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The Aermian Feuds #2.5
Siren's Lure
Vengeance never looked so beautiful...
Hayjen never believed in myths and nightmares until he came face to face with one. Captured and trapped on a slaver ship, life looks utterly grim. But when mutiny and danger arise, Hayjen is tossed into the ocean's watery depths, where death stalks.
Vengeance is Lilja's middle name. As pirate captain of the Sirenidae, she's made it her life goal to destroy Scythia after what they've stolen from her. After one miscalculation, she finds herself cast into the sea with a man's life in her hands. Despite her laws ringing in her mind, she saves him, exposing a secret she's kept for years.
A secret that could destroy an entire race.
*This can be read as a standalone, or as part of the Aermian Feuds series.
Hayjen never believed in myths and nightmares until he came face to face with one. Captured and trapped on a slaver ship, life looks utterly grim. But when mutiny and danger arise, Hayjen is tossed into the ocean's watery depths, where death stalks.
Vengeance is Lilja's middle name. As pirate captain of the Sirenidae, she's made it her life goal to destroy Scythia after what they've stolen from her. After one miscalculation, she finds herself cast into the sea with a man's life in her hands. Despite her laws ringing in her mind, she saves him, exposing a secret she's kept for years.
A secret that could destroy an entire race.
*This can be read as a standalone, or as part of the Aermian Feuds series.
184 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 27, 2018
429 people are currently reading
1033 people want to read
About the author
Frost Kay
36 books1,400 followersUSA Today Bestselling Author Frost Kay is a certified book dragon with an excessive TBR, and a shoe obsession. If you love bewitching fantasy and sci-fi, epic adventures, dark promises, thrilling action, swoon worthy anti heroes, and slow burning romance; her books are for you!
She claims ownership to the bestselling young adult series The Aermian Feuds packed with adventure, secrets, and betrayal.
Fans of Frost Kay love her epic and science fiction teen titles for their "witty banter and exquisitely crafted sentences (that) never leave you bored or wanting," and "find the writing on par with Queen (Sarah J.) Maas and Elise Kova."
You can find her at www.frostkay.net
You can also sign up for a free story here:goo.gl/Z2PkyC
She claims ownership to the bestselling young adult series The Aermian Feuds packed with adventure, secrets, and betrayal.
Fans of Frost Kay love her epic and science fiction teen titles for their "witty banter and exquisitely crafted sentences (that) never leave you bored or wanting," and "find the writing on par with Queen (Sarah J.) Maas and Elise Kova."
You can find her at www.frostkay.net
You can also sign up for a free story here:goo.gl/Z2PkyC
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
August 2, 2018
I'm a huge fan of mermaid, sirens, sea creature tales so I was excited to give this series a try with this short novella. Sadly, i didn't get much of the creature world in this short it was more about the meeting and connecting of two of the characters. Their meeting was riddled with mistrust, backed with a bleak history, and mythical tales. Lilja, is a Sirenidae (hiding her true race) and she smell amazing when wet, the book says so. It's some defense but I'm not sure how that would work to save her. I did enjoy getting to know her and the brief look at her mission. Hayjen, the man she rescues, was, I don't know I didn't really get his character or is back story enough to get him. He had a connection to a little girl that was intense and I believed till the end when... His character has some big holes. This was just a novella to a series already published that I know nothing about so I don't expect to get it all. Will I read the series ? I'm not sure, this wasn't written as an introduction to the world/series it was a relationship peek. I could see fans of this series really loving this look at their beloved characters.
April 17, 2018
This book was the prequel to The Aermian Feuds, and as far as prequels go, this one was amazing!! And so short! I wish it was longer! By it not deter from the fact that I loved it!!
March 29, 2018
I read this book after only having read Rebel's Blade, the first book of the Aermian Feuds. As far as I can tell, you could read this before any of the other books as it mostly is just the same world and doesn't really have anything to do with anything.
That last sentence summarizes the book pretty well. Nothing really happens in the book. After the mess that was Rebel's Blade's "plot," this didn't really surprise me as it was much in the same style. Despite being a novella where the author was limited in how much to really elaborate on different things, a good 80% or so is devoted to awkward sexual innuendo/attraction (including Hayjen's uncomfortably deep affection for a little girl) and reflecting on angst. Despite being much older than the characters in Rebel's Blade, Hayjen still pretty much acts like a troubled teenager, so I think this book still fits the YA bill pretty well.
The best parts of the book are that it actually did SOME world-building, the female lead is decent, and it's short.
Rebel's Blade was so devoid of world-building, it was hard to remember I was reading a fantasy novel at times. Aside from unfamiliar names, there was nothing distinctly fantastical about the world and even mundane aspects of the people and places had no real elaboration. This book at least adds the Sirenidae people as a fantastical race, even if they're basically just sirens whose only defining traits are that they're alluring (they "SMELL. SO. DAMN. GOOD.") and can breathe underwater, have gills sometimes, and apparently get along with whale sharks. Oh, there are also whale sharks. At least I'm guessing that's what the leviathans are. They were only really described as "large" "dark" and as having teeth. Still, this modicum of world-building is more than Rebel's Blade had in a full-length novel.
Lilja isn't really a great character or anything, but she's a vast improvement over Stockholm Syndrome Sage. She's for the most part competent, independent, and unafraid to be who she is. She's still kind of annoying and most of the "plot" in the novel is contrived by her being overly secretive about her people, then eventually shrugging it off so the story can end.
The short length felt better suited to this author's style. Rebel's Blade really dragged on. While it was entertaining in how ridiculous it was, the plot of that book could've been easily reduced to a novella. Even with this book, the plot felt dragged out, despite it being a two-hour read. But at least it wasn't extended even further unnecessarily. If this had been made into a full-length novel, I think it would've been terrible. As is, it successfully achieves "meh" status instead.
Overall, I got about what I expected after Rebel's Blade mixed with a bit of an improvement in character and world. It wasn't a painful read and even the slow parts went by pretty quickly. So I don't really regret reading it, even if it didn't blow me away on any level. My biggest enjoyment, as with Rebel's Blade, was poking fun at how ridiculous and contrived the scenes and characters are. These books make excellent satire. The cover is pretty sick, though I don't think Lilja ever had a magic staff.
That last sentence summarizes the book pretty well. Nothing really happens in the book. After the mess that was Rebel's Blade's "plot," this didn't really surprise me as it was much in the same style. Despite being a novella where the author was limited in how much to really elaborate on different things, a good 80% or so is devoted to awkward sexual innuendo/attraction (including Hayjen's uncomfortably deep affection for a little girl) and reflecting on angst. Despite being much older than the characters in Rebel's Blade, Hayjen still pretty much acts like a troubled teenager, so I think this book still fits the YA bill pretty well.
The best parts of the book are that it actually did SOME world-building, the female lead is decent, and it's short.
Rebel's Blade was so devoid of world-building, it was hard to remember I was reading a fantasy novel at times. Aside from unfamiliar names, there was nothing distinctly fantastical about the world and even mundane aspects of the people and places had no real elaboration. This book at least adds the Sirenidae people as a fantastical race, even if they're basically just sirens whose only defining traits are that they're alluring (they "SMELL. SO. DAMN. GOOD.") and can breathe underwater, have gills sometimes, and apparently get along with whale sharks. Oh, there are also whale sharks. At least I'm guessing that's what the leviathans are. They were only really described as "large" "dark" and as having teeth. Still, this modicum of world-building is more than Rebel's Blade had in a full-length novel.
Lilja isn't really a great character or anything, but she's a vast improvement over Stockholm Syndrome Sage. She's for the most part competent, independent, and unafraid to be who she is. She's still kind of annoying and most of the "plot" in the novel is contrived by her being overly secretive about her people, then eventually shrugging it off so the story can end.
The short length felt better suited to this author's style. Rebel's Blade really dragged on. While it was entertaining in how ridiculous it was, the plot of that book could've been easily reduced to a novella. Even with this book, the plot felt dragged out, despite it being a two-hour read. But at least it wasn't extended even further unnecessarily. If this had been made into a full-length novel, I think it would've been terrible. As is, it successfully achieves "meh" status instead.
Overall, I got about what I expected after Rebel's Blade mixed with a bit of an improvement in character and world. It wasn't a painful read and even the slow parts went by pretty quickly. So I don't really regret reading it, even if it didn't blow me away on any level. My biggest enjoyment, as with Rebel's Blade, was poking fun at how ridiculous and contrived the scenes and characters are. These books make excellent satire. The cover is pretty sick, though I don't think Lilja ever had a magic staff.
August 2, 2018
In a world of siren's and dragons, Siren's Lure tells the story of a kidnapped male slave named Hayjen, his ward Mer and their rescuer the pirate Lilja. After being taken as a slave on an enemy's ship, Hayjen dedicates himself to protecting the women with him, and the small child named Mer from the abuse of their captors. Taking their punishments and beatings, he becomes their hero. One day, while being whipped, the ship their on gets taken over by a team of pirates. To his relief, these pirates have a moral compass. They save the slaves, and that is where he meets Lilja, the beautiful pirate captain with some odd behaviours. Lilja is a siren, but she hides it to protect herself and her people. Together, Lilja and Hayden will fight to protect the slave women and get them home safely.
The formatting of this book was a mess. It would sporadically jump from the present to the future with no notification or clarification to the readers. It was incredibly confusing and uncomfortable to read. It felt like the chapters of the story were accidentally mixed up and then it was mistakenly published like this. I could not STAND the random jumping back and forth. It ruined my reading experience. If it were rearranged I would have probably enjoyed this novel 100 times more. Other then that, the story was fine. Just fine. I give Siren's Lure the rating of TWO AND A HALF STARS OUT OF FIVE!!!
Want more of me? Go to: http://thenotsopubliclibrary.blogspot.ca
October 18, 2018
I was actually pretty excited when I read the synopsis. Mermaids, Sirens, Sea Monsters… they are all up my alley. And it is really hard to find a good mermaid book these days.
Siren’s Lure is a little novella set years before the actual Aermian Feuds series and you can read it as a stand-alone. I was quite sceptic about that, because for the past few months I have been reading novella’s that are promoted as “stand alone readable” but when I read them I always feel I am missing important background information. No such thing with Siren’s Lure. It is as promised readable as a stand-alone. However I must warn you that you will probably want to dive into the whole series after finishing this!
I actually loved who much world building was done in such a short novella. There was really detailed information about the world, the people that inhabit the world and the history. All in all the story was a little predictable, but the overall storyline and the excellent worldbuilding more than made up for that!
I am not sure how this will be with the published version but there was one really big let-down in the ARC. The story was all over the place. There was no indication when there were time jumps. One minute you are in the past, the next you are in the future. This influences your reading experience and takes you out of the reading flow. Really annoying! I sincerely hope the printed version will have dealt with this problem!
I can’t wait to discover the rest of the series!
Siren’s Lure is a little novella set years before the actual Aermian Feuds series and you can read it as a stand-alone. I was quite sceptic about that, because for the past few months I have been reading novella’s that are promoted as “stand alone readable” but when I read them I always feel I am missing important background information. No such thing with Siren’s Lure. It is as promised readable as a stand-alone. However I must warn you that you will probably want to dive into the whole series after finishing this!
I actually loved who much world building was done in such a short novella. There was really detailed information about the world, the people that inhabit the world and the history. All in all the story was a little predictable, but the overall storyline and the excellent worldbuilding more than made up for that!
I am not sure how this will be with the published version but there was one really big let-down in the ARC. The story was all over the place. There was no indication when there were time jumps. One minute you are in the past, the next you are in the future. This influences your reading experience and takes you out of the reading flow. Really annoying! I sincerely hope the printed version will have dealt with this problem!
I can’t wait to discover the rest of the series!
April 13, 2018
I started the rebels blade series a week ago and just recently finished this one. I was wondering why there hadn’t been a title or cover reveal for rebels blade #4 but then I saw that this one was only published two weeks ago. Uhhhhh!!! I have to wait so long!!! I really enjoyed this series and can’t wait for the next one.
August 21, 2018
2.5 stars
***ARC received in exchange of an honest opinion***
Despite its being said that Siren's Lure can be read as a standalone it left me completely confused.
But then the main reason for it isn't because of the backstory, but because the story is told back and foeth without no warning. So I never knew if the characters were dreaming, if things were real or if the formatting was wrong and pages were put at the wrong places.
I only figured, almost at the end, that it was supposed to be a then and now thing. So for me this book lacks good editing.
The story is short, but it is interesting, I wish it was a full length novel, so I could have enjoyed it more. As it is, nothing reall makes sense and it was very hard to connect with the characters and the story.
***ARC received in exchange of an honest opinion***
Despite its being said that Siren's Lure can be read as a standalone it left me completely confused.
But then the main reason for it isn't because of the backstory, but because the story is told back and foeth without no warning. So I never knew if the characters were dreaming, if things were real or if the formatting was wrong and pages were put at the wrong places.
I only figured, almost at the end, that it was supposed to be a then and now thing. So for me this book lacks good editing.
The story is short, but it is interesting, I wish it was a full length novel, so I could have enjoyed it more. As it is, nothing reall makes sense and it was very hard to connect with the characters and the story.
October 10, 2024
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
As many other reviewers have said, I didn't realise this was part of a series when I requested it on Netgalley. However, considering it was supposed to be a prequel, I figured it would be fine to read it anyway because most prequels are written so they can be read before the rest of the series if the reader chooses. A prequel generally tells the backstory of what happened before the rest of the series and sets up the world a little more than the actual first book did, right?
If this is a prequel then I have absolutely zero faith in the rest of the books because this was a mess. This literally reads like fanfiction written about some characters from the same world but has no actual connection to the main story. There was almost no world building, even less sirens/mermaids and it certainly wasn't "pulse-pounding". The writing was amateur, the characters where one-dimensional and immature, and absolutely nothing of consequence happened. The only good thing about this novella was how short it was because if it was any longer, I would have dnf'd it.
Maybe it's because I haven't read any of the rest of the series, hence two stars instead of one; benefit of the doubt. But I don't think so. If this is truly supposed to be a prequel, I wouldn't need to read any other part of the series for it to make sense. And even if I had, it still wouldn't have made the writing any better so I doubt it would have made a difference to my enjoyment or rating.
As many other reviewers have said, I didn't realise this was part of a series when I requested it on Netgalley. However, considering it was supposed to be a prequel, I figured it would be fine to read it anyway because most prequels are written so they can be read before the rest of the series if the reader chooses. A prequel generally tells the backstory of what happened before the rest of the series and sets up the world a little more than the actual first book did, right?
If this is a prequel then I have absolutely zero faith in the rest of the books because this was a mess. This literally reads like fanfiction written about some characters from the same world but has no actual connection to the main story. There was almost no world building, even less sirens/mermaids and it certainly wasn't "pulse-pounding". The writing was amateur, the characters where one-dimensional and immature, and absolutely nothing of consequence happened. The only good thing about this novella was how short it was because if it was any longer, I would have dnf'd it.
Maybe it's because I haven't read any of the rest of the series, hence two stars instead of one; benefit of the doubt. But I don't think so. If this is truly supposed to be a prequel, I wouldn't need to read any other part of the series for it to make sense. And even if I had, it still wouldn't have made the writing any better so I doubt it would have made a difference to my enjoyment or rating.
August 30, 2018
A fun tale of pirates and mermaids in a fantasy world with mystery and intrigue and a nice happily ever after!
I first read this book after having already started and completed the full length novelizations in the Aermien Feuds series. After reading this novella I understood the world of Sage & Tehl so much better.
I believe this happens a lot with authors, they begin writing a series and two or three books in they write a novella about an exciting side character that broadens the world building and increases the enjoyment of the overall story.
This is definitely the case with the character of Lilja. Her origin story made the series complete and more understandable. The events unfolding in the Aermian Feuds, the war, the resistance, the secrets etc suddenly made everything crystal-clear. I already highly recommend this series by author Frost Kay and I would recommend to anybody starting out that they find ‘Siren’s Lure’ and read it first, before ‘Rebel’s Blade’, Book One of The Aermian Feuds.
All around this novella was so much fun and the characters of Lilja and Hayjen are just brilliant. I think they should have their own stand alone series!
I first read this book after having already started and completed the full length novelizations in the Aermien Feuds series. After reading this novella I understood the world of Sage & Tehl so much better.
I believe this happens a lot with authors, they begin writing a series and two or three books in they write a novella about an exciting side character that broadens the world building and increases the enjoyment of the overall story.
This is definitely the case with the character of Lilja. Her origin story made the series complete and more understandable. The events unfolding in the Aermian Feuds, the war, the resistance, the secrets etc suddenly made everything crystal-clear. I already highly recommend this series by author Frost Kay and I would recommend to anybody starting out that they find ‘Siren’s Lure’ and read it first, before ‘Rebel’s Blade’, Book One of The Aermian Feuds.
All around this novella was so much fun and the characters of Lilja and Hayjen are just brilliant. I think they should have their own stand alone series!
May 25, 2018
This short prequel novelette introduces us into the world of myths, pirates, and thirst for vengeance.
Hayjen never believed the stories about pirates stealing people into slavery - untel he fell victim to such an act. On the ship, he tried his best to protect the women, and opened his heart to Mer, a 5-year old cheerful and trusting child. All seemed to turn for the better when their kidnappers were attacked and destroyed by the crew of Sirenidae, with its striking captain Lilja. But the world and the captain hold many secrets, and a sudden twist of fate brings Hayjen to the side of dark rage - one which even his sister does not seem to tame.
Despite the short length, the book contains intense emotions, enables establishing an immediate connection to the characters, and provides deep enough insight into their personalities for the reader to understand their moives (and start to understand them as persons). It was a very quick read, I devoured it practically during one train ride back home from work, and totally enjoyed it! Looking forward to continue Lilja and Hayjen's story!
Hayjen never believed the stories about pirates stealing people into slavery - untel he fell victim to such an act. On the ship, he tried his best to protect the women, and opened his heart to Mer, a 5-year old cheerful and trusting child. All seemed to turn for the better when their kidnappers were attacked and destroyed by the crew of Sirenidae, with its striking captain Lilja. But the world and the captain hold many secrets, and a sudden twist of fate brings Hayjen to the side of dark rage - one which even his sister does not seem to tame.
Despite the short length, the book contains intense emotions, enables establishing an immediate connection to the characters, and provides deep enough insight into their personalities for the reader to understand their moives (and start to understand them as persons). It was a very quick read, I devoured it practically during one train ride back home from work, and totally enjoyed it! Looking forward to continue Lilja and Hayjen's story!
September 7, 2018
I was given a copy of Siren's Lure in exchange for an honest review.
First off this is the first book of the series I've read so I went in pretty blind but I love Sirens, Mermaids, Pirates, and pretty much anything else to do with the genre and even though I wasn't familiar with the story I didn't feel like I had missed anything since from what I've been told this novella is giving background on established characters. I really loved the setting Kay as a great way of writing that really made me feel like I was on the ship. The characters were all really interesting and I really want to read the other books in this series now and really get into this world because it seems like it will be an awesome read.
First off this is the first book of the series I've read so I went in pretty blind but I love Sirens, Mermaids, Pirates, and pretty much anything else to do with the genre and even though I wasn't familiar with the story I didn't feel like I had missed anything since from what I've been told this novella is giving background on established characters. I really loved the setting Kay as a great way of writing that really made me feel like I was on the ship. The characters were all really interesting and I really want to read the other books in this series now and really get into this world because it seems like it will be an awesome read.
September 9, 2017
A refreshing story about a siren who has become a pirate in order to free her people. Well-written, well developed characters & great story.
Hayjen was captured & has been held on a ship with a group of young women. All are destined to be sold as slaves. Mer is a young girl who has adopted Hayjen as her family. When the slave ship is boarded by pirates, all of the slaves are freed & the real adventure begins.
I look forward to reading the rest of this story, because this one was truly captivating!
Hayjen was captured & has been held on a ship with a group of young women. All are destined to be sold as slaves. Mer is a young girl who has adopted Hayjen as her family. When the slave ship is boarded by pirates, all of the slaves are freed & the real adventure begins.
I look forward to reading the rest of this story, because this one was truly captivating!
October 10, 2018
I did not realize this was part of an already established series but I did enjoy it. I love the concept of mermaids and thats what drew me to this . The story was well written but at times seemed overwhelming and hard to understand. I found the characters were likeable and developed. although at times the plot was a bit confusing. I plan on reading the rest of the series and I imagine that would provide more context for this book. A good read and definitely 4 out of 5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!
August 29, 2018
This short story introduced me to the world of the Aermian Feuds. I haven't read any other books in this series and I can't wait to get started with the series. I was introduced to a beautiful and mythical world and though there weren't much of the creatures I love I was given a backstory which I now feel prepares me for the rest.
{I requested an advanced readers copy and made no guarantee of a favorable review. The opinions expressed herein are unbiased and my own}.
{I requested an advanced readers copy and made no guarantee of a favorable review. The opinions expressed herein are unbiased and my own}.
December 28, 2019
This was the story I didn’t know I needed
Hayjen and Lilja’s story was heartbreaking and sweet at the same time. It was nice to see how they both came from hard beginnings and found each other. Lilja is one of my favorites of the series so far, and I’m glad to have this look into her life.
Hayjen and Lilja’s story was heartbreaking and sweet at the same time. It was nice to see how they both came from hard beginnings and found each other. Lilja is one of my favorites of the series so far, and I’m glad to have this look into her life.
July 23, 2025
Was this short story almost better than the actual main books? Yeah… maybe.
While I didn’t particularly care too much about Lilja, I do love Hayjen.
It was sweet watching their romance develop, and I almost wish they could have got their own full-length story. Almost. There’s definitely not enough plot here to push it anymore than what we already got.
While I didn’t particularly care too much about Lilja, I do love Hayjen.
It was sweet watching their romance develop, and I almost wish they could have got their own full-length story. Almost. There’s definitely not enough plot here to push it anymore than what we already got.
September 21, 2017
A fun tale of pirates and mermaids in a fantasy world with mystery and intrigue and a nice happily ever after!
July 15, 2019
I need a series just about Lilja. She is a total badass of a woman and a Siren to boot.
November 27, 2021
Omg this novella was so beautifully written and evoked so many emotions for such a short read but I absolutely loved it!
September 1, 2018
I was given a copy of this in exchange for an honest review! I have not read any of the other books in The Aermian Feuds, but I did enjoy this novella and I'm keen to explore more of the world. Some things still seem a little vague though. I wish there had been more information about the Sirenidae and Lilja's background, I would've loved to learn more!
WHAT I LIKED MOST:
Lilja and Hayjen's character development. Although this is only a novella, I liked seeing them both progress through the story and I thought their buildup was done quite well.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE MOST:
The story flipped back and forth a lot and I got confused because it was hard to distinguish what was a flashback and what wasn't, especially early on in the book. This really frustrated me because it was disorientating and would
This was a quick and easy read, which I believe can be read as a standalone. So, if you're in a nautical mood and like stories about pirates and sirens, give it a shot!
WHAT I LIKED MOST:
Lilja and Hayjen's character development. Although this is only a novella, I liked seeing them both progress through the story and I thought their buildup was done quite well.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE MOST:
The story flipped back and forth a lot and I got confused because it was hard to distinguish what was a flashback and what wasn't, especially early on in the book. This really frustrated me because it was disorientating and would
This was a quick and easy read, which I believe can be read as a standalone. So, if you're in a nautical mood and like stories about pirates and sirens, give it a shot!
April 3, 2018
Frost Kay has done it again! Hayjen & Lilja are two of my favorite supporting characters from the Aermian Feuds, and I am so glad they had their own story. It was cool to go back in time and get to know both of them and their beginnings in more detail. And Blair - I knew there was a reason I liked Blair more than I should have in Enemy's Queen.
Short, sweet, and very satisfying read. If you're into the Aermian Feuds, I definitely recommend. Maybe read the full novels first - I think I appreciated Siren's Lure so much because I knew Hayjen & Lilja so well from the other books.
Short, sweet, and very satisfying read. If you're into the Aermian Feuds, I definitely recommend. Maybe read the full novels first - I think I appreciated Siren's Lure so much because I knew Hayjen & Lilja so well from the other books.
March 1, 2018
A fierce, intelligent, female pirate...what more do you need?
Frost Kay's writing pulls me into the story so fast that I had no trouble getting invested in the characters, even though this is a novella. Lilja is my favorite Frost Kay character to date. She's fierce, intelligent, loyal, beautiful, and maybe a little vengeful. Plus, she's a pirate, so she's easy to love. It's amazing how well these Aermian Feuds stories are woven together. I cannot wait to read more about Lilja and Hayjen!
Frost Kay's writing pulls me into the story so fast that I had no trouble getting invested in the characters, even though this is a novella. Lilja is my favorite Frost Kay character to date. She's fierce, intelligent, loyal, beautiful, and maybe a little vengeful. Plus, she's a pirate, so she's easy to love. It's amazing how well these Aermian Feuds stories are woven together. I cannot wait to read more about Lilja and Hayjen!
May 31, 2019
I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. This is a novella that is part of this series. IT was full of action and added well to the story of the series, but there are some issues with formatting and the story line being a little jumbled. We will have to see how it comes in the books to come. Overall a good addition of information and details to the world created.
September 8, 2017
Lilja is everything and Hayden was being a jerk at the begging but this prequel is so cute
October 1, 2018
"It's interesting that we admire others' beauty but we rarely see it in ourselves. Why do you think we do that?"
"Because we live with the flaws every day," a girl named Jess spoke.
"Ah, but what makes them flaws? Who told you that they were flaws?"
"My mum used to say my hair looked like yellow straw instead of silk." Jess brushed her thick blond hair out of her face.
Beth pointed at her own cheeks. "Boys made fun of my freckles."
"Exactly." Lilja sat up. "Others belittled things about your body so that now you look at it in a negative light. Don't buy into what they say. You only have one body. Love it and take care of it. Their opinions only influence you if you let them."
3.5 stars!
This was a fun read, and helped develop Hayjen and Lilja's characters and story lines for the remainder of the Aermian Feuds. As always with Frost's books, it was a page turner, with well paced action and humorous dialogue. I was hoping for more information on the Scythians, especially in regards to their ideals and history, but I didn't feel as though much new information was revealed. It was still an enticing book and I definitely recommend reading it either first, or after Rebel's Blade if you're thinking of starting the Aermian Feuds!
Likes:
- The writing has improved a bit from Rebel's Blade and Crown's Shield!
- There were some really empowering messages throughout the book, in regards to body image, self confidence, self love and flaws are only flaws if you allow them to be. This is so important in books, especially YA where youth are impressionable and vulnerable. I really appreciated those messages, and the fact that Frost Kay places them in all of her books for uplifting reads!
- Lilja was fabulous! Her and Sam (from the other books) are definitely my favourites.
- The time lapses between chapters were quite confusing at first, but toward the end they provided more suspense and I enjoyed them. I do wish there had been an indication of the different time we were jumping to at the start of these chapters, as I read the first of these wondering what I'd missed and what had happened haha.
Dislikes:
- I've been told that this series is unique, as it's fantasy without magic, so reading it with the mindset of it being 'genreless' would be beneficial to my enjoyment. I partly agree with this. There is no magic as in spells and enchantments etc. But there are magical creatures. Sirens, for example, who have their magical Lure, very fast healing abilities, and the ability to understand sea animals; leviathans, which are mythological creatures; and dragons, who have all been killed by the Scythians. So I feel as though the book is a fantasy, much like A Game of Thrones (just the first book) where there are direwolves and unburnt queens and dragons returned from extinction and the awakened dead, but no actual magical spells.
- That all being said, I feel as though there should be world building, and I crave that in any fantasy/semi-fantasy series, but so far the Aermian Feuds lacks world building of almost any sort, and I think it could have been a wonderful world to explore.
- I ended up enjoying the time lapse chapters, but I was super confused for a while and wished there had been an indication of the time change haha.
- I still don't see why the Scythians are mostly portrayed as the villains, and are all POC characters... I thought Siren's Lure would grant me a lot more information in this area, but it wasn't what I expected. I appreciated that Blair is a good Scythian and wants to help the captured slaves, but what was done to Lilja, and all the captured women, was awful, and I couldn't condone that behaviour even though the Scythians had practised selective breeding on themselves to produce a superior race, and in so doing
"Because we live with the flaws every day," a girl named Jess spoke.
"Ah, but what makes them flaws? Who told you that they were flaws?"
"My mum used to say my hair looked like yellow straw instead of silk." Jess brushed her thick blond hair out of her face.
Beth pointed at her own cheeks. "Boys made fun of my freckles."
"Exactly." Lilja sat up. "Others belittled things about your body so that now you look at it in a negative light. Don't buy into what they say. You only have one body. Love it and take care of it. Their opinions only influence you if you let them."
3.5 stars!
This was a fun read, and helped develop Hayjen and Lilja's characters and story lines for the remainder of the Aermian Feuds. As always with Frost's books, it was a page turner, with well paced action and humorous dialogue. I was hoping for more information on the Scythians, especially in regards to their ideals and history, but I didn't feel as though much new information was revealed. It was still an enticing book and I definitely recommend reading it either first, or after Rebel's Blade if you're thinking of starting the Aermian Feuds!
Likes:
- The writing has improved a bit from Rebel's Blade and Crown's Shield!
- There were some really empowering messages throughout the book, in regards to body image, self confidence, self love and flaws are only flaws if you allow them to be. This is so important in books, especially YA where youth are impressionable and vulnerable. I really appreciated those messages, and the fact that Frost Kay places them in all of her books for uplifting reads!
- Lilja was fabulous! Her and Sam (from the other books) are definitely my favourites.
- The time lapses between chapters were quite confusing at first, but toward the end they provided more suspense and I enjoyed them. I do wish there had been an indication of the different time we were jumping to at the start of these chapters, as I read the first of these wondering what I'd missed and what had happened haha.
Dislikes:
- I've been told that this series is unique, as it's fantasy without magic, so reading it with the mindset of it being 'genreless' would be beneficial to my enjoyment. I partly agree with this. There is no magic as in spells and enchantments etc. But there are magical creatures. Sirens, for example, who have their magical Lure, very fast healing abilities, and the ability to understand sea animals; leviathans, which are mythological creatures; and dragons, who have all been killed by the Scythians. So I feel as though the book is a fantasy, much like A Game of Thrones (just the first book) where there are direwolves and unburnt queens and dragons returned from extinction and the awakened dead, but no actual magical spells.
- That all being said, I feel as though there should be world building, and I crave that in any fantasy/semi-fantasy series, but so far the Aermian Feuds lacks world building of almost any sort, and I think it could have been a wonderful world to explore.
- I ended up enjoying the time lapse chapters, but I was super confused for a while and wished there had been an indication of the time change haha.
- I still don't see why the Scythians are mostly portrayed as the villains, and are all POC characters... I thought Siren's Lure would grant me a lot more information in this area, but it wasn't what I expected. I appreciated that Blair is a good Scythian and wants to help the captured slaves, but what was done to Lilja, and all the captured women, was awful, and I couldn't condone that behaviour even though the Scythians had practised selective breeding on themselves to produce a superior race, and in so doing
October 17, 2018
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Synopsis:
Hayjen has been taken captive by Scythians onto a slaver ship to an unknown location that only means suffering and pain at the hands of the Kingdom. Being the only man taken captive Hayjen bravely takes the lashes for the women and sweet child Mer who he's taken as one of his own, with no answers and only the sea in sight he holds onto his surrogate daughter and her sweet lilac eyes.
Lilja is a brave pirate captain, her crew of men strike hard and fast when set with a task and take no prisoners for their leader because she allows none. Her niece is missing and Lilja is determined to get her back even if it means drudging up painful memories from her past. Lilja is determined to save her family and keep her secret from being exposed as long as she can
. ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
In this Aermian Feuds Novella Frost Kay will take you on a high seas adventure with creatures from your favorite sea stories and characters that will quickly capture your heart.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
I received this DRC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, this in no way sways my opinions of this novella My thoughts: I requested this for a few reasons, the cover, the description, then the fact that it was a pirate adventure. Other than that I had no clue that it was just a novella within a series so I set it to the side thinking I couldn't read it and ladies and gents I am pretty upset with myself because this story ended up capturing me within it's short 184 pages. (Being that this was such a quick read it will be a quick review)
We follow Lilja and Hayjen who eventually end up sailing off into the seas together to fight slavers but this is how they initially met. It's not surprising that Hayjen is literally everything you could want in a hero; handsome, caring, brave, you name it. He would stand in danger to save others and take the pain with barely a grimace if he could manage it. He was kidnapped and taken from his sister months previously and is being taken to an unknown location by barbarians and this sweet young girl named Mer steals his heart and he vows to protect her with whatever he has. Which leads us to Lilja!
Lilja is Sirenidae which means she is one of the most powerful creatures in the kingdom and if she were to have her secret revealed her entire family underwater would be killed because they aren't supposed to exist. This is the feminist pirate badass that we all deserve. Being a siren she's sexy, intelligent, and deadly which she proves more than once throughout the novella. Not to mention she is so sweet and wise but that isn't because she's had it easy. Lilja was forced into sex slavery to breed for the Scythians and got pregnant and ended up losing her baby. This highlights two important subjects of trafficking and miscarriage/infertility that people don't really like to talk about and to see that in a novel made me kind of proud because it takes courage to talk about the hard stuff.
There was one scene with the women on the ship that really made my heart melt as well and one quote that stood out in particular.
"Others belittled things about your body so that now you look at it in a negative light. Don't buy into what they say. You I my have one body. Love it and take care of it. Their opinions only influence you if you let them. “
Body positivity is for everyone. If your body positivity doesn't span a spectrum of people it isn't body positivity. This quote is so important because so many people of all shapes and sizes struggle with body image and it doesn't discriminate against age or gender either. Yes I'm talking about my trans brothers and sisters as well.
This story is told in past and present every other chapter and that proved to be slightly confusing at first but it didn't hinder my reading at all.
I do have to give an honorable mention to Blair, the second in command on the ship because of his strength and his everything to be honest. He cared for Lilja in a way that people rarely ever see and he would have given her the world if she asked for it. I won't say much because I don't want to give away any details but I need everyone to experience these characters because I love them 😭
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Wrap up:
All in all I thought it was a well written and thought out plot. It can be read as a stand-alone story but also after reading this I will be starting the Aermian Feuds series to see the origin of this story. Kay did a wonderful job of giving you enough information without revealing any important plot points from other novels and I wasn't confused whatsoever. I want to give praise for her characterization and the execution of the story, it was honestly over too fast. I rated this novella 4.1/5 🌟
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Thanks for reading!
www.bookishpisces.wordpress.com
Synopsis:
Hayjen has been taken captive by Scythians onto a slaver ship to an unknown location that only means suffering and pain at the hands of the Kingdom. Being the only man taken captive Hayjen bravely takes the lashes for the women and sweet child Mer who he's taken as one of his own, with no answers and only the sea in sight he holds onto his surrogate daughter and her sweet lilac eyes.
Lilja is a brave pirate captain, her crew of men strike hard and fast when set with a task and take no prisoners for their leader because she allows none. Her niece is missing and Lilja is determined to get her back even if it means drudging up painful memories from her past. Lilja is determined to save her family and keep her secret from being exposed as long as she can
. ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
In this Aermian Feuds Novella Frost Kay will take you on a high seas adventure with creatures from your favorite sea stories and characters that will quickly capture your heart.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
I received this DRC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, this in no way sways my opinions of this novella My thoughts: I requested this for a few reasons, the cover, the description, then the fact that it was a pirate adventure. Other than that I had no clue that it was just a novella within a series so I set it to the side thinking I couldn't read it and ladies and gents I am pretty upset with myself because this story ended up capturing me within it's short 184 pages. (Being that this was such a quick read it will be a quick review)
We follow Lilja and Hayjen who eventually end up sailing off into the seas together to fight slavers but this is how they initially met. It's not surprising that Hayjen is literally everything you could want in a hero; handsome, caring, brave, you name it. He would stand in danger to save others and take the pain with barely a grimace if he could manage it. He was kidnapped and taken from his sister months previously and is being taken to an unknown location by barbarians and this sweet young girl named Mer steals his heart and he vows to protect her with whatever he has. Which leads us to Lilja!
Lilja is Sirenidae which means she is one of the most powerful creatures in the kingdom and if she were to have her secret revealed her entire family underwater would be killed because they aren't supposed to exist. This is the feminist pirate badass that we all deserve. Being a siren she's sexy, intelligent, and deadly which she proves more than once throughout the novella. Not to mention she is so sweet and wise but that isn't because she's had it easy. Lilja was forced into sex slavery to breed for the Scythians and got pregnant and ended up losing her baby. This highlights two important subjects of trafficking and miscarriage/infertility that people don't really like to talk about and to see that in a novel made me kind of proud because it takes courage to talk about the hard stuff.
There was one scene with the women on the ship that really made my heart melt as well and one quote that stood out in particular.
"Others belittled things about your body so that now you look at it in a negative light. Don't buy into what they say. You I my have one body. Love it and take care of it. Their opinions only influence you if you let them. “
Body positivity is for everyone. If your body positivity doesn't span a spectrum of people it isn't body positivity. This quote is so important because so many people of all shapes and sizes struggle with body image and it doesn't discriminate against age or gender either. Yes I'm talking about my trans brothers and sisters as well.
This story is told in past and present every other chapter and that proved to be slightly confusing at first but it didn't hinder my reading at all.
I do have to give an honorable mention to Blair, the second in command on the ship because of his strength and his everything to be honest. He cared for Lilja in a way that people rarely ever see and he would have given her the world if she asked for it. I won't say much because I don't want to give away any details but I need everyone to experience these characters because I love them 😭
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Wrap up:
All in all I thought it was a well written and thought out plot. It can be read as a stand-alone story but also after reading this I will be starting the Aermian Feuds series to see the origin of this story. Kay did a wonderful job of giving you enough information without revealing any important plot points from other novels and I wasn't confused whatsoever. I want to give praise for her characterization and the execution of the story, it was honestly over too fast. I rated this novella 4.1/5 🌟
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Thanks for reading!
www.bookishpisces.wordpress.com
July 21, 2021
Siren's Lure is part of The Aermian Fueds by Frost Kay. It fits between Crown's Shield and Enemy's Queen. I'll admit, I made a pretty big mistake here. I was so distracted by such a stunning cover that I failed to realize that this was part of a story. So, my bad on that part. On the bright side, I didn't really have any trouble following along, so it's safe to try for new fans!
Lilja is a pirate captain bent on revenge. Admittedly, that doesn't sound all that unique when you put it like that. However, there is one thing that makes Lilja stand out. Or it would if she didn't keep the secret so close to her chest.
Now, Lilja must make a choice. Let a man die or risk exposing her secret to the world. Really, there's only one option available to her.
If you enjoy reading about mermaids, pirates, or a combination thereof, then you'll probably enjoy Siren's Lure. It's a delightful combination of the two, even if it is fairly easy to predict how the secret itself will unfold.
Siren's Lure is apparently a prequel, so I really lucked out on that front. It explains how two characters came to know each other, which I feel will be very relevant in the main novels. Still, I enjoyed the story without understanding all of that context.
Overall, I'd say the world introduced in Siren's Lure was fun and creative. I'm not sure if I'd go ahead and grab the rest of the series – but that has more to do with my overwhelming TBR backlog than it does my lack of interest.
Thanks to Renegade Publishing and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Lilja is a pirate captain bent on revenge. Admittedly, that doesn't sound all that unique when you put it like that. However, there is one thing that makes Lilja stand out. Or it would if she didn't keep the secret so close to her chest.
Now, Lilja must make a choice. Let a man die or risk exposing her secret to the world. Really, there's only one option available to her.
If you enjoy reading about mermaids, pirates, or a combination thereof, then you'll probably enjoy Siren's Lure. It's a delightful combination of the two, even if it is fairly easy to predict how the secret itself will unfold.
Siren's Lure is apparently a prequel, so I really lucked out on that front. It explains how two characters came to know each other, which I feel will be very relevant in the main novels. Still, I enjoyed the story without understanding all of that context.
Overall, I'd say the world introduced in Siren's Lure was fun and creative. I'm not sure if I'd go ahead and grab the rest of the series – but that has more to do with my overwhelming TBR backlog than it does my lack of interest.
Thanks to Renegade Publishing and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
September 3, 2018
I recently finished reading Seafire by NC Parker. So, I was revived to read more female sea captain stories. So, reading this book, my expectations were very high. This book started out ok but after several chapters in, I was almost ready to be done with the book. Than I did some research and found out that this book is part of a series. One that I have not read any of the books in the Aermian Feuds series. So, this kind of explained my confusion and instant connection with the characters or the storyline. Unless you are already an established reader of this series, I would not recommend starting this book. It is not really meant as a stand alone but more of a companion read. Although, once I did get further into the storyline; I did find my groove with this book.
Lilja's is a good sea captain but I felt she could have been stronger. Yes, it was nice that she had a soft spot in saving Hayjen; even if she didn't have to. Yet, I still felt like she was wishy washy at times and never could commit. There wasn't anything that interesting about Hayjen. Now, this is where my lack of the prior novels comes in. These characters may have been introduced and their character development explained in more detail with the prior novels but I didn't think Hayjen was much of a love interest in mind. Overall, those a nice read.
Lilja's is a good sea captain but I felt she could have been stronger. Yes, it was nice that she had a soft spot in saving Hayjen; even if she didn't have to. Yet, I still felt like she was wishy washy at times and never could commit. There wasn't anything that interesting about Hayjen. Now, this is where my lack of the prior novels comes in. These characters may have been introduced and their character development explained in more detail with the prior novels but I didn't think Hayjen was much of a love interest in mind. Overall, those a nice read.
May 5, 2019
This was really hard for me to read, and I'm not sure if it's because it's a novella in the middle of a series I've read none of, or if the writing just... isn't great. And I'm kind of thinking the later. Some of the emotions and motivations of the main characters gave me total whiplash, and some other stuff with Lilja just didn't seem fully fleshed out or explained. And then the most confusing part, there are several chapters stuck in there that seem to randomly be flashes forward in the story, and then it returns to the sort of "current" storyline again for a chapter or two, then forward to the alternate timeline, then back. Expect the timeline is only, like, two weeks into the future, so it's not really clear if it's an intentional jump or if the chapters just somehow got printed out of order. Like, it's bad enough that I found myself checking which chapter I was on and flipping forward and back to make sure the chapter was, in fact, in the right order. It was just WEIRD and not well done and unnecessary. Setting that odd editing choice aside, the story is OK. There's not a whole lot THERE plotwise, and Lilja has some MAJOR stuff in her background that makes me wonder if she's featured heavily in other books in the series.
September 11, 2017
Siren's Lure is a prequel to author Frost Kay's Aermian Feuds series. I'm not a huge fan of prequels and actually prefer to read them a few books into the series if they're about characters from such series (I much prefer prequels about characters I know than characters I don't too). I would recommend that Siren's Lure is read after you've read the first two books in the series, Rebel's Blade and Crown's Shield, although it won't matter if you do read this book first.
In Siren's Lure we learn more about the character Lilja, who we first meet in book 2, and her relationship with Hayjen. It's a darker story but also has some compassion, heart and strength at it's core. My favourite part about this short book though was learning more about the world that this series is set in. I love world building in books as I enjoy learning more about the world setting and this is one that I really enjoyed getting more details of.
I did enjoy reading this short prequel and I would recommend reading this if you've enjoyed the authors Aermian Feuds series as it answers a few questions and gives some more back story into the history of this world.
In Siren's Lure we learn more about the character Lilja, who we first meet in book 2, and her relationship with Hayjen. It's a darker story but also has some compassion, heart and strength at it's core. My favourite part about this short book though was learning more about the world that this series is set in. I love world building in books as I enjoy learning more about the world setting and this is one that I really enjoyed getting more details of.
I did enjoy reading this short prequel and I would recommend reading this if you've enjoyed the authors Aermian Feuds series as it answers a few questions and gives some more back story into the history of this world.
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