Voice of the Ocean by Kelsey Impicciche and narrated by Natalie Naudus is the perfect beach read/listen. A retelling of The Little Mermaid with sirens and pirates, it references both the original Haans Christian Anderson work and the Disney classic. Tress of the Emerald Sea meets Court of Thorn and Roses, Voice of the Ocean appeals to all the Disney adults seeking a darker tale.
I’m very glad I listened to the audiobook because I am rhythmically challenged and Natalie does a wonderful job singing the sirens’ songs. I felt that it really added something to the book that I would have missed if I had been reading it myself.
Celeste is the youngest daughter of the Queen of Staria. She wishes to join The Chorus, the group of sirens that protect their kingdom by singing to sailors that invade siren territory and use their haunting melodies to beckon sailors to a watery grave. However, unlike most sirens, Celeste is just too emotional. She is constantly being told to stop acting so human.
I really enjoyed Voice of the Ocean, but I can’t give it the full five star review. As I was nearing the end of the novel, I was worried that the story would be wrapped up too quickly because there was still so much happening. The ending was a bit of a cliffhanger and left me feeling unfulfilled. This could be the first installment in a series, but part of the charm that made Voice of the Ocean so good was Celeste learning how to navigate in the human world. I don’t think a second book would be able to recapture that.
A really great part of this book is the accurate representation of pirates and their private lives. Piracy attracted people that lived outside the norms of society. As such, homosexuality was common among pirates due to both acts receiving the same sentence, death. If you’re going to be hanged for loving the wrong people, why not hit the seven seas and make some money before you have to go?
Be First to Comment