Silence: Little Mermaid Retold

Romance a Medieval Fairytale #5

by Demelza Carlton

A little mermaid. A prince to save. Only silence can break the spell.

Once upon a time...

The mermaid Margareta saved Prince Erik from a shipwreck. Wanting to see the prince again, Margareta strikes a bargain with the Master of Beacon Isle. If she saves his sons from a terrible curse, he will reunite her with Prince Erik. All she has to do is stay silent until the curse is broken.

Silence is a virtue...until Prince Erik arrives early, searching for the mermaid who saved his life.

Can two hearts speak louder than words?


Romance a Medieval Fairytale series:
Each book is a standalone, so they can be read in any order:
(#1) Enchant: Beauty and the Beast Retold
(#2) Dance: Cinderella Retold
(#3) Fly: Goose Girl Retold
(#4) Revel: Twelve Dancing Princesses Retold
(#5) Silence: Little Mermaid Retold
(#6) Awaken: Sleeping Beauty Retold
(#7) Embellish: Brave Little Tailor Retold
(#8) Appease: Princess and the Pea Retold
(#9) Blow: Three Little Pigs Retold
(#10) Return: Hansel and Gretel Retold
(#11) Wish: Aladdin Retold
(#12) Melt: Snow Queen Retold
(#13) Spin: Rumpelstiltskin Retold
(#14) Kiss: Frog Prince Retold
(#15) Hunt: Red Riding Hood Retold
(#16) Reflect: Snow White Retold
(#17) Roar: Goldilocks Retold

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Retellings, Fairy Tales, Mermaids, Paranormal Romance, Audiobook

188 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 18, 2017

About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author Demelza Carlton has always loved the ocean, but on her first snorkelling trip she found she was afraid of fish.
She has since swum with sea lions, sharks and sea cucumbers and stood on spray-drenched cliffs over a seething sea as a seven-metre cyclonic swell surged in, shattering a shipwreck below.
Sensationalist spin? No - Demelza tends to take a camera with her so she can capture and share the moment later; shipwrecks, sharks and all.
Demelza now lives in Perth, Western Australia, the shark attack capital of the world.
The Ocean's Gift series was her first foray into fiction, followed by the Nightmares trilogy. She swears the Mel Goes to Hell series ambushed her on a crowded train and wouldn't leave her alone.

Reviews

[*❆ Kαɾҽɳ ❆* · Rating 5 out of 5]

And I am officially up to date with this wonderful series! And once again this was an amazing, wonderful quick read!

I loved this story, it was perfect! The characters were incredible and the plot is well written and well balanced between love, secrets and mystery

So it begins with a shipwreck that Margareta is on, she is the only survivor, however she also saves a man whose name she knows not. But in order to save him she uses her mythical abilities, who no one knows of, not even her father, Master Nicolas of the Beacon Isle. But the man she saves sees more than he should.

When Erik wakes up stranded at a beach, he remembers small details of being rescued by a beautiful maiden, but not just any maiden, a mermaid who even commands the seas and listens to her. But he does not know where or who she is and must return to his father's kingdom to explain what happened to him and the crew.

Margareta returns home and speaks to her father about her brothers curse, 12 men who have been cursed to be ravens. The same ravens who we are introduced in Revel: Twelve Dancing Princesses Retold. Her father explains that if she vows to be silent for as long as it is necessary, the curse will be lifted from her brothers and they will return to their human self and her vow will be lifted
However, being silent costs more to her than it should, since now Prince Erik has returned to her Isle to look for information of mythical sea creatures and to see if he can find the mermaid that saved him or the girl that commands the seas
Together, they will find out more about each other, and they will see if it is worth loving one another or if finding out their secrets are worth dying for

Loved loved loved this book!! Especially loved Margareta and Erik together, during their hate moments and their loving ones!

Brilliant plot and beautifully written! Can't wait for more!

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love The Little Mermaid and this was such an amazing retelling. Carlton takes a classic fairy tale and spins a totally different tale. Kept me captivated and was a bit bummed when it ended. I wanted more!

My Rating: 5 stars

[Gwessie Tee · Rating 5 out of 5]

naughtiness 3*

One of the very first books I've read by Demelza and so very glad I did, so much in fact I will be most definitely Collecting the others in the series.

As always I never give spoilers however I will say this has been one of the most beautiful retelling of the story I've read. Very cleverly done and very much a different take on it than I've seen. Cant wait to read more and hope the characters appear in more of the books, Thank you Demelza for writing it 💖

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet retelling of the Little mermaid with a slight twist to link it to a previous retelling of the twelve dancing princess. It has been a while since I read the original fairy tale but I did enjoy this version of it.

[Gypsy Madden · Rating 4 out of 5]

After their boat is wrecked in a storm, Lady Margareta rescues a young squire, using her siren power over the ocean, she tows him back to a cove on Beacon Island, her home. She leaves the beach, intending to bring back help for the unconscious squire, and goes to her father, the master of the island. But, by the time she returns, the squire left. Erik wanted to thank woman and sea creature who helped him, but he knew he had to return home to report the death of his older brother Prince Phillip who died when their ship went down. While she had been away, Lady Margareta’s twelve brothers got themselves turned into a flock of ravens by an enchantress, and her father orders her to take a vow of silence to impress the enchantress and encourage her to release them from the curse. Seven years later, crown prince Erik returns to Beacon Island to get the master of the island to come under the rule of his kingdom, as well as find the woman or sea creature who rescued him who he still dreams of.

This is actually a combination of The Little Mermaid and The Twelve Brothers, which is ingenious since it explains why the Little Mermaid was mute rather than having it being just a random attribute taken from her. Though between the two stories, there were far more elements present of the Twelve Brothers than The Little Mermaid, which I really didn’t see anything of other than the mer girl who had legs on shore, saved the prince, and was without a voice. Elements of the Twelve Brothers were the twelve brothers turned into birds, her vow of silence lasting for years, and the constantly weaving fabric. Speaking of which, I never really saw the point of the fabric being constantly woven, except as a running gag, since it wasn’t actually used for anything at any point.

Lady Penelope and her baby Melitta are characters from the other books in the series, but you don’t need to have read the previous book to follow what happens to them here. I liked Penelope being Margareta’s snarky translator. And I loved the attitude Margareta gave Erik whenever he irritated her, with her expecting him to be like all of the other guys she had met who weren’t able to see beyond her siren enchantment. Though it did make me wonder, with her working as an archivist, why she didn’t just write everything she wanted to say to Erik.

For the record, I thought this was a five star book up until the final chapter. In the final chapter, the book loses its clean rating (just FYI). What made me knock down a star was that in the last chapter, the heroine is repeatedly called a W-word and the S-word, too with a whole lot of rude things said about her and her deceased mother (by her brothers and father). I know that’s spoiler, but it was a beautiful fairy tale up until then and then it turned ugly with sex shaming and name calling. This is a good example of why I wait until I completely finish a book before reviewing it.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series, it is a great remake of the original story. I also love how the books are connected to each other, however they are stand alone stories at the same time. Truly a great read, I highly recommend this books to anyone who loves fairytales and happily ever afters.

[The Book Junkie Reads . . . · Rating 4 out of 5]

New twist to my favorite fairy tale. The twist to this story was in the way things happened. There was a unique telling of this story. I have come to appreciate that from Demelza. I love Little Mermaid since the first time I heard that story. Margareta tale of course involved a prince and a promise. All goes awry when that prince shows up early. But all is not lost and the tale make some advances. There were twist here and tears.

Narrator Mary Sarah has a very beautiful voice that transcends the fairytale realm. She has the ethereal quality of fantasy. I do warn those that choose to listen that my views of this audio my be skewed by the fact that I do not listen under normal speed, too slow. I do speed up my audio and find that the speed can match that of the story being told and lend a different light to the immersion in to the story.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Demelza Carlton. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clever retelling of the Little Mermaid. Hard to put down. Really enjoyable.


back cover==A little mermaid. A prince to save. Only silence can break the spell.

Once upon a time...

The mermaid Margareta saved Prince Erik from a shipwreck. Wanting to see the prince again, Margareta strikes a bargain with the Master of Beacon Isle. If she saves his sons from a terrible curse, he will reunite her with Prince Erik. All she has to do is stay silent until the curse is broken.

Silence is a virtue...until Prince Erik arrives early, searching for the mermaid who saved his life.

Can two hearts speak louder than words?

[Aquamarine♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐🌠

[Rebecca Grove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Margareta is a mermaid or as her father calls her a siren. She is on a ship headed back home when it gets struck by lightning and sinks. As she is rescuing herself, she runs across one lone survivor, a squire to the prince on board named Eric. She pulls him into turn boat and they talk during the night their boat overturns and she has to transform into a mermaid to save him. She brings him back to her father's island and promises to get help. Eric comes to and quickly finds a ship home to tell his parents, the king and queen about his older brother's death. He never forgot the girl who saved him.
Margareta is asked by her father to break the curse on her twelve older brothers who have been turned into ravens by an enchantress. The two ways to break the curse is if they convince a girl to fall in love with each of them or for some innocent to make a big sacrifice for them. Margareta is asked to sacrifice her voice until the curse is lifted. At first she does it out of love but then she finds out why they are cursed she does it to inherit her father's island. She knows her selfish brothers would be horrible rulers.
Six years pass, Prince Eric is finally able to come back and search for his rescuer. He is amazed to find out she is the daughter of the ruler of the island. Her father is encouraging them to court which surprises Margareta. She has always been told her magic would be the doom of any man she came close to or touched.
This is a great retelling of The Little Mermaid. It is best to read this after reading Revel. I like the original twists added to the story.

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic fairy tale is reimagined by the talented Demelza Carlton, where dreams just might come true and loyalty is tested. Just like in the original stories, any decisions made could change the future of individuals for whom I really found appealing. The mythical creatures that are closely connected to the sea have always fascinated me, and the author certainly brings her version of Little Mermaid to life in a most clever way.

When a terrible storm causes a catastrophic event on the ship bringing Margareta back home, the mermaid manages to rescue one other passenger from certain death. When she gets back to Beacon Isle, the young man disappears. But she has no time to look for him, as her father has an immediate request for her to fulfill. It seems her many brothers have been cursed by a witch, and Margareta is the one chosen to break the spell by not making a sound until it is lifted. As the years pass, the boy has turned into a man and Prince Erik comes back to locate the woman who kept him alive.

Innovative definitely describes Silence: Little Mermaid Retold. The fifth book in the Medieval Fairytale series can be read before the other stories, but details related to the earlier tales will make you want to know what was missed. Margareta is a delightful character, and I came to really like her with every new fact learned. Erik is also a wonderful man, as he is polite and shows concern for others. A story filled with wonder and enchantment, I am amazed at the inventive mind of Demelza Carlton.

4.5 Stars

[David Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairy tale romance

I don't read a lot of romance. But I do like fairy tales. They seem to be very popular in several genres currently. They have the basic story which so many of us are familiar while providing fertile grounds for adaptation.

This short story ( about 80 pages) is a retelling of the Little Mermaid tale. It is also part of Demelza Carlton's fairytale series. You don't absolutely need to have read the previous stories in the series ( I haven't) to enjoy this one (I did) but there are references to earlier stories. So it would probably be a good idea to read them in order.

Overall, a quick fun read. There is a small sex scene but nothing that would embarrass you if someone looked over your shoulder as you were reading it. So, give this one a try if you like updated fairy tales.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Margareta is a mermaid and she had saved Prince Erik from a shipwreck some years ago. In the intervening years she had agreed with the Master of Beacon Isle that she will save his sons from a curse by staying silent. However when Prince Erik appears having been searching for her she is limited in her communication with him by her vow of silence. Can she still communicate with him without words and can they come to the right conclusion for them both?

Nice retelling of the Little Mermaid. I liked the emotional turmoil that both were going through as part of the story and felt I could feel their thoughts and emotions well. Definitely a great read for when you want to just sit and enjoy yourself.

[Nnn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short review: lacking in terms of plot.

I would have liked to see the princes given a chance. I was actually expecting a story including one of them. I felt that the story could have been a lot more but so far this was the shortest one (not including succeeding ones) so that didn't happen. It was OK just I thought it was a bit like Dance: Cinderella Retold and lacking. No redemption for the princes would be OK, too, if there is more to them than what had happened, and also more background for the main hero.
Also, I'm not much into self pitying characters and this book has it.

[Asia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Out of all the books I've read in this series this is my least favorite. It doesn't come as a surprise, for I really hate the story of the little mermaid (granted it is funny cause this was the first book of hers that I found and the reason I started reading this series). This book is not terrible and it's a super quick read. And Demelza had a wonderful writing style that draws you into her books. I do enjoy the fact that even though these book are stand alone, the characters show up in other stories. It's all intertwined.

I do hope that some of her later books turn it to be better.

[Herman Fassett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Haven't been super entranced by the Romance a Medieval Fairytale books I've read so far, and this was similar; a little boring, while also not dwelling enough on the good parts, and not being entirely kid friendly. I prefer retellings like Cinder where I can get engrossed but not have gratuitous romance with strange settings that aren't even explained well.

[A_MOTUS · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wicked oath, an attraction full of trickery and a dangerous mind wrestling between kings, princes, fathers and a legendary creature. It was sometimes a bit off pace but yet interesting. I liked the twists and tells between a mermaid and her seven brothers cursed to be birds.

[Srivalli (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a pretty small book so I finished it in 2 hours. I'm stuck between liking and disliking it. There were some good scenes, light and humorous. But the ending was rushed. I would have liked it better if the feelings between the lead characters were spanned put well instead of changing instantly.

[Sue Plant · Rating 3 out of 5]

an adult version of the little mermaid

interesting though very similar to a film that i cant remember the name of..where a passing ship picks up a stranded person all alone at sea....

[Amanda Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love fairy tale retellings and I'm a big fan of how Demelza Carlton adds her own twists into classic stories. This was another great addition and I look forward to more

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Super short. I liked how she weaved a part of Dance into this story. It seemed a bit rushed.

[Lindsey Webson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did very much like this book. The only thing that tears it for me is the end I wanted more.

[Kitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief but rough draft, enjoyable few hours spent but I recommend this story be extended. The characters begged more justice as sometimes it was confusing at the so little detail given

[Virginia McDowell]

Eh

It wasn't great, rather a mix of a couple different stories, and not true clear plot story line.Very basic writing and grammar.

[Raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, it was very fast to listen to.

Like I think in two loads of laundry you can listen to it in it's entirety.

Which made it very enjoyable to me. I was able to read a book in a short afternoon and actually complete work too. Something that I was constantly having trouble with in terms of traditional books. Nonetheless as a retelling it was a little strange.

I do know quite a bit of information about Hans Christen Anderson, the writer of The Little Mermaid and The Snow Queen and quite a few other fairytales. In fact, supposedly, Anderson wrote The Little Mermaid as a sort of love letter to his lover. His male lover. Anderson was queer in a time where that meant certain death. It is said that Anderson actually wrote The Little Mermaid imagining himself and his boyfriend in place of the little mermaid and the prince.

In the original story, the little mermaid falls in love with a human and gives up her voice for a chance to make him fall in love with her as a human. However, within the time frame she's given she fails to do that. To help her, her sisters give all their hair to give her power.

Ultimately, the prince never falls in love with her and she and (if I'm not mistaken) all her sisters become sea foam.

So yeah.... Not exactly a wedding ship underneath a magical rainbow.

But SILENCE was so much better than that. Instead of sisters, Margareta has brothers. Except these brothers made an appearance in REVEL and we don't like them. Instead of being about falling in love, strictly, the mermaid needed to stay silent to help her father and family. Instead of actively falling in love, Margareta actively tried to not fall in love. She rebelled so much.

It was kinda cute.

Erik was super sweet and overall it was a very enjoyable book. There was nothing said outright in terms of anything that might be triggers but it was definitely talked about and there were themes of feminism very prominent all throughout.

I highly recommend this for an afternoon read!

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting adaptation of the Little Mermaid that has some reference to the six swans with Margareta taking a vow of silence to break the curse that turned her brothers into birds although here it's twelve brothers into ravens instead of six into swans and her brothers deserved to be cursed rather than being victims. I liked the characters of Erik and Margareta as well as Penelope and look forward to reading more about them in future stories.

Series Character & Story Connections for Silence: Little Mermaid Retold (Book #05)
To read about where Margareta's brothers went and how Corbin broke his wing during their attempts to break the curse, their story is told in Revel: Twelve Dancing Princesses Retold (Book #04)
To read about Rosamond, whose story starts at Margareta and Erik's coronation, it's in Awaken: Sleeping Beauty Retold (Book #06)
If you'd like to read Melitta's tale, when she's all grown up, it's in Embellish: Brave Little Tailor Retold (Book #07)
If you’re looking for Penelope and Godfrey’s story, it’s in Float: Enchanted Horse Retold (Book #19)

[Angelique · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Demelza Carlton. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Margareta is a siren (mermaid) who saved the life of Prince Eric one fateful stormy night – whilst journeying home to her her farther’s island. Once returned she gets roped into her families business and enters into a period of silence to try and lift a curse off of her undeserving brothers.

Many years pass and Margareta is holding strong – when Prince Eric returns to try and find the maiden that saved his life. Some drama, intrigue and fun times later and they all live happily ever after…

I can honestly say I have seriously enjoyed this journey with Ms Carlton. I love getting into these fairy tale retellings and this one was no exception. The Little Mermaid was by far my favorite fairy tale growing up. And in this series the retelling still holds true. I have enjoyed this story a lot more then than I did the others – and I enjoyed the previous ones quite a bit.

Margareta is quite the amazing characters. So strong of will and and such a sweet woman who gives up so much for men so undeserving. Eric is also an incredibly strong character who has a great personality.

This audio book was the 5th in the series – but it does not need to be read / listened to in order to follow the stories as each is a stand alone that just has some references pulling through between books.

I know I keep saying this with each review – but the narrator is flipping awesome. I love her voice and love love love listening to her narrating the stories. I wonder if she is willing to come over and read me bed time stories?

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook Review
Overall 🌟🌟🌟🌟½ (4.5/5)
Narration 🎧🌟🌟🌟🌟 (4/5)
🔥🔥 (2/5 Spices) This is a clean romance with subtle hints of attraction and passion, but it’s more about the emotional connection than physical intimacy.

Summary:
Margareta, a mermaid with a deep sense of loyalty to her family, saves Prince Erik from a shipwreck, setting off a chain of events that forces her into a deadly bargain. She must remain silent to lift the curse on her brothers, but Erik’s arrival at Beacon Isle complicates everything. He’s searching for the mysterious woman who saved his life, unaware of her true identity and the dangerous secrets she keeps. Their journey is one of love, sacrifice, and unraveling curses—but will silence break the spell or shatter their connection?

Review:
This is not your Disney Little Mermaid; it’s a clever, romantic, and refreshingly different take on the classic tale. Right from the start, the book pulls you in with its rich descriptions and intriguing premise. Margareta is a strong yet vulnerable protagonist, and the stakes of her silence feel monumental.

Mary Sarah, brings a unique charm to the story. Her voice is smooth and captivating, with an ethereal quality that fits the fairy tale tone perfectly. However, her accent occasionally made certain phrases sound a bit unusual, which might take a moment to adjust to. Overall, her performance enhances the story’s magical vibe.

Would I Recommend It? Absolutely, especially to fairy tale lovers and fans of clean, heartfelt romance.

[Sarah Kessler · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a fairytale retelling with a twist and no disney involved, then this series is for you.

I love the authors writing style and the way she chooses to bring the characters to their purpose. These are not sweet and coddled princesses anymore. They’re introduced to a world of men who covet, take and destroy. They rise up to their current challenges and try to make their little corner of the world better.
The author doesn’t shy away from the atrocities that happen at the hands of powerful men. If you are triggered by r@pe or abu$e, read the series with caution because it’s either witnessed or happens to the MC. It’s not fully detailed, just used to tell the story and show the depravity the MC fight against.
If you have a favorite character, you might get to see them again, because the author intertwines all the stories together making it worth reading them in order, but not necessary.
I recommend grabbing the box sets if you want to binge read a few at a time.

[Danielle Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book felt a little stiff at times, like the story didn't know where to go. Prince Erik was a little too good to be true, but in the end he did have some dark motives. Margareta did not understand her siren nature, and kept herself away from the prince. She was way into self sacrifice, a little overboard from my point of view. The Silence was to save her unworthy brothers. If a witch tells you to go and find a woman who can love you, don't go terrorizing the village girls, you may just end up off worst than Margareta's brothers did. Then you shouldn't make bird-brain judgements about the person trying to save you. O wait, they were birds! 😃

This book was fun and in the tradition of a good fairy tale. I really liked it.

I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy and this is my honest review.