Ripples & Waves: A Queer Retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid

De: L.A. Witt

Narrado por: Michael Ferraiuolo

Colin Everroad should be dead, but after his lobster boat founders during a violent storm off the Maine coast, he wakes up on a beach. He’s cold, but unscathed...with strange memories of a face he can’t conjure and a voice he doesn’t recognize.

No one can explain it, but a friend suggests Colin was saved by one of the mer. Except the mer don’t exist. Do they? But…that face. That voice. Someone was in the water with him. Someone saved him. If not a mer, then who? And whoever it was, Colin wants to see his face.

Lir broke protocol by rescuing a land person, but he couldn’t just let the man drown. When he disobediently resurfaces to see his beautiful land man, he knows it’s only a matter of time before he’s forbidden to leave the depths again.

One clandestine visit turns into more. Soon, Colin and Lir are meeting at the shore as often as possible, and the connection between them deepens. The only problem is that neither can live in the other’s world. Or can they?

Then Lir finds a way for them to be together, but only for a little while...and at a cost. As time grows short, they have to choose: does Lir return to the sea and never see Colin again or stay forever with the man he loves in a world that will never love them?

Ripples & Waves is a modern, queer retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s "The Little Mermaid".

©2019 L.A. Witt (P)2019 L.A. Witt

I just LOVE Michael Ferraiuolo's narration! 😍

I must admit Disney's Mermaid was the very first time I enjoyed any story about merfolk and I was saddened that I had not been acquainted with the original story put forth by Hans Christian Andersen. Being totally enamored by M/M romance, L. A. Witt's 'Ripples & Waves' gave me a delicious taste of the well-loved fairy tale. We all know the pivotal Disney mermaid song "Part of Your World" whose meaning form the axis upon which the story rotates. L. A. Witt grabs that axis by throat to make it work by applying her own special magic of storytelling.
In her story, we meet Colin Everroad who had suffered a harrowing experience on the seas aboard an inoperative lobster boat during a storm. Someone saves him from the waters and he vaguely remembers them telling him their name is Lir. From a lesbian woman who is both boss and friend, he is told about the mer and how her life was saved by such beings when she was a young girl. She tells Colin how to contact Lir, explaining that he told Colin his name with the hope of seeing him again. He contacts Lir and a friendship begins that is very pure and truly lovely.
The writer doesn't waste time with a lot of intrigues. She gets the main characters together rather quickly to move from developing a friendship that establishes some common ground and mutual interest. A foundation between the men is formed before Lir decides to approach the witch about a potion that will make him a mute human for three days. It is during these three days that they enjoy sexual intimacies which further their love for each other. When given the options to make the transformation permanent, Colin makes the ultimate sacrifice to send Lir away from a world where he'd be shunned for loving other men. As we expect, the men become a couple bound together permanently but L. A. Witt makes this her story especially with a resolution that is linked to why Colin manages to be at sea during a storm on a non-functional lobster boat in the first place.
The world-building is wonderful with aspects that are connected to the prejudice some have against gay men. Some of it was painful and evoked some ugly crying on my part. I'll admit it, I PMd the writer on Facebook with a weeping emoji but did tell her the story was beautiful. The character development was definitely present and not just as a product of the fairy tale. L. A. Witt labored to give readers a critical narrative that demonstrated socioemotional growth for both main characters. Those factors along with the realism of prejudice due to sexual orientation made for one truly original retelling of a historic fairy tale.

So good

This is the way The Little Mermaid should have always been. It’s so good! I want to just blurt out everything I love about this story but I’m not going to give away any spoilers. I love how all the changes done to the story seem to just make more sense. And, omg, I cried so hard. I don’t think and audiobook has ever made cry this hard. The narrator conveys the pain and heartache with his voice and it’s amazing. Recommend this book 10 out of 10, will listen again.

Merman

What a great retelling of a classic. As always Michael Ferraiuolo did an awesome job with the narration. Well worth your time, your credit and maybe even a few tears.... HEA

perfect

omg, this version of the Little Mermaid was great. This version has the merman with an actual brain. I loved that the couple got to know each other first before deciding their fate. Also, I loved that the sea witch wasnt portrayed as evil. Michael's voice was as usual great. He brought life to these characters. I got a little weeping at parts. Totally worth a listen.

Satisfying

Another winner performance and story from two of my favorite author and narrator. Beautiful spin on this classic story! Thank you!