An MM Retelling of The Little Mermaid. With dragons.Merman Jack is a terrible virgin sacrifice. Mostly because he isn’t virginal. At all. Hopefully the Sea King won’t notice.For Jack, the human world has too many wonderful temptations, and too many alphas to resist. He only has two months left before he has to give himself to the Sea King, and he doesn’t want to spend them in the cold, dark … to spend them in the cold, dark catacombs where the Mermen of Rixton live. It may be forbidden for Jack to go to shore, but when did that ever stop him?
Peter is a terrible dragon shifter. He can’t figure out what he’s supposed to collect for his hoard. Without his hoard, he can’t do any of the important dragon-shifter things, like take his dragon form or find his fated mate. After years of losing his lovers to their fated mates, Peter’s feeling his age, and he’s tired of being alone.
When Peter sees a beautiful merman on the beach, he thinks he’s finally found his fated mate. Jack falls hard for Peter too, but he knows they can’t be together forever. If Jack doesn’t show up on the day of his sacrifice, the Sea King will kill his father and take his brother instead.
Will the love between a terrible virgin sacrifice and a terrible dragon shifter be enough to change their fate?
Omega from the Ocean is a 77,000-word gritty, age-gap romance with knotting, light D/s, and Mpreg of the dragon-egg variety. While the ending may be an HEA for Jack and Peter, it’s an HFN for the rest of the Mermen of Rixton. Omega from the Ocean is intended for an 18+ audience.
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I had just finished reading Alaskan Pebble Gifters series when I came across Omega from the Ocean book being referred to. Well, since I had a chance to meet one of the mermen in A Nest for Ansel, I was very curious to know what had been going on with the merfolk. I had been warned this was a reconfiguration of The Little Mermaid, and since I had read the original, I knew it was going to be über-miserable because fairytales during that time, especially those written by Hans Christian Andersen, required boxes of Puffs Plus and an empty thirteen-gallon trash bag next to the bed. Fairytales weren’t cute back then. They were worse than cautionary tales, scaring you away from certain behaviors. You weren’t meant to be happy. Gah, and don’t even think about reading them late at night to your children!!
Seafoam is an omega merman who is to become a sacrifice to the Sea King when he reached the age of twenty-three. Who knows what happened to the previous such tributes to the Sea King? Nothing good because no one ever sees them alive again. So he’s ignoring the mandate that no merman was to approach the shore and interact with humans. Verboten! But Seafoam doesn’t care. His brother, Seahorse, is a healer, a midwife for the few omegas that were able to get pregnant. (Fertility was doled out to alpha mermen as a reward from the Sea King, and he was a frugal with that even less than he was with the warmth from his lair.)
Everything about the merman world is dark and cold. No one even remembers being warm. They work in darkness with little warmth until they die and turn into seafoam. In other words, life was more than sucky. It was bleak.
So to escape the fact that no alpha wants him, Seafoam wanders about the shore, visiting the Greek houses and having sex. He learns a bit of the English language. He lusts after a thirty-something guy whom he nicknames The Prince. He wants to meet him but is too scared to do so. So he spies on the human, gathering as much visuals so he can later masturbate and dream.
Weirdly enough, this guy is actually a dragon shifter… except he hasn’t ever shifted. He needs a hoard to do so. He needs an omega to bond, too. He can’t do either, and he and his mothers wonder if he has a terrible medical problem. Maybe. He is also obsessed by the myths of mermen and has come to this part of the world because he wishes to study the myths surrounding the mermen of Rixton. He has his degree(s) addressing this subject as well as tons of books. Perhaps he might actually find them…
Well, the two meet, and sparks fly, and the Sea King must die, and Peter still can’t find his inner dragon, and…
Well, there’s a lot to read.
Book length and pace: Definitely novel-length but not too long. The pace was just as it should. There were several places where I had to come up for air because of intensity! Gah! These were excruciating because I knew how painful the upcoming chapters would be, keeping in mind the usual nature of a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale. You WILL need to take a few breathers so be forewarned! I didn’t see any rushing, but at the very end, I really wished there had been some kind of an epilogue that was more than a day to two in the future for readership aftercare. But from what I gather, that’s for another book that won’t be out until she finishes another novel or two in the Alaskan Pebble Gifters series. No cliffhanger fortunately.
Characters: All of them were keepers! I was amazed on how many there were and how well they were fleshed out. Of course, the main characters are Seafoam (aka Jack [Daniels]!) and Peter, both who are extremely sympathetic. I appreciate the time it must have taken her to develop these two because they were some of the best I’ve seen in the past few years. But I can’t forget Peter’s mothers or all the mermen Amy Bellows introduced to us. Especially Moray! (What a cutey-pie! Can you imagine a cooing, baby mermale kept in a bucket of seawater? Way too cute!) I appreciated how well a reader could get into Jack’s and Peter’s heads. You WILL know these two inside and out! And it was so natural! One of the things I look for when it comes to any subgenre of romance is intimacy. This book has its moments, but the best was at the near-end, almost like aftercare for the reader because of the previous, highly intense fight for the future of freedom. Especially since Peter was able to bring his inner dragon out and finally realize what/who his hoard was. I can’t do it justice. Just go read it.
Hero/Hero interactions: Superb. Realistic. Without the usual I’m-afraid-to-tell-him stupid nonsense. If courage was required and action was necessary, then both of these characters presented themselves. There was a beautiful balance between humor and seriousness, and I appreciated the maturity level of both Jack and Peter whether alone or together. They had admirable qualities and did not shirk their responsibilities no matter the threat or cost. Better yet, I appreciated their interactions with the other characters in this book. I loved the levels in each personality as I continued to read. I won’t say it’s like an onion… maybe a bag of freshly made french fries? Hahahaha!! Jack does have a love for warm bread, french fries, and churros. And why not? The smells are so divine! It was fun watching him discover the physical world ashore, things we humans take for granted. Just as Peter felt. I loved being part of that experience.
World-Creation: All was quite elaborate and highly detailed. I discovered so much more when I reread it, I wondered how I could have missed it in the first place. (It’s not that unusual for me to read a book twice within a few days if I really liked it. Sometimes the excitement of the storytelling pushes my speed-reading to quickly, hence the rereading so that I don’t miss anything. I was surprised with all the mythos involved in this story told in a way that wasn’t like someone was banging me over the head with a two-by-four. The exposition was detailed but not distracting from the tale. Great woodcrafting!
Continuity and editing: Unfortunately, like other indie books, I still see a lot of punctuation errors. There were misspellings, missing words, and wrong words correctly spelled. Really could have used a clean-up editor. (I don’t know why anyone would allow a book so rife with mistakes to go live?) Oh well…
Realism: For the fairytale this book really is, I still found it so easy to suspend my disbelief. I also didn’t at all imagine any singing lobsters or over-friendly fish or psychotic chefs running around. Nor did I even think of Ol’ Hans either. But I will say that this story was intense. So intense that I had to put it down and give myself a break. (Especially when Peter negotiated his way out of the catacombs, only to discover he had unknowingly bartered away one of his own gestating children, much to his horror! That Sea King was certainly a bastard!) And when the final battle takes place, there will be deaths, maiming, and terrible injuries. No punches pulled. That is reality.
My recommendation? BUY IT! I can’t wait for any more books even close to this universe!
One of the best retellings of the Little Mermaid, Omega from the Ocean is a wonderful story about the forbidden love between an alpha dragon shifter and an omega merman. But it’s more than just a romance – this book has a complex plot that leans heavily on the fanstic and intricate worldbuilding Amy Bellows has created. This book is loosely tied to Amy’s Alaskan Pebble Gifters series and Lost Red Wolves series due to sharing the same universe. However, it can easily be read as a standalone.
I really loved this book and enjoyed listening to the audiobook. It was fun, exciting, and an overall enjoyable time.
Tenderfoot (Noun): a newcomer in a comparatively rough region. Since mermen don’t normally have feet, can one call a merman a tenderfoot? Perhaps he’s just a fish out of water, but Jack is the quintessential twink. Jack’s a babe in the woods who’s curious about life above the surface and the tale of this mismatched pair starts out as a joyous flight of fancy. And it’s very clear that the two MCs here fancy each other.
But…. My chums, this is also a bit of a bait and switch. While the opening chapters are a happy go lucky horny twink tale, the story soon takes a darker and colder turn. Just below the surface, this is a much bleaker, more complex tale. The Sea King has somehow subjugated the mermen, broken their spirit and is exploiting them, regularly demanding tribute. That Jack is destined to be part of that tribute in two months just ups those stakes.
The world building here is terrific and we get to meet various types of dragons, see life above the surface from a fresh new perspective and suffer along with a dragon shifter who just can’t seem to find what’s necessary to allow him to shift.
There is a happy ending for our main characters here but only after a hard-won victory and it doesn’t come without sacrifices. While that which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, in this case it makes for a more satisfying story. But it’s also such a dark story that I don’t see it becoming one of my frequent repeats. In a way that’s a real shame, as the innocence and newness that we get when discovering life above the surface through Jack’s eyes are some of the most light-hearted moments I’ve encountered in a while.
Rather than reading this one I listened to the Audio-book.
Narrator Lance West (in what I believe to be his debut performance) does a good job with overall pacing and gives each character their distinctive vocal identities. While Jack’s (Seafoam’s) voice conveys that he may not be a full-on brat, he’s pretty high on the Sassy Spectrum. Peter, the pushing 40 Dragon shifter, is suitably measured when compared to Jack and the two make a good contrast.
Among the more minor characters, Arch, the heron shifter, has a suitably world weary/ironic (arch?) tone. Orca’s voice suits his character after we get to know him a bit. It did strike an odd note when the narrator first assumed his deepest voice for Orca. What made it odd was that Orca wasn’t speaking the dialogue just signing it. (Who knew mermen used a variation on ASL?). As Orca’s background becomes more well explained, the voice does seem to fit him more. Lance does a reasonably good job with both male and female voices though his naturally youthful voice makes a few of the characters, (particularly Peter’s two moms) younger than they’re described… but then how old is old, when you’re a dragon?
Overall, I thought that this was a fine adventure. While it wasn’t exactly what I expected from the book blurb, I enjoyed it. It does look to be the first in a series and I’m hoping that in later volumes we’ll be able to see these shifters in a lighter adventure.
***Note: I am voluntarily reviewing this after receiving a complimentary copy ***
My God this book was epic! I’m absolutely awed! I adore retellings and this has just earned the spot for my favorite retelling ever! It captured the sadness of the original story and at the same time managed to be hopeful. The magic system and the merman lore was so well thought and interesting. I was so hooked, I wanted to learn more a out this magical world. And all the characters were so deep and wonderful. I could read a separete book about each one of them! Amazing, simply amazing! I can’t wait to read more stories in this brilliant series. And the narrator did a fantastic job bringing this great tale to life!
Fantasy MM Romance with a little mermaid take. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for this type of read. It was compelling and it had depth while also delivering on the steamy bits. There was a lot of information about the Mer world and I really liked that as well as the Dragon Shifter information as well. I really like how everything was explained and how it was all wrapped up. I do feel a bit jolted, as I wanted more of the happiness after the big battle, but hopefully with the next book we get to at least check in on Seafoam and Peter!! Lance West performed this audio narration and did a fantastic job. I will definitely be looking out for more of Lance’s work.
Audio ARC provided and this is my honest review.
My first merman book
Although this was my first step into the undersea world of mermen, I have read many shifter books. With that in mind, I love dragon shifters and how happy was I that we had them in this book.
Amy did a great job at world-building and character building. Loved our little Jack Daniels (Seafoam) and Peter. Their story took time to tell, but I loved the drama.
The book’s last third brought the whole thing together and gave you all the adventure and drama anyone needs from a book. Although we get happily ever after, there are sad parts in the book, so expect to get the tissues out. I will read the follow on book if there is one.
Well narrated, clean and clear. New to me narrator Lance West was a joy to listen to. I sped up to 1.40 on Audible, which is typical for me.
Omega from the Ocean
Heron Manor, Book 1
By: Amy Bellows
Narrated by: Lance West
Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
Overall
Narration
Story
Read at 1.40 speed on Audible
I received this audiobook for free from GRR at my request. My review is my opinion and an honest review – neither the author nor GRR influenced my opinion.
So good I had to buy it after reading it via Kindle Unlimited (Amazon)!
I was expecting a fun little read. I wasn’t expecting such an excellent story, intriguing characters, and (lovely) complex world building.
Wow. Just wow.
This is certainly influenced by The Little Mermaid, but is absolutely it’s own story. And certainly a start to a wonderful series.
My favorite part? (Besides the entire thing.) Jack is a delightful narrator. I laughed so much at his refreshing candor.
My only complaint is that there wasn’t more to this first book. But that just leaves a lot to be explored in future books. I can’t wait for more.
Have you ever wanted to read about sexy mermen? I certainly didn’t. But I’m glad I did!
If you know me at all then you know I love me a dragon story – add in Mermen and I’m hooked, baby Merboys and dragon eggs? I’m in heaven x
No to mention herons – loads and loads of herons (Even if one of them isn’t part of the hoard)
Omg I loved and adored this book. It’s totally unlike any one book I’ve read (and I’ve read one or two). I absolutely loved every bit of it – from the frat party to the Prince in the ocean front and the Mer Men rebellion – oh and the babies and eggs – and who knew that bird shifters eat bird eggs for breakfast – isn’t that a hoot (sorry!!)
Go in pick up this book, I am sure you’ll love it as much as I did…and you have to read the excerpt from the next in the series cos that has a major surprise in it too!!
I am volunteering to leave a review of this book
This book is awesome!! Amy has created a wondrous world filled with vibrant scenes and enchanting characters. There is an evil Sea King, fearless omega mermen, herons, some who are shifters, and dragons. What’s not to love! It is filled with humor, valor, cross species learning, and surprises. I have followed the creation of this book, and I can tell you, you are gonna Love this story!
Jack is an omega merman who likes to come ashore to Frat row for one night stands. He is supposed to be a virginal sacrifice, luck with that. Peter is a dragon who hasn’t found his hoard, and therefore, can’t shift. But Peter is obsessed with mermen. When he meets Jack, he meets his fated mate. Knotting Jack wasn’t on the horizon, you’re not supposed to be able to knot if you can’t shift. But you can’t fight fate. What you can fight is injustice. Peter will fight to save Jack from becoming the Sea King’s next sacrifice. Even if it takes all he has.
This book has amazing supporting characters. You will be drawn in to their stories, feel for and with them. You will fall in love with mermen Flounder & Stingray, Seahorse & Orca. You will find heroines in Peter’s mothers Anne & Tracey, 2 strong, fearless and loving older women who happen to be dragons. Arch and Chase, heron shifters from Heron Manor. There are mean, bullying alpha mermen, and an evil King who steals omega power. There is a rebellion, and lots of fierce omegas fighting to regain their power. And there is mer-sign! And MM sex. Sex as humans, in water, mer-sex, and merman-dragon sex. Oh and a dragon knot!
This is the first in the Heron Manor series. I can’t wait for book 2. There is a book 2 teaser that may upset you. But never fear, Amy is the queen of HEA. You will love this book!
This book contains adult themes and language, hot MM sex, and violence, and is intended for mature 18+ readers.