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A Song of Silver and Gold #1
A Song of Silver and Gold
A sapphic Little Mermaid retelling perfect for fans of To Kill a Kingdom and The Shadows Between Us.
Out in the open sea, it's kill or be killed. No one knows that better than Kaelyn. For the past year, Princess Kaelyn of Avalon has disguised herself as a man, Captain Kae, and led her crew into tumultuous waters to eradicate sirens on a journey fueled by revenge for the death of her brother. When they return home and experience a fatal siren attack on Avalon's harbor, Kae sets sail again to destroy the sea demons once and for all.
Aqeara is a siren warrior of Meyrial, an underwater kingdom hidden from humans. When her negligence during the Avalon harbor attack causes the death of Meyrial's princess, she accepts the help of a sea witch to overturn her banishment. Aqeara is given a human body and has until the next full moon to carve out Captain Kae's heart in exchange for a spell to bring the dead princess back to life.
When Kae's and Aqeara's paths cross, they fall into a whirlwind romance, complicating their respective plans. Kae must decide whether her desire for revenge against sirens overrides her feelings for the woman she's falling for, and Aqeara must choose between resurrecting the dead princess or sparing Kae's life.
Out in the open sea, it's kill or be killed. No one knows that better than Kaelyn. For the past year, Princess Kaelyn of Avalon has disguised herself as a man, Captain Kae, and led her crew into tumultuous waters to eradicate sirens on a journey fueled by revenge for the death of her brother. When they return home and experience a fatal siren attack on Avalon's harbor, Kae sets sail again to destroy the sea demons once and for all.
Aqeara is a siren warrior of Meyrial, an underwater kingdom hidden from humans. When her negligence during the Avalon harbor attack causes the death of Meyrial's princess, she accepts the help of a sea witch to overturn her banishment. Aqeara is given a human body and has until the next full moon to carve out Captain Kae's heart in exchange for a spell to bring the dead princess back to life.
When Kae's and Aqeara's paths cross, they fall into a whirlwind romance, complicating their respective plans. Kae must decide whether her desire for revenge against sirens overrides her feelings for the woman she's falling for, and Aqeara must choose between resurrecting the dead princess or sparing Kae's life.
373 pages, Hardcover
First published June 15, 2022
45 people are currently reading
6474 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
May 14, 2022
3.5 stars. A fun mix of The Little Mermaid and Pirates of the Caribbean. This was an easy read with an explosive ending. It’s a debut book and it does have some bumps, but it’s an enjoyable read. And who doesn’t love a sapphic pirate story?
This is an enemies to lovers storyline to the extreme, both main characters are filled with hate for everything the other stands for. Princess Kaelyn aka Captain Kae lost her brother to a siren attack and is determined to kill every siren in the big blue sea and Aqeara, a siren, lost a loved one to human siren killers. When Aqeara is temporarily gifted a human body in order to kill captain Kae, killing Kae turns out not to be so easy. I liked the storyline a lot but found that I missed actual dialogue between the two. There is interaction, but without substantial dialogue I found it hard to get fully invested in the romance and it made the turning point from hate to love happen rather fast. The ending, however, is full of action and made me root for them anyway.
Speaking of the ending, it hints at this book being the first of a series, I’m hoping it is because this was fun and I could read a sequel, but if not then I’m not fully satisfied with some of the loose strings, like how do they envision a life together?
This book is clearly not meant to be taken too seriously, that’s where the “Pirates of the Caribbean” vibe comes in, it’s all drinking, banter with the crew, and fighting, but queer. However, I found that at times I really had to suspend belief to a very great extent. There were several instances that were simply unbelievable, like we have a princess, the only heir to the throne, but she’s a pirate in her free time and nobody knows, how’s that possible? You would think somebody (like the king and queen…) is keeping tabs on her. Also, I was not always convinced of Kae’s abilities as a pirate captain and I wondered how all these rough and tough pirates followed her blindly and accepted her for who she was. Personally, I like a bit more believability, but I can see the why these writing choices can also be very attractive as they make the book very light and angst free.
All in all, an entertaining sapphic pirate book and I’m curious to see what this author will bring in the future.
I received an ARC from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This is an enemies to lovers storyline to the extreme, both main characters are filled with hate for everything the other stands for. Princess Kaelyn aka Captain Kae lost her brother to a siren attack and is determined to kill every siren in the big blue sea and Aqeara, a siren, lost a loved one to human siren killers. When Aqeara is temporarily gifted a human body in order to kill captain Kae, killing Kae turns out not to be so easy. I liked the storyline a lot but found that I missed actual dialogue between the two. There is interaction, but without substantial dialogue I found it hard to get fully invested in the romance and it made the turning point from hate to love happen rather fast. The ending, however, is full of action and made me root for them anyway.
Speaking of the ending, it hints at this book being the first of a series, I’m hoping it is because this was fun and I could read a sequel, but if not then I’m not fully satisfied with some of the loose strings, like how do they envision a life together?
This book is clearly not meant to be taken too seriously, that’s where the “Pirates of the Caribbean” vibe comes in, it’s all drinking, banter with the crew, and fighting, but queer. However, I found that at times I really had to suspend belief to a very great extent. There were several instances that were simply unbelievable, like we have a princess, the only heir to the throne, but she’s a pirate in her free time and nobody knows, how’s that possible? You would think somebody (like the king and queen…) is keeping tabs on her. Also, I was not always convinced of Kae’s abilities as a pirate captain and I wondered how all these rough and tough pirates followed her blindly and accepted her for who she was. Personally, I like a bit more believability, but I can see the why these writing choices can also be very attractive as they make the book very light and angst free.
All in all, an entertaining sapphic pirate book and I’m curious to see what this author will bring in the future.
I received an ARC from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Want to read
March 25, 2023Sapphic pirates 👁👄👁
December 29, 2022
(3.5) *all* little mermaid retellings should be sapphic <3
rtc definitely
rtc definitely
July 30, 2022
Overview
👍 Slowburn enemies to lovers
😍 Standalone
😍 Sailor X Siren
😍 Sapphic
😍 Great side characters
😍 Quick read
A Song of Silver and Gold is a challenging book to rate because I am most certainly not the target audience. I would go 3.5 for myself and a solid 5 for folks who love books like From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses.
Kae is a princess-turned-captain of a ship that hunts sirens. After her beloved brother was murdered, she will stop at nothing to eliminate the creatures responsibly. Aqeara is a siren warrior who makes a deal with a sea witch to turn into a human in order to kill the human who killed her cousin. That human just so happens to be Kae. As their cycle of revenge swells, will Kae and Aqeara find that they can kill each other after all?
The story very much follows popular fantasy romance tropes. If you ever wondered why you couldn't have "Sarah J Maas but queer", this is going to be the perfect title for you. If you are looking for more "mature" sapphic romance or the style of fantasy romance is unappealing to you, I'd recommend skipping this one.
The style reads like YA, but I believe this is technically considered a new adult title.
A Song of Silver and Gold is a proper enemies to lovers. The characters do not meet for 100 pages, and it takes even more time for them to fall in love. They are actively trying to kill each other for a good chunk of the book, although I do feel the shift from hate to love happens rather abruptly. That said, its less than 400 pages and is standalone, so I never felt this was TOO rushed or deserving of being called intalove.
I was also very impressed with the side characters. Melissa Karibian puts in a lot of work to make them real people, rather than instruments to move the main characters forward. A book this short doesn't allow a lot of time for side character arcs, but you get a lot of information on them, and scenes to develop an understanding with them. It is exceptionally well-executed despite limitations.
Any issues I had with A Song of Silver and Gold is really rooted around taste. I would say pretty definitively that this book isn't "for me", but I was very impressed with it and absolutely think it's necessary. In a world where we have countless fantasy romance het books that all feel the same, I am thrilled to see some movement being made in creating epic stories like this for queer readers. This is an indie that you won't want to miss if this is your genre!
👍 Slowburn enemies to lovers
😍 Standalone
😍 Sailor X Siren
😍 Sapphic
😍 Great side characters
😍 Quick read
A Song of Silver and Gold is a challenging book to rate because I am most certainly not the target audience. I would go 3.5 for myself and a solid 5 for folks who love books like From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses.
Kae is a princess-turned-captain of a ship that hunts sirens. After her beloved brother was murdered, she will stop at nothing to eliminate the creatures responsibly. Aqeara is a siren warrior who makes a deal with a sea witch to turn into a human in order to kill the human who killed her cousin. That human just so happens to be Kae. As their cycle of revenge swells, will Kae and Aqeara find that they can kill each other after all?
The story very much follows popular fantasy romance tropes. If you ever wondered why you couldn't have "Sarah J Maas but queer", this is going to be the perfect title for you. If you are looking for more "mature" sapphic romance or the style of fantasy romance is unappealing to you, I'd recommend skipping this one.
The style reads like YA, but I believe this is technically considered a new adult title.
A Song of Silver and Gold is a proper enemies to lovers. The characters do not meet for 100 pages, and it takes even more time for them to fall in love. They are actively trying to kill each other for a good chunk of the book, although I do feel the shift from hate to love happens rather abruptly. That said, its less than 400 pages and is standalone, so I never felt this was TOO rushed or deserving of being called intalove.
I was also very impressed with the side characters. Melissa Karibian puts in a lot of work to make them real people, rather than instruments to move the main characters forward. A book this short doesn't allow a lot of time for side character arcs, but you get a lot of information on them, and scenes to develop an understanding with them. It is exceptionally well-executed despite limitations.
Any issues I had with A Song of Silver and Gold is really rooted around taste. I would say pretty definitively that this book isn't "for me", but I was very impressed with it and absolutely think it's necessary. In a world where we have countless fantasy romance het books that all feel the same, I am thrilled to see some movement being made in creating epic stories like this for queer readers. This is an indie that you won't want to miss if this is your genre!
May 10, 2022
Yes, I gave this book 5 stars. Yes, I wrote it. Yes, I'm annoying.
In all seriousness, as a debut author releasing her first book baby to the world, I am filled with excitement and nerves for you all to meet Kae and Aqeara!
Buy links:
Hansen House (Pre-order goodies included): https://www.hansenhousebooks.com/prod...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-so...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Song-Silver-Go...
In all seriousness, as a debut author releasing her first book baby to the world, I am filled with excitement and nerves for you all to meet Kae and Aqeara!
Buy links:
Hansen House (Pre-order goodies included): https://www.hansenhousebooks.com/prod...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-so...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Song-Silver-Go...
November 11, 2022
hate to love? pirate siren killer/siren warrior pairing? and it's sapphic??
July 7, 2022
3.6 stars (rounded up) ⭐️ Giving us the sapphic Little Mermaid we didn’t know we needed 🌈
Firstly I have so say the author had me at androgynous pirates and mermaids who attacked humans back (the gore was most welcomed, we love a kick ass mermaid MC)
The story follows Aqeara as she’s tasked with ripping out the heart of pirate captain, Kae, in order to get her sister back.
However, Aqeara is a messy gay who begins to fall for the woman she hates.
This is definitely enemies to lovers, strong on the initial enemies part which I loved… WITH A SHARED BED TROPE ✨screaming✨
The MC’s are both WLW with the central romance being WLW, but we also have a bi side mc with MLM rep also.
Why I rated this down was for a couple reasons. The pacing felt off (the ending happened very rapidly and it felt like they went from enemies to love very rapidly). And secondly I wasn’t as keep on the perspective writing, it’s written in first person which sometimes I’m okay with but other times feels a little repetitive. However taking both of these into account I believe this is the authors debut novel, so I would expect to come across this.
I would also say that this is on the more accessible scale in YA as the story is very easy to follow and the language isn’t wildly complex.
(I’m glad this appears to be getting a sequel as I have QUESTIONS after that cliff hanger of an ending!)
TW’s below that I noted (skip if you do not want vague spoilers)
Tw// gore, violence, death, gambling, gender roles, alcohol mentions, unwanted male sexual attention (catcalling and grabbing), death of a parent, implied sex (not descriptive).
Firstly I have so say the author had me at androgynous pirates and mermaids who attacked humans back (the gore was most welcomed, we love a kick ass mermaid MC)
The story follows Aqeara as she’s tasked with ripping out the heart of pirate captain, Kae, in order to get her sister back.
However, Aqeara is a messy gay who begins to fall for the woman she hates.
This is definitely enemies to lovers, strong on the initial enemies part which I loved… WITH A SHARED BED TROPE ✨screaming✨
The MC’s are both WLW with the central romance being WLW, but we also have a bi side mc with MLM rep also.
Why I rated this down was for a couple reasons. The pacing felt off (the ending happened very rapidly and it felt like they went from enemies to love very rapidly). And secondly I wasn’t as keep on the perspective writing, it’s written in first person which sometimes I’m okay with but other times feels a little repetitive. However taking both of these into account I believe this is the authors debut novel, so I would expect to come across this.
I would also say that this is on the more accessible scale in YA as the story is very easy to follow and the language isn’t wildly complex.
(I’m glad this appears to be getting a sequel as I have QUESTIONS after that cliff hanger of an ending!)
TW’s below that I noted (skip if you do not want vague spoilers)
Tw// gore, violence, death, gambling, gender roles, alcohol mentions, unwanted male sexual attention (catcalling and grabbing), death of a parent, implied sex (not descriptive).
June 3, 2022
I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of A Song of Silver and Gold from Hansen House publishing. I am voluntarily leaving a review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
4.5 STARS ✨
A Song of Silver and Gold is great for fans of:
• secret identities
• enemies to lovers
• slow burn
• found family
• there was only one bed !!
I could not put this down, I devoured this in a day and when I did take breaks, I just wanted to get straight back to it again. This was a fantastic debut novel and I cannot recommend it highly enough. A Song of Silver and Gold is perfect for lovers of The Little Mermaid who are looking for an angsty (and sapphic) twist.
It's probably important to mention that The Little Mermaid was one of my favourites growing up; when I was presented with 'what Disney character do I relate to?' at a job interview once, I gave Ariel. Anyway, that's not relevant to this, but it reinforces the fact that I absolutely adore The Little Mermaid so as soon as I saw this, I was completely here for it. So The Little Mermaid but sapphic? Absolute *chef's kiss.*
The book is told from a dual POV and follows Princess Kaelyn, who travels the seas as Captain Kae, desperate to avenge the murder of her brother by a Siren, and siren warrior Aqeara, desperate to avenge the murder of her cousin by Kae's crew and do whatever it takes to bring her cousin back to life. In order to resurrect her cousin, Aqeara is required to take the heart of the person who hates her the most: Captain Kae. This is where The Little Mermaid really kicks in: Aqeara makes a deal with the sea witch Salophine that, if she gets the heart of Kae by the next full moon, her cousin will be brought back to life. She exchanges her sirens voice for the deal, and is given legs in order to survive on land and have the opportunity to seduce Captain Kae. When the reality hits that Captain Kae is actually female, things begin to go a little south from there.
I just enjoyed the general vibe of A Song of Silver and Gold. Although there is a lot angst that is prevalent throughout the book, there is just a feel good vibe as you follow the pirates travelling the sea and visiting all of these enchanting locations. The found family trope is strong, and you find yourself getting attached to all of the crew. Dalton, my love, I adore him. Between him, Aqeara and Kae, I couldn't pick a favourite — they're all fantastic.
There's also an interesting indication to mythology in the book. The different locations we visit all devote themselves to different gods and have different beliefs - it would be great to see some more of that in the second book!
Also. . . everyone's queer. It's great.
The ending is incredibly bittersweet, there's a 'happy for now' accompanied by a cliffhanger that will destroy your emotions and leave you desperate to find out what happens next?
I cannot praise this enough, Karibian has done a fantastic job and I can't wait to see how the series goes and what Melissa does next!
4.5 STARS ✨
A Song of Silver and Gold is great for fans of:
• secret identities
• enemies to lovers
• slow burn
• found family
• there was only one bed !!
I could not put this down, I devoured this in a day and when I did take breaks, I just wanted to get straight back to it again. This was a fantastic debut novel and I cannot recommend it highly enough. A Song of Silver and Gold is perfect for lovers of The Little Mermaid who are looking for an angsty (and sapphic) twist.
It's probably important to mention that The Little Mermaid was one of my favourites growing up; when I was presented with 'what Disney character do I relate to?' at a job interview once, I gave Ariel. Anyway, that's not relevant to this, but it reinforces the fact that I absolutely adore The Little Mermaid so as soon as I saw this, I was completely here for it. So The Little Mermaid but sapphic? Absolute *chef's kiss.*
The book is told from a dual POV and follows Princess Kaelyn, who travels the seas as Captain Kae, desperate to avenge the murder of her brother by a Siren, and siren warrior Aqeara, desperate to avenge the murder of her cousin by Kae's crew and do whatever it takes to bring her cousin back to life. In order to resurrect her cousin, Aqeara is required to take the heart of the person who hates her the most: Captain Kae. This is where The Little Mermaid really kicks in: Aqeara makes a deal with the sea witch Salophine that, if she gets the heart of Kae by the next full moon, her cousin will be brought back to life. She exchanges her sirens voice for the deal, and is given legs in order to survive on land and have the opportunity to seduce Captain Kae. When the reality hits that Captain Kae is actually female, things begin to go a little south from there.
I just enjoyed the general vibe of A Song of Silver and Gold. Although there is a lot angst that is prevalent throughout the book, there is just a feel good vibe as you follow the pirates travelling the sea and visiting all of these enchanting locations. The found family trope is strong, and you find yourself getting attached to all of the crew. Dalton, my love, I adore him. Between him, Aqeara and Kae, I couldn't pick a favourite — they're all fantastic.
There's also an interesting indication to mythology in the book. The different locations we visit all devote themselves to different gods and have different beliefs - it would be great to see some more of that in the second book!
Also. . . everyone's queer. It's great.
The ending is incredibly bittersweet, there's a 'happy for now' accompanied by a cliffhanger that will destroy your emotions and leave you desperate to find out what happens next?
I cannot praise this enough, Karibian has done a fantastic job and I can't wait to see how the series goes and what Melissa does next!
June 2, 2022
I am in ❤
Little Mermaid Retelling ✅️
Enemies to lovers ✅️
Sapphic✅️
Forced proximity with a one bed trop✅️
Rebellion against one's parents ✅️
This debut novel by Melissa Karibian did not dissapoint. The ability to escape with this book was easy to do. The twists were delightful and well deserved for this story. The slow burn was beautifully done and I could feel the love.
The only thing I "didn't like" was the ending. It was a cliffhanger type and now I NEED the second one.
Little Mermaid Retelling ✅️
Enemies to lovers ✅️
Sapphic✅️
Forced proximity with a one bed trop✅️
Rebellion against one's parents ✅️
This debut novel by Melissa Karibian did not dissapoint. The ability to escape with this book was easy to do. The twists were delightful and well deserved for this story. The slow burn was beautifully done and I could feel the love.
The only thing I "didn't like" was the ending. It was a cliffhanger type and now I NEED the second one.
Read
May 1, 2022I'm obsessed with the "I want to kill you but I kinda wanna kiss you" vibe of this book. Karibian does an amazing job of merging two worlds and teaching us how two completely opposite people can reconcile their differences when they care about each other.
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February 8, 2025
I'll be honest. I read this book early in the year to get it out of the way. But I actually enjoyed this; it was a lot of fun. Pirate siren-hunters with a Little Mermaid twist is definitely not the kind of book I usually read--actually I would usually avoid it, but I'm glad I read it. I appreciated a make-believe world where men weren't automatically gross or dangerous.
The romance is cute, if a little underdeveloped. It's also a very slow burn.
I liked it more than I didn't. 3.5 stars for me.
The romance is cute, if a little underdeveloped. It's also a very slow burn.
I liked it more than I didn't. 3.5 stars for me.
June 24, 2022
I’ve been screaming about sapphic pirates and sirens since I read the blurb for this book. A Little Mermaid retelling meets Pirates of the Caribbean vibes and that made it SO much fun! Having just recently binged all of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, this was a really good time for me.
This is a YA fantasy with a slow-burn romance. The plot moves along pretty quickly. It’s dual POV and it’s full of angst and hijinks! The world building is good and the scattered action scenes were pretty exciting. You’ll love the siren warrior Aqeara and princess Kaelyn (captain Kae). Not to mention all of the great side characters — lots of queer characters to fall in love with. Dalton needs a book stat!
Tropes to look forward to:
Enemies to lovers (I hate you, but I’m so attracted to you and I can’t stop thinking about wanting to kiss you)
Found family
Forced proximity
Hidden identities
For a debut novel, this was impressive and it broke me out of my reading slump. Thank you Hansen House and the author for my e-ARC!
This is a YA fantasy with a slow-burn romance. The plot moves along pretty quickly. It’s dual POV and it’s full of angst and hijinks! The world building is good and the scattered action scenes were pretty exciting. You’ll love the siren warrior Aqeara and princess Kaelyn (captain Kae). Not to mention all of the great side characters — lots of queer characters to fall in love with. Dalton needs a book stat!
Tropes to look forward to:
Enemies to lovers (I hate you, but I’m so attracted to you and I can’t stop thinking about wanting to kiss you)
Found family
Forced proximity
Hidden identities
For a debut novel, this was impressive and it broke me out of my reading slump. Thank you Hansen House and the author for my e-ARC!
July 6, 2022
Besides some minor things that irked me, I absolutely loved this book
August 12, 2022
i am so sad. i wanted to love this book. based on the blurb and everything i had heard about it, it would be right up my alley!! my absolute favorite niche is fantasy lesbian enemies to lovers, but this ended up being suchhhh a letdown :(
my first issue is the characterization. aqeara and kae just feel sooooo flat and one-dimensional (also tiny nitpicky comment but kaeyln is such a name that a mormon mom would name her baby in 2019 and felt out of place in a fantasy novel alsdhfjsdf). kae's personality is "hunt sirens" and aqeara's personality is ....something? i guess try to kill kae? but she doesn't seem motivated in doing that at all? they also had absolutely no chemistry. they had barely any interaction and then all of a sudden they were in love. it's hard to call it instalove when it comes like 85% of the way through the book, but it really did feel like that.
that brings me to my other main issue: there was absolutely no tension in this book. there was no tension in the 'buildup' of kae and aqeara's relationship, and there was absolutely no tension in any of the plot. the plot itself was pretty weak, which i could forgive if the characters were more complex, but you could really feel how thin it was. conflict was introduced and resolved in a single chapter MULTIPLE times!! it's also kind of the epitome of telling instead of showing. the prose was incredibly simple and just didn't do anything to bring you into the story.
overall, this really was just not what i was expecting. i love a good easy romance novel, but you need the plot or the characters (or both!!) to be strong enough to carry the book...and this just didn't. i'm not like...morally opposed to this book, go ahead and pick it up if you'd like, it just didn't end up being the story for me.
my first issue is the characterization. aqeara and kae just feel sooooo flat and one-dimensional (also tiny nitpicky comment but kaeyln is such a name that a mormon mom would name her baby in 2019 and felt out of place in a fantasy novel alsdhfjsdf). kae's personality is "hunt sirens" and aqeara's personality is ....something? i guess try to kill kae? but she doesn't seem motivated in doing that at all? they also had absolutely no chemistry. they had barely any interaction and then all of a sudden they were in love. it's hard to call it instalove when it comes like 85% of the way through the book, but it really did feel like that.
that brings me to my other main issue: there was absolutely no tension in this book. there was no tension in the 'buildup' of kae and aqeara's relationship, and there was absolutely no tension in any of the plot. the plot itself was pretty weak, which i could forgive if the characters were more complex, but you could really feel how thin it was. conflict was introduced and resolved in a single chapter MULTIPLE times!! it's also kind of the epitome of telling instead of showing. the prose was incredibly simple and just didn't do anything to bring you into the story.
overall, this really was just not what i was expecting. i love a good easy romance novel, but you need the plot or the characters (or both!!) to be strong enough to carry the book...and this just didn't. i'm not like...morally opposed to this book, go ahead and pick it up if you'd like, it just didn't end up being the story for me.
July 10, 2022
3/5 stars
I mean sapphic pirates and sirens? What more could you possibly want. When I saw this book was described as a little mermaid retelling with two women as the leads, I knew I had to read it. This was fun, action-packed and fast-paced right from the beginning. It’s an enemies-to-lovers slow-burn romance and fantasy that follows a siren and a siren-hunter. Captain Kae is a no-bullshit ship captain that is out for revenge against the species of sea monsters that killed her brother. Aqeara is a siren that has been sent to kill the siren-hunter captain in order to make up for a huge mistake she has made against her kind.
This was insanely fun, with a cast of great and lively side characters, and a tone of action. It was quite predictable and simple in its storytelling, but nonetheless it was a bunch of fun to read. Of course I was in it for the great romance, which took a while to develop but as great nonetheless. I do wish we got to see a little more natural development of their relationship, but there was still a tonne of great scenes full of banter, tension and chemistry. I’m an absolute lover of the enemies-to-lovers trope, especially in fantasy, so all the banter and fighting was like music to my ears. I think this will be a great hit amongst the wlw community!
I also love that the cast of characters were fun and entertaining in their own right. We had a bunch of lgbt characters here, who all got a bit of their own spot line. Again, at times it did feel a bit cheesy but I still loved the pure gay joy that this book exudes. I think it is also perfect for anyone who has just come off the high of watching the HBO show ‘Our Flag Means Death’. Obviously this is very different to that, but for anyone that is looking for similar vibes and queer pirate joy, this is a great place to go.
I mean sapphic pirates and sirens? What more could you possibly want. When I saw this book was described as a little mermaid retelling with two women as the leads, I knew I had to read it. This was fun, action-packed and fast-paced right from the beginning. It’s an enemies-to-lovers slow-burn romance and fantasy that follows a siren and a siren-hunter. Captain Kae is a no-bullshit ship captain that is out for revenge against the species of sea monsters that killed her brother. Aqeara is a siren that has been sent to kill the siren-hunter captain in order to make up for a huge mistake she has made against her kind.
This was insanely fun, with a cast of great and lively side characters, and a tone of action. It was quite predictable and simple in its storytelling, but nonetheless it was a bunch of fun to read. Of course I was in it for the great romance, which took a while to develop but as great nonetheless. I do wish we got to see a little more natural development of their relationship, but there was still a tonne of great scenes full of banter, tension and chemistry. I’m an absolute lover of the enemies-to-lovers trope, especially in fantasy, so all the banter and fighting was like music to my ears. I think this will be a great hit amongst the wlw community!
I also love that the cast of characters were fun and entertaining in their own right. We had a bunch of lgbt characters here, who all got a bit of their own spot line. Again, at times it did feel a bit cheesy but I still loved the pure gay joy that this book exudes. I think it is also perfect for anyone who has just come off the high of watching the HBO show ‘Our Flag Means Death’. Obviously this is very different to that, but for anyone that is looking for similar vibes and queer pirate joy, this is a great place to go.
January 16, 2024
There were bits that were a tad predictable but otherwise I fell in love with the characters. Oh and sapphic pirates with a little mermaid retelling.
June 30, 2024
A sapphic little mermaid retelling with pirates and sirens sounds like something I would love but unfortunately it was just ok for me.
June 22, 2022
This is the sapphic Little Mermaid retelling you don’t know you need. I wish with my entire being that this was the Little Mermaid story I grew up learning, no shade to Disney’s Little Mermaid.
Kae is a ruthless pirate captain who has been sailing the seas for over a year hunting down the siren who killed her brother. When a little boy is attacked by sirens, Kae and her pirate crew come running but they are not enough to avoid bloodshed on either side. Aqeara is a siren who makes a deal with a sea witch to bring her cousin back to life. All Aqeara has to do is steal the hurt of the one who hates her the most, that being Kae. The sea witch’s spell causes Aqeara to lose her tail but gain legs in the process. Aqeara boards Captain Kae’s ship with the intent of seducing her and killing her. Things get tricky when both girls start to feel connected to the other.
In hindsight I probably should’ve expected the plot twist but I prefer to not think about what could happen because then it loses its magic. Despite this, I was completely shocked and I’m so excited for the sequel. I’m obviously excited to see what happens with the events of the very last chapter but I’m even more excited to see how Kae and Aqeara manage their new lifestyles (to be vague and not spoil anything) without one giving it up for the other.
This book did leave me with a few questions that are probably not important to the overall plot but curiosity killed the cat and I might as well be a cat. First question, the siren community is made up entirely of females meaning that two female sirens have a child together. This is even mentioned in the book and I praise the author for creating an entire matriarchy that doesn’t require a men because men. However, I’m quite confused on how the baby siren is made. Remember I said that this has absolute zero purpose to the plot. My current theory is that one or both of her parents will lay an egg like some sea creature and then the other will fertilize out. This would all occur outside of the parents’ bodies which is fascinating. But then it lends itself to the question of, if this is in fact the reproductive method, are thousand of eggs laid and only one survives? Does it pull a Nemo? Obviously biology has no place in a fantasy book so I shouldn’t even be questioning this but I like the image of the parents’ fertilizing little siren eggs like fish.
If you’ve made it this far down, you might as well read A Song of Silver and Gold because it is worth it. Also it wa written by a queer indie author who is a POC so please let’s support them.
Kae is a ruthless pirate captain who has been sailing the seas for over a year hunting down the siren who killed her brother. When a little boy is attacked by sirens, Kae and her pirate crew come running but they are not enough to avoid bloodshed on either side. Aqeara is a siren who makes a deal with a sea witch to bring her cousin back to life. All Aqeara has to do is steal the hurt of the one who hates her the most, that being Kae. The sea witch’s spell causes Aqeara to lose her tail but gain legs in the process. Aqeara boards Captain Kae’s ship with the intent of seducing her and killing her. Things get tricky when both girls start to feel connected to the other.
In hindsight I probably should’ve expected the plot twist but I prefer to not think about what could happen because then it loses its magic. Despite this, I was completely shocked and I’m so excited for the sequel. I’m obviously excited to see what happens with the events of the very last chapter but I’m even more excited to see how Kae and Aqeara manage their new lifestyles (to be vague and not spoil anything) without one giving it up for the other.
This book did leave me with a few questions that are probably not important to the overall plot but curiosity killed the cat and I might as well be a cat. First question, the siren community is made up entirely of females meaning that two female sirens have a child together. This is even mentioned in the book and I praise the author for creating an entire matriarchy that doesn’t require a men because men. However, I’m quite confused on how the baby siren is made. Remember I said that this has absolute zero purpose to the plot. My current theory is that one or both of her parents will lay an egg like some sea creature and then the other will fertilize out. This would all occur outside of the parents’ bodies which is fascinating. But then it lends itself to the question of, if this is in fact the reproductive method, are thousand of eggs laid and only one survives? Does it pull a Nemo? Obviously biology has no place in a fantasy book so I shouldn’t even be questioning this but I like the image of the parents’ fertilizing little siren eggs like fish.
If you’ve made it this far down, you might as well read A Song of Silver and Gold because it is worth it. Also it wa written by a queer indie author who is a POC so please let’s support them.
February 25, 2023
This is an awesome, stabby, sapphic retelling of Little Mermaid with super vivid characters and vibes that bring Our Flag Means Death to mind (although the book was written before the show, I know this because I was lucky enough to beta read this back in the day). Wonderfully queer, fast-paced and with a twist ending that leaves you wanting more. I was really invested in the relationships between the characters and can't wait for the second instalment!
P.S. Also, I can't believe it took me so long to write this review, I honestly thought I'd already done so. But ADHD brain is gonna ADHD, it seems.
P.S. Also, I can't believe it took me so long to write this review, I honestly thought I'd already done so. But ADHD brain is gonna ADHD, it seems.
January 26, 2023
a fantastic debut! sapphic pirates and sirens? sign me tf up. so excited for book two!
November 18, 2022
This was a fairly straightforward sapphic-and-deadly Little Mermaid retelling. A lot of plot points were easily recognizable, but there was also plenty that was new, and frankly, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Just by virtue of making it sapphic, it's new.
That being said, I do think this is one of those books where my enjoyment of it came down entirely to how I wanted to feel about it. There were things that might have annoyed me (it was painfully obvious from early on that two members of Kae's crew were into each other, and it felt like far too much time was spent throughout the book on "hey, that's weird, I thought they hated each other, I wonder what that was about," for example), and there were things I loved (I am always a fan of deadly women).
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I thought it was fun and funny, and you can never have too many sapphic retellings -- which is great, because as it turns out, this book is not the standalone I assumed it was. I do intend to read the next book when it comes out, and in fact, I think I will like the next one even more.
That being said, I do think this is one of those books where my enjoyment of it came down entirely to how I wanted to feel about it. There were things that might have annoyed me (it was painfully obvious from early on that two members of Kae's crew were into each other, and it felt like far too much time was spent throughout the book on "hey, that's weird, I thought they hated each other, I wonder what that was about," for example), and there were things I loved (I am always a fan of deadly women).
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I thought it was fun and funny, and you can never have too many sapphic retellings -- which is great, because as it turns out, this book is not the standalone I assumed it was. I do intend to read the next book when it comes out, and in fact, I think I will like the next one even more.
May 24, 2022
I got the ARC of this book and I am so happy I did.
This author is going place by starting off her career with thus book. It was absolutely phenomenal. A Sapphic retelling of the little mermaid with sirens. I was a little harsh on this to begin with, I read a lot and I read a lot of ARC and debut novels for people so I can tell when this is someone's first book, but with this one while I could tell that it was a first debut novel it didn't distract from the actually storyline. I loved the characters Kae shows you how sometimes you need to step away from your planned path to see its what you truly want and to not judge people on where they come. And Aqeara shows you not everyone is exactly what they seem. Not only is the romance there but the found family and friendships of the crew are just so heartwarming. I will be desperately waiting to see if these women's stories continue!
This author is going place by starting off her career with thus book. It was absolutely phenomenal. A Sapphic retelling of the little mermaid with sirens. I was a little harsh on this to begin with, I read a lot and I read a lot of ARC and debut novels for people so I can tell when this is someone's first book, but with this one while I could tell that it was a first debut novel it didn't distract from the actually storyline. I loved the characters Kae shows you how sometimes you need to step away from your planned path to see its what you truly want and to not judge people on where they come. And Aqeara shows you not everyone is exactly what they seem. Not only is the romance there but the found family and friendships of the crew are just so heartwarming. I will be desperately waiting to see if these women's stories continue!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2022
Omg what a book😱
When I heard that this book was a retelling of the little mermaid, I knew I had to read it. And wow😍
While this book had not always very much action and was mainly focused on the romance, I really loved it♥️ The main plot was sometimes shoved to the background, like it wasn't important, to reappear a bit later.
So I told you that there wasn't a lot of action, but when there was, it was big like really big that you had to read further and couldn't put the book down. Let me say that when you reach the last 5 chapters you just want to finish this book because the tension is so high😅
And for Idros'sake what an ending😱 That one I had not see coming😅
This book made me feel so many feelings, I felt heartbroken, shocked, I sometimes got a little frustrated over the characters but in a good way😅
This crew of pirates has grown on me. I love Kae, Dalton, Ruff and of course the siren Aqeara♥️
The author has done an amazing job to bringing this story alive, I have enjoyed it so much and can't wait to read more of her😆
Last but not least I want to thank Hansen House books and the author for providing me with an earc.
When I heard that this book was a retelling of the little mermaid, I knew I had to read it. And wow😍
While this book had not always very much action and was mainly focused on the romance, I really loved it♥️ The main plot was sometimes shoved to the background, like it wasn't important, to reappear a bit later.
So I told you that there wasn't a lot of action, but when there was, it was big like really big that you had to read further and couldn't put the book down. Let me say that when you reach the last 5 chapters you just want to finish this book because the tension is so high😅
And for Idros'sake what an ending😱 That one I had not see coming😅
This book made me feel so many feelings, I felt heartbroken, shocked, I sometimes got a little frustrated over the characters but in a good way😅
This crew of pirates has grown on me. I love Kae, Dalton, Ruff and of course the siren Aqeara♥️
The author has done an amazing job to bringing this story alive, I have enjoyed it so much and can't wait to read more of her😆
Last but not least I want to thank Hansen House books and the author for providing me with an earc.
July 31, 2023
words cannot describe how much i love this book. from the moment i stumbled upon this book on tiktok i knew i would like it as a lesbian who LOVES pirates but it absolutely blew me away. the characters were wonderful and the enemies to lovers slow burn between kae and aqeara was UNBEARABLE (which is exactly what you want from any good slow burn). this book was beautifully written, heart-warming, funny, angsty, and chaotic all at once in the best way possible. i felt such a great connection to so many of these characters and it pains me to have finished this book- i really do not want to let this go (as i was writing this review i saw that this author wrote a sequel so i am less sad but it’ll probably take me a while to get my hands on it so i’ll only be sad for a little while). this book would be amazing as a movie or tv show adaptation because now that we finally have some gay pirate rep (our flag means death which i LOVE) the lesbians need something of our own too!!! anyway, i am so looking forward to reading the sequel and anything else this author writes in the future. <33 definitely one of the best books i’ve ever read
June 21, 2022
I received an ARC from Hansen House
TW: murder of a child, homophobia, knife violence, fire
3.6
Aqeara is a warrior, cousin to the princesses and part of the sirens who fight off and devour those hunters who want to kill them. But when she misjudges her younger cousin's readiness to take on the human world she finds herself banished, destroyed by grief, and lured into a deal with a sea witch- carve out the heart of the person who hates her most and return it to the sea.
Princess Kaelyn, or Kae, as she prefers, has spent a year captaining a hunting ship to take revenge for her brother. Now she's got a lead on the siren kingdom itself, and the hope of destroying the whole murderous species for good.
Aqeara doesn't expect it to be hard to seduce yet another hunter, but Kae is different than anyone she's ever met, and life on a siren hunting ship isn't something she can easily stomach. Kae is disgusted by the idea of a siren-worshipper, and even more horrified by her own attraction to the strange woman who won't stop trying to fight her. Stuck on a ship together, the moon counting down a month long deadline, it's hard to ignore sparks flying.
If you're a fan of mermaids or Little Mermaid retellings specifically, you may rally enjoy this book. The choice to make Aqueara a siren instead of a mermaid adds a darkness to this story, as well as adding tension.
There are also a fair number of references in this story that doesn't overwhelm to story of feel gimmicky, but rewards fans with some easter eggs.
I did appreciate that the tension and the obstacle between them actually does feel sizable. They have good reason to legitimately hate each other, both for who they really are, and even in disguise. If you like a good enemies to lovers romance you won't be disappointed in this set up.
And once the ball is rolling the romance is written well. They have good tension, and there are some fun scenes that make you root for them. I think the slow interest in each other, while both of them are actively trying to deny or get rid of those feelings, was written well and made it a fun relationship to see come together.
I also thought the cast of characters at large was interesting. You get a whole ship load of people here, with different roles and personalities. You don't get to spend the same amount of time getting to know each other them, of course, but you still get the feeling that this is a boat of individuals. And you get to know personalities like Dalton.
However, this was a bit of a slow moving story. The pacing at the beginning of this book was slow and so hard to get into. It doesn't really speed up until about halfway through the text.
I also wish that the character arcs were given more time and depth. For all the set up of these wildly different people with clashing ideals and unbudging beliefs, both Aqeara and Kae seem to change their minds far too quickly without any real analysis or shifts along the way. It's pretty sudden, and I feel like with all the time given to exposition there could have been more time given to the characters' actual growth.
I also found myself confused about the plot. I did think it was implied that Aqeara was the siren who murdered Kae's brother, especially since she's the person who most hates Aqeara specifically. And yet Kae's assumption that she murdered her brother's killer in the beginning is never really challenged, and there's no moment in the text where that clear obstacle between them is dealt with or even brought up.
If she wasn't the killer then I don't see why Kae would have hated her in particular. And if she is the killer that's glossed over far too easily and we miss a chance at some real depth and another layer of plot.
This is a bit of a thin story, but there's a fun romance and those just looking for a queer Little Mermaid will certainly get what they want.
TW: murder of a child, homophobia, knife violence, fire
3.6
Aqeara is a warrior, cousin to the princesses and part of the sirens who fight off and devour those hunters who want to kill them. But when she misjudges her younger cousin's readiness to take on the human world she finds herself banished, destroyed by grief, and lured into a deal with a sea witch- carve out the heart of the person who hates her most and return it to the sea.
Princess Kaelyn, or Kae, as she prefers, has spent a year captaining a hunting ship to take revenge for her brother. Now she's got a lead on the siren kingdom itself, and the hope of destroying the whole murderous species for good.
Aqeara doesn't expect it to be hard to seduce yet another hunter, but Kae is different than anyone she's ever met, and life on a siren hunting ship isn't something she can easily stomach. Kae is disgusted by the idea of a siren-worshipper, and even more horrified by her own attraction to the strange woman who won't stop trying to fight her. Stuck on a ship together, the moon counting down a month long deadline, it's hard to ignore sparks flying.
If you're a fan of mermaids or Little Mermaid retellings specifically, you may rally enjoy this book. The choice to make Aqueara a siren instead of a mermaid adds a darkness to this story, as well as adding tension.
There are also a fair number of references in this story that doesn't overwhelm to story of feel gimmicky, but rewards fans with some easter eggs.
I did appreciate that the tension and the obstacle between them actually does feel sizable. They have good reason to legitimately hate each other, both for who they really are, and even in disguise. If you like a good enemies to lovers romance you won't be disappointed in this set up.
And once the ball is rolling the romance is written well. They have good tension, and there are some fun scenes that make you root for them. I think the slow interest in each other, while both of them are actively trying to deny or get rid of those feelings, was written well and made it a fun relationship to see come together.
I also thought the cast of characters at large was interesting. You get a whole ship load of people here, with different roles and personalities. You don't get to spend the same amount of time getting to know each other them, of course, but you still get the feeling that this is a boat of individuals. And you get to know personalities like Dalton.
However, this was a bit of a slow moving story. The pacing at the beginning of this book was slow and so hard to get into. It doesn't really speed up until about halfway through the text.
I also wish that the character arcs were given more time and depth. For all the set up of these wildly different people with clashing ideals and unbudging beliefs, both Aqeara and Kae seem to change their minds far too quickly without any real analysis or shifts along the way. It's pretty sudden, and I feel like with all the time given to exposition there could have been more time given to the characters' actual growth.
I also found myself confused about the plot. I did think it was implied that Aqeara was the siren who murdered Kae's brother, especially since she's the person who most hates Aqeara specifically. And yet Kae's assumption that she murdered her brother's killer in the beginning is never really challenged, and there's no moment in the text where that clear obstacle between them is dealt with or even brought up.
If she wasn't the killer then I don't see why Kae would have hated her in particular. And if she is the killer that's glossed over far too easily and we miss a chance at some real depth and another layer of plot.
This is a bit of a thin story, but there's a fun romance and those just looking for a queer Little Mermaid will certainly get what they want.
June 15, 2022
I don’t know exactly what I was expecting when I saw that this was a retelling a little mermaid but I was blown away! Add a little Pirates of the Caribbean flavor and you have A Song of Silver and Gold! All the queer representation just made my heart so happy. Speaking of, Kaelyn’s mother is a G! I’m not sure if the author has plans to make this a series but I hope it is.
A Song of Silver and Gold is a sapphic Little Mermaid retelling perfect for fans of To Kill a Kingdom and The Shadows Between Us. A huge thanks to the author via @hansenhousebooks for this complimentary review book. I leave my thoughts voluntarily and without influence.
𝙁𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚: Their souls were more interwoven with one another than two strands of a single seaweed plant
A Song of Silver and Gold is a sapphic Little Mermaid retelling perfect for fans of To Kill a Kingdom and The Shadows Between Us. A huge thanks to the author via @hansenhousebooks for this complimentary review book. I leave my thoughts voluntarily and without influence.
𝙁𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚: Their souls were more interwoven with one another than two strands of a single seaweed plant
May 2, 2022
3.5 ⭐️ I really enjoyed this book, it was a quick read. Very fast-paced and exciting, with lots of fun pirate fights and action scenes! The side characters were fun (especially Dalton!) and I loved the main character Kae, loved the fact that she was a princess disguising herself as a man to be a pirate captain. I thought her motivations were really well developed, but I felt that Aqeara's POV chapters weren't as well fleshed-out. I also wish there was more to the romance. The beginning of the book was great and sucked me in right away, but the hate-to-love romance seemed to do a 180 very quickly towards the end that felt a bit sudden. Either way, this was a fun read and a nice sapphic retelling of the Little Mermaid!
June 15, 2022
I really enjoyed this one!! It's split between two perspectives. First, a princess disguised as a pirate who spends her days hunting sirens, who she sees as monsters. Second, a siren who was raised to lure and kill sailors. It takes a little while for the two storylines to cross but it's so much fun! I loved both characters and they are both very gay.
There are a lot of fun tropes here. Enemies to lovers? Check. Only one bed? Check. Secret identities? Check.
The writing was easy to read and the story moved really fast, so I was really engaged. I recommend this one!
Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC to review.
There are a lot of fun tropes here. Enemies to lovers? Check. Only one bed? Check. Secret identities? Check.
The writing was easy to read and the story moved really fast, so I was really engaged. I recommend this one!
Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC to review.
September 18, 2024
I'm going to be honest. The writing of this book was terrible. It reminded me of my writing in my Wattpad stories when I was 12. It was very difficult for me to look past but the romance was cute, it was entertaining, and the plot wasn't bad aside from some things seeming to be a little too convenient. It was just the writing that .... needed work.
All in all: More Sapphic Pirate/Siren/Mermaid stories PLEASE.
All in all: More Sapphic Pirate/Siren/Mermaid stories PLEASE.
December 2, 2022
its like a disney movie if disney made gay movies
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