A Reader's Guide to Books and Reviews

Prince of Song & Sea by Linsey Miller

Series:
Princes #1

Genre:
Disney, Retellings, Romance, Mermaids, Young Adult, Fairytales, Fantasy, Fiction, Book Series, Disney Classics, Disney Retellings, Folklore

Publication Date:
October 4, 2022

Read Date:
May 20th, 2023

Date Finished:
May 20th, 2023

Rating:
3 out of 5

Blurb:

For fans of Twisted Tales and Villains is a brand new YA series that retells the classic Disney stories you thought you knew from the Disney Princes' perspectives.

Before Prince Eric’s mother, the Queen of Vellona, went missing two years ago, she reminded him about the details of the deadly curse that has plagued his entire life. The curse? If he were to kiss someone other than his true love, he would die. With a neighboring kingdom looking for any excuse to invade their shores, and rumors of ghost pirates lurking the seas, Eric is desperate for any information that may help him break his enchantment and bring stability to Vellona. The answers he has been searching for come to him in the form of a letter left from his mother that reveals Eric must find his true love, the one with a voice pure of heart,or kill the sea witch responsible for cursing him in the first place.

Now Eric is on a quest to find the Isle of Serein, the witch's legendary home. But after he is rescued by a mysterious young woman with a mesmerizing singing voice, Eric’s heart becomes torn. Does he enter a battle he is almost certain he cannot win or chase a love that might not even exist? And when a shipwrecked young woman with flaming red hair and a smile that could calm the seven seas enters his life, Eric may discover that true love isn’t something that can be decided by magic.

Review:

This book is the first in a line of novels that will focus on the princes and give them a backstory that was unseen in the movies themselves.

Prince Eric, our male lead in the movie, takes center stage in this story. Long ago, while his mother, the Queen of Vellona, was pregnant, she managed to save a soul that had managed to get away from the Sea Witch. Angered at being thawed from claiming a soul, Ursula cursed the child in the Queen's womb - that a kiss by his true love will be the only one for him to have. Any kiss would mark his death.

When a storm destroys his ship, Eric finds himself flung from his ship and heading toward a watery grave. That is until a figure with "bright red hair and incredible singing voice" saves him from certain death.

But before the prince can search for her, he has other problems to worry about - pirates are threatening the coast of his home and worse other kingdoms are throwing their daughters at him with the hopes of they be the next royal ruling with him.

Why is it so hard to decide on a rating and review when it comes to books lately? This book was a rather interesting and fun read on one side of the spectrum but on the other side - I am not quite sure I like the whole "he is cursed to only kiss his true love". If that were true, why was it not spoken about in the movie? I mean, his story is open to being interpreted because there really is not much on him except the sequels, but even then, wouldn't the sequels speak of this curse? I may not have been a fan of the sequels but I am sure I don't remember hearing it.

Don't get me wrong, it is a unique take on Eric's story but also it puts in mind all the cursed princesses (except Prince Adam who was cursed in Beauty and the Beast) and the story feels like they needed a background for Eric so why not curse him too. I would have loved to have seen something different from all these cursed storylines.

It is still a good story and filled with nostalgia from my teenage years, but I am really on the fence about the whole "he is cursed too" storyline.