Scan barcode
smilesgiggle's review against another edition
4.0
What happens when your partner wants to pause your relationship to be with a man? Jaq often struggles to keep her wandering partner's attention. With the arrival of a man rescued from sea, Lily does not pause to move in his room to aid with his recovery.
Memories begin to surface - Lily and the crew start to remember their life before roaming the sea.
At times I was little confused with the timeline. Overall, I enjoyed this book - great plot, excellent themes under all that sensuality.
Memories begin to surface - Lily and the crew start to remember their life before roaming the sea.
At times I was little confused with the timeline. Overall, I enjoyed this book - great plot, excellent themes under all that sensuality.
talia012's review against another edition
3.0
Three stars for the concept more than the execution. Queer pirates are generally my fave but these ones were a bit hard to relate to. The main character is entirely defined by her jealousy and the object of her affection is an unbelievable narcissist who just enjoys toying with people. So that wasn't ideal.
But points for the settings and vibes, which were pretty immaculate. I don't have a ton of Slavic folklore knowledge but was interested to learn more about this mythology of vengeful female water spirits.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
But points for the settings and vibes, which were pretty immaculate. I don't have a ton of Slavic folklore knowledge but was interested to learn more about this mythology of vengeful female water spirits.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
starslang's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kailawalton's review
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
A short but interesting book. I did not see where it was going to go and it being 125 ish pages, it really did pack a punch! I would have rated it a bit higher but at first I was very confused about what was going on which fair, happens. But keeping who was who straight in my head took a minute.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content
whatyoutolkienabout's review against another edition
5.0
This novella packs a punch. Knowles weaves together folklore, sapphic and female rage, emotion and visceral depictions with just enough spice into this tale. The fact it is set on the high seas is just the icing on top.
Due to its length it is hard to review the tale without spoilers so I will focus instead on the characterisation and writing. First let me say I adored the characters Jaq and Lily (and of course Ambrose). But all the characters shine through, even the terrible ones. They are brought to life by Knowles writing and each given a unique voice.
The tone and pace suit the novella perfectly. I adored how the timeline seemed to flit between past and present mirroring the confusion of the characters as they slowly remember their pasts. It is hauntingly beautiful in places and purely visceral in others. I was well and truly captivated from start to finish and will certainly look for more from this author.
If you love tales of folklore, feminine rage and beautiful prose this is for you.
Due to its length it is hard to review the tale without spoilers so I will focus instead on the characterisation and writing. First let me say I adored the characters Jaq and Lily (and of course Ambrose). But all the characters shine through, even the terrible ones. They are brought to life by Knowles writing and each given a unique voice.
The tone and pace suit the novella perfectly. I adored how the timeline seemed to flit between past and present mirroring the confusion of the characters as they slowly remember their pasts. It is hauntingly beautiful in places and purely visceral in others. I was well and truly captivated from start to finish and will certainly look for more from this author.
If you love tales of folklore, feminine rage and beautiful prose this is for you.
kmele's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Animal death
emyruggiero's review against another edition
4.0
sapphic pirate mermaid man killers.
merciless waters was so delicious, i devoured it in one day. the ending had me utterly shocked.
merciless waters was so delicious, i devoured it in one day. the ending had me utterly shocked.
eggcatsreads's review against another edition
3.0
A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Brigids Gate Press for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The cover is gorgeous, and was my impulse to ask for this book. And this novella is great if you were wanting a quick story with deadly women pirates who kill and take revenge on men. The story can be a bit confusing at times, but overall is a quick read so if you were just wanting a palette cleanser, I would recommend this novella. The writing, the imagery, and the relationships all felt real and fleshed out, and getting into the head of the main character wasn’t difficult - nor was it difficult to sympathize with her, or her desires.
To get into why this story didn’t really work for me, however, it personally felt too rushed and like it was needing 100-200 more pages to make a more coherent story. There were a few times that it almost felt like there was a jumpcut between scenes that were supposed to be happening at the same time, and I had to reread it to even understand what was going on. (And some of these were important plot-related scenes, where I definitely think there should have been some buildup instead of it simply just occurring.) In some ways, reading this novella felt like watching a play happening with scene changes, but nothing in the middle to indicate why or when the scene had changed.
I enjoyed the main plot of the story, but overall I felt there was too much unexplained with the origins of the rusalka or their ship. We learn that they have no memory of their time before the ship, and it’s implied that their previous memories were removed. However, when they start to regain their memories, we’re told that the captain would be willing to help them get their revenge. If that’s the case, why the memory loss? There also seems to be some confusion about the festival, as when it was occurring it seemed to be something that they do yearly - and yet, when their destination was changed to the location it was a huge contention. Once again, I think a lot of this could be solved by just having a longer book that can go into detail about these (and other) things. Also, with such a short book, I think the other character’s histories and pasts should not have been explained in detail - they don’t really do much for us, the reader, other than adding more confusion to the plot.
I will also confess to not liking the ending, as it felt like a rather cop-out versus an actual conclusion to the story.
I’m not the biggest fan of the first person narrative that this story is told through. It wasn’t done poorly, but at times it didn’t feel like there was much variation in the storytelling voice. Even when the one telling the story wasn’t the main character, the voice still felt like the same character speaking. This isn’t the biggest deal, but it was kind of stark to have no difference in speaking voice between Jaq and the snake, during their chapters.
Overall, I can absolutely see the potential in this story and would absolutely be willing to give it another chance if it’s ever extended into a full novel. When the story was flowing well I really enjoyed it, but unfortunately for me there were too many rough patches to rate this higher than 3 stars.
The cover is gorgeous, and was my impulse to ask for this book. And this novella is great if you were wanting a quick story with deadly women pirates who kill and take revenge on men. The story can be a bit confusing at times, but overall is a quick read so if you were just wanting a palette cleanser, I would recommend this novella. The writing, the imagery, and the relationships all felt real and fleshed out, and getting into the head of the main character wasn’t difficult - nor was it difficult to sympathize with her, or her desires.
To get into why this story didn’t really work for me, however, it personally felt too rushed and like it was needing 100-200 more pages to make a more coherent story. There were a few times that it almost felt like there was a jumpcut between scenes that were supposed to be happening at the same time, and I had to reread it to even understand what was going on. (And some of these were important plot-related scenes, where I definitely think there should have been some buildup instead of it simply just occurring.) In some ways, reading this novella felt like watching a play happening with scene changes, but nothing in the middle to indicate why or when the scene had changed.
I enjoyed the main plot of the story, but overall I felt there was too much unexplained with the origins of the rusalka or their ship. We learn that they have no memory of their time before the ship, and it’s implied that their previous memories were removed. However, when they start to regain their memories, we’re told that the captain would be willing to help them get their revenge. If that’s the case, why the memory loss? There also seems to be some confusion about the festival, as when it was occurring it seemed to be something that they do yearly - and yet, when their destination was changed to the location it was a huge contention. Once again, I think a lot of this could be solved by just having a longer book that can go into detail about these (and other) things. Also, with such a short book, I think the other character’s histories and pasts should not have been explained in detail - they don’t really do much for us, the reader, other than adding more confusion to the plot.
I will also confess to not liking the ending, as it felt like a rather cop-out versus an actual conclusion to the story.
I’m not the biggest fan of the first person narrative that this story is told through. It wasn’t done poorly, but at times it didn’t feel like there was much variation in the storytelling voice. Even when the one telling the story wasn’t the main character, the voice still felt like the same character speaking. This isn’t the biggest deal, but it was kind of stark to have no difference in speaking voice between Jaq and the snake, during their chapters.
Overall, I can absolutely see the potential in this story and would absolutely be willing to give it another chance if it’s ever extended into a full novel. When the story was flowing well I really enjoyed it, but unfortunately for me there were too many rough patches to rate this higher than 3 stars.
mxthemme's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
WHOAAA. 🌊 Merciless Waters is a wildly imaginative sapphic tour de force. Packed in just 124 pages, this novella is immersive, inventive, and inviting. Come for the tender yet teeth-sinking eroticism, stay for the searing prose and lush worldbuilding. There’s a lot more I could say, but you should let this dark and delightful tale surprise you! I read it in basically one sitting, and as a ~slow reader~, this never happens. Dear universe, plz deliver everything Rae ever writes right to my doorstep, tyvm!
wait_whoissheagain's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I absolutely devoured this (iykyk)!! The stories of these women were absolutely heartbreaking and I love that this is not a story of love, but of revenge. I love books with female rage, and this one is jam packed with it! It is beautifully written and Rae Knowles does an amazing job of creating complex characters in such a short novel.
I hate Lily with a burning passion. But she is written so gosh darn well that my emotions towards her are only heightened! The relationship between her and Jaq was both sweet and maddening, and although I wish the story had ended differently, it was just as shocking and emotionally charged as the rest of the book!
This book’s plot is incredible. It is a story of sisterhood, freedom and, most importantly, vengeance, and I loved the subtle humour throughout. This book is not for the weak of heart, but I would absolutely recommend giving this quick but powerful read a go.
I hate Lily with a burning passion. But she is written so gosh darn well that my emotions towards her are only heightened! The relationship between her and Jaq was both sweet and maddening, and although I wish the story had ended differently, it was just as shocking and emotionally charged as the rest of the book!
This book’s plot is incredible. It is a story of sisterhood, freedom and, most importantly, vengeance, and I loved the subtle humour throughout. This book is not for the weak of heart, but I would absolutely recommend giving this quick but powerful read a go.