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

Folk of Air series by Holly Black

Published on YouTube on 1st September 2024.

I read these books for free. Let me tell you how. 😍

A few Christmases ago, I got a Kindle. We have a Prime account and with Prime you can borrow books to read for free (and then return to borrow more). In the Prime library was Cruel Prince.

Book two, The Wicked King, was not available on Prime. I checked to see if I could borrow it with my library card and found I could! It was available on the Libby app. Using my library card, I borrowed the ebook, and they had Queen of Nothing, so I borrowed that straight after.

I also used my library card on Borrow Box (audio books to borrow using my library card) to listen to The King of Elfhame, which is a prequel to this series.

I loved these books so much I wanted them for my shelves. I requested them as gifts for my birthday, Christmas and Mother’s Day. They only cost £10 for the paperback boxset from The Works, but alas, I did not get them.

My kids often get book tokens as gifts but I always forget to have them with me and end up using my own money to buy their books. So, I decided it was time to pay myself back and get the hardback editions from Bookshop.org an online shop that gives back to high street shops. As I had the book tokens, it cost me less than £5 for all three books.

I love my new books. They look beautiful next to my stunning Hunger Games hardbacks, which I got from Dial Lane Bookshop, Ipswich, as a gift from my hubby for my birthday.

Follow my bookshop affiliate link to get your hardback copies of:

📕The Cruel Prince: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/1425/9781471406454

📗The Wicked King: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/1425/9781471407352

📘 The Queen of Nothing: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/1425/9781471407581

Book Review of The Folk of Air Series

Published on YouTuber on 16 April 2023.

Below is my affiliate link where you can buy the Folk of Air series by Holly Black from Bookshop.org and support local high street bookshops. There is also a collection of more High/Epic Fantasy books you might like to check out.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

The Wicked King by Holly Black

The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black