4.5 ⭐️

One of the better Ursula origin stories I’ve read - I’ve read 4 in the last 2 months for reference. This book comes in 2 versions: open and closed door. I read the open door version. For picking which to read, I think it’s less about spice (it does have some but it isn’t a lot imo) and more about dark themes (🍇 especially) being very prominent in the open door version - be sure to check triggers to make the best choice for you. I do think the second half of the book out shines if the first half, and I think this is by design. Like Anela warming up to Triton, it took me a while to really rally behind the main characters. The second half is intense: romance, territory issues, the true evil villain is solidified, a lot of trauma, family bonds are strengthened, heartbreak, the list goes on.

I don’t think I can watch The Little Mermaid again and not be on Ursula’s side in some way. It’s a really good read.

Thank you NetGalley, Ralynn Kimie, and Steely Co. Publishing for this eARC.

🐚 CURSE OF THE NAUTILUS 🐚
✨ARC REVIEW✨
“ Villains are not born. They're made. “
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ouufff I’ve been dying to share with yall how much I loved this book! I love a villains origin story. a Little Mermaid retailing with a Hawaiian, Greek mythology twist. * CHEFS KISS 💋 * RALYNN KIMIE!!! You really showed off your skills with this one love. Absolutely amazing!! 🤩

The world building , the characters - it was an absolute Hawaiian roller coaster ride! Such a fun thrilling read. I am hopeful there will be a part 2 of this story real soon!

⚠️ check trigger warnings ⚠️

Thank you NetGalley and Ralynn Kimie for this amazing opportunity

"Curse of the Nautilus" offers a unique twist on the origins of Ursula the sea witch, merging Hawaiian and Greek myths into a captivating narrative. Ralynn Kimie's masterful world-building and character development draw you in, portraying a complex and nuanced villain. Anela’s journey from a sea nymph to a feared witch is both heart-wrenching and compelling, highlighting how repeated betrayals and hardships can lead to darkness.

The relationship between Anela and Triton is intricate, marked by misunderstandings and deep emotional struggles. The book's exploration of Hawaiian mythology is refreshing, though it leaves you yearning for more details about Hi’iaka and Pele. Be aware of sensitive content, as the story includes themes of sexual assault. Despite this, Curse of the Nautilus remains a powerful read for fans of mythological retellings.

Thank you, NetGalley, Steely Co. Publishing, and Ralynn Kimie, for the ARC. All opinions are my own. 🖤

DNF at 28%

I struggled most with the dual POV. Not cause it's dual POV but cause Triton, the MMC is of a people that think rape is a normal and inherent part of who they are. There's frequent justification of inter-species rape and frequent thoughts about sexual assault from an arrogant and very entitled male character. Just the amount of SA and rape was far too much and far too justified for my tastes, especially the way it seems to be used as the basis for the potential of character building and as central plot points.

Overall, the rest of the characters presented were highly unlikeable to me. Anela read as a foot-stomping teenager and the younger sister was one dimensionally a boy obsessed ditz. Perhaps later on in the novel these characters grow? I kept hoping for as I was reading more but ultimately decided that this wasn't for me.

This was an amazing villain origin story!

I was lucky enough to receive this as an ARC!

This story takes place before the events of the little mermaid and explains what really went down between Triton and Ursula long before he was king! I just love fairytale retellings especially ones based off the little mermaid. Y’all are gonna love this one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶🌶

I am obsessed with Pirate Romantasy at the moment so thos book came in at the perfect time.

🧜‍♀️ Tension & Angst
🧜‍♀️ Slow Burn
🧜‍♀️ Mermaid Sirens and Humans
🧜‍♀️ Magic
🧜‍♀️ Spice
🧜‍♀️ Secrets and Lies
🧜‍♀️ Found Family
🧜‍♀️ Politics
🧜‍♀️ Forbidden Romance
🧜‍♀️ Enemies to Lovers

Anela and Triton, ooof that tension!
Worth the read for anyone who enjoys romantasy, sirens, magic, spice and a romance to fight for.

I got this copy from netgally and was intrigued by the blurb and the beautiful cover so I thought this seems like something I'd like, I however did not love it..


I will start with things I did like about this book

-the mythology/gods, Im a huge lover of Greek and thought I'd love to read about the mix

- the variety of species (shark shifters, sirens, cecaelian)

- the plot idea

- the world


There really was a lot of neat things, this book just couldn't keep my attention, I couldn't stand the characters Anela was the one I liked the most I think and even she was nothing I'll remember, the 'relationship' between her and Triton irked me. I love Greek mythology and found Poseidon to be kinda week and ick, I know his stories relates to what he did in the book however for being a god I kinda expected more..


I just found a lot of the book was slow but it had promise.


I did however enjoy the ending of the book.

This was an interesting modern spin on the origin story of the sea witch from The Little Mermaid tale with wonderful inclusions of Hawaiian mythology. 🌺

The story follows Anela who is the daughter of the goddess of hula, Hi’iaka. She’s a sea nymph with the ability to transform into an octopus from the chest down. Her gradual transformation into the notorious sea witch was an interesting take on the character, but I wasn’t the biggest fan of the use of r@p€ to show for her gradual descent into villainy. 😣

Her and Triton’s relationship was an interesting plot that I quite enjoyed, their continued decision to not talk about things not only led to a weird miscommunication that somehow got the message across to each other, but I found myself rather annoyed with it. 😐

I loved the use of Hawaiian mythology in this book. The only thing I do find myself wishing is for more of a focus on it for the book. Hi’iaka has a wonderful reveal that’s not really fully explored, and her curse is also left unexplained. I also just wanted to see more of Pele as a literal fiery protective older sister. 🔥

In general, I felt like I was left with more questions than answers, and I would really suggest readers who might be sensitive to sexual assault (and rather descriptive descriptions of it) to decide whether or not to pick it up. Big thank you goes to NetGalley and Steely Hearts Press for accepting my request to read in exchange for an honest review and to the author for crafting a modern Hawaiian twist to this villainous character. 🐙

Publication date: May 22!

Overall 3.5/5 ⭐️

I'm feeling quite conflicted about this book. It took me a while, nearly half its length (and the eARC only spans 180 pages), to really get hooked. And once I did, everything seemed to speed up quite rapidly, almost feeling rushed to me. I did managed to enjoy the story depicted by the author and her take on Greek and Hawaiian mythology. But several details bothered me.

For instance, some descriptions could benefit from more "show, don't tell" to avoid feeling overly mechanical and technical. The same remark applies to some of the dialogue as well. And if Triton's purpose is evident from the beginning, Anela's purpose is quite non-existent, at least to me. Despite everything, the story is gripping and fascinating. If that was all the extent of it, I could have dealed with this book without a fuss.

Unfortunately, it was not.

While the trigger warning did alert to the presence of SAs, the actual portrayal went beyond mere mention; it delved into explicit and discomforting details... and more than just once. There's a delicate approach to take for discussing such sensitive topics, and unfortunately, it wasn't utilized here. As another reader noted, it felt like these scenes were included solely for shock value rather than genuine narrative depth, and it left me feeling quite uneasy.

Please, be sure to review the trigger warnings before reading, as it may contain more graphic content than initially anticipated.

Thank you to Steely Co. Publishing, Ralynn Kimie and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange of my honest review.

"Villains are not born, they're made."

This is the most fantastic retelling I have ever read. It's a story of what could have been and the prices we pay as a result of our own actions and sometimes those of another. Power, whether given or gained can lead one down a path not of their own choosing.

We find Anela, daughter of a goddess, just trying to live her life in Hawaii. Triton, son of Poseidon, is exiled and her mother decides to save him. She and her sister decide to help Triton get back to his own ocean and that decision leads to a chain of events that no one ever saw coming!

The author's creativity and talent shine in this blend of Hawaiian and Greek mythology. The character development is top notch and the emotions are so real. I felt for these characters and even cried for them. This amazing story got me in so many ways. It truly is unlike anything I have ever reads. It so unique and is now an all-time favorite!

The Curse of the Nautilus is a romantic mash-up of Greek and Hawaiian mythology with a twist. A true villain origin story that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

Anela is the mortal daughter of a Hawaiian goddess. A sea nymph who can perform magic and transform into a cecalia, she lives with her mother and sister. One day she sees her mother tending to a young human male, who turns out to be Triton, a siren and Prince of the Atlantic. Why he is in Hawaii is a mystery, but he's being punished by his father, Poseidon, and forced to remain in his mortal form. Triton is regretting his split second decision to kill a son of Ceto in his sister's defense, and sparking a war between the Atlantic and Mediterranean. But when he finds out that he's being banished to the Pacific, when his sister is hunting the cursed nautilus shell, his world is turned upside down. But after being taken in by Hi'iaka and her two daughters, he begins to learn more about humans, yest still wishes to find his trident and return to the Atlantic. When a series of murders make the news, Triton and Anela must pick sides, and what divides them is deeper than the oceans.

I loved this retelling! The mix of Greek and Hawaiian mythologies was amazing, and worked so well. The writing was easy to get into, and the story flowed easily, It was really well done - I loved and hated Triton, waffling between wanting to see him and Anela together, and also seeing how they could never be. The backstory of Hi'iaka and Poseidon was really tragic, and the story behind the cursed nautilus shell was heartbreaking. This story was full of feminine rage and I loved it. If you grew up loving The Little Mermaid but started to empathize with Ursela, you need to read this book.

Please check the trigger warnings for this book. There are some sensitive, on page, and graphic descriptions of SA that can be difficult for some readers.

I really loved this unique retelling. Thank you so much to the author, NetGalley, and Steely Co. Publishing for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

to be honest, i was most interested in the hawaiin vibe and setting when i started reading this book.
i was a little disappointed because it really lacked the hawaiian atmosphere, but offered a lot more greek mythology.

over all i enjoyed this book.

⭐️⭐️

Thank you netgalley and steely co. Publishing for the gifted arc in exchange for an honest review.

The curse of the nautilus is a villain origin story that ties Hawaiian and Greek mythology together. I was really drawn to the idea of this book and find it very unique! Kimie did a wonderful job of combining gods across Hawaiian and Greek mythology to create a unique world.

Unfortunately, the execution didn’t do it for me. I found the pacing to be off and the world building wasn’t quite there for me. I would’ve loved to see more explanations for certain things (ex. Hi’iaka and pele’s conversation about anela). The plot didn’t really develop until the last quarter of the book and there wasn’t a ton of build up to it. I also thought the amount of SA/r*pe was too much. It was constantly being mentioned and justified by certain characters. It’s important to bring light to these topics, but equally important to be sensitive of these topics and not use it as a main plot point.

I really disliked all of the characters. Hi’iaka was a TERRIBLE mother and I still don’t understand why she encouraged what happened to anela (this should’ve been explained). Anela didn’t have much depth and I was very confused about her falling for triton, despite his actions. Triton was just awful all around.

The romance was also very sudden. They hated each other and then all of a sudden decided to bang and became super attached. They truly didn’t know each other at all. Normally I loveeee a hate to love trope, but this just wasn’t it for me. Also, triton going after both of the sisters and them being okay with it? Weird.

I would like to note that these are just my opinions! There are plenty of wonderful reviews, so check them out also to see if this is your cup of tea!

As the tagline reads, "Villains are not born. They're made." The sea witch WAS PUSHED to her anger, her loathing, her sadness.

With beautiful tie-ins to Hawaiian mythology, Curse of the Nautilus gives you reason to empathize and understand her pain and motive. At the heart of this story is a forced connection between natural enemies and a long history of violence. This story sucked me in and held my attention from start to finish. It is NOT for the faint of heart, but I loved getting to know the characters and their messy decisions. So many traumatic events transpire in and out of their control and the effects change them all. (Be sure to check the trigger warnings.)

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Curse of the Nautilus in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I had a lot of issues with this book and I was kind of surprised to see it had such a high rating. I was really excited about the ideas I read in the blurb. It's a mixing of cultures and mythologies surrounding gods and goddesses of water. We have Poseidon, Triton, Ceto, Hi'iaka/Ursula, Benthesikyme, and Kāmohoali"I. There are sirens and sharks and various other sea creatures. Some of the descriptions (particularly the underwater palace made of lava) are absolutely beautiful. But, in my opinions, the negatives outweighed the positives.

I hated pretty much all of the characters. Triton and Poseidon were awful. Triton was a weak, naive, privileged character. Poseidon was a violent SA'er, a perv, and a horrible father. I didn't get a family vibe from Anela's family at all. She swung wildly between judging her sister, treating her like her only personality traits were being naive and boy crazy and then wanting to protect her. The mother left for the majority of the book and felt like she was barely part of the story. The best friend felt irrelevant and unnecessary.

The "love story" was so quick and I didn't like that he jumped directly from her to her sister. I also felt like they sort of skipped right over the sirens luring people to the water to SA and kill them. The MC brings it up several times to talk about how wrong it is but then she sort of just gets over it because he's attractive?? Even after he uses his song on her own sister?? We see a bit of guilt and contemplation from Triton on the subject, but he really doesn't change at all in the end. His character growth was basically a parabola.

I felt really uncomfortable with how prevalent the themes of SA and the actual on screen descriptions of it were. I don't feel that they were all necessary. There is definitely something to be said for discussing the themes in a tactful way. But, I feel like this was just on screen assault over and over for shock factor and I didn't like it.

This book had a lot of promise. The ideas were spectacular and the lore was really cool. It was a very quick, easy read. But, I did feel that for all of the very adult themes, the book read kind of juvenile. The dialogue was a bit amateurish and there were several things that repeated themselves and weren't relevant (like Anela always having iced coffee and it getting mentioned like six times?). All that, combined with my opinions on the SA content made me give this book a 2 star rating.

This book was not what I was expecting, but it was so worth it. Villain origin stories can be so fantastic, and this was! The writing was great and the story was amazing.

I struggled with the beginning of this book. I was very thrown off by the initial info-dumping and narrative style that felt too middle grade for a New Adult book.

As more and more of the story developed, the lushness began to shine through. We have beautiful tributes to different cultures that have a deep history with water, mixed in with a Little Mermaid retelling. It was a very fun and unique way and I was here for it. But it felt like the focus was closer to the love story, sexual content (please read trigger warnings), than it was actual plot. If the focus was less on that, I would give it 4 stars, but it felt like we had a checklist of things to mark off in order to feel daring.

I couldn't stand Triton's character. In parts, it was so frustrating when he was present I almost gave up.

“Most called Hiiaka a goddess, but to me, she was simply my mother.”

This book is described as a modern Hawaiian mythology inspired fairytale retelling of a sea nymph Anela and the Prince of the Atlantic Ocean, Triton.
When I started reading it, there was a part of being that dreaded where this book was going. After all, Triton is the son of Poiseidon and a siren Prince and Anela is a demigod and has the ability to shift into a bring that is very close to an octopus… the little mermaid lover in me was more than a little bit scared. Especially considering how much I started loving their twisted and complicated relationship.
The enemies to lovers, the forced proximity, the constant tension and the “who did this to you” nearly undid me … multiple times !!!
I was right to be afraid though … but it’s undeniable that this book was made by a genius !!!! The idea was unique and uncontrollable and definitely unconventional. I loved it. I would highly recommend people to check trigger warnings though before starting reading this book. You cannot go in blind !!!! And for those who came reading this review, trying to figure out if this book has an HEA … this is a villain’s origins story, have you read Heartless? So, maybe think again!!

"I hate you."
"I know." He grinned, moving his hands, so I fell back on the pillow, utterly immersed in the thrill. "But you also want me."

“So much I wanted to forget, but so much rage I wanted to hold on to.”

Wow wow wow! What an incredible read! I can't say I have ever ready a book where you absolutely love, and cheer for the villain. The world building, the character growth, and the never knowing what was going to happen next were just fantastic.
I 110% recommend this book to any fantasy lover! Its really well written, and I 100% will be reading it again as its really that good of a book.

Curse of the Nautilus is a new twist on the villain origin story of Ursula, that I didn't know I needed to read! A fresh take on the story using a blend of Hawaiian and Greek Mythology, I highly recommend giving this story a read if any of those things interest you. I loved how the transition between what is happening in the story on land seamlessly will dive down into the water scenes. With the multi- POVs, there's a moment where you question who is really the villain. With that being said please read the trigger warnings.