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Timeless Fairy Tales #5
The Little Selkie
Dylan—a selkie—makes a terrible mistake when she brashly chases an evil sea witch onto land. Captured and stripped of her pelt—leaving her unable to return to the sea in her sea lion body—Dylan’s only chance of survival is to serve as the sea witch’s tool. Instead of allowing the sea witch to use her selkie ability to control water, Dylan asks a wandering enchantress to seal her voice, rendering her unable to use her selkie magic. Stranded—with no allies and no way to contact her family—Dylan fears she will never successfully steal her pelt back.
Luckily, Dylan is not alone. She is befriended by Prince Callan, a kind, human prince whose country is being pulverized by the sea witch. Combining the strength of humans and the intelligence of the selkies, the pair unites to save their people.
But when the storm is over will Dylan choose to stay with Callan, or return to the sea and leave him behind…forever?
THE LITTLE SELKIE is a retelling of The Little Mermaid. It is a story of distrust, friendship, and unexpected love, and it is part of TIMELESS FAIRY TALES. The books in this series take place in the same world and can be read all together, or as individual, stand-alone stories. If you enjoy strong female leads, selkies, and sweet romance, download a sample or buy THE LITTLE SELKIE today!
Luckily, Dylan is not alone. She is befriended by Prince Callan, a kind, human prince whose country is being pulverized by the sea witch. Combining the strength of humans and the intelligence of the selkies, the pair unites to save their people.
But when the storm is over will Dylan choose to stay with Callan, or return to the sea and leave him behind…forever?
THE LITTLE SELKIE is a retelling of The Little Mermaid. It is a story of distrust, friendship, and unexpected love, and it is part of TIMELESS FAIRY TALES. The books in this series take place in the same world and can be read all together, or as individual, stand-alone stories. If you enjoy strong female leads, selkies, and sweet romance, download a sample or buy THE LITTLE SELKIE today!
272 pages, Paperback
First published April 21, 2015
About the author
K.M. Shea
115 books4,166 followersMy pen name is K. M. Shea, but my readers—I prefer to call them Champions—call me Kitty.
I love to write funny, clean stories with strong characters. Books like that are among my favorite to read so naturally I love writing stories like that as well. My philosophy is that life is tough, so books should be something that makes you relax and laugh!
VISIT MY FACEBOOK GROUP
https://www.facebook.com/groups/27090...
VISIT MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
https://www.amazon.com/K-M-Shea/e/B00...
VISIT MY WEBSITE
https://kmshea.com/
I love to write funny, clean stories with strong characters. Books like that are among my favorite to read so naturally I love writing stories like that as well. My philosophy is that life is tough, so books should be something that makes you relax and laugh!
VISIT MY FACEBOOK GROUP
https://www.facebook.com/groups/27090...
VISIT MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
https://www.amazon.com/K-M-Shea/e/B00...
VISIT MY WEBSITE
https://kmshea.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 219 reviews
April 3, 2016
I absolutely adore K.M. Shea's books and The Little Selkie was no exception!
First off, I love how the girl's name is Dylan. Not sure why, but I do. Next, she's always eating which makes for some really amusing situations. Since Dylan is a selkie who gets marooned on land and forced to interact with humans, she's not at all familiar with them which again, leads to much hilarity.
I don't even think I could pick a favorite character. Dylan was awesome, as was Callan. But then along come Cagney and Dooley. I don't even know if I can describe those two. They must be experienced first hand. I even like two minor characters who had maybe three lines between them. They're all really well developed and have their own unique voice.
The storyline was great. It's a Little Mermaid retelling, so you know the gist of it going in, but Shea still manages plenty of twists and surprises. The romance was completely and utterly adorable. I love the world she has created for her Timeless Fairytales. It's definitely climbing up in the ranks of favorite series.
If you like fairy tales and retelling, stories that are really sweet and full of humor and clean romance, then check this book (and the rest of the series) out. You won't be disappointed.
First off, I love how the girl's name is Dylan. Not sure why, but I do. Next, she's always eating which makes for some really amusing situations. Since Dylan is a selkie who gets marooned on land and forced to interact with humans, she's not at all familiar with them which again, leads to much hilarity.
I don't even think I could pick a favorite character. Dylan was awesome, as was Callan. But then along come Cagney and Dooley. I don't even know if I can describe those two. They must be experienced first hand. I even like two minor characters who had maybe three lines between them. They're all really well developed and have their own unique voice.
The storyline was great. It's a Little Mermaid retelling, so you know the gist of it going in, but Shea still manages plenty of twists and surprises. The romance was completely and utterly adorable. I love the world she has created for her Timeless Fairytales. It's definitely climbing up in the ranks of favorite series.
If you like fairy tales and retelling, stories that are really sweet and full of humor and clean romance, then check this book (and the rest of the series) out. You won't be disappointed.
June 2, 2015
A magical under the sea story
This story was just perfect!!! I loved it so much. K. M. Shea didn't let me down with this one. I might even say it's my second favorite after Cinderella and the Colonel. It was such an amazing and creative retelling. *sigh* just perfect!
Okay so I love K. M. Shea's writing. I've read a lot of her books and have enjoyed most of them. They are just so cute and engaging. She has this really lyrical storytelling voice. She makes all of her stories seem magical and fantastical which fits perfect for her topic seeing as how most of them are fairy tales. I can't get enough of her writing and plan on reading her all her future books.
The plot was prefect. The Little Mermaid is one of my favorite Disney films, but one of my least favorite from the Grimm Brothers. I like how Shea took a little bit of both stories to create hers as well as adding her own ideas to the mix. The Little Selkie is unique. I think I preferred the Selkie element to it more than the originals Mermaid tale. The Selkie culture and beliefs fit Shea's world better and added to a more interesting story. Everything about this was just great. I also have to add that I love all the connections to the other stories in the series. I always jump for joy when I hear a little bit about my favorite princesses and princes and mages! (*cough* Stil :D)
The characters were great. Dylan was a strong and well brash girl, but I loved her. Her constant hunger was funny and her confusion over human customs was great. Reading about her adaptation was interesting as you got to see her growth as a character. She became wiser, taking her time to think before she acted. Prince Cal was perfect. He was sweet and kind, but also a strong leader and a good future king. The other secondary characters were good too. I loved the relationship between Lord Doley and Carnegy. They were so funny. Those two just need to kiss already!!!!
All in all, this book is a must read for fairy tale lovers. It's funny and clever, sweet and fun, engaging and thrilling. Give it a go. Especially if you love The Little Mermaid. Enjoy!
This story was just perfect!!! I loved it so much. K. M. Shea didn't let me down with this one. I might even say it's my second favorite after Cinderella and the Colonel. It was such an amazing and creative retelling. *sigh* just perfect!
Okay so I love K. M. Shea's writing. I've read a lot of her books and have enjoyed most of them. They are just so cute and engaging. She has this really lyrical storytelling voice. She makes all of her stories seem magical and fantastical which fits perfect for her topic seeing as how most of them are fairy tales. I can't get enough of her writing and plan on reading her all her future books.
The plot was prefect. The Little Mermaid is one of my favorite Disney films, but one of my least favorite from the Grimm Brothers. I like how Shea took a little bit of both stories to create hers as well as adding her own ideas to the mix. The Little Selkie is unique. I think I preferred the Selkie element to it more than the originals Mermaid tale. The Selkie culture and beliefs fit Shea's world better and added to a more interesting story. Everything about this was just great. I also have to add that I love all the connections to the other stories in the series. I always jump for joy when I hear a little bit about my favorite princesses and princes and mages! (*cough* Stil :D)
The characters were great. Dylan was a strong and well brash girl, but I loved her. Her constant hunger was funny and her confusion over human customs was great. Reading about her adaptation was interesting as you got to see her growth as a character. She became wiser, taking her time to think before she acted. Prince Cal was perfect. He was sweet and kind, but also a strong leader and a good future king. The other secondary characters were good too. I loved the relationship between Lord Doley and Carnegy. They were so funny. Those two just need to kiss already!!!!
All in all, this book is a must read for fairy tale lovers. It's funny and clever, sweet and fun, engaging and thrilling. Give it a go. Especially if you love The Little Mermaid. Enjoy!
January 1, 2020
The Little Selkie is currently my favorite book by K.M. Shea, although at first, I was worried I wouldn't like it. While I enjoyed the first chapter when we meet Dylan as a sea otter and witness her rescue of Prince Callan, the chapters following it detailing Dylan’s capture were rather slow. But the moment Dylan meets Prince Callan and becomes his guest at the summer palace, the story became thoroughly engaging.
I really liked Dylan, which surprised me as I'm not usually fond of brash characters, but Dylan was so cute and charming. Watching her experience all the wonders of the human world for the first time was utterly delightful. I loved her confusion over human customs, her commentary about the ‘landers’, how she was constantly hungry, her self-assurance in not caring what others thought of her, her love and devotion to her family and the sea, and the childlike delight she had when experiencing new things for the first time. Despite her voice being sealed for the majority of the story, she was able to communicate incredibly well and in often endearing or humorous ways. She also experienced really satisfying character growth.
I loved Prince Callan, who was so sweet and kind, and really related to his struggles to socialize how he felt a prince ought. His romance with Dylan was adorable, although very subtle. I wished we had seen more scenes between the two. That’s something I feel is often lacking in K.M. Shea’s romances. But I still thoroughly enjoyed the plot, reminiscent of The Little Mermaid, but adding so many creative twists and elements that made it its own tale, especially considering Dylan was a selkie rather than a mermaid. The ocean and tranquil beach settings were wonderful and I loved learning more about selkie culture and Dylan’s water magic. The sea witch thankfully played a minor role, which I always appreciate. One aspect of the ending was utterly heartbreaking, but it still ends in a happily ever after.
Other than the slow beginning, I enjoyed every aspect of the story except for the subplot of Dooley and Cagney’s romance, not because I didn't like them as individual characters, but because I didn't like them together. Dooley was often ridiculous and Cagney was so antagonistic; her constant berating him made it hard for me to believe she cared for Dooley at all, and other than her increased blushing around him, she didn’t seem to soften towards him throughout the story. I wish their romance subplot had been more cute and sweet rather than hostile.
Despite that, overall I thought The Little Selkie was an adorable fairy tale retelling of The Little Mermaid, one that was fun, cute, and unique. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely reread it in the future.
I really liked Dylan, which surprised me as I'm not usually fond of brash characters, but Dylan was so cute and charming. Watching her experience all the wonders of the human world for the first time was utterly delightful. I loved her confusion over human customs, her commentary about the ‘landers’, how she was constantly hungry, her self-assurance in not caring what others thought of her, her love and devotion to her family and the sea, and the childlike delight she had when experiencing new things for the first time. Despite her voice being sealed for the majority of the story, she was able to communicate incredibly well and in often endearing or humorous ways. She also experienced really satisfying character growth.
I loved Prince Callan, who was so sweet and kind, and really related to his struggles to socialize how he felt a prince ought. His romance with Dylan was adorable, although very subtle. I wished we had seen more scenes between the two. That’s something I feel is often lacking in K.M. Shea’s romances. But I still thoroughly enjoyed the plot, reminiscent of The Little Mermaid, but adding so many creative twists and elements that made it its own tale, especially considering Dylan was a selkie rather than a mermaid. The ocean and tranquil beach settings were wonderful and I loved learning more about selkie culture and Dylan’s water magic. The sea witch thankfully played a minor role, which I always appreciate. One aspect of the ending was utterly heartbreaking, but it still ends in a happily ever after.
Other than the slow beginning, I enjoyed every aspect of the story except for the subplot of Dooley and Cagney’s romance, not because I didn't like them as individual characters, but because I didn't like them together. Dooley was often ridiculous and Cagney was so antagonistic; her constant berating him made it hard for me to believe she cared for Dooley at all, and other than her increased blushing around him, she didn’t seem to soften towards him throughout the story. I wish their romance subplot had been more cute and sweet rather than hostile.
Despite that, overall I thought The Little Selkie was an adorable fairy tale retelling of The Little Mermaid, one that was fun, cute, and unique. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely reread it in the future.
January 29, 2023
Started this one last night and finished this morning, another fun and super quick read!
I was really glad Shea decided to use selkies instead of mermaids - although it was a bit odd that the MC, Princess Dylan, took her water form as a sea lion instead of a seal. I get that it represented that she understood about being different etc - but why was her voice the best of all her sisters? Sea lions' barks aren't exactly melodious! (I also found it strange that she was called Dylan when all her sisters were 'M' names after their father King M - Maureen, M, M, M - which was explained because they wanted her to be a boy but it was also... strange? I dunno why it bugged me lol!). This book was set in Ringsted, which appeared to be Irish based on the names (Darra, Kellah, Jarlath, Eirnin, Nessa, Yseult, Rory, Eitan, Nessa, Viggo, Oison, Morri, Doyle) - I do like to have some continuity!
Again, we have some repeat characters; Angelique is the one to take Dylan's voice, because she actually asks her too - which is an interesting twist. The sea witch, Yseult, had the potential to manipulate her singing if she had a voice so she asked the enchantress in training to remove her voice... and only true love's kiss will undo it! (That is the only spell in her repertoire after all!)
The timescale was a little confusing - two years passed between Dylan saving Prince Callan from a shipwreck, and then her meeting the seawitch and having her pelt taken (a selkie cannot transform without their pelt), which really wasn't made clear as (as far as I could make out at least!).
There were other changes to The Little Mermaid's structure, but I think after reading Louise O Neill's The Surface Breaks I feel a bit spoiled, and it was hard not to compare the two.
One odd thing was it was repeatedly commented on how much Dylan ate and how hungry she was, suggesting... what exactly? I thought it might be a comment on court ladies meant to be slim/not greedy, but she ate more than the men as well. Also . There was a theory that as a selkie she needed to eat more because she had two forms but
Entertaining enough.
I was really glad Shea decided to use selkies instead of mermaids - although it was a bit odd that the MC, Princess Dylan, took her water form as a sea lion instead of a seal. I get that it represented that she understood about being different etc - but why was her voice the best of all her sisters? Sea lions' barks aren't exactly melodious! (I also found it strange that she was called Dylan when all her sisters were 'M' names after their father King M - Maureen, M, M, M - which was explained because they wanted her to be a boy but it was also... strange? I dunno why it bugged me lol!). This book was set in Ringsted, which appeared to be Irish based on the names (Darra, Kellah, Jarlath, Eirnin, Nessa, Yseult, Rory, Eitan, Nessa, Viggo, Oison, Morri, Doyle) - I do like to have some continuity!
Again, we have some repeat characters; Angelique is the one to take Dylan's voice, because she actually asks her too - which is an interesting twist. The sea witch, Yseult, had the potential to manipulate her singing if she had a voice so she asked the enchantress in training to remove her voice... and only true love's kiss will undo it! (That is the only spell in her repertoire after all!)
The timescale was a little confusing - two years passed between Dylan saving Prince Callan from a shipwreck, and then her meeting the seawitch and having her pelt taken (a selkie cannot transform without their pelt), which really wasn't made clear as (as far as I could make out at least!).
There were other changes to The Little Mermaid's structure, but I think after reading Louise O Neill's The Surface Breaks I feel a bit spoiled, and it was hard not to compare the two.
One odd thing was it was repeatedly commented on how much Dylan ate and how hungry she was, suggesting... what exactly? I thought it might be a comment on court ladies meant to be slim/not greedy, but she ate more than the men as well. Also . There was a theory that as a selkie she needed to eat more because she had two forms but
Entertaining enough.
October 30, 2020
10\10\16 Re-read!(it was still pretty fantastic!)
This was maybe my second favorite in the series, and was only very narrowly beaten out by Beauty and the Beast, and that story has been a personal favorite of mine for years. This was a wonderful retelling of The Little Mermaid that was creative, witty, cute, and fun! I loved Dylan and her ability to take insults in a stride and usually only get angry on other people's behalf, her love for food, and the way that she reacts to "landers"! Her love and devotion to the sea and her family is touching, even though she doesn't necessarily listen to them! Did I mention her love for food?! It's absolutely hilarious! Callen was great, although His possessiveness was slightly grating at times, since he didn't actually start courting Dylan till near the end of the book. That ending was great too! It left me wanting more, but I was laughing so I was somewhat mollified.
Oh, and Dooley+Cagney=cutest couple ever! I loved them and their interactions,so adorable! Everybody was very well fleshed out, and I loved all of them!
Very highly recommended!
This was maybe my second favorite in the series, and was only very narrowly beaten out by Beauty and the Beast, and that story has been a personal favorite of mine for years. This was a wonderful retelling of The Little Mermaid that was creative, witty, cute, and fun! I loved Dylan and her ability to take insults in a stride and usually only get angry on other people's behalf, her love for food, and the way that she reacts to "landers"! Her love and devotion to the sea and her family is touching, even though she doesn't necessarily listen to them! Did I mention her love for food?! It's absolutely hilarious! Callen was great, although His possessiveness was slightly grating at times, since he didn't actually start courting Dylan till near the end of the book. That ending was great too! It left me wanting more, but I was laughing so I was somewhat mollified.
Oh, and Dooley+Cagney=cutest couple ever! I loved them and their interactions,so adorable! Everybody was very well fleshed out, and I loved all of them!
Very highly recommended!
June 14, 2023
4.5 stars!!!
Sweet retelling of the Little Mermaid! I like that she is a sea lion selkie and not a mermaid. The sea witch is not the only villain. The relationship is slow burn, but really cute. Everything is not what it seems. Recommend. ❤️
Sweet retelling of the Little Mermaid! I like that she is a sea lion selkie and not a mermaid. The sea witch is not the only villain. The relationship is slow burn, but really cute. Everything is not what it seems. Recommend. ❤️
May 14, 2015
K.M.Shea gets better every book she writes :) The characters were great, so was the plot. There were a few typos but not bad enough to spoil the story.
:D Hilarious :D
:D Hilarious :D
June 12, 2022
That was the best Little Mermaid retelling I’ve ever read.
August 9, 2018
I have read all (10, all that are out currently: although I assume she's writing more than 10 after that ending...) of the books in this series. (what, I had a slow week...)
I'm only going to review this one because it's my favourite, but I'll give you a rundown of the entire series here because. I can't be bothered to be quite honest.
3.5/5
Tl;dr a good, light read with funny characters, but nothing to write home about.
This book is fun. It's a take on the little mermaid that has enough elements of the original that you won't be terribly surprised, but makes lots of changes that make it interesting. Like, the princess has a way to communicate with others (novel). The reason this is my favourite book of the series is because of the protagonist, Dylan. Despite her unfortunate name, she's funny and unique as a ya heroine. Even though i was disappointed when her "exotic looks" turned out to be...orange hair and blue-green eyes, she's still interesting and fun, possessing great height and an insatiable appetite, as well as a disdain for mind games of any kind. some of the book's best parts are her shutting down what is meant to be a devastating insult, simply by not caring. It's nice to have an example of someone who is assured enough to ignore catty remarks.
The prince was likable as well, but not without flaws, which was good. He was a genuinely good person, which is the only love interest worth a hill of beans. Love interests who aren't complete piles of trash are sadly absent in ya fiction so I commend the author for this. The prince wasn't quite so interesting as Dylan though, so we'll leave it at that.
The book also has the best side characters of any of the books, in Dooley and Cagney (why the names, though? why??) and they are a delight, and the reason this book stands out from the others.
Now for cons: after all, I only gave the story 3.5 stars.
This author does a peculiar thing where she gives the characters certain traits and then plays those up the entire time. I'm not saying that her characters are necessarily flat, but they definitely aren't deep either. They're somewhere in the middle, which is what keeps this story from really shining. Perhaps it's the brevity of the books or the simplicity of the plots, but it's easy to assign one or two traits to each character, especially the princes in the series. "Noble" could be one, or "good" even. The girls are a little more varied (not in appearance LOL) but still seem a bit one-dimensional to me.
This book is a good read for anyone who enjoys fairy tale retellings, honestly. I think most people would enjoy it on some level, and it isn't necessary to have read the others (though there is some character overlap and a v confusing overarching plot that is very vaguely mentioned throughout the books)
A rundown of the rest of the books, for people who are interested in them:
These books are light, age-appropriate romance stories with really boring covers. They're nice for younger teen girls, and I deeply appreciated that they were appropriate, I did. It has the kissing scenes and the descriptions of feelings when you see your love that you would expect in a book such as this. Don't be surprised.
A lot of the protagonists (male and female) are blonde and have striking blue eyes. It's tiresome. As a random internet quote says, Brown eyes are just brown eyes...until you love someone with brown eyes. And I love brown eyes, so give brown eyes a chance. poor things. Frankly I'm tired of blue eyes. There's nothing wrong with them but like most of the population of the world has brown eyes so. It's a little unrealistic. Just saying.
The characters were interesting for the most part, the girls definitely more than their prince counterparts. This author does well with side characters and interesting personality quirks.
The books didn't get as repetitive as I was afraid of, although there was some repetition of course; no author can escape it, especially when writing ten books. Each book had a little something different to add, and a thread of a plot that goes all the way through the series (Woefully underdeveloped, in my opinion). They really are hit and miss, and I'll go through which are my favourites and which...aren't.
The first book, a Beauty and the beast retelling, was just very strange. Something about it was off to me and it's a wonder that I kept reading. the romance was not to my liking, and the fact that the prince basically looked like a giant cat was really weird.
The second book, The Wild Swans, was The Worst. Stay away if you can. The author was trying to be unique and interesting by doing a choose your own adventure thing at the end, where you can choose who the heroine ends up with. The problem with this is that in doing so, she takes the romance out of the rest of the book so I didn't feel right choosing either of the boys. Add that to the fact that these characters show up in other books, and it's just...awkward. It's very awkward and strange. I don't fault her for trying this but...let's not do it ever again. (A stand-alone book would have been a bit better of a choice for this interesting experiment)
The third book, cinderella and the colonel, was also strange and I didn't like it especially well. Cinderella is a fine character, and she's trying to save her estate, the only estate left in her entire country, from basically being annexed into another country that has just conquered them. She falls in love with the prince of the conquering country, and we're supposed to feel okay about the mass slaughter done to her people by his I guess IDK. It's a wonder I kept reading these books actually. Sit tight, they get better.
Rumpelstiltskin was the second best book in the series, after the little selkie (in my opinion). I adored Rumpelstiltskin, and Gemma's somber attitude was a nice change from the generally spunky heroines in this series. She has good chemistry with rumpelstiltskin. It also had good side characters. It addressed the question I always had with the story which is, why would the girl want to marry the man who told her he would kill her if she didn't spin straw into gold? Well worth a read.
Puss in Boots was cute and had a talking cat. This book gets a 3. Worth a read, but nothing spectacularly special. Also, girls who view their beauty as a curse - v tiresome. Like, disfigure yourself? splatter yourself with mud. Don't bathe. There are options.
Swan lake - The girl had dirty dishwater blonde hair that was "like corn silk" at the tips which just made me think she had really frayed, frizzy hairtips. That's the biggest standout in this book, except the antagonist who was genuinely interesting and of course died.
Sleeping beauty - This one annoyed me because certain characters seemed really selfish. The girl herself had an interesting enough character but ugh the rest of the book. I don't want to spoil it, but this book was probably the biggest letdown in terms of story.
The Frog Prince - ok. It was one where the prince is a cad with a heart of gold, and turns into a better person at the end because of love. Sure, whatever. It's also the book where the most progress is made concerning the overarching plot of the series, which had basically been ignored up to this point.
The twelve dancing princesses is the last I've read, and what I thought was going to be the conclusion of the series until I read the last 10 pages. If you already like this series, you'll like this book. The protagonists are blonde with blue eyes and gorgeous and love each other and there's nothing offensive about it, but nothing particularly interesting either
OH WAIT I AM MAD THAT THE PRINCESS BRITTANY DECIDES TO GET TOGETHER WITH GOOD FOR NOTHING ROY THAT IS GARBAGE AND I REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT HAPPENED he is not in the same plane of existence as her please leave roy.
That's probably all I have to say about these books. I appreciate the fact that people are still retelling fairy tales. This particular series is written for a younger audience than I. I still had fun reading them. Thank you and goodnight.
I'm only going to review this one because it's my favourite, but I'll give you a rundown of the entire series here because. I can't be bothered to be quite honest.
3.5/5
Tl;dr a good, light read with funny characters, but nothing to write home about.
This book is fun. It's a take on the little mermaid that has enough elements of the original that you won't be terribly surprised, but makes lots of changes that make it interesting. Like, the princess has a way to communicate with others (novel). The reason this is my favourite book of the series is because of the protagonist, Dylan. Despite her unfortunate name, she's funny and unique as a ya heroine. Even though i was disappointed when her "exotic looks" turned out to be...orange hair and blue-green eyes, she's still interesting and fun, possessing great height and an insatiable appetite, as well as a disdain for mind games of any kind. some of the book's best parts are her shutting down what is meant to be a devastating insult, simply by not caring. It's nice to have an example of someone who is assured enough to ignore catty remarks.
The prince was likable as well, but not without flaws, which was good. He was a genuinely good person, which is the only love interest worth a hill of beans. Love interests who aren't complete piles of trash are sadly absent in ya fiction so I commend the author for this. The prince wasn't quite so interesting as Dylan though, so we'll leave it at that.
The book also has the best side characters of any of the books, in Dooley and Cagney (why the names, though? why??) and they are a delight, and the reason this book stands out from the others.
Now for cons: after all, I only gave the story 3.5 stars.
This author does a peculiar thing where she gives the characters certain traits and then plays those up the entire time. I'm not saying that her characters are necessarily flat, but they definitely aren't deep either. They're somewhere in the middle, which is what keeps this story from really shining. Perhaps it's the brevity of the books or the simplicity of the plots, but it's easy to assign one or two traits to each character, especially the princes in the series. "Noble" could be one, or "good" even. The girls are a little more varied (not in appearance LOL) but still seem a bit one-dimensional to me.
This book is a good read for anyone who enjoys fairy tale retellings, honestly. I think most people would enjoy it on some level, and it isn't necessary to have read the others (though there is some character overlap and a v confusing overarching plot that is very vaguely mentioned throughout the books)
A rundown of the rest of the books, for people who are interested in them:
These books are light, age-appropriate romance stories with really boring covers. They're nice for younger teen girls, and I deeply appreciated that they were appropriate, I did. It has the kissing scenes and the descriptions of feelings when you see your love that you would expect in a book such as this. Don't be surprised.
A lot of the protagonists (male and female) are blonde and have striking blue eyes. It's tiresome. As a random internet quote says, Brown eyes are just brown eyes...until you love someone with brown eyes. And I love brown eyes, so give brown eyes a chance. poor things. Frankly I'm tired of blue eyes. There's nothing wrong with them but like most of the population of the world has brown eyes so. It's a little unrealistic. Just saying.
The characters were interesting for the most part, the girls definitely more than their prince counterparts. This author does well with side characters and interesting personality quirks.
The books didn't get as repetitive as I was afraid of, although there was some repetition of course; no author can escape it, especially when writing ten books. Each book had a little something different to add, and a thread of a plot that goes all the way through the series (Woefully underdeveloped, in my opinion). They really are hit and miss, and I'll go through which are my favourites and which...aren't.
The first book, a Beauty and the beast retelling, was just very strange. Something about it was off to me and it's a wonder that I kept reading. the romance was not to my liking, and the fact that the prince basically looked like a giant cat was really weird.
The second book, The Wild Swans, was The Worst. Stay away if you can. The author was trying to be unique and interesting by doing a choose your own adventure thing at the end, where you can choose who the heroine ends up with. The problem with this is that in doing so, she takes the romance out of the rest of the book so I didn't feel right choosing either of the boys. Add that to the fact that these characters show up in other books, and it's just...awkward. It's very awkward and strange. I don't fault her for trying this but...let's not do it ever again. (A stand-alone book would have been a bit better of a choice for this interesting experiment)
The third book, cinderella and the colonel, was also strange and I didn't like it especially well. Cinderella is a fine character, and she's trying to save her estate, the only estate left in her entire country, from basically being annexed into another country that has just conquered them. She falls in love with the prince of the conquering country, and we're supposed to feel okay about the mass slaughter done to her people by his I guess IDK. It's a wonder I kept reading these books actually. Sit tight, they get better.
Rumpelstiltskin was the second best book in the series, after the little selkie (in my opinion). I adored Rumpelstiltskin, and Gemma's somber attitude was a nice change from the generally spunky heroines in this series. She has good chemistry with rumpelstiltskin. It also had good side characters. It addressed the question I always had with the story which is, why would the girl want to marry the man who told her he would kill her if she didn't spin straw into gold? Well worth a read.
Puss in Boots was cute and had a talking cat. This book gets a 3. Worth a read, but nothing spectacularly special. Also, girls who view their beauty as a curse - v tiresome. Like, disfigure yourself? splatter yourself with mud. Don't bathe. There are options.
Swan lake - The girl had dirty dishwater blonde hair that was "like corn silk" at the tips which just made me think she had really frayed, frizzy hairtips. That's the biggest standout in this book, except the antagonist who was genuinely interesting and of course died.
Sleeping beauty - This one annoyed me because certain characters seemed really selfish. The girl herself had an interesting enough character but ugh the rest of the book. I don't want to spoil it, but this book was probably the biggest letdown in terms of story.
The Frog Prince - ok. It was one where the prince is a cad with a heart of gold, and turns into a better person at the end because of love. Sure, whatever. It's also the book where the most progress is made concerning the overarching plot of the series, which had basically been ignored up to this point.
The twelve dancing princesses is the last I've read, and what I thought was going to be the conclusion of the series until I read the last 10 pages. If you already like this series, you'll like this book. The protagonists are blonde with blue eyes and gorgeous and love each other and there's nothing offensive about it, but nothing particularly interesting either
OH WAIT I AM MAD THAT THE PRINCESS BRITTANY DECIDES TO GET TOGETHER WITH GOOD FOR NOTHING ROY THAT IS GARBAGE AND I REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT HAPPENED he is not in the same plane of existence as her please leave roy.
That's probably all I have to say about these books. I appreciate the fact that people are still retelling fairy tales. This particular series is written for a younger audience than I. I still had fun reading them. Thank you and goodnight.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2015
I just discovered the Timeless Fairy Tales series by K.M. Shea and have been thoroughly addicted. The series reminds me of my favorite fairytale retellings, like Beauty. Each book can stand alone, but the stories are part of a larger plot, and are all well done, so I would recommend reading them all, in order if you can help it.
The Little Selkie is based on the story of the Little Mermaid. Dylan is a selkie. She lives in the water as a sea lion and the youngest daughter of the selkie King. While trying to catch the Sea Witch who has been plaguing the ocean, Dylan herself gets trapped. Her pelt is stolen, and she is stuck on land in her human form.
In order to keep the Sea Witch from using her voice (which could control the ocean) Dylan asks an enchantress to seal her voice for her. Now Dylan needs to get her pelt back and stop the Sea Witch. She also needs true love's kiss if she ever wants to get her voice back. Good thing there is a local prince, who seems to be fascinated with her.
It amazed me that even with a character who is mute for the majority of the story Shea wrote a compelling and relatable protagonist. I love the wit of her characters, the romances that are built on friendship and depth, not just chemistry, and the fantasy world that Shea has created. I love seeing my favorite fairytales made new again.
I highly recommend this series to fairytale lovers. I can't wait for more!
Content: clean-a kiss, mild violence, appropriate for a middle grade audience
The Little Selkie is based on the story of the Little Mermaid. Dylan is a selkie. She lives in the water as a sea lion and the youngest daughter of the selkie King. While trying to catch the Sea Witch who has been plaguing the ocean, Dylan herself gets trapped. Her pelt is stolen, and she is stuck on land in her human form.
In order to keep the Sea Witch from using her voice (which could control the ocean) Dylan asks an enchantress to seal her voice for her. Now Dylan needs to get her pelt back and stop the Sea Witch. She also needs true love's kiss if she ever wants to get her voice back. Good thing there is a local prince, who seems to be fascinated with her.
It amazed me that even with a character who is mute for the majority of the story Shea wrote a compelling and relatable protagonist. I love the wit of her characters, the romances that are built on friendship and depth, not just chemistry, and the fantasy world that Shea has created. I love seeing my favorite fairytales made new again.
I highly recommend this series to fairytale lovers. I can't wait for more!
Content: clean-a kiss, mild violence, appropriate for a middle grade audience
February 21, 2018
It's been a while since I read book #4 in this series, but the detailed world and its growing threat from evil wizards came back to me while I read. To be honest, I didn't care much for the heroine at first. She is often described as "brash," and her cavalier attitude didn't win me over at first. However, she grew on me as she grew as a character. I thoroughly enjoyed her interactions with other creatures and with the humans. Her insatiable hunger was amusing, and the slow-growing romance was appealing--I liked Prince Callan.
The kelpie and Dylan's water magic were awesome. I loved the substitution of selkies for mermaids, and some of the side characters deserve their own book. :-)
Another fun read from this talented author!
The kelpie and Dylan's water magic were awesome. I loved the substitution of selkies for mermaids, and some of the side characters deserve their own book. :-)
Another fun read from this talented author!
November 11, 2015
I think this is K. M. Shea's best yet.
This is a charming, feel-good retelling of The Little Mermaid mixed with Irish folklore.
The characters are quite appealing, especially Dylan, whom I found immensely self-possessed, fearless, and unconcerned with other people's pettiness. The romance is sweet and subtle, and there were dashes of humor here and there. The payoff at the end is worth it, which is always a big plus.
Overall, a light, fluffy, fun read.
This is a charming, feel-good retelling of The Little Mermaid mixed with Irish folklore.
The characters are quite appealing, especially Dylan, whom I found immensely self-possessed, fearless, and unconcerned with other people's pettiness. The romance is sweet and subtle, and there were dashes of humor here and there. The payoff at the end is worth it, which is always a big plus.
Overall, a light, fluffy, fun read.
December 23, 2023
2023 reread:
I'd forgotten why this was my favorite K.M. Shea retelling. Callan is so underrated, and Dylan is amazing. I would gladly read about these two forever (which I swear never happens when I read romance). I now require the paperback to enshrine on my physical bookshelf.
And thus concludes Merie's 2023 Mermaid-Reading Era...
I'd forgotten why this was my favorite K.M. Shea retelling. Callan is so underrated, and Dylan is amazing. I would gladly read about these two forever (which I swear never happens when I read romance). I now require the paperback to enshrine on my physical bookshelf.
And thus concludes Merie's 2023 Mermaid-Reading Era...
April 30, 2015
such a cute story!
May 11, 2015
Enjoyable, as I've come to expect from K.M. Shea. I like reading her blog after I read her books- she talks about her research into the fairy tales and it is interesting!
March 6, 2016
Fresh
Taking the typical little mermaid story and making it new is not easy but this is well worth reading. Thank you!
Taking the typical little mermaid story and making it new is not easy but this is well worth reading. Thank you!
January 4, 2018
The Little Selkie is magically enchanting. It sparkles with humor, intrigue, and fantasy. This one will wash over your heart like a shimmering ocean tide.
I adored this retelling! I loved the mythology of the selkies being added to the original tale of The Little Mermaid. I loved the feeling of the story and the humor and beauty!
Once again, Shea has impressed me with the beauty of her faerie tale skills. I felt like this one pulled at my heart a little more since I have a fond love of the beach and the ocean (though I don't go in the water because there are sharks...). I felt Dylan's longing for the sea while she was on land in her human form.
The imagery and descriptiveness of the story was spellbinding! The whole thing played out in my mind as if I was watching a movie. The world was described so beautifully without being over done. I could see the characters in my mind, and just felt my heart floating in a sea of happiness while I read!
Dylan was such a fun character. She had hints of Ariel mixed in with a very humorous personality. She was brazen, beautiful, and driven. And, I loved how kind and brave she was! She had an immense hunger for love, life, the ocean, and food (haha, yes food!). She was quirky and witty, and was a fair match to keep the prince on his toes!
Prince Callan was one of my favorite princes from Shea's stories. He was bold, kind, and inquisitive. He cared deeply for his family, and had a great judge of character. I loved how he stuck up for Dylan, and how he enjoyed dancing.
And, oh my gosh, Cagney and Dooley were my favorites! They were such an odd, hilarious couple. Dooley was flamboyant and flattering! Cagney was a great friend and voice of reason.
The story of The Little Selkie was intriguing and fantastical. It held the beauty of the original tale, and the Disney version, and glimmered with its own originality and magic. I loved the ebb and flow of the plot with the exciting twists. It was lyrical and captivating like a siren's song.
Thank you to the author for sending me this free e-copy in exchange for my honest review, and as part of my Faerie Tale Friday posts.
I adored this retelling! I loved the mythology of the selkies being added to the original tale of The Little Mermaid. I loved the feeling of the story and the humor and beauty!
Once again, Shea has impressed me with the beauty of her faerie tale skills. I felt like this one pulled at my heart a little more since I have a fond love of the beach and the ocean (though I don't go in the water because there are sharks...). I felt Dylan's longing for the sea while she was on land in her human form.
The imagery and descriptiveness of the story was spellbinding! The whole thing played out in my mind as if I was watching a movie. The world was described so beautifully without being over done. I could see the characters in my mind, and just felt my heart floating in a sea of happiness while I read!
Dylan was such a fun character. She had hints of Ariel mixed in with a very humorous personality. She was brazen, beautiful, and driven. And, I loved how kind and brave she was! She had an immense hunger for love, life, the ocean, and food (haha, yes food!). She was quirky and witty, and was a fair match to keep the prince on his toes!
Prince Callan was one of my favorite princes from Shea's stories. He was bold, kind, and inquisitive. He cared deeply for his family, and had a great judge of character. I loved how he stuck up for Dylan, and how he enjoyed dancing.
And, oh my gosh, Cagney and Dooley were my favorites! They were such an odd, hilarious couple. Dooley was flamboyant and flattering! Cagney was a great friend and voice of reason.
The story of The Little Selkie was intriguing and fantastical. It held the beauty of the original tale, and the Disney version, and glimmered with its own originality and magic. I loved the ebb and flow of the plot with the exciting twists. It was lyrical and captivating like a siren's song.
Thank you to the author for sending me this free e-copy in exchange for my honest review, and as part of my Faerie Tale Friday posts.
September 24, 2022
Yes! Today I finally found a moment to return to this series and to continue exploring all those different fairytale retellings. I really enjoyed each and every one so far and even though the little mermaid is not really one of my favorite tales (at least not the happily ever after version of it) I was quite curious what Shea was gonna do with this story. Especially since so far she had not disappointed me, also not with tales I liked less.
Once more Shea did an amazing job retelling this fairytale in her world. As always Shea kept the core of the original tale: A lost voice, saving a prince, giving up life in the sea and the sea witch. And just like in the previous book she mixed things up, changed things and turned all of these ingredients into an original and fresh story! And yet, despite all the changes, the story still has this very fairytale like vibe with a romantic ending, although slightly bittersweet.
What I loved most is how Shea basically turned around the idea that a young girl would give her life in the sea up for a guy she barely knows. In this case a lot of issues later in the book could have been prevented if our little Selkie had been a little more willing to risk her life in the sea, but up until the big finale she is still choosing the possibility to ever return to her family and the sea over the love she has found on land.
But, that also made the relationship in this book so cute! It was not this big love at first sight. They were not utterly in love with each other without getting to know each other. We saw them spending time together, we saw them sharing stories (in our heroine's case written down), we saw them seeing the other in different kind of circumstances. It was maybe not the most passionate love, but it was the beautiful kind of love that started with a fickle friendship.
Once more Shea did an amazing job retelling this fairytale in her world. As always Shea kept the core of the original tale: A lost voice, saving a prince, giving up life in the sea and the sea witch. And just like in the previous book she mixed things up, changed things and turned all of these ingredients into an original and fresh story! And yet, despite all the changes, the story still has this very fairytale like vibe with a romantic ending, although slightly bittersweet.
What I loved most is how Shea basically turned around the idea that a young girl would give her life in the sea up for a guy she barely knows. In this case a lot of issues later in the book could have been prevented if our little Selkie had been a little more willing to risk her life in the sea, but up until the big finale she is still choosing the possibility to ever return to her family and the sea over the love she has found on land.
But, that also made the relationship in this book so cute! It was not this big love at first sight. They were not utterly in love with each other without getting to know each other. We saw them spending time together, we saw them sharing stories (in our heroine's case written down), we saw them seeing the other in different kind of circumstances. It was maybe not the most passionate love, but it was the beautiful kind of love that started with a fickle friendship.
April 25, 2019
I may be in a mood where I'm rating books higher than I usually would. But my life is going 1000 miles per hour with lots of road ragers so it makes a fun escapist book shine brighter than maybe it would during other times in my life. At any rate, this series is retellings of fairy tales but with many liberties. I like the liberties they take. It keeps it fresh and unexpected.
The heroine is a brash selkie who has some growing up to do. She does that in this book as mistakes come back to hit her in the face. I like the strong heroines in this book series. I like the fun escapist quality to this series (and this author in general as well). The books have been satisfying. You take a strong but flawed heroine and as life happens she grows and becomes more. They are romances at heart so those that are romance averse won't enjoy them. However, I love the good conquering evil themes, the guaranteed happy ending and the strong females portrayed. It's resulted in me giving them unusually high marks from me for this type of book.
Right book at the right time, On to the next!
The heroine is a brash selkie who has some growing up to do. She does that in this book as mistakes come back to hit her in the face. I like the strong heroines in this book series. I like the fun escapist quality to this series (and this author in general as well). The books have been satisfying. You take a strong but flawed heroine and as life happens she grows and becomes more. They are romances at heart so those that are romance averse won't enjoy them. However, I love the good conquering evil themes, the guaranteed happy ending and the strong females portrayed. It's resulted in me giving them unusually high marks from me for this type of book.
Right book at the right time, On to the next!
March 6, 2020
This is a retelling of The Little Mermaid, which Dylan, the selkie main character would hate, because she doesn't have that high of an opinion of flighty mermaids. Dylan's a much stronger character than Ariel is (at least in the Disney version). She doesn't fall in love with the prince until she gets to know him, and is forced to be on land because her pelt has been stolen (keeping her from returning to sea lion form). She asks an enchantress to take her voice away to keep her from being forced to use her magic to protect her pelt, and kisses the hero to end her mute enchantment. Still, the plot meanders a bit and sometimes gets bogged down. It's not perfect, but it's a good fairy tale retelling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2021
actually 4.5 stars.
it was more thrilling a had more adventure than the previous books. a rather entertaining book with crazy fun characters that is very unique. Dylan was a very interesting character, her impulsiveness can be her most annoying yet admirable trait. but she was very precious when she threw that starfish to the snob, upstart, mean girl. best book moment of the year. moreover, i would very much love a story where Cagney and Dooley finally get to be together. I NEED A LONGER STORY!
however, the plot was honestly VERY predictable, not because it was a retelling, even the plot that is essentially of this book only is easy to guess, most notably, when Dylan's pelt was being ripped off to pieces.
that thing aside, i love being entertained by K.M. Shea's books
it was more thrilling a had more adventure than the previous books. a rather entertaining book with crazy fun characters that is very unique. Dylan was a very interesting character, her impulsiveness can be her most annoying yet admirable trait. but she was very precious when she threw that starfish to the snob, upstart, mean girl. best book moment of the year. moreover, i would very much love a story where Cagney and Dooley finally get to be together. I NEED A LONGER STORY!
however, the plot was honestly VERY predictable, not because it was a retelling, even the plot that is essentially of this book only is easy to guess, most notably, when Dylan's pelt was being ripped off to pieces.
that thing aside, i love being entertained by K.M. Shea's books
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2017
Dylan is a really awesome character. She's bold and doesn't care what others think. It's also funny when she misinterprets human culture. Her relationship development with Callan was nice, but wasn't particularly exciting to me. It was a gradual buildup, but I just couldn't get into it. Cagney and Dooley were just awesome, funny characters.
Great dialogue
Strong heroine
Funny side characters
Great dialogue
Strong heroine
Funny side characters
January 30, 2020
3.5 - Not my favorite K.M. Shea book for sure. This Little Mermaid retelling was interesting, I liked how she twisted the story and made her own book. The constant eating was a little too much for me. Just a side note there are characters in this story that are in other books of the series.
Moral Note: Some mild violence, clean romance, clean language.
Moral Note: Some mild violence, clean romance, clean language.
August 11, 2022
I did not know this was in a series until after I read it.
This book was beautiful and adorable. I loved the romance. The characters and their interactions were well-written. A very amazingly-developed world!!!!
This book was beautiful and adorable. I loved the romance. The characters and their interactions were well-written. A very amazingly-developed world!!!!
December 18, 2023
Super cute! Definitely the perfect thing to read after finishing Mistborn Era 1. I needed something cute and happy and this was great. Definitely not my favorite of the series but still a fun time. I also loved how much Dylan loved to eat, that made me chuckle every time.
August 1, 2021
I liked this fun twist on the Little Mermaid story. I like the interweaving of the selkie myths. I loved the strong female protagonist Dylan. Light, fun , clean read.
April 19, 2018
K.M. Shea, the author of Cinderella and the Colonel from the Timeless Tales series and A Goose Girl from the Entwined Tales series, decided to take the story of "The Little Mermaid" in a new direction with her fifth Timeless Tales novel The Little Selkie. Unlike the Entwined Tales version of the story, A Little Mermaid by Aya Ling, The Little Selkie reimagines the little mermaid and her family as selkies, beings from Celtic mythology who have the ability to transform into seals by putting on seal pelts and taking them off to become human. This obscure mythology was featured in the 2014 animated movie, Song of the Sea.
Dylan is not like other selkies. Instead of a seal skin, she was born with the pelt of a sea lion. In Dylan's world, sea lions are less respected among selkies, but she compensates for it by being a daughter of the selkie king and queen and by having the most powerful singing voice among her sisters. The song of the selkies holds a great deal of magic, allowing them to control the ocean. Dylan is coveted for her powerful singing voice. When she is kidnapped by the wicked Sea Witch who steals her pelt, she begs an enchantress to seal her voice away to ensure her safety from the witch's goons until her pelt is recovered. Dylan's insufferable pride is her greatest weakness, but it also makes her very interesting as a character. She refuses to ask anyone for help or even tell her family she was kidnapped. When she becomes the unwilling ward of one of the Sea Witch's goons, Dylan is given refuge at a castle where a prince she had rescued before her voice was sealed resides.
I enjoyed this book significantly more than Cinderella and the Colonel. It was less political and did not drag as much. The magic and mythology of the selkies kept the story interesting, and Dylan's romance with Prince Callan felt much more organic. They both eventually recognized each other from their initial meeting, eliminating the mistaken identity plot from the fairy tale. I loved reading about how Dylan gradually acclimated to human life in spite of her preference for her sea lion body. Prince Callan presented her some of the most beautiful gowns during her stay with him, considerately taking into account her preferences toward sea glass instead of expensive jewels and flowing fabrics that resemble the waves of the ocean. Like in A Little Mermaid, Dylan was able to communicate with the other humans through writing even though her was voice sealed. She was given a slate and chalk to use for conversations with those around her, particularly Callan. Despite Callan's curiousity, she was very careful in how much she revealed to him because she feared that her pelt would be destroyed by Jarlath if she gave too much away. If that were to happen, she could never become a sea lion again.
When it comes to mermaid stories, I usually enjoy reading about imaginative cultures and underwater worlds. The Little Selkie did not have any of that since seals and sea lions spend more time on the surface than they do in the water. Though that was a little disappointing, it still did not divert from my interest in the story. The Sea Witch made for a formidable villain even though Dylan's biggest obstacle for most of the story was Jarlath, an incompetent goon who held her hostage at the castle. Overall, A Little Selkie was an enjoyable alternative to "The Little Mermaid" with a daring and clever heroine. I enjoyed the use of selkie mythology would recommend it to anyone who likes reading fairy tale retellings.
Dylan is not like other selkies. Instead of a seal skin, she was born with the pelt of a sea lion. In Dylan's world, sea lions are less respected among selkies, but she compensates for it by being a daughter of the selkie king and queen and by having the most powerful singing voice among her sisters. The song of the selkies holds a great deal of magic, allowing them to control the ocean. Dylan is coveted for her powerful singing voice. When she is kidnapped by the wicked Sea Witch who steals her pelt, she begs an enchantress to seal her voice away to ensure her safety from the witch's goons until her pelt is recovered. Dylan's insufferable pride is her greatest weakness, but it also makes her very interesting as a character. She refuses to ask anyone for help or even tell her family she was kidnapped. When she becomes the unwilling ward of one of the Sea Witch's goons, Dylan is given refuge at a castle where a prince she had rescued before her voice was sealed resides.
I enjoyed this book significantly more than Cinderella and the Colonel. It was less political and did not drag as much. The magic and mythology of the selkies kept the story interesting, and Dylan's romance with Prince Callan felt much more organic. They both eventually recognized each other from their initial meeting, eliminating the mistaken identity plot from the fairy tale. I loved reading about how Dylan gradually acclimated to human life in spite of her preference for her sea lion body. Prince Callan presented her some of the most beautiful gowns during her stay with him, considerately taking into account her preferences toward sea glass instead of expensive jewels and flowing fabrics that resemble the waves of the ocean. Like in A Little Mermaid, Dylan was able to communicate with the other humans through writing even though her was voice sealed. She was given a slate and chalk to use for conversations with those around her, particularly Callan. Despite Callan's curiousity, she was very careful in how much she revealed to him because she feared that her pelt would be destroyed by Jarlath if she gave too much away. If that were to happen, she could never become a sea lion again.
When it comes to mermaid stories, I usually enjoy reading about imaginative cultures and underwater worlds. The Little Selkie did not have any of that since seals and sea lions spend more time on the surface than they do in the water. Though that was a little disappointing, it still did not divert from my interest in the story. The Sea Witch made for a formidable villain even though Dylan's biggest obstacle for most of the story was Jarlath, an incompetent goon who held her hostage at the castle. Overall, A Little Selkie was an enjoyable alternative to "The Little Mermaid" with a daring and clever heroine. I enjoyed the use of selkie mythology would recommend it to anyone who likes reading fairy tale retellings.
July 1, 2019
Absolutely breathtaking version of The Little Mermaid! The idea to use a selkie instead of a mermaid fit the plot of this series perfectly because of the tension this detail was able to create. Dylan's impulsivity and willpower make for one strong, independent main character, and her ocean-related idiomatic expressions are hilarious. Despite knowing how the original fairy tail ends and how the similar selkie fairy tail ends, this book threw so many plot twists and creative spins at me that I found myself captivated the entire time. At no point did I feel like I've read this a hundred times before.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves retellings of The Little Mermaid, wants to continue reading the Timeless Fairy Tale series, or is just looking for a fantastic read.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves retellings of The Little Mermaid, wants to continue reading the Timeless Fairy Tale series, or is just looking for a fantastic read.
January 16, 2019
A retelling of the Little Mermaid with some clever twists that I appreciated. Here, the mermaid is a selkie, a creature who can change back and forth between seal and human forms at will thanks to their magical pelt. She also doesn't trade her tail and voice because she's obsessed with a human--Dylan is captured while in human form, and her captors hide her pelt to ensure her good behavior. To prevent her powerful water magic from being exploited, Dylan has a helpful enchantress lock her voice, rendering herself mute until true love's kiss. She figures this is pretty unlikely to happen while trapped on land, and she plans to find her pelt and make a quick escape back to the ocean.
Of course she didn't imagine being dragged to the human kingdom's palace, or that Crown Prince Callan would turn out to be a young man she saved from drowning two years ago--and he has been looking for the girl with the beautiful voice who rescued him.
I liked Dylan a lot once I got to know her. She's impulsive, but I enjoyed how easily she shrugged off people trying to upset her and always seemed to bounce up ready for the next punch. She didn't let any setbacks get her down. Callan was also a different kind of hero; he wasn't gregarious or outgoing and lets very few people see his real self, but that didn't make him cold or unfeeling. They had a fun cast of characters around them as well.
Of course she didn't imagine being dragged to the human kingdom's palace, or that Crown Prince Callan would turn out to be a young man she saved from drowning two years ago--and he has been looking for the girl with the beautiful voice who rescued him.
I liked Dylan a lot once I got to know her. She's impulsive, but I enjoyed how easily she shrugged off people trying to upset her and always seemed to bounce up ready for the next punch. She didn't let any setbacks get her down. Callan was also a different kind of hero; he wasn't gregarious or outgoing and lets very few people see his real self, but that didn't make him cold or unfeeling. They had a fun cast of characters around them as well.
December 31, 2018
I adore fairytale retellings, particularly the Little Mermaid as I have a soft spot for both fantastical beasties and all things aquatic, so this book was right up my street. Although mermaids do exist in this universe, this is a story featuring selkies, the elusive magical seal folk with the ability to shed their seal skins and walk in human form. Or, in the case of our MC Dylan, a sea lion. This combines both the traditional Hans Christian Andersen tale and the various folklore stories where the selkie’s pelt is taken to keep them ashore - and it works beautifully.
Shea consistently delivers powerful fairytale retellings with clever and creative twists. I love that as well as selkies, we get kelpies (terrifying no nonsense carnivorous water horses), and a really defined underwater culture even though this is predominantly set on land. Shea’s heroines always pack a punch and Dylan is no exception, with wonderful depth to her character. Selkies clearly have a fast metabolism, Dylan’s appetite leading to all kinds of delicious food descriptions!
Action, magic, believable romance, perfectly paced plot and a cast of characters to love and hate - this ticked all my boxes
Shea consistently delivers powerful fairytale retellings with clever and creative twists. I love that as well as selkies, we get kelpies (terrifying no nonsense carnivorous water horses), and a really defined underwater culture even though this is predominantly set on land. Shea’s heroines always pack a punch and Dylan is no exception, with wonderful depth to her character. Selkies clearly have a fast metabolism, Dylan’s appetite leading to all kinds of delicious food descriptions!
Action, magic, believable romance, perfectly paced plot and a cast of characters to love and hate - this ticked all my boxes
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