Balanced Scales: Untold Tales: The Little Mermaid by Laura Greenwood is a wonderful story that I have read. This is book number one in this wonderful start to a brand new series and I can not wait to read book number two. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about mermaids, fantasy and paranormal romances.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Author
malischaweijkamp
2 years ago
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book is a rettelling of the little mermaid.
But than a little different.
It hooked me right away at the first chapter a lot and i couldnt put this book down.
I really enjoyed this booK. And will read the rest of the untold tales by Laura Greenwood
Author
danyelle
2 years ago
I really like this novella. This is a fun and sweet adventure with just a dash of romance. This is a combination of a fairy tale, a YA novel, and a mystery. I enjoyed how the mermaid main character, Mari, and her seal best friend, Shelbie, handled their transitions to land animals and solved the mystery of the stolen mermaid souls.
Overall, the thing that kept me reading was the mystery of who was stealing mermaid souls and why. The clues were subtle, but interesting, and the villain’s plot was a bit surprising. This was a new angle on the old fairy tale. I adored how they mentioned the original story by Hans Christian Andersen, as well as the different mermaid and human versions.
I enjoyed Mari’s journey from naïve mergirl to the sleuth and soul-saver. I liked how she learned to see auras, especially Shelbie’s. Shelbie is her best friend and protector, while in her seal or dog form, so I could relate to wanting to know what she was feeling. I would have liked a bit more information about the different kinds of auras.
I thought there were some awkward moments when the story flailed a bit like… well, like a fish out of water. It seemed like the author was going by the seat of her pants just like Mari was in her story. I also thought there could have been more descriptions of the human and mermaid towns. There were some conflicting parts, mostly about when and how merfolk and humans learn to swim and/or walk.
Several typos, but nothing too distracting.
Author
michelle
2 years ago
This story is loosely based on The Little Mermaid. Mari is a mermaid who has gone to the surface. Mari finds a man named Erickson drowning. She saves his life and simultaneously looses her soul. Mari is sent to Demetra who gives her a potion to turn her tail into legs. Shelbie her pet seal turns into a puppy. Mari goes on a quest to save everyone who has lost their soul. She is going to try to find the souls and set them free. No one has ever done this before and she is not sure she will succeed. Once on land she meets Aaron who is incorporeal. She also finds Erickson and he says he will help her find her soul. She is not sure if she should trust Aaron or Erickson. Story was slow to catch my interest. I did want to know what happens at the end. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Author
katheyer
2 years ago
“Balanced Scales” is the first installment in Laura Greenwood’s “Untold Tales” series. The book is a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen unforgettable “The Little Mermaid”, that manages to stay true to the classical tale, while still offering a fresh new story, in which Mari (the little Mermaid) manages to take her own fate in her hands while pursuing her right to immortality.
“Balanced Scales” tells Mari’s story, an eighteen-year-old mermaid, who encounters a shipwreck and saves a sailor’s live, only to condemn her own immortal soul in the process. But Mari is a strong female, who does not passively accept her fate. There is a chance to regain her soul, and despite the danger, Mari is willing to try. She succeeds in finding the Sea Witch, who is not in the least evil, but an ally to her cause, that will give her a potion to enable her to walk and survive on land and search for her soul. Mari is a very capable girl, despite her initial naiveté, which is absolute credible. Together with her shape-shifter pet seal, she embarks in a quest for deliverance, finding allies and enemies along the way, to restore the balance and regain her immortal soul.
The Untold Tales series is a retelling of world-renowned classical fairy tales, that adds a modern twist to the classical tales. Greenwood’s version of the fairy-tale world is funny, entertaining and interesting. A brand-new take on the fairy-tale trope, fresh, original and fun. The stories, which are independent from each other, offer an amazing blend of the original tales and brand-new twist and situations, that will appeal to both fairy-tale lovers and all those looking for a brand-new story that adds layers of narrations and different POVs to the already known situations. Fairy tales, magic, romance, familiars, FMC, adventure, fast-paced plots, credible leads, new turns and twists, what more can one wish for?
Author
miabookwormharper
2 years ago
I loved this book, it was the best retelling of the little mermaid yet, I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t put it down. The story was fast paced, and the characters compelling and I would love to read more in the series, Courtney Encheff’s narration was great. I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
Author
courtneydunhampa
2 years ago
I enjoy listening to Laura’s audiobooks, especially when I am looking for a break from the long series or even books that are relatively long. Sometimes its nice to listen to a book over a couple lunch breaks. This one for me had a lot of potential but I think the narration brought it down for me honestly. If Laura had used some of her other narrators that I really enjoy, then I think this would have gotten 4 stars across the board.
The storyline was cute and fun, I liked our MC’s friend Shelby and I liked the twist at the end where someone we had wanted to be a part of our MC’s life gets to have that chance. Not going to say more because I wont spoil it. I knew the plot within the first like 10-15 mins but that was ok, it was interesting to see how Laura took us there. The MC definitely played the whole “what are these human things” well haha. Sometimes she was a little too naive for my taste, but with the storyline it kinda comes par for the course.
The narration I think really threw me for a loop. I had to stop the and come back to the book twice unfortunately. I really wanted to love the storyline but the narrator just got on my nerves with how long she was taking to say things and her inflections didnt always matchup. I had to put it on 1.3X speed to get her to a pace that would hold my attention. I think she could definitely improve on her male characters voices, which would help a lot with these stories that have multiple male parts that are critical to the story.
I recommend almost all of Laura’s audiobooks, but this one wasnt my favorite. I definitely would recommend reading the story but this is an either you like it or dont kinda audiobook (solely from the narration).
Audiobook Obsession Reviewer
Author
dektolia
2 years ago
I listened to the Audible version. Balanced Scales was so different from the Disney version of The Little Mermaid that I actually wondered if there was a Brothers Grimm version that it was closer to. As far as I know, it’s not. It’s just a different imagining of a mermaid moving from the ocean to land.
I’ve also listened to If The Shoe Fits by Laura Greenwood and I preferred that one, but Balances Scales is good too for a short story.
Courtney Encheff’s voice is good for Mari’s character and gave it a young adult feel.
#AudiobookObsession
Author
hbane12
2 years ago
This is a great retelling of the Little Mermaid. The author did a really great job on the characters and storyline. I highly recommend reading this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Author
funbookchick
2 years ago
A fairy tale retelling of the “Little Mermaid”….
At great risk to herself, Mari saves a man from drowning. When she gets him to land, he tries to return the favor, but then she tells him that she is a mermaid. Suddenly she experiences a great pain.
Unbeknownst to Mari, she has just had her soul stolen. When she finds out how many other innocents have had their souls stolen, she is determined to get not only her soul back, but theirs too.
Mari makes a deal with a witch which may doom her forever if she does not succeed.
Laura Greenwood is the author you want if you want a story retold with a strong female character who can save herself. Balanced Scales (Drowlgon Press, 1082743186, 2019) is the first book in the “Untold Tales” series and Greenwood leads off with “The Little Mermaid”.
This story has some similarities to The Little Mermaid movie, but maybe it is more consistent with the original fairy tale. Either way, I loved the story. Now I will give a heads up that this story does not concentrate on the romance at all. This story is about Mari and her growth as a person.
This is the story you want to read to your kids because if gives a main character who saves themselves. Who makes a choice to save others. Who takes risks with the idea of doing good. You have to love a character like that and the fact that she is female makes it even more fabulous.
Once again I give kudos to Greenwood for giving us another kick-butt female character who can save herself. This time in a story we can read to our kids.
I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.
Author
dougkoshwilliamson
2 years ago
Our heroine is on a quest to find her lost soul, but to do so, she must venture forth into unknown territory: land.
This is a retelling of the Little Mermaid story, but while it takes its inspiration from there, it provides an entirely fresh perspective and story. The story is well written and easy to read with an interesting cast of characters (including a shapeshifting seal!) that are fun to interact with. The plot includes several twists and turns and moves along at a good pace. Overall, the story is fun and engaging, making for a nice weekend read.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes
Author
michellev
2 years ago
I do love a great retelling of The Little Mermaid and this book is just that. The characters are well developed and the storyline is fun, well paced and well written. Mari ventures out to land in search of her soul and meets some interesting characters along the way. This is an entertaining story that held my attention from the first page until the last. I can’t wait to read the next book in the Untold Tales series.
Author
cali
2 years ago
Really enjoyed this exciting, action packed retelling of a classic filled with interesting twists on some beloved charters, an intriguing and hart racing read from beginning to end. Excellent reading!
Author
marjorie
2 years ago
A mermaid who doesn’t give up her voice and tail for a boy, in fact, she grew up hearing stories about THAT little mermaid. While the stories she heard have a Disney-esque ending, the version the humans tell is decidedly more like the Hans Christian Anderson version. And that becomes important.
This is a modern heroine with a mission to help her people, not just a silly love story about a spoiled princess who has everything and throws it away for an infatuation. Good characterization and world building in a shorter, quick read. I especially liked the seal/dog.
This story contains many elements reminiscent of the traditional story, yet is very much its own tale, complete with a dark twist and a bit of romance. The romance stays clean, fwiw.
Looks like this is the first book in a series of standalone fairy tale retellings. If they are all as good as this one, I am looking forward to reading them all!
Author
carlynnetoomey
2 years ago
This was a fun, fast read. Well developed characters and a great story world. Highly recommended for fans of fairy tale reboots.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Author
tammy
2 years ago
What’s a mermaid to do when her soul is stolen & she finds out her’s isn’t the only one? Easy. You leave the water & head to land to get all the souls back. She meets up with the human who caused her to lose her soul & accepts his help with trying to locate them all. She meets a ghost who she knows she can trust even tho she’s not sure why. She knows she’s going to have to fight to get the souls & release them when she finds out exactly who has them all captive.
I thought this was a wonderful spin on this fairy tale. It’s completely unique & the characters are all fantastic. This is a good, clean story with action. The romance is not the main focus of the story. The story ends with an HEA.
Author
marimarilovesbooksblog
2 years ago
This was so good! It’s a retelling of The Little Mermaid with twist and turns you don’t see coming. But it also has so much to the story and it’s fun and intriguing and it had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Author
drkdae1
2 years ago
This is a NON-SPOILER REVIEW. Balanced Scales: Untold Tales: The Little Mermaid by Laura Greenwood is a novella style quick read. I really enjoyed this read! Packed with action, adventure, humor and passion, this read is a fun way to spend time. Definitely not your Hans Christen Anderson telling! This tale will pull you in from the first line and keep you riveted till the end.
This honest and voluntary review was made possible by reading a copy through Booksprout.
Author
cluberts
2 years ago
A short read on the retelling of Little Mermaid. We have a little action, adventure and of course some fun. Mari loses her soul and needs to go on to land to find it. Can she find it? Which an can she trust? Or is she on her own? Can she find the other mer’s souls too?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Author
christinaraven
2 years ago
I liked this re=telling of the Little Mermaid. I liked the different twists that I thought made it a good story. It was well written and had a touch of suspense and Meri tried to solve her little problem. The characters were good and fun to read as they all interacted. Who the bad guy was kept me reading and why someone wanted mermaid souls. It was not a deep story but entertaining.
Balanced Scales: Untold Tales: The Little Mermaid by Laura Greenwood is a wonderful story that I have read. This is book number one in this wonderful start to a brand new series and I can not wait to read book number two. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about mermaids, fantasy and paranormal romances.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book is a rettelling of the little mermaid.
But than a little different.
It hooked me right away at the first chapter a lot and i couldnt put this book down.
I really enjoyed this booK. And will read the rest of the untold tales by Laura Greenwood
I really like this novella. This is a fun and sweet adventure with just a dash of romance. This is a combination of a fairy tale, a YA novel, and a mystery. I enjoyed how the mermaid main character, Mari, and her seal best friend, Shelbie, handled their transitions to land animals and solved the mystery of the stolen mermaid souls.
Overall, the thing that kept me reading was the mystery of who was stealing mermaid souls and why. The clues were subtle, but interesting, and the villain’s plot was a bit surprising. This was a new angle on the old fairy tale. I adored how they mentioned the original story by Hans Christian Andersen, as well as the different mermaid and human versions.
I enjoyed Mari’s journey from naïve mergirl to the sleuth and soul-saver. I liked how she learned to see auras, especially Shelbie’s. Shelbie is her best friend and protector, while in her seal or dog form, so I could relate to wanting to know what she was feeling. I would have liked a bit more information about the different kinds of auras.
I thought there were some awkward moments when the story flailed a bit like… well, like a fish out of water. It seemed like the author was going by the seat of her pants just like Mari was in her story. I also thought there could have been more descriptions of the human and mermaid towns. There were some conflicting parts, mostly about when and how merfolk and humans learn to swim and/or walk.
Several typos, but nothing too distracting.
This story is loosely based on The Little Mermaid. Mari is a mermaid who has gone to the surface. Mari finds a man named Erickson drowning. She saves his life and simultaneously looses her soul. Mari is sent to Demetra who gives her a potion to turn her tail into legs. Shelbie her pet seal turns into a puppy. Mari goes on a quest to save everyone who has lost their soul. She is going to try to find the souls and set them free. No one has ever done this before and she is not sure she will succeed. Once on land she meets Aaron who is incorporeal. She also finds Erickson and he says he will help her find her soul. She is not sure if she should trust Aaron or Erickson. Story was slow to catch my interest. I did want to know what happens at the end. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
“Balanced Scales” is the first installment in Laura Greenwood’s “Untold Tales” series. The book is a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen unforgettable “The Little Mermaid”, that manages to stay true to the classical tale, while still offering a fresh new story, in which Mari (the little Mermaid) manages to take her own fate in her hands while pursuing her right to immortality.
“Balanced Scales” tells Mari’s story, an eighteen-year-old mermaid, who encounters a shipwreck and saves a sailor’s live, only to condemn her own immortal soul in the process. But Mari is a strong female, who does not passively accept her fate. There is a chance to regain her soul, and despite the danger, Mari is willing to try. She succeeds in finding the Sea Witch, who is not in the least evil, but an ally to her cause, that will give her a potion to enable her to walk and survive on land and search for her soul. Mari is a very capable girl, despite her initial naiveté, which is absolute credible. Together with her shape-shifter pet seal, she embarks in a quest for deliverance, finding allies and enemies along the way, to restore the balance and regain her immortal soul.
The Untold Tales series is a retelling of world-renowned classical fairy tales, that adds a modern twist to the classical tales. Greenwood’s version of the fairy-tale world is funny, entertaining and interesting. A brand-new take on the fairy-tale trope, fresh, original and fun. The stories, which are independent from each other, offer an amazing blend of the original tales and brand-new twist and situations, that will appeal to both fairy-tale lovers and all those looking for a brand-new story that adds layers of narrations and different POVs to the already known situations. Fairy tales, magic, romance, familiars, FMC, adventure, fast-paced plots, credible leads, new turns and twists, what more can one wish for?
I loved this book, it was the best retelling of the little mermaid yet, I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t put it down. The story was fast paced, and the characters compelling and I would love to read more in the series, Courtney Encheff’s narration was great. I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
I enjoy listening to Laura’s audiobooks, especially when I am looking for a break from the long series or even books that are relatively long. Sometimes its nice to listen to a book over a couple lunch breaks. This one for me had a lot of potential but I think the narration brought it down for me honestly. If Laura had used some of her other narrators that I really enjoy, then I think this would have gotten 4 stars across the board.
The storyline was cute and fun, I liked our MC’s friend Shelby and I liked the twist at the end where someone we had wanted to be a part of our MC’s life gets to have that chance. Not going to say more because I wont spoil it. I knew the plot within the first like 10-15 mins but that was ok, it was interesting to see how Laura took us there. The MC definitely played the whole “what are these human things” well haha. Sometimes she was a little too naive for my taste, but with the storyline it kinda comes par for the course.
The narration I think really threw me for a loop. I had to stop the and come back to the book twice unfortunately. I really wanted to love the storyline but the narrator just got on my nerves with how long she was taking to say things and her inflections didnt always matchup. I had to put it on 1.3X speed to get her to a pace that would hold my attention. I think she could definitely improve on her male characters voices, which would help a lot with these stories that have multiple male parts that are critical to the story.
I recommend almost all of Laura’s audiobooks, but this one wasnt my favorite. I definitely would recommend reading the story but this is an either you like it or dont kinda audiobook (solely from the narration).
Audiobook Obsession Reviewer
I listened to the Audible version. Balanced Scales was so different from the Disney version of The Little Mermaid that I actually wondered if there was a Brothers Grimm version that it was closer to. As far as I know, it’s not. It’s just a different imagining of a mermaid moving from the ocean to land.
I’ve also listened to If The Shoe Fits by Laura Greenwood and I preferred that one, but Balances Scales is good too for a short story.
Courtney Encheff’s voice is good for Mari’s character and gave it a young adult feel.
#AudiobookObsession
This is a great retelling of the Little Mermaid. The author did a really great job on the characters and storyline. I highly recommend reading this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A fairy tale retelling of the “Little Mermaid”….
At great risk to herself, Mari saves a man from drowning. When she gets him to land, he tries to return the favor, but then she tells him that she is a mermaid. Suddenly she experiences a great pain.
Unbeknownst to Mari, she has just had her soul stolen. When she finds out how many other innocents have had their souls stolen, she is determined to get not only her soul back, but theirs too.
Mari makes a deal with a witch which may doom her forever if she does not succeed.
Laura Greenwood is the author you want if you want a story retold with a strong female character who can save herself. Balanced Scales (Drowlgon Press, 1082743186, 2019) is the first book in the “Untold Tales” series and Greenwood leads off with “The Little Mermaid”.
This story has some similarities to The Little Mermaid movie, but maybe it is more consistent with the original fairy tale. Either way, I loved the story. Now I will give a heads up that this story does not concentrate on the romance at all. This story is about Mari and her growth as a person.
This is the story you want to read to your kids because if gives a main character who saves themselves. Who makes a choice to save others. Who takes risks with the idea of doing good. You have to love a character like that and the fact that she is female makes it even more fabulous.
Once again I give kudos to Greenwood for giving us another kick-butt female character who can save herself. This time in a story we can read to our kids.
I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.
Our heroine is on a quest to find her lost soul, but to do so, she must venture forth into unknown territory: land.
This is a retelling of the Little Mermaid story, but while it takes its inspiration from there, it provides an entirely fresh perspective and story. The story is well written and easy to read with an interesting cast of characters (including a shapeshifting seal!) that are fun to interact with. The plot includes several twists and turns and moves along at a good pace. Overall, the story is fun and engaging, making for a nice weekend read.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes
I do love a great retelling of The Little Mermaid and this book is just that. The characters are well developed and the storyline is fun, well paced and well written. Mari ventures out to land in search of her soul and meets some interesting characters along the way. This is an entertaining story that held my attention from the first page until the last. I can’t wait to read the next book in the Untold Tales series.
Really enjoyed this exciting, action packed retelling of a classic filled with interesting twists on some beloved charters, an intriguing and hart racing read from beginning to end. Excellent reading!
A mermaid who doesn’t give up her voice and tail for a boy, in fact, she grew up hearing stories about THAT little mermaid. While the stories she heard have a Disney-esque ending, the version the humans tell is decidedly more like the Hans Christian Anderson version. And that becomes important.
This is a modern heroine with a mission to help her people, not just a silly love story about a spoiled princess who has everything and throws it away for an infatuation. Good characterization and world building in a shorter, quick read. I especially liked the seal/dog.
This story contains many elements reminiscent of the traditional story, yet is very much its own tale, complete with a dark twist and a bit of romance. The romance stays clean, fwiw.
Looks like this is the first book in a series of standalone fairy tale retellings. If they are all as good as this one, I am looking forward to reading them all!
This was a fun, fast read. Well developed characters and a great story world. Highly recommended for fans of fairy tale reboots.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
What’s a mermaid to do when her soul is stolen & she finds out her’s isn’t the only one? Easy. You leave the water & head to land to get all the souls back. She meets up with the human who caused her to lose her soul & accepts his help with trying to locate them all. She meets a ghost who she knows she can trust even tho she’s not sure why. She knows she’s going to have to fight to get the souls & release them when she finds out exactly who has them all captive.
I thought this was a wonderful spin on this fairy tale. It’s completely unique & the characters are all fantastic. This is a good, clean story with action. The romance is not the main focus of the story. The story ends with an HEA.
This was so good! It’s a retelling of The Little Mermaid with twist and turns you don’t see coming. But it also has so much to the story and it’s fun and intriguing and it had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a NON-SPOILER REVIEW. Balanced Scales: Untold Tales: The Little Mermaid by Laura Greenwood is a novella style quick read. I really enjoyed this read! Packed with action, adventure, humor and passion, this read is a fun way to spend time. Definitely not your Hans Christen Anderson telling! This tale will pull you in from the first line and keep you riveted till the end.
This honest and voluntary review was made possible by reading a copy through Booksprout.
A short read on the retelling of Little Mermaid. We have a little action, adventure and of course some fun. Mari loses her soul and needs to go on to land to find it. Can she find it? Which an can she trust? Or is she on her own? Can she find the other mer’s souls too?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I liked this re=telling of the Little Mermaid. I liked the different twists that I thought made it a good story. It was well written and had a touch of suspense and Meri tried to solve her little problem. The characters were good and fun to read as they all interacted. Who the bad guy was kept me reading and why someone wanted mermaid souls. It was not a deep story but entertaining.