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A personal space where I share what I love, what moves me, and what I would recommend without hesitation.
The Sea Witch
Beloved Villains · Book 1
Rebecca F. Kenney
★★★★★Synopsis
When Averil saves a young man from a shipwreck, she thinks she feels the Soul Echo — the sign that the young human male is her one true mate. And the malevolent Sea Witch is all too happy to offer a deal that could make all her dreams come true. He wants her to win the prince's heart — even coaches her in the art of seduction. But what is the real price of his help? Why is he more brutally beautiful — and more charming — than Averil expected? A dark, spicy, and absolutely irresistible retelling of The Little Mermaid, with the villain as the love interest.
The protagonists
AVERIL
THE CURIOUS MERMAID
The youngest daughter of the King of the Sea, curious and brave. She saves a human from a shipwreck and ends up making a deal with the most feared creature in the ocean — only to discover he's nothing like what she was told.
THE SEA WITCH
THE VILLAIN WHO STEALS YOUR HEART
The Sea Witch in male form — feared by all, understood by none. Brutally beautiful, morally grey, with a past that explains every shadow of his character. The kind of villain you fall for without meaning to.
My review
I love when retellings are well executed — when they manage to capture the essence of the original story and give it the extra something that makes it extraordinary. The Sea Witch does exactly that. It's my first Little Mermaid retelling and I fell completely in love — with the story, with the world Rebecca F. Kenney built. The gender-bent Sea Witch works in a way you don't anticipate. It's not just an aesthetic change — it completely transforms the dynamic of the story and loads it with a tension that builds in the most irresistible way. Averil is a heroine who feels real, and he is exactly the kind of villain you fall for without wanting to and without being able to stop. I enjoyed it so much that I finished it in under 24 hours. Honestly, I couldn't put it down.
Who is this for?
Fans of retellings who want something that captures the essence of the original tale and gives it the dark, spicy twist it needs to become extraordinary
Readers who love it when the villain turns out to be the most compelling character in the story and ends up stealing your heart
Anyone who wants a Romantasy they can't put down and will finish in under 24 hours
Where to buy it?
AmazonReading with Matcha · Made with love by Ari