This was a really good book, the little mermaid tale with a different reason why she had to become human. It was a page turner. Not only did Mari turn human but also her pet seal Shelbie was turned into a dog. They have to go on an adventure to find a lost item. I would recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Author
whitewolf77
2 years ago
This is the first time I’m reading about mermaid/mermen. I must say I was hooked. I guess it doesn’t hurt to try something new. I can’t wait to see what Laura Greenwood comes up with next.
Author
sandrasingleton
2 years ago
I love this genre. I volunteered to read an advance copy for an honest review.
Author
rodeogal12
2 years ago
This is a really fun concept within the retelling of the Little Mermaid, but I had difficulty getting into the story. I had a hard time finishing the book because the writing and storytelling style were not to my taste.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Author
oceanagirl02
2 years ago
This is a reimagined telling of the Little Mermaid. Mari did the right thing by saving Aaron from the shipwreck. Little did she know she would lose her soul like so many other mermaids. Mari goes onto an adventure with Aaron and her friend, Shelbie. They encounter the sea witch and try to get information about how to rescue the souls. I really enjoyed the retelling of a classic.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Author
fayj
2 years ago
An intriguing retelling and I have to say that I loved this version of the tale. Mari is not the headstrong and defiant daughter that you sometimes get and her father is not dictatorial. She is a little closer to the surface than she should be but she had no intention of breaking the surface, well that was until she knew that if she didn’t there would be a loss of life and she could not have that on her conscience. Her effort in saving someone is ultimately what curses her but she was totally unaware at the time. In an effort to remove the curse she has to go to land. There she meets Aaron who looks so solid but some how is not and also Erikson, who was the person she saved. Can she work out how to reverse the curse and save not only herself.
This is such a fabulous retelling that I don’t want to give away too much and spoil it all. Definitely going to be one that I’ll re-read again. Look out for the others in this series!
Author
dmcinnamon2000
2 years ago
This reinvention of The Little Mermaid was very interesting. The sea witch may not be as evil as first thought. Instead of losing her voice, this little mermaid loses her soul. The story then revolves around her trying to reclaim her soul and in so doing, possibly solving an age-old curse/legend that has affected all the Mer people. The answers may not be what she thought they would, and the consequences may or may not be worth her sacrifice. I think you will enjoy this version. I liked having a different way to look at the story. This is a good start to the series, and I am looking forward to reading Thumbelina’s story next.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Author
mkswinford007
2 years ago
loved it !!! a great beginning for fairy tales with a twist… this is a take on the little mermaid story but, so fresh… loved Mari !!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Author
annannette
2 years ago
I love fairytale retellings and I loved this series of Untold Tales by Laura Greenwood. I had read almost all of them, apart from the first one. So, when BookSprout gave me the chance to get an arc copy of the first book I didn’t hesitate at all. I was quite curious about this version of the little mermaid, because it’s one of those tales that simply works amazingly well for retellings.
What I loved about this version of the tale is how original and new it felt. Of course, the main elements of the classic tale were still there. We had a mermaid rescuing a human and she had a reason to go on land, but there were also elements giving the story this fresh touch. And one of my favorites is that our mermaid is not going on land for a man.
I also quite liked the mythology in this fairytale. Greenwood quite clearly thought really well about this story, how things would work and what that meant for both the mermaid and the human community. And although the story is different from the versions we know, Greenwood did give the original tales an honorable place in this book.
Another reason why I enjoyed this story is our little mermaid. She has all the defining personality traits we know, she’s slightly naive, a little too trusting and she has no idea what she’s truly giving up, but this mermaid is not just going on land for herself, she does it for the community and she’s not afraid of making sacrifices for it. It made her likable and even inspiring.
It’s a pity that this series is completed now, but I hope Greenwood will come up with a few more retellings in the future!
Author
dtiblis
2 years ago
3.5 stars. Mari had always been told not to go to the surface of the sea until the day after her eighteenth birthday. When she realized that a there was a shipwreck on the surface above her, she had to go and see if she could help even though she had just turned eighteen that day. Helping a young man to shore, she unthinkingly told him she was a Mermaid and was immediately in blinding pain as her soul was ripped from her body.
When she awakens in her bed, her father tells her of her soulless state. He explains that many of the Merpeople are soulless and still live normal lives, it’s only in death that things are different. They can’t move on to something better. They are stuck in-between. Mari is determined to do something to help herself and so the other soulless Mer. She discovers that she must go to land and find the souls and break them free. How she is supposed to do that is a mystery, but she and her seal companion set off to figure it out. Now, if she only knew who else she could trust.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Author
wifeof7of8
2 years ago
A fantastic fairytale mystery!
Fairytales were the books that appealed to me when I learned to read and this reimagined mermaid tale is a spot-on hit. I was charmed by this sweet romantic fairytale.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Author
eleshaclaires
2 years ago
This a re-telling of the little mermaid. Mari sets out to find her soul on land, this was a captivating storyline and amazing characters.
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
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.
This was a really good book, the little mermaid tale with a different reason why she had to become human. It was a page turner. Not only did Mari turn human but also her pet seal Shelbie was turned into a dog. They have to go on an adventure to find a lost item. I would recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the first time I’m reading about mermaid/mermen. I must say I was hooked. I guess it doesn’t hurt to try something new. I can’t wait to see what Laura Greenwood comes up with next.
I love this genre. I volunteered to read an advance copy for an honest review.
This is a really fun concept within the retelling of the Little Mermaid, but I had difficulty getting into the story. I had a hard time finishing the book because the writing and storytelling style were not to my taste.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a reimagined telling of the Little Mermaid. Mari did the right thing by saving Aaron from the shipwreck. Little did she know she would lose her soul like so many other mermaids. Mari goes onto an adventure with Aaron and her friend, Shelbie. They encounter the sea witch and try to get information about how to rescue the souls. I really enjoyed the retelling of a classic.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
An intriguing retelling and I have to say that I loved this version of the tale. Mari is not the headstrong and defiant daughter that you sometimes get and her father is not dictatorial. She is a little closer to the surface than she should be but she had no intention of breaking the surface, well that was until she knew that if she didn’t there would be a loss of life and she could not have that on her conscience. Her effort in saving someone is ultimately what curses her but she was totally unaware at the time. In an effort to remove the curse she has to go to land. There she meets Aaron who looks so solid but some how is not and also Erikson, who was the person she saved. Can she work out how to reverse the curse and save not only herself.
This is such a fabulous retelling that I don’t want to give away too much and spoil it all. Definitely going to be one that I’ll re-read again. Look out for the others in this series!
This reinvention of The Little Mermaid was very interesting. The sea witch may not be as evil as first thought. Instead of losing her voice, this little mermaid loses her soul. The story then revolves around her trying to reclaim her soul and in so doing, possibly solving an age-old curse/legend that has affected all the Mer people. The answers may not be what she thought they would, and the consequences may or may not be worth her sacrifice. I think you will enjoy this version. I liked having a different way to look at the story. This is a good start to the series, and I am looking forward to reading Thumbelina’s story next.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
loved it !!! a great beginning for fairy tales with a twist… this is a take on the little mermaid story but, so fresh… loved Mari !!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love fairytale retellings and I loved this series of Untold Tales by Laura Greenwood. I had read almost all of them, apart from the first one. So, when BookSprout gave me the chance to get an arc copy of the first book I didn’t hesitate at all. I was quite curious about this version of the little mermaid, because it’s one of those tales that simply works amazingly well for retellings.
What I loved about this version of the tale is how original and new it felt. Of course, the main elements of the classic tale were still there. We had a mermaid rescuing a human and she had a reason to go on land, but there were also elements giving the story this fresh touch. And one of my favorites is that our mermaid is not going on land for a man.
I also quite liked the mythology in this fairytale. Greenwood quite clearly thought really well about this story, how things would work and what that meant for both the mermaid and the human community. And although the story is different from the versions we know, Greenwood did give the original tales an honorable place in this book.
Another reason why I enjoyed this story is our little mermaid. She has all the defining personality traits we know, she’s slightly naive, a little too trusting and she has no idea what she’s truly giving up, but this mermaid is not just going on land for herself, she does it for the community and she’s not afraid of making sacrifices for it. It made her likable and even inspiring.
It’s a pity that this series is completed now, but I hope Greenwood will come up with a few more retellings in the future!
3.5 stars. Mari had always been told not to go to the surface of the sea until the day after her eighteenth birthday. When she realized that a there was a shipwreck on the surface above her, she had to go and see if she could help even though she had just turned eighteen that day. Helping a young man to shore, she unthinkingly told him she was a Mermaid and was immediately in blinding pain as her soul was ripped from her body.
When she awakens in her bed, her father tells her of her soulless state. He explains that many of the Merpeople are soulless and still live normal lives, it’s only in death that things are different. They can’t move on to something better. They are stuck in-between. Mari is determined to do something to help herself and so the other soulless Mer. She discovers that she must go to land and find the souls and break them free. How she is supposed to do that is a mystery, but she and her seal companion set off to figure it out. Now, if she only knew who else she could trust.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A fantastic fairytale mystery!
Fairytales were the books that appealed to me when I learned to read and this reimagined mermaid tale is a spot-on hit. I was charmed by this sweet romantic fairytale.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This a re-telling of the little mermaid. Mari sets out to find her soul on land, this was a captivating storyline and amazing characters.
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.
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.