Welcome to a world of fantasy, fairy tales, and murder most foul...
Never should have been the end of my problems. I should be back on Grimm. With Hook. Hating Crowley. And working alongside my partner, the Hatter. But life rarely turns out how I expect. The Sea Witch, and oh, incidentally my mother, has told me I’m a witch. Not just any witch either, but one of the biggest bad. I wouldn’t believe her, except I can do magick now. Unfortunately I can’t do enough to escape the predicament I’m in. Hook’s dead. Crowley’s dead. And I’m alone in a realm that hates my guts. And there has been a murder. My sister’s, Aquata’s. The realm blames me. I didn’t do it, but I have no allies who’ll believe me. Worse yet, my father—their King—was injured in the attack and he’s now in a coma. I have days to prove my innocence before they toss me into the eternal pit of torment. Thankfully, I’ll discover that I’m not as alone as I once feared. But trusting this person might very well spell the death of me…
Selene Charles is the pen name of a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author.
She is an avid penguin sweater knitter. She believes that unicorns really do exist and that skittles aren't really candy at all. She enjoys skydiving in the arctic, chatting with her polar bear friends around a warm campfire while sipping on warm cocoa, and she used to work in a travelling carnival which is where she got all these crazy ideas from. Only two of these statements are actually true.
If you'd like to know more about her or her works feel free to write her at selenecharleswrites@gmail.com
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
3.5 hearts
We get to learn more of Arielle’s roots and how she grew up. Just for fun there is a prophecy to contend with and a Djinn, who was like a father to our little mermaid. Also, don’t forget the Sea Witch is loose now and could pop up at any time. Elle will need to really dig in if she is going to make it out of this predicament alive.
I like Arielle for the most part and being in the undersea was fun. I really enjoy exploring the different realms in this world. I don’t want to say too much about the overall story, since it would get spoilery, but I’m a bit invested in the characters at this point, well at least two of the characters. I’m loving Arielle and Hatter so I was really sad they didn’t have much page time together here, but the Hatter is turning out to be the most interesting character in this series by far.
Will you like this series? Well the writing is interesting and it is reminiscent of the show Once Upon a Time but I think that you’d need to be okay with the reverse harem. Not to shame our heroine but it is only the third book and she has slept with four different characters. Not everyone is going to be okay with that in there reading. But if you are, then there is some fun to be found here.
Narration:
Shaun Grindell and Chelsea Stephens team up again in the dual PoV for the series. Shaun captures the voice of the Hatter well and I enjoyed the timber and tone of his narrative. Chelsea has more narration time in the story since she does the PoV for the main character and I think I like her a little better in each book. I listened to this at my usual 1.5x speed.
Once again Shaun Grindell and Chelsea Stephens narrate giving voice to the dual narrative of Elle and Maddox. Both narrators capture the protagonists emotions, sacrifices, and determination.
Elle who was on assignment with Crowley and Hook soon finds herself in serious trouble. This tale is darker with twists, a mystery and a look into Elle’s past and FINALLY answers to what Maddox is.
WTF…I am actually starting to like Crowley. Say It Isn’t So! We learn quite a bit about our wolf. I wouldn’t mind a spin-off there. Just sayin’.
The romance is complicated, and Elle breaks so many of my rules. Yet, somehow Charles made me ok with it. 🤷♀️Maddox completely tugged at my heartstrings as Elle opened up and trusted. I am curious to see if the climatic ending has her back pedaling.
I didn't think this one was as good as the first two books.
Sure, a lot happened, but sometimes it's just a little too much.
Elle still questioned everything about her.... Not relationship with Maddox, but then once again admitted that she loved him to herself. Then, of course, something immediately happened to make it questionable again/make her hesitate.
She also had kind of said her and Maddox were a thing but then went off and slept with two other people when they hadn't discussed anything like that. Although I'm probably digging too much into that since I guess they weren't "official", hadn't said that they were necessarily anything like that, she's a siren, and he had been in an open relationship before.
Anyway... Of course her and Maddox get separated and he spends his whole time looking for her and trying to help her but she's trapped somewhere with a questionable and tentative new ally. Since they're stuck together and trying to survive it's suddenly a new love interest because no one else was there for her or cared enough to save her. Ugh. Like Maddox wasn't doing anything.
She became a little too amazing for me to continue being interested, especially with what I mentioned above. Once someone becomes two whole new things in a book when she was already oh so powerful, it's just a bit much for me.
Still grammatical errors. Mostly missing words, if I remember correctly.
Reread. This series is so dark and compelling...the atmosphere, the world building and the deeply flawed characters make you connect with them even if you don't want to.
This book really blew me away. I thought I knew so much after finishing the last book but there was much more and the revelations in this one were amazing. I can't wait to see what happens next with Arielle now a queen of Hel. She didn't exactly sign up for it and who knows what it means for her in future but the Hatter had secrets and tricks up his sleeve. I love his devotion to Arielle and his conviction in that he knows he wants her and came after her in Undine.
Crowley and Arielle weren't a surprise to me. In the first book she mentions hooking up with Crowley once and even though they have stuff to get through, that previous time they had together didn't make a mention in this book which makes me wonder why that was. In any case, Crowley somehow had nine lives and used both his 7th and 8th lives in this book. With only one more left, there's no telling how long his appearances will be in the series.
Hook was a non factor for the most part in this one but to offset it, we get more of Arielle's background and familial woes and history. Jacamoe was a surprise and I figured out early that he was the one to stage things in a bid to get free from Arielle's father. A father who is now dead along with many other Undine peoples.
The one thing about this book that wasn't explained well was how things worked in the underwater world. There were no references to floating or swimming but walking everywhere. No mention of having to get muscles to press against water or description of how Crowley's clothes were able to worn underwater or even the sensation of water across the skin. Both Crowley and Arielle are granted safe passage in Undine so they can breathe but that's about all we know. Despite it and some grammar errors, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
This series just keeps getting more complicated and fascinating with each passing book. I wasn’t expecting any of what happened in this book, especially after the cliffhanger of the last book. I am going to be very vague in this review to prevent any spoilers for this book.
In this one we get to learn about Elle’s family and her true heritage. Elle and Agent Crowley are trapped in the palace searching for the truth. I was surprised by how much I liked Crowley. He has been a thorn in Elle’s side since the beginning of the series but with this book we get to see the real man behind the badge. I hope to see more of him in future books.
Elle has had her world completely changed in the last two books and she is struggling to cope with it. I like seeing the struggle but I do wish she didn’t spend so much time denying the truth. It felt a little repetitive for some scenes. I still really like Elle though. She is one tough and deadly chick.
Now the ending of this book was so unexpected. We finally learned the truth about Hatter, and I wasn’t expecting it at all! It was a shock and I can’t wait to see how Elle reacts to it in the next book.
This is a series that I loved to hate. Such a conflicting reaction from me! Some parts were boring and repetitive, others were so good I went back and re-read them.
I didn’t love that Crowley had such a big part here. And Elle loving every dude was annoying. Hook is the love of her life, but she is so in love with Hatter and falling in love with Crowley too🤦🏾♀️
Even the the last part of the book was engaging and fast paced, it was also a let down. We read over and over again that Elle is super powerful now, but she does nothing. We are not even shown a hint of all the super potential she are told she has.
Lastly, this book needed some more editing. There were some things that were just not consistent. For instance Hatter says he got the dragon claw from Button after saving him from the hangman’s noose. But, dragon they saved in book was named Whispers. I don’t mind some mistakes here and there, but I would expect the author to at least remember the name of her characters.
So, even though it’s been a fun adventure, I’m no longer invested in the characters and not digging the foreseeable love triangle in book 4.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I really enjoy this series, its a little dark & twisted, but everything flows together so well, and the characters & locations are so well developes they seem real. That being said, this was my least favorite so far.
I love Hatter, i think he's my favorite character in the series and i was bummed that there was so little of him in this book. I've been rooting for him since he was first introduced in book 1 and i feel like he's always coming in last. Its dissapointing.
I'm starting to get frustrated with Elle and her inability to accept who she is. I feel like until she can accept herself she can't really be happy in a relationship and that shows in her physical encounters with the male characters in the book.
I absolutely hated everything that happened with Crowley. I could get on with them becoming friendly, but to go from despising each other to trusting each other so deeply in such a short period of time is unbelievable and takes away from the overall story.
Overall a good read, but book 1 & 2 were better in my opinion.
After the Sea Witch takes Elle's Siren powers, she left with legs and black eyes and hair. She needs help because she can't hold her breath under the water. So she calls for her Father. She's shocked when her oldest sister shows up instead. Ana tells Elle that their baby sister was just killed by the Sea Witch and King Triton is now in a coma.
Elle's being charged with treason. Hook and Crowley are somehow both alive after the attack from the Witch. Ana lets Elle and Crowley work together on the crime scene to hopefully prove her innocence. Elle becomes friends with Crowley and relies on his intelligence to solve this case before she is sent to death.
Elle's now a witch, so an old friend in the palace is teaching her how to use her magic. But she misses her tail.
Meanwhile, Maddox is going out of his mind without Elle. He decides to go after her himself.
Right before the tribunal is set to begin, the real killer is exposed. Now Crowley, Elle, and Maddox need to save Elle's sister, the new Queen before it's too late.
After the end of the last book, Elle is back under the sea. But it's not a happy return. Her sister, Aquata, the gentlest of them all, is dead. Her father is near death. And everyone thinks that she is to blame. After all, Elle is the one who had been banished and she's the one who helped the Sea Witch return. It doesn't help that Hook is dead (again) and Crowley is the same. The only ally she seems to have is Jacamoe, the jinn captured by Elle's father. I didn't end up reading the second book but enjoyed this one anyway. I think having read at least the first book would be important because there is a lot of world building that happened in the first two books and some major plot points that come out at the end of this book.
Elle is trapped in the undine, the one place she never wanted to go back to. Her father is in a coma and aquata, her sweetest sister, is dead. Crowley and elle have to prove elles innocence or else.
In book three we finally learn why elle was banished. We meet some of those closest to her as a child and learn more about who maddox is. Definitely an enjoyable read.
The FMC is whiny and acts like a child. She is supposed to be an ace detective but she does not even try to follow clues. She is closed minded and lashes out easily. She is a hypocrite. She yells at her sister for sleeping after the “funeral” with the love of her life. Then the FMC goes and does the same thing.
I don’t know what happened between this book and the last, but this was not what I expected.
Each book brings an array of rich, complex characters and wild new worlds to explore! I so loved the evolution of Elle's and Crowley's dynamic and found myself grinning each time they interacted. This story gives us a deeper insight into Elle's past and some of the people and things that helped to shape her into what she has become. I flew through this book and can't wait to see what happens next!
I found the book difficult to get into at first and found I had to push myself to read it but then it suddenly took off and by the end of it I couldn't put it down! The ending was just amazing, I'm so excited for the next book!
Fantastic series! I'm in love with these books! Comp!ex characters with twists and turns you can't anticipate! Mystery deception and tons of love all rolled into a fantastical new world!
This book had so many twists and turns it kept me reading the night through. The characters were richly developed and easy to relate to. I can't wait to read book 4.
Soooo much occurs in this book and yet all my mind keeps churning over is the Crowley aspect of it! Peeps...you won't believe it! Also, Maddox's secret?! Holy SHITE 😂 I've GOT to get the next book in the series now to see what the "hells" happens!
Elle is in trouble, the kind of trouble only she can attract. Book 3 in this series starts well and takes some unexpected twists and turns. Well written, if perhaps not quite as slick and layered as the first two. A good read.
Another excellent book in this fine paranormal series from an author with serious imagination. Although, I do wonder why the dragons name suddenly changed from Whiskers to Buttons???
Woah, that was one hell of a read! Elle goes through a butt load of stuff, lots of secrets revealed, changes occur, heart break, and more. This was beautifully written and non stop action. Can't wait for more!
Terrible. Horrible. Books 1&2 I enjoyed throughly. Boos 3 was horrible. It was a story that could have been told in 100 words or less. Hopefully book 4 will be better not so repetitive.
I rarely write reviews but this series is just that good. When an author hooks you into the story that you can actually feel the characters emotions as if it's your own and you've been transported to this whole other world then you've gotta give props where's it's due. If you haven't read the first two books please do or you will miss a lot of important things. There's a thin line between love and hate and thee are so many hidden secrets and plots unfolding in this book and it literally kept me at the edge of my seat turning the pages until the wee hours of the morning. The end was 🤯🤯🤯 I can't wait for the 4th book. I'm currently suffering from book withdrawal and I need more .....
I really enjoyed this installment of the Grimm files! Learning more and more about Elle and her hidden past is like slowly opening Christmas presents. In this one we even see a different side of Crowley which is pretty awesome. I wish there had been more Hatter, but the other characters help temper that missing feeling a bit. I really can't wait to get my hands on the next book, I'm dying to continue the story!!
*Bit of a warning, it really is best to read the other books in the series. If you haven't, you can get a bit lost in the beginning. The story is much richer if you have the back story.
I’ve been waiting for this next installment of the detective siren Elle and her partner Hatter and it was worth the wait!! Now that Elle knows her mother is the Sea Witch, she must deal with the fact that her family lied to her about her mother and also whether Elle herself will turn into a dark and evil creature like her mother. And what’s the mystery with Hatter? He seems more than just a mere man. This series has been excellent with this book so far the best! Kept me enthralled from page one and biting my nails in several places. I highly recommend!