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Storm and Sea Saga #1
Storm and Sea
Atreus has carved out a quiet, stable life among humans on the island of Baia Vita, earning their respect while hiding a dangerous he is Mer. Exiled by his own people for the color of his scales, he has learned to navigate life as an outsider, finding solace in the rhythms of the fishing village. But his fragile peace is shattered when Nyel, a naïve and determined runaway Mer fleeing the suffocating traditions of his home, lands on the island.
Nyel’s arrival disrupts everything Atreus has built. Though they clash at first, their growing friendship—and the flicker of something more—forces both men to confront the prejudices and traditions that shaped them. But their personal struggles are interrupted when a powerful criminal family begins stripping Baia Vita’s bay of fish, threatening the village’s survival. As starvation looms, Atreus and Nyel must join forces to save the humans they’ve both come to care for. Yet, with their secrets on the verge of exposure, they must tread carefully. After all, the very people they hope to protect might destroy them first.
Storm and Sea is a heart-wrenching novel by Tereza Kane. If you enjoy found family, mythical creatures, and LGBTQ+ representation in fantasy, you'll love this captivating tale of acceptance, betrayal, and finding a home in the unlikeliest people.
Nyel’s arrival disrupts everything Atreus has built. Though they clash at first, their growing friendship—and the flicker of something more—forces both men to confront the prejudices and traditions that shaped them. But their personal struggles are interrupted when a powerful criminal family begins stripping Baia Vita’s bay of fish, threatening the village’s survival. As starvation looms, Atreus and Nyel must join forces to save the humans they’ve both come to care for. Yet, with their secrets on the verge of exposure, they must tread carefully. After all, the very people they hope to protect might destroy them first.
Storm and Sea is a heart-wrenching novel by Tereza Kane. If you enjoy found family, mythical creatures, and LGBTQ+ representation in fantasy, you'll love this captivating tale of acceptance, betrayal, and finding a home in the unlikeliest people.
490 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 6, 2025
43 people are currently reading
653 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
April 25, 2025
The best way I would describe this book is that if the movie Luca was gay and that still wouldn’t do it justice.
When I first started reading this I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the book because at first glance it seemed like it would have been a Luca fanfic or an exact copy. But even though it was clearly inspired by Luca it still is a story in its own right.
One of the things I was surprised about was the amount of detail in the Mer’s lore and their beliefs about certain spirits and traditions.
Another thing I liked was the fact that we had other characters POVS other than Atreus and Nyle, but it didn’t feel forced or redundant.
Loved the characters that were meant to be likable and hated the ones that clearly weren’t. (Looking at Nyel’s parents) Hopefully this isn’t the end we see of Nephi as he is such a fascinating character and I would love to know more about him.
Really enjoyed the found family aspect with Atreus, Marina, and Giovanni, in a way they all needed each. I hope their relationship gets explored in the sequel.
Overall the book is an amazing debut by Tereza and the only problem I have is that I would have liked to see more of Atreus and Nyel’s romance but that would probably be more developed in the sequel
When I first started reading this I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the book because at first glance it seemed like it would have been a Luca fanfic or an exact copy. But even though it was clearly inspired by Luca it still is a story in its own right.
One of the things I was surprised about was the amount of detail in the Mer’s lore and their beliefs about certain spirits and traditions.
Another thing I liked was the fact that we had other characters POVS other than Atreus and Nyle, but it didn’t feel forced or redundant.
Loved the characters that were meant to be likable and hated the ones that clearly weren’t. (Looking at Nyel’s parents) Hopefully this isn’t the end we see of Nephi as he is such a fascinating character and I would love to know more about him.
Really enjoyed the found family aspect with Atreus, Marina, and Giovanni, in a way they all needed each. I hope their relationship gets explored in the sequel.
Overall the book is an amazing debut by Tereza and the only problem I have is that I would have liked to see more of Atreus and Nyel’s romance but that would probably be more developed in the sequel
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April 11, 2025LGBTQ+ Fantasy
Mermen Found Family
No Rating
I enjoyed this a lot at the start but as I keep reading it I’m just not sure it’s for me. Originally I loved the 6 POVs because it moved the story along in a fast paced fun way but I’m around 60% and the POVs are now becoming an issue due to how repetitive they are. Scenes that happened 4-5 chapters before are shown from another character’s POV and we see that character’s feelings about what happened but it’s the same scenes I read before and keeps messing with the flow of the book. It almost feels like the chapters are out of order.
I’m also very interested in Nyel and Atreus’ growing relationship and if bonds are possible between them because it appeared to have started and then faded. However, the world details about Mer are kind of vague besides the color of the fins, halflings and what happens if they get wet. As much as I dislike a lot of heavy fantasy world building, I feel like I’m missing a lot especially for a supposed 490 page book. However, with the 6 POVs the attention isn’t just on Atreus & Nyel who are arguably the strongest characters but on the two other couples in the making and I’m sorry but I’m really not interested in either of their storylines.
The other issue I’m having are their ages. This reads like YA but the youngest character, Nyel is 18 years old with the others being in their mid to late 20s and beyond. It’s all been very innocent so far in terms of romance and feelings but the characters feel as if they are 15/16 not adults and it’s taking me out of the story. Part of me is super curious to see what happens next but the other part of me wants to DNF this at 60%. I’m just not sure it’s for me. 🤷🏻♀️
Thank you netgalley for the arc but I feel like I’m not the right audience for this.
Mermen Found Family
No Rating
I enjoyed this a lot at the start but as I keep reading it I’m just not sure it’s for me. Originally I loved the 6 POVs because it moved the story along in a fast paced fun way but I’m around 60% and the POVs are now becoming an issue due to how repetitive they are. Scenes that happened 4-5 chapters before are shown from another character’s POV and we see that character’s feelings about what happened but it’s the same scenes I read before and keeps messing with the flow of the book. It almost feels like the chapters are out of order.
I’m also very interested in Nyel and Atreus’ growing relationship and if bonds are possible between them because it appeared to have started and then faded. However, the world details about Mer are kind of vague besides the color of the fins, halflings and what happens if they get wet. As much as I dislike a lot of heavy fantasy world building, I feel like I’m missing a lot especially for a supposed 490 page book. However, with the 6 POVs the attention isn’t just on Atreus & Nyel who are arguably the strongest characters but on the two other couples in the making and I’m sorry but I’m really not interested in either of their storylines.
The other issue I’m having are their ages. This reads like YA but the youngest character, Nyel is 18 years old with the others being in their mid to late 20s and beyond. It’s all been very innocent so far in terms of romance and feelings but the characters feel as if they are 15/16 not adults and it’s taking me out of the story. Part of me is super curious to see what happens next but the other part of me wants to DNF this at 60%. I’m just not sure it’s for me. 🤷🏻♀️
Thank you netgalley for the arc but I feel like I’m not the right audience for this.
August 13, 2025
[2.5] literally just luca but gayer. was fine, slow burn so annoying prob not gonna read book 2 idk we’ll see
March 24, 2025
"Storm and Sea" by Tereza Kane is a beautiful adult reimagining of Disney’s Luca, infused with openly queer representation and an original take on Mer lore that makes it wholly its own. Set in the charming Italian fishing village of Baia Vita, the story follows Atreus, a Mer exiled for the color of his scales, who has carved out a quiet existence among humans—until Nyel, a runaway Mer fleeing rigid traditions, disrupts everything he has built. As they navigate their growing connection and the rising threat of a criminal family depleting the bay’s fish, their struggle to protect the people they love is complicated by the fear of exposing their true nature. Kane balances cozy fantasy vibes with high stakes, making this story both heartwarming and gripping.
I adored this book. The Mer lore was fascinating and layered, adding a fresh spin to the genre while deepening the worldbuilding. Atreus was incredibly relatable, his pain and mistrust stemming from past rejection, while Nyel’s sweetness made him the perfect counterbalance. Their relationship was tender and deeply satisfying, but I have to admit—Nephi and Leo stole the show for me! Their enigmatic dynamic had me desperate for more, and I would devour an entire book about them. The secondary characters were all beautifully developed, and the rich, seaside setting made the story even more immersive. Storm and Sea is a stunning, emotional journey of love, belonging, and found family, and I highly recommend it.
I adored this book. The Mer lore was fascinating and layered, adding a fresh spin to the genre while deepening the worldbuilding. Atreus was incredibly relatable, his pain and mistrust stemming from past rejection, while Nyel’s sweetness made him the perfect counterbalance. Their relationship was tender and deeply satisfying, but I have to admit—Nephi and Leo stole the show for me! Their enigmatic dynamic had me desperate for more, and I would devour an entire book about them. The secondary characters were all beautifully developed, and the rich, seaside setting made the story even more immersive. Storm and Sea is a stunning, emotional journey of love, belonging, and found family, and I highly recommend it.
March 9, 2025
DNF @ 40%
There's a lot this book had going for it. I love monster romances (both with other monsters and with humans) and the promise of merfolk/human queer love really sold me. It's also nice that this is a hefty book, with promise of sequels -- a real chance to dig in and develop things.
However, it really didn't work for me. The whole story was too clearly Luca fanfic with the serial numbers slightly smudged (not just having the exact same sea monster transformation mechanics and society, but down to the protagonist meeting the other merfolk love interest lead in an abandoned lighthouse). Don't get me wrong, I love fanfic, but it made me feel a bit like I had to be more invested in Luca to engage with it, which I'm just not. There were a dash of other influences I feel like I caught (maybe Valdemar, maybe No.6), but those just felt like influences and not the actual core universe being revisited.
There's more in there than just a retelling, though, with five different point-of-view characters all having their own drama and storylines going on -- though I found this itself a bit jarring, especially because a chapter switch between them sometimes involved jumping back ten years in time, sometimes involved retelling the exact previous chapter from a different point of view, and sometimes involved showing events that the characters had previously told each other about. With this many characters, it was hard to track what was moving the story forward and what was revisiting something we already knew about. It just ended up being too many characters (that said, I would probably have been all over this if it was pared down to just Nephi and Leo's storylines).
It wasn't very consistent in terms of storyline or character motivations; a character would in one moment insist on things being one way and then immediately go back on it with no explanation for the change, or a character immediately switching from fear of humans to immediately becoming obsessed with them. Nyal reads as if he's a good six years younger than he actually is, which is meant to be down to his naivete so I don't mind it entirely, but extended to things like impulsively sticking his hand in water or saying "humans" to humans while pretending to be, himself, human, which made me not really want to see him in a relationship. I DNF'd at the point where one of the characters thought to himself that he couldn't come out to his family as a sodomite because of the shame and humiliation it would cause said family, then coming home two pages later to find that they sold him to a pimp to work on their pleasure boats. There was no acknowledgement of the inconsistency of his own understanding of his family, so it felt like it was just the choices that needed to happen for the plot the author wanted.
The writing was solid and sparse, not overly stylistic but well crafted. It was mostly dialogue and narrative description of events and actions without much wordplay, but it flowed well and was quite readable; I got through the part I read (a couple hundred pages) very smoothly.
All in all, not a story for me, but it might be one for you if you either loved or have never seen/heard of Luca, enjoy a rougher linearity and multiple points of view, and want a slowburn merfolk summer romance that's an easy read and has a found family through-line. Genuinely, I want it to do well and to see more from this author in the future, so if you think these points match your interests, you should check it out.
Thank you to Whispered Words Press and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
There's a lot this book had going for it. I love monster romances (both with other monsters and with humans) and the promise of merfolk/human queer love really sold me. It's also nice that this is a hefty book, with promise of sequels -- a real chance to dig in and develop things.
However, it really didn't work for me. The whole story was too clearly Luca fanfic with the serial numbers slightly smudged (not just having the exact same sea monster transformation mechanics and society, but down to the protagonist meeting the other merfolk love interest lead in an abandoned lighthouse). Don't get me wrong, I love fanfic, but it made me feel a bit like I had to be more invested in Luca to engage with it, which I'm just not. There were a dash of other influences I feel like I caught (maybe Valdemar, maybe No.6), but those just felt like influences and not the actual core universe being revisited.
There's more in there than just a retelling, though, with five different point-of-view characters all having their own drama and storylines going on -- though I found this itself a bit jarring, especially because a chapter switch between them sometimes involved jumping back ten years in time, sometimes involved retelling the exact previous chapter from a different point of view, and sometimes involved showing events that the characters had previously told each other about. With this many characters, it was hard to track what was moving the story forward and what was revisiting something we already knew about. It just ended up being too many characters (that said, I would probably have been all over this if it was pared down to just Nephi and Leo's storylines).
It wasn't very consistent in terms of storyline or character motivations; a character would in one moment insist on things being one way and then immediately go back on it with no explanation for the change, or a character immediately switching from fear of humans to immediately becoming obsessed with them. Nyal reads as if he's a good six years younger than he actually is, which is meant to be down to his naivete so I don't mind it entirely, but extended to things like impulsively sticking his hand in water or saying "humans" to humans while pretending to be, himself, human, which made me not really want to see him in a relationship. I DNF'd at the point where one of the characters thought to himself that he couldn't come out to his family as a sodomite because of the shame and humiliation it would cause said family, then coming home two pages later to find that they sold him to a pimp to work on their pleasure boats. There was no acknowledgement of the inconsistency of his own understanding of his family, so it felt like it was just the choices that needed to happen for the plot the author wanted.
The writing was solid and sparse, not overly stylistic but well crafted. It was mostly dialogue and narrative description of events and actions without much wordplay, but it flowed well and was quite readable; I got through the part I read (a couple hundred pages) very smoothly.
All in all, not a story for me, but it might be one for you if you either loved or have never seen/heard of Luca, enjoy a rougher linearity and multiple points of view, and want a slowburn merfolk summer romance that's an easy read and has a found family through-line. Genuinely, I want it to do well and to see more from this author in the future, so if you think these points match your interests, you should check it out.
Thank you to Whispered Words Press and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
March 11, 2025
Sí, chicos, esto es Luca con protagonistas más grandecitos y como a mí sí que me gustó la película, creo que eso hace parte del por qué esta historia me entretuvo bastante.
No, no diría que es perfecta. Pero tiene lo suyo.
Aunque la historia de los dos principales me aburrió muy rápido y la de Marina se me hace un bodrio, para ser sincera, la parte de Nephi y Leofel mantuvo la llama viva hasta el final. No solo por lo que ambos han tenido que pasar y están pasando, sino también porque, joder, creo que esa relación va a ser fuego a futuro.
Me parece una historia bien narrada, eso sí. Y, en general, creo que pude disfrutar mucho de lo que pasó.
Habla un poquito de salud mental, de la depresión, de la soledad y montón de temas más, pues tiene cinco narradores que están pasando por cosas muy distintas. Y quizás eso no deja que se profundice demasiado en esta primera parte, que las cosas se sientan en su mayoría en el aire, pero creo que la autora puede con ello. Aunque acá es muy superficial, siento que va a poder profundizar y resolver de una forma decente.
Acá me persigno para que no me haga quedar bien payasa, xd
No, no diría que es perfecta. Pero tiene lo suyo.
Aunque la historia de los dos principales me aburrió muy rápido y la de Marina se me hace un bodrio, para ser sincera, la parte de Nephi y Leofel mantuvo la llama viva hasta el final. No solo por lo que ambos han tenido que pasar y están pasando, sino también porque, joder, creo que esa relación va a ser fuego a futuro.
Me parece una historia bien narrada, eso sí. Y, en general, creo que pude disfrutar mucho de lo que pasó.
Habla un poquito de salud mental, de la depresión, de la soledad y montón de temas más, pues tiene cinco narradores que están pasando por cosas muy distintas. Y quizás eso no deja que se profundice demasiado en esta primera parte, que las cosas se sientan en su mayoría en el aire, pero creo que la autora puede con ello. Aunque acá es muy superficial, siento que va a poder profundizar y resolver de una forma decente.
Acá me persigno para que no me haga quedar bien payasa, xd
Want to read
February 19, 2025give me this right freaking now
April 3, 2025
Thank you to the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Storm and Sea read like a fan fiction to the movie Luca, set place in an Italian town post WWII.
Overall, I did enjoy the premise of the book. I liked reading the developing relationship between Atreus and Nyel. The author gave enough background information at the beginning of the book in order to establish the conflict. I did feel as though this book read more as a YA book rather than adult. The characters did not feel like their ages at all, and sometimes I had to question whether they were in the early twenties or if they were teenagers based on their decisions and thought processes.
The multiple POVs was interesting, however, I did not enjoy rereading the same scene back to back in different POVs. It felt repetitive and the other POVs did not give much more insight into what was happening between the characters at these parts. I ended up skimming the repetitive sections of the book because it disrupted the flow of the narrative. Not much happened plot wise during this first book, and the ending felt way too rushed and it felt like the conflict was resolved way too quickly.
I had a gripe with Marina as a character herself. She wasn't that likeable at all, and I honestly can't really see how the relationship between her and her love interest will develop. I also couldn't believe how oblivious she was during the whole book with her not realizing the identity of the "mysterious man".
I hope all the 3 relationships develop further through the series, but I don't think I will be continuing it.
Storm and Sea read like a fan fiction to the movie Luca, set place in an Italian town post WWII.
Overall, I did enjoy the premise of the book. I liked reading the developing relationship between Atreus and Nyel. The author gave enough background information at the beginning of the book in order to establish the conflict. I did feel as though this book read more as a YA book rather than adult. The characters did not feel like their ages at all, and sometimes I had to question whether they were in the early twenties or if they were teenagers based on their decisions and thought processes.
The multiple POVs was interesting, however, I did not enjoy rereading the same scene back to back in different POVs. It felt repetitive and the other POVs did not give much more insight into what was happening between the characters at these parts. I ended up skimming the repetitive sections of the book because it disrupted the flow of the narrative. Not much happened plot wise during this first book, and the ending felt way too rushed and it felt like the conflict was resolved way too quickly.
I had a gripe with Marina as a character herself. She wasn't that likeable at all, and I honestly can't really see how the relationship between her and her love interest will develop. I also couldn't believe how oblivious she was during the whole book with her not realizing the identity of the "mysterious man".
I hope all the 3 relationships develop further through the series, but I don't think I will be continuing it.
April 12, 2025
Special thanks to the author(s), publisher, Goodreads and/or NetGalley for the review copy. All views and opinions expressed are honest and my own.
I don’t usually write my thoughts before finishing a book but I couldn’t help myself with this one. I felt conflicted because I didn’t know how I felt about the story while reading it. As a result, this is a combination of my thoughts during and after finishing the book.
I felt bad for Atreus throughout this book because I could relate to him. Atreus was scared and lonely. Left to his own thoughts, he was haunted by his inner demons that were never revealed or overcome by the end of this book. And it hurt seeing him struggle because he was a good kid who deserved the world. That said, I disliked how it was mentioned that Atreus was supposedly loved by everyone because it didn’t feel like that. Yes, Atreus has a thorny personality and a few did genuinely love him, but the rest was likely earned through Atreus’ hard work after countless years and the care didn’t show.
This story felt like it was meant for Nyel. Nyel was the main character. He was the perfect character, loved by all instantly, naturally talented, gifted, strong and confident, while also being sincere and innocent. It’s hard to dislike a character like Nyel but I couldn’t really love him. There was nothing that compelled me to love his character and instead I kept questioning why Nyel and not Atreus or Leo.
Leo was a character I also felt immensely bad for because he was suffering. Leo didn’t confide in anyone, nor did he complain. He accepted his situation quietly by putting up a brave front. And I hated that on such a small island he was able to hide the abuse physically evident on his body. Or was it just the folks ignoring it to not get involved. Either way, I started to dislike the island folks because even if they were scared and struggling to survive they could have said something. Anything really, or at least an acknowledgement of Leo’s situation. I understand the times were tough on the island, but unity and support is what should help them get through it.
That said, the story is somewhat interesting. I originally liked the concept but by the end of this book, I felt it may be following a cliche storyline into the next book. This book keeps Atreus’ past largely a mystery, Nelphie is also a questionable character and let’s not forget the villain. A true despicable villain who is non-redeemable. These are the few reasons that are keeping me intrigued with this series.
The writing felt a bit confusing to me at times. Honestly, I couldn’t understand how the mermaids looked so I came up with my own version. The writing is faithful to each characters’ personality but it’s execution is sometimes lacking because they start to sound similar. This story takes the multiple POV approach which is enjoyable when done well. However, this story repeats events in one or more characters’ perspectives. If it was a reference or added value, then I’d have no issues but sometimes I was re-reading entire scenes again from a different viewpoint. They didn’t add value or paint the characters differently and it ultimately made me lose focus.
The romance is slow and isn’t very evident until later on in this book. Though I felt like there was a lack of scenes between Atreus and Nyel that supported the growth of their feelings. Sometimes I wondered if those feelings developed because of their circumstances and if it would be different had there been another mermaid.
Overall, this was a story I liked but disliked. After many days, I still don’t have a clear stance but I know that this is a book I could re-read. I would still find the same parts both enjoyable or not, but I would also find new things. This book seems to have quite a bit of content that can be easily missed. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
I don’t usually write my thoughts before finishing a book but I couldn’t help myself with this one. I felt conflicted because I didn’t know how I felt about the story while reading it. As a result, this is a combination of my thoughts during and after finishing the book.
I felt bad for Atreus throughout this book because I could relate to him. Atreus was scared and lonely. Left to his own thoughts, he was haunted by his inner demons that were never revealed or overcome by the end of this book. And it hurt seeing him struggle because he was a good kid who deserved the world. That said, I disliked how it was mentioned that Atreus was supposedly loved by everyone because it didn’t feel like that. Yes, Atreus has a thorny personality and a few did genuinely love him, but the rest was likely earned through Atreus’ hard work after countless years and the care didn’t show.
This story felt like it was meant for Nyel. Nyel was the main character. He was the perfect character, loved by all instantly, naturally talented, gifted, strong and confident, while also being sincere and innocent. It’s hard to dislike a character like Nyel but I couldn’t really love him. There was nothing that compelled me to love his character and instead I kept questioning why Nyel and not Atreus or Leo.
Leo was a character I also felt immensely bad for because he was suffering. Leo didn’t confide in anyone, nor did he complain. He accepted his situation quietly by putting up a brave front. And I hated that on such a small island he was able to hide the abuse physically evident on his body. Or was it just the folks ignoring it to not get involved. Either way, I started to dislike the island folks because even if they were scared and struggling to survive they could have said something. Anything really, or at least an acknowledgement of Leo’s situation. I understand the times were tough on the island, but unity and support is what should help them get through it.
That said, the story is somewhat interesting. I originally liked the concept but by the end of this book, I felt it may be following a cliche storyline into the next book. This book keeps Atreus’ past largely a mystery, Nelphie is also a questionable character and let’s not forget the villain. A true despicable villain who is non-redeemable. These are the few reasons that are keeping me intrigued with this series.
The writing felt a bit confusing to me at times. Honestly, I couldn’t understand how the mermaids looked so I came up with my own version. The writing is faithful to each characters’ personality but it’s execution is sometimes lacking because they start to sound similar. This story takes the multiple POV approach which is enjoyable when done well. However, this story repeats events in one or more characters’ perspectives. If it was a reference or added value, then I’d have no issues but sometimes I was re-reading entire scenes again from a different viewpoint. They didn’t add value or paint the characters differently and it ultimately made me lose focus.
The romance is slow and isn’t very evident until later on in this book. Though I felt like there was a lack of scenes between Atreus and Nyel that supported the growth of their feelings. Sometimes I wondered if those feelings developed because of their circumstances and if it would be different had there been another mermaid.
Overall, this was a story I liked but disliked. After many days, I still don’t have a clear stance but I know that this is a book I could re-read. I would still find the same parts both enjoyable or not, but I would also find new things. This book seems to have quite a bit of content that can be easily missed. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
June 28, 2025
I am so charmed by this book. I just want to give every character in this book a nice long hug and a kiss on the forehead. Except for Vincenzo. His face can meet my fist
March 2, 2025
Massive thank you to NetGalley and publisher Whispered Words Press/Victory Editing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
"He'd once heard Marina call Atreus' freckles 'angel kisses.' Nyel preferred to think of them as tiny constellations, like a map of stars scattered across his skin. He wondered where they led."
tw: homophobia, internalised homophobia, abandonment, grief, parental rejection, ableism, torture, implied sexual assault, emotional abuse
Well, I think it's safe to say that Baia Vita has absolutely captivated me with it's charm and cast of vibrant characters!!
In Storm and Sea, we follow the story of Atreus and Nyel - two Mer from completely opposite backgrounds who meet by chance but change the tide of eachother's lives forever.
Atreus is cold and quiet - he's been living under the radar in the fishing village of Baia Vita for years. An outsider whilst under the sea, the exiled Mer has fought to create a peaceful life for himself amongst the humans above. Nyel is bright and kind - all he's ever known is kelp farming and the pressures of forming a Lifebond. But after fighting with his family one night, he comes crashing into Atreus' perfectly crafted life like a tidal wave. Together, this unlikely pair will navigate love and friendship whilst confronting age-old prejudices and a common enemy in order to save their home.
"He didn't consider his upbringing homely. But this place...
This is where memories are made. This is a place for family."
I absolutely fell in love with the world Tereza has created, from the beautiful descriptions of the island of Baia Vita to the heartwarming community cultivated by it's residents - it really does sound like a dream destination!! I feel like the multi-POV really drove the story forward and whilst I was reading, I really felt like I was part of the friend group! The side characters Marina, Leofel and Nephi really captured my heart and I cannot WAIT to follow their stories into the rest of the trilogy!! I have such a soft spot for Giovanni too... I am a sucker for a found family trope, what can I say!! Also, the playlists and song descriptions from the start of the book were an AMAZING addition and really gave a deeper insight into the characters!
If you love found family, LGBTQIA+ rep and a character driven story all set against the sun-drenched backdrop of Italy, then you are going to absolutely fall in LOVE with this debut!!
5 stars!
★★★★★
"He'd once heard Marina call Atreus' freckles 'angel kisses.' Nyel preferred to think of them as tiny constellations, like a map of stars scattered across his skin. He wondered where they led."
tw: homophobia, internalised homophobia, abandonment, grief, parental rejection, ableism, torture, implied sexual assault, emotional abuse
Well, I think it's safe to say that Baia Vita has absolutely captivated me with it's charm and cast of vibrant characters!!
In Storm and Sea, we follow the story of Atreus and Nyel - two Mer from completely opposite backgrounds who meet by chance but change the tide of eachother's lives forever.
Atreus is cold and quiet - he's been living under the radar in the fishing village of Baia Vita for years. An outsider whilst under the sea, the exiled Mer has fought to create a peaceful life for himself amongst the humans above. Nyel is bright and kind - all he's ever known is kelp farming and the pressures of forming a Lifebond. But after fighting with his family one night, he comes crashing into Atreus' perfectly crafted life like a tidal wave. Together, this unlikely pair will navigate love and friendship whilst confronting age-old prejudices and a common enemy in order to save their home.
"He didn't consider his upbringing homely. But this place...
This is where memories are made. This is a place for family."
I absolutely fell in love with the world Tereza has created, from the beautiful descriptions of the island of Baia Vita to the heartwarming community cultivated by it's residents - it really does sound like a dream destination!! I feel like the multi-POV really drove the story forward and whilst I was reading, I really felt like I was part of the friend group! The side characters Marina, Leofel and Nephi really captured my heart and I cannot WAIT to follow their stories into the rest of the trilogy!! I have such a soft spot for Giovanni too... I am a sucker for a found family trope, what can I say!! Also, the playlists and song descriptions from the start of the book were an AMAZING addition and really gave a deeper insight into the characters!
If you love found family, LGBTQIA+ rep and a character driven story all set against the sun-drenched backdrop of Italy, then you are going to absolutely fall in LOVE with this debut!!
5 stars!
★★★★★
February 18, 2025
This book was so clean and gorgeously written.
This is a great example about how characters make a story. Following Nyel and Atreus on their journeys felt like being there. All the cultural aspects of the book weren’t just thrown in — I could tell that the author spent a lot of time really trying to capture the environments she put her characters in, and how they were affected by it. Baia Vita is the exact type of community-driven place that makes people yearn for it when they’re not at home. It dragged me in and made me never want to leave.
The characters all had their own arcs, no matter how small, which shows a great attention to detail. The found family aspect tugged at my heartstrings because I’ve BEEN there — and that’s the greatest thing you can do as a writer is make your readers FEEL things that connect to their own lives. I even hit a point where I had to set the book down for a second to breathe because the author has this innate ability to really understand how people’s feelings work, and it’s truly beautiful.
10/10. I’d absolutely read this again and I look forward to seeing what else Tereza Kane creates.
This is a great example about how characters make a story. Following Nyel and Atreus on their journeys felt like being there. All the cultural aspects of the book weren’t just thrown in — I could tell that the author spent a lot of time really trying to capture the environments she put her characters in, and how they were affected by it. Baia Vita is the exact type of community-driven place that makes people yearn for it when they’re not at home. It dragged me in and made me never want to leave.
The characters all had their own arcs, no matter how small, which shows a great attention to detail. The found family aspect tugged at my heartstrings because I’ve BEEN there — and that’s the greatest thing you can do as a writer is make your readers FEEL things that connect to their own lives. I even hit a point where I had to set the book down for a second to breathe because the author has this innate ability to really understand how people’s feelings work, and it’s truly beautiful.
10/10. I’d absolutely read this again and I look forward to seeing what else Tereza Kane creates.
March 9, 2025
I received a free copy from the author and through Netgalley. I voluntarily reviewed it and all opinions are my own.
When I spotted this cover on Netgalley I knew I had to read it. Not only is it so pretty, but the vibes made me really excited for this book and the book definitely lives up to what the cover promises. Storm and Sea is a m/m romance featuring mer set in Italy shortly after the second world war. It's a story about found family with lots of cozy and sweet moments, but also can get dark and heavy at times with the threat to the island as well as some well done mental health rep. It has the fish-out-of-water trope (literally as it involves mer on land) and the main romance has grumpy-sunshine vibes. I really enjoyed this book and had a great time reading it.
I hadn't expected this book to grab me as much as it did, but from the first chapter I was hooked and wanted to keep reading. This book had such a great balance between the fun and cozy scenes, but then also could be hard hitting with the emotional scenes. The characters, plot, romance and world building are all so well done. My only complaint might be the few times there are scenes told from both point of views and the few times a new point of view gets introduced and it goes back in time a bit, as those could feel a bit jarring to me.
The characters are all so well written and feel so real and alive. I really liked reading about them. I probably related most to Atreus and some of his mental health struggles could hit a bit close to home, but I thought it was handled and written very well. I felt so bad for him and how he was abandoned by his family and thought there was something wrong with him. And the moments he realizes he has a family and people who care were so emotional and well done. I really liked the slow burn romance between Atreus and Nyel. They were so good together and I really liked how they lifted each other up and were there for the other. It is a very slow burn, but I liked that and thought it worked well here and fit the characters.
Besides the main romance between Atreus and Nyel there are some side characters as well with hints of their own romance. Most of the time I thought the multiple point of views worked well as the focus stays on Atreus and Nyel, but with enough of the others as well. There is Leo, his point of view was probably the darkest and hardest for me to read and I ended skimming some of them when he gets into trouble as I couldn't handle those bits. Nephi's point of view could be tough to read as well, he has been trough a lot and is still struggling, but I also kept feeling that sliver of hope that he would find his way eventually. Then there is Marina and I liked the insight her chapters gave in her personality, the parts she didn't show on the outside. She was always happy and sunny and it was interesting to see the struggles she had as well. There is a set up for possible romances for all of them.
I thought this would be a standalone, but by the end of the book it's clear this is only the first book in the series. I am really excited to see what happens next. The romances and plot lines don't get resolved yet, but I thought it did end in a good place with a feeling of hope. And I can't wait to see how the series continues.
I loved the world building in this book, it was so well done. I liked reading about the mer and their culture, I liked how we get to see a bit of Nyel at home in the sea before he goes on land. I liked how there are different types of mer. I also liked how they are not the typical mermaid with a tail instead of legs, instead these mer have legs like humans, but they have a tail. And they don't have hair. I also liked reading about the Italian city and this cozy island setting.
To summarize: I really liked this book. It grabbed me from the start and I wanted to keep reading. I liked the unique take on the mer as well as the cozy vibes, but the book could also get more dark and heavy in places. The balance between the uplifting cozy themes and the more emotional struggles was well done. There is some well done mental health rep as well as one of the character being dyslexic. The characters are all so well written and feel very alive, they were all very interesting to read about although Leo's point of view could be a bit tough to read and I sometimes skimmed the darker scenes. Atreus mental health struggles could be tough to read about as some of those themes hit close to home, but I did really like reading about him and the moments he realized he has people who care about him were so emotional and wonderful. I liked the way the mer people were described and we see a bit about their culture as well. All in all I had a great time reading this book and I can't wait for the next one.
When I spotted this cover on Netgalley I knew I had to read it. Not only is it so pretty, but the vibes made me really excited for this book and the book definitely lives up to what the cover promises. Storm and Sea is a m/m romance featuring mer set in Italy shortly after the second world war. It's a story about found family with lots of cozy and sweet moments, but also can get dark and heavy at times with the threat to the island as well as some well done mental health rep. It has the fish-out-of-water trope (literally as it involves mer on land) and the main romance has grumpy-sunshine vibes. I really enjoyed this book and had a great time reading it.
I hadn't expected this book to grab me as much as it did, but from the first chapter I was hooked and wanted to keep reading. This book had such a great balance between the fun and cozy scenes, but then also could be hard hitting with the emotional scenes. The characters, plot, romance and world building are all so well done. My only complaint might be the few times there are scenes told from both point of views and the few times a new point of view gets introduced and it goes back in time a bit, as those could feel a bit jarring to me.
The characters are all so well written and feel so real and alive. I really liked reading about them. I probably related most to Atreus and some of his mental health struggles could hit a bit close to home, but I thought it was handled and written very well. I felt so bad for him and how he was abandoned by his family and thought there was something wrong with him. And the moments he realizes he has a family and people who care were so emotional and well done. I really liked the slow burn romance between Atreus and Nyel. They were so good together and I really liked how they lifted each other up and were there for the other. It is a very slow burn, but I liked that and thought it worked well here and fit the characters.
Besides the main romance between Atreus and Nyel there are some side characters as well with hints of their own romance. Most of the time I thought the multiple point of views worked well as the focus stays on Atreus and Nyel, but with enough of the others as well. There is Leo, his point of view was probably the darkest and hardest for me to read and I ended skimming some of them when he gets into trouble as I couldn't handle those bits. Nephi's point of view could be tough to read as well, he has been trough a lot and is still struggling, but I also kept feeling that sliver of hope that he would find his way eventually. Then there is Marina and I liked the insight her chapters gave in her personality, the parts she didn't show on the outside. She was always happy and sunny and it was interesting to see the struggles she had as well. There is a set up for possible romances for all of them.
I thought this would be a standalone, but by the end of the book it's clear this is only the first book in the series. I am really excited to see what happens next. The romances and plot lines don't get resolved yet, but I thought it did end in a good place with a feeling of hope. And I can't wait to see how the series continues.
I loved the world building in this book, it was so well done. I liked reading about the mer and their culture, I liked how we get to see a bit of Nyel at home in the sea before he goes on land. I liked how there are different types of mer. I also liked how they are not the typical mermaid with a tail instead of legs, instead these mer have legs like humans, but they have a tail. And they don't have hair. I also liked reading about the Italian city and this cozy island setting.
To summarize: I really liked this book. It grabbed me from the start and I wanted to keep reading. I liked the unique take on the mer as well as the cozy vibes, but the book could also get more dark and heavy in places. The balance between the uplifting cozy themes and the more emotional struggles was well done. There is some well done mental health rep as well as one of the character being dyslexic. The characters are all so well written and feel very alive, they were all very interesting to read about although Leo's point of view could be a bit tough to read and I sometimes skimmed the darker scenes. Atreus mental health struggles could be tough to read about as some of those themes hit close to home, but I did really like reading about him and the moments he realized he has people who care about him were so emotional and wonderful. I liked the way the mer people were described and we see a bit about their culture as well. All in all I had a great time reading this book and I can't wait for the next one.
April 8, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
4.5 stars rounded up. I would have given this book 4 stars but Nephi raised it to 5 stars for me.
If you love the movie “Luca” you will love this novel, especially if you were wishing they would get together romantically!
I loved the setting and the characters! It had so many tropes that were perfect for me. I was going insane at so many lines in the novel. I swooned, I was giddy and happy and angry and disgusted at times (by a certain someone’s actions who was so evil in this novel it was terrifying). I felt so many emotions while reading. It also had a lot of funny lines and banter moments between all the characters that had me laughing out loud.
Not only did I love the plot and the setting, but the characters were fantastic. Every single one of them. Of course I loved Atreus and Nyel, but Giovanni and Marina were also amazing side characters.
I wasn’t expecting to love Nephi as much as I did, but he stole my heart from the second I met him! He completely stole the show the whole novel! I love him so much, he is easily one of my favorite characters just in general. I am a sucker for the tortured bad boy that secretly has a heart of gold but still keeps his sass, which is exactly who he was.
I honestly cared more about him and Leo than I did Nyel and Atreus. Though I loved them too. Leo and Nephi just had such a great dynamic. The back and forth of Nephi wanted to end Leo because he hates humans but he can’t help but be attached to Leo, was so deliciously good. Their parts together were my favorite part of the book, especially the scene where Nephi told Leo he would be at the beach a lot.
I liked Leo, but sometimes he wasn’t a great friend to Atreus. I also could have done without him liking Nyel. But that is probably because I shipped him and Nephi so hard. I thought Leo was going to be a sunshine boy, but he actually had a lot of layers which was very interesting. My heart broke for him and his situation. I wanted to hug him and save him so badly!
I really enjoyed the dynamic between Nyel and Nephi as well. I loved that at first they didn’t look at each other as brothers but by the end they were family. It’s not a perfect relationship, and I didn’t expect it to change in a day, but it’s better than it was to start. Even Nephi and Atreus’s banter was so funny. The scene where they were deciding who would stay up to keep watch had me cackling.
Nyel and Atreus’s relationship was the slowest of all slow burns! It killed me! I am so happy we are getting more books because I would have lost it if this was all we got. I’m especially glad we are getting more books because if it ended how it ended I would have been so disappointed, even though it is very similar to the ending of “Luca.”
The one thing I didn’t like about this was the repeating of the same scenes just in different POVs. I understand the author wanting to show the other characters feelings on the matter, but it could have been a quick reference to that scene then show their feelings instead of repeating the dialogue word for word. It was too repetitive and it happened a lot when it didn’t need to be in there.
I highly recommend this novel. Even if you’ve never seen the movie “Luca,” this is a great ride of a novel. There are so many components to it. You will laugh and you will cry, and your heart will be so full by the end. I can’t wait to read more!
4.5 stars rounded up. I would have given this book 4 stars but Nephi raised it to 5 stars for me.
If you love the movie “Luca” you will love this novel, especially if you were wishing they would get together romantically!
I loved the setting and the characters! It had so many tropes that were perfect for me. I was going insane at so many lines in the novel. I swooned, I was giddy and happy and angry and disgusted at times (by a certain someone’s actions who was so evil in this novel it was terrifying). I felt so many emotions while reading. It also had a lot of funny lines and banter moments between all the characters that had me laughing out loud.
Not only did I love the plot and the setting, but the characters were fantastic. Every single one of them. Of course I loved Atreus and Nyel, but Giovanni and Marina were also amazing side characters.
I wasn’t expecting to love Nephi as much as I did, but he stole my heart from the second I met him! He completely stole the show the whole novel! I love him so much, he is easily one of my favorite characters just in general. I am a sucker for the tortured bad boy that secretly has a heart of gold but still keeps his sass, which is exactly who he was.
I honestly cared more about him and Leo than I did Nyel and Atreus. Though I loved them too. Leo and Nephi just had such a great dynamic. The back and forth of Nephi wanted to end Leo because he hates humans but he can’t help but be attached to Leo, was so deliciously good. Their parts together were my favorite part of the book, especially the scene where Nephi told Leo he would be at the beach a lot.
I liked Leo, but sometimes he wasn’t a great friend to Atreus. I also could have done without him liking Nyel. But that is probably because I shipped him and Nephi so hard. I thought Leo was going to be a sunshine boy, but he actually had a lot of layers which was very interesting. My heart broke for him and his situation. I wanted to hug him and save him so badly!
I really enjoyed the dynamic between Nyel and Nephi as well. I loved that at first they didn’t look at each other as brothers but by the end they were family. It’s not a perfect relationship, and I didn’t expect it to change in a day, but it’s better than it was to start. Even Nephi and Atreus’s banter was so funny. The scene where they were deciding who would stay up to keep watch had me cackling.
Nyel and Atreus’s relationship was the slowest of all slow burns! It killed me! I am so happy we are getting more books because I would have lost it if this was all we got. I’m especially glad we are getting more books because if it ended how it ended I would have been so disappointed, even though it is very similar to the ending of “Luca.”
The one thing I didn’t like about this was the repeating of the same scenes just in different POVs. I understand the author wanting to show the other characters feelings on the matter, but it could have been a quick reference to that scene then show their feelings instead of repeating the dialogue word for word. It was too repetitive and it happened a lot when it didn’t need to be in there.
I highly recommend this novel. Even if you’ve never seen the movie “Luca,” this is a great ride of a novel. There are so many components to it. You will laugh and you will cry, and your heart will be so full by the end. I can’t wait to read more!
April 6, 2025
I received an e-ARC and am giving my honest review!
Let me start this by saying I am a DIEHARD Luca fan. Multiple tattoos, watch it nightly movie memorized. The whole nine yards. So I was beyond ecstatic for a re-telling of my favorite movie, but made explicitly gay. I was always one of those people who felt a stronger connection to it due to the underlying queer themes it held (even if the director felt otherwise smh).
I loved the relationship between Nyel and Atreus. The slow burn is slow BURNING and I am so invested! Atreus going from Nyel’s #1 Hater to someone that protects Nyel and treats him with a newfound understanding that neither had experienced before was such a sweet bond. Their banter was so adorable as well, I kept giggling and smiling at my Kindle.
Atreus and Giovanni also, of course, held a special place in my heart. I mean duh, how could they not? Adoptive father-son gets me GOOD everytime, and this was no difference.
I LOVED the addition of the idea of halflings! It was such a perfect plot point for Atreus and really made the reader understand him and his situation so much more. It really made you feel for him, both his lack of knowledge as well as the situation he’s been put in unknowingly.
This book was a bit rough for me to start. I struggled to be engaged with it until the 60/65% mark. There were a lot of aspects I was very uncomfortable about, which were written to be uncomfortable but I did not find it to be a storyline that felt necessary and, if anything, made the plot bulkier and harder to follow. It contained content pertaining to sexual assault (although not under clothing if I’m remembering correctly, still highly uncomfortable. Not dissimilar to Angel Dust’s storyline in Hazbin Hotel, lol, and not involving either of the two main characters, but one of the other characters with POV chapters). The villainification of a character with heavy burns also made me a bit uncomfortable.
There was also a dark romance included that simply did not feel like it fit the atmosphere, especially with the naïveté that the two main characters, specifically Nyel, pertained. Nyel’s writing made him feel a solid 8-9 years younger than he truly was, which was narratively due to the fact he’d never interacted with humans before, but as a 21 year old, if I joined an alien town I’d know the basics, y’know? It definitely felt a bit strange to me, although I’m quite certain it is simply due to what this is inspired by.
Although I struggled to get into this book and had some moments with aspects of the plot, once it got going I was completely enthralled. Especially pertaining to Atreus and Nyel’s relationship, I loved seeing them grow together and into each other.
Let me start this by saying I am a DIEHARD Luca fan. Multiple tattoos, watch it nightly movie memorized. The whole nine yards. So I was beyond ecstatic for a re-telling of my favorite movie, but made explicitly gay. I was always one of those people who felt a stronger connection to it due to the underlying queer themes it held (even if the director felt otherwise smh).
I loved the relationship between Nyel and Atreus. The slow burn is slow BURNING and I am so invested! Atreus going from Nyel’s #1 Hater to someone that protects Nyel and treats him with a newfound understanding that neither had experienced before was such a sweet bond. Their banter was so adorable as well, I kept giggling and smiling at my Kindle.
Atreus and Giovanni also, of course, held a special place in my heart. I mean duh, how could they not? Adoptive father-son gets me GOOD everytime, and this was no difference.
I LOVED the addition of the idea of halflings! It was such a perfect plot point for Atreus and really made the reader understand him and his situation so much more. It really made you feel for him, both his lack of knowledge as well as the situation he’s been put in unknowingly.
This book was a bit rough for me to start. I struggled to be engaged with it until the 60/65% mark. There were a lot of aspects I was very uncomfortable about, which were written to be uncomfortable but I did not find it to be a storyline that felt necessary and, if anything, made the plot bulkier and harder to follow. It contained content pertaining to sexual assault (although not under clothing if I’m remembering correctly, still highly uncomfortable. Not dissimilar to Angel Dust’s storyline in Hazbin Hotel, lol, and not involving either of the two main characters, but one of the other characters with POV chapters). The villainification of a character with heavy burns also made me a bit uncomfortable.
There was also a dark romance included that simply did not feel like it fit the atmosphere, especially with the naïveté that the two main characters, specifically Nyel, pertained. Nyel’s writing made him feel a solid 8-9 years younger than he truly was, which was narratively due to the fact he’d never interacted with humans before, but as a 21 year old, if I joined an alien town I’d know the basics, y’know? It definitely felt a bit strange to me, although I’m quite certain it is simply due to what this is inspired by.
Although I struggled to get into this book and had some moments with aspects of the plot, once it got going I was completely enthralled. Especially pertaining to Atreus and Nyel’s relationship, I loved seeing them grow together and into each other.
July 16, 2025
Tereza Kane’s Storm and Sea is a lyrical, emotionally resonant fantasy that plunges readers into the depths of identity, exile, and unexpected kinship. Set against the vivid backdrop of Baia Vita—a coastal village brimming with salt, secrets, and survival—this novel masterfully blends mythical allure with deeply human struggles.
Atreus, an exiled Mer living quietly among humans, is a protagonist haunted by both his past and his nature. Kane paints him with aching tenderness: a man who’s built his life on caution and quiet strength, hiding scales that once made him a pariah among his own people. His forced solitude is both poignant and suffocating, making the sudden arrival of Nyel—a young, impulsive Mer escaping the very world that cast Atreus out—feel like a storm crashing against the seawall.
What begins as friction between the two men gradually deepens into a tentative trust, and eventually, a magnetic bond. Kane doesn’t rush their relationship; instead, she lets it breathe, simmer, and bloom with authenticity. The romance is tender and slow-burning, offering not just queer representation, but a powerful meditation on chosen family and healing.
Beneath the personal stakes runs a powerful undercurrent of social and ecological tension. The threat of a criminal fishing cartel looms large, forcing Atreus and Nyel to decide: remain hidden, or risk everything to protect a human community that might not accept their truth. Kane excels at layering themes—oppression, otherness, tradition versus change—without ever losing narrative momentum.
Her prose is both fluid and incisive, like the sea itself. She evokes the coastal setting with lush, sensory detail, from salt-crusted docks to the mournful songs of the tide. There’s a rhythm to the storytelling that mirrors the ocean: at times calm and introspective, then crashing forward with urgency.
Storm and Sea is more than a fantasy; it’s a deeply moving exploration of what it means to belong. For readers who cherish stories of outsiders finding their place, of bonds forged in hardship and love that defies expectation, this novel delivers with quiet power and unforgettable grace.
Highly recommended for fans of The Song of Achilles, The House in the Cerulean Sea, or anyone seeking an intimate, myth-infused story of transformation and hope.
Atreus, an exiled Mer living quietly among humans, is a protagonist haunted by both his past and his nature. Kane paints him with aching tenderness: a man who’s built his life on caution and quiet strength, hiding scales that once made him a pariah among his own people. His forced solitude is both poignant and suffocating, making the sudden arrival of Nyel—a young, impulsive Mer escaping the very world that cast Atreus out—feel like a storm crashing against the seawall.
What begins as friction between the two men gradually deepens into a tentative trust, and eventually, a magnetic bond. Kane doesn’t rush their relationship; instead, she lets it breathe, simmer, and bloom with authenticity. The romance is tender and slow-burning, offering not just queer representation, but a powerful meditation on chosen family and healing.
Beneath the personal stakes runs a powerful undercurrent of social and ecological tension. The threat of a criminal fishing cartel looms large, forcing Atreus and Nyel to decide: remain hidden, or risk everything to protect a human community that might not accept their truth. Kane excels at layering themes—oppression, otherness, tradition versus change—without ever losing narrative momentum.
Her prose is both fluid and incisive, like the sea itself. She evokes the coastal setting with lush, sensory detail, from salt-crusted docks to the mournful songs of the tide. There’s a rhythm to the storytelling that mirrors the ocean: at times calm and introspective, then crashing forward with urgency.
Storm and Sea is more than a fantasy; it’s a deeply moving exploration of what it means to belong. For readers who cherish stories of outsiders finding their place, of bonds forged in hardship and love that defies expectation, this novel delivers with quiet power and unforgettable grace.
Highly recommended for fans of The Song of Achilles, The House in the Cerulean Sea, or anyone seeking an intimate, myth-infused story of transformation and hope.
July 22, 2025
★★★★★ + favourites
“You’re here,” Atreus whispered, his voice unsteady.
“I’m here,” Nyel replied.
“You shouldn’t have, Ny.” A webbed hand locked with his.
“I told you before. You aren’t alone anymore.”
as SOON as my eyes were healed enough to read this i had to pick it up! i started this book not long after nara got it as an arc and now it's finally out! i'm praying we can get our hands on a physical copy because OH this book is so lovely. (i deeply apologise, nara, for how long this took me to get through, i blame eye surgery and bookclub deadlines entirely)
did you wish the movie luca was more gay and less eluded to (maybe queerbait) gayness? do you wish you could READ that? do you wish it could become a series of books for adult readers? well i have excellent news for you, STORM AND SEA WILL MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!!! a super easy read with lovable characters and scenes that will make you shout at the veey book you're holding in your hands.
i fell in love with baia vita and i HATE the small town i live in. that's how magical this book was. i love this story and the characters to pieces and am BEGGING for a physical copy and for the rest of the series to release! all of the characters are beautifully written and i'm so intrigued to see where the story goes from here!! i absolutely loved the multi pov and the way they all linked up, even being able to read the same scene in different characters' pov!
also, tereza if you're reading this, PLEASE write more of leo and nephi i am begging on my knees i love them more than anything and i think leo is one of my new favourite characters of all time. PLEASE
“You’re here,” Atreus whispered, his voice unsteady.
“I’m here,” Nyel replied.
“You shouldn’t have, Ny.” A webbed hand locked with his.
“I told you before. You aren’t alone anymore.”
as SOON as my eyes were healed enough to read this i had to pick it up! i started this book not long after nara got it as an arc and now it's finally out! i'm praying we can get our hands on a physical copy because OH this book is so lovely. (i deeply apologise, nara, for how long this took me to get through, i blame eye surgery and bookclub deadlines entirely)
did you wish the movie luca was more gay and less eluded to (maybe queerbait) gayness? do you wish you could READ that? do you wish it could become a series of books for adult readers? well i have excellent news for you, STORM AND SEA WILL MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!!! a super easy read with lovable characters and scenes that will make you shout at the veey book you're holding in your hands.
i fell in love with baia vita and i HATE the small town i live in. that's how magical this book was. i love this story and the characters to pieces and am BEGGING for a physical copy and for the rest of the series to release! all of the characters are beautifully written and i'm so intrigued to see where the story goes from here!! i absolutely loved the multi pov and the way they all linked up, even being able to read the same scene in different characters' pov!
also, tereza if you're reading this, PLEASE write more of leo and nephi i am begging on my knees i love them more than anything and i think leo is one of my new favourite characters of all time. PLEASE
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2025
2.5 ⭐️
I started out really enjoying Storm and the Sea with it's unique take on mer. These mer grow tails and keep their legs unlike the classic mer. There's also multiple races with different appetites (vegetarian vs omnivore), abilities, and color patterns. Unfortunately, this book suffers a lot from technical issues. There's five POVs: four gay men (three of which are mer) and a woman. It's very repetitive as many story beats are repeated when the POV switches. This book is 490 pages and at least 100 pages could have been cut if they reduced the number of POVs and duplicate content. Additionally, the pacing was all over the place, it did not sound like it took place in 1961, the humor was pretty immature, and there was a questionable writing of characters. It was definitely a book trying to do too much and wasn't balanced as well as it should have been. I had a hard time rating this because despite it's flaws, I still enjoyed my time reading it and was entertained the whole time, but the flaws were too numerous to ignore.
Atreus/Nyle and Leo/Nelphi's stories contain very different vibes. The latter was much darker, and I don't think she made it work. There was also a very slow burn, sweet romance and a dark slow-burn romance/flirting with the hot, mysterious guy in town. Between the two developing gay relationships, there was 1 kiss. And then there's Marina POV too. Marina's segments mention her boobs multiple times. There's also a scene where she's fighting over a handsome and mysterious man (different man from who Leo is primarily interested in) with some town women. They act like children despite being 18+.
All mer know that halflings are violent and suffer from mental illness because they're born from two different unbonded races of mer. This statement left room to explore nature vs nurture through the story’s two halfling protagonists. However, the statement/stereotype was left largely unaddressed. Another issue is that Nelphi is drawn to men who have been SAed, but he is better than their abusers because he doesn't SA them himself. Both of these ideas become problematic when they’re left unaddressed in the book. I think the former will be explored in the next book. I doubt the latter will be. Additionally, the trigger warning list at the beginning should have absolutely mentioned off-screen and fade to black SA.
For a case of telling not showing, Leo and Atreus are best friends, but their relationship was established before the book started and there wasn't enough evidence in this book that they were actually friends. In fact, they think and do some pretty cruel things to each other. In a similar vein, the town citizens accepted mer too quickly and the ending was rushed. A lot of time passed in a few pages and it was missing a few conversations.
This leads to how I don't thinks she wrote women, queer people, or the townies well. She didn’t explore her ideas enough, which led to a bunch of superficial confrontations as she spread herself too thin with 5 MCs. I enjoyed the mer lore but it needed more world building. Their stories should have been split up between multiple books. I'm still undecided if I'll read the next book. I am interested to see how their relationships develop, how the villain Alvise will react, and learn more about the two halfling characters, but I had so many issues with Storm and Sea.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!
Notes
unique take on mer - they grow tails, scales, gills, and fins and keep their legs
atreus has dyslexia
lots of fish references
italian vibes, similar to luca and call me by your name
surprised that leo calls men cute since this takes place in the 1960s. maybe atreus and leo know each other are gay?
don’t like that it repeats some scenes from multiple perspectives
technical issues - switches to the future while continuing to talk about the present and then a few days pass? he owns possessions now and has stayed at giovanni’s house for a few nights. oh 2 weeks apparently
nelphi saved leo because he looks like his lover ludo
timeline all over the place as leo’s first pov is in the past mostly rehashing events that already happened but from his pov
leo oldest child and takes care of his younger siblings because his dad is old
atreus gets jealous of leo flirting with nyel
love how nyel accepts him after he sees his scales
big question of whether halflings actually have skraith, demonic spirit inhabiting their minds
doesn’t sound like it takes place in 1961
humor is kind of immature and they don’t talk like characters from the 1960s
atreus has an angry voice in his head an anxiety
nyel and atreus are attracted to each other, same with leo and nephi, tho nephi imagines leo as his dead lover
psychopathic bisexual rich boy villain is bankrupting the island with his fishing ships and sexually assaults leo and wants marina as a conquest
nyel is strictly vegetarian and atreus eats meat, mer species have different strength and weaknesses
rich guy is polluting the oceans and taking all the fish with his boats hurting both the human village and nyels village
want to know more about atreus’ life before he was 13. it makes it hard to connect with him and the voice in his head
kind of messed up leo is about to kiss nyel after he saw nyel and atreus slow dancing. also he got mad that they were dancing in public because perceived homophobia but no indication anyone in the town cared
do mer allow same sex bonds? nyel’s lack of thoughts about homophobia implies they do
nelphi is a mer terrorist and very morally grey, calls himself a monster and we learn about his relationship with ludo as two damaged creatures
I started out really enjoying Storm and the Sea with it's unique take on mer. These mer grow tails and keep their legs unlike the classic mer. There's also multiple races with different appetites (vegetarian vs omnivore), abilities, and color patterns. Unfortunately, this book suffers a lot from technical issues. There's five POVs: four gay men (three of which are mer) and a woman. It's very repetitive as many story beats are repeated when the POV switches. This book is 490 pages and at least 100 pages could have been cut if they reduced the number of POVs and duplicate content. Additionally, the pacing was all over the place, it did not sound like it took place in 1961, the humor was pretty immature, and there was a questionable writing of characters. It was definitely a book trying to do too much and wasn't balanced as well as it should have been. I had a hard time rating this because despite it's flaws, I still enjoyed my time reading it and was entertained the whole time, but the flaws were too numerous to ignore.
Atreus/Nyle and Leo/Nelphi's stories contain very different vibes. The latter was much darker, and I don't think she made it work. There was also a very slow burn, sweet romance and a dark slow-burn romance/flirting with the hot, mysterious guy in town. Between the two developing gay relationships, there was 1 kiss. And then there's Marina POV too. Marina's segments mention her boobs multiple times. There's also a scene where she's fighting over a handsome and mysterious man (different man from who Leo is primarily interested in) with some town women. They act like children despite being 18+.
All mer know that halflings are violent and suffer from mental illness because they're born from two different unbonded races of mer. This statement left room to explore nature vs nurture through the story’s two halfling protagonists. However, the statement/stereotype was left largely unaddressed. Another issue is that Nelphi is drawn to men who have been SAed, but he is better than their abusers because he doesn't SA them himself. Both of these ideas become problematic when they’re left unaddressed in the book. I think the former will be explored in the next book. I doubt the latter will be. Additionally, the trigger warning list at the beginning should have absolutely mentioned off-screen and fade to black SA.
For a case of telling not showing, Leo and Atreus are best friends, but their relationship was established before the book started and there wasn't enough evidence in this book that they were actually friends. In fact, they think and do some pretty cruel things to each other. In a similar vein, the town citizens accepted mer too quickly and the ending was rushed. A lot of time passed in a few pages and it was missing a few conversations.
This leads to how I don't thinks she wrote women, queer people, or the townies well. She didn’t explore her ideas enough, which led to a bunch of superficial confrontations as she spread herself too thin with 5 MCs. I enjoyed the mer lore but it needed more world building. Their stories should have been split up between multiple books. I'm still undecided if I'll read the next book. I am interested to see how their relationships develop, how the villain Alvise will react, and learn more about the two halfling characters, but I had so many issues with Storm and Sea.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!
Notes
unique take on mer - they grow tails, scales, gills, and fins and keep their legs
atreus has dyslexia
lots of fish references
italian vibes, similar to luca and call me by your name
surprised that leo calls men cute since this takes place in the 1960s. maybe atreus and leo know each other are gay?
don’t like that it repeats some scenes from multiple perspectives
technical issues - switches to the future while continuing to talk about the present and then a few days pass? he owns possessions now and has stayed at giovanni’s house for a few nights. oh 2 weeks apparently
nelphi saved leo because he looks like his lover ludo
timeline all over the place as leo’s first pov is in the past mostly rehashing events that already happened but from his pov
leo oldest child and takes care of his younger siblings because his dad is old
atreus gets jealous of leo flirting with nyel
love how nyel accepts him after he sees his scales
big question of whether halflings actually have skraith, demonic spirit inhabiting their minds
doesn’t sound like it takes place in 1961
humor is kind of immature and they don’t talk like characters from the 1960s
atreus has an angry voice in his head an anxiety
nyel and atreus are attracted to each other, same with leo and nephi, tho nephi imagines leo as his dead lover
psychopathic bisexual rich boy villain is bankrupting the island with his fishing ships and sexually assaults leo and wants marina as a conquest
nyel is strictly vegetarian and atreus eats meat, mer species have different strength and weaknesses
rich guy is polluting the oceans and taking all the fish with his boats hurting both the human village and nyels village
want to know more about atreus’ life before he was 13. it makes it hard to connect with him and the voice in his head
kind of messed up leo is about to kiss nyel after he saw nyel and atreus slow dancing. also he got mad that they were dancing in public because perceived homophobia but no indication anyone in the town cared
do mer allow same sex bonds? nyel’s lack of thoughts about homophobia implies they do
nelphi is a mer terrorist and very morally grey, calls himself a monster and we learn about his relationship with ludo as two damaged creatures
March 11, 2025
Atreus, Nyel, Nephi, Marina + Leofel
-ya gay romance
-mer lore
-slow burn
-secret identity
-disney luca coded
-3rd person
this was such a different book than what i normally read but i still rather enjoyed it! 3rd person isn't ever my favorite thing, sometimes i can't fully connect into the story but the way this story was set up worked with it! we're getting multiple character povs that all are dealing with their own issues & relationships & it opens the narrative into a bigger picture. the romance is reallll slow in this but that build up is sooo interesting & cute!!
-ya gay romance
-mer lore
-slow burn
-secret identity
-disney luca coded
-3rd person
this was such a different book than what i normally read but i still rather enjoyed it! 3rd person isn't ever my favorite thing, sometimes i can't fully connect into the story but the way this story was set up worked with it! we're getting multiple character povs that all are dealing with their own issues & relationships & it opens the narrative into a bigger picture. the romance is reallll slow in this but that build up is sooo interesting & cute!!
April 24, 2025
Storm and Sea is a beautifully crafted story with a strong cast of characters who felt fully fleshed out and relatable. The world-building struck a perfect balance—rich enough to feel immersive without overwhelming with detail.
One of the standout elements for me was the development of the character relationships. I found myself really invested in how these connections evolve, and I’m excited to see where they go in the future books.
Inclusivity and representation were also handled with care and thoughtfulness, which added meaningful depth to the story and made it all the more enjoyable.
I’ve always loved stories told from multiple perspectives, and this book delivered that well. However, I did find the repeated scenes from different POVs a bit challenging at times, as they slowed the pacing for me. But, as the story progressed they fell in seamlessly with less repeats.
Overall, Storm and Sea was a compelling and enjoyable read, and I’m looking forward to continuing the series as it progresses!
One of the standout elements for me was the development of the character relationships. I found myself really invested in how these connections evolve, and I’m excited to see where they go in the future books.
Inclusivity and representation were also handled with care and thoughtfulness, which added meaningful depth to the story and made it all the more enjoyable.
I’ve always loved stories told from multiple perspectives, and this book delivered that well. However, I did find the repeated scenes from different POVs a bit challenging at times, as they slowed the pacing for me. But, as the story progressed they fell in seamlessly with less repeats.
Overall, Storm and Sea was a compelling and enjoyable read, and I’m looking forward to continuing the series as it progresses!
April 29, 2025
I believe this is more of a “me” thing than anything else. It’s multiple POVs, like up to 6, I believe, and while those many POVs didn’t necessarily ruin it for me, the repeating of an event from a different perspective got a bit—old. And a bit confusing?
We’ve got mer lore and a sweet romance but I also felt like too much and not enough was happening at the same time. The found family was a nice addition and is a favorite trope of mine as well.
{I was gifted a complimentary copy of this book. All reviews are my own.}
We’ve got mer lore and a sweet romance but I also felt like too much and not enough was happening at the same time. The found family was a nice addition and is a favorite trope of mine as well.
{I was gifted a complimentary copy of this book. All reviews are my own.}
March 18, 2025
Like Luca but all grown up!
I’m not going to lie, it took me sometime to get into the story, but once it picked up I was hooked. I loved the characters and the setting! Like I said, it definitely has Luca vibes but with a more grown up theme.
My heart was broken repeatedly and only sort of fixed so I will definitely need more of this story!
Give me more Atreus and Nyel and definitely give me more Leo because I need him to have some happiness in his story!
I’m not going to lie, it took me sometime to get into the story, but once it picked up I was hooked. I loved the characters and the setting! Like I said, it definitely has Luca vibes but with a more grown up theme.
My heart was broken repeatedly and only sort of fixed so I will definitely need more of this story!
Give me more Atreus and Nyel and definitely give me more Leo because I need him to have some happiness in his story!
February 17, 2025
If you love the film Luca, You'd love this story!
I've read the fanfiction that Tereza Kane had written about the Luca story, and I completely adored it. When finding out that she has created her own book inspired by the elements: I knew I would absolutely love it!
The story is so well-done. I love how this book portrays summer and it's characters are oh so lovely. The queer elements are just as wonderful with very compelling topics like mental health. I absolutely cannot wait to see more of what is to come with this series! ⭐
I've read the fanfiction that Tereza Kane had written about the Luca story, and I completely adored it. When finding out that she has created her own book inspired by the elements: I knew I would absolutely love it!
The story is so well-done. I love how this book portrays summer and it's characters are oh so lovely. The queer elements are just as wonderful with very compelling topics like mental health. I absolutely cannot wait to see more of what is to come with this series! ⭐
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2025
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.
I was hoping to like this a lot more than I did, 2 stars. I wanted to stop and DNF a few times, but have a hard time DNFing books. One of the first times was when a character was having a conflict with the bad guy and we needed to learn that her body is curvy and well endowed in the middle of it? The book did not get good until about the 55%-60% point.
it is also never really set up what the community of Baia Vita feels about gay people, multiple times it is mentioned that that is not something that happens here and characters being afraid to be outted, but also very often the characters are doing gay things out in the open and yet nothing happens? along with these things, details were just forgot about later in the book. for instance when Nyel meets the humans, they set it up as he has been the friend that Atreus has been staying with every summer when he comes to the island, this is dropped and rewritten later in the book. overall, the writing style was not for me and i found myself just skipping over passages because i didn't car about what was going on. I will say that I did tear up at the 90% mark and that raised the rating for me just a bit.
I was hoping to like this a lot more than I did, 2 stars. I wanted to stop and DNF a few times, but have a hard time DNFing books. One of the first times was when a character was having a conflict with the bad guy and we needed to learn that her body is curvy and well endowed in the middle of it? The book did not get good until about the 55%-60% point.
it is also never really set up what the community of Baia Vita feels about gay people, multiple times it is mentioned that that is not something that happens here and characters being afraid to be outted, but also very often the characters are doing gay things out in the open and yet nothing happens? along with these things, details were just forgot about later in the book. for instance when Nyel meets the humans, they set it up as he has been the friend that Atreus has been staying with every summer when he comes to the island, this is dropped and rewritten later in the book. overall, the writing style was not for me and i found myself just skipping over passages because i didn't car about what was going on. I will say that I did tear up at the 90% mark and that raised the rating for me just a bit.
April 18, 2025
3.5 rounded up~
a new take on mermen?
I’ve never seen Disney’s Luca, but after some sleuthing, it looks like this is being marketed as a queer reimagining of it. So when I read, ‘Atreus retained all four limbs upon transformation but gained a powerful tail…‘ I was like, okay—that’s new.
One of the first things that caught my eye was the beautiful cover art—and honestly, if I’d taken a second to look at the artwork on the back, I probably would’ve had a much easier time picturing what the mer looked like. Lol, my bad.
This book had its fair share of issues, but overall, it was pretty charming. Once I let go of trying to make sense of the mermaid physics—like how exactly you’re supposed to set a table underwater—I found myself enjoying it a lot more
Characters
I actually quite enjoyed most of the characters in this. Nyel was definitely my least favorite as he was the most insufferable/ignorant but it suits his character so it wasn’t such as huge deal for me. While Atreus and Nyel were the main focus, the other characters and their relationships actually got a decent amount of ‘screentime’ too, which I’m not sure was the right move.
My biggest gripe? Leo and Atreus were meant to be best friends for years, but they were just painfully lukewarm towards each other. Atreus honestly acted like he couldn’t care less about Leo?
Plot/Pacing
The pacing was kind of all over the place. I don’t usually read a lot of multiple POV books, and this one felt like it had a million. A lot of the time, it was just the same scene repeated from different perspectives, which made things drag.
As for the plot, it honestly gave me All for the Game vibes—but instead of college athletes dealing with the Yakuza, it was mers dealing with the mob? The mob plotline wasn’t fully fleshed out yet (I’m guessing that’s being saved for the next book), but the sudden shift was a bit jarring. There were just so many heavy issues flying around, and nearly every character had a tragic or abusive backstory. Also, I found myself second-guessing who was supposed to end up with whom for a chapter or two. I’m almost 100% convinced the author is a fan of the aftg series.
The author could’ve kept the mob storyline but removed the whole ‘pet’ subplot and just made the mob boss money-hungry instead of a sexual predator.
Thus, this definitely toed the line of fanfiction at first and then kind of went full-on towards the end, with all the trauma and hurt/comfort tropes happening. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it—I did, just wasn’t expecting it.
worldbuilding/setting
This is where I think the book struggled the most but also did its best? There were so many charming elements about the island and the different mer communities. But here’s the thing—the book was supposedly set in the 1960s or 70s (I think? The ARC’s already gone from my library, so I can’t check). Yet, the dialogue and characters felt very modern.
writing
I actually didn’t have any major issues with the writing. Aside from the above issues, I was pleasantly surprised by how it was written.
in conclusion
This book was kind of absurd, but I also didn’t mind it? If I saw a special edition with illustrations—especially if they were by the same artist who did the cover—I’d definitely be picking it up.
tldr: lots of issues but still enjoyable overall. I’d recommend it if you like slow burns, lots of hurt with your comfort, and a fanfiction-esque merman story. Lol.
Other bits and bobs
has a playlist! I love when I get a good playlist from a book.
*just saw the sprayed edge edition & it’s so cute*
Storm & Sea:
📌MM fantasy romance
📌 found family
📌hurt/comfort
📌slowburn
[NetGalley provided an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review~]
a new take on mermen?
I’ve never seen Disney’s Luca, but after some sleuthing, it looks like this is being marketed as a queer reimagining of it. So when I read, ‘Atreus retained all four limbs upon transformation but gained a powerful tail…‘ I was like, okay—that’s new.
One of the first things that caught my eye was the beautiful cover art—and honestly, if I’d taken a second to look at the artwork on the back, I probably would’ve had a much easier time picturing what the mer looked like. Lol, my bad.
This book had its fair share of issues, but overall, it was pretty charming. Once I let go of trying to make sense of the mermaid physics—like how exactly you’re supposed to set a table underwater—I found myself enjoying it a lot more
Characters
I actually quite enjoyed most of the characters in this. Nyel was definitely my least favorite as he was the most insufferable/ignorant but it suits his character so it wasn’t such as huge deal for me. While Atreus and Nyel were the main focus, the other characters and their relationships actually got a decent amount of ‘screentime’ too, which I’m not sure was the right move.
My biggest gripe? Leo and Atreus were meant to be best friends for years, but they were just painfully lukewarm towards each other. Atreus honestly acted like he couldn’t care less about Leo?
Plot/Pacing
The pacing was kind of all over the place. I don’t usually read a lot of multiple POV books, and this one felt like it had a million. A lot of the time, it was just the same scene repeated from different perspectives, which made things drag.
As for the plot, it honestly gave me All for the Game vibes—but instead of college athletes dealing with the Yakuza, it was mers dealing with the mob? The mob plotline wasn’t fully fleshed out yet (I’m guessing that’s being saved for the next book), but the sudden shift was a bit jarring. There were just so many heavy issues flying around, and nearly every character had a tragic or abusive backstory. Also, I found myself second-guessing who was supposed to end up with whom for a chapter or two. I’m almost 100% convinced the author is a fan of the aftg series.
The author could’ve kept the mob storyline but removed the whole ‘pet’ subplot and just made the mob boss money-hungry instead of a sexual predator.
Thus, this definitely toed the line of fanfiction at first and then kind of went full-on towards the end, with all the trauma and hurt/comfort tropes happening. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it—I did, just wasn’t expecting it.
worldbuilding/setting
This is where I think the book struggled the most but also did its best? There were so many charming elements about the island and the different mer communities. But here’s the thing—the book was supposedly set in the 1960s or 70s (I think? The ARC’s already gone from my library, so I can’t check). Yet, the dialogue and characters felt very modern.
writing
I actually didn’t have any major issues with the writing. Aside from the above issues, I was pleasantly surprised by how it was written.
in conclusion
This book was kind of absurd, but I also didn’t mind it? If I saw a special edition with illustrations—especially if they were by the same artist who did the cover—I’d definitely be picking it up.
tldr: lots of issues but still enjoyable overall. I’d recommend it if you like slow burns, lots of hurt with your comfort, and a fanfiction-esque merman story. Lol.
Other bits and bobs
has a playlist! I love when I get a good playlist from a book.
*just saw the sprayed edge edition & it’s so cute*
Storm & Sea:
📌MM fantasy romance
📌 found family
📌hurt/comfort
📌slowburn
[NetGalley provided an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review~]
April 19, 2025
thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc!!
whew okay this is finished. i've put this off for a bit solely because of the short glossary at the beginning and i didn't have the patience to sit and digest it before starting the book until today. and oh boy i'm so glad i finally got around to it. i've been in a loop of epic romantasy and emotionally damaging danmei so this cozy fantasy was such a breath of fresh air.
i love the small italian town setting of this and the way this is seen through our main five characters— the seasoned disguised mer Atreus, the newly arrived mer Nyel, Atreus' best friend Leo, Nyel's halfling brother Nephi and his sister (not blood related) Marina. the way Alvise represents the overcommercialisation and taking over of local heritage is well represented and i was very surprised to find myself drawn into this particular plotline. i didn't expect the mers to help overcome this by herding the fish and driving Alvise's ships out but i wish we saw more of the process instead of the timeskip to after it worked.
i feel like i didn't fully digest Leo's story. it is so dark compared to the rest of the characters. i expected the whole, big family breadwinner arc and the struggles of that, but hot damn, that whole thing where he became Alvise's property and the abuse he went through? honestly it pained me, especially how there was no resolution to it. seeing the light die in his eyes, especially through Nephi's perspective is excrutiating to read and executed well. i am very curious to see how their romance develops, especially now that Nephi has run away. but that isn't the point because Leo absolutely has to find a way out of this. oh god this hurts.
Marina's story is a mixed bag for me. i like how she learns that she doesn't always have to be the ray of sunshine her mother wants her to be, but i found the romance with the doctor a bit off putting, especially with him being a new guy in town who makes his rounds with the women and literally uses the same lines on all of them. i'd like to see how this goes forward though.
personally i liked the arc that Atreus and Nyel go through. and though the romance is VERY slow burn, i enjoyed seeing how they both grow with each other's help, namely Nyel helping Atreus get over his fears of hiding and being the first to accept him as a halfling, and Atreus' presence pushing Nyel to take steps to unifying the mers of Corallina and the humans of Biata Vita. who doesn't love a power couple who help each other become better? their sunshine grumpy dynamic is always very cute to read and i can't wait to see where this story goes now that Nyel is off to the mainland to study with Marina.
very excitedly waiting for book 2!!
whew okay this is finished. i've put this off for a bit solely because of the short glossary at the beginning and i didn't have the patience to sit and digest it before starting the book until today. and oh boy i'm so glad i finally got around to it. i've been in a loop of epic romantasy and emotionally damaging danmei so this cozy fantasy was such a breath of fresh air.
i love the small italian town setting of this and the way this is seen through our main five characters— the seasoned disguised mer Atreus, the newly arrived mer Nyel, Atreus' best friend Leo, Nyel's halfling brother Nephi and his sister (not blood related) Marina. the way Alvise represents the overcommercialisation and taking over of local heritage is well represented and i was very surprised to find myself drawn into this particular plotline. i didn't expect the mers to help overcome this by herding the fish and driving Alvise's ships out but i wish we saw more of the process instead of the timeskip to after it worked.
i feel like i didn't fully digest Leo's story. it is so dark compared to the rest of the characters. i expected the whole, big family breadwinner arc and the struggles of that, but hot damn, that whole thing where he became Alvise's property and the abuse he went through? honestly it pained me, especially how there was no resolution to it. seeing the light die in his eyes, especially through Nephi's perspective is excrutiating to read and executed well. i am very curious to see how their romance develops, especially now that Nephi has run away. but that isn't the point because Leo absolutely has to find a way out of this. oh god this hurts.
Marina's story is a mixed bag for me. i like how she learns that she doesn't always have to be the ray of sunshine her mother wants her to be, but i found the romance with the doctor a bit off putting, especially with him being a new guy in town who makes his rounds with the women and literally uses the same lines on all of them. i'd like to see how this goes forward though.
personally i liked the arc that Atreus and Nyel go through. and though the romance is VERY slow burn, i enjoyed seeing how they both grow with each other's help, namely Nyel helping Atreus get over his fears of hiding and being the first to accept him as a halfling, and Atreus' presence pushing Nyel to take steps to unifying the mers of Corallina and the humans of Biata Vita. who doesn't love a power couple who help each other become better? their sunshine grumpy dynamic is always very cute to read and i can't wait to see where this story goes now that Nyel is off to the mainland to study with Marina.
very excitedly waiting for book 2!!
February 28, 2025
I ate this book up! The story had a way of describing in an extremely visual manner. I felt like I could feel the ocean, hear the waves, and feel the pain.
The main characters were engaging and while their relationship is PAINFULLY slow-burn it is so satisfying to get to know them as if I am actually a part of the group.
The side characters were incredibly fleshed-out and had compelling stories of their own. You find yourself engaged, loving, and hating so many different characters without detracting from the story and plot and you just don’t see that very often.
Characters: 5/5 stars. The author has a way of writing characters that feel extremely real and you root for or hate them equally as passionately.
Plot: 4.5/5 stars. Only 4.5 stars because I’m so excited to see how each of the character and plot lines flesh out through the series and it felt like there was so much world building and character development that in this first novel that I need to read the rest of the story immediately! And it’s not available yet…. The plot didn’t take a backseat to the romance or world building or characters. It was a great balance.
World-building/Theme/Vibes: 6/5 stars. I felt like I was in Baia Vita on the Italian Riviera living among the fisherman. The lore was more deep fantasy than I expected but it was done so visually that it was incredible to feel and experience.
Pacing: 4/5 stars. This is a double-edged sword. There is an extensive glossary of Gods and terms that I don’t even know why that’s important… yet. Their world is so established that it pushes other elements of the story to the middle and end. It makes you excited to know how much is still coming, but to be fair it makes the beginning a bit slow if you don’t typically read fantasy. It reads like a high-fantasy and therefore the romance takes a backseat until later. Which is actually a good thing, that payoff is great… but double edged sword.
Emotional impact: 5/5 stars. I LOVE a story that makes you feel. Makes you feel sad, happy, giddy, embarrassed, mad, mortified. This does it all. Laugh, cry, throw whatever you’re reading on. That’s how you know it’s written well with strong characters.
Overall: 5/5 stars. The lows were necessary and the highs were so satisfying!
I’m definitely excited to follow this new reader and see where the story goes!
The main characters were engaging and while their relationship is PAINFULLY slow-burn it is so satisfying to get to know them as if I am actually a part of the group.
The side characters were incredibly fleshed-out and had compelling stories of their own. You find yourself engaged, loving, and hating so many different characters without detracting from the story and plot and you just don’t see that very often.
Characters: 5/5 stars. The author has a way of writing characters that feel extremely real and you root for or hate them equally as passionately.
Plot: 4.5/5 stars. Only 4.5 stars because I’m so excited to see how each of the character and plot lines flesh out through the series and it felt like there was so much world building and character development that in this first novel that I need to read the rest of the story immediately! And it’s not available yet…. The plot didn’t take a backseat to the romance or world building or characters. It was a great balance.
World-building/Theme/Vibes: 6/5 stars. I felt like I was in Baia Vita on the Italian Riviera living among the fisherman. The lore was more deep fantasy than I expected but it was done so visually that it was incredible to feel and experience.
Pacing: 4/5 stars. This is a double-edged sword. There is an extensive glossary of Gods and terms that I don’t even know why that’s important… yet. Their world is so established that it pushes other elements of the story to the middle and end. It makes you excited to know how much is still coming, but to be fair it makes the beginning a bit slow if you don’t typically read fantasy. It reads like a high-fantasy and therefore the romance takes a backseat until later. Which is actually a good thing, that payoff is great… but double edged sword.
Emotional impact: 5/5 stars. I LOVE a story that makes you feel. Makes you feel sad, happy, giddy, embarrassed, mad, mortified. This does it all. Laugh, cry, throw whatever you’re reading on. That’s how you know it’s written well with strong characters.
Overall: 5/5 stars. The lows were necessary and the highs were so satisfying!
I’m definitely excited to follow this new reader and see where the story goes!
March 1, 2025
An intriguing start to what is sure to be an epic saga, Tereza Kane brings much heart and emotion in her debut novel. I've followed Tereza Kane for years, eating up everything on her Wattpad back in the day, leaving me with high expectations for this book. I was fortunate enough acquire an advance copy, and I poured through this book in a manner of days.
The Mer world building is well thought out, and the Italian historical setting feels accurate without being overwhelming like other historical books that can make me feel like I'm reading about aliens on another planet. I found Atreus and Nyel to be very moving characters, although I must say it's the side characters of Leofel and Nephi that steal the show in the end. Without giving too much away, I would advise readers to keep a close eye on their journeys.
Some minor criticisms I have from this book are more about personal taste than anything else. While I enjoyed the multiple POV perspective, as the novel shifts from Atreus to Nyel to Marina to Leo to Nephi pretty regularly, I did not love the editing choice to switch POV mid-chapter. There's just something jarring about a shift mid-chapter to my eyes, something that doesn't seem to happen preceded by a chapter introduction header. (It's weird, I know). Continuing with the POV shifts, while I appreciated seeing important scenes from multiple perspectives, a summary would've been preferable editorial-wise as opposed to near complete (albeit abridged at times) retelling mere pages after reading the initial interactions.
My final criticism has more to do with the antagonist of the series, Alvise, who may be jarring to sensitive readers. He's a villain through and through, and he does villainous things for sure. And while I expect him to remain in mystery until the series can really dive into his character, he felt a little two-dimensional with his execution. I'm hopeful he'll be more fleshed out in the following book(s).
My ultimate verdict... this book should be on your shelf. I've already recommended it to several coworkers, who are in the process of pouring through their own advance copies. I cannot wait to hear what others think with its official debut!
The Mer world building is well thought out, and the Italian historical setting feels accurate without being overwhelming like other historical books that can make me feel like I'm reading about aliens on another planet. I found Atreus and Nyel to be very moving characters, although I must say it's the side characters of Leofel and Nephi that steal the show in the end. Without giving too much away, I would advise readers to keep a close eye on their journeys.
Some minor criticisms I have from this book are more about personal taste than anything else. While I enjoyed the multiple POV perspective, as the novel shifts from Atreus to Nyel to Marina to Leo to Nephi pretty regularly, I did not love the editing choice to switch POV mid-chapter. There's just something jarring about a shift mid-chapter to my eyes, something that doesn't seem to happen preceded by a chapter introduction header. (It's weird, I know). Continuing with the POV shifts, while I appreciated seeing important scenes from multiple perspectives, a summary would've been preferable editorial-wise as opposed to near complete (albeit abridged at times) retelling mere pages after reading the initial interactions.
My final criticism has more to do with the antagonist of the series, Alvise, who may be jarring to sensitive readers. He's a villain through and through, and he does villainous things for sure. And while I expect him to remain in mystery until the series can really dive into his character, he felt a little two-dimensional with his execution. I'm hopeful he'll be more fleshed out in the following book(s).
My ultimate verdict... this book should be on your shelf. I've already recommended it to several coworkers, who are in the process of pouring through their own advance copies. I cannot wait to hear what others think with its official debut!
March 11, 2025
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
(Thank you Whispered Words Press and Netgalley for the ARC!)
This is a weird book to review. For the most part, I thought it was very well written and had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, I also think this book had too much going on in it. I understand that this will be a series, but I still would've preferred if it focused mainly on at most only 3 character POVs (being Atreus, Nyel and Marina) rather than trying to cram in Nelpi and Leo's POVs. It felt more complete when it was focusing on the story between Atreus and Nyel, rather than trying to add another potential romantic subplot to the mix. I also think it was extremely irresponsible NOT to give warnings about implied SA. There are two scenes in the book that hint at it, and for one characters POV, it somewhat overshadows the rest of their story. The book also gets somewhat more violent than the 'mild violence' warning would hint at.
That's not to say that this book is entirely without merit. I think the writing is really nice, especially for a debut. I think a lot about this book makes sense, and I really like a lot of the characters. Marina in particular is a favourite, and I enjoy Atreus as a main character. This would really make for a great graphic novel, especially with how descriptive the mer are made out to be.
However...I don't have a lot of other positives. I think Nyel as a character was pushy and immature, even knowing that he was inexperienced with the world. The narrative does eventually reward him for it though, and its unfair in my eyes. I also didn't like Nephi much as a character; maybe a potential book 2 would make me like him more, but he was too aggressive for me and his POV chapters felt at odds with the others. Leo's POV chapters were also somewhat at odds, but I felt that they were much better written. That said, I don't appreciate him much as a character when it comes to interactions. Some of them made no sense in regards to certain characters and it just felt incredibly off with others.
Overall, I think this book is still a solid book! I don't think its quite perfect, however, but I don't think it needs to be either.
(Thank you Whispered Words Press and Netgalley for the ARC!)
This is a weird book to review. For the most part, I thought it was very well written and had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, I also think this book had too much going on in it. I understand that this will be a series, but I still would've preferred if it focused mainly on at most only 3 character POVs (being Atreus, Nyel and Marina) rather than trying to cram in Nelpi and Leo's POVs. It felt more complete when it was focusing on the story between Atreus and Nyel, rather than trying to add another potential romantic subplot to the mix. I also think it was extremely irresponsible NOT to give warnings about implied SA. There are two scenes in the book that hint at it, and for one characters POV, it somewhat overshadows the rest of their story. The book also gets somewhat more violent than the 'mild violence' warning would hint at.
That's not to say that this book is entirely without merit. I think the writing is really nice, especially for a debut. I think a lot about this book makes sense, and I really like a lot of the characters. Marina in particular is a favourite, and I enjoy Atreus as a main character. This would really make for a great graphic novel, especially with how descriptive the mer are made out to be.
However...I don't have a lot of other positives. I think Nyel as a character was pushy and immature, even knowing that he was inexperienced with the world. The narrative does eventually reward him for it though, and its unfair in my eyes. I also didn't like Nephi much as a character; maybe a potential book 2 would make me like him more, but he was too aggressive for me and his POV chapters felt at odds with the others. Leo's POV chapters were also somewhat at odds, but I felt that they were much better written. That said, I don't appreciate him much as a character when it comes to interactions. Some of them made no sense in regards to certain characters and it just felt incredibly off with others.
Overall, I think this book is still a solid book! I don't think its quite perfect, however, but I don't think it needs to be either.
March 12, 2025
2.75⭐️
Lots of potential but a lot of issues through out the book
Felt that the author put a lot of thought into the world they created and gave readers a way to easily understand the world at the beginning which I really appreciate and made getting into the world really easy
Sometimes the author over explained things which made the book feel abit juvenile in places it was as if the author thought the reader couldn’t understand simple things without it being spelled out for them
It reads a bit more YA than adult in some parts especially when the focus is on Atreus and Nyel
It wasn’t very clear what era this was set or if the human part of the world was supposed to be a reflection of the actual world or supposed to be completely different with aspects of the past and present of the actual world
I think there was too many pov’s
The author clearly has some great ideas however they have tried to fit so many of them into one short book that none of them are able to fully be explored at the depth needed to make the story great, the same can be said about all the characters they are all interesting with their own unique personalities however there is so many of them that the readers are not able to fully get to know and build a connection with them all
The mood shift between Atreus and Nyel’s povs and Leo and Nephi’s was very jarring and didn’t really make sense being in the same book Atreus and nyel’s pov was light and kind of child like where as Leo and Nephi’s was dark and trauma based those being put together didn’t work and they should have been two separate books
This book has a lot of potential and I am excited to see how the authors writing grows as they write more however with this book you can tell that this is their debut, the pacing is off, the characters aren’t consistent, a lot of the world is confusing and not clear overall it just feels quite rudimentary but there is a lot of potential and I can see how the story could be good and I did enjoy reading some a lot of this book
Thank you Netgalley and Whispered word press for the digital arc
Lots of potential but a lot of issues through out the book
Felt that the author put a lot of thought into the world they created and gave readers a way to easily understand the world at the beginning which I really appreciate and made getting into the world really easy
Sometimes the author over explained things which made the book feel abit juvenile in places it was as if the author thought the reader couldn’t understand simple things without it being spelled out for them
It reads a bit more YA than adult in some parts especially when the focus is on Atreus and Nyel
It wasn’t very clear what era this was set or if the human part of the world was supposed to be a reflection of the actual world or supposed to be completely different with aspects of the past and present of the actual world
I think there was too many pov’s
The author clearly has some great ideas however they have tried to fit so many of them into one short book that none of them are able to fully be explored at the depth needed to make the story great, the same can be said about all the characters they are all interesting with their own unique personalities however there is so many of them that the readers are not able to fully get to know and build a connection with them all
The mood shift between Atreus and Nyel’s povs and Leo and Nephi’s was very jarring and didn’t really make sense being in the same book Atreus and nyel’s pov was light and kind of child like where as Leo and Nephi’s was dark and trauma based those being put together didn’t work and they should have been two separate books
This book has a lot of potential and I am excited to see how the authors writing grows as they write more however with this book you can tell that this is their debut, the pacing is off, the characters aren’t consistent, a lot of the world is confusing and not clear overall it just feels quite rudimentary but there is a lot of potential and I can see how the story could be good and I did enjoy reading some a lot of this book
Thank you Netgalley and Whispered word press for the digital arc
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