Beneath the Silvern Pond
by M.A. Brown
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 🌶
Synopsis:
Beneath the Silvern Pond is a dark summer Frog Prince, reimagining.
My review:
“Beneath the Silvern Pond” swept me up far more than I expected for
such a short story. I’m not even sure if it’s part of a series yet,
but honestly? I hope it becomes one,
because this little novella has so much potential simmering beneath the
surface. Just so we’re clear from the start, I went into this blind, and I came
out pleasantly surprised.
What really hooked me from page one was the
author’s writing style. It felt poetic,
lyrical, haunting, and somehow both soft and razor-sharp at the same
time. For a story of its length, it managed to captivate me instantly, pulling
me into a world that, frankly, both fascinated and disgusted me (in the best
way). The disgust comes not from the content being poorly done, but from the time period itself; this is a historical
setting where women were treated like currency, sold off to the highest bidder
for status, lineage, or wealth. And the author did such a phenomenal job
capturing that raw injustice that you can’t help but feel it.
Some lines were so gorgeous and emotionally
loaded that I had to stop and reread them. A few favorites:
“My breaths slowed. I could almost imagine
that if I stayed this way long enough that I might begin to grow moss. My skin
might become stone, and I would cease to feel anything other than the gentle
stroking of the shallows against my soul.”
Tell me that isn’t absolutely stunning.
“Dozens of eyes peeled my flesh, dissecting
me, stripping me bare. I was a flower pressed into glass admired for my beauty
and not my worth.”
The imagery? Devastating and perfect, and
here is the repulsion.
“‘My, my, she is a willowy slip of a
thing,’ the lord commented… ‘Are those hips of hers wide enough to bear sons do
you think?’ Not a compliment then.”
These lines cut deep, and they’re meant to.
Despite its brevity, the story held my
attention from start to finish, and then some. And let’s not forget one of the
best parts: this is a sapphic romance
with a monster twist. If you know me, you know I am always here for a good monster romance, and
this one delivered just enough to make me crave more.
In
the end, Beneath the Silvern Pond was a
beautifully dark and captivating read. It left me wanting more, in the best way, and
I genuinely hope the author continues this world or expands the story. There’s
so much magic and meaning hidden between these pages, and I’d happily dive back
into its depths.
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