A standalone adult dark fantasy pirate romance re-telling of The Little Mermaid from the New York Times Bestselling Author of River of Shadows and Blood Orange.
Princess Maren is a woman with a secret.
Ten years ago she sold her soul to the sea witch Edonia, giving up a life underwater in exchange for the love of Prince Aerik on land. But after a decade of abuse and misery inflicted by the cruel prince, Maren wants nothing more than to leave him and her royal role behind and find Edonia to reverse the spell.
An opportunity for escape presents itself when the prince and princess are traveling overseas and are taken hostage by a band of notorious pirates, led by the fearsome Captain Ramsay “Bones” Battista. Maren has heard the sordid stories about the infamous pirate–not only is his ship supposedly haunted and crewed by the damned, but that no prisoners ever survive.
Fortunately for Maren, she learns that the captain also has a score to settle with the sea witch. With any luck, Maren may be able to get her old life back, even if it’s being held in the captain’s wicked hands.
But Ramsay gets more than he bargained for when he learns who–and what–Maren is, and that her appetite for revenge, freedom, and bloodlust rivals his.
Meanwhile Maren finds herself falling for the pirate’s dark nature, even as she discovers that Ramsay has a secret more deadly than her own.
When it comes to the high seas, not all monsters lurk beneath the surface.
Content Warning: Though this is a fantasy, it is also a dark romance with potential triggers. A full list can be found inside the book or on the pinned cover reveal post on IG (authorhalle)
Review by Twinsie Kelly
Wickedly devilish! Being caught between the devil you know and the devil you don’t, can be a terrifying place. Especially when you exist in a space between worlds with nowhere to belong to.
I needed this story! It is a standalone adult dark fantasy pirate romance re-telling of The Little Mermaid, but I have to say that A Ship of Bones and Teeth is SO. MUCH. BETTER! I mean, Syrens and Pirates? Sign me up!
Be prepared when you open this book because it will consume you. For days, all I could think about were Maren and Bones. What was going to happen next? How would they overcome? Will they really turn on each other? Who else will die? And let’s not forget… OMG, how hawt was that?
Maren and Bones are completely different people, but once together, they are intensely drawn together. It’s one of those intense feelings that actually scares you. However, these two really helped each other throughout the story without really realizing it. This has a bit of everything from friendships, sex, kinks, feuds, betrayal, beauty, death, abuse…you name it, it has it! It will even make you smile and laugh!
There are a tremendous number of twists and turns in this retelling, unlike any other I have read. There is nothing that I can say that will prepare you for the consuming obsessive monster you will become until you reach the end of the story. An absolute must read!
Remember: “There are no mistakes. Just choices that took us on a different path.”
Karina Halle is a screenwriter, a former music & travel journalist, and the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, & USA Today bestselling author of River of Shadows, The Royals Next Door, and Black Sunshine, as well as 70 other wild and romantic reads, ranging from light & sexy rom coms to horror/paranormal romance and dark fantasy. Needless to say, whatever genre you’re into, she’s probably written a romance for it. When she’s not traveling, she and her husband split their time between a possibly haunted 120 year-old house in Victoria, BC, and their condo in Los Angeles. She seems a bit boring in her bio but I assure you she’s a big ol’ goof in real life. For more information, visit www.authorkarinahalle.com.