If you're looking for an exciting read with pirates, magic, and a passionate romance, then **A Ship of Bones and Teeth** by Karina Halle is a perfect choice. This is a thrilling, fast-paced adventure that will keep you hooked from beginning to end.

The book is set in a dangerous and unique world centered on a deadly sea. You'll meet a strong, smart heroine and a mysterious, tough pirate captain. Their relationship is a major part of the story, starting as a fiery rivalry that slowly turns into something much deeper.

Just know that this is a **dark and intense fantasy**. The book doesn't hold back, featuring a lot of **action, violence**, and a very passionate romance that includes **explicit scenes**.

If you're ready for a high-stakes adventure with unforgettable characters and a romance that will leave you breathless, this book is for you. It's a fantastic start to what promises to be an incredible series.

😍🤩😍🤩😍
WOW.


My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️


This may be my new favorite Karina Halle book - which is saying a lot because I LOVE Grave Matter so much! (If you have read it yet, what are you doing???)

This is a spicy reimagining of the Little Mermaid fairytale, with notable differences and that Karina Halle flair 🔥 Essentially, what would have happened if Prince Eric (Aerik) was a 💩 and the mermaid (Siren) was able to find a morally gray, immortal vampire instead? Sincerely, the vampire aspect came out of nowhere but was an amazing surprise because who doesn’t love vampires???

Ramsay is absolutely my favorite Karina Halle MMC (again, which is saying something because Kincaid?? 🤌🏼 Top tier!) and now I’m obsessed with morally gray pirates again! 🏴‍☠️


Notable Tropes ———

🧜🏻‍♀️ Hidden Identity
🏴‍☠️ MMC Kidnaps the FMC
🧜🏻‍♀️ Touch her and 💀
🏴‍☠️ He Falls First
🧜🏻‍♀️ Her Blood is his own personal brand of heroine™️
🏴‍☠️ Magical Deals gone (expectedly) wrong


Thank you to NetGalley and Metal Blonde Books and Karina Halle for the ebook!

Good combination of darkness and plot in this The Little Mermaid re-telling, perfect for fans of The Little Mermaid that perhaps didn't love Prince Eric or the fact that Ariel left the ocean for a meager man.

It was action packed with a fast moving plot, but also had tons of spice. I'm a sucker for all things pirates and these ones didn't disappoint! The characters were well-rounded and had alllllll the unhinged darkness. The ending was exactly what you'd want it to be and I loved the fact that this was a standalone.

The only reason it's not 5 stars is because I tend to only give 5 stars for absolute love-of-my-life books. This was an all around entertaining read and I definitely recommend it, it's just not a literary masterpiece.

***Thank you Karina Halle for this ARC in exchange for my honest review***

A Ship of Bones and Teeth by Karina Halle is a dark romantasy retelling of The Little Mermaid. This story follows Maren who makes a deal with a sea witch to give up her life under the sea so she can be with Princee Aerik. Little did she know Prince Aerik was not the man of her dreams. After suffering abuse at the hands of her husband over the past decade, she is desperate to reclaim her old life. While traveling across the sea, their ship is invaded by Pirates.

I really enjoyed this book! From the very first page, I was hooked. The characters are so well written, the descriptions are vibrant, the dialogue is perfect. This book was entertaining from start to finish and had a good balance of banter, pirate action, spice, and excitement. I really enjoyed that this story wasn't an exact retelling of The Little Mermaid, yes it had many similar elements but it really made the story its own. While this is a dark romance, I would say it's on the lighter side of dark which is great for me because I was a little worried at the start of the story but it was not nearly as dark as I expected. I highly recommend this book and I do plan to read the second book in the series. Karina Halle is cementing herself as one of my favorite romantasy authors! This is not my first book written by her and certainly will not be my last!

This book brought me back to life!
I had so much fun with this read and Karina kept me in the story the whole time with this fun and sexy Little Mermaid themed story.
With a lot more violence and adult content, this land and sea story has syrens, sea witches, pirates, and princes for the perfect summer fantasy romance book. As the story takes place after our “mermaid” finds life on land, Marin realizes that she made a grave mistake and lost the one thing she loved, being herself. Her adventure of reversing the sea witches curse comes at a price, but is it too high to pay?
I will definitely be reading book two!

The atmosphere in this book was spot on, but I also felt like I was reading Pirates of the Caribbean. It didn’t feel very unique. The plot was meshed with an epilogue of the Little Mermaid, and the whole thing just didn’t work for me. The romance was more power than spice, and the characters were repetitive.

I received an advance review copy for free from the publisher via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A Ship of Bones and Teeth by Karina Halle is dark, gothic, and full of thrilling high-seas adventure. I loved this book and really appreciated how the author kept the story clear and easy to follow. It’s a true adventure, and the action-packed scenes were absolutely amazing!

This book is a wild, ocean-soaked fever dream in the best way. It’s like someone took The Little Mermaid, made it dark and brutal, added pirate revenge and spice, and said “have fun.” Karina Halle never misses and this book is solid proof.

Also, can we talk about how The Little Mermaid hits different as an adult? Like, Ariel was way too young and absolutely not in the headspace to be making life-altering decisions for a guy she barely knew. So honestly, this reimagining feels more accurate… messy, painful, full of consequences, and way more realistic about what would actually go down.

Maren is a siren trapped in an unhappy marriage, and when she’s kidnapped by a crew of cursed pirates, it weirdly feels like the first step toward freedom. Captain Ramsay “Bones” Battista is all broody rage and haunted past, and the tension between him and Maren? Off the charts. Captain Ramsay could Stockholm my syndrome any day, no notes.

The world-building is gritty and gothic, with haunted ships, dark magic, siren lore, and high seas violence. It’s very heavy at times. Definitely check the content warnings, but it was also weirdly hopeful in some of its quieter moments. I was not expecting to be as emotionally invested as I was, but here we are.

In true Karina Halle fashion, this book is hot. The chemistry is intense, the spice is frequent, and it doesn’t shy away from morally gray dynamics. Some parts made me deeply uncomfortable, but it fit the story and the world these characters are trying to survive in.

It’s dark, messy, and full of teeth, but if you’re into pirate fantasy with a side of revenge, trauma, and twisted romance, I think you’ll be hooked.

Tropes and vibes
🐚 dark mermaid lore
☠️ pirates and curses
🔥 enemies to something way more
🔮 blood magic and ocean gods
🖤 captivity to tentative trust

Merci à Netgalley et à l'auteure de ce livre pour m'avoir fourni un arc.
Sur le papier, ce livre avait tout pour me plaire, malheureusement, je n'ai absolument pas été convaincue par la réalisation. J'ai trouvé que l'autrice avait peut-être voulu mettre trop d'éléments ensembles qui ne matchait pas forcément. Et si j'appréciais le personnage de Maren au début, j'ai perdu tout intérêt pour le livre peu à peu dont le rythme était assez inégal. Petite déception donc.

So I started reading this book and it soon became clear that this book is not for me. I did not like the writing of this author and that is obviously totally fine. It felt very rushed at the start and because of that the story lost my interest almost immediately. It felt like (obviously) a dark retelling of the little mermaid but all the key elements were just copy pasted but turned dark. It lacked creativity in my opinion.

I generally enjoy retellings, and i enjoyed this Little Mermaid retelling more than the last one I attempted.

Maren traded her Syren life when she was 16 but found that the Prince she did it for wasn’t what he seemed to be.
I liked the romance aspect, the MMC is swoonworthy as well,
This one was definitely darker than the Disney version, I found it enjoyable and easy to read though in some places it definitely fell a little flat - I did find towards the end I just wanted it to be over, but overall it is worth the read.
3.25 stars.

3.5 ⭐️ Re-Read

If you’re looking for a SPICY & DARK Little Mermaid retelling that meets Pirates of the Caribbean then you will love this book.

I normally love Karina’s books but this one was…..different.
I love spicy books but Karina made this one SPICYYYY. The characters were ALWAYS having sex even in situations they shouldn’t be. This was definitely more spice than plot, which was unfortunate.

However, the little plot that was there, I enjoyed. I liked the dark twist on the Little Mermaid. And I enjoyed Maren’s fight and strength.

This was a standalone but the ending felt too open and underwhelming.

Thank you, Metal Blonde Books
& NetGalley for my gifted advanced book copy 💕
All my reviews are my own opinion.

A Ship Of Bones and Teeth was my first Karina Halle read, and it did NOT dissappoint. Imagine Pirates of the Caribbean colliding with The Little Mermaid—but with a dark romance twist—and you’ve got this book. I was hooked from the first page (pun intended). The story is the perfect blend of adventure, danger, and desire all coming together to make the perfect fantasy! Maren is such a strong, enjoyable character who keeps everyone on their toes. And I loved that the mermaids (Syrens) were horrifying killing machines that would lure men to their deaths as opposed to your more mystical variety of mermaid. More killer mermaids in my fantasy books please! Captain Battista was also everything one could possibly want in their next book boyfriend- passionate, possessive, and a mouth that could make a sailor blush! While the book is packed with so much fun and witty banter, it also doesn't shy away from deeper themes like grief, vengeance, and redemption- all while leaving me feeling hopeful and happy. ♡

If you love dark romantasy retellings, pirate vibes, and killer mermaids- this is the perfect summer read for you! 🌊

Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read and review this title- this one had been on my TBR for a while! 📚

Spice: 🌶🌶🌶🌶
(Let me re-state, a mouth that will make a sailor blush 😊)

If You Liked That, Read This:
• The Little Mermaid 🧜🏻‍♀️
• Pirates of the Caribbean 🏴‍☠️

Tropes/Vibes:
• Dark Romantasy
• Mermaid x Pirate
• Possessive MMC
• Found Family
• Dual POV
• Touch Her and ☠️

Karina Halle … you never disappoint!!! Loved this dark pirate gothicy tale.. unique and given that it’s the end of summer, the vibes are perfect for transitioning into fall!!

Maren is a syren who turned human after making a deal with a witch - a deal she soon learned to regret. Things change in her unfortunate life when she, her husband and servants are captured by pirates and she finally gets a taste of freedom, after finally being out from underneath her prince's thumb. But things aren't quite what they seem with that pirate crew, but neither is Maren just a weak woman who cannot handle herself. And that pirate is pretty strong willed himself..

This was a fun read - at times you really got those Pirates of the Caribbean vibes that I was hoping for, although I got to say those were rather few and far in between. But this book has pirates and living skeletons, witches and kraken and blood suckers, so it's definitively a fun time. Plus a really gorgeous cover! That's what made me pick this one up to begin with, it's so pretty!

The story itself is interesting, there's action and love and a bit of mystery, but it flounders a bit at times and the atmosphere is a little lacking - especially given the location where the plot happens at, I expected a little more, just to really get into that pirates of the Caribbean, exotic far away beaches feeling. The characters are a little flat, and the enemies to lovers theme happens a little fast - but the healing after their individual trauma was well done. They're quick at liking each other, but not so fast with actually being ready to be together and it makes sense once you know about their backstories. I'm no fan of spice to be honest, so I was mostly skipping those parts but the placement made sense and just worked for the story.

The writing was a little hard to get through, I often just didn't feel like reading anymore and couldn't really pinpoint why for the longest time - and that even though the story is fun. I especially liked the ending, it was just really well done. That, plus the other book to solve the last questions about Maren's sister.. This was the first time I actually read one of those book previews attached at the end of the one you just read and I'm actually interested, I cared about the sisters and this one only got a mention but nothing more. And on top of that of course there's another gorgeous cover!

Overall, a nice fun read that gives you a little bit of that far away beach feeling but a lot of action, love and characters finding the strength to trust in themselves again after just feeling lost for a long time. And a super pretty cover. Can't mention that enough!

Thank you Metal Blonde Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A 3.5 star read — I consider this a palette cleanser something light you can read after reading a few emotionally heavy books. Sometimes you just need a story that’s dark, and salacious without being emotionally draining. This book was that perfect reset for me.

It’s a retelling of The Little Mermaid, but with a dark twist. It has sirens, krakens, ancient sea magic, and an underwater world filled with danger and secrets. a dark romance filled with some kinks that pulls you right in.

The author also places trigger warnings at the beginning in detail to deter anybody who might not enjoy such graphic themes.

I was honestly surprised when I found this book on NetGalley since I knew it had already been published. I was happy when I was approved to receive a copy of the e-ARC, however, and knew I would be reading it a lot earlier than I had originally anticipated.

I'm going to be honest here. I'm a tad disappointed with this book, even though I do believe it was a good one. I feel that I was expecting more than what we actually received, which is a damned shame, in my personal opinion.

I was not a fan of Maren, personally. I felt throughout the book that she was a petulant child that is now living with the consequences of her actions. I felt the same way after finishing the book, which doesn't sit well with me.

The only two characters I did truly enjoy were Sam and Captain Battista. I also feel that Nerissa, one of the sea witches, did redeem herself in the end. That was a nice touch that I definitely wasn't expecting. I was hoping to see more of her but oh well.

I felt like the last 35% of the book was dragging, but, again, that's just my personal opinion. I'd take it with a grain of salt. lol The book is great but it's just not what I was looking for in a pirate book or storybook retelling. That's what hurts me more than anything.

One of the redeeming qualities of the book, which may sound strange to people, is the smut. I know that's an odd thing to say but I do feel like it was well written. I sometimes feel like the smut in books like this is almost stilted in a way or stale but the smut in this book was very well written.

All in all, I'd recommend the book for the MMC alone. He's just what I needed, even if the book wasn't completely to my liking. Like I say with most of my reviews these days, this is just my personal opinion. Keep an open mind when you read this book because you might enjoy it more.

This was The Little Mermaid retelling and inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean. Now I haven’t read either of these movies, but I’ve always been obsessed with ocean documentaries, so this tickled my ocean-loving heart.

I was immediately sucked into the story and I finished the whole thing in just one day. The world-building was amazing and the plot was very addictive. This was my first book with sirens and pirates and I’m obsessed!

I loved the FMC Maren. She’s strong, morally grey sometimes, but also very sweet to the people who deserve kindness. I admired her grit and the fact she didn’t give up on her dreams easily.

Now the MMC Bones is totally unhinged lol. He’s a true morally grey character and you’ll definitely hate him at times, but that’s literally the point and I do like him overall.

The romance was toxic and unhealthy, so please check trigger warnings because this is darker than your average dark romantasy, but I personally enjoyed every second of it.

Also, I LOVED the ending! You really can’t have a more perfect ending than this, so 10/10 for that.

A Ship of Bones & Teeth Karina Halle

Is a standalone gothic dark‑fantasy pirate romance that reimagines The Little Mermaid with a twisted, mature edge.

At sixteen, Princess Maren, a syren, sells her soul to a sea witch to live as a human and win Prince Aerik’s love, only to end up trapped in a decade of abuse.

Her chance at freedom comes when pirates led by the haunted Captain Ramsay “Bones” Battista intercept the royal ship. Their vessel is crewed by the undead Brethren of Blood, and the sea witch who cursed Maren is on Ramsay’s personal revenge list. As Maren confronts her torment and hunger for vengeance, she and Ramsay ignite a dark, dangerous connection.

The novel leans into tropes like enemies‑to‑lovers, captor/captive romance, and My Little Mermaid retelling meets Pirates of the Caribbean, complete with sea witches, vampiric pirate crew, and supernatural horror.

Maren and Ramsay’s fierce chemistry is electric, with explicit, spicy scenes and raw emotional tension, however, be warned it's spicy scenes are...fishy...to say the least.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This was similar to a retelling of Little Mermaid with dark twists and romantasy. I didn't hate this book but it wasn't my favorite.