The Sea Witch (Wicked Villains Book 5)

Overall good read. Story was written well, very easy read. I like how the dynamics played out. I was a little let down at the ending. Having read other books in the series it was pretty weak. I wanted so much more from these characters.

They loved it

As the title suggests, this was rushed and doesn't fit with the other books. There isn't any solid character development it's all assumed because Ursa and Alaric are mentioned in passing on other books. I believed the parts of Hercules and Aurora with Zuri more than I believed the other two.As a Black reader, the one thing that gnawed at me the most is that Ursa's trope of Strong Black Woman was used as a crutch and leaned on too much. She wasn't fully developed or written that well, which is a shame. Other characters that are strong are written better than Ursa. Even Jasmine who started off as innocent turned out to be a strong POC without her skin tone being a focal point as to why she's strong. I believe characters like Allecto, even though she's ultimately a set piece, before I believe Ursa as a character.Alaric was a puppet or a shell of a jerky kind of guy. There was nothing that stood out that made him different. Every male in the series had something that makes them spark and different than the next. He has nothing that makes him memorable. Alaric, like Ursa, was wasted.There was nothing special about Zuri either. Her innocence trope was used so much as a plot point it was annoying and frustrating. I understand she's a virgin and she's innocent but there's a way to play that out without needing to use it to lean on, or at the very least say it every chance it can be squeezed in. It made it unbelievable that she all of a sudden got enough courage, in three days, to stand up to her father.The end could have saved the book if Triton wasn't used as a plot point in trying to burn Carver City to the ground to get to Zuri, and a) at the end of the week, Zuri walked and started a life of her own with new friends, or b) Ursa kicked Alaric and Zuri to the curb because she got her revenge, or c) Ursa and Alaric stayed together to work on their relationship without Zuri.It wasn't believable that the three of them fell in love that quickly with little to no set up. It makes Zuri come off as 100% naïve and they're using and manipulating her to keep her there when Ursa says she won't do that. I can believe Ursa and Alaric being in love because they've been together for years as it's been written. Two trios is enough in a series even though two trios is already two too many. But three trios makes it seem like there's really no new story to tell.This book is feels like it's an alternate telling of Meg, Hercules and Hades and/or Isabelle, Gaeton and Beast in the form of flavored seltzer water. You know it's supposed to taste like whatever it says on the can but you don't really taste it and you think if you keep drinking it, it'll taste like it says but it never does.

So I made a big mistake with this book. I picked it up one evening thinking to just read a chapter. Maybe two. Then suddenly it is 4am, I have just finished the book, and I have to be awake in 2 1/2 hours. Whoops! I should have known better. It's Katee Robert.I loved this book. While it's not my absolutely favorite of the series (no topping Learn my Lesson or Worthy Opponent, sorry, pun not intended), it was still so good! It upholds everything that has made the Wicked Villains series fantastic: twisting of classic Disney tales so the heroes/heroines aren't who we think they are, villains have more complexity and are incredibly sexy, unhealthy dynamics in the OG tales are called out and highlighted, and Consent reigns supreme, flavored with some real good BDSM. That sentence was long and rambley, but I am not very coherent when it comes to this series, so that's just the way it is.I loved the character of Ursa. As a territory leader she constantly has to be strong and be a leader to those around her. And she loves that and thrives in that. But also, she just wants a place where she can let go for a little and lean on someone(s) else. Watching her, Alaric, and Zurielle find that place with one another, oh so tentatively, was a pleasure to watch (ha! again, pun not intended). I also loved watching Zurielle come into her own strength as she spends more time out from under the thumb of her father. I was cheering her on each step of the way.One of the things I love about this series is how much agency and power the women in these stories gain. It highlights how little agency they really have in the original Disney stories and shows how much better it all could be. I adore the whole series and can't wait to read the final book, Queen Takes Rose. I highly recommend this book and the whole series to anyone who asks.

This is my first book from Katee Robert and I was very hopeful but ultimately somewhat let down. The spicy scenes are good, but the characters are flat. Ursa and the characters around her constantly describe her as ruthless, yet we really don’t see her act that way. Almost all her choices are loving and thoughtful. Alaric and Zuri also felt one dimensional, always having the best intentions which I personally find boring. Every character says exactly what they’re thinking. At times it was hard to tell if I was reading dialogue or exposition. This book has a cool concept but ultimately I found it very predictable and flat.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️‼️Possible Spoilers‼️“The man holds his guilt as close as any lover. Closer, even.”I read the first 4 of these books in relative succession before taking a break from the series a bit to explore a bunch of other things on my TBR that I was looking forward to. I have to say coming back to this book was perfect. It settled me right back into the world and characters with no issue before throwing me down a rabbit hole of intrigue once again. Ursula’s always been one of my favorite Disney characters so trust me when I say the imagery was beautiful and the characters on point.My favorite quotes:- Love is messy and beautiful and claws through me harsher than hate ever has.- “Stories aren’t real life.” “No, but they contain a multitude of lessons that a clever person heeds”- The best cruelty lashes unexpectedly, the sweetest kindness can hurt so acutely.- “There are two kinds of people in this world. Those that flourish in the shadows—and those that suffocate in them.”

<u>The Sea Witch</u> is the fifth book in Robert’s <u>Wicked Villains</u> series, following characters Ursa, Alaric, and Zurielle on their respective quests for vengeance, freedom, and love. <u>The Sea Witch</u> takes place primarily in Carver City, with glimpses into Olympus.I am always a fan of Katee’s books. They are fast, spicy, dark, and always fun! There were a lot of things that I loved about <u>The Sea Witch</u>. The characters are all fun and unique. Ursa is unapologetic and violent, but she deeply cares about those she loves (even if she doesn’t let them know it). Zurielle is passionate, caring, and really comes into her own after leaving Olympus. She shows a lot of really great character growth throughout the novel, and it was quite lovely watching her grow. Where the characters fell flat for me was with Alaric. Don’t get me wrong, he had interesting elements to his personality. Where I took issue was that he is so desperate to be free of his contract and enact revenge no matter the cost, but lets Ursa walk all over him both in and out of the bedroom. I thought he needed to grow a pair, and take up a stronger role in the territory following his release.As always, Katee is a master at implementing characters of all shapes, sizes, and identities. Additionally, she shows how easy it is to implement non-binary characters, using they/them pronouns in a seamless way. I love the representation always shown in Robert’s books. It is refreshing, and needs to be seen more in all genres and by all authors.I found the plot fun, engaging, and obviously exceptionally spicy. However, I found that it was overall a tad underwhelming. The “contract” and revenge plot points were too similar to the storylines of <u>Learn My Lesson</u> and <u>The Beast</u> for me to feel that it was an entirely new tale. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed the hell out of it, but I think that more could have been done to make it its own unique story.Overall, I quite enjoyed the storyline. I thought that while it had elements of the previous novels, it was still a fun and engaging plotline. The characters themselves were unique, and the spice was beyond. Katee’s writing is always enjoyable to read. She implements enough world-building to know what is going on, but not so much that it slows down the story. The dialogue is realistic and punchy and the plotline well paced. Finally, this book sets up quite nicely for <u>Queen Takes Rose</u>, the final book in the <u>WV</u> series, which I have been very much looking forward to reading and reviewing, so keep an eye out for that!I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fairytale retellings that are dark and spicy. If you enjoyed the previous <u>Wicked Villains</u> books, or Katee’s <u>Dark Olympus</u> series, this has similar pacing and levels of dark spice. Additionally, I believe this would be enjoyed by fans of K.F. Breene’s <u>A Ruin of Roses</u>.

I loved this threesome!!! The tentacle dildo was a little silly though, but it was a sexy and fun read.

An easy read. Though couod see how it was going to end before it actuslly ended. Still it wad an okay go for a book.

A good play on Ursula the Sea Witch and Ariel tale. Ursa and Alaric are a great team, adding in Zurielle for revenger on her father leads to a pleasant surprise and a wonderful HEA.

Decent read but not the best from this series. I felt like something was missing but I can’t put my finger on it as to what!