Little Mermaid retelling but throw in pirates, enemies to lovers to enemies, and of course the first in a duology. When the daughter of a siren queen does the forbidden and rescues a human prince... she is tasked to kill him in order to prove her loyalty to her people but soon finds herself falling for said human prince... only he's the prince of pirates and he's searching for something that might destroy the love she is starting to feel for him. Celeste is the sheltered siren princess who has spent her life being too much, too curious, too ruinous... and the final straw for her family is when she rescues humans... specifically the human who is from the family who murdered her own grandmother. Celeste is given a choice: risk exile or kill the human prince she rescued and prove her loyalty to her kingdom. Yet when Celeste infiltrates the human prince's group the last thing she expects is that he is actually a pirate on the hunt for treasure... a treasure that might destroy her kingdom. Celeste is torn between the new family she has found and her feelings for the forbidden pirate prince Raiden and her loyalty to her family... but the closer Raiden gets to the treasure the closer Celeste is beginning to realize just how doomed their new romance is (sans the fact she has to kill him). This book was a very insta love little mermaid retelling and the world building was lackluster to say the least. This book was way too long for what it was and I truly believe this should have been a standalone, dragging it on for two books is unnecessary. The romance was not giving and the whole "betrayal" and the fact that the story only picks up in the last 10% of the book is truly telling in how much filler was in this book and how little actually happened until the end. I love a Little Mermaid retelling, I love a siren story, I appreciate that the love interest was a POC character... but this story was just kind of boring and didn't really offer me anything new or exciting. While this was just an okay book for me I do think younger YA and even middle grade readers will have a great time reading this.

Release Date: April 22, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

"And whatever happened, she knew she could weather the storm."

Celeste is a siren princess who has never felt like she belonged. She is in training to become a member of the Chorus, a team of siren warriors, to try to prove that she can make a difference. But when she encounters a ship with people she believes are innocent, she breaks the law to save a prince, his second in command, and the most adorable dog ever. Her crime for her betrayal? To become a human and kill the prince. As she gets closer to him and his crew, she has to decide if she should follow her head or her heart.

One thing I liked: Celeste was a flawed main character. She had a lot of good intentions, but she just didn't always execute them well. Many people can relate to this, which is a good trait to have in a main character.

One thing I didn’t like: Raiden's behavior gave me a bit of whiplash. I think it made sense in the context of everything that was going on, but he still annoyed me sometimes.

This is probably one of the best fairytale retellings I've ever read. You just really feel for Celeste and her situation. She is very controlled by her mother, so she tends to act out to find some control. When this doesn't go well for her and she's forced to rectify her mistakes, she realizes that she's stronger than she thought. There are so many obstacles placed in front of her, but she is able to work through them as best as she can.

She saves Raiden and her newfound friends many times, which is one of the reasons that they respect her, and why they end up supporting her later on. Her friendships with Kiyami and Nadir were also some of my favorite parts of the book. Even though she doesn't speak to them with words, she is still able to connect with them, and they are able to teach her how to protect herself.

I did love the tension she had with Raiden. Neither of them really liked each other, and yet they had absolutely insane chemistry. As their relationship progresses and changes, they learn more about each other and develop an understanding of each other. And even though they could not stand each other, they still always saved and looked out for each other.

book/movie/show with similar vibes: The Little Mermaid, Pirates of the Caribbean

you should read if you like/tropes: fairytale retellings, enemies to lovers, betrayal, found family, sirens, fish out of water

full ratings:

plot: 5/5⭐
main character: 5/5⭐
side characters: 5/5⭐
pace: 5/5⭐
writing style: 5/5⭐
worldbuilding: 5/5⭐

rating average: 5⭐

Let me start by saying I was SHOOK at the ending. I truly thought this was a stand-alone novel and now I have to impatiently wait to see what happens next for Celeste and her family.

This story follows our young siren princess, Celeste, as she navigates being one of three sisters to the Queen of Staria. She is constantly misunderstood and deemed over emotional and is sheltered away in her kingdom. She is training to join the Chorus, a group of skilled siren warriors sworn to protect the borders of Staria, but on a mission attempt gone awry, she finds herself exiled from her kingdom on a mission to right her wrongs. Along the way, she slowly begins to trust her human companions as the humans and our siren attempt to complete their very different missions. They are searching for a treasure under the leadership of Captain Raiden Sharp, and she is tasked with murdering the Captain. As you can imagine, things don't go as planned for anyone.....

When I started this novel, it felt very copy paste of Disney's Little Mermaid. A tortured princess who sees a prince singing and dancing on a ship with his scruffy dog on his birthday, being chased by a shark, late to be home for an important event, her parents being disappointed at her attitude and lack of discipline, a ship that is wrecked in a storm, saving the young prince from said wrecked ship.... I was a little disappointed thinking I was getting the same story with new names. BOY was I wrong. Once we got past the initial similarities, the story took quite the detour from our known story and I was constantly getting whiplash from the plot twists I did not see coming. I became so enraptured by the plot and my care for these characters. I felt love as they did, I felt sadness, betrayal, all the emotions so viscerally.

This had so many beloved tropes, including enemies to lovers (to enemies???), found family, misunderstood and complex FMC, the goodest boi (all my love to Admiral), a good ole "who did this to you?!?!?!?!?", and I could go on.

Kelsey does a great job with the atmosphere of this story as well. I could very vividly picture the settings and characters, and I became so enthralled it was like a movie was playing in my mind as I was reading. Great debut and now I will be gnawing at the bars of my enclosure for book two.

As a lover of fairytales and Disney movies, particularly The Little Mermaid, I thoroughly enjoyed this new take on it. What could make a tale about mermaids better? Pirates. And suddenly the prince is a pirate as well? Sign me up! I sure hope there is a sequel planned because I need more Celeste and Raiden like…yesterday!

Rating / Recommend: ⭐⭐⭐.75 / 🌶️/ Yes

My Thoughts:
This is a good YA read. It’s definitely geared toward a younger audience (teens + pre-teens) but adults will enjoy it too. I enjoyed the read and am so grateful I got to have an ARC of this.
There is minimal spice which makes it perfect for a younger audience. (A kiss or two)

If you loved The Little Mermaid growing up then you’ll love this book!
It’s such a refreshing take on the original story. With an Enemies to Lovers twist. Sirens vs. Humans.

I will say the pace doesn’t really pick up until the 70% mark and then all the exciting stuff happens after that. I have a lot of questions I want answered so I definitely want to read book two.

CW: Fighting, Murder, Abuse to a main character + PTSD/Anxiety Rep.

Impicciche breathes new life into a classic tale with her fin-tastic, swashbuckling debut!

“Voice of the Ocean” follows a daring young siren who defies her people to save a human prince. With no other choice than to assassinate him to right her wrong, Celeste agrees to become human. As she finds her place aboard Raiden’s ship, a dangerous attraction begins to grow amidst treacherous waters.

Celeste is my kind of FMC! She is soft and more sensitive than her fellow sirens. At first she views her emotions as a weakness, but the more she allows herself to feel, the more she realizes that strength comes in many forms. As a soft girl myself, I really resonated with Celeste and was empowered by her journey of self-acceptance.

Any kind of relationship between a siren and a human is strictly forbidden, creating a push-pull dynamic between Celeste and Raiden that I could not get enough of! The tension and pining as they are forced to work together to find the lost treasure on Lunapesce is positively swoon-worthy. Their connection and Celeste’s internal conflict surrounding it drives the story in a way that makes it impossible to put down.

I really enjoyed the fast-paced, high stakes atmosphere aboard the Red Revenge. Even more so the family Celeste finds in Raiden’s rag-tag crew. The fantastical elements woven into the story pertaining to the sirens take this pirate adventure to the next level. Impicciche’s song-based magic system adds depth to her world and showcases just how fierce Celeste is in taking up the sword instead of relying on her voice to see her mission through.

This is a siren adventure, a mermaid adventure, and a joyful exploration of what it means to find your place in the world. Celeste is a 17-year-old siren whose interest in the human world leads her on a pirate adventure that will impact her world as much it does the humans she meets, including a diverse crew of pirates that give this fantasy adventure a cozy, found-family theme.

Voice of the Ocean is a perfect example of a complex Young Adult novel that does its inspiration justice while staying true to the author’s own unique voice. From the beginning, Celeste seems like the typical “little mermaid” protagonist, but her journey is about more than unrequited love or being a princess. This is a tale about emotions and humanity, who we build relationships with and how. This is a book that young readers can look to to feel seen and that older readers can find their own adventure and catharsis in.

Thank you, Blackstone for the opportunity to get an early look at this piece and to discuss the book with Kelsey for Showstopper Magazine. My complete review and interview with Kelsey can be found on Showstopper Magazine Online.

Daring and romantic, Voice of the Ocean did not disappoint! This book had all the charm of a Disney favorite and the magnetic pull of an instant classic. Impicciche is a bright new voice I look forward to reading more from.

I've been a fan of Kelsey's youtube channel for so long, and this book really showed off her love of storytelling.

I had so much fun with this, the combination of the Little Mermaid and Pirates of the Caribbean was a match made in heaven! There was a good amount time devoted to both sides, under the sea and on land.

The romance was SO good. Raiden the man that you are. Even without the FMC speaking, they somehow still had great banter and a wonderful connection. I lived for all of their interactions.

I loved spending time on the ship with the crew, and then the action at the end was so exciting! It set up some really exciting things for the future that I can't wait to see.

Overall this is a fun YA adventure for lovers of both mermaids and pirates that romantasy lovers will probably enjoy as much as I did!

Thanks to the publisher for the early copy.

"To the girls who are told they cry too much, and to my dear friend who helped teach me it's okay."

The first ~10% was a bit slow and predictable. At some point, I think I said to myself: "Is this literally just a rewrite of The Little Mermaid"?
Aaaaaand then it picked up!

Celeste is wonderfully complex, human, and relatable. Her character development is rich and the journey as she uncovers secrets and truths is wonderfully done.

And Raiden! It's easy to see how and why Celeste develops feelings for him 😉 In contrast to the red-headed mermaid we (90s babies) grew up with, Celeste is beyond just morbid curiosity and fascination with the human world and I love that about this story.

Voice of the Ocean by Kelsey Impicciche is a good debut novel. The story was engaging although at points felt cliche and predictable. It was enjoyable to read

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

As the youngest daughter of the siren queen, Celeste has struggled her entire life to find where she belongs. She's too emotional and stubborn for the taxing scrutiny of public life as a royal, and now that her favorite sister is gone, the young princess finds herself drifting farther and farther away from her family. For a while, she'd hoped a role in the Chorus, the prestigious army that protects the waters of her kingdom from humans, would fill the void in her life, but even after several rigorous cycles of training instilling routine and order, Celeste finds herself unable to quiet the discontent in her heart.

A chance encounter with a boat of humans, ,Celeste discovers she doesn't believe the teachings of the Chorus and her people fully-- the humans she observed didn't seem as one-dimension as she'd been led to believe. They danced and sang, the same as her kind; they cared for each other and bonded with other animals; they seemed... kind.

But an impulsive decision marks Celeste as a traitor to her kingdom, with only a single chance for redemption: to assassinate Prince Raiden Sharpe, the same man she saved from the Chorus and has her questioning the teachings of her kind. Will Celeste be strong enough to kill the charming man who easily envelopes her into his life? Will she find a way to stay true to her own heart, while finding her way back home?

.

VOICE OF THE OCEAN was a strong debut by Impicciche, it's a fun and fresh re-imagining of The Little Mermaid with the adventure and romance of the Pirates of the Caribbean. Geared toward younger young adult readers, I think this book will be successful; it's got pirates and romance, found family and an intriguing new fantasy world to explore. As a middle schooler, I would have <I>loved</I> this book.

However, as an adult, I can't help but notice a few glaring issues: the first, and most troublesome for me, was the pacing. As several other reviewers have pointed it-- the first half of this book dragged due to the sheer amount of world building and character development; but then, it felt like the entire climax took place in a few chapters and left the readers on a cliffhanger. I also found myself struggling with Raiden as a character. His personality was very hot-and-cold, and it felt like he had two distinct personalities-- the cold and strict captain, and then the kind and warm love interest; and while this kind of shift in personality can work, it's only believable (to me) if you can see glimmers of each personality in the other.

While VOICE OF THE OCEAN wasn't a slam dunk for me personally, I can tell that Impicciche will only improve as a writer and storyteller, and I look forward to reading her future books.

Voice of the Ocean || Kelsey Impicciche

"Look at you," he said. "The blood thirsty siren." Tears pricked her eyes, but she did not falter. "And you, the backstabbing prince."

Celeste is the youngest princess of the Siren queen, who plans to be part of the Chorus, a group of sirens who defend siren territory from predators. She's been taught her whole life that humans are evil, and her grandmother was even killed by the Pirate King. Celeste begins to question her beliefs when she spies a ship with a lively group of humans, not seeming like the monsters they've been made out to be. When the Chorus attacks the ship, Celeste decides to save two humans, one of which is the son of the man who has killed her fellow sirens, and their furry companion. Due to this, Celeste is banished, until she's able to bring back proof that she killed the prince she saved. To do so, she agrees to a bargain to gain legs, and ends up joining the prince at sea on a mission that will put her life, and heart, at risk.

This was a fun adventure, and as a debut novel, I thought Kelsey Impicciche did an excellent job with her descriptions, world building, and developing the story. Although this was portrayed as a "The Little Mermaid" retelling, I found myself comparing it more to "Tangled". From the morally gray love interest, the group of seemingly "bad guys" who have squishy soft interiors, and the found family, I found the crew of the Red Revenge mirrored the patrons of the Snuggly Duckling. This book is very young adult and the romance is clean. Although there is death and occasional violence/gore in this book, I will spoil the fact that the adorable dog Admiral lives. If you're looking for a pirate adventure, with a little romance and enemies to lovers storyline, check this one out.

-young adult
-Little Mermaid retelling
-pirates
-enemies to lovers
-forbidden lovers
-clean romance
-3rd person POV
-1st book in a series

I've followed Kelsey on twitch BECAUSE of her storytelling skills. I typically hate Little Mermaid retellings, but absolutely loved this one. She is fabulous at character development and telling the traditional tale in a manner I actually cared about.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
This book was a fun read, perfect for the mermaid kick I've found myself in. I loved the obvious care the author took with Celeste-- she was very well developed and written with so much love. The dialogue was entertaining and the romance was fun. However, I thought the pacing, stakes, and motives was a bit off. Some parts felt like nothing was really happening and I never really felt the stress of Celeste having to kill Raiden. For being the start of their relationship, it was barely a background thought and I never fully believed Celeste was going to do it, or was even grappling with it. The same goes for pretty much every motivation. I think the motives should have been much more compelling and made the story hard to get invested in. It would have been the perfect place to add more tension, but I didn't feel it. However, the romance was cute and I was rooting for Celeste and Raiden regardless. Plus, seeing Celeste find a place she belongs in the crew was delightful.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher, Blackstone Publishing, for providing me an ARC for an honest review.

2.5 rounded up.

A retelling of The Little Mermaid (both original and animated). Celeste is a siren and a princess, trained as part of the elite fighting force known as the Chorus. She commits the forbidden act of going up to the surface, and she sees a young man on a ship and is captivated by him, only to learn the young man is the son of a hated human and Chorus has ordered to attack the ship. Celeste of course rescues the young man and makes a deal with a sea witch. And then the story diverges from its sources even more…

There’s a lot to like, especially for readers who seek out books based on tropes like enemies-to-lovers, found family, deals-you’ll-regret, heroines-with-unusual-hair-colors like in addition to a fairytale retelling, mermaids, and pirates. There are some unexpected plot twists and a few moments of levity, like the newly belegged Celeste trying to walk like a crab. I think a number of readers will enjoy this.

But.

This retelling borrows heavily from the Disney adaptation– among other things, we can see this with the rescue of the turtle at the beginning of the book, the reference to eels near the Sea Witch’s lair, and the presence of the prince’s dog. The small tributes are actually pretty cute and I appreciate the author not drawing from the Disney version more heavily (I have a personal distaste for retellings that use the Disney versions of stories). But. The Disney adaptation does something extraordinarily powerful by giving Ariel a clear “I want”, epitomized in the song “Part of That World”. Celeste, by contrast, doesn’t have a clear motivation, and it ultimately makes her a much weaker character. Yes, some desires are expressed– to breach the surface of the water, to join the Chorus, a fondness for human artifacts, general desire for “adventure”– but Celeste’s drives pale in comparison to Ariel’s and even the original Hans Christian Andersen heroine who’s so clearly motivated by her infatuation for the prince. It makes Celeste a very wishy-washy character –a remarkably passive one who goes along with the tides (couldn’t resist, sorry) and who only has a vague plan at best but barely takes any steps (hah, can’t stop) on her own.

Other parts of the book feel similarly unmoored (sorry, sorry). The prince recognizes his rescuer when she appears again but the two just dance around each other for half the book. Like both the Andersen original and the Disney version, Celeste is mute. Here, it’s simply because she doesn’t want anyone to hear her accent. Lame, especially since her voice is a weapon.

My favorite quote from the book: “How boring, she thought with awe.”

60/100 or 3.0 stars

I wanted to like this so much, since Kelsey is a YouTuber that I watch from time to time. When I saw she wrote a book, I was excited to check it out, since the transition from being on YouTube or any social media platform to an author that people take seriously is not easy. This just didn't work for me, unfortunately. The writing style didn't work, and its such a bummer because I was hoping to love this. I wish her the best, and I can see how many people will love the story, though!

I really enjoyed this retelling of The Little Mermaid! It followed the basic story line of the original story, but it had many twists and plot lines that make this a very unique and intriguing retelling! The fmc had some very good character development and the adventure that she embarked on was very fun! Honestly kind of felt like a mix between The Little Mermaid and Pirates of the Caribbean! Would definitely recommend!

Thank you Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

With a magical gift of song, Celeste intends to join the elite mermaid warriors. On the eve of her final test she encounters a human ship with a handsome prince, but when tragedy strikes she defies mermaid law and saves the prince. Upon returning home she finds herself at the queens expense. While her punishment should be death, the queen gives her an ultimatum - she may save herself if she becomes human and assassinates the prince herself. Taking the plea she becomes human but discovers the human world is not what it seems and neither is the prince.

Mermaids and pirates? Sign me up! I absolutely loved this book! While this is a little mermaid - pirates of the Caribbean cross over, it did feel like it mirrored the little mermaid quite heavily in the beginning (which personally threw me off a little). However the adventure Celeste must go on to save herself is swashbuckling and such a ton of fun. I cannot wait to see what adventure Kelsey writes up next!

This book was masterfully clever and appealing to the YA fantasy reader. I might not be the exact audience as I am not YA but still I found that it was exceedingly engaging, poignant, and emotional. The story was not derivative as many retellings can be, but instead was a new take on a beloved classic. Ultimately this book had me hooked from the first page and I will definitely be recommending it to friends and my audience.