This was such a miss and massive disappointment. I had to DNF at 36% because it had some MAJOR writing issues (listed below), and it just wasn'tinteresting to me. That said, I normally love any and all Little Mermaid retellings, but I just could not get interested in this one, and I think it's because of the writing errors throwing me off. These writing issues are huge. and I honestly don't understand how this made it to NetGalley and to ARC readers, or how an editor/ proofreader didn't catch these blatantly obvious errors. I truly missed my calling because I can't NOT notice these things, and it makes me hate a book so fast when it happens more than once.

First, in chapter 2, at only 4% into this book, our main mermaid, Celeste, is living underwater, swimming in the ocean with her tail, and a shark comes out and is hunting her. The shark "dove for her legs." WHAT LEGS DOES THIS MERMAID HAVE UNDERWATER?!?!? Uhg. Major eye roll and irritation, but whatever. I kept reading, hoping it would get better.

Second, by chapter 11, Celeste is on land, learning how to walk with her new legs, courtesy of the sea witch, where she is described as naked, and mentions asking the sea witch if she needed clothes, when a human finds her and says "what are you doing out here, where are your clothes", (remember, she's naked) and then a few paragraphs later, that same human "gripped her armor on either side and pulled, as if to rip down the front laces. The bodice, which was made of strong stingray leather, did not budge. " HOW DID SHE GO FROM BEING NAKED TO HAVING A WHOLE THING OF ARMOR THAT COULD BE TAKEN OFF LIKE CLOTHES?!?!?!

After painstakingly making it to 36%, I just can't deal with this writing. Part of me wants to finish this story to see how many more issues I spot, but I'm sure the editor got paid to do so. I am so sorry for not finishing this, but I hope this review makes it to NetGalley and this books publisher so they can improve on their process for filtering ARCs/editors before giving it to readers to rate and review. This is a ⭐️ for me.

Voice of the Ocean has such an interesting concept and sell: the main character Celeste is a siren who wants out of her restricted life, and will do anything to escape her predetermined future. To do that, she desires to become part of the siren "Chorus": the warrior group made up of elite siren warriors that protect her kind. While training to pass the test to become the newest member, she chooses to rescue a human sailor who has been thrown overboard his ship and is about to drown. Celeste's choice to save a human is strictly forbidden within her world, and to return back to the good graces of her community she is ordered to become human and kill that same sailor, who it turns out is the son of the king who murdered many of her siren-kind.

The premise of this book is so interesting, and I think it's a fresh take on the Little Mermaid fairytale. However, despite having so much promise, and although I still liked the story on the whole, it took until the last third of the book for the plot to start moving and for the magic system to really start shining. I felt like the pacing of the story could have been planned out better, but I am hopeful that book two is better paced and that it focuses more on the magic system!

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for a digital copy of this book, and the chance to read and review it! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My first impression reading this book was that it was a little TOO close to the fairy tale upon which it is based. Throughout the first few chapters, I could only picture the Disney version Ariel and Prince Eric and all the other side characters. (I kept waiting to figure out who was Flounder and Sebastian!) But as I kept reading and the book started deviating from the lore, it got much more interesting to me. I loved the ragtag group of pirates, the scenes where Celeste explores the human world, and the brief moments where we get information about the Siren lore that complicate the plot even further. I'm hopeful to see more of this in what I believe will be a book 2.

However, I didn't see any marketing that this would be a series, so assumed it was a standalone. While that isn't necessarily an issue for me, usually in book 1 there are smaller conflicts that get resolved, but larger, more complex conflicts emerge that need to be resolved in future books. By the end of this book, a few loose ends are tied up, but I felt like it ended rather abruptly.

I enjoyed the banter between Celeste and Raiden, but their relationship arc confused me. She starts the book fascinated and clearly into him, and then betrays her people to save him (with several opportunities to opt out). While I definitely saw the author painting her as altruistic and compassionate to creatures, when she meets Raiden again, she instantly sees him as the enemy. Her mission may have complicated her view of him, but I was surprised to hear her say she had no affective for him. Her emotions for him felt a little too much like a yo-yo, which again, makes sense plot wise, but just read a little too confusing for me! Despite that, I liked how their relationship grew on their voyage together and will be hoping to read more of that in book 2!

This was such an amazing book, I was hooked very early on in it. I love the characters and how the events unfolded were so fluid. Absolutely a fan, hope there is a second one!

This is a rather more adult reimagined version of the Little Mermaid and I thought the characters were very cleverly written and romance aspect was quite welll done without being forced and a rag tag bunch of fun pirates who add to the flavor of the tale. Also the dog is a key point in adorableness . Overall, a great book, and. A great retelling.

I really, really enjoyed this book. As a massive fan of the little mermaid, this was such a good inspired fantasy. It pays homage to the story of little mermaid, while still being wholly its own. I can’t wait for the second one!

This is such a fun example of two of my worlds colliding. I have been a simmer since the original The Sims released and the author of this book is a famous YouTuber whom I have been following since I discovered there were actually other people who loved The Sims and shared their gameplay and stories online. Needless to say, as a simmer, Impicciche is a master weaver of stories. So when she announced she was writing a book, I had the highest expectations.

While it started a little slow and there were a few things that stuck out to me as cliche, my thoughts quickly changed once we really got to the heart of the story. This book had everything I wanted in a Little Mermaid inspired read: mermaids and pirates, adventure, twists and turns, and even a little romance. I'd consider this to be a YA novel, as it was super wholesome and no spice at all.

With Impicciche's love of a little spicy romance novel, I was surprised that there was hardly any romance other than a couple of kisses, a hand brush here, and a stare across the room there. Definitely an EXTREMELY slow burn. These are things I don't typically enjoy, however, there was so much else going on in this story that it didn't really bother me, per say, but I do wish there was maybe a BIT more between them.

To give you a bit more about what the story is, we follow Celeste, one of the siren princesses of Staria. In true Ariel fashion, she longs for something more than the life of a royal. She trains hard to become a member of the Chorus — a group of warrior sirens who use their song to protect the kingdom from danger. However, on her first mission as a trainee, she sees it fit to save the prince, his right hand, and his dog, the Admiral, and goes against the laws and morals of her people by doing so. She is banished until she can return with the prince's head, killed by her own hands. Not sure where else to turn, she pays a visit to the sea witch, who changes her into a human in exchange for a "favor" that can be redeemed as she wishes. Celeste agrees and finds herself in a port where Prince Raiden and his crew are saddling up to take a second try for the treasure they seek. In an effort to acquire information and kill the prince, she joins the crew and the adventure begins.

I don't want to give too much away, because I do strongly recommend this book. It had so many wonderful things going on and Impicchice's writing was easy to read, but still enjoyable and intricate.

There was one thing that I wish I'd been prepared for — the ending. It was like watching the series finale of the Sopranos. (IYKYK). If you don't — HUGE cliffhanger. Stopped in the middle of the story. I literally would have rather this been a 600 page book than splitting it up, especially now that I had finished it before it was even release, who knows when the next book will come out!

Needless to say, this was a very solid four stars from me. I really, very much enjoyed it and it was really fun to read a book by an author that I feel like I know. Even though I've obviously never met her, I've been watching her videos for years and, as I'm sure we've all experienced, good YouTubers make you feel like you're friends even though they definitely don't know you exist personally, haha. Although she DID like my IG comment, which was super cool and a great end to this review! Can't wait for the next book in the series!

The biggest thank you to Kelsey Impicciche and Blackstone Publishing for allowing me to read this early!

I have been following Kelsey since her days at Buzzfeed. It's been so rewarding watching her journey to getting this debut novel published. And what a debut it is! I wasn't sure what to expect of her first novel. It's one thing to enjoy watching her videos playing the Sims, but it's a whole other thing reading an entire book by her. But Kelsey delivered on what she promised. A fresh take on The Little Mermaid with swashbuckling pirates? Yes. Found family and a bit of enemies to lovers? She's got you covered.

I loved following Celeste's growth as a character. She's a precious, emotional little moonbeam, full of so many doubts and insecurities, which is just so relatable. Despite all of that, and maybe a little because of it too, she is also strong. Everything just made her character feel so real. Raiden, is a fun love interest, although he does remind me quite a bit of Rhysand from ACOTAR. I'm honestly not even a little surprised, though, since that's one of Kelsey's favorite series. Still, he's distinct enough that he's not a carbon copy. I could go on about each individual character, but honestly, they're all fun.

I also really enjoyed her world building. The kingdom of Staria and the siren culture was very fascinating. I was enjoying the lore behind everything and look forward to even more of it in the sequel.


My one complaint? I now have to wait for the second book for who knows how long. Please don't keep us waiting too long Kelsey!!!

I've known for years that Kelsey Impicciche could tell a damn good story, but this takes it to a whole other level. As someone who has watched Kelsey weekly since her Buzzfeed days (being able to take Sims and make me care about hundreds of children), when I saw Kelsey was writing a book I KNEW it was going to be outstanding.

We follow Celeste, a young siren, who give up her dream as being a warrior member of the Chorus to save two humans and their dog (yes I pictured Kelsey's dog the entire time). In order to be accepted back into her kingdom, Celeste agrees to kill the very prince she saved.

I am usually wary when a character is experiencing the world that we are used to for the first time. But the way Kelsey describes seeing a dog's ears flopping for the first time or trying to figure out what a watch is used for keeps the magic of the story alive.

My main issue with Voice of the Ocean is that I didn't know it was going to be a series. I am not against reading unfinished series, but I would prefer to know that a story is not going to have a clean ending before I go in.

If you are looking for a world of sirens, pirates, romance, and an adorable dog named Admiral, then you NEED to pick up Voice of the Ocean.

Rating this 1 star because I genuinely could not finish it. I had such high hopes for this book, but it did not feel original at all. It immediately started off on the wrong foot when it was like she copied and pasted the opening scene of Disney's "The Little Mermaid," from the way the dog reacts to Celeste to her watching the men on the ship, and even down to her noticing human trinkets.

In addition to the blatant plagiarism, it's just poorly written. The author's target audience is her YouTube followers which is mostly people around her age, young adults, and some older teens, but this reads as though it was written for third graders. The pacing of the sentences is horrible, and clunky and the pacing is awful. This is by far the biggest disappointment of any book I've read, period.

If you're a fan of The Little Mermaid, you should definitely pick up this book. It's a beautifully done retelling that stays true to the original lore while introducing a unique world and intriguing twists. Readers will surely root for Celeste as she embarks on her journey to the human world and discovers what it has to offer.

✨ Standout Themes: Discovery, Romance, Fate
🛑 Content Warnings:
⭐️ Rating: 5/5
Would I recommend? Yes, any mermaid fan should read this book!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ /5 – A Dark, Romantic, and Fresh Take on a Classic Tale

Kelsey Impicciche’s Voice of the Ocean is a captivating reimagining of The Little Mermaid, blending sirens 🧜‍♀️, pirates 🏴‍☠️, and a touch of darkness into a tale that feels both familiar and entirely new.​

While the story starts at a slow-ish pace, it truly gains momentum once Celeste becomes part of Raiden's crew. From that point on, the narrative is filled with unexpected twists that keep the reader engaged, offering a refreshing departure from the traditional fairytale. The inclusion of sirens and pirates especially adds layers of intrigue and excitement, infusing the story with a darker tone that elevates it beyond a typical PG-rated retelling.​

The romance between Celeste and Raiden is both sweet and appropriate for a YA audience, making it a perfect recommendation for high school students. As a teacher 🍎, I appreciate stories that balance romantic elements with age-appropriate content, and this novel does just that.​ I will absolutely be recommending this to my high school students to read!

Celeste and Raiden are compelling protagonists. Celeste's emotional depth and her tendency to process challenges with vulnerability, rather than immediate action, offer a refreshing perspective. She's not the girl to go in guns-a-blazing, but she is still strong and capable, which is nice to see. Her character feels authentic and relatable, especially for readers who value emotional resilience.​

Overall, Voice of the Ocean is a must-read for fans of twisted fairytales, adventure, and subtle romance. Its unique blend of familiar themes and innovative storytelling makes it a standout addition to the YA fantasy genre.

Thanks to Netgalley, Kelsey Impicciche, and her publisher for access to the advanced reader copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book! 😊
I thought this was solid for a debut novel and there were a lot of things I liked about this book. I liked the characters and thought they were well developed. The little mermaid aspects mixed with pirates was also fun to read. I liked the romance parts and found myself wanting more of them. I felt the pacing in this was off and there were a few too many descriptions. I found myself getting bored about halfway through. Overall this was a good, fun read and I’d read more.

This book! Such a fun introduction to a new world. I loved the setting and the characters. The way Celeste’s sensitivity is portrayed later in the book as a strength rather than a weakness really spoke to me. I enjoyed the pirates and the found family aspect. It formed a really sweet and wholesome read.

I do feel like some areas lacked depth where I would’ve liked more. The writing was very atmospheric though and I was immersed in the world in an exciting way. I felt that the setup for a solid fantasy series was there and I can’t wait to see where Kelsey takes this series going forward. It was a strong foundation with a lovable cast that had me smiling the whole way through!

In this Little Mermaid retelling, Celeste needs to prove herself to her kingdom after a botched attack on a human ship. She only has one chance left so she disguises herself as a human and somehow finds herself a position on Raiden’s crew for his next big score. Will Celeste finally meet her family’s expectations?
I loved the Little Mermaid so I was really intrigued by the synopsis. I’ve read other retellings before but this had an original spin to it that I really enjoyed. If you’re like me and love found family mixed with a good enemies-to-lovers trope, big secrets, and good twists then this is for you. It did feel a little slow in the beginning but it picked up and provided an ending that has me absolutely begging for the next book. I need to know what happens!
Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC!

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.