Voice of the Ocean
by Kelsey Impicciche
Summary
As the youngest daughter of the Siren queen, Celeste’s life is tightly controlled. Desperate to prove her worth, she intends to join the Chorus – an elite group of siren warriors. With her final test on the horizon, Celeste must finally gain control over her temperamental Song. But when Celeste encounters a seemingly harmless ship, helmed by the intriguing Prince Raiden Sharp, her path veers towards forbidden waters.
Believing the handsome sailor to be innocent of any wrongdoing, Celeste defies Siren law to save Raiden’s life – despite knowing he is the son of a king who has murdered many of her kindred. The penalty for Celeste’s betrayal should be death, but the queen offers her an alternative: right her wrong by assassinating the prince. Determined to first discover the truth behind the prince’s clandestine mission, Celeste agrees to become human.
The human world is nothing like she expected, nor is the prince the charming and noble man she assumed him to be. But as Celeste finds her place aboard the ship, friendships – and attraction – begin to grow. Will Celeste be able to save herself? Or will her choices unravel a kingdom, devastating sirens and humans alike?
My Review
Stopped the audiobook at the 40% mark.
2 stars based on the portion I read.
Unfortunately, this debut novel didn’t work for me. While the premise was intriguing, the execution fell short. The story read like an unpolished first draft and could have greatly benefited from stronger editing and tighter pacing. It also felt too long for the plot it aimed to tell, with extended descriptions and scenes that didn’t seem to serve the narrative. Too many unnecessary details that I didn’t care about.
Although marketed as a Little Mermaid retelling, it lacked the originality I was hoping for. The early chapters felt like a near scene-for-scene replication rather than a fresh twist on the classic tale. I was expecting a more unique interpretation, but it never really diverged from the familiar beats.
Another element that didn’t work for me was the wokeness that felt heavy-handed. Certain elements felt really forced and unnatural, like a feminist angle and many gay characters. It felt more like they were included to check off woke boxes rather than organically woven into the story.
One highlight for me was the audiobook narration. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life with distinct voices, making it easier to stay engaged. I especially enjoyed her performance of the siren songs—those musical moments added a fun and immersive touch to the listening experience.
Ultimately, I struggled to connect with the characters and found the pacing too slow to stay engaged. I can see the potential in the concept, but it just didn’t come together for me. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend this one. There are other Little Mermaid retellings that offer a more compelling and polished experience.