What do you think?
Rate this book
Chronicles of the Undersea Realm #1
The Mermaid's Tale
A Tail Could Tell a Tale
Locklyn Adair has never fit in. The legs she inherited as a result of her great-great-grandmother’s curse make it impossible for her to belong under the sea. When her niece is also born without a tail, Locklyn is determined to save her from similar rejection by sending her to the only place in the Undersea Realm where legs are acceptable—the Lost Island of Atlantis.
Darin Aalto would do anything to protect his family, even spearheading an impossible quest to find treasure that has been lost for over a hundred years. But when his best friend, Locklyn, joins his crew, his ability to keep her safe—and his shot at winning her heart—comes perilously close to being swept away.
A family curse, lost treasure, unrequited love, and a race against time intertwine as Locklyn and Darin seek to save their family, their kingdom, and eventually the entire Undersea Realm without losing each other.
Locklyn Adair has never fit in. The legs she inherited as a result of her great-great-grandmother’s curse make it impossible for her to belong under the sea. When her niece is also born without a tail, Locklyn is determined to save her from similar rejection by sending her to the only place in the Undersea Realm where legs are acceptable—the Lost Island of Atlantis.
Darin Aalto would do anything to protect his family, even spearheading an impossible quest to find treasure that has been lost for over a hundred years. But when his best friend, Locklyn, joins his crew, his ability to keep her safe—and his shot at winning her heart—comes perilously close to being swept away.
A family curse, lost treasure, unrequited love, and a race against time intertwine as Locklyn and Darin seek to save their family, their kingdom, and eventually the entire Undersea Realm without losing each other.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2023
16 people are currently reading
4610 people want to read
About the author
L.E. Richmond
5 books167 followersL.E. Richmond was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest by an American writing teacher and a German bookseller. Her childhood consisted in a large part of imagining stories for her PLAYMOBIL characters and checking out as many books from the library as her family could fit on six library cards. Now she spends her time chasing three little Muggles, reading aloud to the hazel-eyed young man who has her heart, and attempting to transfer the stories in her head into words for others. Her passion is for words and stories that thrill the soul, and she is endlessly amazed by the One who not only used words to bring this world into being but also crafted the most epic story of all time.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
July 2, 2025
2 stars, personally ⭐️ Clean/Christian Fiction - Fantasy
About this book:
“A Tail Could Tell a Tale
Locklyn Adair has never fit in. The legs she inherited as a result of her great-great-grandmother’s curse make it impossible for her to belong under the sea. When her niece is also born without a tail, Locklyn is determined to save her from similar rejection by sending her to the only place in the Undersea Realm where legs are acceptable—the Lost Island of Atlantis.
Darin Aalto would do anything to protect his family, even spearheading an impossible quest to find treasure that has been lost for over a hundred years. But when his best friend, Locklyn, joins his crew, his ability to keep her safe—and his shot at winning her heart—comes perilously close to being swept away.
A family curse, lost treasure, unrequited love, and a race against time intertwine as Locklyn and Darin seek to save their family, their kingdom, and eventually the entire Undersea Realm without losing each other.”
Series: Book #1 in the “Chronicles of the Undersea Realm”.
Spiritual Content- Matthew 8:17 at the beginning; Prayers to the “Wave Master”; A couple talks about the Wave Master; ’H’s are capital when referring to the Wave Master; Darin isn’t afraid of death because “death is just a door, leading to the realm where we will see the Wave Master face-to-face”; Darin hears/feels the Wave Master talking to him about resting in Him; Mentions of the Wave Master; Mentions of prayers, praying, & praising and thanking the Wave Master; A few mentions of a prophetess at a Wave Master’s temple telling someone about an event that will happen (which comes true); A couple mentions of the Wave Master’s Realm; A mention of a hymn about the Wave Master;
*Note: Fictional phrases are said and exclaimed like: “What in the Wave Master’s name” once, “Master of the Waves” once, and “Wave Master knows” twice; Locklyn is called a “witch” thrice (because of her legs and being able to sing); Most Crura (mermaids or mermen that are born with legs instead of a tail) have a “Land Dweller” in their ancestry, but Locklyn’s legs are a result of an ancestor crossing the Sea Enchantress; Locklyn’s ancestor made a deal with the Sea Enchantress to gain legs for her tail and was supposed to give her voice to the enchantress as a payment, but the ancestor didn’t keep her end of the deal and so the enchantress cursed her lineage; Locklyn is able to sing spells and it affects wild creatures or merfolk to sometimes do what she wants (such as singing them a lullaby to force sleep or calm them from attacking); Falling in enchanted sleep (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of magic, the Sea Enchantress, her cursing a mermaid for not keeping her part of a deal, her dark magic, spells, enchantments, & sorcerers; Mentions of Locklyn and another singing to control or influence other merfolk or wild creatures; Mentions of sirens (described as a torso of a woman and has the bottom half of a squid); A few mentions of evil; A mention of another kingdom who “worship” science.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a form of ‘shut up’, a ‘suck-up’, two forms of ‘blast/blasted’, and eight forms of ‘stupid’; Fictional phrases are all said and exclaimed like: “why/how under the sea” nine times, giving or not giving “two periwinkles” about something four times, “for the love of everything under the sea” once, and “great blue whales” once; Mentions of curses (said but not written, including by Darin); Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Eavesdropping; Lots of Fighting (including for the characters’ lives and against dangerous predators), Being choked, Being held at knife-point and holding others at knife-point, Knocking others out, Being attacked, Being tied-up and arrested, Being drugged, Grief, Major pain, Injuries, Blood/Bleeding, Passing out, & Near-death situations (semi-detailed); Seeing others killed (including by dangerous creatures, merfolk, and magic), attacked, slapped, beaten, killing creatures, & bleeding (semi-detailed); Finding skeletons (semi-detailed); A nightmare (that includes being chased by a merman who means her harm and being squeezed by a giant squid); Main characters imagine the other hurt or other worst case scenarios (including being killed, unconscious, attacked, or grabbed by those that mean ill, up to semi-detailed); Locklyn doesn’t know if she could kill a person and recalls weeping over having to kill a squid; Darin drinks, hopes to get drunk to avoid reality for a moment, and has a hangover (when Locklyn finds this out, she nags him about it); Many mentions of deaths & grief (including a ship wreck and the skeletons, a giant crab being able to shear someone in half with it’s claws, a monster instantly killing someone, & an explosion killing and injuring others; up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of fights, fighting, weapons, threats and threatening others, dangerous creatures and predators, killing, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of slave traders & kidnappings/abductions; Mentions of a possible war & attacks; Mentions of criminals, crimes, arrests, exile, & death sentences for breaking laws (including being worked to death in a dangerous place & being locked in a chamber with a poisonous octopus); Mentions of stealing, stolen items, & thieves; Mentions of poison, poisonous creatures, & blow darts sedating others; Mentions of fighting, injuring, and killing dangerous creatures (including sharks); Mentions of a rumored monster that devours merpeople; Mentions of having to sacrifice dolphins for a plan; Mentions of explosions & explosives; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of gambling & betting on fights; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, drunks, getting drunk, hangovers, & tavern/bars; A few mentions of someone seeing their sibling violently killed (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of vomit; A few mentions of being bullied; A few mentions of nightmares; A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of murder and assassinations; A couple mentions of hunting; A mention of someone starting to consider taking their life (suicide) because of a past decision; A mention of a story about a Crura baby being kidnapped and fed to sharks; A mention of a concern that a baby died (she did not); A mention of a woman running away from home because of her abusive father;
*Note: Locklyn was abandoned by her parents when she was born with legs & faces a lock of prejudice because of being a “Crura“ (a mermaid with legs); Along with others calling her these names, Locklyn also calls herself a “freak” and a “social outcast” a few times; Many scenes of prejudice towards Locklyn and others like her who are born with legs & many mentions of it and hatred towards them (many of the negative comments and snide remarks are written out such as calling Crura “spindle-shanks” (derogatory name), a monster, and freaks; Locklyn is very concerned about her niece being hated and having to fight her way through life; A merman says Locklyn should have died when she was born and some of his comments poke at her insecurities (she says he is bigoted and “small souled”); A few mentions of another kingdom hunting Crura for sport); A couple mentions of historical figures (Sosthenes & Plato).
Sexual Content- A forehead kiss; Remembering a forehead kiss (up to semi-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Tingles, Warmth, Nearness, & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Remembering touches & embraces (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Noticing (including muscles and his bare chest, barely-above-not-detailed); Jealousy; A merman often leers and at Locklyn & it’s said that prior, he tried to “come on to” her and propositioned her in her hut; He later asks her for a kiss which disgusts her; When Locklyn comments that he doesn’t even see her as a person, he comments that it doesn’t matter because “you can be a lovely creature without being a person, can’t you?” (implying she does not have a soul and is a mutant of their kind); A man sneers about Darin having a “spindle-shanks” like Locklyn in his bed (untrue); Locklyn is concerned that a guard would let someone into her room to take “their way” with her; Locklyn says that romance is off the table for her until she can “bring a child into the world without being terrified they would be better off never entering it” (a guy grins at this news and says that “all the ladies” come looking for him eventually, implying she will as well); Locklyn is concerned that a guy is interested in her for something she has no interest in giving him without a ring on her finger & doesn’t want to fall for him if he only desires a fling; Darin has a worst case scenario moment where he imagines Locklyn being jerked into a building by a faceless merman; A mermaid flirts with Darin; Locklyn and Darin are hiding their feelings for each other (they’ve know each other since Locklyn was born, but Darin started to fall for her when she was sixteen and he was twenty-four); Mentions of a man leaving his wife for another woman whose older husband wasn’t giving her “the marital satisfaction she craved”; Mentions of unwanted advances & a merman “coming on to” Locklyn; Mentions of lovers; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of crushes/feelings for the other; A couple mentions of a king having a “fling” with someone that resulted in a child; A couple mentions of a teenage son leaving home to be with a mermaid; A mention of an affair; Love, being in love, & the emotions;
*Note: A few mentions of labor (pain and moans, barely-above-not-detailed); A mention of a mother dying in childbirth; A mention of a queen being “unable to produce an heir”.
-Locklyn, age 20 (?)
-Darin, age 28 (?)
P.O.V. switches between them in 1st (Locklyn) & 3rd (Darin)
286 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- One Star
Older High School Teens- Two Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars
I had pretty high hopes for this book and really wanted to like it, but I ended up not enjoying it as much as I hoped for a lot of different reasons. We’ll get what I didn’t care for out of the way first. 😅
For the first third of this book, I did struggle quite a bit with the plot because there is a lot of information thrown at the reader, but also backstories and history of all the mermaids and other countries and such. Which was interesting because there were also some parts I don’t think were explained quickly enough—like the idea of Atlantis and what is means for mermaids with legs like Locklyn. I definitely just had to keep reading to try to figure everything out and also to learn about the setting.
While usually one POV being in 1st person and another in 3rd person wouldn’t usually bother me, I didn’t care for seeing Darin’s POV because of the writing style change. For his first few chapters, they felt a little clunky and awkward because of it, but it either eventually got better or I got used to it. I couldn’t quite picture what was happening in the action scenes, which I think was due to the writing style as I had a harder time when those scenes were told in Darin’s POV chapters.
I didn’t personally love the romance as it felt strange to me due to Locklyn and Darin being in-laws and growing up together. I kept seeing him more as a big brother figure than a love interest and then their hemming and hawing over telling the other about their feelings got to be a little too “woe is me” for my tastes. I wanted to smack them to get it together or just forget about the other (oops, foreshadowing), I really didn’t care about the end result with their not-yet-a-romance relationship. At one point, she wants to apologize to him for being a “melodramatic, self-absorbed little fool” and I was honestly proud of her self-awareness in the moment because I had been basically calling her that for the majority of the book thus far.
There were more sexual innuendos and suggestions than I was expecting in this book because of mermen who don’t see Locklyn as someone worthy of respect or even as another merperson. It was honestly pretty disgusting how one was always taunting and leering at her and I was just waiting for him to die, if I can be bluntly honest.
Some scenes felt a little dark, particularly the mentions of mermaids being cut in half by a giant crab or a person witnessing their sibling’s death.
I will say that once I was able to follow along, the book went by quickly—partially in part because of the page length being under 300 pages, but also because the author didn’t add filler to the plot. Everything mentioned had it’s importance and matter to the story, which I appreciated.
This book does end on a cliffhanger most readers would probably be upset about and be eager to read the sequel, but it didn’t bother me too much. I might continue to the next book, however, my library doesn’t have it, so I don’t know when that will be.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
About this book:
“A Tail Could Tell a Tale
Locklyn Adair has never fit in. The legs she inherited as a result of her great-great-grandmother’s curse make it impossible for her to belong under the sea. When her niece is also born without a tail, Locklyn is determined to save her from similar rejection by sending her to the only place in the Undersea Realm where legs are acceptable—the Lost Island of Atlantis.
Darin Aalto would do anything to protect his family, even spearheading an impossible quest to find treasure that has been lost for over a hundred years. But when his best friend, Locklyn, joins his crew, his ability to keep her safe—and his shot at winning her heart—comes perilously close to being swept away.
A family curse, lost treasure, unrequited love, and a race against time intertwine as Locklyn and Darin seek to save their family, their kingdom, and eventually the entire Undersea Realm without losing each other.”
Series: Book #1 in the “Chronicles of the Undersea Realm”.
Spiritual Content- Matthew 8:17 at the beginning; Prayers to the “Wave Master”; A couple talks about the Wave Master; ’H’s are capital when referring to the Wave Master; Darin isn’t afraid of death because “death is just a door, leading to the realm where we will see the Wave Master face-to-face”; Darin hears/feels the Wave Master talking to him about resting in Him; Mentions of the Wave Master; Mentions of prayers, praying, & praising and thanking the Wave Master; A few mentions of a prophetess at a Wave Master’s temple telling someone about an event that will happen (which comes true); A couple mentions of the Wave Master’s Realm; A mention of a hymn about the Wave Master;
*Note: Fictional phrases are said and exclaimed like: “What in the Wave Master’s name” once, “Master of the Waves” once, and “Wave Master knows” twice; Locklyn is called a “witch” thrice (because of her legs and being able to sing); Most Crura (mermaids or mermen that are born with legs instead of a tail) have a “Land Dweller” in their ancestry, but Locklyn’s legs are a result of an ancestor crossing the Sea Enchantress; Locklyn’s ancestor made a deal with the Sea Enchantress to gain legs for her tail and was supposed to give her voice to the enchantress as a payment, but the ancestor didn’t keep her end of the deal and so the enchantress cursed her lineage; Locklyn is able to sing spells and it affects wild creatures or merfolk to sometimes do what she wants (such as singing them a lullaby to force sleep or calm them from attacking); Falling in enchanted sleep (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of magic, the Sea Enchantress, her cursing a mermaid for not keeping her part of a deal, her dark magic, spells, enchantments, & sorcerers; Mentions of Locklyn and another singing to control or influence other merfolk or wild creatures; Mentions of sirens (described as a torso of a woman and has the bottom half of a squid); A few mentions of evil; A mention of another kingdom who “worship” science.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a form of ‘shut up’, a ‘suck-up’, two forms of ‘blast/blasted’, and eight forms of ‘stupid’; Fictional phrases are all said and exclaimed like: “why/how under the sea” nine times, giving or not giving “two periwinkles” about something four times, “for the love of everything under the sea” once, and “great blue whales” once; Mentions of curses (said but not written, including by Darin); Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Eavesdropping; Lots of Fighting (including for the characters’ lives and against dangerous predators), Being choked, Being held at knife-point and holding others at knife-point, Knocking others out, Being attacked, Being tied-up and arrested, Being drugged, Grief, Major pain, Injuries, Blood/Bleeding, Passing out, & Near-death situations (semi-detailed); Seeing others killed (including by dangerous creatures, merfolk, and magic), attacked, slapped, beaten, killing creatures, & bleeding (semi-detailed); Finding skeletons (semi-detailed); A nightmare (that includes being chased by a merman who means her harm and being squeezed by a giant squid); Main characters imagine the other hurt or other worst case scenarios (including being killed, unconscious, attacked, or grabbed by those that mean ill, up to semi-detailed); Locklyn doesn’t know if she could kill a person and recalls weeping over having to kill a squid; Darin drinks, hopes to get drunk to avoid reality for a moment, and has a hangover (when Locklyn finds this out, she nags him about it); Many mentions of deaths & grief (including a ship wreck and the skeletons, a giant crab being able to shear someone in half with it’s claws, a monster instantly killing someone, & an explosion killing and injuring others; up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of fights, fighting, weapons, threats and threatening others, dangerous creatures and predators, killing, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of slave traders & kidnappings/abductions; Mentions of a possible war & attacks; Mentions of criminals, crimes, arrests, exile, & death sentences for breaking laws (including being worked to death in a dangerous place & being locked in a chamber with a poisonous octopus); Mentions of stealing, stolen items, & thieves; Mentions of poison, poisonous creatures, & blow darts sedating others; Mentions of fighting, injuring, and killing dangerous creatures (including sharks); Mentions of a rumored monster that devours merpeople; Mentions of having to sacrifice dolphins for a plan; Mentions of explosions & explosives; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of gambling & betting on fights; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, drunks, getting drunk, hangovers, & tavern/bars; A few mentions of someone seeing their sibling violently killed (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of vomit; A few mentions of being bullied; A few mentions of nightmares; A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of murder and assassinations; A couple mentions of hunting; A mention of someone starting to consider taking their life (suicide) because of a past decision; A mention of a story about a Crura baby being kidnapped and fed to sharks; A mention of a concern that a baby died (she did not); A mention of a woman running away from home because of her abusive father;
*Note: Locklyn was abandoned by her parents when she was born with legs & faces a lock of prejudice because of being a “Crura“ (a mermaid with legs); Along with others calling her these names, Locklyn also calls herself a “freak” and a “social outcast” a few times; Many scenes of prejudice towards Locklyn and others like her who are born with legs & many mentions of it and hatred towards them (many of the negative comments and snide remarks are written out such as calling Crura “spindle-shanks” (derogatory name), a monster, and freaks; Locklyn is very concerned about her niece being hated and having to fight her way through life; A merman says Locklyn should have died when she was born and some of his comments poke at her insecurities (she says he is bigoted and “small souled”); A few mentions of another kingdom hunting Crura for sport); A couple mentions of historical figures (Sosthenes & Plato).
Sexual Content- A forehead kiss; Remembering a forehead kiss (up to semi-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Tingles, Warmth, Nearness, & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Remembering touches & embraces (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Noticing (including muscles and his bare chest, barely-above-not-detailed); Jealousy; A merman often leers and at Locklyn & it’s said that prior, he tried to “come on to” her and propositioned her in her hut; He later asks her for a kiss which disgusts her; When Locklyn comments that he doesn’t even see her as a person, he comments that it doesn’t matter because “you can be a lovely creature without being a person, can’t you?” (implying she does not have a soul and is a mutant of their kind); A man sneers about Darin having a “spindle-shanks” like Locklyn in his bed (untrue); Locklyn is concerned that a guard would let someone into her room to take “their way” with her; Locklyn says that romance is off the table for her until she can “bring a child into the world without being terrified they would be better off never entering it” (a guy grins at this news and says that “all the ladies” come looking for him eventually, implying she will as well); Locklyn is concerned that a guy is interested in her for something she has no interest in giving him without a ring on her finger & doesn’t want to fall for him if he only desires a fling; Darin has a worst case scenario moment where he imagines Locklyn being jerked into a building by a faceless merman; A mermaid flirts with Darin; Locklyn and Darin are hiding their feelings for each other (they’ve know each other since Locklyn was born, but Darin started to fall for her when she was sixteen and he was twenty-four); Mentions of a man leaving his wife for another woman whose older husband wasn’t giving her “the marital satisfaction she craved”; Mentions of unwanted advances & a merman “coming on to” Locklyn; Mentions of lovers; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of crushes/feelings for the other; A couple mentions of a king having a “fling” with someone that resulted in a child; A couple mentions of a teenage son leaving home to be with a mermaid; A mention of an affair; Love, being in love, & the emotions;
*Note: A few mentions of labor (pain and moans, barely-above-not-detailed); A mention of a mother dying in childbirth; A mention of a queen being “unable to produce an heir”.
-Locklyn, age 20 (?)
-Darin, age 28 (?)
P.O.V. switches between them in 1st (Locklyn) & 3rd (Darin)
286 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- One Star
Older High School Teens- Two Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars
I had pretty high hopes for this book and really wanted to like it, but I ended up not enjoying it as much as I hoped for a lot of different reasons. We’ll get what I didn’t care for out of the way first. 😅
For the first third of this book, I did struggle quite a bit with the plot because there is a lot of information thrown at the reader, but also backstories and history of all the mermaids and other countries and such. Which was interesting because there were also some parts I don’t think were explained quickly enough—like the idea of Atlantis and what is means for mermaids with legs like Locklyn. I definitely just had to keep reading to try to figure everything out and also to learn about the setting.
While usually one POV being in 1st person and another in 3rd person wouldn’t usually bother me, I didn’t care for seeing Darin’s POV because of the writing style change. For his first few chapters, they felt a little clunky and awkward because of it, but it either eventually got better or I got used to it. I couldn’t quite picture what was happening in the action scenes, which I think was due to the writing style as I had a harder time when those scenes were told in Darin’s POV chapters.
I didn’t personally love the romance as it felt strange to me due to Locklyn and Darin being in-laws and growing up together. I kept seeing him more as a big brother figure than a love interest and then their hemming and hawing over telling the other about their feelings got to be a little too “woe is me” for my tastes. I wanted to smack them to get it together or just forget about the other (oops, foreshadowing), I really didn’t care about the end result with their not-yet-a-romance relationship. At one point, she wants to apologize to him for being a “melodramatic, self-absorbed little fool” and I was honestly proud of her self-awareness in the moment because I had been basically calling her that for the majority of the book thus far.
There were more sexual innuendos and suggestions than I was expecting in this book because of mermen who don’t see Locklyn as someone worthy of respect or even as another merperson. It was honestly pretty disgusting how one was always taunting and leering at her and I was just waiting for him to die, if I can be bluntly honest.
Some scenes felt a little dark, particularly the mentions of mermaids being cut in half by a giant crab or a person witnessing their sibling’s death.
I will say that once I was able to follow along, the book went by quickly—partially in part because of the page length being under 300 pages, but also because the author didn’t add filler to the plot. Everything mentioned had it’s importance and matter to the story, which I appreciated.
This book does end on a cliffhanger most readers would probably be upset about and be eager to read the sequel, but it didn’t bother me too much. I might continue to the next book, however, my library doesn’t have it, so I don’t know when that will be.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
August 22, 2023
What did. I just. Read?
Forgive me if this review sounds muddled. It likely is. I'm sitting here in cold shock attempting to work through the emotions and reading-induced adrenaline this book evokes. I want to squeal and bawl at the same time.
Ahem.
Did I read this book in less than a day? Yes. Will I be lying awake at night wondering what will happen to those poor, darling characters? You betcha. Read on to learn why this book is one you need on your bookshelf.
PLOT:
Well. That was quite the roller coaster of a plot. It'll keep you on the edge of your seat as action-packed chapter after action-packed chapter keeps you captivated and unable to put the book down. I don't know that I can say more without exposing spoilers, but I will say this: I've seen this book receive some unhappy reviews due to the cliffhanger ending. Now, I myself certainly would like more of the story (no, I need more) but the cliffhanger is written tastefully and is not nearly so "terrible" as it is made out to be.
WORLDBUILDING:
Usually, this is included in the Plot section, but there was so much worldbuilding in The Mermaid's Tale that it deserves its own category. Guys. The detail and creativity used to weave this underground world, these cultures, and all those legends and tales is immensely incredible.
CHARACTERS
Locklyn is a dear. Plus, I love her name. Instead of being one of those insipid "heroines" who are mostly helpless, can never do anything, and only whine and scream about their helplessness, Locklyn is the definition a quietly strong heroine. She had her limitations, but that made her strengths shine through all the brighter. I admired her tender and kind heart as well.
Darin was my favorite, probably because we share some similar traits. I will admit I dislike it when main male characters have long hair, but that didn't detract one bit from him being my favorite. And that ending. By the seven seas, how will I manage to wait until the second book? I really don't think I can.
FAITH/RELIGION:
The faith content is there. A little lighter than some books, but there's no mistaking its presence. And the final chapter in the author's acknowledgment note is just beautiful.
CONTENT WARNINGS:
There is violence, although everything is tastefully-wrought.
Characters are injured, attacked, and are made victims of hatred. Underwater animals and their dangers are pondered and discussed. Characters are also poisoned.
SEXUAL CONTENT/ROMANCE
Everything was tastefully addressed in this category as well.
It is implied a character is almost sexually assaulted; this will likely go over younger readers' heads. It is incorrectly assumed that two characters are joining out of wedlock; however, the reader knows that is the product of villainous minds taking a situation out of context. Like I said, it's well-done.
A female character notices a male character's physique. It stayed within the appropriate boundaries, which I appreciated, and didn't bother me one bit. There was nothing lustful or nasty about it.
CONCLUSION:
The Mermaid's Tale is a story filled with twists, turns, nonstop action and danger, and the gentle reminder that God made us who and how we are, and our design is not a failure in His eyes. I enjoyed the inspiration drawn from the Little Mermaid tale. This book is definitely unique. For anyone desiring an engaging Christian fantasy, I highly recommend The Mermaid's Tale.
I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in conjunction with CelebrateLit in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own and I was not required to leave a positive review.
Forgive me if this review sounds muddled. It likely is. I'm sitting here in cold shock attempting to work through the emotions and reading-induced adrenaline this book evokes. I want to squeal and bawl at the same time.
Ahem.
Did I read this book in less than a day? Yes. Will I be lying awake at night wondering what will happen to those poor, darling characters? You betcha. Read on to learn why this book is one you need on your bookshelf.
PLOT:
Well. That was quite the roller coaster of a plot. It'll keep you on the edge of your seat as action-packed chapter after action-packed chapter keeps you captivated and unable to put the book down. I don't know that I can say more without exposing spoilers, but I will say this: I've seen this book receive some unhappy reviews due to the cliffhanger ending. Now, I myself certainly would like more of the story (no, I need more) but the cliffhanger is written tastefully and is not nearly so "terrible" as it is made out to be.
WORLDBUILDING:
Usually, this is included in the Plot section, but there was so much worldbuilding in The Mermaid's Tale that it deserves its own category. Guys. The detail and creativity used to weave this underground world, these cultures, and all those legends and tales is immensely incredible.
CHARACTERS
Locklyn is a dear. Plus, I love her name. Instead of being one of those insipid "heroines" who are mostly helpless, can never do anything, and only whine and scream about their helplessness, Locklyn is the definition a quietly strong heroine. She had her limitations, but that made her strengths shine through all the brighter. I admired her tender and kind heart as well.
Darin was my favorite, probably because we share some similar traits. I will admit I dislike it when main male characters have long hair, but that didn't detract one bit from him being my favorite. And that ending. By the seven seas, how will I manage to wait until the second book? I really don't think I can.
FAITH/RELIGION:
The faith content is there. A little lighter than some books, but there's no mistaking its presence. And the final chapter in the author's acknowledgment note is just beautiful.
CONTENT WARNINGS:
There is violence, although everything is tastefully-wrought.
Characters are injured, attacked, and are made victims of hatred. Underwater animals and their dangers are pondered and discussed. Characters are also poisoned.
SEXUAL CONTENT/ROMANCE
Everything was tastefully addressed in this category as well.
It is implied a character is almost sexually assaulted; this will likely go over younger readers' heads. It is incorrectly assumed that two characters are joining out of wedlock; however, the reader knows that is the product of villainous minds taking a situation out of context. Like I said, it's well-done.
A female character notices a male character's physique. It stayed within the appropriate boundaries, which I appreciated, and didn't bother me one bit. There was nothing lustful or nasty about it.
CONCLUSION:
The Mermaid's Tale is a story filled with twists, turns, nonstop action and danger, and the gentle reminder that God made us who and how we are, and our design is not a failure in His eyes. I enjoyed the inspiration drawn from the Little Mermaid tale. This book is definitely unique. For anyone desiring an engaging Christian fantasy, I highly recommend The Mermaid's Tale.
I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in conjunction with CelebrateLit in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own and I was not required to leave a positive review.
June 26, 2025
The Mermaid's Tale is a the story of Locklyn, a Mermaid without a tail. She is an outcast in her society because of this. When her niece is also born without a tail, Locklyn decides she needs to find the money to send her niece to Atlantis, the society where Mermaids without tails are not shunned. She and her best friend/brother in law, Darin, set out on a daring adventure to find a vast treasure that will solve their family's problems.
I loved the Mermaid cultures, the lore, and the setting. The plot was adventurous and kept me engaged.
I love world building, so I would love to see more world building in the next book! The end was a cliffhanger but I don’t have much interest in the characters to continue reading the next book. The book tells many stories about the Mermaid culture, but I sometimes had a hard time imagining what the rooms, cities, people, etc. really looked like. I appreciated how the author tried to weave in elements of Faith within the story. Some of the content seemed dark to me and it’s not quite my cup of tea.
Content/Cleanliness Rating: 4.5/5: One character pushes his unwanted advances onto the main character. He becomes violent and verbally and physically attempts to assault her. The main character spends a lot of time thinking about her love interest, although there is nothing inappropriate mentioned. The content is wholesome and "clean." Characters rely on the "Wave Master," to get them through difficult times.
I loved the Mermaid cultures, the lore, and the setting. The plot was adventurous and kept me engaged.
I love world building, so I would love to see more world building in the next book! The end was a cliffhanger but I don’t have much interest in the characters to continue reading the next book. The book tells many stories about the Mermaid culture, but I sometimes had a hard time imagining what the rooms, cities, people, etc. really looked like. I appreciated how the author tried to weave in elements of Faith within the story. Some of the content seemed dark to me and it’s not quite my cup of tea.
Content/Cleanliness Rating: 4.5/5: One character pushes his unwanted advances onto the main character. He becomes violent and verbally and physically attempts to assault her. The main character spends a lot of time thinking about her love interest, although there is nothing inappropriate mentioned. The content is wholesome and "clean." Characters rely on the "Wave Master," to get them through difficult times.
August 15, 2024
4.5⭐️
When an author can take your passionately disliked method of storytelling (first person, present tense) and deliver a wonderful underwater mermaid story that you LOVE….THAT’s impressive!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
When an author can take your passionately disliked method of storytelling (first person, present tense) and deliver a wonderful underwater mermaid story that you LOVE….THAT’s impressive!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
November 2, 2023
⭐⭐⭐💫
I’ll be honest. That ending thoroughly ticked me off. I cannot believe I didn’t expect that cliffhanger!!! Now, I don’t have anything against cliffhangers, but oh, my gosh. I was not ready for that one. 😭
You’ve been forewarned. The Mermaid’s Tale has a brutal cliffhanger, and Lord only knows how long we’re gonna have to wait for the next book in the duology. *shakes head* Now, about the rest of the story…
Currently, I’ve been having a hard time getting into books, and The Mermaid’s Tale was no exception. The first chapter or two didn’t quite draw me in, and it wasn’t until I forced myself to keep on plowing through and I reached the middle that I couldn’t put it down. I still never felt fully invested in the story, but I was definitely intrigued, and I had to find out what happened next!
Before cracking open The Mermaid’s Tale, I was ecstatic about reading a mermaid novel. It’s a rare occurrence when you find one that’s not a retelling of The Little Mermaid in some way, so this one seemed super interesting. Personally, I had several peeves—the plot was chaotic and hard for me to follow at times; there was a lot of back-and-forth miscommunication or lack of communication that to me felt unnecessary; and because this was only the first half of the story, there seemed to be something missing by way of character development.
As far as the characters go, our side characters (such as Ginevra and Conway) were unique and piqued my curiosity—I’m interested in seeing where their characters and stories go! Our main characters, however, were not my personal favorites as much as the secondary characters were. Locklyn had some great potential, but she felt cliché to me, and Darin…I don’t know about him. It was hard to get a read on him, though there’s still potential for him too. I feel like reading the next book (whenever I’ll be able to do that) will really help me get a better feel for these two and formulate fuller thoughts. Until then, I’m not a huge fan, but that may change.
The worldbuilding was fascinating, though. Richmond pulled out all the stops in creating a deep (no pun intended) and unique undersea world, which I appreciated. But at the same time, the execution had its flaws. There was a lot of info-dumping, which jerked me out of the story and got me off track a time or two. And I feel like there were elements that were missing or never fully explored. For example, the Wave Master, who’s name is only mentioned in prayers. I’m assuming the WM is an allegorical form of God, but the mer-people’s religion was never expounded upon. I was left with as many questions as I had answers, which could prove to be a good thing if my questions are answered in the next installment.
*sighs* Honestly, The Mermaid’s Tale wasn’t all I’d hoped it would be, but it did drag me under the sea with it, and once the ball got rolling (or swimming?), I couldn’t put it down! There were a lot of aspects that I’m unsure about, but I certainly want to read the next book to discover what happens next and see how my opinions change as the story is fleshed out!
If you’re looking for an undersea fantasy with classic romance tropes (friends-to-lovers, love triangle, miscommunication) and an interesting twist on the traditional tales (tails?) of mermaids, The Mermaid’s Tale is for you!
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary review copy from Celebrate Lit Publicity. All opinions expressed are my own.
I’ll be honest. That ending thoroughly ticked me off. I cannot believe I didn’t expect that cliffhanger!!! Now, I don’t have anything against cliffhangers, but oh, my gosh. I was not ready for that one. 😭
You’ve been forewarned. The Mermaid’s Tale has a brutal cliffhanger, and Lord only knows how long we’re gonna have to wait for the next book in the duology. *shakes head* Now, about the rest of the story…
Currently, I’ve been having a hard time getting into books, and The Mermaid’s Tale was no exception. The first chapter or two didn’t quite draw me in, and it wasn’t until I forced myself to keep on plowing through and I reached the middle that I couldn’t put it down. I still never felt fully invested in the story, but I was definitely intrigued, and I had to find out what happened next!
Before cracking open The Mermaid’s Tale, I was ecstatic about reading a mermaid novel. It’s a rare occurrence when you find one that’s not a retelling of The Little Mermaid in some way, so this one seemed super interesting. Personally, I had several peeves—the plot was chaotic and hard for me to follow at times; there was a lot of back-and-forth miscommunication or lack of communication that to me felt unnecessary; and because this was only the first half of the story, there seemed to be something missing by way of character development.
As far as the characters go, our side characters (such as Ginevra and Conway) were unique and piqued my curiosity—I’m interested in seeing where their characters and stories go! Our main characters, however, were not my personal favorites as much as the secondary characters were. Locklyn had some great potential, but she felt cliché to me, and Darin…I don’t know about him. It was hard to get a read on him, though there’s still potential for him too. I feel like reading the next book (whenever I’ll be able to do that) will really help me get a better feel for these two and formulate fuller thoughts. Until then, I’m not a huge fan, but that may change.
The worldbuilding was fascinating, though. Richmond pulled out all the stops in creating a deep (no pun intended) and unique undersea world, which I appreciated. But at the same time, the execution had its flaws. There was a lot of info-dumping, which jerked me out of the story and got me off track a time or two. And I feel like there were elements that were missing or never fully explored. For example, the Wave Master, who’s name is only mentioned in prayers. I’m assuming the WM is an allegorical form of God, but the mer-people’s religion was never expounded upon. I was left with as many questions as I had answers, which could prove to be a good thing if my questions are answered in the next installment.
*sighs* Honestly, The Mermaid’s Tale wasn’t all I’d hoped it would be, but it did drag me under the sea with it, and once the ball got rolling (or swimming?), I couldn’t put it down! There were a lot of aspects that I’m unsure about, but I certainly want to read the next book to discover what happens next and see how my opinions change as the story is fleshed out!
If you’re looking for an undersea fantasy with classic romance tropes (friends-to-lovers, love triangle, miscommunication) and an interesting twist on the traditional tales (tails?) of mermaids, The Mermaid’s Tale is for you!
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary review copy from Celebrate Lit Publicity. All opinions expressed are my own.
October 4, 2025
****DNFed on page 30 then skimmed to the end****
Where to start, oh boy.
This book is…boring. And not the type of boring where you’re wondering when it’s ever gonna end, but more like the kind of boring where you don’t give a care and you’re just reading the words and turning the pages because you have nothing else better to do. That’s how I felt and where I was upon reaching page 30, hence the skimming until the end where my thoughts go from bored to livid…while also still being bored and not giving a care. Very weird. 😂🤷🏼♀️
But before I get into the “livid yet still bored” details (which will start at the characters, trust me), first I wanted to touch on the stuff I found in the first 30 pages, starting with the worldbuilding…
…or lack thereof. This book falls into the category of “no details, no explanations, just read and believe in the blank words I give you” which is just as bad as the “here’s 50+ pages of descriptions and explanations that will mean nothing to the overall story in the end” type of worldbuilding—less IS more but not so much less I have no clue what the water looks like around the characters, which is pretty obvious. Seriously, the main character takes care of a herd of dugongs. What’s a dugong, you ask? No idea because the author doesn’t bother telling you what they are, what they look like, if it’s a real life animal or a fantasy one, nothin’, zlich, nada. (A quick Google search just now told me it’s a real animal and it looks similar to a manatee—never would have known that from this book; I thought it was a fantasy creature which shows just how much ocean knowledge I have 😂) I’m not saying the author had to explain it in extreme detail but a little bit of an idea wouldn’t have left me picturing a blank nothing floating in a blank nothing of water.
Also the writing’s pretty bland and no one had any urgency AT ALL. Missing family member? I’m sure she’s fine. Stuck in a gate with sharks coming to eat you? Na, totally normal and fine. Just…WHERE IS THE EMOTION?! These characters have the emotions of a blank slate!
There’s also prejudice against Locklyn for having legs instead of a tail which of COURSE makes her want no help from no man EVER and that she’s soooo nuanced and notices society’s flaws better then ANYONE and is so WONDERFUL that every man falls in love with her because she’s SOOO feisty and beautiful and, and…
…a spoiled brat who acts like a toddler instead of a 20 year old. Yeah, she’s a Girl Boss (TM) with the personality of an unpainted wall unless she’s being a spoiled child in ranting at her supposed love interest Darin or flirting with her other supposed “love interest” who understands her and sees her strength despite not having a tail and…basically uses him to make Darin jealous then goes to him to apologize for her spoiled behavior only to double down on it the second he says something wrong and reverts back to “you’ll never UNDERSTAND or APPRECIATE my BRILLIANCE” and then goes back to flirting with the other guy again. Rinse and repeat until the very end where she suddenly cares SOOOOO much about Darin she’ll die for him.
Give. me. a. break.
(and bleach so I can wipe her from existence, good grief)
And if you thought Darin might be good, lol, NOPE, he’s exactly like Locklyn just doesn’t flirt with the other girl in their party and has a tail, otherwise exactly the same bratty behavior (and he’s 28!) except he must change because Locklyn is right about him and what do you bet she’s stays exactly the same because she’s ✨perfect✨.
(I’m gonna go hurl and roll my eyes out of their sockets now, thanks)
And don’t get me started on the love triangle…square…thingy…because it’s so generically stupid it’s embarrassing I even got annoyed and disgusted over it but I did, which shows you just how much I hate love triangles when I can even hate it more then the actual book I ended up hating.
And the ending. The stupid, freaking cliffhanger ending that had me rolling my eyes to Heaven where they wished they could stay because what. is. the. freaking. POINT?!
🚨 Spoilers for this part, so if you want to read this book sign off now because I HAVE to talk about it. Okay, for those of you who stayed, here it is: Darin’s made to forget Locklyn. Wow, how original. Also STUPID since both were furious at each other when they parted, hadn’t spoken nicely to each other for the majority of the book, don’t even act like they LIKE each other now, and I’m supposed to believe this is a tragedy that their “love” will conquer? Give me a break! Actually make a relationship GOOD and BELIEVABLE BEFORE you throw in this crappy twist and then I’ll get behind it. (A delightful example of this done WELL is the Wizard of Vegas trilogy by Brittany Fichter—I still haven’t recovered from that trauma and it worked because they were friends and almost lovers before it was snatched away and them fighting for it was believable and made you root for them. So go read that instead of this crap because it’s not worth your time.) 🚨
You know what, I’m actually gonna rate this one star now, because while I don’t normally rate DNFs this one deserves it after all the ranting I just spewed all over the screen. This could have been so good but it wasn’t and I would NOT recommend it in a hundred years to anyone.
‼️Content (up to page 30)‼️
Violence: fighting with weapons and magic (not detailed); injuries and blood (not detailed); a character’s arm is trapped in a gate; a character fights off sharks (not detailed)
Sexual: a guy made advances on a girl in the past and is still trying in the present (nothing happens)
Other: merpeople; magical abilities; magic; a curse
Where to start, oh boy.
This book is…boring. And not the type of boring where you’re wondering when it’s ever gonna end, but more like the kind of boring where you don’t give a care and you’re just reading the words and turning the pages because you have nothing else better to do. That’s how I felt and where I was upon reaching page 30, hence the skimming until the end where my thoughts go from bored to livid…while also still being bored and not giving a care. Very weird. 😂🤷🏼♀️
But before I get into the “livid yet still bored” details (which will start at the characters, trust me), first I wanted to touch on the stuff I found in the first 30 pages, starting with the worldbuilding…
…or lack thereof. This book falls into the category of “no details, no explanations, just read and believe in the blank words I give you” which is just as bad as the “here’s 50+ pages of descriptions and explanations that will mean nothing to the overall story in the end” type of worldbuilding—less IS more but not so much less I have no clue what the water looks like around the characters, which is pretty obvious. Seriously, the main character takes care of a herd of dugongs. What’s a dugong, you ask? No idea because the author doesn’t bother telling you what they are, what they look like, if it’s a real life animal or a fantasy one, nothin’, zlich, nada. (A quick Google search just now told me it’s a real animal and it looks similar to a manatee—never would have known that from this book; I thought it was a fantasy creature which shows just how much ocean knowledge I have 😂) I’m not saying the author had to explain it in extreme detail but a little bit of an idea wouldn’t have left me picturing a blank nothing floating in a blank nothing of water.
Also the writing’s pretty bland and no one had any urgency AT ALL. Missing family member? I’m sure she’s fine. Stuck in a gate with sharks coming to eat you? Na, totally normal and fine. Just…WHERE IS THE EMOTION?! These characters have the emotions of a blank slate!
There’s also prejudice against Locklyn for having legs instead of a tail which of COURSE makes her want no help from no man EVER and that she’s soooo nuanced and notices society’s flaws better then ANYONE and is so WONDERFUL that every man falls in love with her because she’s SOOO feisty and beautiful and, and…
…a spoiled brat who acts like a toddler instead of a 20 year old. Yeah, she’s a Girl Boss (TM) with the personality of an unpainted wall unless she’s being a spoiled child in ranting at her supposed love interest Darin or flirting with her other supposed “love interest” who understands her and sees her strength despite not having a tail and…basically uses him to make Darin jealous then goes to him to apologize for her spoiled behavior only to double down on it the second he says something wrong and reverts back to “you’ll never UNDERSTAND or APPRECIATE my BRILLIANCE” and then goes back to flirting with the other guy again. Rinse and repeat until the very end where she suddenly cares SOOOOO much about Darin she’ll die for him.
Give. me. a. break.
(and bleach so I can wipe her from existence, good grief)
And if you thought Darin might be good, lol, NOPE, he’s exactly like Locklyn just doesn’t flirt with the other girl in their party and has a tail, otherwise exactly the same bratty behavior (and he’s 28!) except he must change because Locklyn is right about him and what do you bet she’s stays exactly the same because she’s ✨perfect✨.
(I’m gonna go hurl and roll my eyes out of their sockets now, thanks)
And don’t get me started on the love triangle…square…thingy…because it’s so generically stupid it’s embarrassing I even got annoyed and disgusted over it but I did, which shows you just how much I hate love triangles when I can even hate it more then the actual book I ended up hating.
And the ending. The stupid, freaking cliffhanger ending that had me rolling my eyes to Heaven where they wished they could stay because what. is. the. freaking. POINT?!
🚨 Spoilers for this part, so if you want to read this book sign off now because I HAVE to talk about it. Okay, for those of you who stayed, here it is: Darin’s made to forget Locklyn. Wow, how original. Also STUPID since both were furious at each other when they parted, hadn’t spoken nicely to each other for the majority of the book, don’t even act like they LIKE each other now, and I’m supposed to believe this is a tragedy that their “love” will conquer? Give me a break! Actually make a relationship GOOD and BELIEVABLE BEFORE you throw in this crappy twist and then I’ll get behind it. (A delightful example of this done WELL is the Wizard of Vegas trilogy by Brittany Fichter—I still haven’t recovered from that trauma and it worked because they were friends and almost lovers before it was snatched away and them fighting for it was believable and made you root for them. So go read that instead of this crap because it’s not worth your time.) 🚨
You know what, I’m actually gonna rate this one star now, because while I don’t normally rate DNFs this one deserves it after all the ranting I just spewed all over the screen. This could have been so good but it wasn’t and I would NOT recommend it in a hundred years to anyone.
‼️Content (up to page 30)‼️
Violence: fighting with weapons and magic (not detailed); injuries and blood (not detailed); a character’s arm is trapped in a gate; a character fights off sharks (not detailed)
Sexual: a guy made advances on a girl in the past and is still trying in the present (nothing happens)
Other: merpeople; magical abilities; magic; a curse
April 16, 2024
I am sooooo upset!
Okay, so a day later, I'm still upset XD I thought I was getting into a nice, mermaidy adventure--my favorite! Now I need Book 2. Asap. AND I no longer trust Richmond with my reader emotions.
Hear me out, so I've been in a pretty big reading slump lately (for a few reasons), and my best friend suggested we buddy read this (cause I love mermaids and she bought the book and we wanted to read it before attending Realm Makers this year). Well, quite by accident, I left her in the dust and read the thing in two afternoons...
And the first half was good. I was intrigued. I liked the worldbuilding and still want to learn more. (I listened to the audiobook, and I always miss little details in the audiobooks, so I'd like to reread it and get a physical copy.) I enjoyed the characters, even if I wasn't really sure where the plot was going (I didn't even bother to read the synopsis). I was vibing with the romantic ship, even though there was far more romance-genre story than adventure-genre story, which I hadn't anticipated. (Gotta say, I do love me a good two POV story!) And I was hooked in for the second half! She got me. Well done.
The twist y'all. Okay, that was cool. I wasn't prepared for the final twist there at the end. I can totally dig it. I'm bought in enough to see where this adventurous plot goes. It's cool how the story feels like it starts small, but she incrementally grows the stakes and world and plot throughout the whole book.
All sounds good so far, yeah? THE TRAUMA! Maybe it's because two (completely unrelated) stories I've read prior to this have similar elements, but I was upset by a certain sumsumthing in the end which shall not be spoiled. And it happened quick, too! Anywho, that's all I'll say for fear of spoilers, but just know: I. Am. Upset.
There were a few minor transitions between scenes I struggled to follow, but I'm willing to bet that's because I listened to the audiobook rather than reading a hard copy, like I said. I did get a little tired of the (pardon the pun) romantic ships passing in the night over and over and over. I'm all for some good, old-fashioned Jane Austen tangled up misunderstandings, but this did feel a little overdramatic at times. The MCs argued a lot and I honestly wondered why they were so incapable of having like a real conversation (especially all of a sudden since for two decades prior things seemed to be all fine). But other than that, it was a fun, quick, traumatizing (jk...only partially) read.
Content: there's no swearing, some mild fantasy violence, and clean (albeit mildly dramatic) romance. There's a sort of, not really, maybe? love triangle kinda tryna happen? And a creeper character the MC fights off pretty well (more than once). Nothing ever really happens, but he clearly doesn't have good intentions and he does make her uncomfortable for his own amusement. I'd probably feel fine giving the story to a 14+ reader.
Okay, so a day later, I'm still upset XD I thought I was getting into a nice, mermaidy adventure--my favorite! Now I need Book 2. Asap. AND I no longer trust Richmond with my reader emotions.
Hear me out, so I've been in a pretty big reading slump lately (for a few reasons), and my best friend suggested we buddy read this (cause I love mermaids and she bought the book and we wanted to read it before attending Realm Makers this year). Well, quite by accident, I left her in the dust and read the thing in two afternoons...
And the first half was good. I was intrigued. I liked the worldbuilding and still want to learn more. (I listened to the audiobook, and I always miss little details in the audiobooks, so I'd like to reread it and get a physical copy.) I enjoyed the characters, even if I wasn't really sure where the plot was going (I didn't even bother to read the synopsis). I was vibing with the romantic ship, even though there was far more romance-genre story than adventure-genre story, which I hadn't anticipated. (Gotta say, I do love me a good two POV story!) And I was hooked in for the second half! She got me. Well done.
The twist y'all. Okay, that was cool. I wasn't prepared for the final twist there at the end. I can totally dig it. I'm bought in enough to see where this adventurous plot goes. It's cool how the story feels like it starts small, but she incrementally grows the stakes and world and plot throughout the whole book.
All sounds good so far, yeah? THE TRAUMA! Maybe it's because two (completely unrelated) stories I've read prior to this have similar elements, but I was upset by a certain sumsumthing in the end which shall not be spoiled. And it happened quick, too! Anywho, that's all I'll say for fear of spoilers, but just know: I. Am. Upset.
There were a few minor transitions between scenes I struggled to follow, but I'm willing to bet that's because I listened to the audiobook rather than reading a hard copy, like I said. I did get a little tired of the (pardon the pun) romantic ships passing in the night over and over and over. I'm all for some good, old-fashioned Jane Austen tangled up misunderstandings, but this did feel a little overdramatic at times. The MCs argued a lot and I honestly wondered why they were so incapable of having like a real conversation (especially all of a sudden since for two decades prior things seemed to be all fine). But other than that, it was a fun, quick, traumatizing (jk...only partially) read.
Content: there's no swearing, some mild fantasy violence, and clean (albeit mildly dramatic) romance. There's a sort of, not really, maybe? love triangle kinda tryna happen? And a creeper character the MC fights off pretty well (more than once). Nothing ever really happens, but he clearly doesn't have good intentions and he does make her uncomfortable for his own amusement. I'd probably feel fine giving the story to a 14+ reader.
November 7, 2023
Most people that know me, know that I love being in any form of water and any given time. So it felt like a God-thing to find a mermaid book from a Christian worldview.
So when I first found out about this book back sometime this summer I was stoked, and this book did not disappoint.
Sometimes the faith content in Enclave books are hit or miss (imo), but I felt like the correlation between the Wave Master & God are clear which was awesome.
The characters were super sweet, and I really felt like I was immersed into the lands/waters of this book.
There were a few things I felt like were more shallow but I'm assuming that's because they'res another Undersea Chronicle book in the making and we'll get to see all of that later.
What I liked:
🐚 The writing style
🐚 The way content was approached (whenever any sort of violence showed up it wasn't taken lightly. The weight of good vs evil wasn't brushed away)
🐚 The world building was ✨
What I didn't love:
🫧 It felt like the book could've been a little longer imo (haha I just want moreeee)
🫧 It feels like there was a lot of buildup and questions made but we never really got answers (I guess that's to keep us reading into the next book but it felt a little abrupt)
Overall this was a really cool read and I can't wait for the next one!
Content review to come :)
Pre Release:
Instant tbr....
Can't wait for this book ✨🧜♀
So when I first found out about this book back sometime this summer I was stoked, and this book did not disappoint.
Sometimes the faith content in Enclave books are hit or miss (imo), but I felt like the correlation between the Wave Master & God are clear which was awesome.
The characters were super sweet, and I really felt like I was immersed into the lands/waters of this book.
There were a few things I felt like were more shallow but I'm assuming that's because they'res another Undersea Chronicle book in the making and we'll get to see all of that later.
What I liked:
🐚 The writing style
🐚 The way content was approached (whenever any sort of violence showed up it wasn't taken lightly. The weight of good vs evil wasn't brushed away)
🐚 The world building was ✨
What I didn't love:
🫧 It felt like the book could've been a little longer imo (haha I just want moreeee)
🫧 It feels like there was a lot of buildup and questions made but we never really got answers (I guess that's to keep us reading into the next book but it felt a little abrupt)
Overall this was a really cool read and I can't wait for the next one!
Content review to come :)
Pre Release:
Instant tbr....
Can't wait for this book ✨🧜♀
July 22, 2024
I meant to write this review earlier, but time got away from me. So, you'll have to forgive me if this review is sparse.
WHAT I LIKED:
-Richmond has created a vibrant world for the Merfolk. I loved the detail she put into the worldbuilding, especially the minor things.
-The Mermaid's Tale is more of a continuation of The Little Mermaid rather than a retelling. But I liked exploring the ideas of what might have happened after the original tale, and Richmond puts her own spin on things.
WHAT I STRUGGLED WITH:
I'll be perfectly honest: love triangles are not my favorite. So, the love square did annoy me a little bit. I really just wanted everyone to stop making assumptions and just talk about their feelings. 😂
OVERALL:
If you're looking for a mermaid read or a fresh take on a fairy tale, consider The Mermaid's Tale! But beware, the ending will leave you needing the next book. 😉
Cautions: brief, semi-graphic violence; moderate romance; brief, non-descript mentions of a character having to fend off advances *
*It's been a while since I finished The Mermaid's Tale so I might have forgotten a caution.
(I received an eARC from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.)
WHAT I LIKED:
-Richmond has created a vibrant world for the Merfolk. I loved the detail she put into the worldbuilding, especially the minor things.
-The Mermaid's Tale is more of a continuation of The Little Mermaid rather than a retelling. But I liked exploring the ideas of what might have happened after the original tale, and Richmond puts her own spin on things.
WHAT I STRUGGLED WITH:
I'll be perfectly honest: love triangles are not my favorite. So, the love square did annoy me a little bit. I really just wanted everyone to stop making assumptions and just talk about their feelings. 😂
OVERALL:
If you're looking for a mermaid read or a fresh take on a fairy tale, consider The Mermaid's Tale! But beware, the ending will leave you needing the next book. 😉
Cautions: brief, semi-graphic violence; moderate romance; brief, non-descript mentions of a character having to fend off advances *
*It's been a while since I finished The Mermaid's Tale so I might have forgotten a caution.
(I received an eARC from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.)
January 16, 2025
Reread 01/16/2025
This book was even better than I remember! I cannot wait to start the second book now that it is finally out!!!!
Original Review:
Okay, I understand that this is a duology, but why must you leave us off on a cliffhanger especially considering that this book doesn’t even release until October? I don’t think I’m going to survive, I NEED to know what happens to Darin and Locklyn and the rest of the crew!!
This book was so unique, but I also loved the hints and Easter eggs of the Little Mermaid that were throughout this book. This under the sea novel was full of action, some romance (lovers of friends-to-lovers will love this one 😉), and family. This book caught my attention from page 1 and still has not released me from its prison. I seriously need book 2 now! 😂 I cannot wait to see what Mrs. Richmond has in store for us in book 2…like I’ve already mentioned, I need it!
*I received an early earc of this book. All thoughts are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.*
This book was even better than I remember! I cannot wait to start the second book now that it is finally out!!!!
Original Review:
Okay, I understand that this is a duology, but why must you leave us off on a cliffhanger especially considering that this book doesn’t even release until October? I don’t think I’m going to survive, I NEED to know what happens to Darin and Locklyn and the rest of the crew!!
This book was so unique, but I also loved the hints and Easter eggs of the Little Mermaid that were throughout this book. This under the sea novel was full of action, some romance (lovers of friends-to-lovers will love this one 😉), and family. This book caught my attention from page 1 and still has not released me from its prison. I seriously need book 2 now! 😂 I cannot wait to see what Mrs. Richmond has in store for us in book 2…like I’ve already mentioned, I need it!
*I received an early earc of this book. All thoughts are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.*
February 16, 2024
4.5⭐
I really enjoyed this retelling/sequel to The Little Mermaid. I really enjoyed the setting as well as the main characters and can't wait to read the next book in the series!
I really enjoyed this retelling/sequel to The Little Mermaid. I really enjoyed the setting as well as the main characters and can't wait to read the next book in the series!
May 15, 2024
4.5 Stars ✨
In the words of my favorite mermaid..🧜🏼♀️ I want moreeeee 🎶
This was super good, and the cliffhanger has me at a loss for words at the moment. But I can not wait for the next book!!!
In the words of my favorite mermaid..🧜🏼♀️ I want moreeeee 🎶
This was super good, and the cliffhanger has me at a loss for words at the moment. But I can not wait for the next book!!!
November 15, 2023
Never read a mermaid book before but this one definitely made me want to read more. Beware the major cliffhanger ending
September 7, 2025
Another Enclave success! I really enjoyed this story, and the audiobook was well done. Be ready with The Locket’s Revenge, though—it’s a cliffhanger ending!
October 28, 2025
My favorite part about this book was the creative mermaid world. I loved the mermaid vibes and setting the entire time reading it! The characters were interesting, and I found Prince Conway to be funny. He ended up being my favorite character with Darin being my second favorite. The concept with some merpeople born with legs was unique, and I also loved the importance that “The Little Mermaid” fairy tale played in this storyworld. It was cool that Locklyn is descended from the Little Mermaid herself and that we get to see what life is like for the mermaids and mermen generations later. I did not like, however, the similarities between the Little Mermaid’s story in this book with Disney’s version of the fairy tale. Aspects from Disney’s movie that are not in the original fairy tale are not in the public domain; they are specific to Disney’s version of the fairy tale and belong to Disney. The biggest similarity was that in The Mermaid’s Tale the Little Mermaid’s (or Llyra as her name was in this book) father was named King Triton which is the same name for the sea king in Disney’s movie but not the name of the sea king in Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale. Another similarity was that Llyra had red hair (like Ariel) and the prince, Marcus, had black hair (like Eric). Marcus even had a dog and there is a scene where he is playing with his dog on the beach while Llyra is watching from the ocean—very similar to the Disney movie. These similarities did not affect my overall enjoyment of this book, just simply peeved me, is all.
One last thing I’d like to note is that this book felt more like adult than young adult. The two main characters were adults (Locklyn is at least 20, possibly going on 21, which would put Darin at 28 or close to 29) and acted like adults, as they should of course. So I kept forgetting I was technically reading a YA book. A teen could read it and be fine, but I think adults will enjoy it as well, especially those who enjoy new adult books because I feel like The Mermaid’s Tale fits best in the new adult category. Overall, The Mermaid’s Tale was enjoyable and creative, and I can’t wait to read book two!
Magic/supernatural:
A sea enchantress. Locklyn has a special singing ability.
Language:
Uses of “blast/blasted.” Locklyn gets called a witch a couple of times, and one guard calls her a “wench.” A few mentions of characters cursing. Exclamations such as “Master of the waves.”
Romance:
Minimal. A kiss on the cheek. A few hugs. In one scene, the castle guards assumed Darin “slept” with Locklyn though that was not the case.
Violence:
Fighting. Someone was stabbed in the side and tail. A spike went through the heel of a foot (stated, not graphic). A mermaid was sliced in half by a giant crab (stated, not graphic).
Other:
Mention of drinking alcohol. One character gets drunk. Mention of a man leaving his wife to be with another woman who already had a husband. A man makes advances on a girl (I think she was a teen at the time), but she cuts him on the cheek with her dagger; He continues to make her uncomfortable or do something mean to her throughout the book.
One last thing I’d like to note is that this book felt more like adult than young adult. The two main characters were adults (Locklyn is at least 20, possibly going on 21, which would put Darin at 28 or close to 29) and acted like adults, as they should of course. So I kept forgetting I was technically reading a YA book. A teen could read it and be fine, but I think adults will enjoy it as well, especially those who enjoy new adult books because I feel like The Mermaid’s Tale fits best in the new adult category. Overall, The Mermaid’s Tale was enjoyable and creative, and I can’t wait to read book two!
Magic/supernatural:
A sea enchantress. Locklyn has a special singing ability.
Language:
Uses of “blast/blasted.” Locklyn gets called a witch a couple of times, and one guard calls her a “wench.” A few mentions of characters cursing. Exclamations such as “Master of the waves.”
Romance:
Minimal. A kiss on the cheek. A few hugs. In one scene, the castle guards assumed Darin “slept” with Locklyn though that was not the case.
Violence:
Fighting. Someone was stabbed in the side and tail. A spike went through the heel of a foot (stated, not graphic). A mermaid was sliced in half by a giant crab (stated, not graphic).
Other:
Mention of drinking alcohol. One character gets drunk. Mention of a man leaving his wife to be with another woman who already had a husband. A man makes advances on a girl (I think she was a teen at the time), but she cuts him on the cheek with her dagger; He continues to make her uncomfortable or do something mean to her throughout the book.
September 8, 2025
I liked the story and some of the characters. Plus, I liked Locklyn and her backstory. But there were several things I didn’t like. There was a creepy guy who has tried to attack Locklyn in the past and keeps doing things to her. He was an awful character and got what he deserved in the end, but still. Also there were a lot of mentions of affairs, leaving spouses to be with someone else, and that type of thing. It was heavier than I thought it was going to be. But the love triangle! I was not a fan. There is only one guy for this girl. Most of these characters need to learn to communicate their feelings. All in all, it was okay and I will be reading the next book sometime in the future.
August 7, 2025
If you love fantasy infused with strong (albeit angsty) relationships, unique political worldbuilding, high stakes, monsters, and mermaids—oh, and if you have the heart to end on a CRAZY cliffhanger—The Mermaid’s Tale is the perfect book for you!
There is so much to love about this book. I loved the setup—the deep family bonds and loyalties for both Locklyn and Darin, the look at day-to-day life for a pair of mermaids. Also, Locklyn’s occupation herding dugongs (sea cows)? Genius!
I love the relationship that Locklyn and Darin have established before we ever meet them, but at the same time, there’s so much angst as neither is brave enough to confess their feelings for the other.
Darin’s third-person present tense POV felt weird at the beginning, but I did adjust to it (and may have accidentally written a couple sentences in my own WIP in the same before realizing my error and changing it back to past tense).
I didn’t realize the story would be such an intense adventure, and yikes, were there a lot of perils awaiting our characters. It felt like they genuinely couldn’t catch a break, and as new problems kept cropping up, I was kind of worried about how we’d ever reach a resolution. I get that it’s setting up for the rest of the series, but sheesh, there was a lot going on.
Throw in some man-eating sea monsters and a couple abrupt character deaths, and it was a little more than I was comfortable with on the violence scale. That said, I’m still giving it four stars, because it’s an entertaining adventure, and I think most readers would be a little less sickened by the events.
I’m not sure if I’ll continue with the series, simply because it’s only likely to get more violent from here, but man… I do love Locklyn and Darin. I might have to finish it out just for them. XD
I do appreciate that Richmond included God in this fantasy, calling Him the Wave Master, and though there wasn’t a ton of faith content, He was mentioned many times, and our characters offered up prayers throughout.
So, all this said, if you can handle (admittedly very mild) violence better than I can, this is an epic beginning to a series, and a very unique interpretation of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairytale!
I read this book of my own free will, courtesy of my local library, and all the above thoughts are entirely my own. 😊
There is so much to love about this book. I loved the setup—the deep family bonds and loyalties for both Locklyn and Darin, the look at day-to-day life for a pair of mermaids. Also, Locklyn’s occupation herding dugongs (sea cows)? Genius!
I love the relationship that Locklyn and Darin have established before we ever meet them, but at the same time, there’s so much angst as neither is brave enough to confess their feelings for the other.
Darin’s third-person present tense POV felt weird at the beginning, but I did adjust to it (and may have accidentally written a couple sentences in my own WIP in the same before realizing my error and changing it back to past tense).
I didn’t realize the story would be such an intense adventure, and yikes, were there a lot of perils awaiting our characters. It felt like they genuinely couldn’t catch a break, and as new problems kept cropping up, I was kind of worried about how we’d ever reach a resolution. I get that it’s setting up for the rest of the series, but sheesh, there was a lot going on.
Throw in some man-eating sea monsters and a couple abrupt character deaths, and it was a little more than I was comfortable with on the violence scale. That said, I’m still giving it four stars, because it’s an entertaining adventure, and I think most readers would be a little less sickened by the events.
I’m not sure if I’ll continue with the series, simply because it’s only likely to get more violent from here, but man… I do love Locklyn and Darin. I might have to finish it out just for them. XD
I do appreciate that Richmond included God in this fantasy, calling Him the Wave Master, and though there wasn’t a ton of faith content, He was mentioned many times, and our characters offered up prayers throughout.
So, all this said, if you can handle (admittedly very mild) violence better than I can, this is an epic beginning to a series, and a very unique interpretation of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairytale!
I read this book of my own free will, courtesy of my local library, and all the above thoughts are entirely my own. 😊
September 29, 2025
“The only way to get rid of feelings like that is to stop caring. Love and pain go hand in hand. So until the day you stop caring or your mind gets wiped or your heart stops beating, shadows of that pain will follow you. Always.
But, Conway? For the sparkling moments and thrilling seconds and golden hours of loving and being loved? It's worth it.”
Young Adult books about mermaids aren't all that common, and thus this book has intrigued me ever since I first saw the cover as I love a good mermaid story. And this was such a cool take on The Little Mermaid! I won't lie, I wasn't a fan of the huge amounts of miscommunication in the plot (the amount of times I wanted to slap Locklyn and Darin upside the head lol ....) but L.E. made it work so that I it only made me want to slap the characters. The plot twists involving certain characters were so cool! though I am kinda confused still about the ending and the villain plot twist. I think I'll need to read the second book for it to make sense for me as the timeline isn't timelining for me right now. But overall this was a good, shorter read that is free of spice!
EDIT THE TIMELINE TIMELINED AGHHH!!!!
Content warnings: Racism (racism against those merpeople who have human features like legs instead of tails and such), magic spells and potions and enchantments, attempted rape and sexual harassment that happened in the past and on-screen--(but it isn't written in a way that is explicit at all), "human" (merpeople) sacrifice mentioned, on-screen death, violence that results in injury, harassment because of prejudice that results in injury, some gore, memory loss.
But, Conway? For the sparkling moments and thrilling seconds and golden hours of loving and being loved? It's worth it.”
Young Adult books about mermaids aren't all that common, and thus this book has intrigued me ever since I first saw the cover as I love a good mermaid story. And this was such a cool take on The Little Mermaid! I won't lie, I wasn't a fan of the huge amounts of miscommunication in the plot (the amount of times I wanted to slap Locklyn and Darin upside the head lol ....) but L.E. made it work so that I it only made me want to slap the characters. The plot twists involving certain characters were so cool! though I am kinda confused still about the ending and the villain plot twist. I think I'll need to read the second book for it to make sense for me as the timeline isn't timelining for me right now. But overall this was a good, shorter read that is free of spice!
EDIT THE TIMELINE TIMELINED AGHHH!!!!
Content warnings: Racism (racism against those merpeople who have human features like legs instead of tails and such), magic spells and potions and enchantments, attempted rape and sexual harassment that happened in the past and on-screen--(but it isn't written in a way that is explicit at all), "human" (merpeople) sacrifice mentioned, on-screen death, violence that results in injury, harassment because of prejudice that results in injury, some gore, memory loss.
July 20, 2023
Firstly, I can’t talk about this book without mentioning how absolutely stunning its cover is. A book starts with its cover, after all, and this one sparked into my not-mermaid-loving, not-big-faces-on-covers-loving heart an immediate interest.
The story itself is a fascinating undersea society with props to our Disney classic through history and a sublime reversal of a mermaid with legs seeking the witch for a tail. The aquatic world that Richmond has created is uniquely fascinating in its environment and landscape, lived in by rich, relatable characters and a love quadrilateral with some pretty dramatic twists! Locklyn is a pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps kind of girl, Darin is a foot-in-mouth heartthrob (if, of course, he had actual feet), and both struggle to express their true feelings as they undertake the most dangerous quest of a lifetime. With that tail-slap to the gut of an ending and themes of love, sacrifice, and courage, this is a story under the sea you won’t want to miss.
The story itself is a fascinating undersea society with props to our Disney classic through history and a sublime reversal of a mermaid with legs seeking the witch for a tail. The aquatic world that Richmond has created is uniquely fascinating in its environment and landscape, lived in by rich, relatable characters and a love quadrilateral with some pretty dramatic twists! Locklyn is a pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps kind of girl, Darin is a foot-in-mouth heartthrob (if, of course, he had actual feet), and both struggle to express their true feelings as they undertake the most dangerous quest of a lifetime. With that tail-slap to the gut of an ending and themes of love, sacrifice, and courage, this is a story under the sea you won’t want to miss.
February 11, 2025
I've never read such a detailed description of the Undersea World (I mean right down to a description of hair being in a seahorse tail) and I absolutely loved that! The author also did an excellent job of pulling off mini plot twists pretty much every chapter--I never expected where this story was going to go!
My favorite things were the world-building and adventure, but my least favorite thing was the romance aspect. This book is written with dual POV (which I loved) so you know that both characters harbor feelings for each other but have yet to reveal that to each other. Kind of frustrating that the miscommunication or lack of communication trope had them pretty much arguing the whole book so it didn't feel very romancey. But the kicker for me is that the MMC is 8 years older than the FMC AND he's known her since birth--this point kept being brought up too. I just feel weird reading about a romance with an older character catching feelings for the younger that they knew as a child.
There was one point that I was confused because a character had explained something one way and then it happened differently, but that could have been my misunderstanding. But let me tell you I'd heard about the cliffhanger at the end and it is no joke--definitely recommend having Book 2 at the ready!
Content: a sea enchantress as a villian, talk of a generational curse by said villian
Christian faith rating: 1/3 this is Christian fantasty--their version of God is the Wave Maker (characters pray to and ask Him for help)
My favorite things were the world-building and adventure, but my least favorite thing was the romance aspect. This book is written with dual POV (which I loved) so you know that both characters harbor feelings for each other but have yet to reveal that to each other. Kind of frustrating that the miscommunication or lack of communication trope had them pretty much arguing the whole book so it didn't feel very romancey. But the kicker for me is that the MMC is 8 years older than the FMC AND he's known her since birth--this point kept being brought up too. I just feel weird reading about a romance with an older character catching feelings for the younger that they knew as a child.
There was one point that I was confused because a character had explained something one way and then it happened differently, but that could have been my misunderstanding. But let me tell you I'd heard about the cliffhanger at the end and it is no joke--definitely recommend having Book 2 at the ready!
Content: a sea enchantress as a villian, talk of a generational curse by said villian
Christian faith rating: 1/3 this is Christian fantasty--their version of God is the Wave Maker (characters pray to and ask Him for help)
September 29, 2024
The cliffhanger 😭😭😭. I’m sorry, what?!
I have been having a craving to read a fairytale retelling book about the little mermaid, and this book completely satisfied that craving! 🧜♀️ 🌊 🐬
I absolutely loved the Christian themes that were interwoven in this book! They were subtle, so not overbearing at all, yet it was so sweet to see.
The romance!!! Please, L.E., I am begging you, let Darin and Locklyn have their happy ending 🙏🏼🥺🥺.
I also love the length of the story! The book is just under 300 pages, therefore it made it such an easy read to sit down and finish quickly (I was able to finish it in one sitting). At first, when I got the book I was sad to see it was so short. However, now that I’ve finished it I am so thankful it was! I think the prominent problem with longer books is that they tend to have sections where the pacing lags or the plot derails yet this book did not have that problem. The story was fast-paced and eventful! Never a dull moment.
I just know that this book will be one that will be so easy to reread in the future.
Therefore, it is my great delight to give this wonderful debut novel 5 stars! It exceeded my expectations 🥹🐬. I cannot wait for book 2 to be released later on next month!
I have been having a craving to read a fairytale retelling book about the little mermaid, and this book completely satisfied that craving! 🧜♀️ 🌊 🐬
I absolutely loved the Christian themes that were interwoven in this book! They were subtle, so not overbearing at all, yet it was so sweet to see.
The romance!!! Please, L.E., I am begging you, let Darin and Locklyn have their happy ending 🙏🏼🥺🥺.
I also love the length of the story! The book is just under 300 pages, therefore it made it such an easy read to sit down and finish quickly (I was able to finish it in one sitting). At first, when I got the book I was sad to see it was so short. However, now that I’ve finished it I am so thankful it was! I think the prominent problem with longer books is that they tend to have sections where the pacing lags or the plot derails yet this book did not have that problem. The story was fast-paced and eventful! Never a dull moment.
I just know that this book will be one that will be so easy to reread in the future.
Therefore, it is my great delight to give this wonderful debut novel 5 stars! It exceeded my expectations 🥹🐬. I cannot wait for book 2 to be released later on next month!
September 15, 2023
(I received an early ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
This book is amazing!!!!! I am already dying to read book 2!!!! The characters are so fun, and you get pulled into the story immediately. From page 1, I was hooked! Trust me when I say you need to read this book!
Darin was absolutely amazing, and I love the relationship he has with Locklyn. They work so well together, and they make the best team!! I wish it had ended on a less crazy cliffhanger, but hey, it makes you want more. I’m not quite sure what I think about Conway. He’s fun, but I’m not sold on him just yet lol.
This book is amazing!!!!! I am already dying to read book 2!!!! The characters are so fun, and you get pulled into the story immediately. From page 1, I was hooked! Trust me when I say you need to read this book!
Darin was absolutely amazing, and I love the relationship he has with Locklyn. They work so well together, and they make the best team!! I wish it had ended on a less crazy cliffhanger, but hey, it makes you want more. I’m not quite sure what I think about Conway. He’s fun, but I’m not sold on him just yet lol.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
November 3, 2024I am DNF this. I stopped at 15% into the book. Nothing bad. But I am afraid it isn’t for me. I have a hard time following it and I lost interest.
October 29, 2023
An exciting undersea tale filled with adventure, sacrifice, and love.
A mermaid born with legs instead of fins, Locklyn has lives her life as a social outcast, but when her niece is born with the same condition she is determined to do everything she can to give her more opportunities than her herself had.
A riveting story with fantastic world building and a compelling plot, and characters that you can root for all the way through. I loved the fast paced, twisting plot, set in the lush undersea world. The plot is original and imaginative, though inspired by the Little Mermaid, the author does and excellent job of remaking pieces of the tale into something completely her own.
Darin is a likable hero, strong, protective, and willing to fight for others. Despite his flaws, his heart is pure. Personally I'm not the biggest fan of the third person, present tense that his chapters are told in, but as the story progressed it didn't bother me so much.
Overall, a wonderful read with a riveting plot, and compelling characters that leave you begging for more. A terrific introduction to a new author, perfect for fans of fantasy, and friends to lovers romance!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
A mermaid born with legs instead of fins, Locklyn has lives her life as a social outcast, but when her niece is born with the same condition she is determined to do everything she can to give her more opportunities than her herself had.
A riveting story with fantastic world building and a compelling plot, and characters that you can root for all the way through. I loved the fast paced, twisting plot, set in the lush undersea world. The plot is original and imaginative, though inspired by the Little Mermaid, the author does and excellent job of remaking pieces of the tale into something completely her own.
Darin is a likable hero, strong, protective, and willing to fight for others. Despite his flaws, his heart is pure. Personally I'm not the biggest fan of the third person, present tense that his chapters are told in, but as the story progressed it didn't bother me so much.
Overall, a wonderful read with a riveting plot, and compelling characters that leave you begging for more. A terrific introduction to a new author, perfect for fans of fantasy, and friends to lovers romance!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
February 5, 2024
Go read this book. Richmond creates a rich, beautiful, and timeless tale of love, friendship, loyalty, greed, and honor all within a masterfully crafted underwater world.
What I Loved:
- The worldbuilding. I adore this book as a reader, but I love it even more as a writer. Reading this book felt like taking a masterclass in atmospheric worldbuilding. When you write, you're setting the tone and mood of the world, and Richmond does this flawlessly.
- The love triangle that, for the first time in my life, wasn't toxic. I was a little hesitant when I noticed the book moving into "love triangle" territory. But my mind was immediately put at ease. Both of the love interests are complicated, nuanced, and could be very healthy choices for Locklyn.
- Locklyn as a strong, female protagonist. I love that she's girly, but she's not afraid to get grungy and fight for what she believes in. She's not just a boss girl--she's a caretaker who loves deeply.
- The way the author approached really dark topics. This book has some really dark undertones. It approaches ideas like sexual predators, bullying, and even kidnapping. But I never felt violated as a reader, and I think there's a lot we can learn from Richmond about this.
What I Didn't Love:
- It didn't quite feel long enough. I wanted more. I know this is the first in a duology, but I still think this one could've been longer. For the record, though, this is a personal preference--it's not a sign of a pacing problem.
Content Warnings: Abandonment, animal cruelty, animal death, blood, bullying, death, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, murder, sexual assault (implied, but not shown on page), sexual harassment (implied, but not graphic), and violence.
I won an ARC in a giveaway by the author. All opinions are my own.
What I Loved:
- The worldbuilding. I adore this book as a reader, but I love it even more as a writer. Reading this book felt like taking a masterclass in atmospheric worldbuilding. When you write, you're setting the tone and mood of the world, and Richmond does this flawlessly.
- The love triangle that, for the first time in my life, wasn't toxic. I was a little hesitant when I noticed the book moving into "love triangle" territory. But my mind was immediately put at ease. Both of the love interests are complicated, nuanced, and could be very healthy choices for Locklyn.
- Locklyn as a strong, female protagonist. I love that she's girly, but she's not afraid to get grungy and fight for what she believes in. She's not just a boss girl--she's a caretaker who loves deeply.
- The way the author approached really dark topics. This book has some really dark undertones. It approaches ideas like sexual predators, bullying, and even kidnapping. But I never felt violated as a reader, and I think there's a lot we can learn from Richmond about this.
What I Didn't Love:
- It didn't quite feel long enough. I wanted more. I know this is the first in a duology, but I still think this one could've been longer. For the record, though, this is a personal preference--it's not a sign of a pacing problem.
Content Warnings: Abandonment, animal cruelty, animal death, blood, bullying, death, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, murder, sexual assault (implied, but not shown on page), sexual harassment (implied, but not graphic), and violence.
I won an ARC in a giveaway by the author. All opinions are my own.
May 1, 2024
Love, love, love! The rich world, the epic adventure! I couldn't stop! The Mermaid's Tale brought together all the elements I enjoy in a story. It had the feel of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, as well as the Disney Film, Atlantis, all spectacularly told in an under-water realm with wonderful nods to The Little Mermaid fairytale. I'm on the edge of my seat with anticipation for book two!
September 13, 2024
This story is just as amazing as the cover of the book. The pacing kept me on the edge throughout. I highly anticipate the release of the next book. I loved the narration of the audio copy. 4.5/5
March 9, 2025
I can't decide if I like this book or not...
(Please understand, I am very critical when it comes to reviewing stories... So, this is just me picking things apart and trying to decide whether this is a 4-star or 3-star book. 😂😭)
My main problems with it:
- The plot was both fast and slow... Things were happening, but then... Things also... Weren't??? Happening??? The last 20 pages felt like so many different things getting thrown at you compared to the relatively slow pace of the rest of the book. A lot of other plot points also felt like the characters were just getting thrown around. We had random side characters dying to make things more interesting, I think??? T-T Like... It was just random stuff to make it interesting, and then nothing else being done with those things.
- Some of the connections *Coughs* That thing with Circe *Coughs* made no sense to me. I saw no connection, and maybe that's just me, but it was so random that when Ginnerva started to say something about it I kept re-reading what she said and tried to find whatever connection that she had seen... 😭😂
- The love triangle and the memory loss thing just... That knocked down my review hard. 😅 This is probably more of a personal preference, but I cannot stand memory loss tropes in books. It is infuriating. So very, VERY, infuriating. T-T This was mildly less infuriating than some books I've read with it, but it still seems entirely unnecessary to the plot. And then the love triangle... I'll be honest, I... I don't know if I like Darin and Locklyn together. They both love each other for sure, but like... Darin is eight years older than her or something, and practically raised her??? It just... It doesn't work for me, It felt as though he should be more of a brother to her. And maybe I'm just biased - cause Conway was probably my favorite character - but he seems a better match, despite his flaws.
But anyways, these things were fairly small, but altogether, they made me unsure if I was enjoying the book or not.
NOW- Despite all this... I was entirely captivated by the book. I know, really weird, but I loved it whenever I read it. Maybe it was the setting that I loved, as I've never read any books set beneath the ocean. Maybe it was the characters, because Ginnerva is awesome, and I loved Conway, and maybe it's the building mystery unfolding behind everything... Whatever it was, I still enjoyed this book, so... 3 and a half stars is my rating, but I rounded it up to four cause Goodreads does not have half stars. 😂
(Please understand, I am very critical when it comes to reviewing stories... So, this is just me picking things apart and trying to decide whether this is a 4-star or 3-star book. 😂😭)
My main problems with it:
- The plot was both fast and slow... Things were happening, but then... Things also... Weren't??? Happening??? The last 20 pages felt like so many different things getting thrown at you compared to the relatively slow pace of the rest of the book. A lot of other plot points also felt like the characters were just getting thrown around. We had random side characters dying to make things more interesting, I think??? T-T Like... It was just random stuff to make it interesting, and then nothing else being done with those things.
- Some of the connections *Coughs* That thing with Circe *Coughs* made no sense to me. I saw no connection, and maybe that's just me, but it was so random that when Ginnerva started to say something about it I kept re-reading what she said and tried to find whatever connection that she had seen... 😭😂
- The love triangle and the memory loss thing just... That knocked down my review hard. 😅 This is probably more of a personal preference, but I cannot stand memory loss tropes in books. It is infuriating. So very, VERY, infuriating. T-T This was mildly less infuriating than some books I've read with it, but it still seems entirely unnecessary to the plot. And then the love triangle... I'll be honest, I... I don't know if I like Darin and Locklyn together. They both love each other for sure, but like... Darin is eight years older than her or something, and practically raised her??? It just... It doesn't work for me, It felt as though he should be more of a brother to her. And maybe I'm just biased - cause Conway was probably my favorite character - but he seems a better match, despite his flaws.
But anyways, these things were fairly small, but altogether, they made me unsure if I was enjoying the book or not.
NOW- Despite all this... I was entirely captivated by the book. I know, really weird, but I loved it whenever I read it. Maybe it was the setting that I loved, as I've never read any books set beneath the ocean. Maybe it was the characters, because Ginnerva is awesome, and I loved Conway, and maybe it's the building mystery unfolding behind everything... Whatever it was, I still enjoyed this book, so... 3 and a half stars is my rating, but I rounded it up to four cause Goodreads does not have half stars. 😂
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews