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 was everything that I was looking for in a darker version of this book. It had everything that I was looking for from a sea witch origin story. I was hooked from the first page and thought it uses the Little Mermaid element perfectly in a way that I was looking for. Ralynn Kimie does a fantastic job in writing this and glad I got to read both versions.

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.

2.75 ⭐️

This one just wasn’t for me.

I personally didn’t like any of the romance in the book, & there really wasn’t a lot in it at all.
I’d say this is really more a Fantasy book rather than a Romantasy.

The arc was only 180 pages and I really felt like that intense of a story should be at least 300, it felt slightly rushed and I didn’t feel much of a connection with the characters.

What I did enjoy:

It had a little bit of the little mermaid vibes but add in Hawaii 🌺

The idea of the story with it being about Poseidons son Triton getting sent to live with Anela (a Demi god/ sea nymph) daughter of hi’iaka (a Hawaiian goddess) & her sister after his father bans him from the Atlantic due to him killing a sea creature to “protect” his sister until he’s “worthy” of coming home.

Also I loved what Anela did to Poseidon… he deserved it 100% (IYKYK)

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review 🫶

Curse of the Nautilus is a great villain origin story and is a captivating twist on the sea witch's backstory. Ralynn blends Greek and Hawaiian mythology in a tale filled with pain and heartache, tension, sacrifice, revenge, and spice. I really enjoyed this one!

Check your trigger warnings!

First, I wanted to thank @NetGalley, @rayekimie, and @steely.pr for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Curse of the Nautilus is the villain origin story of the sea witch. It is a dark, spicy, emotional story that follows Anela, the daughter of the Hawaiian Goddess Hi'iaka, and Triton, the son of Poseidon. While there is romance, this is a villain origin first and foremost. No HEAs will be found.

It is a cross-over of godlike proportions. I’ve not yet read a book where mythologies overlap and I love it! The Little Mermaid, Moana, and Grimm Tales combine in this dark origin story that has you rooting for the villain. Please read the TWs for this book - it has some very dark themes and graphic scenes.

After killing a sea monster to save his sister, Triton finds himself banished to the Pacific Ocean without his ability to turn into a Siren. He is rescued by the Goddess Hi'iaka and protected by her daughters Anela and Malia. Used to luring humans to their deaths, Triton has to quickly adapt to being in the human world and has to try and stay alive while Ukupanipo and his Shark Boys (who remind me of the wolf pack in Twilight) seek to kill him.

"Because I never understood until now"

This book was well-written, and such a cool story featuring one of my favorite childhood villans. There were twists and turns I didn't see coming, but when it all came together it was just awesome.

TW: Rape, Sexual Harassment, Beastiality?

4.5 stars rounded up

I really enjoyed this, it’s a well crafted villain origin story that made me feel angry and left me staring at the wall at the end just taking in what I’d read. Ralynn Kimie’s writing is a joy to read. The world building, magic, characters and overall story came together to make something I’d never experienced before.

I know this is going to be one of those stories that sticks with me for a long while. Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

Curse of the Nautilus is a modernized, Hawaiian mythology inspired villain origin story. We follow Aneala, a sea nymph, who has to deal with the fallout after her goddess mother takes in Triton, a siren and son of Poseidon. The local gods and almost everyone in the seven seas is trying to murder him and Aneala can’t figure out why her mother is trying so hard to protect him.

This is not a love story, this is a villain origin story and I have never sided with the villain so hard. I enjoyed all of the Hawaiian mythology in this book as it’s not something I’m super familiar with. There are a few nods to the little mermaid that I caught throughout that were fun to see. This was quick to read and addictive, I read it one sitting. I enjoyed that the person who ended up being the villain tried to do the right thing at every turn and pushed down time and time again. I did think it was going to a different character until close to the end. Definitely read the trigger warnings, they are both alluded to and happen a few times on page.

Thanks to Steely Co Publishing, Ralynn Kimie and NetGalley for this e-ARC