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Kitsune: A Little Mermaid Retelling (Tales of Akatsuki Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Nicolette Andrews (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 399 ratings
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A Kitsune dreaming of a wider world. A prince seeking purpose. A love that defies the odds.

Trapped in a dull and unfilling role as palace maid, Rin dreams of rising higher in the immortal court. Determined to change her lot in life, she plans to use her illusion power to spy on her ruler’s rival and prove her worth. But when her mission fails, she’s turned human as punishment. Now she has until the next full moon to seduce a human prince, break his engagement, and upend his treaty with a rival kingdom without her Kitsune magic or voice, otherwise she’ll become a common fox.

Hikaru is the dutiful oldest son and heir. Whatever he’s asked, he does without complaint. Outwardly, at least. Inwardly, he pines to be a poet, scholar, or anything but a prince. Then he finds a mysterious woman wandering alone beside spirit invested woods, and while he knows he shouldn’t, he brings her home. She cannot speak, but there’s something bewitching about her, drawing him in becoming a dangerous temptation he cannot afford, because peace depends on his marriage to another…

Rin thought it would be simple. Kitsune are experts at deceiving mortals, after all. But the foreign human heart beating in chest threatens to betray her. To save her life, she has to destroy his, and the more time they spend together, the harder it is to deny her growing feelings. Now Rin is caught between two impossible choices: either let fate tear them apart or risk her magic and life for love.

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Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 3
    Tales of Akatsuki
  2. Print length
    277 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    Aug. 14 2015
  6. File size
    2302 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Total Price: CDN$11.98
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Sold by: Amazon.com.ca, Inc.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B010W97G00
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2302 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 277 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 399 ratings

About the author

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Nicolette Andrews

Nicolette Andrews

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Nicolette Andrews lives in San Diego with her husband, youngest child, two cats and a dog. A lover of rom-com K-Dramas, stabby heroines, and brooding heroes. She’s best known for twisty-turny romantic fantasy and angsty plots. When she’s not torturing her creations, she enjoys cooking, camping, and cozy videos games.

You can connect with her on her website: www.nicoletteandrews.com

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
399 global ratings

Top reviews from Canada

Crystal Fenerty
5.0 out of 5 stars Very much liked
Reviewed in Canada on November 3, 2020
Verified Purchase
Definitely like the world this book is set within and this book was a wonderful reading. Recommend to all readers. Definitely looking forward to reading more books from this world.
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Demelza Carlton
5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing and enchanting
Reviewed in Canada on November 2, 2015
A book based on Japanese mythology? I was sold even before the mention of mermaids. And I must say, mermaids were few and far between, for the kitsune's tail is of the furry variety as opposed to the scaled kind.

This book is both intriguing and enchanting, transporting the reader to feudal Japan where mythological creatures live side by side with humans - and the conflicts between the two can be fierce.

At its heart, it's a love story, but with plenty of adventure and an ending that would have the little mermaid sighing in envy, I highly recommend this book.
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Renee
5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic
Reviewed in Canada on August 17, 2015
Truly one of the best fairy tale retellings I have ever read. Even though this is pegged as retelling of The Little Mermaid it stands on its own. The plot and setting are original, the characters are rich and vibrant and the story flows perfectly. I LOVED this book and look forward to reading more from this author.
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Top reviews from other countries

Jessica B. Fry
5.0 out of 5 stars Rich, fun retelling of Little Mermaid with plenty of twists
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2019
Verified Purchase
There are different sorts of fairy tale retellings, and this is the kind that knows the beats of the story it retells while also providing numerous twists and turns so that readers aren't entirely certain what will happen in the end. Kitsune is a fun story, quick paced with strong characters. While it is interconnected with stories set inside the same world, it can stand alone. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I found the plot twists as well as the characters intriguing and engaging. A well crafted little story that I'll look forward to reading again, and which is well suited for lovers of both the Little Mermaid and Japanese mythology.
2 people found this helpful
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Jacqueline B.
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books I have read for a long time
Reviewed in Germany on May 17, 2016
Verified Purchase
I am a student from germany and very intrested in japanese traditions, beliefs and folklore.
Therefore I was searching for a book which would not deal with the topic in an informative or scientific way.
I was searching for a novel which could revive an old tale into a lovely and soulful tale.
With Nicolette Andrews "Kitsune" I found exactly what I was searching for.

First I was a little skeptical, because the cover of the book looks really low-budget.
However, the short summary on the back of the book convinced me and made me curious.

What should I say ? This book is one of the best I have read for a long time !
The characters are so lively, outstanding, unique and inspiring, because the reader gains an detailed insight into the characters due to the third
person narrator.
Furthermore the story draws you into it and suprises because at the end everything fits together like a huge puzzle.
It is thrilling till the end and it is written with so much heart and detail that you find yourself in ancient japanese castels,

This book is one of those books which makes 2 hours reading feel like 5 minutes.
I am absolutely excited about this novel and I was very sad when I finished reading it, but I will definitely read it again after some time.

I really hope that there will be more books published by this author ! :)
2 people found this helpful
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Chloe Bratt-Lewis
5.0 out of 5 stars Kitsune - One Book I Will Never Forget
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 18, 2015
Verified Purchase
As I sit here writing this review, there are a lot of thoughts racing around my mind. Now don’t think they are bad thoughts, believe me, they’re not. But these thoughts threaten to break me. There aren’t enough words in the English language to describe how I am feeling.

The Little Mermaid is one of my favourite fairy tales/Disney movies. In fact, it’s my third favourite. Aladdin being first and Beauty and the Beast coming in close second. This means that I hold retellings to a very high standard. Call me ridiculous, but that’s just me. But let me tell you that the retelling I have just completed surpassed all of my expectations. If anything, it has raised the bar.

Kitsune is one of the best novels I have read this year. And thanks to my gargantuan of a reading slump, I haven’t read that many. It’s a tale of love, war and betrayal, with a huge dollop of magic. I love me some magic. If I had to sum it up in one word, well, I can’t. That’s how good it was.
I went into to this novel not knowing much about and that is the best way to enjoy this novel. As much as I love the supernatural I had no idea what a Kitsune or Yokai was. I knew it was something do with animals but I did not fully understand what they were. But even with my lesser knowledge I cannot believe how much I enjoyed this book. It’s one of those novels that you just know will stay with you.

Nicolette Andrews, how talented you are. Is there some special potion you drink that give you magic writing powers? If so, where can I get some?
This is the first novel I have read by this fabulous author and it definitely won’t be the last. In fact, when I finish this review I am going to jump on Amazon and go on a book hunt.

Anyway on with the actual review.

The world in Kitsune is unique, magical, beautiful and, above all, one I don’t want to leave. The vivid descriptions brought to life many magnificent images in my mind. I didn’t know words could leave me like this. And don’t even get me started on the characters. But this is a review so I kind of have to.

Each character is brought to life in just a few lines. Every character is complicated but in the most beautiful of ways. Shin, for example. I liked him, then I hated him. And then I liked him again. This is the kind of power Nicolette holds. There were points in the book I where I didn’t know what to do with myself.

I have read many retellings where the plot is exactly the same as the original storyline. Kitsune did the opposite. While keeping the same elements as The Little Mermaid, Nicolette turned the story into something else. Going into it, I knew to expect the same sort of story but in actual fact, I found myself lost in a world bares only a slight resemblance to that of its origin. That’s what drew me in. The fact that Kitsune is a retelling that is not a retelling.

Towards the end of the book, I found myself reluctant to keep reading. I didn’t want the story to end. As I type, I am staring at my Kindle and I’m struggling to keep myself from diving back into that world. There was action in every chapter and right now, I’m struggling to keep the spoilers from presenting themselves on this post. The pace, oh my God the pace. It wasn’t too fast and it wasn’t too slow. It was just right. And now I feel like Goldilocks.

I highly recommend jumping to Amazon and grabbing this novel before it’s too late. I promise you, you will not regret it. If you do, then you obviously have no taste in literature. Nah, I’m just kidding. But seriously. Get. This. Book.
One person found this helpful
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Demelza Carlton
5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing and enchanting
Reviewed in Australia on November 2, 2015
Verified Purchase
A book based on Japanese mythology? I was sold even before the mention of mermaids. And I must say, mermaids were few and far between, for the kitsune's tail is of the furry variety as opposed to the scaled kind.

This book is both intriguing and enchanting, transporting the reader to feudal Japan where mythological creatures live side by side with humans - and the conflicts between the two can be fierce.

At its heart, it's a love story, but with plenty of adventure and an ending that would have the little mermaid sighing in envy, I highly recommend this book.
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P. D. HENDERSON
4.0 out of 5 stars Good story, good characters, iffy worldbuilding. Overall, a good read.
Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2019
Verified Purchase
I have to admit - this says it's a retelling of the "Little Mermaid" tale, but I don't actually know that tale so I can't compare them.

Usually I am wary of Japanese/Western hybrid fiction. Most of the ones I've read before weren't very good. This one was very readable and I enjoyed it more than I expected to.

It wasn't perfect though, so for the sake of critique, here are some of the flaws...

For starters, if you aren't already familiar with Japanese culture the author doesn't explain these things so it may be a little confusing (briefly) in some spots. The book could have benefitted from some more immersive descriptions. Instead, it was very easy to forget that it wasn't set in a purely Western feudal setting, which made it occasionally jarring when they did something distinctly Japanese like bowing to each other.

Different people like different amounts of description in the stories they read. You may focus more on the story itself and not with so much about having a clear mental image of each scene. Or you may be more intrigued when you can easily visualize things. In this story the author assumes you know a lot of cultural details and doesn't describe them. So if you don't know how a Japanese palace differs from a European castle, or what a Shinto shrine looks like and what sort of rituals are pepper there, then you won't have a clear mental image as you read. But I know some people don't care about that so you'll have to decide for yourself.

The story itself though, was very good and had a lot more twists and turns to it than I would expect from something claiming to be retelling a common folk tale. The characters were complex and well written. Even the "bad guys" were easy to sympathize with - although we still root for the hero were also see that the others have their own honor and are not just inexplicably evil.
Except maybe the witch, but she appears infrequently and honestly feels more like a plot device than an actual character. That's another flaw of the book. She doesn't feel like a Japanese archetype that I'm familiar with either. Personally I would have written her out of the story, but I'm guessing she might be a necessary parallel to the original tale. Anyhow, the flaws don't ruin the story as far as I'm concerned, so this one gets a definite thumbs up from me.
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