Top 10 Mermaid Books to Read (for adults)
Shello! I love getting cosy with a good book, and even better….books about Mermaids! Dive into my Top 10 mermaid books to read (for adults)
1. A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow
This book, A Song Below Water is my current read and my ab-shell-ute favourite so far! The main character lives in Portland, Oregon (Eeeeep!) and is a siren (double Eeeeeep!) that has to hide her sea-cret identity. I am nearly finished reading and super obsessed, so no spoilers please! I will give a full review of the book once I am done, so stay tuned my magical friends!
“In a society determined to keep her under lock and key, Tavia must hide her siren powers.
Meanwhile, Effie is fighting her own family struggles, pitted against literal demons from her past. Together, these best friends must navigate through the perils of high school’s junior year.
But everything changes in the aftermath of a siren murder trial that rocks the nation, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice at the worst possible moment.
Soon, nothing in Portland, Oregon, seems safe. To save themselves from drowning, it’s only Tavia and Effie’s unbreakable sisterhood that proves to be the strongest magic of all.”
2. All the Tides of Fate by Adalyn Grace
The sequel to All the Stars and Teeth, this book is a return to Amora Montara and her kingdom. Both All of the Tides of Fate and its predecessor are YA fantasy must-reads! And yes, adults can read YA too, okay!
(And to be honest, a LOT of the books on this list can be considered YA and Adult Fantasy.)
“The thrilling sequel to instant New York Times bestseller All the Stars and Teeth, called “captivating” by Tomi Adeyemi, “Vicious and alluring” by Hafsah Faizal, and “phenomenal” by Adrienne Young. Now author Adalyn Grace is back with more high seas adventure in All the Tides of Fate, this electrifying fantasy, perfect for fans of Stephanie Garber’s Caraval and Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series.”
3. From the Mouths of Sirens by Abigail Hair
The first book in a new YA fantasy series, From the Mouths of Sirens is a reimagining of the Little Mermaid, but with a Hunger Games meets Cruel Prince twist! So add this baby to your TBR pile, go on!
“Since childhood, Princess Saoirse has trained for the sole purpose of being chosen for the Tournament, a gladiator-style competition in which four enemy nations compete for the right to rule. The angel-like people of Aurandel have won the Tournament for a century and ruled the continent with a merciless grip. If Saoirse survives the three infamous trials, she will win the Crown of Revelore and overthrow the nation responsible for her mother’s death.
When Saoirse is denied entry into the Tournament by the Mer king, she makes a bargain with an imprisoned sea witch: in exchange for entrance into the competition, Saoirse agrees to kill the Auran prince. But while fighting for her life in the arena, the last thing Saoirse expects to do is fall for her greatest enemy, the arrogant Prince Rook.”
4. House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.
“Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor with her sisters and their father and stepmother. Once there were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last–the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge–and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.
Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that her sister’s deaths were no accidents. The girls have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who–or what–are they really dancing with?
When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family–before it claims her next. House of Salt and Sorrows is a spellbinding novel filled with magic and the rustle of gossamer skirts down long, dark hallways. Be careful who you dance with…”
5. Mermaid Moon by Susann Cokal
“An award-winning author tells of a mermaid who leaves the sea in search of her landish mother in a captivating tale spun with beautiful prose, lush descriptions, empathy, and keen wit.
Blood calls to blood; charm calls to charm.
It is the way of the world.
Come close and tell us your dreams.
Sanna is a mermaid – but she is only half seavish. The night of her birth, a sea-witch cast a spell that made Sanna’s people, including her landish mother, forget how and where she was born. Now Sanna is sixteen and an outsider in the seavish matriarchy, and she is determined to find her mother and learn who she is. She apprentices herself to the witch to learn the magic of making and unmaking, and with a new pair of legs and a quest to complete for her teacher, she follows a clue that leads her ashore on the Thirty-Seven Dark Islands. There, as her fellow mermaids wait in the sea, Sanna stumbles into a wall of white roses thirsty for blood, a hardscrabble people hungry for miracles, and a baroness who will do anything to live forever.”
6. The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag
I haven’t read this one yet, but I am swooning already! From the author of The Witch Boy trilogy, The Girl From the Sea is a LGBQT graphic novel about family, romance, and first love!
Fifteen-year-old Morgan has a secret: She can’t wait to escape the perfect little island where she lives.
“She’s desperate to finish high school and escape her sad divorced mom, her volatile little brother, and worst of all, her great group of friends…who don’t understand Morgan at all. Because really, Morgan’s biggest secret is that she has a lot of secrets, including the one about wanting to kiss another girl.Then one night, Morgan is saved from drowning by a mysterious girl named Keltie. The two become friends and suddenly life on the island doesn’t seem so stifling anymore.But Keltie has some secrets of her own. And as the girls start to fall in love, everything they’re each trying to hide will find its way to the surface…whether Morgan is ready or not.”
7. The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey
“Near the island of Black Conch, a fisherman sings to himself while waiting for a catch. But David attracts a sea-dweller that he never expected – Aycayia, an innocent young woman cursed by jealous wives to live as a mermaid.
When American tourists capture Aycayia, David rescues her and vows to win her trust. Slowly, painfully, she transforms into a woman again. Yet as their love grows, they discover that the world around them is changing – and they cannot escape the curse for ever . . .”
8. The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw
“Two centuries ago, in the small, isolated town, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town. Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return from the depths, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them down to their watery deaths
Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into or the fact that his arrival will change everything…”
9. To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
“Dark and romantic YA fantasy about the siren with a taste for royal blood and the prince who has sworn to destroy her. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. 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.”
10. Mermaid Heart comic by Lauren Metzler
Mermaid Heart comic by Lauren Metzler….that’s right! A little shameless self-promotion for my new webcomic available for free on webtoons! Read the comic here!
Follow Mira as she discovers what it truly takes to have a Mermaid Heart!
“Mira is a college drop out working a dead end job to nowhere. What happens when a mystical unicorn visits her one night and drops a mermaid heart into her chest? Not only can she suddenly swim across the harbour without breaking a sweat, she finally has the inspiration to study her long lost passion in the art of vegan sushi!
But will she have the courage to tell her crush just how much they have stolen her heart?”
Thanks for reading my top 10 mermaid books to read (for adults)! Did I miss any books you think should be included on this list? Comment below! I always love another book to add to my “to be read” pile!
Fishes & Kisses,
Mermaid Lauren
Xx
