of romance and danger together.

The art style was gorgeous and the plot was interesting.

Looking forward to the second installment

Only Volume 1 is not enough. This is the cutest thing that I've ever seen.
The story between the main characters is complicated because of who Kappa is and what he represents and what Siren should do. Siren just wants to be free, without having to do what he’s been prepared for his whole life. And Kappa, oh. I fell in love with Kappa from the first moment, his sweetness, I just want to hold him tight and protect him.

I am enchanted by all the details, illustrations, and all their emotions that are represented in this first volume. I need more.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy.

In an underwater fantasy world there live merpeople of different species. We are closely following a shark colony of merpeople who have a young prince who is supposed to break a longstanding curse killing their people. To break this curse he must kill the beacon, a young merman who finds his way to their cave and gets captured by them. He is very uncomfortable with the idea of killing anyone and the more he talks to this beacon, the more he finds in common with him and starts enjoying his company. I really had a blast with this story and am looking forward to all future volumes! With that cliffhanger ending I must know what happens next!

Cute, surprising, delightful, curious, nostalgic, and promising. Castle Swimmer is a love story between two twink mermen who are both caught up in a prophecy they resent. Destiny makes them starcrossed, but their affection and optimism draw them together anyway.

The art style and narrative decisions remind me of the show She-Ra and The Princesses of Power, in a good way. The genuine problem of how to get out of the prophecy was weighing on my mind the entire time I was reading, keeping me looking for clues and hints about how Siren and Kappa could break the curse without taking the worst option possible. The high stakes added real tension and danger while at the same time the cute art and soft flirtatious moments between the two leads kept things relatively light and playful.

The side characters all felt charming and interesting in their own ways, making me look forward to what roles they might take in future issues. The world and setting are beautiful and mysterious, the underwater castles and their unique merfolk inhabitants and variants are stunning and fascinating, and I'm anticipating learning more about this universe and its history and lore.

The only drawback to this story in my own mind is the pacing/plot development. It's fine, but it could have been better. Everything else is so strong and it's a first issue/volume, so I'm more than okay with there being a little room for improvement. I think the story will get better once Kappa is out of his cage and is more of a player in the main plot.

I was surprised I hadn't heard about this already, considering it combines my love of mermaids, gay romance, and high fantasy into one big awesome quilt, but I'm invested and highly recommend this for anybody who is even slightly curious about it.

Castle Swimmer is going to be the perfect hot girl summer beach read, for sure.

I'm obsessed. This was so cute and funny. It definitely gave me some major Heartstopper vibes, but with a more fantasy twist because of the mer-people aspect. I think this is perfect for all sorts of ages and can be enjoyed by a lot of different age groups.

I loved that this story covered some serious topics about not feeling good enough, but also had me laughing at some of the hilarious things that were going on. I was so nervous this was only going to be one volume and I'm escatic to see that there will be more! This was phenomenal and I cannot recommend it enough.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I never read this on Webtoon so I went into it pretty blind. It's a cute if rather simple story about a merman who is born to fulfill prophesies, until he comes to a shark castle where the prophesy dictates that the shark prince must kill the merman in order to break the curse on his people. The story and the concept is cute and I did find myself rooting for the characters but the comic is missing a certain amount of polish and editing. Despite the dark themes, the comic missed the mark for me on emotional moments and I found the pacing and timing to be rather awkward. I know webcomics take a while to find their stride when they're first published, but it seems this one didn't go through much refinement when being adapted for printing. Volume 1 is quite short and ends rather abruptly.

This was a super cute story with a lot of heart. I liked the messages within and feel bad for the characters. I want to see more and hope a true romance forms between the two.

Original setting (love that it is not just basic mermaids, but many types of human-fish hybrid), charming main characters and cute artwork that pops on the page. This 1st volume is more of a setup for the main story that seems to be coming and I already can’t wait for the next one to release.

This little story is original, interesting, and sweet. I enjoyed the art, and I'm definitely looking forward to continuing with the story! 4.5 Stars. Who doesn't love gay mermaids?

I will scream from the tallest mountain about my love for Castle Swimmer and no one can stop me!

I have followed this webtoon since its original start and when I say this story is SO good in every way. The art style is fun and playful and I can only imagine how hard it must be to constantly be thinking about how hair and things would move and react in water with every new update. Additionally the CHARACTERS!!!! Siren and Kappa have my entire heart but they are not the only ones. Wendy has woven a one of a kind world that is wonderful in plot and heart and everyone needs to buy this and join me in my love of these merfolk.

I love the art and detail of the series, especially the many species of aquatic animals as mer-folk instead of it all just being the basic half-fish half-human. One thing I do wish was that it was longer. I read this originally on Webtoon, and the part of the comic in this book is basically just the exposition, a setup for the rest of the series and even for the first plotline (we don't get it resolved by the end), so I wish that we got to see a bit more of the book. Other than that I loved it, and so did my little cousin, who's been begging to read more.

I remember reading Castle Swimmer on WebToon when it originally released and I was MUCH younger. I don't remember much of it, so I'm so glad I was able to get the e-ARC! Reading it now as an adult made me super nostalgic. I love this story, the plot is so creative and the artwork made me giggle HAHA. The author/artist is so talented and I'm excited to see more of their work.

Overall, Castle Swimmer is so cute and I can't wait for volume 2 to see what happens!! 4/5 stars!

This was a cute story and a bit sad. The artwork was nicely done. I liked the idea of one creature supposedly being the crux of fulfilling all these differing prophecies and different factions fighting over them. It was different. I look forward to reading more.

**Thank you Netgalley / Ten Speed Press for providing me with this e-arc**


My love for graphic novels will never cease to exist, but castle swimmer surely exceeded my expectations.

It’s a queer graphic novel about merpeople, but what makes the designs and characters extra special to me is that they are based of all kinds of different fish species, makes each one of them unique.

I won’t spoil too much, but our two main characters siren (the prince of the shark kingdom) and kappa (the beacon, a creature that is destined to fulfill everyone’s prophecies) as they navigate through a heartbreaking fate in this first volume of castle swimmer.

This graphic novel truly managed to reach my heart, and i can’t wait to read the other volumes (though, i can’t lie, im very tempted to read it on webtoon.)

5/5 stars for this masterpiece from me!

As someone who has been reading Castle Swimmer on Webtoon for several years, I am do excited to see it getting published.

The art is crisp and the character designs are creative and fun. The story has lots of layers and as time goes on you can start to see how things begin to intersect. Siren and Kappa make for a super cute duo and they grow so much throughout the series.

Congrats Wendy!