If you're a fan of The Little Mermaid and any stories about Atlantis: The Lost City, then this is definitely your book.
Aria is next in line to rule over the merfolk, but despite being the crown princess, the underwater palace where she resides is more of a prison than a home. Aria craves nothing more than freedom and adventure, and that's when she breaks her father's rules by escaping to Atlantea; The ancient human empire that she always longed to discover alongside her assigned guardian; Bastian. She manages to save the life of Atlantea's prince but as she waves with him and Bastian through the city of her dreams, she discovers that it may or may not be as dreamy as she has been told. Secrets, lies, and betrayals lay in her path and she must uncover them for the sake of love and self-discovery.

I have always enjoyed books about merfolk, I find this particular sub-genre to be fascinating, especially the world-building. So this book did wonderful in that particular aspect, I found myself enjoying the description of the wondrous underwater kingdom.
However, I found it boring because, at some point, we were almost halfway through the book and we were still not close to knowing what the problem was. All we kept reading about was an endless description of Aria's surroundings, every little thing needed to be described in a whole paragraph which was tedious to read. And as much as I appreciate how intricate and detailed it was, it felt kind of repetitive. But then the book started to pick up the pace and we started seeing more action. But towards the last couple of chapters, things felt rushed, I didn't get to understand what took place as things started to happen quickly, which was a huge change from the rest of the book, and I actually couldn't see the logic behind some things at all.

I didn't like the love triangle, I don't know if it was mentioned in the blurb, but the love triangle made me wince. I loved the character of Bastian most; I could never believe how kind, forgiving, and graceful he was. He was the embodiment of perfect, which is the exact opposite of Aria; she was selfish, and immature and did anything and everything in order to get what she wanted no matter what the cost, I think her motto would be; It's better to ask forgiveness than permission.

All in all, I think this book is not for people who are advanced fantasy readers, this would suit anyone who's being introduced to the fantasy genre. I don't expect someone who's read an 11-book fantasy series to like this. This read is something you recommend to someone who's being introduced to Fantasy. They don't have to be overwhelmed with lots of material.

The idea is there, I liked the concept of the book, but the plot wasn't as impressive as the book cover or the summary. I give this 2 stars because this book had the potential to be something wonderful, but too bad it missed the mark.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to provide a review of this book.
#AMermaidTaleoftheLostEmpire
#NetGalley

This book was hard to finish. I found myself captivated in the beginning half and towards the end it became a bit predictable and I was eager for it to end. I’m not exactly sure how to describe it, but even though the author is a good writer, I do think she sacrificed the story in order to make the grand moral she was trying to teach very clear. I like the religious perspective, but the way it was executed made the characters one dimensional into the roles I knew she was trying to portray to get her point across. Which made the story much less interesting. Bastion, the forgiving and unconditional loving type, was too perfect. Aria, portraying the young and foolish type in search of meaning, had a character arc that was so predictable and neat. The scenes with the villain were ones I skimmed. The underwater kingdom was a refreshing setting and I did enjoy the word building! But maybe this type of book is not for me.

**I received a complimentary ARC and all opinions expressed are my own.**

The idea of a retelling of the Little Mermaid sounded interesting and I always try to keep an open mind. I tend to avoid looking into the backgrounds of books before I read/review because I like to know as little as possible.

However, after trying to get through the first few chapters, I had to DNF this book due to the language, character development and overall composition that just seemed off to me.

Appreciate NetGalley for the opportunity to provide a review of this book.

#AMermaidTaleoftheLostEmpire #NetGalley

This book is very exciting and enjoyable, I like cozy this book feels. However the book is quite slow in the beginning but it does pick up later on.

I received a free ebook of this book on netgally in exchange for an honest review.
I tried to read this, honestly I did.
I do 2 things - read a lot of fantasyand use chatgpt a lot. And I just kept getting the feeling I was reading chatgpt output… edited of course but her character was just so inconsistant and petulant. The overall story too was very much like ‘act as a writer and outline me a story crossing the little mermaid, atlantas and the odessy’. Then the ‘retelling’ is practically just describing different scenes and copying and pasting scenes/ideas from different film/book into the book just slightly changing the letters of the names by 1-2 letters. I felt not like I was reading a book relaxing, but that I was working, reading chatgpt’s instructions and it helps me in my job. I could honestly be wrong here and it might just be the style of the author itself, but it just feels so much like it.

Then the main character - perhaps children could relate to how she acts (like she is 10) but it is just so unrelatable. My theory of course is the book is heavily written by chatgpt which could definitly cause that (eg prompting it to be in the YA genre).

I see other reviewers complained about the religious tones - I have to say I did not get that far that it bothered me, but I did take another look at the summary and it says ‘christian ya’ at the very end. If I am requesting a book, I do not read the full summary as there will be spoilers - if the top part draws me in, I will read it and enjoy it and not get half the book spoiled. ‘Christian ya’ is such a divisive thing, it needs to be front and centre and the book needs to have been tagged with this.

I am really sad the book is like this.. i should have checked others reviews prior to submitting a request for this. I would say i should read the full summary as well, but to be honest - this one is on the author/publisher I think. If it is a 'christian' book, this needs to be in the tags and in the beginning of the synopsis.
If this was not co-written with chatgpt then I am sorry for this review. I just get the very strong feeling from how the wording and phrasing is as well as the content itself that it is heavily AI written.. (which there is honestly nothing wrong with, but it should probably be acknowledged as there will likely be no copyright protection on this either)

"A Mermaid Tale of the Lost Empire" by Lily D. promises readers an enthralling blend of fantasy, romance, and adventure in a world filled with merfolk, warriors, and a mysterious lost empire. The book's description hints at a narrative that is sure to captivate young adult readers with its elements of forbidden exploration, enemies-to-lovers romance, and the allure of an ancient empire.

The story centers around Aria, the crown princess of the merfolk, who yearns for freedom beyond the confines of her underwater palace. Her quest to discover Atlantea, a forgotten human empire, serves as the backdrop for a series of intriguing twists and turns, including her unlikely partnership with a brooding warrior.

The enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Aria and her protector adds depth and tension to the narrative, promising a captivating romantic subplot that will keep readers engaged. As Aria's journey unfolds and she encounters a human prince, the story delves into themes of love, self-discovery, and the costs of making choices in the face of destiny.

The book's description also hints at the presence of Christian themes, suggesting that the story will explore deeper moral and spiritual aspects, adding an extra layer of complexity to the plot.

Overall, "A Mermaid Tale of the Lost Empire" appears to be a captivating young adult fantasy that combines elements of adventure, romance, and spirituality. Lily D.'s novel promises to transport readers to a richly imagined world and take them on a journey filled with unexpected twists and emotional depth, making it an enticing choice for fans of the genre.

I'm always up for a retelling, especially one inspired by "The Little Mermaid." So, when I dove into this book, I was excited to see how this classic tale had been reimagined. However, as I delved deeper into the story, I realized that I might not have been the right target audience for this book.

One thing that stood out immediately was the religious aspects scattered throughout the book. The dedication should have been my first sign that this wasn't the book for me, as it hinted at a stronger religious theme than I had anticipated. While I can appreciate the author's intention to infuse spirituality into the narrative, it wasn't something I personally connected with, and it occasionally took me out of the story.

On a positive note, the descriptions of the world-building and the characters were well-crafted and vivid.
The descriptions painted detailed and immersive scenes, making it easy to envision the underwater kingdom and its inhabitants. The characters were interesting and had depth, making it easy to become emotionally invested in their fates.

One aspect of the story that left me feeling somewhat unsatisfied was the love triangle between the characters. While love triangles can add depth and tension to a story, the execution in this book didn't quite hit the mark. It felt somewhat forced and lacked the emotional nuance that could have made it a compelling aspect of the plot.
While I admired the world-building and character development, I ultimately felt that I wasn't the right fit for this particular tale.

It's important to note that personal reading preferences vary, and this book may find a passionate audience who will appreciate its unique blend of fantasy and spirituality.

Thank you, BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a honest review!

3 ⭐️ review because this was an engaging retelling and I do love mythology/ fantasy in any capacity and enjoyed the story regardless of certain qualms I had with it.

While I was able to read through the book and did quite enjoy it, that enjoyment was minimized by the continuous injections of religion throughout. I do partially fault myself for not fully registering that this was described as a “Christian fantasy” novel towards the bottom of the blurb description so I do not place blame elsewhere, but maybe this tidbit should be better highlighted in the books description? While I’m not generally opposed to the inclusion of various religious ideologies throughout my books, I do not like feeling blindsided.

One aspect I did really enjoy is that there was a fair balance between fantasy aspects and the romantic aspects of this book. I do think the book could have benefited from greater and deeper descriptions of the oceanic scenery and such, it was definitely adequate and beautiful to envision/ got the job done.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I want to be part of this world.....
This story started off strong. The under water world building was top notch. I wanted to explore every nook of this world and the author provided the visuals for it. Then she left the under water kingdom and I felt like the character and the author didn't know where it was going. It was so all over the place I felt like there were a million little stories and not one of them were finished. Our main character was very hard to relate to and like. She made one poor choice after the other. I really did expect the story to end differently and honestly I saw it end differently in my mind. Overall the story started off great and got lost somewhere on the way to the surface.

Hey beautiful book monsters! So excited to tell you about this beautiful tale of a mermaid who leaves home to learn more about the stories and remembrances that her mother left behind when she passed away in a shipwreck. Coming from a sheltered home with her father the mermaid king, Aria finds herself venturing away from home looking for the spirit of her mother in a land called Atlantea. She finds her way to this magical place, despite the muscle her father put on her to protect her. When she arrives there she saves a prince from drowning and in turn begins to wonder what life would be like in this wondrous place. She is dragged back home by her new "bodyguard" but manages a swift escape to return to Atlantea. During her time there she encounters danger, misrepresentations, and a man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants from her. Her only savior, the merman who was tasked with keeping her safe, becomes a close ally and so much more. This is an incredible tale that starts out with a "Little Mermaid" vibe but quickly changes into a tale of love, war, seeking of oneself, and harrowing bravery. You will fall in love with the characters and find that even if you think you know what is coming next, you might be wrong!

Sadly this was a DNF for me, I couldn't connect with the story of the characters. I feel like maybe this would work well for a younger audience.

i dnfed this book around 17% in, i couldn't get into the story and i found the writing very cringey. i will not be leaving a rating on goodreads/storygraph as i feel it is unfair to do so since i dnfed the book.

I stopped reading this book when i was like two percent in. I did not feel the pull to continue reading. It made me bored. I did not feel any excitement while reading. And there is so many description paragraphs and little dialogue. I rarely stop reading the books I started unless they are not good in my opinion, I won't force myself to finish it when I'm not enjoying it. I think it's probably because it's my first time reading about mermaids and stuff and they're not my cup of tea, but there are so many other people who enjoy books like this.

It was an ok read for me. I enjoyed the banter between Sebastian and Aria, but I missed some depth to their relationship. I also feel the 'love triangle' could have been better executed. It was clear very fast that we couldnt trust Atlas and that he was bad news.
I did like the writing and flew through it.

First, thank you for the free read in exchange for an honest review.


Ok. So overall, I did enjoy this book but there were a few things I definitely did not like as much.

First, I liked the overall story. It was a fun new take on a classic. The constant shifting from land to see that the merpeople can do is interesting and Atlantea being a place that is real in this world is also interesting.

The characters I also liked for the most part and they were all a fun deviation from the Disney version of the same story. The world that the author created both under the sea and the dictatorship society above it were interesting.

Things I didnt like were
A: You dont really get to see ANY of the underwater world or any character outside of the main two with small bits of the father thrown in. I would have loved to see more of that world before going to the world above as it would have created more of a distinct comparison for us readers.
B: Maybe I missed this somewhere in the description or elsewhere but this book was SO religious. I was not expecting so much religion to be thrown throughout it and at the reader. It was not the type of book I expecting to read at all and honestly, would not have read had I known. This is not against books that are religious as I do read them, but I read them when I am in the mood to do so. This one almost feels like I was tricked into it. That being said, while there is a LOT of it throughout, its easy enough to just read the characters and story bits and work around it.

This was such an amazing read! I flew through this book in one afternoon because I could not stop! The characters were so unique and gripping that I really adored them. The author did a great job with keeping the plot moving and avoiding any stale moments. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know!

I really enjoyed this book. It has it all from enemies to lovers, a love triangle, betrayal, adventure, mermaids, a secret community! While there is a lot of world building at the beginning it isn't overwhelming and the descriptions are vivid.

One thing that was really unexpected was the heavy Christianity throughout the book. Life lessons on morals and avoiding the occult were pretty prominent throughout. It didn't detract from the story but it wasn't something I was expecting or looking for either.

I will admit that I did not read the entire blurb. If I had I most likely would NOT have requested it. I prefer my to keep religion out of my books. I do understand that it is a part of our society but I would rather my fantasy books to be just that… a fantasy.

Maybe be upfront that you’re putting you’re religious views in the book.

That being said I couldn’t get into this book and found it very difficult to read.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity

I was excited when I read this book was similar to The Little Mermaid since that has always been my favorite Disney movie ever since I was a child. However, this book did not do it for me. I found myself losing focus multiple times and although the descriptions and narrative style were great, I didn’t connect with the plot.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. The following opinions are my own.

I really struggled with this one. I'll admit it wasn't my favourite one I've read. I didn't really enjoy the writing style and found myself skimming it just so I could finish.