The Sea Witch (Wicked Villains #5) by Katee Robert
Rating: 3 Stars
Release Date: September 7, 2020
Format: Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Trinkets and Tales LLC (Self-Published by Author)
Rating: 3 Stars
Release Date: September 7, 2020
Format: Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Trinkets and Tales LLC (Self-Published by Author)
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Zurielle, or “Zuri”, is the youngest daughter of Triton from Olympus. She grew up sheltered, hardly knowing anything about the world and having every bit of her freedom restricted. After falling in love with a man she’s only known for a couple of weeks, she’s determined to do whatever it takes to save him (even if it means giving up something intimately precious to her). However, there’s more than meets the eye in this situation, and Zuri might have gotten herself into more trouble than she expected when she lands in the bed of territory leader Ursa and one-time-love Alaric.
After four books with male dominants leading the action, it was interesting to see one of the main characters be a female dominant. For those who might be curious, this is a polyamorous FFM relationship. It was so much fun to see the dynamic shift, as Ursa is very different from Hades in Learn My Lesson or the dominants in The Beast. Consent once again is paramount (dominants always ask their submissive what their safe word is prior to engaging in BDSM scenes, and the use of it is always honored).
The Wicked Villains series is a very character-driven set of books, but unfortunately, I wasn’t as sold on the characters in The Sea Witch as I was by previous leads. Zurielle’s naivete is a big part of the story and her character, but I found it getting very annoying the farther I got into the book. I was also put off by the seemingly insta-love aspect between Zuri, Ursa, and Alaric. All of the books have the main characters sleeping with each other within days of their initial interaction, but the other books felt a bit more open-ended and authentic than this one does. I was also hoping that we would get a bit more insight into the day-to-day life of a territory leader, but we didn’t get that and that was disappointing as well (Ursa implies she does villainous things, but never really elaborates on that).
The connections to Olympus and the Thirteen were intriguing. I wasn’t sure whether these books shared a world with the Dark Olympus books after Learn My Lesson, but The Sea Witch confirmed it. Both Hades and Ursa have bones to pick with the citizens of Olympus and use their children as a means to get revenge. They have very different ways of going about it though - Hades’ plan with Hercules was more of a plan of opportunity whereas Ursa had been planning her revenge for years. I was surprised to learn that this book is also connected to another one of her series: Sabine Valley. So many Easter Eggs for die-hard Katee Robert fans in this book, you’ll have to see if you can catch more of them than I did.
Overall, another entertaining tale from Katee Robert! A couple of issues here and there, but it wasn’t enough to interfere with my broader enjoyment of the book. It’ll be fun to finish the series off with Aurora and Malone in Queen Takes Rose (Aurora has been one of my favorite side characters for the entire series). The Wicked Villains series would be a great choice for mature readers who aren’t put off by taboo, kinky dark romance stories that reimagine Disney fairytales.
TRIGGER WARNINGS (From the Author’s Website): Abusive father (mostly off-page, financial and emotional), assault, explicit sex, references to drowning, death of a parent (historical, off-page)
About the Book
Once upon a time, I met a man who stole my heart.
In my desperation to reunite with him, I have nowhere to turn but the Sea Witch. Ursa is as beautiful as she is dangerous, and the one person my father warned me never to let close. But she’s all crimson lips and pretty lies, and I’m convinced despite my fear.It’s a simple enough plan, if not for the faint of heart. An auction to sell the one thing I possess of any value—myself. The money will free Alaric and then we can finally be together.
Except nothing is simple at all.Ursa is playing at games I can only begin to comprehend. And Alaric? The man I thought I loved might be just as much a villain as the woman I can’t help but be drawn to.When playing in the darkest depths of love and lust, it will be everything I can do not to drown.
About the Author
Katee Robert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Entertainment Weekly calls her writing “unspeakably hot.” Her books have sold over a million copies. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, children, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and two Great Danes who think they’re lap dogs.
Katee is represented by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.
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