Book Review: Prince of Song and Sea Sets Prince Eric on an Adventure All His Own
Most retellings of The Little Mermaid put their focus on giving Ariel some kind of updated motivation, as if all of us didn’t do absolutely asinine things at 16, and as if chasing love and finding your agency is somehow something to be ashamed of. But Prince of Song and Sea, the first in a new series retelling the fairy tales from the Disney Prince’s point of view, chooses to preserve this angle for Ariel, while giving Eric an adventure all his own.
Eric is the crown prince of the seaside kingdom of Vellona, reeling from the sudden death of his mother two years earlier. Fortunately his best friends Vanni and Gabriella are on hand to both help with the grief, and to help with his relentless efforts to avoid getting married. It’s not that he’s averse to the idea, there’s just the small matter of him being cursed at birth: should he kiss anyone who isn’t his true love, he’ll die.
The three of them, with the help of some local pirates, grow determined to find the witch who cast the curse before Eric’s birthday, forcing her to lift it so that Eric can make the right kind of political marriage and end his kingdom’s woes. Just as they begin to make progress, a redheaded girl with no voice washes up on shore wrapped in nothing but a sail.
Prince of Song and Sea is a delightfully crafted tale that neatly slots an adventure for Eric in alongside Ariel’s own adventures. It’s a fairy tale quest with a delightful cast of new characters, and just enough Easter eggs to keep the Disney fans on their toes to see where it lines up with the movie. I am also convinced that Gabriella herself is a reference to the Little Mermaid animated series but it’s very possible I’m reading too much into this.
I also loved how the book managed to give Eric and Ariel a little more time within their three days together to get to know each other better. Despite the communication barrier, they manage to have a number of conversations about their wants and wishes that helps their love story feel richer and more grounded. I’m all for love at first sight, especially in a fairy tale, but this kind of parallel growth is really sweet too.
Prince of Song and Sea is available October 4. Special thanks to Disney Books for the advance copy for review purposes.