| Title | : | Annihilation Archetypes (Annihilation Archetypes, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9798987048702 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 256 |
| Publication | : | Published January 13, 2023 |
Annihilation Archetypes (Annihilation Archetypes, #1) Reviews
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Nefertiti mother left when she was born and never knew who her father was, her sister Evgenis raised her. They lived away from the other mermaids for eight years. The day she was born King Titus said she was a huntress. She was summon to go to King Titus and begin her training. She’s getting trained to be a huntress. Nefertiti goes through many chances as the book progresses. Great characters and storyline. Highly recommended. Amazing Book. I love Nefertiti character development. This book ends on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait for the next book. Check your trigger warning. This is my first book by this author definitely not my last
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I absolutely loved this book! It was my first mermaid fantasy read! From the start it kept me wanting more. From the characters to the plot to everything all around it’s an absolutely incredible book with some spice thrown into it!! It leaves you in a MAJOR cliff hanger itching for the next book! Go ahead get comfy grab your favorite drink and snacks because you’re not going to want to put this book down. Happy reading!
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So I originally got this book from the author as an ARC and I loved it immensely.
These mermaids are more your Grimm brothers than Disney, move over Ariel, Eric, and Ursula there is a different breed of under the sea and it doesn't come with a romantic crab.
Mermaids are either tattooed into their destiny and onto the skin of their king the moment they are born or they just aren't that special. Special in this world means predators in ours, unless you fall in love and fight being special, until you are dragged back to your king to discover how "special" you really are.
Is being special really what it is cut out to be or is it just one more thing you have to overcome to find your place in both worlds?? -
This was a fantastic story! I loved reading about the world and the merpeople under the sea. The blending of old gods and the modern world was a great idea.
I’m super curious about what will happen next for Nefertiti and her family, this one did end on a cliffhanger. I really liked the character of Diana and hope to see more of her in the second book. The Little Mermaid vibes were strong with Ursuline and Arianna.
The only thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was how formal Nefertiti spoke to others. She never seemed to have an informal conversation even with friends and family. The story also mentions that Santiago is her only friend growing up, but when they spend time together as adults they converse like they’ve just met.
Thank you to BookSirens and the author for a copy! -
I received an advanced review copy of Annihilation Archetypes and am leaving a review willingly.
This is a mermaid story, and was my first mermaid read and it was amazing. Our main character is a mermaid/siren who is raised away from the mermaids with her sister which gives her a chance at more of a free life. The story was a little to much in the beginning but once I got into it, I was hooked. I cant wait to see what the author has coming up next for us. If your wanting a mermaid/siren/huntress story I would recommend this one. I am definitely glad I was able to read this as an Arc and enjoy this amazing tale. -
I was lucky enough to receive a ARC of this particular book, I went into with very little idea of what it was about. I’m glad to say I was pleasantly surprised, the world building is simple to read but absolutely fascinating. This was actually my first mermaid fantasy book and I am dying for the next one, I mean that cliffhanger though🫢 Gods, Fate, Mermaids. I really don’t know what else you could ask for in a book. Totally binge worthy, stayed snuggled on my couch reading it all day🫣
Thank you so much to the author for sending me a copy, I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for the next one!! -
I recieved an advanced review copy of this book and am leaving a review willingly.
This is such a great book. The story line was very different from anything I have read before but it was so good! I loved how the story progressed.
In my opinion I did feel like Nefertiti didn't have enough emotions in some parts of the story. I may have just read too much into it but that is just how u felt while reading it.
Overall a great book and can't wait to read what happens next! -
I had the ability to be a ARC reader for the author and received an advance copy.. This is one of my first tale of mermaids and huntresses I've read.
Unlike what you've come to imagine, the lore is beautiful and huntresses leathal. It was dialoug heavy at the beginning but started to flow better around chapter 6.. Left at a great cliffhanger, and I can't wait to see what the author does with her stories and look forward to more from her -
I received an arc of this book and leaving a review willingly. There were so many details and world building in this book. The storyline was so unique and grabbed my interest from the beginning. This is not your ordinary mermaid story it is so much more. The MC has so much heart and sass all wrapped into one. It had me laughing and crying and ended on a major cliffhanger making me want more!
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There are a lot of retellings and re-workings of classic fairy-tale stories coming out lately, but in Michele Garguilo’s latest novel ‘Annihilation Archetypes’, this is taken to a whole new level. Garguilo expertly intertwines the classic stories we all know and love about mermaids with the retelling of ancient Greek gods and goddesses. Nefertiti is born a huntress mermaid, but she is more than just that title. Being hidden from essentially ocean royalty, King Titus, in isolation for the first 10 years of her life, to being thrown into some of the most intense huntress training there is, the reader is often left wondering who she really is; and why all the preferential treatment? As Nefertiti completes her training as a huntress, she soon learns her role in the survival of the ocean species is much more than her skills as a huntress.
All of the characters and scenes are drenched in imagery, leaving Garguilo painting each scene for the reader. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters of the novel, as there was definite development in the main character of Nefertiti but solid side characters which helped the novel a lot. I would find myself frustrated at times with the more stagnant characters, but to me that just means that these characters were written well. Any book that elicits emotions about the characters is a good one to me. If the PDF was not on my kindle I might have thrown the book across the room.
This novel flows very easily from plot line point to climax, and leaves the reader on a cliff hanger. Though slightly predictable due to the slower character development overall, Garguilo still makes this novel a page turner. Each page left me wanting to know if something was actually foreshadowing a classic story line or about to put her own twist on what is going to happen. This kept the novel at a readable pace; as I rarely if ever had to re-read a section to understand what was going on. The only problematic portion of the novel was learning new terminology of Garguilo’s world, and the concept of when merpeople were most active, day or night. Along with this, when the huntresses hunted and had day terrors instead of nightmares.
I would say this novel is definitely aimed for an older young adult as there are a few sexually explicit scenes that are not suited for young teens. I would recommend this book to anyone in their late teens or early twenties and up because of this. A fantasy romance with merpeople, humans, Greek gods and goddesses and huntress half mermaid half human creatures, this book has something for everyone. Looking forward to the squeal! -
*Starting by prefacing that I received an ARC of this book for an honest review.*
As a society, I feel like the vast majority of us has been conditioned to envision mermaids as a cutesy thing full of magic and wonder, rather than something deadly to be feared. This novel expertly paints a portrait of the other side of the coin. Having lived a sort of Nomadic life away from her kingdom for the first part of her life, stolen away by her sister Evengís, Nefertiti grew up laughing, as a child should. Alas, as we are so often reminded in these books, you cannot hide from fate forever, and in this case it came a-knocking before long.
That said, despite her reluctance for the change and the loneliness and isolation that come along with it, Nefertiti grows fierce and strong, and takes to the life of the Huntress with eagerness to fulfill the role assigned to her by King Titus and pave the path of a freer, safer life for her fellow merpeople. That is, until she discovers that there’s a little more to the prey she set out to hunt than she’d ever been led to believe, and maybe even more to the magic and the Gods she’d heard stories of; not to mention her King. She finds a comfort on land that the sea has never provided her, but at what cost?
You’ll have to read and find out!
For me, the start was a bit slow, but I’ve been in a reading slump for a couple of months so I want to attribute it to that- especially so since, as soon as I found myself a handful of chapters in, I was struggling to put the book down rather than to pick it back up. It was well thought out, fleshed out, and written in a way that rouses a full spectrum of emotion from the reader by its final chapter, which then ends on a MASSIVE cliffhanger. I laughed, I cried a little, and my jaw was hanging open on the final page. I NEED to know what’s next for Nefertiti and friends, and I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future. -
I was lucky enough to ARC read this book, and I can’t tell you how honored I am. The author did such a marvelous job! The world she created is breathtaking and the storyline mesmerizing. I was sucked in to this story almost immediately, and read the whole book almost without stopping (I paused once to message the author with my gushing praise 🙂).
One thing I have to note that I don’t know if others will be aware of is that the author is also a sommelier. So the beautiful way she wrote about wine and pairing it with art is one of her specialties. She’s written about wine pairings and pets before and while I enjoy wine, I am not as devoted to it as Gargiulo is. But after reading her spellbinding words about pairing wine, I’m fascinated and want to learn more! It’s such a funny side note, probably. But it is one more way I can demonstrate to other readers how impressed I was with this work. The really descriptive narratives around wine helped build one of the central relationships in a really cool way.
One of my favorite quotes from the book (this will not spoil the story): “Life has been cruel to me and shattered my soul in to a million pieces” … “The nice thing about that is now I have a million pieces of soul to click with others.” This was so incredibly moving, so beautiful to me. I hope everyone that reads this book falls as deeply in love as I have.
I very rarely feel a debut novel is quite ready for a full five stars, but I couldn’t in good conscience rate Annihilation Archetypes lower than five stars. I hope Gargiulo works quickly to give the world the next part of Nefertiti’s story. I’m addicted! -
I was absolutely shocked at how much I loved Annihilation Archetype!! It was phenomenal!
I am a person who supports conservation of wildlife, including those in the ocean, and one of the major things that I loved about Annihilation Archetype is that it’s based around mer-folk who are doing their best to protect the oceans from humans who have destroyed hundreds of underwater ecosystems and annihilated oceanic species with pollution and trash.
Annihilation Archetype brings forth ideals and conversations that people just don’t want to talk about, but they DO need to be talked about in order to preserve our planet, which is dying because of us. We should be the planet’s protectors, not its destroyer.
Nefertiti is a young mermaid, a warrior siren, a huntress, that is raised away from other mer-folk so that she has a sense of freedom instead of being raised solely to kill to protect. And then she is brought in and trained to protect the oceans and everything/everyone that lives in them, despite being conflicted between killing, or controversially, trying to teach humans how to respect the planet.
Annihilation Archetype is very intense, but it’s rich in story. You’re basically on the edge of your seat, all the way to the end of the book, where you want more but know you have to wait for book two.
I highly, highly suggest giving Annihilation Archetype a read, because it’s very well written, the characters are full of depth, and the world-building is based on the real world, yet still painted with fantasy.
I can’t wait for the story to continue in book two!!! -
Trigger Warnings:
MF & FF sex scenes
Violence
Gore
Death
Nefertiti is a mermaid that has lived in seclusion since birth from her own people by the choice of her sister. She was born to be a huntress a protector of the seas and her people from the humans. King Titus has ordered her home to start her training to become a huntress. In the book she goes through many changes that happen during her training that are physically, mentally and sexually overwhelming as well as overcoming her immaturity. Everything leads to a prophecy that will change her whole outlook on what she was really born to be. King Titus will have what he wants no matter the cost and she will not be the only one to suffer if she doesn't do what needs to be done.
This was a little mermaid wrapped in the darkest sensual fantasy on steroids. At certain parts of the story the FMC immaturity was very annoying and I wanted her to stop acting so childish. A majority of the the time I was so mad how she was being treated by the mermaids and mermen. The beginning of the book like the first 4 chapters read like a fantasy book, but then all of a sudden it was SMUT central all throughout the plot and that threw me for a loop in a very good way. The story was written absolutely so good and the world was built so well. The back stories all came together at the perfect times in book and I enjoyed the book. -
The story is somewhere between fast and slow paced for the most part, but picks up somewhat during action scenes. It feel lighthearted, even though the topic is dark, which only adds to it's appeal to me. It's a bit earie that way. I felt neither excited nor bored. It was actually quite calming. Though I couldn't really connect with the main character, Nefertiti, who is a Huntress, or a mermaid destined and trained to kill humans, I liked her just fine and the story was still entertaining enough. Born to a Huntress who abandoned her immediately after birth, and not knowing who her father is, Nefertiti was raised by her sister, Evganís, until at the age of 10, when she was summoned by King Titus to start her training. Nefertiti doesn't particularly want to kill humans, believing that all life has a place in the world. But she accepts that it's necessary for the survival of her species and is eager to start her training. The way the author portrays mermaids is a bit different from the way other authors portray them. For one thing, they can peel off their scales to reveal legs underneath. If you are looking for something fast paced or action packed, this might not be your thing. But if you're looking for something lighthearted and calming, then it just might be your cup of tea. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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I received an advanced review copy of this book and am leaving a review willingly.
I was sold on the premise of this book very early on: mermaids as champions for the ocean against plastics/pollution = amazeballs! I was even okay with them hunting humans to feed the sharks, since it's bc of humans that they are starving.
The pacing of the book felt off, however. Slow pace makes sense when you're world-building, but I felt the author missed some opportunities. During Nefertiti's lessons she was learning more about humans than her own species' history. I understand that was necessary for her, but as a human reader I don't need to know about my world, I need to know more about the mermaids' world. Her human lessons could've been done off page.
The one other qualm I had about this story was that Nefertiti used a alot of common human vernacular that didn't fit with being a novice mermaid in the human world. For example, she met a woman who spoke with a raspy voice and she wondered if she was a smoker - how does she know this? Or how does she know how to write?
I enjoyed the spicy scenes, those were well written!
I did not enjoy the cliffhanger, but that's a me problem!
I hope in future sequels the author hones in on the mermaid mythology. I look forward to reading more about this world! -
This story sucked me in from the very beginning and I felt very invested in this world. There are plenty of twists and turns throughout the story and I really enjoyed how the author ended the plot. I look forward to a continuation of this story in future books and highly recommend this book even if fantasy is not your usual genre. I have only read a handful of fantasy books and this is by far my favorite (be aware there is a lot of spice throughout this book as well!)
Annihilation Archetypes is about a huntress named Nefertiti who is born into her role of killing humans seemingly without an escape. Huntresses must kill humans to create a balance in the world as humans are destroying the earth. Nefertiti longs for freedom in choosing her own path but it is clear that this will not happen for her as long as she is a mermaid and ruled by her king. She finds a way to stay a human and cultivates relationships with people learning that not everyone is as bad as she has been taught to believe. With this newfound knowledge about the good nature of some humans, she fights for what she believes in. -
Brothers Grimm meet the Little Mermaid!
Annihilation Archetypes is a fantastic mermaid fantasy and my first read by this author. We follow the story of Nefertiti, an elite Huntress mermaid, through her journey of discovering the human world while navigating her own world under the ocean. She is abandoned by her mother after her birth and is raised by her sister. She has no idea who her father is or why she has been chosen to become a huntress. She feels isolated in her world and decides to try out life on land.
This is a twist on the classic Little Mermaid fairy tale. I was hooked after the first chapter and finished the book quickly. The world building was so detailed, it made you feel like you were experiencing every new place right along with Nefertiti. There are so many different characters mentioned but it never seems overwhelming. This book has it all - fantasy, spicy romance, intrigue, mystery, coming of age moments, betrayal, mermaids, Gods, villains, humans, and the list goes on and on! Once you pick this up you will have a hard time putting it down.
The story does not end with this book and definitely leaves you wanting more. -
Loved this mermaid tale! After being left my her mother, we follow Nefertiti's journey as she learns the life of a huntress. This story is very unique and hits life points like ocean pollution but tied it into the storyline perfectly! Take a retelling of the gods, add some mermaids and we get this amazing story, Annihilation Archetypes. The journey Nefertiti is on is one I love reading. She's out to find who she is in the world she feels trapped in. She's selfless compared to how the merpeople believe things should be.
Once on land she meets a human that shows her that not all humans are cruel. While she learns the life on land, King Titus is causing the anger in the ocean. She's not just another huntress to him...he needs her. Nefertiti learns that making deals could or could not be a good thing. She's so desperate to have freedom that she makes a deal that she'll learn may have consequences. I loved this story and I really can't wait to see what happens after how this books leaves us at the end! -
***I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. These thoughts and opinions are genuinely my own.***
Nefertiti is a siren, and her whole purpose (according to King Titus), is to lure humans to their deaths. After living with her sister in seclusion she heads to the palace where she is trained to be a cold hearted killer. The mermaids have some serious beef with the human population decimating the ocean, over fishing, and killing off coral wreaths. Nefertiti grows weary with the murder of humans when she starts to get to know them and realize that not all of them are evil. She decides to cut a deal with a sea witch for information on how to leave the ocean and live amongst humans for as long as she can. She meets and befriends a human who really is the epitome of a good person and learns what it is like to be human. Of course fate intervenes and she must return to the ocean once her location is discovered.
This is what I would consider a dark fairytale retelling. There are some elements of the Little mermaid with greek mythology mixed in. While there were a lot of familiar elements, the story was fresh and entirely its own. Definitely check trigger warnings. I would recommend this to readers 17+ due to mature content. There are some MF and FF spicy scenes as well. This is going to be a series and the story does end in a cliffhanger. Overall I thought it was a great read. I gave it 4/5 stars because the beginning kind of dragged a little with her siren training. It could have been condensed a little in my opinion. Definitely check this story out if you are a fan of mermaids and fantasy. -
I received this book as an ARC and this is a genuine honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶🌶🌶/5
Mermaids? Heck yes!
Smut? Yup!
Annihilation Archetypes is a deliciously dark story with the little Mermaid feel.
Nefertiti is a mermaid huntress who wants to be anything but. She wants to be different, to be free from her fate that weighs heavily on her. She finds a way to leave the ocean and live on land where she learns that humans aren't as bad as they have been made out to be.
The book started off kinda slow, but after the first few chapters I just couldn't put it down. There were so many twists that I didn't see coming and I love that! The ending was just so sad though! I can't wait until the next book comes out because oh my God, the journey poor Titi has been through yall. But, if you like mermaids, smut, a MFC that has an amazing character development and snark, with a good sprinkle of dark, this is the book for you! I would give it all the stars -
Wow! This book was so good. It’s a fantasy story involving the ocean, mermaids and the Gods!
Nefertiti is the MFC who is trying to find her place/role in her world of mermaids.
Please check TW/CW’s. There is some FF and MF
This book does end on a cliffhanger that has me super excited for book 2! Can’t wait to see what happens next!
Story 4⭐️
Spice 3.5⭐️🌶️ (not a lot, but what’s there is 🥵)
I got an ARC copy and this is my honest and true review -
I was super excited to receive this ARC and had a hard time putting it down I am reviewing this book willingly and honestly.
Want an adult version similar to The Little Mermaid with a great amount of adventure and the right amount of spice? You've found your book. When I say I devoured this book I mean it, the storyline is perfectly written and details to scenery will make you feel like you are actually inside the story seeing and touching the things Nefertiti is at the time. I loved following Nefertiti's journey while she discovered herself and the path she was born to follow also feeling the things she felt for everything she encountered while growing and learning not only the ways of her people but of the human people as well. I was not disappointed at all, I can't wait to see where the story leads. -
Annihilation Archetypes by M.M. Gargiulo is a wonderful read about a mermaid and her life. Reminds me somewhat of the little mermaid with some major differences. I loved the story. My only negative was the full story of how she became a huntress, I feel the story could have progressed much quicker if we didn’t have to know her life from 10 years old. I wouldn’t take back my time reading it but I won’t be rereading this book.
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Captivating, shocking, and heartbreaking are just a few words to describe the writing of “Annihilation Archetypes”. You truly travel to another land. The book makes you wonder about the unknown and possibilities of the world.
I received an advanced review copy, and I'm leaving this review willingly
