I received a copy of A Ship of Bones and Teeth by Karina Halle from Netgalley. This book is a dark fantasy romance, which is also a retelling of The Little Mermaid. The story follows Princess Maren, who, in her naivety, makes a deal with a sea witch in hopes of marrying a human prince. Now, a decade later, she and her husband (the prince) are taken hostage on a pirate ship captained by Ramsay ‘Bones’ Battista.
The story begins with Princess Maren running away from her kingdom and her family because she doesn’t feel like she belongs amongst other syrens (mermaids). On the run, she finds Prince Eric and a few of his men on an island. She is captivated by him. In her naivety, she makes a deal with a sea witch, Edonia. A decade later, she is married to the prince, who is cruel and abusive. She wants revenge on the witch and leave her husband, but she feels stuck. During a voyage with her husband, they are taken hostage by a group of pirates led by Captain Ramsay ‘Bones’ Battista. Bones hides his own secrets, but Maren finds herself drawn to him.
I enjoyed the world the author created in this book. The blend of the Little Mermaid story with pirates, fantasy, and dark romance is extremely intriguing. The world building in the book almost has a gothic atmosphere with a haunted ship and moody descriptions of the sea. The relationship and romance between Maren and Bones is a slow build, but they are clearly drawn to each other from the beginning. They accept the darkest part of their being without shame and bring out the best in each other, too. Their romance has dark moments because both these characters are morally grey.
The transformation of Maren’s character throughout the story is very satisfying. She is a victim of her innocence, then the prince, and even Bones to an extent. She really finds and embraces herself as the story progresses. Her character brings a lot of emotional depth to the story. Bones is clearly hiding some dark secrets. He has that devil-may-care attitude, but he does have his own code. He is concerned about Maren after witnessing her husband’s treatment of her. In his own way, he is protective and caring. His journey is more about healing, and his relationship with Maren is the path to it.
Overall, I loved reading A Ship of Bones and Teeth by Karina Halle. The characters, romance, and the world created kept me intrigued from start to end. The book is a dark fantasy romance, and it is bold, gritty, and firmly in the grey area. The way the story progresses kept me hooked, and I couldn’t put it down. I really enjoyed reading it.
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