Prince of Song & Sea

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You know, for what’s supposed to be a dashing adventure at sea, this came across as surprisingly dry ha ha (I know I’ve said this about a book called Out of the Blue, but I only have one joke). This book ran into a lot of the same issues that the live-action versions of the Disney animated movies did (I actually liked live-action Aladdin and Cinderella), in that it endlessly added extra filler on a story that didn’t need all that much expansion. Instead of a concise story, the whole thing just seemed bloated. Simplicity is key, you know? I found that whenever we were with Prince Eric for an extended period of time, I couldn’t help but wonder what Ariel was up to. Probably busy being in a more entertaining story, singing fun and catchy tunes. And while I did enjoy the secondary characters and appreciated the addition of more representation in this book, it was still at its best when it was just directly adapting The Little Mermaid. However, this first book breaks what I would consider a cardinal rule: supplement the original tale but do not contradict it. He then rescues Ariel and defeats Ursula with the help of Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Upon her defeat, Ariel reveals to Eric about her true identity, but he admits that it does not change how he feels. The romantic scene makes King Triton finally change his mind and let his daughter be with a human prince. I am always nervous when I read these Disney retellings because they're usually a miss but REST ASSURED, this one is not. In the 2007 Broadway musical adaptation of the Disney film, the role of Eric was originated by Sean Palmer and notably replaced with Drew Seeley after Palmer's departure. It is explained through dialogue that Eric's father has passed away, and it is Grimsby's duty to help Eric find a bride, so he can return to the throne properly, despite Eric's affinity for exploring the seas.

Prince Eric speaks the first non-musical line of The Little Mermaid is "Isn't this great? The salty sea air, the wind blowing in your face!" In a later Season 3 episode " Ariel's Treasures", Eric is seen briefly aboard a ship, from which a human item falls and is later collected by Ariel. TL;DR: 3.5/5 stars, and I 100% cannot decide if I want to round up or down for this one. The first in a new series from Disney Publishing which "retells the classic Disney stories you thought you knew from the Disney Princes perspectives." Captain Sauer: Pirate captain who raids the kingdom of Vellona and any passing ship without drawing blood to avoid the Blood Tide.True YA, but will probably appeal to New Adults who are now Disney Adults as Xennials were 100% the target audience for Little Mermaid when it first came out. PRINCE OF SONG AND SEA is an engaging retelling of The Little Mermaid from the perspective of Prince Eric. Eric was cursed before he was born to die if he kisses anyone other than his true love. This has made the politics of marriage difficult, and though his advisors would like to craft a union with neighboring kingdoms or nobility, he cannot risk getting too close to anyone. The only way to break the curse would be to destroy the witch who placed it. As the story continues according to the movie we all know, Eric gets to know Ariel more while also worrying about the curse that threatens his life. Toys and Merchandise • Mobile Application (Disney and Star Wars) • Mobile Application (Marvel) • Television Shorts • Kingdom Hearts Union χ • Disney Tsum Tsum Festival • Twisted Wonderland

First in a series, unclear if Miller will write all of them (like Valentino + Villains) or if each book will have a different author (more like Twisted Tales). There's a lot to like here, but I wish Ursula hadn't been the main villain, and that Miller hadn't had to fit the story into the original film so much. The more progressive updates with regards to diversity and the romance between Ariel and Eric (which, if canon, offer a nice "take that" to critics who call Little Mermaid sexist and harmful) do end up outweighing those, for me. Disney's Sleeping Beauty 1959 is my favorite animated movie of all time. I love the aesthetic of the film, the music, the character design, the scary lighting on Maleficent. It's art. Linsey Miller crafts a novel that makes Prince Eric’s story more relevant to a modern teenage reader. She subtly uses non-gender-specific wording when characters in Eric’s sphere talk about love, and uses they/them pronouns when talking about the pirate Sauer. Ariel was always an inquisitive and take-charge character, which is consistently carried over through part of Eric’s adventure that she joins him for. Diehard fans of The Little Mermaidwill have to look past a few moments of contradiction with the film, such as Eric’s attempt at a near-fatal kiss with Ariel during a romantic boat ride, or Ursula’s magic shell not hypnotizing him right away when she appears on the shore singing to him as Vanessa. Speaking of Ursula, the book does a not-so-great job of trying to keep the identity of the witch who cursed Eric a secret. And then it misses the chance to have a meaningful moment between two of Ursula’s victims who found each other because of the sea witch’s meddling, skipping right from her demise to their wedding (although another modernization is a coda that sets their nuptials about two years later).It just didn't work for me, because the entire time, I kept going, "There's nothing in the movie to support this!"

Tangled: Rapunzel • Flynn Rider • Pascal • Maximus • Mother Gothel • Queen Arianna • King Frederic • Cassandra • Fidella • Pub Thug What I loved: This was such an engaging retelling of the story that breathes new life into it. The characters really come to life in the telling, and Eric in particular becomes more complex as he struggles with his curse and ruling his kingdom. The story is a little darker than the original, particularly with the Blood Tide and the arrival of ghosts cursed by the sea witch. These ghosts function like sirens trying to make bargains with the living ships by using the voices and appearances of their loved ones. These darker elements make it a really compelling read.Frozen: Elsa • Anna • Olaf • Sven • Kristoff • Marshmallow • Grand Pabbie • The Fire Spirit • Elsa the Snow Queen • Queen Anna • Diamond Elsa • Young Anna • Citrine Anna • Opal Olaf Season Five: " The Dark Swan" • " The Price" • " Siege Perilous" • " The Broken Kingdom" • " Dreamcatcher" • " The Bear and the Bow" • " Nimue" • " Birth" • " The Bear King" • " Broken Heart" • " Swan Song" • " Souls of the Departed" • " Labor of Love" • " Devil's Due" • " The Brothers Jones" • " Our Decay" • " Her Handsome Hero" • " Ruby Slippers" • " Sisters" • " Firebird" • " Last Rites" • " Only You" • " An Untold Story" Hocus Pocus: Winifred Sanderson • Mary Sanderson • Sarah Sanderson • Binx • Billy Butcherson • Young Winifred • The Book Eric contributes singing vocals to the opening song "Fathoms Below", and performs two solo songs: "Her Voice", a song about Eric's obsession with Ariel's voice that had been written for the original film but discarded, and "One Step Closer", a new song where Eric helps Ariel express herself through dance. Eric also provides vocals in the quartet "If Only", where he expresses confusion over his attraction to Ariel, and his fear that if he finds the girl with the right voice, he might lose Ariel.