The Princess Blog

I received an ARC from T.R. Sherring for A Tale of Cursed Tides , which is a reimagining of "The Little Mermaid" with a twist. As we all know, I'm a sucker for "Little Mermaid" reimaginings , so I was excited to dive right into this one (pun intended). Before I begin my review, I know there are a lot of readers on my blog who prefer closed-door romance books. Although this book is technically closed-door, there are descriptions of sexual desire, implied spice for future books, and explicit language. Because of that, I don't think this book would be appropriate for closed-door readers. However, I did not find it distracting from the main story overall. Alara is a princess from a mermaid kingdom that was cursed by a powerful entity called The Crow due to her mother falling in love with a human prince. Because of this, none of the merfolk can leave their kingdom, separating them from family and friends. Alara makes a deal with The Crow to break the heart of a...

The spring and summer of 2026 are looking to be an exciting time for princess fans after a dearth of content for the last few years. Many familiar stories are returning to the small screen, from fairy tales to fairies to mermaids . This year will see the return of two famous Rainbow sPa properties, a beloved Disney Jr. princess with a magic amulet, and a modern anime retelling of a classic Hans Christian Andersen story. After a slow winter, our favorite princesses are making a comeback in full force over the next few months. Goodbye, Lara  is by far the most unique of the upcoming princess shows this year. Though it shares many of the same properties as other modern anime series , it is based on the timeless story of "The Little Mermaid."  Japan loves this Hans Christian Andersen classic and rivals Western media in terms of adaptations inspired by it, including a more faithful animated movie that predates Disney's. The premise of Goodbye, Lara combines the classic tal...

Adriana and the Apothecary's Apprentice  is the latest fairy tale retelling by my friend Kae-Leah Williamson , set in a mermaid universe. Like her other stories , this book is available for free on Wattpad , but don't be deceived. It has the length and depth of a full-length novel, combining two classic fairy tales in a rich fantasy setting. This book is a retelling of "The Little Mermaid"  and "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"  with themes of prejudice, superficiality, and grief. It brings together an unlikely couple who have trouble fitting into their societies and find solace in each other. As customary of Kae-Leah's stories, this one begins with a prologue of how the main character's parents met, foreshadowing her future romance. Adriana is the princess of Bellasea, a superficial mermaid kingdom that places the most value on physical appearances . Unfortunately, her father is not conventionally attractive, which creates some discord in the kingdo...

Tangled Sails  by Annette K. Larsen is the third and final ARC I signed up for in the upcoming Displaced Fairytales series. This book brings together the protagonists from "Rapunzel" and "The Little Mermaid" with a heavier focus on "Rapunzel." It is a heartwarming tale of healing, generosity, and personal growth. As the title implies, the book borrows some elements that are unique to the Disney version of the tale, but the worldbuilding and characters set it apart as an original take. Lyrielle has been locked in a tower ever since her magic powers manifested when she was a child. Her aunt invited the local villagers to stand at the base of the tower any time they needed healing from her long, magical hair. One day, in an attempt to escape her captivity, she fell through a portal into the ocean of another realm, where she was rescued by a prince named Tavric, who was searching for a mermaid who once rescued him from drowning. In order to pull Lyrielle f...

Transformed Tail  by Leialoha Humpherys is the second book I read from the Displaced Fairytales multi-author series. This book merges "The Little Mermaid" with "The Frog Prince," and I don't think anyone could ask for a better combination of fairy tales! Both stories are about transformed aquatic royals who need each other's love to maintain their human forms. This story takes the fun even further with its unique Hawaiian setting, positive environmental messaging, and adorable main couple. I'm  generally  biased towards "Little Mermaid" retellings , and this one did not disappoint . Prince Ezra has his reservations about a marriage alliance with Princess Cressida, but he feels obligated to perform his duty as second in line to the throne. He never expected to end up in the body of a frog when he came into contact with her magic ball. And not just any frog! Ezra is transformed into a coqui frog, a tiny invasive species that's being hunte...

Among the ARCs I've read so far in To Win a Dark Heart , Falling for the Pirate  by Nicki Chapelway was the most surprising. This book subverted all my expectations of this multi-author series of dual villainous fairy tale retellings and gave me something I rarely see in this genre. It reads like a modern isekai show , in which the protagonists are regular people who are reborn as fictitious characters in a story they are somewhat familiar with. In this case, it happens to be a story that one of them wrote. This is a plot frequently used in anime, most recently with last season's The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess , but I don't see it as often in fairy tale retellings , and especially wasn't expecting it from this series, which already contains several unique features. Vera is a struggling screenwriter who just sold an edgy version of "The Little Mermaid"  that crosses over with Peter Pan  in the trend-setting style of  Once Upon a Time . Vera...

When I received an ARC of The Storm Dancer  by Valia Lind , I was eager to read a new retelling of "The Little Mermaid."  This book contained the same romantic themes and strong characters that I enjoyed from her other Skazka Fairy Tales , along with some of the series' signature Russian mythology . However, the story lacks many of the elements that make "The Little Mermaid" such a dramatic and fantastical story, and doesn't incorporate enough new ones to make up for it. Thus, it is a strong love story like her other books, but not the ideal "Little Mermaid" retelling. I've seen the 1976 Russian film adaptation of "The Little Mermaid," Rusalochka , which followed the original fairy tale very closely, as well as its downright depressing Czech adaptation , Mala Morska Vila , which turned the merfolk into an aquatic species of water people like this book, but still followed the basic plot of the fairy tale. Roksana is a Rusalka princess ...

Whispers of the Starlit Sea  is a Kickstarter campaign I helped to back for Robyn Sarty . It's an ambitious new take on "The Little Mermaid"  with several unique twists. Instead of choosing to become human, the protagonist is forced to transform due to a magical bond her kind shares when they rescue humans. I found the story enjoyable and the characters pleasant overall, but there were parts of the lore that seemed confusing or underdeveloped. Since I received a very early copy of this book due to the campaign, these issues might be resolved when it is officially released in September . Regardless, it is a thrilling fantasy adventure with a sweet love story. Sorcha has lived most of her undersea life with passivity toward humans. Some merfolk consider them dangerous, especially when many of the Watchers who travel to the surface to prevent humans from drowning during storms go missing. Sorcha never gave it much thought, unlike her aunt, Maeve, or her sister, Ciara, who ac...

Most people are familiar with  Shirley Temple and Shelley Duvall , but few are aware of their passion for fairy tales and how they used their fame and success to create new adaptations of classic stories and share them with the world. Both were successful actresses who had prolific careers during their lifetimes. After they became established in Hollywood, each of these women produced, hosted, and occasionally starred in a self-titled anthology series covering well-known and obscure fairy tale stories with celebrity guest stars from different decades. Though their fairy tale adaptations are not as well-known as Disney's, they played a key role in contributing original live-action fairy tale media  to the public that generally stayed close to the source material, aside from a few creative liberties. Shirley Temple's Storybook  premiered in 1958 when television was still a fairly new medium. Shirley Temple's talents were mostly used by Hollywood directors and producers whe...

Thirty years ago, it would have been considered a crime to twist the sweet, gentle princess archetype  into a cold-blooded murderer. Times have changed . Today, the type of violent nature required for horror movie leads is not so far off from how modern princesses act . That's why it's not too surprising that the niche fairy tale horror genre has increased in popularity over the past couple of years. In 2024 alone, there have been three gruesome, twisted princess films, two of which were based on the same fairy tale .  Cinderella's Revenge , Cinderella's Curse , and The Little Mermaid  all take a beloved protagonist known for her kind-hearted nature and turn her into a killer. Is there an audience for this growing trend, or is it merely a passing fad? The concept of combining the traditionally family-friendly fairy tale genre with the darker, more adult horror genre is not entirely novel. Original versions of fairy tales had many dark elements before they were Disney...

I will always have a soft spot in my heart for anything related to "The Little Mermaid."  For as long as I can remember, Disney's Hollywood Studios  had a short stage show dedicated to their animated adaptation called "Voyage of The Little Mermaid."  The show, which I refer to as "watching the movie on fast forward," got shut down during the COVID lockdowns of 2020 . During this time the theater grew a mold infestation , which forced them to do renovations and give the show a much-needed update. Today is the official premiere date of "The Little Mermaid: A Musical Adventure,"  a new stage show located in the same theater as "Voyage of The Little Mermaid." I am so pleased that they took this opportunity to update their "Little Mermaid" show at Walt Disney World instead of replacing it with something entirely different, like they did with Ariel's Grotto restaurant in Disney's California Adventure . "The Little M...

The latest ARC I received from the new All That Glitters  multi-author series of fairy tale retellings is Siren's Treasure  by Suzanna Fowers . This action-packed retelling of "The Little Mermaid" comes out tomorrow! Since "The Little Mermaid" is one of my favorite fairy tales, I was particularly excited to read this entry in the series. This is the third book I've read from All That Glitters. Each one has been drastically different in terms of theming, characters, and tone. This story focuses heavily on the lore behind the original fairy tale while packing it with fantasy and Greek mythology elements. Although most people are at least a little familiar with fairy tales when they read adaptations, this book requires readers to know the original story inside and out before diving in. This wasn't a problem for me, but I think new books should explain as much of the story they're telling as possible to help the reader along. Siren's Treasure  is a ...

Rapunzel and the Sea Witch (or, The Little Mermaid and the Tower)  by Kim Bussing is the third book from the traditionally published series The Princess Swap . I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Unfortunately, I have not read the second book in the series yet, but I don't think I missed anything important since each book can be enjoyed as a standalone. Like Cinderella and the Beast , this book contains a role reversal between two classic princesses. In this case, the swap occurs between "The Little Mermaid,"  whose name here is Hana, and the self-titled "Rapunzel."  Since these are two of my favorite fairy tales, I'm going easy on this one. While I think this book would be an enjoyable read for its younger target audience, I'm not sure I'd recommend it for teens and adults who also enjoy fairy tales. Hana, the youngest mermaid of six sisters, was always curious about the human world. She also hopes to stop a dangerous storm from swallowi...

Over the years, I frequently referenced the mermaid stories by my long-time friend, Kae-Leah Williamson . Today, she has completed her longest mermaid book yet, Pearlina and the Water Faery , which is free to read on Wattpad! This is the latest story in her series of reimagined fairy tales that take place in undersea fantasy kingdoms of merfolk and talking fish. Pearlina  is a loose retelling of "Thumbelina"  that ties into the other books Kae-Leah has written on Wattpad and includes tons of Easter egg-style references to Don Bluth , Hans Christian Andersen, and "The Little Mermaid."  Over the time I have known Kae-Leah, she has grown exponentially as a writer, and this is her best work yet. When an ancient mermaid mourns the distant loss of her daughter, a prince's favor grants her a magic shell promised to grant her heart's desire. From the shell emerges Pearlina, a dark-skinned mermaid the size of a Barbie doll. Pearlina helps to care for her mother in th...

Disney was once famous for producing the most screen-accurate adaptations of well-known fairy tales, but their mission has strayed in recent years . Their current fairy tales are either soulless remakes of their animated classics  or stories that shy so far from the original source material that they can barely be considered adaptations. Nowadays, if you want to see classic stories from the past  brought to life on screen, you must turn to other studios. In a way, this post is the opposite of my "Ten Alternatives to Disney's Live-Action Remakes"  since that was a list of movies that were more creative and original with their ideas, and these are movies that stick as close to the source as possible. If you want to see the stories from your childhood brought to life on screen, this is the post for you. Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (1957) Disney produced a beautiful remake of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella  starring Brandy in 1997, but the first produc...