Thank you to Karina Halle, Reckless Reader’s Society, and Literally Yours PR for the ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.
This is a standalone, dark fantasy/romance with monsters as the MC and definitely some spicy scenes. This is the first standalone I have read by Karina (with the other books I have read being part of series or connected universes), and it was an enjoyable experience. It is a dark adult twist on The Little Mermaid and Pirates of the Caribbean, and while it definitely had elements from both of those series, I think it can safely be considered its own thing. Trigger warnings are very important to heed with this book, like all of Karina’s books, and I appreciate how laid out they are at the beginning of the book. I have also put them all down at the bottom of this post.
This book follows Maren, a Syren turned human on her quest to become Syren again, and Ramsay, a pirate seeking revenge against a sea witch. This book has enough predictable elements that you can read it when in a slump & need consistency, but enough variety/change/suspense that you don’t feel as if you have read this book 100 times. I was able to read this book fully in one day, and I would love to read anything else written from this world. I feel as if all of the questions I had were answered by the end of the book, and it had a satisfying ending, but it was a fun world to be in. I was very upset with some of the things that happened (darn growing connected to characters), but I don’t think anything happened in this book that was unexpected/couldn’t be justified.
This book is great if you like: mermaids/sirens, pirates, witches, ~spice~, kink, revenge, and dark romance.
This book is NOT FOR YOU if you have issues with any of the following triggers – which are laid out at the very beginning of the book and I am copying them exactly: “physical and emotional domestic abuse on page (not by the MC), suicidal ideation, death of a loved one, blood, gore, senseless violence, witchcraft, dubious consent within uneven power dynamics, hero who is very possessive, predatory and rough-handed with the heroine (he brands her with a hot iron, just saying) and their romance could possibly be labeled “toxic” (again, he is a pirate and she is a monster), explicit dirty talk, and all characters are very morally grey and flawed in general, of course there’s murder, torture, blasphemous cursing and foul language, abuse of power, and graphic sex scenes which feature spanking, ropes, bondage (in chains), being gagged, captive and captor situations, primal kink, and some might even deride this book to be “dark fantasy porn.”” The screenshot below shows what it says exactly in the KU copy.
This book isn’t all sex all the time, but it is very important to note these things as some people are very sensitive to this kind of content, especially without warning – I am one of them so I appreciate it.
Overall I would give this book a 4/5 – not my favorite book I have read by Karina but definitely an enjoyable storyline if you are looking for a standalone.
BLURB
When it comes to the high seas, not all monsters lurk beneath the surface. A Ship Of Bones & Teeth, an all-new gothic, dark fantasy romance, and retelling of The Little Mermaid from New York Times bestselling author Karina Halle is available now!
SYNOPSIS
Princess Maren is a woman with a secret.
When she was just 16-years old, 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.
Start reading today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/ashipofbones&teeth
Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/shipbonesteeth
Preview of the book!
“You have my heart Maren, but do I have yours? Do I truly claim you in that way, more than just a brand
on your hip, more than my possessiveness , more than just the way I join with your body? Are you
willingly claimed? Do you give your heart to me in return?” She reaches up and touches my face lightly, a
sweet smile on her lips. “Yes, I give you my heart, Ramsay.”
“I don’t know what you’ve done to me,” he says again, shaking his head slightly, awe in his gaze .
“You’re more than the answer to my prayers. You’re the answer to prayers I never knew I had. You’re an
enchantment , a treasure, a powerful curse in its own right and I am one hundred per cent under your
spell.”
You are a stunning abyss of a creature…one that I could spend eons swimming in and never get to the
bottom of.”
“You’re a fever in my soul, for which there is no cure.”
“I make no false claims when it comes to you, luv, you belong to me body and soul, heart and spirit.”
“Some might say he speaks straight from the Devil but I’m discovering I like what the Devil has to say.”
“Keep your hands on me, luv, I’ve been dying to be worshipped by you.”
I know I will only end up making her hate me more in the end. Our destiny is suited for monsters.
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