Mermaid fan? Looking for a new mermaid book to dive (see what I did there) into? Today on Young Adult Edition, my co-host, Elle Beaumont, and I talked with mermaid author Amber R. Duell, chatted about the new mermaid anthology, Of The Deep, recapped International Mermaid Day, and showed off some awesome mermaid reads! Check out the replay here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIhIVnSaNfs
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Available June 12 from K.M. Robinson, Amber R. Duell, Elle Beaumont, and E.J. Hagadorn >>>GRAB IT HERE<<< Ready for more book recs? Here’s what we’ve got for you: The Siren Wars by K.M. Robinson War has hovered around the kingdom of Scylla for generations ever since the original sirens left the mer collection generations ago after nearly drowning the human prince. Over the years, select mermaids from the royal bloodline have been trained as spies to work for the reigning kings and queens, keeping the collection safe from sirens and humans. Celena and her partner, Merrick, work covertly for the royals—not even her twin brother knows. When they discover the sirens have broken through the barriers the mer set up to keep the sirens out, Celena and her friends must race to the old kingdom of Metten to stop them from starting a war within their borders. When she’s dragged to the surface, Celena realizes that the war above the waters is as deadly as the one below the waves—and sacrificing herself may be the only way to protect her family. The Siren Wars have only just begun. Learn More Here
The Mermaid Trials by Cameron Drake Losing is dangerous. Winning means everything. Katriana has been waiting for this moment her entire life. Once a century, the Royals hold the Trials. Every Mer of a certain age must participate. The contests are brutal. Survival is not guaranteed. But for the victors, the prize is unimaginable. They are allowed to walk on land. She is forced to work for her evil stepmother, while ignoring the taunts of her spoiled half-sister. She’s desperate to escape. So desperate, she begins the Trials without armor, or even a helmet. Not one to give up, Katriana gives the Trials all she is worth, even catching the eye of a mysterious benefactor who is more than he seems. How much will she sacrifice to become one of the elite? And if she does win, will she be able to halt mankind’s destruction of the sea? Learn More Here
To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever. The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy? Learn More Here
Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly Serafina, daughter of Isabella, Queen of Miromara, has been raised with the expectation – and burden – that she will someday become ruler of the oldest civilization of the merfolk. On the eve of the Dokimí ceremony, which will determine if she is worthy of the crown, Sera is haunted by a strange dream that foretells the return of an ancient evil. But her nightmare is forgotten the next day as she diligently practices her songspell; eagerly anticipates a reunion with her best friend, Neela; and anxiously worries about Mahdi, the crown prince of Matali, and whether his feelings toward her and their future betrothal have changed. Most of all, she worries about not living up to her mother’s hopes. The Dokimí proceeds, a dazzling display of majesty and might, until a shocking turn of events interrupts it: an assassin’s arrow wounds Isabella. The realm falls into chaos, and Serafina’s darkest premonitions are confirmed. Now she and Neela must embark on a quest to find the assassin’s master and prevent a war between the mer nations. Their search will lead them to other mermaid heriones scattered across the six seas. Together they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood as they uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world’s very existence. Learn More Here
The Siren by Kierra Cass Years ago, Kahlen was rescued from drowning by the Ocean. To repay her debt, she has served as a Siren ever since, using her voice to lure countless strangers to their deaths. Though a single word from Kahlen can kill, she can’t resist spending her days on land, watching ordinary people and longing for the day when she will be able to speak and laugh and live freely among them again. Kahlen is resigned to finishing her sentence in solitude…until she meets Akinli. Handsome, caring, and kind, Akinli is everything Kahlen ever dreamed of. And though she can’t talk to him, they soon forge a connection neither of them can deny…and Kahlen doesn’t want to. Falling in love with a human breaks all the Ocean’s rules, and if the Ocean discovers Kahlen’s feelings, she’ll be forced to leave Akinli for good. But for the first time in a lifetime of following the rules, Kahlen is determined to follow her heart. Learn More Here
Legend of the Mer by Angel Leya Ever wonder if mermaids are real? Skye sure believes. She is one, and she’s recounting their history for the young mermaids. It’s a history full of heartache and bad choices, in which a tribe—once holders of the sea’s secrets—become a part of her. Mermaids are real, but what Skye wants to know is if humans are everything she’s dreamed of. Learn More Here
The Fourth Law of Kanaloa by Johan Twiss Running from her past, jazz vocalist Maris Johnson finds refuge singing to the Navy men on the island paradise of Oahu. But her world forever changes when Pearl Harbor is attacked and a mysterious figure emerges from the sea to save her life. Learn More Here
The Mermaid’s Curse by Alexa Rowan As a young mer in the palace guard, Lou had given his heart to sweet, noble Kyria. But he should never have let the princess lure him up to her rooms. Her stepmother, the reigning queen, caught them together and banished him. Now he’s cursed to wander the drylands until he finds his true love—his soul mate. And after three hundred years, he’s still waiting. When he meets a human woman who shares his long lost love’s face and name, will he let himself fall for her, when he could lose her forever if she loves him back? This second chances romance from the hero’s point of view skillfully combines fairy tale, myth, and fantasy; adds a dash of heat; and tops it off with a happily ever after. Learn More Here
Breakwater by Catherine Jones Payne A red tide is rising. As the daughter of one of the mer-king’s trusted advisors, seventeen-year-old Jade has great responsibilities. When her fiancé murders a naiad, plunging the underwater city of Thessalonike into uproar, tensions surge between the mer and the naiads. Jade learns too late that the choices she makes ripple further than she’d ever imagined. And as she fights against the tide of anger in a city that lives for scandal, she discovers danger lurking in every canal, imperiling her family and shattering the ocean’s fragile peace. Can the city’s divisions be mended before the upwelling of hate rips apart everything Jade loves? Learn More Here
Drown by Esther Dalseno Seven emotionless princesses. Three ghostly sirens. A beautiful, malicious witch haunted by memories. A handsome, self-mutilating prince. Belonging to a race that is mostly animal with little humanity, a world obsessed with beauty where morality holds no sway, a little mermaid escapes to the ocean’s surface. Discovering music, a magnificent palace of glass and limestone, and a troubled human prince, she is driven by love to consult the elusive sea-witch who secretly dominates the entire species of merfolk. Upon paying an enormous price for her humanity, the little mermaid begins a new life, uncovering secrets of sexuality and the Immortal Soul. As a deadly virus threatens to contaminate the bloodstreams of the whole merfolk race, the little mermaid must choose between the lives of her people, the man she loves, or herself. A complete reinvention of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale, this is a magical-realist fable that captures the essence of sacrifice and the price of humanity. Learn More Here
Fathomless by Jackson Pearce Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets and the one with the least valuable power. Anne can see the future, and Jane can see the present, but all Celia can see is the past. And the past seems so insignificant — until Celia meets Lo. Lo doesn’t know who she is. Or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea — a nymph, an ocean girl, a mermaid — all terms too pretty for the soulless monster she knows she’s becoming. Lo clings to shreds of her former self, fighting to remember her past, even as she’s tempted to embrace her dark immortality. When a handsome boy named Jude falls off a pier and into the ocean, Celia and Lo work together to rescue him from the waves. The two form a friendship, but soon they find themselves competing for Jude’s affection. Lo wants more than that, though. According to the ocean girls, there’s only one way for Lo to earn back her humanity. She must persuade a mortal to love her . . . and steal his soul. Learn More Here
Sea Swept by Erica Cope For as long as she can remember, Addie McKay has had an intense fear of the sea—which made growing up with the Atlantic Ocean as her backyard rather difficult. But something has changed. Lately she has found herself strangely drawn to the ocean. It’s as though the sea is casting a spell over her, calling out to her, and she can’t help but feel that it coincides with the arrival of the mysterious stranger in town. Addie’s never had a reason to step foot in the ocean until one night she’s forced to dive into the salty depths. There she makes a startling discovery and exposes a hidden threat looming beneath the surface. Now, Addie knows there is more to her lifelong fear of the water than she ever imagined possible—and that it may be the only thing keeping her from being swept away by the sea. Learn More Here
Iloray by Mary Jane Capps The sea keeps secrets. Gryshen’s never belonged. She’s always been . . . odd. And she’s never wanted her role as chieftain’s daughter. There are too many expectations. She’s expected to lead a pod of iloray who don’t seem to trust her. To be the responsible sibling, while her charming kid brother jokes, hunts, and woos. To marry her father’s unbearably dependable aide, Bravis. Life in the water has always moved too fast. And now it’s speeding up. Gryshen’s beloved father is dying, leaving her to take the throne and guard her pod’s sacred pearl, a magical gem that gives life to all iloray. When she meets the remarkable Coss, son of the most ruthless chieftain in Oceas, she finally finds a way out. But her dreams come undone as her father’s health collapses, the sacred pearl goes missing, and an ancient test reveals just how much of a stranger she is. Now, Gryshen—who’s never led anything—must lead warriors from pods around the sea in a battle to save their kind. Will she discover what she is along the way? The sea is full of secrets, and it’s time for them to surface. Learn More Here
Emerge by Tobie Easton Lia Nautilus may be a Mermaid but she’s never lived in the ocean. Ever since the infamous Little Mermaid unleashed a curse that stripped Mer of their immortality, war has ravaged the Seven Seas. Now Lia lives in a secret community of land-dwelling Mer hidden among Malibu’s seaside mansions and attends high school with humans. To protect everyone around her, she must limit her contact with non-Mer. No exceptions. But when the new girl sets her sights on Lia’s crush, she will risk exposing her deadly secret to stop Clay from falling in love with the wrong girl. Learn More Here
Diving Under by Ginna Moran Eight years after her older sister was swept out to sea, eighteen-year-old Ava Adair still swears off the ocean. It takes a promise of the best vacation of her life aboard the Ocean Jewel with her friends to get her even within reach of the waves. When she steps aboard the luxury yacht to sail the California coastline, the last thing she expects is to gain the attention of gorgeous Carter Stevens, the yacht’s deckhand, who becomes the perfect distraction against her fear of the open water. On the yacht, a freak accident involving Carter reveals a secret he’s been hiding from Ava. She discovers that he’s a merman and by saving her, he changed her life. One misstep could reveal the new secret they share and ruin the life on land she’s desperate to maintain. Torn between a future on land with her family and a new life at sea, Ava must decide—is her former life worth fighting for, or can she accept that she belongs to the ocean? Learn More Here
NeverSea by Jenette Penner and David R. Bernstein Can a pure, but broken heart fuel the war to control the NeverSea? “The Little Mermaid & Peter Pan together in a sci-fi retelling.” Forced under the sea, seventeen-year-old Arya fights, alongside her sisters, to take down the Syndicate—a group looking to genetically redesign humanity against their will. When a routine patrol goes horribly wrong, she reunites with Peter, the ousted former leader of the Lost Boys. Arya and Peter’s tortured past, filled with genetic experimentation, fuel their need for justice. Years earlier, Peter left young Arya when she needed him the most, leaving her torn from James, the love of her life. Now, Arya has no choice, but to trust Peter or risk losing everything. In a future where a constantly rising sea has swallowed nearly all the land on Earth, Arya and Peter fight to regain control of Neverland, a massive floating settlement, now controlled by the Syndicate. The abilities forced on them years ago, are now the weapons they need to fight back. Learn More Here
Flipping the Scales by Pete Tarsi Meredith and Marina’s lives have been flipped upside down. When the translucent skirt that straight-A-student Meredith finds hidden on the beach gets wet, it transforms her legs into a mermaid tail. Despite the evidence in front of her, she insists that becoming a mythical creature isn’t scientifically possible. Marina is allowed to experience one day per moon cycle among the humans. After hiding her tail on the beach that morning, she takes her first timid steps on land. When she returns at sunset to find it missing, she is left stranded and alone. For the first time in her life, Meredith doesn’t have all the answers. As she searches for a way to return to normal before the next full moon, she makes waves among the school of mermaids. Meanwhile, Marina uncovers information about her past, and for the first time in her life, she must stand on her own two feet and take the lead on her own adventure. As Meredith senses her human side slipping away, a forbidden way to change back entices her. But it comes with a consequence: Marina wouldn’t be able to return to the ocean. Learn More Here
Ice Massacre by Tiana Warner A mermaid’s supernatural beauty serves one purpose: to lure a sailor to his death. The Massacre is supposed to bring peace to Eriana Kwai. Every year, the island sends its warriors to battle these hostile sea demons. Every year, the warriors fail to return. Desperate for survival, the island must decide on a new strategy. Now, the fate of Eriana Kwai lies in the hands of twenty battle-trained girls and their resistance to a mermaid’s allure. Eighteen-year-old Meela has already lost her brother to the Massacre, and she has lived with a secret that’s haunted her since childhood. For any hope of survival, she must overcome the demons of her past and become a ruthless mermaid killer. For the first time, Eriana Kwai’s Massacre warriors are female, and Meela must fight for her people’s freedom on the Pacific Ocean’s deadliest battleground. Learn More Here
Dark Water by J.A. Armitage You think you know the story of The Little Mermaid… A tragic accident on the eve of her eighteenth birthday leads Princess Erica to a chance encounter with a mysterious man on the beach. When he turns up at her birthday party and whisks her off her feet, she knows she has to find out everything about him, but why won’t he speak and where does he keep disappearing to? Ari knows he’s crossed a line by mingling with the land humans, but how can he resist the beautiful princess whose life he saved? He must decide whether to stay on land and become like her, or continue to live without her in the depths of the ocean. Trapped in a centuries long battle between his kind and hers, his decision will rock both their kingdoms. With a sea witch that needs repaying and the small matter of Erica’s engagement to someone else, Ari knows the odds are stacked against him. Learn More Here
Sinking by Sarah Armstrong-Garner Jocelyn washes up on the shore of eighteenth century Ireland, alone, naked, and missing all of her memories. Taken in by a lonely old woman full of plots and schemes for the lovely yet enigmatic creature, Jocelyn knows only one thing. She longs for the sea with every ounce of her being. Yet it tried to kill her. Aidan Boyd loves two things. His ship and the sea. When Jocelyn is thrust upon his vessel in the midst of his superstitious crew, he finds himself intoxicated by her–willing to give up everything for her. He soon finds he cannot live without her. But something holds Jocelyn back. The whisper of another’s love. The embrace of water. Does she belong to this world? Or could Jocelyn possibly be from the sea? Learn More Here
Suppressed by Wendi Wilson There are strange things out there. Things I thought only existed in fairy tales. My name is Kailani Ericson and my life pretty much sucks. My mother is an indentured servant in this lonely house, serving a hateful old woman who gets her kicks by terrorizing me. One of my few comforts is the sea in my backyard. Diving into its frigid depths is the one thing that makes me truly happy. Then he shows up, and my entire world shifts. Bryce Howell is gorgeous, every girl’s fantasy. He’s also arrogant, insolent, and strictly forbidden. But he’s not normal. He’s something different. Something magical. Our attraction to each other just may be my downfall. As it turns out, I’m not normal either. I am the stuff of myths and legends. Suddenly, my love of the sea and its pull on me make a lot more sense. They say legends never die, and I hope that’s true. There are those who want me dead, and if I can’t put a halt to my seemingly inevitable transformation, there will be nothing I can do to stop them. I love the sea, but ultimately, it might just be what kills me. Learn More Here
Rising by Holly Kelly In a war between the humans and the inhabitants of the sea—humans will lose. Xanthus Dimitriou—the most lethal Dagonian to rise from the ocean—is on a mission to save mankind from annihilation. But first there’s one small thing he needs to do. Kill a young woman in a wheelchair. Killing her doesn’t start out as part of his plan. He entrenches himself deep in the human world. Aligning himself with his enemies, he prepares to send them to Triton to face their punishment. Then Sara Taylor rolls onto the scene. Xanthus knows at once she’s a criminal. And her crime? Being born. She’s a human/Dagonian half-breed, an abomination. Killing her should be an easy job. All he has to do is break into her apartment, slit her throat, and feed her body to the sharks. Simple, right? Wrong. If only she weren’t so beautiful, so innocent, so sweet… Saving the world may have to wait. It appears he has a woman to save. But protecting her may cost him his own life. Learn More Here
Forbidden Tides by Kyla Stan
Astrid Murphy, born with strange webbed hands and a thirst for saltwater, feels like a freak. She desires to look and feel normal, just like her family. But Astrid doesn’t realize that she’s meant to be the next ruler of the Deep Clan, a race of merpeople who are dying from pollution and overhunting. She is the only one who can save them.
Zander’s mission was to find Astrid, bring her home, and save their world. Not to fall in love with his target. Surrounded in a web of danger, a forbidden love between princess and warrior blossoms. But Zander knows they can’t focus on each other. The Deep Clan must come first.
But it’s the one enemy Astrid never expected who will tear it all down. Her father. The one person who was supposed to love and protect her, will do anything to keep her from fulfilling her destiny with Zander. Even kill.
As Astrid and Zander fight for their world, they learn the true depth of what it means to love, the power of hope, and what it means to be free.
Skye’s Lure by Angela Leya I should’ve let him drown. That’s what any normal Mer would have done. Of course, if I was like the rest, I wouldn’t have been lurking around that party yacht, trying to catch a glimpse of the humans. My people will kill me if they find out–literally–but I can’t help going back every time he shows up. And he’s offering me everything I’ve ever wanted: A chance to see land. Those stormy blue eyes don’t hurt, either. Now I have to decide. Is it worth risking everything I’ve ever known, everything I’ve ever believed, to follow my heart? How can I say yes? But how can I possibly say no? Includes Legend of the Mer, the creation short story that started it all. Learn More Here
One Thousand Tears by Pauline Creeden Among mermaids and humans, cruelty has many faces. One secret Adelaide has kept for as long as she can remember—her love for Jonas. She is the daughter of the clan’s elder; he is a bottom feeder. As Mer, they can never be together. But as humans, it might be possible. When Jonas’s reckoning comes, he must go to land during the cycle of the full moon. But when the next cycle comes around, he doesn’t return. Fearing what might have become of him, Adelaide follows and gains legs for herself. But living life as a human is much more difficult than she imagined. And finding Jonas is just as hard. To follow him to the underwater city, she must endure the Initiate’s Trial. Her strength and resolve will be tested, if she wants to find Jonas and survive. Adelaide must prove she’s more than just a mermaid princess. Learn More Here
Salt by Pauline Creeden Her kind treats her as less-than-human, but she’s always been so much more. Mermaid life has never been easy for Verona. Her scars give evidence of her abuse. When her day of reckoning arrives, she is determined to endure exile. According to her father’s experience, exile is better than becoming a land-walker and risking her life among the humans. However, when she saves the life of a drowning human boy, she inadvertently sets off a chain of events which force her to choose a path: stay with the humans she has become attached to or return home to a life of scorn. A savage hunter draws closer, threatening even the humans. Her only hope is to keep everyone safe until the next full moon, but those around her devise their own plans. Learn More Here
Shearwater by D.S.Murphy After her parents die in a car accident, 15-year old Clara Clark is shipped off to live with a grandfather she never knew existed… in Ireland. Once there, she discovers that her mother’s past is filled with secrets. Determined to discover the truth about her mother, a string of strange incidents cause her to question her sanity. As the mystery deepens, she begins going through changes of her own, until she’s not sure just who – or what – she is anymore. Then she meets the charming Sebastian, who won’t leave her alone, and the brooding Ethan, who can’t stand to be around her. Both of them seem to have supernatural powers, and she’s not quite sure whether they want to kiss her or kill her. When a shocking revelation destroys everything she thought she knew, she’s forced to choose… whether to cling to the last of her humanity, or venture into the deep abyss in search of her true identity. Learn More Here
What’s YOUR favorite mermaid story? Let us know which is your fav in the comments (and let us know if we missed one that we should add!) Don’t forget to PIN this episode so you can chekc back with this list! TUNE IN EVERY MONDAY for a new episode of Young Adult Edition with K.M. Robinson and Elle Beaumont + some amazing guest star authors, book world professionals, and book lovers! Next week: Villain Stories with guest star, J.M. Sullivan >WATCH ON FACEBOOK LIVE HERE<<< Stay inspired, -K.M. Robinson
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