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Selkie
From the author of Medusa comes a beautiful and emotional story featuring a a mythological creature who can turn from a seal into a human.
Seven years ago, Quinn finally dared to transform from a seal into a human and took her first steps on land. As a selkie, she is both a daughter of land and sea. But when a human stole her pelt, he stole her freedom as well, forcing Quinn to become his wife and bear his children. As legend tells, capturing a selkie will bring you luck, and she became a coveted prize.
Constrained to a life that was no longer her own, Quinn longed for nothing more than to find her pelt and seize her freedom. Then one day, her eldest daughter hands Quinn her pelt and without a second thought, Quinn snatches it and escapes to the sea. But she's no longer used to swimming and doesn't know where her herd has gone. And after an almost disastrous encounter with her former husband, leaving her severely injured, Quinn doesn't have the strength to go searching.
Instead, she finds herself taking shelter on a nearby island with a lighthouse and three lighthouse keepers. Quinn doesn't trust humans anymore and wants to stay hidden from the keepers. But she can't survive on her own. Can she learn to trust these humans and shed her hatred of all humankind? Or will she give into her fears and accept the monstrous fate that others have bestowed upon her?
Seven years ago, Quinn finally dared to transform from a seal into a human and took her first steps on land. As a selkie, she is both a daughter of land and sea. But when a human stole her pelt, he stole her freedom as well, forcing Quinn to become his wife and bear his children. As legend tells, capturing a selkie will bring you luck, and she became a coveted prize.
Constrained to a life that was no longer her own, Quinn longed for nothing more than to find her pelt and seize her freedom. Then one day, her eldest daughter hands Quinn her pelt and without a second thought, Quinn snatches it and escapes to the sea. But she's no longer used to swimming and doesn't know where her herd has gone. And after an almost disastrous encounter with her former husband, leaving her severely injured, Quinn doesn't have the strength to go searching.
Instead, she finds herself taking shelter on a nearby island with a lighthouse and three lighthouse keepers. Quinn doesn't trust humans anymore and wants to stay hidden from the keepers. But she can't survive on her own. Can she learn to trust these humans and shed her hatred of all humankind? Or will she give into her fears and accept the monstrous fate that others have bestowed upon her?
423 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 12, 2025
37 people are currently reading
7285 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
August 10, 2025
I have always loved mythology, but especially that of the U.K. Therefore, I was already familiar with the legend of the selkie and rushed to request this book as soon as I saw it on NetGalley. I would say I enjoyed Quinn’s journey, but I actually was often upset at the sheer unfairness of her life once she was forced to stay human.
Today’s society is full of men who think that women are literally their property. The man who stole Quinn’s pelt and forced her to become his wife and bear his children is no different from the incels of today who wonder why they can’t get women to date them. Quinn’s husband is astonished that she doesn’t magically fall in love with him after hiding her pelt and raping her over and over. I mean, what woman wouldn’t be thrilled at her good fortune, landing such a prize of a husband? /s
Quinn is wholly unfamiliar with the ways of human society, and she quickly and irrevocably alienates the town’s inhabitants, making her new circumstances even more challenging.
Years pass, and then one day, one of her children accidentally comes across Quinn’s pelt, and then Quinn’s story really begins. Is she of the sea still? Or is she of land? In her quest to find her herd and learn to be a seal again, she is again forced to rely on others to heal. Can she do that? Quinn has only ever known humans who hurt her.
The prevailing question becomes, do kind humans exist?
Even if you think you don’t like folklore or mythology, I encourage you to give this novel a try. There are themes in here that deal with loneliness, misery, obligation, freedom and found family—things that all of us experience. Quinn’s story begins with so much sorrow and anger that she cannot see a way out. It’s only when she has her pelt back that she’s able to choose for herself again, and that’s when the real beauty of life starts to shine forth. It’s magical to see.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an e-copy in exchange for my honest feedback.
Today’s society is full of men who think that women are literally their property. The man who stole Quinn’s pelt and forced her to become his wife and bear his children is no different from the incels of today who wonder why they can’t get women to date them. Quinn’s husband is astonished that she doesn’t magically fall in love with him after hiding her pelt and raping her over and over. I mean, what woman wouldn’t be thrilled at her good fortune, landing such a prize of a husband? /s
Quinn is wholly unfamiliar with the ways of human society, and she quickly and irrevocably alienates the town’s inhabitants, making her new circumstances even more challenging.
Years pass, and then one day, one of her children accidentally comes across Quinn’s pelt, and then Quinn’s story really begins. Is she of the sea still? Or is she of land? In her quest to find her herd and learn to be a seal again, she is again forced to rely on others to heal. Can she do that? Quinn has only ever known humans who hurt her.
The prevailing question becomes, do kind humans exist?
Even if you think you don’t like folklore or mythology, I encourage you to give this novel a try. There are themes in here that deal with loneliness, misery, obligation, freedom and found family—things that all of us experience. Quinn’s story begins with so much sorrow and anger that she cannot see a way out. It’s only when she has her pelt back that she’s able to choose for herself again, and that’s when the real beauty of life starts to shine forth. It’s magical to see.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an e-copy in exchange for my honest feedback.
August 19, 2025
I need to stop getting excited about selkie novels. Ugh.
A shallow mythology retelling that takes far too long to say not very much and does nothing interesting with the selkie legends. Flimsy characters, painful worldbuilding and a narrative that tries to have its cake and eat it. I kept reading hoping it was going to come together, only for it to end in a groan.
But what really grated the whole way through was the laziness. It's a book about a seal shapeshifter that gets confused by basic seal physiology. It's set in late-1890s Scotland and the characters speak in modern Americanisms. The technology of the time gets used in nonsensical ways. Anachronisms all over the place. I swear to god, the men in the story refer to the main character as 'Ms. Quinn'. Ms. In the 1890s.
A shallow mythology retelling that takes far too long to say not very much and does nothing interesting with the selkie legends. Flimsy characters, painful worldbuilding and a narrative that tries to have its cake and eat it. I kept reading hoping it was going to come together, only for it to end in a groan.
But what really grated the whole way through was the laziness. It's a book about a seal shapeshifter that gets confused by basic seal physiology. It's set in late-1890s Scotland and the characters speak in modern Americanisms. The technology of the time gets used in nonsensical ways. Anachronisms all over the place. I swear to god, the men in the story refer to the main character as 'Ms. Quinn'. Ms. In the 1890s.
Did not finish
August 17, 2025Dnf'd since the content was starting to get sketchy. No thank you!
October 12, 2025
Nataly Gruender imagines a tale drawing on Celtic and Norse folklore in her second book, Selkie.
The stories of her kind have always fascinated Quinn, as sleek gray seal she lives in the open waters off of the coast of Scotland with her herd, but as a selkie she has inherited the ability to shed her pelt on land and become human. Despite warnings from their elders, one late night Quinn along with a small group of her young herd-mates, wade onto the shore under the moonlight and play at being human. But when it’s time to return to the ocean Quinn’s pelt is gone, stolen by a fisherman who believes that a captured selkie will bring him good fortune.
Forced to become the wife of the thief and live as a human in the village above the shoreline, Quinn is miserable. Despite repeated attempts to find her pelt, it’s her young son that unearths it seven years after it was taken from her. Quinn can only think of finally going home and flees, leaving her three young children behind, but her longed for freedom isn’t the salvation she hopes for.
Selkie is primarily a character driven story focusing on Quinn’s journey to reclaim her life. Gruender explores several serious themes such as survival, trauma, connection, self determination, and sacrifice as Quinn attempts to reconcile the schism of being a daughter of both the land and sea.
There’s a thread of found family that brings some lightness to the story. When Quinn is injured after her escape she is forced to take refuge on a tiny island in the bay that supports a lighthouse. While the staff of the lighthouse also have quite bleak back stories, the bond that unexpectedly develops among them and Quinn is sweet.
There were elements of Selkie that I really liked, and Quinn was an interesting character, but somehow the story overall fell a bit flat, not helped by a slightly nebulous ending. The narrative also felt repetitive at times and was slow to progress.
I may not have been wholly captivated by Selkie but I did find it to be reasonably engaging historical fantasy.
The stories of her kind have always fascinated Quinn, as sleek gray seal she lives in the open waters off of the coast of Scotland with her herd, but as a selkie she has inherited the ability to shed her pelt on land and become human. Despite warnings from their elders, one late night Quinn along with a small group of her young herd-mates, wade onto the shore under the moonlight and play at being human. But when it’s time to return to the ocean Quinn’s pelt is gone, stolen by a fisherman who believes that a captured selkie will bring him good fortune.
Forced to become the wife of the thief and live as a human in the village above the shoreline, Quinn is miserable. Despite repeated attempts to find her pelt, it’s her young son that unearths it seven years after it was taken from her. Quinn can only think of finally going home and flees, leaving her three young children behind, but her longed for freedom isn’t the salvation she hopes for.
Selkie is primarily a character driven story focusing on Quinn’s journey to reclaim her life. Gruender explores several serious themes such as survival, trauma, connection, self determination, and sacrifice as Quinn attempts to reconcile the schism of being a daughter of both the land and sea.
There’s a thread of found family that brings some lightness to the story. When Quinn is injured after her escape she is forced to take refuge on a tiny island in the bay that supports a lighthouse. While the staff of the lighthouse also have quite bleak back stories, the bond that unexpectedly develops among them and Quinn is sweet.
There were elements of Selkie that I really liked, and Quinn was an interesting character, but somehow the story overall fell a bit flat, not helped by a slightly nebulous ending. The narrative also felt repetitive at times and was slow to progress.
I may not have been wholly captivated by Selkie but I did find it to be reasonably engaging historical fantasy.
October 14, 2025
the gaggery i experienced when i learned 80% of the way through the book that this was set in 1890s Scotland (Ireland?)
January 16, 2026
While this is a magical tale, it is also hard to write a review for a story like this. If I go into what I loved about and/or would like answered regarding this story this review would be heavy on the spoilers. So instead of a review I'll just say go into this story expecting to be surprised. This is one of those you think will be one thing quickly to find it taking another turn early on. Enjoy.
May 16, 2025
This is the first selkie folklore novel I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Quinn's journey of finding herself, connecting to her heritage, and fighting for her found family is compelling and tragic at times.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the enchanting atmosphere and the exploration of selkie lore, I found myself wishing the romantic elements played a more significant role in the overall story.
Overall, I definitely would recommend this to anyone who enjoys folklore-inspired fantasy.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Grand Central Publishing for the eARC of Selkie!
While I thoroughly enjoyed the enchanting atmosphere and the exploration of selkie lore, I found myself wishing the romantic elements played a more significant role in the overall story.
Overall, I definitely would recommend this to anyone who enjoys folklore-inspired fantasy.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Grand Central Publishing for the eARC of Selkie!
July 12, 2025
I recently read Medusa by this author, and immediately went to look into her other books and turns out it was her debut but another one was coming out. Seeing it wasn't out yet, I rushed over to NetGalley to see if it was there, and it was. So, thank you to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for allowing me an ARC to read. All thoughts are my own.
I really enjoyed this. I was filled with so much rage at certain points, but given what was happening that made sense.
One of my favourite tropes is found family, and that trope was so well done within this book. I really loved seeing the relationships develop and the characters begin to get closer.
Overall really happy with the ending, though it felt a bit quick. That was likely me though because I just didn't want it to be over.
A really great book, and I will be following this author closely to keep any eye on any new releases.
I really enjoyed this. I was filled with so much rage at certain points, but given what was happening that made sense.
One of my favourite tropes is found family, and that trope was so well done within this book. I really loved seeing the relationships develop and the characters begin to get closer.
Overall really happy with the ending, though it felt a bit quick. That was likely me though because I just didn't want it to be over.
A really great book, and I will be following this author closely to keep any eye on any new releases.
March 20, 2026
Interesting story of Celtic folklore about Selkies.
I hoped for a more whimsical story about one of my favorite folklore motifs. I did love all the parts describing the legends of Selkies, but it never went much deeper than what you could find on the internet. Much like the parts with the Kelpie and the washerwoman, or bean-nighe. I have a book of Scottish folk tales, and the scenes in this book were nearly identical to the original story of all the folk characters used. I was really looking forward to a more imaginative approach in this book.
What struck me was how some of the plot reminded me of the mystery of the 1900 disappearance of 3 lighthouse keepers from the Flannan Island Lighthouse. There seemed to be some parallels, though I'm not sure if the author intended this
The plot was ok. It lacked some substance, but it was easy to follow and made for a fun and easy read.
I hoped for a more whimsical story about one of my favorite folklore motifs. I did love all the parts describing the legends of Selkies, but it never went much deeper than what you could find on the internet. Much like the parts with the Kelpie and the washerwoman, or bean-nighe. I have a book of Scottish folk tales, and the scenes in this book were nearly identical to the original story of all the folk characters used. I was really looking forward to a more imaginative approach in this book.
What struck me was how some of the plot reminded me of the mystery of the 1900 disappearance of 3 lighthouse keepers from the Flannan Island Lighthouse. There seemed to be some parallels, though I'm not sure if the author intended this
The plot was ok. It lacked some substance, but it was easy to follow and made for a fun and easy read.
September 15, 2025
"𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒖𝒔...𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒔, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒖𝒔 𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆? 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚...𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖."
Celtic and Norse mythology meets lush, achingly beautiful storytelling with SELKIE, a mythological creature who can change from seal to human and back again. The story centers around Quinn, a young selkie who dismissed her mother's warnings and bravely took her first steps on land. But a human man stole her pelt, relegating her to life as a human. She yearned for the sea and longed for her family. But the man who took her pelt knows that legend says capturing a selkie will bring you luck, and she became his coveted prize.
Forced into a life she never wanted as a wife and mother, Quinn's spirit grows dimmer each day until her eldest daughter presents her with her long-hidden pelt. Thinking of nothing but her freedom, she snatches it and runs. But years away form her ocean home have affected her swimming abilities, and she has no idea where her herd is gone. She's lost and alone, and as expected, her husband comes looking for her. After a violent encounter leaves her free but badly injured, she takes refuge on a nearby island with a lighthouse and its three keepers. Quinn no longer trusts humans and vows to stay away, yet she knows she needs their help.
This was such a poignant story with so much depth. It's about family, love, freedom, acceptance, guilt, and being brave enough to answer the question of what it truly means to be home. I loved how these universal themes were explored gently, never being heavy-handed or preachy. Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing for this beautiful finished copy. This book is available now.
Celtic and Norse mythology meets lush, achingly beautiful storytelling with SELKIE, a mythological creature who can change from seal to human and back again. The story centers around Quinn, a young selkie who dismissed her mother's warnings and bravely took her first steps on land. But a human man stole her pelt, relegating her to life as a human. She yearned for the sea and longed for her family. But the man who took her pelt knows that legend says capturing a selkie will bring you luck, and she became his coveted prize.
Forced into a life she never wanted as a wife and mother, Quinn's spirit grows dimmer each day until her eldest daughter presents her with her long-hidden pelt. Thinking of nothing but her freedom, she snatches it and runs. But years away form her ocean home have affected her swimming abilities, and she has no idea where her herd is gone. She's lost and alone, and as expected, her husband comes looking for her. After a violent encounter leaves her free but badly injured, she takes refuge on a nearby island with a lighthouse and its three keepers. Quinn no longer trusts humans and vows to stay away, yet she knows she needs their help.
This was such a poignant story with so much depth. It's about family, love, freedom, acceptance, guilt, and being brave enough to answer the question of what it truly means to be home. I loved how these universal themes were explored gently, never being heavy-handed or preachy. Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing for this beautiful finished copy. This book is available now.
October 13, 2025
I’m giving it a 3.5
Slow to start but ended well.
Slow to start but ended well.
February 17, 2026
some people are just not made to be mothers shiv
August 15, 2025
Selkie is a beautifully written slow burn novel full of heart. This is a story of pain, found family, healing, and going after the life you truly want and deserve. I loved every minute of this book and was so sad to see it end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
January 9, 2026
Selkie was magical and beautifully written. The language is lush and immersive, and I could deeply feel the emotions of the main character throughout — which feels especially important in a world where her feelings shape so much of what happens. The emotional connection made the story feel intimate and powerful. I’ve always been drawn to selkie mythology, so it was a joy to experience it explored through this novel. Atmospheric, emotional, and quietly enchanting.
March 16, 2026
I literally only started this bc of a review that said “the content was starting to get sketchy” and i still have no idea what that’s supposed to mean.
TLDR the myth-building was bad, the plot was contrived at every turn, and everything that was clearly meant to make a point just fell flat.
Spoilers now:
I really hated the way this book interpreted selkies. They’re supposed to be magical half-human half-seals so why does this herd spend their entire lives only as seals? How do they keep the toddlers and baby selkies from changing on land? They had that little private beach before the lighthouse got built, but also there is more than one beach in the world and they’re migratory… you don’t have to go to the human beach… I feel like the magic should be instinctual and play more of a role in their lives— this book just treats them like quirky seals. They don’t even have any interesting culture, just repeating the stories that humans tell about them.
The first scene is written as if Quinn has never been in human form before, but later it’s mentioned that her mom taught her to shift. Why would she bother, if the herd never goes on land in the first place? How come Owen is just magically there the very first time she ever goes to a human beach?? It would have been easy to say that the younger selkies sneak off all the time to the beach and they’re so reckless because they keep getting away with it, and that would have made so much more sense and felt so much less stupid.
Quinn meets two other random magical creatures and each encounter is disappointing. Also in the washerwoman scene Quinn literally says the entire contents of the Wikipedia article for bean-nighe so clearly a lot of research was done.
Second, I really had a problem with the whole town of humans, and especially the stupid scene where all the nasty women who are all slaves to their husbands stage a behavioral intervention. That’s not how social exclusion works or has worked ever. I can imagine everyone hating her and slowly driving her out of their social circles and excluding her from things and acting cruel to her very easily! Nobody needed to write a scene where they all get together and directly say “we hate you and anyone else who even pretend to like you will be punished socially” because that has literally never happened!! Bullying and social dynamics are a crazy thing. (Also I have a problem with the split between The Wives and the one woman who has free will and no husband)
Also not a fan of the children getting left with her abuser. “Oh but he loves them!” It has been proven to us over and over again that this man only loves what he can control or use. He has been physically violent to her, you can’t pretend there’s no chance of him doing that to the kids. And he works full time on his stupid boat, so you know the actual parent is going to be the oldest daughter. And the town has been shown to be a conservative hellscape where women are total property of horrible brutish men. I don’t think Quinn should have had to take them with her but acting like leaving them with him was a good or kind choice is bad. I wanted her to kill him but it’s fine that it didn’t happen.
Lastly there are truly no stakes in this book. They keep acting like she absolutely HAS to choose between human form and seal form, but the whole point of selkies is that they aren’t fully one or the other! Why can’t she swim in the sea and have a modicum of freedom but also return to the lighthouse and kiss girls? Then they all act like her turning them into selkies means they have to be seals forever and can’t ever work in the lighthouse. But why? They can just go back into human form once the random contrived villains leave? And then she’s like “I have to give up a piece of myself” and it’s soooo serious but of course she doesn’t lose any physical pieces of her body, doesn’t lose precious memories or emotions, doesn’t lose anyone she cares about or any of her children, and doesn’t even lose the power to become human again— she’s still just as selkie as ever, even though she’s going to waste that power. Nope, she loses the power to make bad weather when she’s upset, a power she rarely cared about until it was important to the plot and will mean absolutely nothing for her to lose.
TLDR the myth-building was bad, the plot was contrived at every turn, and everything that was clearly meant to make a point just fell flat.
Spoilers now:
I really hated the way this book interpreted selkies. They’re supposed to be magical half-human half-seals so why does this herd spend their entire lives only as seals? How do they keep the toddlers and baby selkies from changing on land? They had that little private beach before the lighthouse got built, but also there is more than one beach in the world and they’re migratory… you don’t have to go to the human beach… I feel like the magic should be instinctual and play more of a role in their lives— this book just treats them like quirky seals. They don’t even have any interesting culture, just repeating the stories that humans tell about them.
The first scene is written as if Quinn has never been in human form before, but later it’s mentioned that her mom taught her to shift. Why would she bother, if the herd never goes on land in the first place? How come Owen is just magically there the very first time she ever goes to a human beach?? It would have been easy to say that the younger selkies sneak off all the time to the beach and they’re so reckless because they keep getting away with it, and that would have made so much more sense and felt so much less stupid.
Quinn meets two other random magical creatures and each encounter is disappointing. Also in the washerwoman scene Quinn literally says the entire contents of the Wikipedia article for bean-nighe so clearly a lot of research was done.
Second, I really had a problem with the whole town of humans, and especially the stupid scene where all the nasty women who are all slaves to their husbands stage a behavioral intervention. That’s not how social exclusion works or has worked ever. I can imagine everyone hating her and slowly driving her out of their social circles and excluding her from things and acting cruel to her very easily! Nobody needed to write a scene where they all get together and directly say “we hate you and anyone else who even pretend to like you will be punished socially” because that has literally never happened!! Bullying and social dynamics are a crazy thing. (Also I have a problem with the split between The Wives and the one woman who has free will and no husband)
Also not a fan of the children getting left with her abuser. “Oh but he loves them!” It has been proven to us over and over again that this man only loves what he can control or use. He has been physically violent to her, you can’t pretend there’s no chance of him doing that to the kids. And he works full time on his stupid boat, so you know the actual parent is going to be the oldest daughter. And the town has been shown to be a conservative hellscape where women are total property of horrible brutish men. I don’t think Quinn should have had to take them with her but acting like leaving them with him was a good or kind choice is bad. I wanted her to kill him but it’s fine that it didn’t happen.
Lastly there are truly no stakes in this book. They keep acting like she absolutely HAS to choose between human form and seal form, but the whole point of selkies is that they aren’t fully one or the other! Why can’t she swim in the sea and have a modicum of freedom but also return to the lighthouse and kiss girls? Then they all act like her turning them into selkies means they have to be seals forever and can’t ever work in the lighthouse. But why? They can just go back into human form once the random contrived villains leave? And then she’s like “I have to give up a piece of myself” and it’s soooo serious but of course she doesn’t lose any physical pieces of her body, doesn’t lose precious memories or emotions, doesn’t lose anyone she cares about or any of her children, and doesn’t even lose the power to become human again— she’s still just as selkie as ever, even though she’s going to waste that power. Nope, she loses the power to make bad weather when she’s upset, a power she rarely cared about until it was important to the plot and will mean absolutely nothing for her to lose.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the eARC of Selkie by Nataly Gruender.
Release Date: August 12th
As someone who loves mythology and folktales from all cultures, I was quite interested in the idea of a book that follows selkies (seals that can turn into humans). This book was quick and easy to read as you get sucked up into the world of our main character, Quinn. I found the characters to be well written and they all had fascinating backstories that added to their complexity. The relationships between the characters were heartwarming and authentic. This would be a great pick for anyone who loves a found family story. My one problem with the book was that I did think the first section was a bit boring. However, once it picks up, it was hard to put the book down. I would recommend to fans of folklore, found families, and stories about women breaking free from societal norms.
Release Date: August 12th
As someone who loves mythology and folktales from all cultures, I was quite interested in the idea of a book that follows selkies (seals that can turn into humans). This book was quick and easy to read as you get sucked up into the world of our main character, Quinn. I found the characters to be well written and they all had fascinating backstories that added to their complexity. The relationships between the characters were heartwarming and authentic. This would be a great pick for anyone who loves a found family story. My one problem with the book was that I did think the first section was a bit boring. However, once it picks up, it was hard to put the book down. I would recommend to fans of folklore, found families, and stories about women breaking free from societal norms.
July 21, 2025
I was excited to read this new release from Nataly Gruender, as I enjoy reading about Selkies and other Celtic mythology. The setting of this book was well-written, and Gruender did a lovely job creating an evocative and compelling setting for this story.
Sadly, the story itself fell flat in many ways. The characters lacked depth and complexity, and I found it unbelievable that Quinn would abandon her children to a cruel community and father in order to run away with a group of people that she only knew for a few weeks at most.
The overall themes of found family and freedom were enjoyable, but not executed well in the grand scheme of the story. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read this book early!
Sadly, the story itself fell flat in many ways. The characters lacked depth and complexity, and I found it unbelievable that Quinn would abandon her children to a cruel community and father in order to run away with a group of people that she only knew for a few weeks at most.
The overall themes of found family and freedom were enjoyable, but not executed well in the grand scheme of the story. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read this book early!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2025
True Rating: 4.5
Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for a free copy of this book. All thoughts listed below are my own.
After reading Medusa, I was super excited to get this widget and couldn't wait to dive in. Selkie's are a lesser known part of mythology and seeing them be explored was intriguing. Nataly seems to have cornered a market on mythological retelling and honestly I am here for it. Nataly has a wonderful way of taking villains and showing that they are often truly a victim of being in a man's world, Selkie is not an exception.
Quinn, our FMC and Selkie in question, has her seal pelt stolen from her by a man who believes that she will bring him luck and fortune. She is forced to become his wife and have his children, but his pride prevents him from letting her go despite the misfortune she has actually brought. Seven years of being forced to remain on land, her eldest daughter finds and returns her pelt. Quinn escapes, but after an unfortunate encounter with her husband, she is wounded and forced to take shelter on an island with a lighthouse and its three keepers, after she is unable to find her Selkie herd.
During this time, we get to experience flashbacks into her life before her pelt is returned to her. We get to witness her, in some ways self inflicted, isolation from the human village she is forced to live in. Ambiguous, but yet very clear, references to her SA at the hands of her forced husband, births she had to do alone as no one would help her, and watching her children bear the brunt of the oddness of her mother. Quinn's anger and frustration, along with the fear of her husband, are so pronounced I found myself feeling them along with her every time they were on the page. She is the victim here, despite the world portraying her as the villain. Quinn is a very complicated character. She is written with a dual nature in this story that I absolutely adore, because its so realistic. She has moments of being selfish and moments of being selfless, which we all do. Ultimately, its up for you as the reader to decide which she is.
She has to navigate her own experiences with humans when it comes to the three lighthouse keepers. She has seven years of selfishness and hatred under her belt from living in the village, yet these three keepers are challenging everything she knows. This growth that Quinn shows during these few weeks/months of living on the island is some of the best development I've read in a while. There are a few twists that are revealed while on this island, some obvious and some that I did not see coming.
There is one part of the book that stands out to me that I can not get over, in a good way. The author wove in a few other myths into this story, in the form of Kelpies and Bean-Nighe. There is a chapter that focuses on the myth of the Washerwomen (or Bean-Nighe) and I could not devour this section more! The depth of this side character was so jaw dropping, and I want to explore this myth/character. Nataly, please make this your next book! This character stole the show for me in the best way possible and I want more!
The ending of the book is very vague. It ends happily, don't get me wrong, but as far as a true conclusion, it doesn't really give that. And to be honest, normally that bothers me but in this book it works so well. It's up to you what happens after, with Quinn and her found family. I see myself reading this book again!
Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for a free copy of this book. All thoughts listed below are my own.
After reading Medusa, I was super excited to get this widget and couldn't wait to dive in. Selkie's are a lesser known part of mythology and seeing them be explored was intriguing. Nataly seems to have cornered a market on mythological retelling and honestly I am here for it. Nataly has a wonderful way of taking villains and showing that they are often truly a victim of being in a man's world, Selkie is not an exception.
Quinn, our FMC and Selkie in question, has her seal pelt stolen from her by a man who believes that she will bring him luck and fortune. She is forced to become his wife and have his children, but his pride prevents him from letting her go despite the misfortune she has actually brought. Seven years of being forced to remain on land, her eldest daughter finds and returns her pelt. Quinn escapes, but after an unfortunate encounter with her husband, she is wounded and forced to take shelter on an island with a lighthouse and its three keepers, after she is unable to find her Selkie herd.
During this time, we get to experience flashbacks into her life before her pelt is returned to her. We get to witness her, in some ways self inflicted, isolation from the human village she is forced to live in. Ambiguous, but yet very clear, references to her SA at the hands of her forced husband, births she had to do alone as no one would help her, and watching her children bear the brunt of the oddness of her mother. Quinn's anger and frustration, along with the fear of her husband, are so pronounced I found myself feeling them along with her every time they were on the page. She is the victim here, despite the world portraying her as the villain. Quinn is a very complicated character. She is written with a dual nature in this story that I absolutely adore, because its so realistic. She has moments of being selfish and moments of being selfless, which we all do. Ultimately, its up for you as the reader to decide which she is.
She has to navigate her own experiences with humans when it comes to the three lighthouse keepers. She has seven years of selfishness and hatred under her belt from living in the village, yet these three keepers are challenging everything she knows. This growth that Quinn shows during these few weeks/months of living on the island is some of the best development I've read in a while. There are a few twists that are revealed while on this island, some obvious and some that I did not see coming.
There is one part of the book that stands out to me that I can not get over, in a good way. The author wove in a few other myths into this story, in the form of Kelpies and Bean-Nighe. There is a chapter that focuses on the myth of the Washerwomen (or Bean-Nighe) and I could not devour this section more! The depth of this side character was so jaw dropping, and I want to explore this myth/character. Nataly, please make this your next book! This character stole the show for me in the best way possible and I want more!
The ending of the book is very vague. It ends happily, don't get me wrong, but as far as a true conclusion, it doesn't really give that. And to be honest, normally that bothers me but in this book it works so well. It's up to you what happens after, with Quinn and her found family. I see myself reading this book again!
November 13, 2025
This is my first GoodReads review.
I have a particular fascination with the selkie mythical character. There is a tragic beauty to them (the female equivalent anyway). Their stories center arounds the themes of love, loss, stolen freedom and choice, and identity regained, and Gruender takes those themes and makes them hers.
While some of the selkie lore is unique to the book (or I haven't come across yet), it is clear that Gruender did her research because her understanding of the selkie is lovely.
The book opens with Quinn, the selkie is question, taking her seal pelt off for the first time and transforming from seal into human. Gruender gives a good, detailed description of the act, something that most selkie stories tend to overlook. The experience starts out fun but ends horribly when Owen, a local fisherman, takes her pelt.
Quinn is trapped in her human form for 7 years and is forced to be Owen's wife (She doesn't know how to navigate human life, and she has to stick with him if she ever wants to get her pelt back). In that time, she develops a hatred for humanity. The townspeople unfairly judge and hate her, and Owen is far from the loving husband. When you leave your *cough* kidnapped *cough* pregnant wife to give birth alone so you could go to the pub, you're not winning any Husband of the Year awards. Even her own children can't help but look at her strangely.
When Quinn's son finds her pelt, she books it back to the sea.
That is how the usual selkie story goes and how it ends. But Gruender expands past that point. Quinn has a hard time readjusting to the sea after her near decade away from it. She also is alone. Her fellow selkies have long since moved on without her and she has no idea where they are. Being alone in the ocean makes Quinn vulnerable, something she is very well aware of.
When a near run-in with Owen leaves her injured, Quinn is found by a kind lighthouse keeper. She is left with no choice but to put aside her fear of humans and let this one show her that not all humans are cruel.
There are 3 lighthouse keepers, and each has their own story. While only 1 of them knows what Quinn is for a while, the others earn her friendship over time, and they too learn her secret.
Throughout the book, Gruender jumps between Quinn's time with the lighthouse keepers and Owen. The difference in her treatment truly highlights the duality of love and hate, of choice and subjugation.
Since the prologue, Quinn does nothing but lose. She loses her pelt, her mother, and her friends. She loses her body autonomy and identity (the townsfolk don't even know her name). When she finally gets her pelt back, she loses her kids and realizes that she has lost her understanding of the sea. When Quinn has to make a choice that would result in her losing her lighthouse keeper friends, she finally decides that she is done with losing what she loves.
I have a particular fascination with the selkie mythical character. There is a tragic beauty to them (the female equivalent anyway). Their stories center arounds the themes of love, loss, stolen freedom and choice, and identity regained, and Gruender takes those themes and makes them hers.
While some of the selkie lore is unique to the book (or I haven't come across yet), it is clear that Gruender did her research because her understanding of the selkie is lovely.
The book opens with Quinn, the selkie is question, taking her seal pelt off for the first time and transforming from seal into human. Gruender gives a good, detailed description of the act, something that most selkie stories tend to overlook. The experience starts out fun but ends horribly when Owen, a local fisherman, takes her pelt.
Quinn is trapped in her human form for 7 years and is forced to be Owen's wife (She doesn't know how to navigate human life, and she has to stick with him if she ever wants to get her pelt back). In that time, she develops a hatred for humanity. The townspeople unfairly judge and hate her, and Owen is far from the loving husband. When you leave your *cough* kidnapped *cough* pregnant wife to give birth alone so you could go to the pub, you're not winning any Husband of the Year awards. Even her own children can't help but look at her strangely.
When Quinn's son finds her pelt, she books it back to the sea.
That is how the usual selkie story goes and how it ends. But Gruender expands past that point. Quinn has a hard time readjusting to the sea after her near decade away from it. She also is alone. Her fellow selkies have long since moved on without her and she has no idea where they are. Being alone in the ocean makes Quinn vulnerable, something she is very well aware of.
When a near run-in with Owen leaves her injured, Quinn is found by a kind lighthouse keeper. She is left with no choice but to put aside her fear of humans and let this one show her that not all humans are cruel.
There are 3 lighthouse keepers, and each has their own story. While only 1 of them knows what Quinn is for a while, the others earn her friendship over time, and they too learn her secret.
Throughout the book, Gruender jumps between Quinn's time with the lighthouse keepers and Owen. The difference in her treatment truly highlights the duality of love and hate, of choice and subjugation.
Since the prologue, Quinn does nothing but lose. She loses her pelt, her mother, and her friends. She loses her body autonomy and identity (the townsfolk don't even know her name). When she finally gets her pelt back, she loses her kids and realizes that she has lost her understanding of the sea. When Quinn has to make a choice that would result in her losing her lighthouse keeper friends, she finally decides that she is done with losing what she loves.
Read
August 10, 2025Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy
Selkie by Nataly Gruender is a third person-POV speculative historical set in Scotland in the 1930s and 40s. Quinn is a selkie who traveled with her herd until her pelt was stolen while she was out playing with some of her peers. Her husband, Owen, believes that she will bring him fortune and is determined to have a family with her. When Quinn finally sees a chance to return home, she leaves her three children behind, but her finds that her herd has moved on.
This sits in a very similar place for me as Nataly Gruender’s previous book: it’s more of a historical character study that acknowledges the fantastical aspects of the main character rather than an actual fantasy. For me, this would be just as at home on a women’s fiction or book club shelf as it would a fantasy shelf, which makes it kind of hard to define beyond ‘speculative historical character study.’ The focus stays pretty firmly on Quinn in the moment and how she is perceiving the world and that makes the more fantasy elements that are attached to her feel more normal.
Nataly Gruender takes a very different turn from the typical selkie story, which often has a tinge of tragic romance and longing for a lost love from the POV of the man who kept the selkie’s pelt. This centers the selkie’s experience and depicts it as entrapment and a longing to leave. Quinn struggles to connect to her children, in part because she never really wanted them and also because she cannot sense selkie aspects in them. I don’t think it means she doesn’t love and care for them as she would have had no qualms killing Owen and leaving them alone if that was the case. It’s more that they are connected to a relationship she was in against her will and she can’t bring them with her because she doesn’t know if they would even survive in the sea.
There is a minimal amount of dialogue and the pacing is on the slower side. Quinn’s interiority is what is supposed to shine and be given weight and depth, including her budding feelings for Maisie and her learning how to trust humans when she takes refuge at the lighthouse after Owen hits her with a spear. It is a very gradual shift, but it felt believable because Quinn never really hated humans. She just resented Owen and how his actions isolated her from everyone and everything she had ever known and the way that impacted her place in the village. Her connection to the ocean and the creatures within it has been fractured over the seven years she was on land and we do feel that loss.
I would recommend this to fans of historical fantasy that like a lighter touch for the fantastical and readers of women’s fiction who want a spin on the selkie myth
Selkie by Nataly Gruender is a third person-POV speculative historical set in Scotland in the 1930s and 40s. Quinn is a selkie who traveled with her herd until her pelt was stolen while she was out playing with some of her peers. Her husband, Owen, believes that she will bring him fortune and is determined to have a family with her. When Quinn finally sees a chance to return home, she leaves her three children behind, but her finds that her herd has moved on.
This sits in a very similar place for me as Nataly Gruender’s previous book: it’s more of a historical character study that acknowledges the fantastical aspects of the main character rather than an actual fantasy. For me, this would be just as at home on a women’s fiction or book club shelf as it would a fantasy shelf, which makes it kind of hard to define beyond ‘speculative historical character study.’ The focus stays pretty firmly on Quinn in the moment and how she is perceiving the world and that makes the more fantasy elements that are attached to her feel more normal.
Nataly Gruender takes a very different turn from the typical selkie story, which often has a tinge of tragic romance and longing for a lost love from the POV of the man who kept the selkie’s pelt. This centers the selkie’s experience and depicts it as entrapment and a longing to leave. Quinn struggles to connect to her children, in part because she never really wanted them and also because she cannot sense selkie aspects in them. I don’t think it means she doesn’t love and care for them as she would have had no qualms killing Owen and leaving them alone if that was the case. It’s more that they are connected to a relationship she was in against her will and she can’t bring them with her because she doesn’t know if they would even survive in the sea.
There is a minimal amount of dialogue and the pacing is on the slower side. Quinn’s interiority is what is supposed to shine and be given weight and depth, including her budding feelings for Maisie and her learning how to trust humans when she takes refuge at the lighthouse after Owen hits her with a spear. It is a very gradual shift, but it felt believable because Quinn never really hated humans. She just resented Owen and how his actions isolated her from everyone and everything she had ever known and the way that impacted her place in the village. Her connection to the ocean and the creatures within it has been fractured over the seven years she was on land and we do feel that loss.
I would recommend this to fans of historical fantasy that like a lighter touch for the fantastical and readers of women’s fiction who want a spin on the selkie myth
August 4, 2025
📖 Title: Selkie-a standalone
✍🏾 Author: Nataly Gruender-I read Medusa and gave it 5⭐
📅Publication date: 8/12/25 | Read 8/3/25
📃 Format: e-Book 432 pgs.
Genre:
*Mythology/Fairy tales
*Historical Fic
Tropes:
*secret identities-selkie vs human, woman vs. man
*2nd chance romance
*found family
*LGBTQIA+ rep
👆🏾POV: 3rd person single
⚠️TW: domestic violence, S/A, bullying, town gossip, h injured w/ a spear, murder
🌎 Setting: Scotland
Summary: Quinn is curious about being on two legs, so she and four selkies go to land and Quinn transforms into a human. She didn't notice but a man (her soon to be husband)- takes her pelt believing the selkie will bring fortune, luck, and family. He takes her captive, hides her pelt, and forces her into marriage and motherhood. After seven years on land, Quinn gets her pelt back with her kids' help and she escapes to the sea. When she finds her herd gone and is injured by Owen, she discovers a lighthouse with three keepers. Can she trust these humans, or can she survive alone?
👩🏾 Heroine: Quinn
🎭 Other Characters:
* Flora + Evie-Quinn's daughters 7 and 6
* Owen Melville-Quinn's husband, a fisherman
* Oliver-Quinn's son
* Finn MacArthur+ James "Jamie" Donovan- the lighthouse keepers
* Tavis Murdoch-the newest keeper
🤔 My Thoughts: This a unique novel featuring a selkie-a mythological shapeshifter I was unfamiliar with. There were legends and fairytales about them, but through Quinn I learned how magical they were. The lighthouse keepers were a found family with a lot of secrets. I felt bad for Quinn's children because they didn't have anything to do with Owen's cruelty. I wished she took Oliver with her, and she was a little selfish returning for only Maisie. I understood her need for independence, but I wished her family meant more to her.
Rating: 4/5 ✨
Spice level 1/5 🌶️ kissing only
🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Nataly Gruender for this ARC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.
✍🏾 Author: Nataly Gruender-I read Medusa and gave it 5⭐
📅Publication date: 8/12/25 | Read 8/3/25
📃 Format: e-Book 432 pgs.
Genre:
*Mythology/Fairy tales
*Historical Fic
Tropes:
*secret identities-selkie vs human, woman vs. man
*2nd chance romance
*found family
*LGBTQIA+ rep
👆🏾POV: 3rd person single
⚠️TW: domestic violence, S/A, bullying, town gossip, h injured w/ a spear, murder
🌎 Setting: Scotland
Summary: Quinn is curious about being on two legs, so she and four selkies go to land and Quinn transforms into a human. She didn't notice but a man (her soon to be husband)- takes her pelt believing the selkie will bring fortune, luck, and family. He takes her captive, hides her pelt, and forces her into marriage and motherhood. After seven years on land, Quinn gets her pelt back with her kids' help and she escapes to the sea. When she finds her herd gone and is injured by Owen, she discovers a lighthouse with three keepers. Can she trust these humans, or can she survive alone?
👩🏾 Heroine: Quinn
🎭 Other Characters:
* Flora + Evie-Quinn's daughters 7 and 6
* Owen Melville-Quinn's husband, a fisherman
* Oliver-Quinn's son
* Finn MacArthur+ James "Jamie" Donovan- the lighthouse keepers
* Tavis Murdoch-the newest keeper
🤔 My Thoughts: This a unique novel featuring a selkie-a mythological shapeshifter I was unfamiliar with. There were legends and fairytales about them, but through Quinn I learned how magical they were. The lighthouse keepers were a found family with a lot of secrets. I felt bad for Quinn's children because they didn't have anything to do with Owen's cruelty. I wished she took Oliver with her, and she was a little selfish returning for only Maisie. I understood her need for independence, but I wished her family meant more to her.
Rating: 4/5 ✨
Spice level 1/5 🌶️ kissing only
🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Nataly Gruender for this ARC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.
April 29, 2025
More Selkie books please! I like Selkie lore and this one is from the author of Medusa which I really enjoyed (so good!). This wasn't as good o ONLY because it was a little rushed in the end and I didn't want it to end! From the start I if course was angry for Quinn, I saw red when she was held against her will. I understood her feelings towards those adults around her. It made me sad. Reading her journey was so so good though. This didn't end like I thought it might, I'm sad about that but also happy with how it ended for some of the characters. Not happy for others. It was a quick read. I started it yesterday. Finished it today.
Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this egalley. I was not obligated to leave a review. All opinions are my own
Description
From the author of Medusa comes a beautiful and emotional story featuring a selkie: a mythological creature who can turn from a seal into a human.
Seven years ago, Quinn finally dared to transform from a seal into a human and took her first steps on land. As a selkie, she is both a daughter of land and sea. But when a human stole her pelt, he stole her freedom as well, forcing Quinn to become his wife and bear his children. As legend tells, capturing a selkie will bring you luck, and she became a coveted prize.
Constrained to a life that was no longer her own, Quinn longed for nothing more than to find her pelt and seize her freedom. Then one day, her eldest daughter hands Quinn her pelt and without a second thought, Quinn snatches it and escapes to the sea. But she's no longer used to swimming and doesn't know where her herd has gone. And after an almost disastrous encounter with her former husband, leaving her severely injured, Quinn doesn't have the strength to go searching.
Instead, she finds herself taking shelter on a nearby island with a lighthouse and three lighthouse keepers. Quinn doesn't trust humans anymore and wants to stay hidden from the keepers. But she can't survive on her own. Can she learn to trust these humans and shed her hatred of all humankind? Or will she give into her fears and accept the monstrous fate that others have bestowed upon her?
Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this egalley. I was not obligated to leave a review. All opinions are my own
Description
From the author of Medusa comes a beautiful and emotional story featuring a selkie: a mythological creature who can turn from a seal into a human.
Seven years ago, Quinn finally dared to transform from a seal into a human and took her first steps on land. As a selkie, she is both a daughter of land and sea. But when a human stole her pelt, he stole her freedom as well, forcing Quinn to become his wife and bear his children. As legend tells, capturing a selkie will bring you luck, and she became a coveted prize.
Constrained to a life that was no longer her own, Quinn longed for nothing more than to find her pelt and seize her freedom. Then one day, her eldest daughter hands Quinn her pelt and without a second thought, Quinn snatches it and escapes to the sea. But she's no longer used to swimming and doesn't know where her herd has gone. And after an almost disastrous encounter with her former husband, leaving her severely injured, Quinn doesn't have the strength to go searching.
Instead, she finds herself taking shelter on a nearby island with a lighthouse and three lighthouse keepers. Quinn doesn't trust humans anymore and wants to stay hidden from the keepers. But she can't survive on her own. Can she learn to trust these humans and shed her hatred of all humankind? Or will she give into her fears and accept the monstrous fate that others have bestowed upon her?
July 9, 2025
I received a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley.
When I saw an arc for Medusa, not that long ago, I was going through a Greek myth retelling phase. And, if we're being real here, I'm always going through that phase. Anyway, I loved it and so Selkie was an automatic request for me. I'm not particularly familiar with the selkie myth, either, so I was excited to have this be a preliminary exposure to it.
Once again, the prose is beautiful and stunning and so incredibly poetic. I really felt like Gruender was able to take me and wrap me up in sea salt breezes and crashing waves and sunlight and storms at the turn of each page. Her strength, though, is in her ability to take these women we have often viewed as villains and show why they may, in fact, have been the victims. I just... I just have loved both of her books so much.
The only weakness that I felt like Selkie may have had (especially stacked up against Medusa) is that there wasn't much plot. Now that I've finished the book, I can see that it's because the story is fully encapsulated in the characters and in Quinn as she tries to figure herself out and redefine many different aspects of her life. Knowing this makes it all come together neatly, but while I was reading the book I started to get a little impatient as I wondered what the plot was and when it would start. There's not really a way, per se, to be told in advance of starting a book that the character is the plot, but I kind of wish I had known that earlier on to get myself more fully submerged.
I know some readers felt like the storyline with the children was unsatisfying and should have had a stronger sense of closure, but I really didn't feel that way. Perhaps it's because I'm not a mother? I'm not sure. But I felt fine with how that was resolved.
Overall, I really loved the mood and feel of the book and setting. Gruender's books will continue to be an automatic read for me.
When I saw an arc for Medusa, not that long ago, I was going through a Greek myth retelling phase. And, if we're being real here, I'm always going through that phase. Anyway, I loved it and so Selkie was an automatic request for me. I'm not particularly familiar with the selkie myth, either, so I was excited to have this be a preliminary exposure to it.
Once again, the prose is beautiful and stunning and so incredibly poetic. I really felt like Gruender was able to take me and wrap me up in sea salt breezes and crashing waves and sunlight and storms at the turn of each page. Her strength, though, is in her ability to take these women we have often viewed as villains and show why they may, in fact, have been the victims. I just... I just have loved both of her books so much.
The only weakness that I felt like Selkie may have had (especially stacked up against Medusa) is that there wasn't much plot. Now that I've finished the book, I can see that it's because the story is fully encapsulated in the characters and in Quinn as she tries to figure herself out and redefine many different aspects of her life. Knowing this makes it all come together neatly, but while I was reading the book I started to get a little impatient as I wondered what the plot was and when it would start. There's not really a way, per se, to be told in advance of starting a book that the character is the plot, but I kind of wish I had known that earlier on to get myself more fully submerged.
I know some readers felt like the storyline with the children was unsatisfying and should have had a stronger sense of closure, but I really didn't feel that way. Perhaps it's because I'm not a mother? I'm not sure. But I felt fine with how that was resolved.
Overall, I really loved the mood and feel of the book and setting. Gruender's books will continue to be an automatic read for me.
October 8, 2025
Quinn is a selkie, living most of her life as a seal, until one day she takes of her pelt to turn into a human. However, she is trapped on land for seven years by a man who became her husband. Seven years later, one of her three children finds her pelt and returns it to her. She immediately dashes back into the sea, become a seal once again, only for her husband to find her as a seal and injure her. Quinn barely makes it back to the island where she last saw her herd, but they're long gone and instead there is a lighthouse kept by three men. She isn't strong enough to survive on her own and Quinn must learn how to trust humans in order to survive.
I was so excited for the concept of this book, but I felt extremely let down. The writing was repetitive and it felt as though the author didn't trust the reader to infer anything about the characters or plot. To be completely honest, I didn't care about the characters. All of them annoyed me.
Now for the specifics (there are spoilers here). Jamie is said to have experience with treating injuries but didn't notice that Quinn's wound was a week old. After what seemed like months of healing Quinn also had absolutely no lost strength from healing after she turned back into a seal even though it was mentioned earlier that her lung capacity decreased from spending so long as a human. Similarly when MacArthur turned into a selkie there was no mention of him having a missing flipper. Quinn was speared in the back fluke and it came out to be a wound in her foot. So following the same logic MacArthur should have a missing fin. It also seemed like Quinn couldn't decide if she cared about her children or not. Oliver is going to have such a hard time if he's turning into a seal. She wasn't willing to take him, but she took three other people? Finally, the SA experienced by Maisie is obviously horrible, but how are Quinn's own experiences not discussed at all? She had three children and shared a bed with Owen, but never expressed any concern about the situation or how her children was created.
I was so excited for the concept of this book, but I felt extremely let down. The writing was repetitive and it felt as though the author didn't trust the reader to infer anything about the characters or plot. To be completely honest, I didn't care about the characters. All of them annoyed me.
Now for the specifics (there are spoilers here). Jamie is said to have experience with treating injuries but didn't notice that Quinn's wound was a week old. After what seemed like months of healing Quinn also had absolutely no lost strength from healing after she turned back into a seal even though it was mentioned earlier that her lung capacity decreased from spending so long as a human. Similarly when MacArthur turned into a selkie there was no mention of him having a missing flipper. Quinn was speared in the back fluke and it came out to be a wound in her foot. So following the same logic MacArthur should have a missing fin. It also seemed like Quinn couldn't decide if she cared about her children or not. Oliver is going to have such a hard time if he's turning into a seal. She wasn't willing to take him, but she took three other people? Finally, the SA experienced by Maisie is obviously horrible, but how are Quinn's own experiences not discussed at all? She had three children and shared a bed with Owen, but never expressed any concern about the situation or how her children was created.
April 11, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this advanced copy <3
This is the story of Quinn, a selkie -- mythical creatures of Celtic/Nordic origins that are able to shift from seal to human, allowing them to live both on land and in the water -- who gets trapped on land by a man (typical) who wants to use her for his own gain. Her forces her into marriage and motherhood and keeps her from returning to her herd.
After years of searching for the pelt that will allow her to return to the sea, she finally discovers it and takes off for the water. As she escapes, her husband chases her down and subsequently injures her, forcing her to take refuge on an island inhabited only by three lighthouse keepers. Because she is deeply distrustful of humans, Quinn is hesitant to accept their help, but due to her injury she soon realizes she has no choice and is soon taken in.
With her vengeful husband on her tail and her true identity emerging, Quinn's feelings for one of the keepers starts to bubble to the surface, and she must decide if she should stay or return to the sea.
I found this book very readable/bingeable and enjoyed learning about selkies, as I feel like so few fantasy books focus on that specific mythos. Quinn and Maisie's *friendship* was lovely to watch evolve, and seeing these men show Quinn that not all people (especially men) are bad was beautiful.
While overall I liked this book, it felt like it was lacking somehow, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe I felt a little disconnected from the characters or I didn't totally buy what the author was selling re how selkies transform/shift. Or maybe I just have a milelong TBR I'm impatient to get to?
Did I love it? No. But would I recommend it? Yes. Still fun and different from what we usually see with these kinds of stories.
Overall, I gave this book 3.5/5 stars, rounded up.
This is the story of Quinn, a selkie -- mythical creatures of Celtic/Nordic origins that are able to shift from seal to human, allowing them to live both on land and in the water -- who gets trapped on land by a man (typical) who wants to use her for his own gain. Her forces her into marriage and motherhood and keeps her from returning to her herd.
After years of searching for the pelt that will allow her to return to the sea, she finally discovers it and takes off for the water. As she escapes, her husband chases her down and subsequently injures her, forcing her to take refuge on an island inhabited only by three lighthouse keepers. Because she is deeply distrustful of humans, Quinn is hesitant to accept their help, but due to her injury she soon realizes she has no choice and is soon taken in.
With her vengeful husband on her tail and her true identity emerging, Quinn's feelings for one of the keepers starts to bubble to the surface, and she must decide if she should stay or return to the sea.
I found this book very readable/bingeable and enjoyed learning about selkies, as I feel like so few fantasy books focus on that specific mythos. Quinn and Maisie's *friendship* was lovely to watch evolve, and seeing these men show Quinn that not all people (especially men) are bad was beautiful.
While overall I liked this book, it felt like it was lacking somehow, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe I felt a little disconnected from the characters or I didn't totally buy what the author was selling re how selkies transform/shift. Or maybe I just have a milelong TBR I'm impatient to get to?
Did I love it? No. But would I recommend it? Yes. Still fun and different from what we usually see with these kinds of stories.
Overall, I gave this book 3.5/5 stars, rounded up.
March 30, 2026
Nataly Gruender’s Selkie feels like the kind of story that understands why old tales persist along cold coastlines. As someone raising a child within sight of the Atlantic, I am always drawn to stories shaped by salt air, inheritance, and the quiet pull of folklore that feels older than language. Gruender writes with a deep respect for traditional selkie lore while still crafting something accessible for modern readers. The novel explores belonging, longing, and the complicated beauty of identities that never fit neatly into one world. The atmosphere feels lived in rather than decorative, which is essential for a story rooted in myth.
What stood out most to me was the emotional restraint of the storytelling. The narrative does not rely on spectacle to carry its weight. Instead, it trusts the reader to recognize the power of silence, memory, and the ache of transformation. The selkie legend has always carried themes of autonomy and loss, and Gruender allows those themes to unfold with care. The result is a story that feels both intimate and expansive. It invites reflection on what it means to live between expectations, between homes, between versions of oneself. Readers who appreciate folklore inspired works that prioritize emotional texture over dramatic twists will find a quiet richness here.
I would especially recommend this book to readers who love myth retellings grounded in coastal landscapes, intergenerational storytelling, and a sense of reverence for traditional narratives. Stories like this remind us that folklore continues to matter because it helps us articulate the parts of human experience that feel difficult to explain directly. Selkie offers a thoughtful interpretation of an enduring legend and will resonate with readers who feel drawn to the sea, to inherited stories, and to the enduring question of where we truly belong.
What stood out most to me was the emotional restraint of the storytelling. The narrative does not rely on spectacle to carry its weight. Instead, it trusts the reader to recognize the power of silence, memory, and the ache of transformation. The selkie legend has always carried themes of autonomy and loss, and Gruender allows those themes to unfold with care. The result is a story that feels both intimate and expansive. It invites reflection on what it means to live between expectations, between homes, between versions of oneself. Readers who appreciate folklore inspired works that prioritize emotional texture over dramatic twists will find a quiet richness here.
I would especially recommend this book to readers who love myth retellings grounded in coastal landscapes, intergenerational storytelling, and a sense of reverence for traditional narratives. Stories like this remind us that folklore continues to matter because it helps us articulate the parts of human experience that feel difficult to explain directly. Selkie offers a thoughtful interpretation of an enduring legend and will resonate with readers who feel drawn to the sea, to inherited stories, and to the enduring question of where we truly belong.
August 11, 2025
Gruender brings to life the Selkie folklore through the eyes of a woman named Quinn.
Quinn, who gave into her desire to become human lost her ability to return to what she knows. She is robbed of her identity by a man who claims her as his property, as certain men are wont to do. She becomes a means to an end, a status symbol, and bearer of children she didn’t ask for. Quinn experiences the greed and sexism that forces women into positions they never wanted but feel powerless to fight. But when her oldest child finds her pelt, it opens back up her freedom and her choice, and she is no longer slave to her husband’s tyranny. But she isn’t safe.
As we journey along with Quinn, and see her struggles to figure out who she is meant to be, we also see her journey of rebuilding trust. Human is a dirty word, and as far as she knows, represents a cruel and selfish creature. But that doesn’t stop the keepers of the island she found herself stranded on from showing her that kindness can be given and received-just because someone wants to care for you. Slowly, Quinn’s wounds begin to heal, and she find a new, albeit, hodgepodge family that accept her for who she is-whatever she decides that will be. She learns that love is not always forced or ripped from you; it can be a kind word, a tender tone, a boundary respected.
There are themes of sadness, pain, and anger woven throughout this story, but also hope, love, and acceptance. I enjoyed this take on the Selkie folklore, and would recommend it.
Thank you NetGalley, and Grand Central Publishing, for my arc. My opinion is my own.
Quinn, who gave into her desire to become human lost her ability to return to what she knows. She is robbed of her identity by a man who claims her as his property, as certain men are wont to do. She becomes a means to an end, a status symbol, and bearer of children she didn’t ask for. Quinn experiences the greed and sexism that forces women into positions they never wanted but feel powerless to fight. But when her oldest child finds her pelt, it opens back up her freedom and her choice, and she is no longer slave to her husband’s tyranny. But she isn’t safe.
As we journey along with Quinn, and see her struggles to figure out who she is meant to be, we also see her journey of rebuilding trust. Human is a dirty word, and as far as she knows, represents a cruel and selfish creature. But that doesn’t stop the keepers of the island she found herself stranded on from showing her that kindness can be given and received-just because someone wants to care for you. Slowly, Quinn’s wounds begin to heal, and she find a new, albeit, hodgepodge family that accept her for who she is-whatever she decides that will be. She learns that love is not always forced or ripped from you; it can be a kind word, a tender tone, a boundary respected.
There are themes of sadness, pain, and anger woven throughout this story, but also hope, love, and acceptance. I enjoyed this take on the Selkie folklore, and would recommend it.
Thank you NetGalley, and Grand Central Publishing, for my arc. My opinion is my own.
August 15, 2025
This was such a great read. I love a good fairytale, and I’ve always been fascinated by selkies. This one did not disappoint. Quinn is a young selkie who just wants to know what it is like to have legs. She doesn’t plan on staying human, she just wants to have a quick run on the beach with her friends. Quinn and her friends enjoy their brief stint as humans, and then put their pelts back on, so they can return to the ocean. There is just one problem. Quinn’s pelt is missing. A human from the local village crept up on Quinn and her friends and stole her pelt. Now she is compelled to stay with him, as he holds her pelt. Seven long years pass, Quinn is forced to marry Owen, the man who holds her pelt, and have his children. One day, while playing hide and seek her children find her pelt and bring it to her. Quinn sees the chance to escape and takes it. However freedom isn’t everything she expected it to be. This story really felt like a coming of age story, but for a new adult instead of a teenager. Quinn’s journey really focuses on what it means to be human, what family means, and how our connections to others shape who we are. I also really liked the commentary on the domestic lives of women in the 19th century, and how so much of what women endured was seen as socially acceptable. There is a love story, and there is no spice whatsoever. I would still consider this an adult book however, just because of the age of the characters and the themes involved. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fairytales/myths, stories with found family, character driven stories, and characters who take a journey of self discovery.
September 24, 2025
Nataly Gruender’s Selkie feels like a dark, saltwater fairy tale cracked open to reveal a beating human heart. We meet Quinn, a selkie who once dared to step onto land and paid the price. Her stolen pelt meant a stolen life: forced marriage, children she both loves and resents, and a freedom she can only taste in dreams. When her eldest daughter returns the pelt, Quinn doesn’t hesitate. She dives back into the sea but seven years is a long time, and the ocean doesn’t welcome her back as easily as she hoped.
Gruender takes the old selkie legend and lets it breathe. Quinn’s flight isn’t a neat escape but a bloody, aching scramble. Injured and alone, she washes up on a remote island lighthouse tended by three humans she can’t bring herself to trust. The tension between her primal fear of captivity and her growing need for help gives the book its pull. It’s about survival, yes, but also about unlearning hatred, building fragile connections, and trying to believe in a life beyond victimhood.
The prose mirrors its setting moody and luminous, like moonlight on water. The lighthouse becomes a kind of liminal space between sea and land, trust and trauma, myth and reality. Watching Quinn wrestle with whether to open herself to these new humans or retreat back into the deep is where the story becomes more than folklore.
Selkie is both heartbreaking and hopeful, a story about reclaiming selfhood after abuse and learning to swim again in every sense of the word. Fans of atmospheric myth retellings like The Mermaid of Black Conch or The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea will find a lot to love here.
Gruender takes the old selkie legend and lets it breathe. Quinn’s flight isn’t a neat escape but a bloody, aching scramble. Injured and alone, she washes up on a remote island lighthouse tended by three humans she can’t bring herself to trust. The tension between her primal fear of captivity and her growing need for help gives the book its pull. It’s about survival, yes, but also about unlearning hatred, building fragile connections, and trying to believe in a life beyond victimhood.
The prose mirrors its setting moody and luminous, like moonlight on water. The lighthouse becomes a kind of liminal space between sea and land, trust and trauma, myth and reality. Watching Quinn wrestle with whether to open herself to these new humans or retreat back into the deep is where the story becomes more than folklore.
Selkie is both heartbreaking and hopeful, a story about reclaiming selfhood after abuse and learning to swim again in every sense of the word. Fans of atmospheric myth retellings like The Mermaid of Black Conch or The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea will find a lot to love here.
June 27, 2025
Selkie—I loved the lore and reading a story from the POV of a selkie was very interesting. Often, we get the human perspective of a woman who abandons her children the moment she finds her pelt never hearing from the perspective of the demonized selkie. The author did a great job of describing the conflicted feelings and emotions of Quinn the selkie woman trapped on land when her pelt was stolen and forced to espouse Owen, her captor.
I read this book in two days, it was a good read— but the ending let me down. I won’t use spoilers here, but I find some of the choices didn’t quite make sense in regards to the children. The statement “some women just aren’t made to be mothers” cannot distract the reader from the fact that she did feel both maternal and responsible for the way her children were received by the community… and her abandoning them to the monster who both caged her, forced himself on her, and then tried to kill her when she escaped? Well… that seems like a stretch in light of the choices she might have made based on the way the story ended. Her journey to self discovery and freedom left me wondering more in sadness about how her children fared than being joyful with her for overcoming… and to be fair- it’s a selkie story. I completely expected her children to be abandoned. I just wish it felt less selfish in the end (or at the very least make it apparent she never cared for them at all).
I would like to thank Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I read this book in two days, it was a good read— but the ending let me down. I won’t use spoilers here, but I find some of the choices didn’t quite make sense in regards to the children. The statement “some women just aren’t made to be mothers” cannot distract the reader from the fact that she did feel both maternal and responsible for the way her children were received by the community… and her abandoning them to the monster who both caged her, forced himself on her, and then tried to kill her when she escaped? Well… that seems like a stretch in light of the choices she might have made based on the way the story ended. Her journey to self discovery and freedom left me wondering more in sadness about how her children fared than being joyful with her for overcoming… and to be fair- it’s a selkie story. I completely expected her children to be abandoned. I just wish it felt less selfish in the end (or at the very least make it apparent she never cared for them at all).
I would like to thank Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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