The Little Mermaid meets Cinderella, this book had me hooked (no pun intended) from the beginning. The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat. The love story I didn’t see coming, the betrayal!! Wow!! Take a chance on this one, you won’t regret it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC. I received this as an audiobook and the narrator was captivating and animated, this was an amazing audiobook!

I quite enjoyed this one. The writing is atmospheric and enchanting — perfect for a fairytale retelling.

Upon a Starlit Tide combines elements of The Little Mermaid and Cinderella into a dark historical fantasy set in 18th century France. I loved the lush nautical setting and immersive atmosphere. Wicked stepsisters, ballgowns, fae, and seafaring adventure blend together seamlessly to create a mesmerizing tale of magic, power, and seduction.

Esther Wane delivers a sultry performance, her voice like a siren’s song with excellent accents.

Read if you like:
🐚 fairytale retellings
🧜🏼‍♀️ pirates and mermaids
🐚 forbidden romance
🧜🏼‍♀️ family drama and secrets
🐚 historical fantasy

A gorgeous second book from Kell Woods, and it’s exactly what I’d hoped it’d be. A stunning and well-placed historical fiction, with Breton folklore and familiar fairy tales woven in with precision and beauty. Well paced, well considered, and moving.

Esther Wane as narrator did a splendid job, and I’d happily listen to her perform other books! A dab hand at dialects and vocal variation.

I’ll be recommending this one to folks!

My thanks for the audio ARC goes to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio. I'm voluntarily leaving a review, and all opinions are my own.

Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling, Historical Fantasy, Literary Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Romantasy
Spice Level: On-page sex but in a literary description
Language: F-bombs and more

UPON A STARLIT TIDE caught me with the beautiful writing and the secrets. The nod to Anderson's Little Mermaid and Cinderella isn't something I see in as many adult novels, and it added a sense of fairy tale magic.

The story kept turning in new ways, and I liked how it moved in slightly unexpected ways. I also loved the growth of Lucinde as she learns more about herself. She is genuinely shocked that her life changes, and it feels authentic. I loved how different elements of the traditional stories are twisted and revamped in new ways. And for as lovely as the language is, I wish it didn't include the f-bombs. (I know I'm probably in the minority here.)

If you love the old fairy tales, I think this book is for you.

Happy reading!

Loved the cover and this sounded really great but I just couldn't get invested in the fantastical mythological story. The narration was well done but the story just didn't grab me like I had hoped to and I DNF'd at around 50%. Would still recommend to fans of books like A sweet sting of salt by Rose Sutherland. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

This story was just so good! A beautiful and unique combination of The Little Mermaid and Cinderella, this historical fantasy is sure to intrigue anybody looking for a story that has love, betrayal, and, of course, a little bit of magic!

Things I especially enjoyed:
✨ Noticiable elements from both The Little Mermaid and Cinderella, but its own unique spin on it
✨ The subtle foreshadowing that made me uncertain why I was feeling the way I was feeling about certain characters, until it all made sense
✨ The love story was beautiful and romantic and gave me warm fuzzies
✨ The magic! It was subtle and mystical and not so over the top.

While I did enjoy the audiobook and the narrator, I do think I would have enjoyed reading this one on an e-book or physical copy more. The writing is so beautiful, but I think I didn’t get to fully enjoy it as I may have in this other format.

This book comes out tomorrow, February 18, and I would highly recommend checking it out!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for making an advanced copy available in exchange for an honest review.

What a gorgeous fairytale retelling. I loved how it pulled together elements of different fairytales and became something unique and utterly captivating. The writing is lush and atmospheric, and the story is compelling from beginning to end. I absolutely loved it!

Masterly weaving two tales, The Little Mermaid and Cinderella, into a new fascinating story about a strong character finding out the truth of her past so that she can make the future she wants! I absolutely love Lucinde who is sweet, loves her family, helps others (including one handsome smuggler) but still wishes for the freedom of the sea for some mysterious reason. The parts that are reminiscent of Cinderella are softened (like she loves her sisters and they love her too, though they still fight like sisters do normally) though she does still get to go to the ball, helped by the mysterious tide woman. The Little Mermaid bits are the darker, feet damaged and ache when she is on land, and rescuing a shipwrecked young man. But then the story heads off into lands unknown with the fae leaving, storm stones, being at war with the English, and the mystery of how her father found Lucinde so long ago.

There are very dark bits (especially with a certain awful man who deserves the worst fate ever for what he does!), but they are balanced by the strong relationships between the characters (like Samuel, and Luce's sisters) and a touch of hope for Luce when she finds out the truth and comes into her powers. Yes, there is fantasy but this book is also nicely layered with historical fiction, making it really come to life. Such a wonderful novel! And it works really well as an audiobook too with the narrator giving depth and life to all the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to listen to this audiobook!

I ultimately had to DNF this. I think it is something I need to read with my eyes; I struggled to connect with the narrator, and some of the French terms made me get lost without seeing them. It just wasn't for me in the moment, I think.

A Cinderella and The Little Mermaid inspired adult fairy tale? Oh yes, please (and it’s sooo much more).

I’ll admit that the cover is what first drew my attention, but the synopsis made me immediately request an early copy, which Tor Books was kind enough to bestow.

There’s magic within these pages and I implore other readers who still (and will always) love fairy tales with strong and capable heroines to grab this one for your bookshelves and find the magic for yourself.

The power of the ocean, the power of magic, the power of love,

I absolutely loved this story ❤️and this is a book that I will get for myself and enjoy again.

Esther Wane did an excellent job performing the story - and voicing characters differently making them easy to differentiate between. This is one of those stories that already feels like a fairy tale and the narration elevated that.

Absolutely recommended.

“A woman knows her own truth. It’s a gift she is born with that, like so much else, is quickly stolen by the world. By priests with their talk of sin and wickedness and shame, by men who learned long ago how best to use women for their own pleasure and advantage. Instead of speaking from their hearts, their souls, women are told to heed their father, their husband, their God. Instead of choosing their own path, they are told to obey. Even so, their souls always know the truth. Always. Do not be afraid to give yours voice.”



Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for the DRC
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC

What a fantastic and enchanting book is Upon A Starlit Tide by Kell Woods! I listened to the audiobook version of this story narrated by Esther Wane and I couldn’t stop listening to it! I’m still thinking about it a few days afterwards, which rates five stars.

The story begins with Luce who is the adopted daughter of a sea merchant and Corsair living in 18th century France. She has two sisters and a mother who think of nothing else but balls and betrothals, which is fitting for the time period. Luce on the other hand wants nothing but to go sailing with her father. She satisfies her yearnings for the sea by enjoying short outings with her longtime friend Sam who takes her on his boat around the coves near her home.

The rest of the story is how Luce saves a young man from drowning, is deceived by one of her family members, and finds out the truth surrounding her adoption. I really enjoyed listening to Luce’s transformation from a young naive girl to a strong and powerful woman. The story is so unique and original, yet like an old fashioned fairy tale. I can’t praise it enough! Brava!

Upon A Starlit Tide was a brilliant combination The Little Mermaid and Cinderella along with other folklore. There were also family divisions and class warfare found within this seafaring fantasy. I also enjoyed the narrator and all her voices.

One of the most solidly incredible reads of fantastically whimsical fantasy. The world is depicted in such a vivid and surreal manner that just pulls you into its depths. It certainly meets the description of “The Little Mermaid” meets “Cinderella,” but it is also so much more. Real history and other fairytales are weaved into the tapestry of the story and Woods expands on these to make Upon a Starlit Tide a fairytale of its own.

The ending was so good and satisfying in all possible ways. I don’t think I can come up with a single critique of the book. While reading the ebook I also was reading via audiobook thanks to @macmillan.audio. The narration helped to paint the beautiful backdrop of the world and the sea and did an excellent job voicing the characters in a way that made it easy to distinguish who was talking.

Posted to Goodreads: 2/15/2025

Absolutely enchanting. This "Cinderella" and "The Little Mermaid" retelling is everything fairy-tale loving adults could want. The author does a great job of twining the two stories together in a brand new way, bringing in fae and the backdrop of beautiful Saint-Malo. The story has all the emotions that can be felt by a young woman trying to find her way in the world, and realizing that everything she knows is not necessarily what it has seemed. I was given the opportunity to listen to this audio book through NetGalley and hope that it finds other readers who will enjoy the story as much as I did.

Luce is out in the water when she rescues Morgan de Chatelaine, the youngest son of the most powerful ship-owner in Saint-Malo. When his family throws a ball, she wants to go. But things aren't always what they appear to be, and people aren't always who they claim to be. As the fae leave the land, with war encroaching, and with Luce starting to feel like there's something else within her, her and her only friend Samuel are thrust into the middle of everything. And what they find might not be what they think.

This was a blend of Cinderella and the Little Mermaid in a way I didn't know I needed. I loved the whole Morgan plot, the fae, the monsters in the dark, the mermaids, the magic... literally everything. I was wholly invested in her budding romance with Samuel, and even though we get a bit of a love triangle for a bit, it doesn't last. So hooray for that. With the blended fairytales, I enjoyed pulling apart everything, only to realize there are definitely hints of other fairytales and stories layered within. I think Luce was a great little mermaid character in that she was given agency in a way that the original character was not. And her story got way darker than I ever thought it would. I would definitely recommend this one.

🧜‍♀️ ARC REVIEW 🧜‍♀️

UPON A STARLIT TIDE by Kell Woods
5/5 🌟
Pub Date 🇺🇸: Feb 18th

This book is a masterclass in fairytale retellings done right. It was whimsical, dark, and unique. Kell Woods did a fantastic job of making it her own. I'm definitely picking up her next book!

The story follows Luce, a woman in 18th century France, having a hard time fitting into the confines of high society. While she tries to appease her stepfather, stepmother, and two stepsisters, at night, she dives with the handsome Samuel as they scour shipwrecks for goods to smuggle. Please read if you like the following:

🌊 Cinderella/Little Mermaid Retellings
🌊 Women determined to make their own path and be more than just the objects men make of them
🌊 Representation of physical disabilities
🌊 Kind stepmother and stepsisters

Thank you Netgalley, Tor, and Macmillan Audio for the Audio ARC!

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I'll start this review by saying that I liked Kell Woods's debut After the Forest better, but I think more readers will like Upon a Starlit Tide more. It's a blend of Cinderella and Little Mermaid, set in 1758 France in a blend of magical realism and fantasy. The atmosphere and tone is perfect for the fairy tale setting, and the legends of the sea and the sea fae is very well crafted. For me, the Cinderella component was a touch more than I needed, and there were a few plot elements and pacing that didn't work *as well* for me (ahem, love triangle) as might for another reader.

But you know me, set a book on the sea, and I'll love it. Add in layers of history around conflicts between the English and the French, and toss in some class difference politics (especially in pre-Revolutionary France!), and I'll love that too.

The audiobook is an easy and pleasant listen, and I recommend it as a format.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book and audiobook.

I absolutely loved this book and the new retelling of The Little Mermaid and Cinderella. This tale takes you a long a very adventurous story with potential evil stepsisters, swashbuckling, and some thieving.

I love the plot twists the most and who turns out to be the villain.

The reason this lost a star was due to the narrator. The main character has such a pitch in her voice I could barely stand it. I would also would have liked someone with a little bit more clear in speaking and a better cadence to their voice. If it wasn't for this the story would get 5 ⭐

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy! You can pick up Upon a Starlit Tide on February 18, 2025.

I was IMMEDIATELY swept away into this lovely, fairytale-esque book. The writing was atmospheric, the characters compelling, and the storytelling absolutely phenomenal. I loved the blend of classic Hans Christian Andersen tales into one cohesive story (primarily The Little Mermaid and Cinderella), all with a twist of Breton folklore.

Upon a Starlit Tide follows Luce Leon, the youngest daughter of the richest merchant on Saint-Malo, In a twist on the classic mermaid tale, she's a land-faring girl who yearns for the sea and seeks it out at every opportunity. During her escapades, she befriends a handsome English smuggler and rescues a fellow Breton noble from a shipwreck (let the love triangle ensue). But as Luce learns more and more about her past and what really occurred on that shipwreck, the more danger she finds herself in.

Though much of this story is character driven rather than plot driven, I found myself unable to stop listening (I literally gave myself more chores to do as an excuse). Kell Woods' writing entranced me, and Luce was a fantastic character to root for and someone who experiences so much growth. I loved both the romantic and familial relationships, and I'd absolutely eat up another story set in this world.

All my Disney princess and fairytale retelling girlies need to LOCK IN and make sure you pick up this book on Feb 18!!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC Audio Copy!

This book was so fun and enchanting, with a mashup of Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, and a touch of Blubeard was not somethin that I knew that I needed, but I am so glad that I found it. Such a whimsical fairytale retelling and the audiobook was so well done I loved every minute of it. It is also refreshing to have a standalone book in a world filled with long series.