Never Saved You

Description

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The princess of a neighboring country who stole the prince that the little mermaid saved…
That was me.

I believed that it was me who saved him, but reality was cruel.

When the little mermaid died and the truth was revealed—

“It wasn’t you.”

The man who once said he loved me abandoned me after saying these words.
Just because I wasn’t the one who saved him.

From then on, he started to ignore me and shut me out.

I couldn’t endure it any longer, so I chose to die. But somehow, I returned to the past.
So I made up my mind.

* * *

Instead of going through that again, I looked for a certain man.

Robbed of his memory and exiled from the magic tower, but more powerful than anyone else.

The lord of the magic tower.
Alejandro Diarmuid.

“The memories you’ve lost. I’ll help you find them.”

So help me.
So that I can escape from this fate.

“No one else but you can save me.”

You can save me.
Only you.

Associated Names
One entry per line
당신을 구한 적 없다
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
The Harvest Mouse Exits the Fairytale Together with Cinderella (4)
Jilted Guilt: the Mermaid and the Hunter (3)
Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye (3)
Come and Cry At My Funeral (2)
Behind The Scenes Of A Fairy Tale (1)
Siren Lullaby (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Fav ones
  2. ANTI YANDERE DISCRIMINATION CLUB
  3. LOOKS LIKE MEATS BACK ON THE MENU BOYS
  4. Role Model FL (KR)
  5. Romance fantasy 2

Latest Release

Date Group Release
07/04/22 woopread translations c118
07/04/22 woopread translations c117
07/03/22 woopread translations c116
06/30/22 woopread translations c115
06/28/22 woopread translations c114
06/25/22 woopread translations c113
06/25/22 woopread translations c112
06/24/22 woopread translations c111
06/23/22 woopread translations c110
06/18/22 woopread translations c109
06/17/22 woopread translations c108
06/15/22 woopread translations c107
06/11/22 woopread translations c106
06/09/22 woopread translations c105
06/08/22 woopread translations c104
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28 Reviews sorted by


znukhsoc
znukhsoc rated it
July 22, 2022
Status: c38
Too much analyzing not much progressing, the novel.
-Even after the tiniest moment it's explanation after explanation after explanation. Dialogues are short but the explanations of the dialogues are at least 2 chapters. It drags way too much.
-There are no breaks from the viscous drama and sadness. Even the saddest person will take a break from their misery. This novel won't tho.
-Too much mention of the past. It was all over the place.

FL: It may seem like her character is poetic and decent but she's genuinely a self-pitying... more>> goof show. The long, heavy paragraphs of explaining the same tragedy killed my soul. AND don't get why she feels so betrayed about ML from the past, just because he did that doesn't mean he never considered her a friend. Devoid of mind, the character.

ML: A lost puppy. Not even a slightly cute way tho. More like a lame dollish way. He is a command dog and nothing more. A WALL. Also, feels pitiful that he can't help FL but it's all because of FL not telling him shit... It's ridiculous.

Ex-Husband: A truly annoying and has no common sense type of character. Well, the author in this case had not much common sense. Can't blame the dude. Author, can you tell me how he kinda forgot their past, the moment heard about the mermaid? Bruh. How did FL NOT save you, brotherman???

Had potential, didn't even perform a flick of it. Sad. Dropped at 38.

Debated if I could give this a 2 but I'm too annoyed to do that for this novel. <<less
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PalenMisha
PalenMisha rated it
August 26, 2021
Status: c55
I am a sucker for fairy tales (especially when they are re-told from a different angle). This plot immediately intrigued me. The FL suffered quite a bit at the hands of her husband (neglect and verbal abuse). You really feel for her (and are disgusted with the husband).

... more>>
Spoiler

After 3 years of being treated like sh*t by her husband she can't take it anymore and when she finds out the mermaid scale (that the mermaid asked be given to her) is poison, she swallows it, but instead of death, she ends up 3 years in the past. She doesn't want to deal with all this sh*t again so she takes a walk off the balcony of the palace where she's at a banquet. The wizard (Alei) catches her and when she acts like she knows him he's super shocked so she makes a deal with him. Of course the male lead watched her pitch herself off the balcony so he goes to find her - which she does not want since they hadn't met yet as of this time.

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I am really curious where this will go and there's enough plot points that I'm very much interested in knowing how this ends.

Edit: Above here is my original review from Aug 26 covering up to chapter 9.

Having now read up to chapter 13, I am still really liking this. A huge revelation about Alei just got shared and this story just keeps getting more interesting. One of the better fairy tale retells I've read (and I've read a lot of them).

Edit: Having now read to chapter 55 I still find this fabulous. Ophelia is smart about what she's doing and it makes for a really good plot. Also, a pretty good twist about the husband (in the prior life) just got tossed in:

Spoiler

He spent 3 years regretting after she swallowed the scale and then jumped into the sea when he couldn't take it anymore. He has also gone back in time and wants to fix his past mistakes, though he's just coming across like a stalker.

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Realvnv
Realvnv rated it
April 12, 2022
Status: c44
I was just chilling on my couch thinking "Maybe I should write sum constructive review." which, I assure you, is a thought that pops out once in a blue moon and so I just scrolled through my "to be reviewed" list. Having said that, it's emberrasing to admit my mind abused space button so much that it turned into a shaking M to cope with me when my finger stopped on this novel: Never Saved You.

From basic sh*t like character names to detailed settings, I can't remember them at all... more>> lol. So I'll just go with two things that left deep impression on me, skin deep but deep nevertheless.

1. That handsome siren. I remember my chronic second-male-lead-desase relapsing and falling into a depressed state. They should stop making 2nd male leads much more interesting and charismatic than male leads -and no I'm not issuing the good guy card so forever secondary assassin guilt boss fishes, feel free to join in!

Ehm, I was led astray, should be the aftereffects of the illness. The point is, Alejandro or whatever is boring af. Insecure, silent, wants to be with FL 24/7; in short like a stray puppy. Some of you prob like this type, but imo, an adrenaline junkie ML would beat that stero-type 10/10 times. Lol

So it's not necesseraly a con but it didn't hit my right buttons.

2. The whole depressing vibe. It didn't help that the only ray of sunshine in this damn novel is the reason my desease was so severe (= our cute siren UwU). I found myself having internal strugles like "should I press it or nah?" when staring at the "next" button. Jesus, I would hesitate less if it was the infamous red button!

Obv I would press it bruh.

Anyways, setting a trifling matter like world destruction aside, this novel just made me feel depressed in general. It didn't envoke the kind of feeling that would make you burn in righteous anger to the injustice MC suffered and lead you to read a ton of chapters in the blink of an eye.

Here, I just grit my teeth while muttering "ugh, there is more?"

Again, it is a matter of taste, maybe there WAS stimulation but it just didn't do the trick for me. Tho I'm the type that gets riled up easily, weird.

Imma conduct my rewiev here since this sh*t spinned longer than my literature essay I wrote in blood and tears and I don't like it.

P.s: translation is good tho <<less
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YummyChocolate
YummyChocolate rated it
March 3, 2022
Status: c118
This is gold. The mystery after the mystery. I can't have enough of this. The FL is smart and the plot twist is surprising me. I always can not guess what will happen in next chapter. At first the pace is kinda slow but after that the Story is progressing so well. And the theme of this story is rare. The idea of the author is brilliant. Sante is such a mood and also a big thanks for translators. They translate it so well

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misto713
misto713 rated it
February 26, 2022
Status: c56
it's a good read. I just wish the author didn't deal with the timeline like a chipmunk on caffeine. "this happened before that, here's a flashback in the middle of our conversation, amd now we don't finish the scene but spend two chapters describing relationships in the 'dark future'. oh and I lied five chapters back and this is what actually happened back then." I already gave up trying to figure out what happens when and nus continue reading and if I forget, then I forget and get it mixed... more>> up.

the characters are standard but well written, the story is nice, so it's a solid read. but seriously, the editor should have forbidden flashbacks and 'backtracking', and the story might have been more coherent.

edit: dropped at ch56. MC is too much of a weakling, lets the men do whatever they want with her and never speaks up. so the pattern is like:

1/ a man spews accusation

2/ MC says "let me goooo" and doesn't defend herself and doesn't explain

3/ man grabs her wrist, throws even worse accusations

4/ MC screams even louder "let me goooo" and STILL doesn't explain

5/ another man comes in and 'saves' her, making the accusations stand without explanation, which in fact makes them even worse.

it was tolerable until now because she only did it once in a while. but now, after several chapters of the "poor poor man" explaining exactly why he thought she never loved him, she still doesn't explain anything and just... sigh. I give up. if thr story concentrated more on the actual ML, the mage, I might have tolerated this, but it's too annoying to read now.

good potential, bad implementation. <<less
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prwilliams10
prwilliams10 rated it
November 21, 2021
Status: c36
Love this MC, she is smart and doesn't want to repeat the mistakes of her past. It is a slow romance so if you are looking for a quick romance to begin this won't be good but, it is an amazing story with a great translation and consistent updates. I really am enjoying the new take to an old classic fairy tale.
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estoejia
estoejia rated it
October 1, 2022
Status: Completed
I appreciated the effort and creative direction this story took on a classic fairytale. I understand that you have to build the world, set the motivations and introduce and ingrain the characters, however in my opinion I felt that this story was unnecessarily lengthy. I found myself losing interest after it was revealed that ... more>>
Spoiler

Ian, the ex husband, somehow retained his memories after being rescued from the shipwreck.

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From that point on the story went in circles and on pointless tangents. I ended up skimming and eventually skipping chapters to get to the meat of the story and found that doing so did not take away from the story whatsoever.

I have to note that the author did a fairly good job in keeping the writing tone and style consistent throughout and, all things considered, it was a pretty decent retelling of the Little Mermaid with a twist. I do have to say that the romance between Ophelia and Alei left little to be desired. Personally I felt a scarcity in chemistry between the two of them because of how mundane their interactions were compared to Ophelia and Sante and even Ophelia and Ian.

Never Save You had the potential to be great, but ultimately the incomplete feeling it left behind, despite the endless accounts of side quests that did very little to contribute to the main storyline was the shortcoming that made it memorably lackluster. <<less
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orpheus_rm
orpheus_rm rated it
January 20, 2022
Status: c56
I love it. It's a typical second chance story, but the FL is solid. She's got tons of trauma and at times can be emotionally weak, but she's also got an iron will when it comes to carrying out her goals and finding happiness.

The Male Lead

Spoiler

The ex-husband has black hair, so I initially assumed he would be the ML. Unfortunately for ex-hubby, his personality is tr*sh, through and through. There hasn't really been any overt romance yet, but I'm hoping our silver haired hottie will be the new hubby <3

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1werthjk
1werthjk rated it
November 11, 2021
Status: c32
My favourite, especially with the frequent updates. The translation is amazing quality. The story itself is my cup of tea, but nothing major really happens in 30ish chapters if you're looking for a quick-paced romance story. It's a slow burn, realistic romance story focused on the FL uncovering the mystery of her time-travel and trying to right things.
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Animefan649
Animefan649 rated it
December 26, 2021
Status: c50
This is a well-written story giving the feeling of reading a fairy tale but with a nice twist. Ophelia is the female lead and she is so likable. Reading her plans for her future and working towards it is exciting to read. She's not waiting to be saved. She's a smart and brave girl. You keep hoping everything will work out smoothly.

This probably is one of my favourite novels. 10/10 and recommended
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tedy2004
tedy2004 rated it
August 4, 2022
Status: c42
I'd never thought I would meet such a dialogue based novel. The amount of dialogue between the characters made me feel numb. Which I've read till c42 with this numbness. Now awaken, I've escaped from this painful reading.

Author tries to cover the plot holes like:... more>>
Spoiler

Ex-ML being in love with the FL somehow, after both of them time travel.

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through the amount of dialogues which take on even two chapters. Or the world building which barely exists is a plothole itself, considering the amount of conversation take place in this novel around FL and ML.

It's an low read for wasting time, however even for that, I don't recommend cause it feels like you're reading a talk show, between the person (FL) who asks questions and the person (ML) who answers, and viceversa, in this novel.

Good night. <<less
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Lazy_Queen
Lazy_Queen
July 8, 2022
Status: Completed
It’s a nice take on the Little Mermaid fairytale (the real one, not the Disney version).

Ophelia is an illegitimate princess, shunned by the nobility, the servants and her family. When she meets the dashing grand duke on the shore, he brings with him a possibility of a life free from suffering, with a person who truly loves her.

But her hopes are quickly killed when she finds out the reason he fell for her was because he thought she was his savior, Ariel, who, as we all know, ended up dying... more>> for love.

The guilt and the judging looks follow her to the Principality, where she is alone in this grand castle and even though she still loves her husband, little by little, her spirit is collapsing.

The only person who brings her warmth is the a mage with memory loss, her old friend, Alejandro. But he too has his own problems, and they end up separating.

The time comes where she can’t handle her reality anymore and she chooses death, by swallowing a scale left by Ariel, believing it to be poisonous.

And then she opens her eyes to five years ago, when she meets Ian, her future husband for the first time.

With the opportunity to change her past and create a new and happy future, she reaches out to the only friend she ever had, Alejandro, and promises him to help him regain his lost memory in exchange for him to bring her to the Magic Tower.

But will her plans work when everything seems to be trying to pull her to her original fate?

This is a brilliant retelling of a classic story, and although marked by tragedy, we have strong willed characters who not only try their best to succeed in what they put their mind to, but our main characters also are empathic and learn the limits of what the can and what they should do.

There is a bit that drags a bit from the 70 to the 90 chapter, but only because I couldn’t wait to see if Ophelia’s plans would work out.

I recommend anyone who likes The Little Mermaid and doesn’t mind a bit of angst to read this! <<less
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xelixette
xelixette rated it
March 20, 2023
Status: Completed
I am a sucker for fairytale retelling, and I tried really hard to like it, but I couldn't. I kept on reading, hoping it would get better but no, it just went in circles. perhaps it felt longer than it was necessary because of the tone of the MC? what was sad but hopeful quickly became sad and... even more sadness. the romance couldn't save it because there just isn't much and whatever there is feels very bare and lifeless. I'll even say the story is slightly more dynamic with... more>> the ex-husband, and siren.

I like tragically beautiful stuff, but this just drowns me with depression. <<less
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Lazulity
Lazulity rated it
October 2, 2023
Status: c19
Annoying, I felt very angry while reading, so I know I would go on and on so I'll summarize. I can't sympathize with MC, she is very insecure, depressing and is to blame for what happened in her past life for not resolving the misunderstanding that she married for love and not for interest. She doesn't trust anyone, but she wants others to trust her and it's clear that in two lives she hasn't changed anything, she's only changed the fact that she no longer seeks approval, care or affection.... more>> She blames ML for nothing, since he didn't do anything wrong and ML is a faithful puppy, who became attached to his owner very quickly. Each chapter was torture because I thought, is this far from over? And besides the time of the story being a little confusing, in 19 chapters practically nothing happened, I don't know what happens next, but the only interesting characters are the mermaids. <<less
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Shadowlancer_95
Shadowlancer_95 rated it
January 15, 2023
Status: c118
I just binged the last 30 chapters last night and I have to say that I really love this novel a lot! The characterizations are great, the story is good, the plot twist was unexpected (for me) and overall it was just a really good read. I was super invested in the main ship and was basically screaming at my phone every time we got one of their POVs about them misunderstanding the other person.

one thing I’m not usually a fan of in stories is that the misunderstandings are generally... more>> just because the two people don’t talk to each other and then one party all but abuses the other and then they still get together in the end. This one has miscommunication done right, in that they want to talk to each other but they keep getting interrupted by circumstances. And even then, the main ship still chooses to believe in each other.

I love all the side characters as well, they’re all really well written (Sante hello there) and each of their characters are unique and lovable.

What I think is the best part of the novel is the way trauma is portrayed. The female lead is traumatized by her experiences and it shows when she’s confronted with said trauma. It’s not an easy thing to simply get over, and the writing reflects that very well.

One last thing is many many many kudos to the translator for doing such a good job of capturing the nuances in the story. It’s not easy to capture the subtleties of text when switching to another language, but they did a really good job. Thank you Yonnee for the wonderful wonderful translation! <<less
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KeSamik
KeSamik rated it
April 14, 2022
Status: c42
It's good. Just it's not my taste. I prefer strong girls, but she has too many traumatic experiences too deal with that she simply can't find her way.

If you like drama this is a good choice.
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FreyjaVanadis
FreyjaVanadis
June 5, 2023
Status: Completed
UGH IT WON'T LET ME PUT % STARS!!!!

This novel deserves every single good review it has and more, but it can be tough reading for some because of the lyrical, contemplative, and dreamy style of writing (which is impressively translated, thank you Yonnee, I am in awe of your abilities!). The writing style reminds me very strongly of Garcia Gabriel Marquez as to how the trauma the different characters suffer guides their actions and the magical realism is smoothly incorporated into the story. This tale is incredibly atmospheric, and I... more>> could write a thesis about how the themes of this work are Trust, Freedom, Choice, and Free Will, but y'all aren't here for a detailed analysis of the novel.

Highlights -

The writing is lyrical, meditative, and mesmerizing. This is a very dialogue-heavy novel, with the author concentrating on showing what the story is through the characters' words, actions, and though processes instead of outright telling the reader what's going on. It reminds me a lot of the works I had to read and analyze in college or for book clubs, and I LOVE this style but it can be heavy for those not used to it or who don't like it. The storyline goes through some unexpected twists and turns and incorporates elements from both the Hans Christen Anderson Original Little Mermaid and the Disney version. There isn't a clear villain, only characters' differing dreams, goals, and expectations. Driving the story by the character conflicts adds an additional layer of realism and drama to the novel, and I absolutely love how the angst plays out given the players working at cross-purposes to each other. If you're looking for a fast story or quick romance this is not the one for you - the burn is slow, and the plot is both intricate and subtle. I'm not usually a fan of that type of novel but this is so well-written that I just couldn't wait for the next little twist and turn. It's really a beautiful work,

Detailed character analysis and spoilers

Spoiler

Ophelia, FL, is intelligent, calm, and calculating. She has a deep understanding of people and psychology, and uses it to her advantage. Growing up as someone who has no power of her own and no resources because of her status as an illegitimate princess, Ophelia is very aware that she has no one to depend on and trust but herself. She can trust others to act according to their nature but not in her best interests without her giving them a reason to move the way she wants, and she ruthlessly uses that POV to calculate what ways she needs to coax others to act. I want to emphasize that Ophelia is never cruel, but she genuinely puts enormous thought into every move she makes. I'm not sure I've ever seen a heroine quite like her - the closest would probably be Artezia in The Villainess Lives Twice in that both are incredibly calculating but while both are strongly motivated bu guilt, Ophelia is determined to win her freedom from the oppressive life she is trapped in and Artezia is atoning for her sins and believes she deserves to never have any happiness or contentment. I love Ophelia's character so much - she's so different from the norm and SO well written.

Alejandro, ML, is effectively walking a tightrope where he realizes that both Ophelia and Ian know information about what's really going on and won't or can't tell him and he has to decide who to believe and trust. He's working from the same script but he only has a few pages, which is exacerbated by his memory loss. Alei is constantly playing catch up while the other two can manipulate him into their plans by playing on his insecurities and offering clues to retrieve his memories, despite Alei actually being the most powerful piece on the board. Ian's unbridled hatred and jealousy and Ophelia's I Trust You But I Can't Trust You whirl Alei back and forth as he has to decide what perspective to trust, and it's fascinating watching him struggle against what he feels innately versus the information he can access.

Ian, 2nd ML; a great analogy for the selfish side of toxic masculinity and yandere behavior. He feels entitled to Ophelia's time and person as her former husband, and does everything he can to trap Ophelia with him as her only chance for freedom from the oppression she is living under, and to make Alei doubt and mistrust Ophelia at every turn. Ian refuses to admit his behavior is to blame for Ophelia's misery in the previous timeline and is convinced that he is Ophelia's best choice despite all evidence to the contrary. He refuses to hear her opinions and will not take Ophelia's "NO" as an answer to his suit no matter how many times she tells him. To Ian Ophelia is a doll he can move as he wishes, disregarding her own will and emotions. He is both motivated by his guilt from the past where Ophelia is so miserable with his neglect and loss of love that she chooses death rather than to stay with him, and yet still refuses to change his behavior or admit his part in actually making her miserable - Ian is absolutely convinced that if he can just get Ophelia to come with him everything will magically change, despite the fact his actions and behavior manifestly haven't changed at all. There's an impressive emotional disconnect here that's beautifully written, to the point I'm really wondering if the author is a therapist or psychologist. This is behavior people exhibit in real life, and the writing for how Ian acts is a thing of beauty in its subtlety.

Sante is the leader of the Sirens, and watching the contrast between the sirens and the mermaids is fascinating. Both are magical creatures and their thinking is alien from human thought processes but in completely different ways, and both can be seen as symbols of freedom. The sirens are the freedom of teenagers though - capricious, thoughtless of all consequences to their actions and not taking responsibility for whatever comes next - and when mixed with their complete command of anything in the air or sky, that capriciousness can be lethal. The sirens' power is parallel to the mermaids' but for the air - they can hear anything, create tornadoes, destroy cliffs, or even use the wind to cut down trees. They live for the moment and whatever takes their fancy for the next few minutes - then drop whatever it is without a second thought, abandoning those who might be depending on them or even physically dropping them from a height as their attention is distracted by the next interesting thing. Ophelia's handling of them is impressive - part preschool teacher and part whimsical Cheshire Cat as she tempts and frustrates them into playing into her plans. Sante is both fascinated and wary of Ophelia - he knows his old friend Alei cares deeply for her but he's also an amoral character and truly chaotic. He's so well written and I really enjoy all his scenes, although the young sirens never fail to crack me up. They're like teenage toddlers with magic powers - you've got to be VERY careful where you point those idiots!

Ariel, 2nd FL, is in the novel SO much more than I expected - as Ophelia is the main character in this retelling, I thought Ariel's presence would be reduced to the same level as Ophelia's in the OG story - she doesn't even have a name and is only "the princess of a neighboring country" status. I loved how the author uses Ophelia and Ariel to draw parallels between two completely different women who have the same end goal - absolute freedom, and what it means to them individually. The mermaids' freedom is that of mature leaders - they have great magical and physical power and therefore great responsibility to use it wisely and for the greater good. In the sea the mermaids are almost as strong as gods - anything that touches the sea can be observed by them, including up to the farthest reaches of the beach and can be influenced with anything from typhoons to preternatural calming of the waters. Ariel wants to be on land partially because of loving Ian but mostly because for her it symbolizes complete and utter freedom - her mother went onto land and never came back, and as a consequence her family has denied her any opportunity to see anything above the waves. Ariel is still obsessed with the surface world as in the Disney movie, again because her family is overprotective of the poor little princess who grew up without her mother, but with the added layer that Ariel herself does not have the strong magic mermaids normally have. The Merqueen was ancient and incredibly powerful but was caught rescuing other mermaids from hunters, and if such a powerful person could be imprisoned and killed it would be too easy for the same to happen to Ariel. Ariel's family binds her to them because they love her so much and are terrified of losing her the same way they lost her mother, but these strictures only make Ariel more determined to flee to the surface. The taboo is the most attractive because it's banned.

There are some other minor characters like Yennit and Cornelli the mages, the Second Imperial Princess Cadellia, and the odious Lillith and Lord Hydar, and all are really well written with their own motivations and end goals. I do love the character interactions, especially between Yennit and Cornelli - they're SUCH great friends and complete opposites.

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silentkira
silentkira rated it
February 5, 2023
Status: Completed
With a new chance, our FL lived her life anew. She was entangled with the same people in her past but she made different choices. I love that even when her plans went awry, she still remained calm and planned for the next step. How she came to be free was kind of predictable. The person who graced her with her 2nd chance was also predictably obvious. But the last reveal was the greatest plot twist that I could never have imagined but should have been obvious kind of thing.... more>> It was great writing. Everything was given its proper closure.

If I had something to complain about, it would be that our FL and her ML aren't given that much chemistry. There are clues that tell us that a certain someone is the 2nd ML but it was fairly obvious in the beginning that his love would never leave his mouth and be uttered. He could only watch and be there for her. But even this 2nd ML had more chemistry and undertones in his interactions with our FL. While the ML is given the naive person in love personality. His naive in love personality is also juxtaposed with his control over his desire which in turns limits us readers to his very cute interactions with FL even though what we want is smoldering hot passion in the bed lol. I wanted more of that but I believe this was not that kind of story so I understand the absence of it.

I probably would not read this again even though it's very well written. It's because the story is so memorable that I believe it would stay fresh in my memories and there would be no excitement left in reading it for the 2nd time. That's why if you choose to read this, have an open mind and be relaxed. You only got 1 chance to enjoy this. <<less
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sprihau
sprihau rated it
December 6, 2022
Status: Completed
The story is interesting. One of the best parts about the story is the MC (female) remains strong and really plans her own fate. Even when the male lead loves her and wants her to lean on him, she plans the entire escape on her own. She is clever without being cruel. She has kindness but isn't spineless. I like the fact that they she is shown as desperate and while other characters think she is suicidal, she is actually desperate to find her safe place.

2 negative points - the... more>> romance comes on too suddenly cause the confessions don't come until the end. Despite that there is not much written about the actual love or romance between the leads. I think it's more that she found a safe place with a person she could trust than crazy in love. 2nd - There are some red flags regarding the male lead. Specially in the original time line cause it seems like he sees her in a bad place but doesn't do much about it cause he uses that to make her more dependent on him. Though the one good thing is that they are very clear about how guilty he felt for not helping her in original time line. They also acknowledge that he couldn't take her away cause he was afraid it would tarnish her reputation. The good thing was that both the MC and the male lead seem to have learnt from 1st time line and try to change themselves.

One thing I wanted to see was the original husband to repent more. I wanted to see how he realized how badly the MC was treated by his people and how much pain it caused her. I do appreciate that they are very clear even in the 2nd time line that he only has the obsession due to his guilt and it's not actual love.

The supporting characters are good specially Sante and other siren, I wish they had expanded a bit more on how the life on Siren tower was.

You can guess the twist at the end, so I had hoped that there was a bit more depth to the events that happened in the past with her mother. <<less
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Twistedshmister
Twistedshmister rated it
September 16, 2022
Status: Completed
Meant to hit 5 stars and now it won't let me change but anyway... One of my favorites!! This story is so heart wrenching and sad but also very hopeful and bright. Authors use of imagery and metaphors about the sea are so beautiful and so easy to visualize. As someone who sometimes has trouble visualizing what an author is describing, this story totally blew me out of the water ;) Ophelia is a person who clearly understands herself and the others around her, she's not shaken by misunderstandings and... more>> she aims to resolve all of her problems in a straightforward manner, although not to say that her methods are straightforward as she's very good at plotting and creating "happenstance" situations that she has planned. Alei is just a straight up king. No other words for him he's just amazing and sweet and cute and very cool. Sante is also a king but in the mischievous and daunting kind of way, however he also takes good care of our lovely Ophelia as he is taken by her charms. You feel so much sympathy for every character in this story, even Ian who plays a seriously antagonistic role in this second life. You see the misunderstandings and you see how unavoidable both of their twisted feelings are, so while you hope for Ophelia's liberation from her shackles, you also see why it's hard for Ian to understand her desire for freedom. All in all a great novel, yonnee's translations are always incredible (seriously the best) and you won't regret reading this one. PS will definitely make you cry a lot <<less
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