Ally Aldridge Adult, Age, Book Genre, Books, Childrens, Dystopia, Ememies to Lovers, Fae, Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Fiction, Mermaid or Siren, Middle Grade, My Books, Mythology, Ocean Heart, Poetry, Review, Romance, Shifters, Uncategorized, Young Adult

Mermaid Reads for Mermay

As an author of a mermaid novel, I am always interested in other books about mermaids, sirens, and selkies. Today, I shall highlight some to show how different these stories are and why I recommend them. Here are some of my favourites.

Rhyming Children’s Tale

If you want a quick light hearted read, then Seal Mother by Rose English is a good choice. This book is inspired by local mythology and told in verse. It is suitable for young children but adults will enjoy it too.

Book Review: Seal Mother by Rose English – Ally Aldridge

Found-Family Fairytale

If you love stories with a fairytale vibe, and found family, then check out The Meramid’s Sister by Carrie Ann Noble. This story is about two sisters, who were found in unusual ways and adopted by their mum who cannot leave her home due to a curse.

When the mermaid sister gets ill, the other sister has to take on the task of returning her to the sea with the help of a family friend and his wagon. This story is full of charms and curses, a sisterly bond, and first love. It has the same energy as Stardust by Neil Gailman.

Book Review: The Mermaid’s Sister by Carrie Anne Noble – Ally Aldridge

LGBT Mermaid Graphic Novel

This is a sweet Young Adult Graphic Novel by Molly Knox Ostertag called The Girl from the Sea. The main character is dealing with a lot of coming of age issues in her life, but is able to find comfort in Keltie.

Keltie isn’t an ordinary girl, she once was a Selkie but after the girls sharing a kiss she was able to stay on land. The main character is struggles to come out to her friends and family about her girlfriend. This sweet graphic novel has a happy ending and the art is beautiful.

Book Review: The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag – Ally Aldridge

Dystopian Mermaid

If you love dystopian fiction, then The Seawomen by Chloe Timms is worth checking out. It is described as being the Handmaid’s Tale with mermaids. Basically, the main character lives in religious patriarchy society where anything that goes wrong from weather to disease, is blamed on the women. Men can do no wrong.

There is a rule that women cannot look at the sea but one day the main character is being chased by boys with ill intentions and knows that if they catch her and have their way, she will be blamed for it. She takes a risk to escape them and hides by the sea, leading to her uncovering a big secret that starts to unravel all the lies she’s grown up with.

Book Review: The Seawomen by Chloe Timms – Ally Aldridge

Steamy Mermaid Romantasy

Meraki by Naomi Kelly is about a sexy Warlord and a Syren. King Kellan is the descendant of a god and decides that he needs to capture a syren, then use her to defeat his enemy. The syren he captures in Wren, a syren on the run from her past.

The pair start off hating each other, but sparks soon fly leading to a steamy enemies to lovers type story. This is the first book in a duology and I’ve always meant to read the next book but not got around to it.

Book Review: Meraki by Naomi Kelly – Ally Aldridge

Mermaid Shifter Romantasy

Of course, there is my novel, Ocean Heart by Ally Aldridge. It is the first book in the Young Adult Soul Heart series and features a teen mermaid shifter. Ocean Heart has a strong romance plot with the main character torn between her crush on her male BFF and being perused by the hot swim team stud that rubs her up the wrong way. Her messy love life is what wakes up her dormant deadly mermaid powers, and now she is trying to keep her powers under control before someone gets killed.

More Mermraid Books

There are plenty more that are worth a mention:

Middle Grade Under the Sea School: Book Review: Mermaid School – Ally Aldridge

Little Mermaid Retelling: Book Review: Balanced Scales by Laura Greenwood – Ally Aldridge

Little Mermaid Retelling: Book Review: Sea Witch by Sarah Henning – Ally Aldridge

Graphic Novel on a Ship: Book Review: Sailor Twain by Mark Siegel – Ally Aldridge

Young Adult Mermaid World: Book Review: Tenebrasco by Hannah Reed – Ally Aldridge

Fae Fiction: Book Review: Never Date a Siren by Byrd Nash – Ally Aldridge

Robots and Fantasy Adventure: Book Review: The Steel Princess by April Grace – Ally Aldridge

Ally Aldridge Alternative, Books, Contemporary, Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Fated Lovers, Fiction, High, Humour, Middle Grade, Period, Review, Romance, Young Adult

Book Review: Stardust by Neil Gaiman

I always loved the movie and didn’t know it was based on a book. Once I discovered this, I borrowed the audio version from Borrowbox with my library card.

This was one of the best audio books I have ever listened to. There was a main narrator, and every character had their own voice. The story was as magical as I remember. It is a perfect modern fairy tale that will be loved for many years to come.

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Ally Aldridge Age, Book Genre, Books, Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Fiction, Friends to Lovers, High, Mermaid or Siren, Review, Romance, Young Adult

Book Review: The Guidal: Unearthing Secrets by Roxy Eloise

This post contains affiliate links. Please check out my affiliate disclosure page for more information.

About the book

My thoughts

Oh my, the steam! This book is a lot more spicy than book one. Although they are closed door scenes, there’s enough detail to fill in the blanks. Aurora’s complicated love life causes her a rollercoaster of turmoil.

Sillah gets matched, which I loved. Aurora introduces Sillah and Sillah’s match to Puracordis magic. The teens start practicing and mastering their powers. This was so much fun to read & learn with them about the different types and spells.

There’s more fun with the competitive tournament. The corruption and cheating makes it more dangerous for Aurora, and her friends. They figure out others are using magic too. The arena and the bounties were so vivid, and their physical training at the Khakidemy is brilliant.

I really like Aurora. The love triangle between bad boy Tayo, and her perfect match Pax, made sense. I like how she stands up for those being mistreated or bullied, and the way she challenges the Boudfell family whenever she can.

Read it for romance, illegal magic and adventure.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Buy it from Amazon

[kofi]

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Ally Aldridge Age, Book Genre, Books, Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Fiction, Friends to Lovers, High, Mermaid or Siren, Review, Romance, Young Adult

Book Review: Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo

This post contains affiliate links. Please check out my affiliate disclosure page for more information.

About the book

My thoughts

I tried another audio book & this one was better as I have watched the Netflix show. If I zoned out with my imagination, I was able to catch back up with the narrator.

It is a great story with well developed characters and strong world building.

The MC, Alina starts off from humble beginnings. As an orphan from the war, she has grown up in the orphanage where she befriended Mal. Her and Mal have been inseparable ever since until his life’s in danger & Alina saves him… revealing her powers.

This is when Alina’s life takes a sudden change. Believed to be the Sun Summoner and the one that can bring down the terrible Dark Fold, she’s whisked off to train by the alluring Darkling and finds herself amongst the Grishas and part of a society she could only have dreamt of before. It doesn’t take long to realise the grass isn’t always greener and she is being used.

Alina & Mal come together towards the end of the book to figure out the truth and break free. Their bond was one of my favourite parts of the novel, although the Darkling parts and magic was lots of fun too.

Read it for found family, rags to riches, and magic.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Buy it from Amazon

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[kofi]

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Ally Aldridge Adult, Book Genre, Book Tube, Books, Fae, Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Fiction, High, Mermaid or Siren, Review, Romance, Shifters, Young Adult, YouTube

Top of My TBR in 2023

Published on YouTube 19 Feb 2023.

Below I have included my affiliate link where you can buy these books from Bookshop.org and support local high street bookshops.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

This Poison Heart by Kaylnn Bayron

Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning

Red Wolf by Rachel Vincent

The Stories Stars Tell by C L

Ally Aldridge Age, Book Genre, Books, Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Fiction, Friends to Lovers, High, Mermaid or Siren, Review, Romance, Young Adult

Book Review: The Mermaid’s Sister by Carrie Anne Noble

This post contains affiliate links. Please check out my affiliate disclosure page for more information.

About the book

My thoughts

This book is told like a beautiful full length fairytale. Three children are adopted and believed to have been found in a shell, under an Apple tree, and delivered by a stork. The MC is Clara, the child delivered by a stork.

Her sister, Maren loves the water, and slowly begins to turn into a mermaid. Just a few scales at first, but once her legs begin to fuse together she needs to be kept in water. They realise they must return her to the sea.

Due to old magic and curses, the only ones able to take on this quest is Clara and O’Neil. On their journey the pair are tested and run into danger slowing their progress. The clock is ticking for Maren to survive.

Clara and Maren both call O’Neil their brother but grew up more like cousins that see each other for holidays. Maren is a beautiful mermaid that can bewitch men to love her without trying. O’Neil wants to bargain with the Sea King to return Maren to her human form. Clara loves her sister but it’s painful to see her flirting with O’Neil when she craves him for herself.

This story was filled with magic and a slow burning romance. I really enjoyed it and need to thank my sister for gifting this book to me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Buy from Amazon

[kofi]

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Book Review: Balanced Scales by Laura Greenwood

This post contains affiliate links. Please check out my affiliate disclosure page for more information.

About the book

Balanced Scales blurb

My thoughts

This started off feeling very reminiscent of the Little Mermaid story that is so popular, but then it turned into something else.

Instead of loosing her voice, she loses her soul. Now she’s on a mission to get it back. This brave mer might get more than she anticipated. An unexpected, but enjoyable quick read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Buy it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PJsfji

[Kofi]

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Book Review: The Steel Princess by April Grace

This post contains affiliate links. Please check out my affiliate disclosure page for more information.

About the book

My thoughts

This story is told through two POVs. The MC is Silver, and the other is Eden. Their missions are similar – to find their mother – but their journeys are different.

Silver is a very loveable character. She is a gynoid that was raised within a human rebel camp. She knows very little about her kind, and embraces her mission and all the challenges it encompasses. Her training involves rooms with virtual scenarios but real life consequences.

Eden is a human with a mechanical heart. He grew up within the cruel gynoid queen’s castle and trained as a tinker. Although he isn’t in a jail or guarded, he isn’t free. When he finds himself outside the castle walls, he takes the opportunity to escape and find his mum. This leads him on an adventure of pirates, sirens, and man eating giants – just to name a few.

If you love fantasy and adventure, and want something a little different, this is well worth checking out! Plus, the cover is stunning and there is character art inside.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

You can buy this book from Amazon: Steel Princess

[kofi]

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Book Review: Sailor Twain by Mark Siegel

This post contains affiliate links. Please check out my affiliate disclosure page for more information.

About the book

My thoughts

This was a wild card, as I wasn’t sure what to expect. I don’t often read graphic novels but the promise of a mermaid intrigued me.

I whizzed through this, and found it very entertaining. The story is set in 1800s on a steamboat. I’m not a history buff but learning via a comic book (with a bit of fantasy) made it lots of fun. It’s funny too.

An unexpected treat were the pages at the end. Here the author shares how the characters first came to him, all the research, and more of his artwork. I love discovering more behind the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️