In the coastal fishing village of Whispering Wave, where summer brings throngs of tourists and fairy tale entities, a dark terror lurks. As the sun sets, the serene waves become treacherous, releasing the funa-yurei, sinister Sea Phantoms that drown anyone who dares to wander the streets at night. Lorelai Blackwater, the village witch, reveals a grim to quell the nightly horrors, the sea monster umi-bozu demands a virgin sacrifice.
When Yukina, the fiancée of the mayor’s son, is chosen for this fate, Marius Tidecaller refuses to surrender her. He summons the famed adventurers known as the Cursebreakers. This eclectic group includes Henry, son of the Blue Fairy; the reincarnated Frog Prince, Gamaken Kuronuma; the Swan Princess, Odette; the resourceful maid, Meddie; the bunny priestess, Usagi; and the fierce dragoness, Amber. Their audacious plan? Henry will disguise himself as Yukina and offer himself to umi-bozu. But what seems a straightforward mission takes a perilous turn when the Demon Sea King Seth intervenes.
Seth, the Sea Sorcerer, reveals he seeks not a sacrifice, but a bride. A fierce battle ensues, but the Cursebreakers are overpowered. In a desperate bid to save her friends, Usagi offers herself to Seth. As they are taken away, Henry awakens and follows them to Seth’s hidden lair. He challenges Seth to a duel with high freedom if he wins, servitude as Seth’s bride if he loses.
Despite his valiant efforts, Henry loses the duel. Usagi is sent back to safety by umi-bozu, but Henry is transformed into a merman by Seth's ancient magic. Taken to the underwater Kingdom, Henry faces a dire fate as the Queen of the Sea. Will the Cursebreakers rescue Henry from the clutches of the malevolent Sea Sorcerer, or will he be lost to the depths forever?
KuroKoneko Kamen is the bestselling author of the scintillating Demons and Judges paranormal romance series - Wicked Bartender, Incubus Chocolatier, Hollywood Merman, Druid Vampire, Highlander Hellcat, Vampire Punk and Galactic Goth - where the true love of a Judge has the power to redeem a Demon or Vampire of their sins. With a degree in English literature and experiences gained through worldwide travel under her belt, she excels in world building and creating unforgettable characters. Due to her Japanese heritage she’s always possessed an interest in Japanese culture from ancient folktales about yokai, demons, to modern fantasy anime and manga. Even when in the midst of a swashbuckling pirate novel expect a samurai warrior to be thrown into the mix. Keeping her company as she writes are her several dogs and cats, some of which are rescues.
The Cursebreakers are called intervene when a sea monster demands a virgin sacrifice. While the band of specially-powered warriors have won many fights, Gamaken the Frog Prince and Henry, son of the Blue Fairy, are hopelessly outmatched when Seth the Demon Sea King battles them. Henry nobly sacrifices himself for the sake of the others and ends up with a dangerous proposal he can’t refuse.
I’m used to m/m romance novels and grew up with American comics, but I hadn’t read a graphic novel before. This is a short read with some beautifully sensual illustrations but the story and graphics remain PG—Henry’s secret told throughout these novels is that he is gay. I had to get used to the shorthand style of storytelling, a lot is glossed over or implied, but it’s all pretty easy to follow. I like the supernatural gamified themes, especially the unique powers each person has. I also like the genre, it’s a serialised mythology and hopefully a slow-burn romance. There are plenty of episodes to go so be prepared for the built-in cliff-hangers at the end of each book.
This was such a cute little side quest. Readers (like myself) who are unfamiliar with the story so far will find it very easy to jump right in.
Kamen does a wonderful job of adding quite a lot of exposition. While, I might find this a bit excessive had I read the other books in the story; I found it necessary for understanding the characters motives and relationships as a new reader. I anticipated this book to be much longer than it was, but it’s truly a “side story” or “special”. Short and sweet and to the point. While I’m glad this book didn’t require a laundry list of trigger warnings, I wouldn’t have minded a bit more tension.
Kamen has built a wonderfully captivating and fully fleshed out world around such a delightfully charming cast of characters. Particularly, Henry. He’s so likable! I only hope the best for this little cinnamon roll.
This is a cute tale with Henry, Gama, and the girls (Gama's harem). I love this group of intrepid adventurers called the Cursebreakers. The narration, by LaMont Ridgell, was wonderful and each character had their own voice.
On their epic journey to the Fairy Kingdom, to find the amnesia spell, they meet up with some fantastical fairy tale characters. I don't know how many other tales author KuroKoneko Kamen has up their sleeves for these Cursebreakers but I'm here for them.
Gama became a merman to save Henry from Seth, but things worked out quite differently. I was happy for Henry to finally get a kiss from Gama. Poor Henry and his unrequited love are breaking my heart. I enjoyed this adventure and the art work is stunning. Check it out.
This is an incredible edition to the series. I loved how the beautiful images added to the story line. I will be waiting for the next book in this series.