What do you think?
Rate this book
The Piscea Chronicles #1
Of Seafoam & Saltwater
The sea has always called to Cari. Like a lullaby that only she can hear, she has been drawn to the water’s edge for as long as she can remember. Yet fear holds her back from stepping into the sea, until she decides she needs answers only the sea can provide.
When her memories return, Cari finds herself in the midst of a far more complicated world than she ever imagined. Her family, the royalty of the kingdom of Piscea, are being held prisoner by the Mad King Varan - a power-hungry merman bent on conquering the five merfolk kingdoms.
Upon her return to the sea, Cari experiences dreams of the Sea Witch, a terrifying creature who decrees that she cannot prevent King Varan from usurping the kingdoms. Can she and her new allies pull off their daring rescue mission? And if they do, what consequences will the Mad King rain down upon them?
When her memories return, Cari finds herself in the midst of a far more complicated world than she ever imagined. Her family, the royalty of the kingdom of Piscea, are being held prisoner by the Mad King Varan - a power-hungry merman bent on conquering the five merfolk kingdoms.
Upon her return to the sea, Cari experiences dreams of the Sea Witch, a terrifying creature who decrees that she cannot prevent King Varan from usurping the kingdoms. Can she and her new allies pull off their daring rescue mission? And if they do, what consequences will the Mad King rain down upon them?
476 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 25, 2024
125 people are currently reading
518 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 19, 2024
MerMay is still in full swing! For my second mermaid book this month, I decided to check out Of Seafoam & Saltwater by Kay Leyda. This is a "lost princess" archetype story about a seemingly ordinary girl who discovers she's a mermaid and dives into a new world of undersea adventure and intrigue. Although this plot has been done many times before in books such as The Tail of Emily Windsnap, movies like Barbie in a Mermaid Tale, and independent works like Nerissa Sanderson, The Part-Time Mermaid, it's presented differently each time. This book is the author's premiere novel and the first in a series called The Piscea Chronicles. It's easy to see that she intended for it to be a series because there are a ton of characters, kingdoms, and concepts thrown at the reader to the point where the book can be difficult to follow at times.
The first thing that drew me into this book was the beautiful artwork on the cover. I read many indie novels about fairy tales, mermaids, and lost princesses, but I've never seen one with a cover in such a lovely art style. The close-up of the main character with her gentle purple locks flowing in the current, warm brown skin, anime-inspired eyes, and whimsical underwater kingdom backdrop make the book feel like a work of art before even turning to the first page. I wondered if it would read more like a manga due to the art style on the cover, but it is definitely a novel and a fairly lengthy one at that. From the moment Cari's life collides with the ocean, she is thrown into an overwhelming world of culture shock with royal names, traditions, and a life-altering quest to save her family. She dives right into her training without question, ready to reclaim her status as the lost mermaid princess. This is truly the start of a long fantasy epic and is not for those seeking a light mindless read.
Although the worldbuilding gets much stronger after Cari turns into a mermaid, the writing in the first few chapters is some of the weakest in the book. There is very little detail about Cari's life on land, and she isn't turned into a mermaid due to some great catastrophe or because someone came looking for her. Instead, she randomly decides to conquer her fear of the water one day after avoiding it for almost her entire life. After she dives in, her legs merge into a purple tail, and she meets a prince who immediately recognizes her as the lost Princess Emiynn. The other iterations of these types of stories usually include a protagonist who struggles to balance her life on land with her secret undersea escapades. It seems that Cari cares very little about the people who raised her. She makes no effort to return to land or contact them in any way. The moment she learns her true identity, she decides to forgo her other life and immerse herself in this one. There is so much detail about the undersea kingdoms that I wondered if it was even necessary for her to have grown up on land for the story to work.
Though the rest of the book is written well, I had a hard time keeping up with all the characters and settings among the merfolk. It seemed like every other chapter was introducing a new merperson, but there was never enough time to become emotionally attached to any of them. Even Cari, the main character, had few interests or personality traits and only wanted to reclaim the life that was taken from her and find her true family just like every other lost princess. What should have been a straightforward rescue mission was convoluted by side plots, a revolving door of new characters, and endless worldbuilding. The ending was an obvious tease to read the next book, but I did not feel emotionally involved enough with the characters to get excited about it. I think this book would have worked better if it had been told entirely from Cari's perspective, and each merperson that was introduced had been given their own book in The Piscea Chronicles.
Of Seafoam & Saltwater by Kay Leyda is an ambitious start to The Piscea Chronicles, offering a unique take on the 'lost princess' archetype. While the beautiful cover art and vivid worldbuilding are definite strengths, the novel's pacing and character development struggle to keep up. With a vast cast of characters and intricate underwater kingdoms, the story feels overwhelming at times, making it difficult to become emotionally invested in Cari's journey. Despite its potential, the book's weaknesses in writing and character development hold it back from being a truly engaging read. However, fans of epic fantasy and mermaid tales may still find it worth exploring, especially if they're willing to commit to the entire series. With refinement and focus, future installments could truly shine.
The first thing that drew me into this book was the beautiful artwork on the cover. I read many indie novels about fairy tales, mermaids, and lost princesses, but I've never seen one with a cover in such a lovely art style. The close-up of the main character with her gentle purple locks flowing in the current, warm brown skin, anime-inspired eyes, and whimsical underwater kingdom backdrop make the book feel like a work of art before even turning to the first page. I wondered if it would read more like a manga due to the art style on the cover, but it is definitely a novel and a fairly lengthy one at that. From the moment Cari's life collides with the ocean, she is thrown into an overwhelming world of culture shock with royal names, traditions, and a life-altering quest to save her family. She dives right into her training without question, ready to reclaim her status as the lost mermaid princess. This is truly the start of a long fantasy epic and is not for those seeking a light mindless read.
Although the worldbuilding gets much stronger after Cari turns into a mermaid, the writing in the first few chapters is some of the weakest in the book. There is very little detail about Cari's life on land, and she isn't turned into a mermaid due to some great catastrophe or because someone came looking for her. Instead, she randomly decides to conquer her fear of the water one day after avoiding it for almost her entire life. After she dives in, her legs merge into a purple tail, and she meets a prince who immediately recognizes her as the lost Princess Emiynn. The other iterations of these types of stories usually include a protagonist who struggles to balance her life on land with her secret undersea escapades. It seems that Cari cares very little about the people who raised her. She makes no effort to return to land or contact them in any way. The moment she learns her true identity, she decides to forgo her other life and immerse herself in this one. There is so much detail about the undersea kingdoms that I wondered if it was even necessary for her to have grown up on land for the story to work.
Though the rest of the book is written well, I had a hard time keeping up with all the characters and settings among the merfolk. It seemed like every other chapter was introducing a new merperson, but there was never enough time to become emotionally attached to any of them. Even Cari, the main character, had few interests or personality traits and only wanted to reclaim the life that was taken from her and find her true family just like every other lost princess. What should have been a straightforward rescue mission was convoluted by side plots, a revolving door of new characters, and endless worldbuilding. The ending was an obvious tease to read the next book, but I did not feel emotionally involved enough with the characters to get excited about it. I think this book would have worked better if it had been told entirely from Cari's perspective, and each merperson that was introduced had been given their own book in The Piscea Chronicles.
Of Seafoam & Saltwater by Kay Leyda is an ambitious start to The Piscea Chronicles, offering a unique take on the 'lost princess' archetype. While the beautiful cover art and vivid worldbuilding are definite strengths, the novel's pacing and character development struggle to keep up. With a vast cast of characters and intricate underwater kingdoms, the story feels overwhelming at times, making it difficult to become emotionally invested in Cari's journey. Despite its potential, the book's weaknesses in writing and character development hold it back from being a truly engaging read. However, fans of epic fantasy and mermaid tales may still find it worth exploring, especially if they're willing to commit to the entire series. With refinement and focus, future installments could truly shine.
March 25, 2024
Of Seafoam and Saltwater is a YA fantasy which is suitable for readers of all age! If you love fairytale re-telling, then this one for you. The Little Mermaid is one of my favorite movies and while reading this, you can feel few similar vibes from the movie, which I personally enjoyed! It also reminded me of one of my favorite childhood movies “Barbie: In A Mermaid Tale”. This book literally healed my inner child. 🥹🫶🏼
This book takes you to the journey of Cari (FMC) who is an average teenage girl who later discovers herself being a mermaid and starts exploring mermaids’ world! The story had few twist and turns which keeps you hooked throughout the book. I really liked the world building and character development in this book. There were some endearing moments between MCs such as their fun banters!
Overall, I genuinely enjoyed reading this book and could easily recommend absolutely anyone to read it. If you’re someone who wants to deep your toes in fantasy world, I’d highly recommend you to check it out!
This book takes you to the journey of Cari (FMC) who is an average teenage girl who later discovers herself being a mermaid and starts exploring mermaids’ world! The story had few twist and turns which keeps you hooked throughout the book. I really liked the world building and character development in this book. There were some endearing moments between MCs such as their fun banters!
Overall, I genuinely enjoyed reading this book and could easily recommend absolutely anyone to read it. If you’re someone who wants to deep your toes in fantasy world, I’d highly recommend you to check it out!
February 23, 2024
I loved this book and am so proud of my good friend for writing this. I was on the edge of my seat from the very beginning and the twist at the end surprised me! Such a good read and the characters and their development through the read was fantastic! Such a great story!!
March 28, 2024
I was so grateful to be a part of Kay's arc team and taking a peek at this story early! We've followed each other for a while and to hear that she was still writing and getting days away from publishing I wanted to help such a wonderful person out.
This story had great vibes, fun and vibrant but with a little chaos of course, and i could tell the younger version of my self loved every mermaid, under the sea moment. Some little mermaid vibes with her own flare and I was all for it.
World building and character development was high in this story and I loved how easily you could connect to Cari's anxiety or Addys pining love for the princess who's captive by his own father. There's a good amount a turmoil and hope for a life not only Cari will love but will be able to enjoy with her people.
I can't wait for the book to come out and the fact that there's going to be more is such a plus!
This story had great vibes, fun and vibrant but with a little chaos of course, and i could tell the younger version of my self loved every mermaid, under the sea moment. Some little mermaid vibes with her own flare and I was all for it.
World building and character development was high in this story and I loved how easily you could connect to Cari's anxiety or Addys pining love for the princess who's captive by his own father. There's a good amount a turmoil and hope for a life not only Cari will love but will be able to enjoy with her people.
I can't wait for the book to come out and the fact that there's going to be more is such a plus!
August 9, 2024
An amazing debut fantasy novel from an incredibly talented author. A truly riveting mermaid tale. Secrets and struggles lie below the water's surface. Cari is a cool protagonist and the descriptions of the wonders deep in the ocean are mesmerizing and immersive.
I fell so deeply into this world. I had so many hopes for the imprisoned mermaids and mermen. I fretted over the escape as much as Cari did! This was an absolute page turner until the very end! The story gave me epic feels. I am a fan of this author and can't wait for book 2!
I fell so deeply into this world. I had so many hopes for the imprisoned mermaids and mermen. I fretted over the escape as much as Cari did! This was an absolute page turner until the very end! The story gave me epic feels. I am a fan of this author and can't wait for book 2!
January 16, 2025
I had this sitting on my TBR for awhile and wish I’d picked it up sooner! While I don’t read much YA anymore these days, I was intrigued by the premise of a lost mermaid princess, the promise of adventure, the themes of family and kingdoms at war. It did not disappoint.
Cari, our protagonist is awkward and shy, but it was wonderful to watch her coming of age and finding her place as a princess, and meeting her merfolk family. This is a dense story with lots of worldbuilding, but generally I didn’t find it hard to keep track of who was who and from which kingdom. I also loved the diversity of characters in this story. And there was one character I was particularly intrigued by, and looking forward to learning more about in future installments.
This ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but book 2 is coming soon I hear! This is perfect for the YA-loving audience and readers who love mermaids and undersea adventure.
Cari, our protagonist is awkward and shy, but it was wonderful to watch her coming of age and finding her place as a princess, and meeting her merfolk family. This is a dense story with lots of worldbuilding, but generally I didn’t find it hard to keep track of who was who and from which kingdom. I also loved the diversity of characters in this story. And there was one character I was particularly intrigued by, and looking forward to learning more about in future installments.
This ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but book 2 is coming soon I hear! This is perfect for the YA-loving audience and readers who love mermaids and undersea adventure.
Want to read
December 28, 2024i'm actually so excited to read this! but also look at that cover—artist: luy_co. stoked!
April 3, 2024
I loved this book so much! There are so many wonderful relatable characters and I adore the love they share for their friends and family. It is rare to read about two friends who love and fight for each other in a platonic way. There was also a lot of attention to mental health and the subtle nuanced ways anxiety can manifest. I particularly loved one scene where a character talked herself through her anxiety, focusing on her breathing, and counting. I feel like this could help a lot of readers with their own anxiety. The plot was really satisfying with some twists and turns and a solid ending leaving me wanting the next book ASAP! I also really loved the attention to detail like explaining where the kingdoms are on a map and what foods they ate. Great world building!
August 19, 2025
“What if you were terrified of the ocean… only to find out you’re a mermaid princess destined to save an underwater kingdom?” 🧜♀️✨
In Of Seafoam & Saltwater by Kay Leyda Cari finally takes the plunge—literally—and discovers she’s Emiynn of Piscea, the lost heir. Now she has to rescue her family from the Mad King and face a Sea Witch who might just destroy them all.
Expect lush worldbuilding, underwater politics, and vibes straight out of Aquamarine meets Throne of Glass. 🌊👑
The magic? Gorgeous.
The drama? Royal-level.
The pace? Fast—like swept-away-by-the-tide fast.
If you love YA mermaid fantasy, epic quests, and discovering secret destinies, this book will pull you under… in the best way. 🌊💙
In Of Seafoam & Saltwater by Kay Leyda Cari finally takes the plunge—literally—and discovers she’s Emiynn of Piscea, the lost heir. Now she has to rescue her family from the Mad King and face a Sea Witch who might just destroy them all.
Expect lush worldbuilding, underwater politics, and vibes straight out of Aquamarine meets Throne of Glass. 🌊👑
The magic? Gorgeous.
The drama? Royal-level.
The pace? Fast—like swept-away-by-the-tide fast.
If you love YA mermaid fantasy, epic quests, and discovering secret destinies, this book will pull you under… in the best way. 🌊💙
May 17, 2025
Technically it’s YA fantasy... but let’s be honest, I devoured it like a seaside snack. With charming characters and prose that flows as effortlessly as the tide, this story is equal parts magical and heartwarming.
Whether you're a teen or just YA at heart, this one’s a breezy, beautiful read. I’m already grabbing extra copies for the teens in my life—and possibly one more for me (you know, for “lending”).
Highly recommend if you love sea magic, strong storytelling, and characters that feel like instant friends.
#YAreads #OfSeafoamAndSaltwater #FantasyBooks #BookRecommendation #KayLeda #CozyFantasyVibes #OceanMagic
Whether you're a teen or just YA at heart, this one’s a breezy, beautiful read. I’m already grabbing extra copies for the teens in my life—and possibly one more for me (you know, for “lending”).
Highly recommend if you love sea magic, strong storytelling, and characters that feel like instant friends.
#YAreads #OfSeafoamAndSaltwater #FantasyBooks #BookRecommendation #KayLeda #CozyFantasyVibes #OceanMagic
November 19, 2025
That cover just drew me in. Although at times I would get lost by all the characters that there were while I tried to keep track of who's who, I enjoyed this story a whole lot more than I was expecting. It's a great story with big tension yet heartwarming. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
July 24, 2025
3.5
It's a cute lost princess story but there's just too many characters to keep track of.
It's a cute lost princess story but there's just too many characters to keep track of.
Read
August 11, 2024DNF at 39%, I just couldn’t get into it
July 5, 2025
I would honestly give this a 3.75. It was good and held my attention, but I don’t think I am going to finish the series. If you like Barbie in a Mermaid Tale, this book definitely gives those vibes.
July 8, 2025
3.5 good story!
October 15, 2025
The single star is for the bones of the story because the idea of the Little Mermaid in reverse? Love to see it. But the execution was... less than desirable.
My main complaints:
1) Descriptions of time - The author used "tides", "moons", "luminaries", and "phases" to describe the passing of time. The problem is that there was such stark inconsistencies that I just couldn't understand wtf the author was trying to infer. The onlytime device that was used consistently (technically; because even the merfolk forgot that they weren't supposed to be familiar with "human" descriptions of time) was "luminaries" in places of years. Not only was the passing of time discussed to an extreme degree, but it made it hard to understand the overal idea because there were times when "tides" and "moons" were used seemingly interchangeably but also not.
2)World building - gods was there so much potential that was knocked into the trash by weird details and explanations. It's implied that the merfolk get most or all things from shipwrecks, but create elaborate clothing that seemingly defy physics / the kingdoms are geographically spread out like half a world a part, but somehow the merfolk and dolphins can swim across half the globe overnight?? / the merfolk just exist hoping to not be noticed by humans, which if the author leaned a little into the magic and mystery of fantasy there wouldn't need to be explanation, but straight up the merfolk in conversation just say they haven't been noticed. The time period is meant to be modern, so you're trying to tell me that we know really crazy details about Marianna's trench but would be able to not notice mermaid castles and shit? Nahhhhhhhh. / Why on earth was there a whole scene about FMC trying to figure out how to bathe? It added absolutely nothing to the story except fluff and confusion.
3) Character details and development - No consistency in naming styles in a way that is glaring and doesn't flow with the overall vibe. FMC is a super boring but most special flower but dumb human but great lost princess but naive but so capable but damsel in distress... just picksomething. Also FMC hair grows super fast and fashion colors over naturally dark hair would totally stay vivid and bright as it grows out? Author implies the love interest will be the homie who "found" her but also he must get married to random noble who has tons of little face scars (don't forget that she looks totally perfect unless you look closely and see all her scars)
4) Everything? Truly there was so much of nothing and everything going on. Author kind of leaned into magic but also not, leaned into merfolk being an established self-sufficient society but also not, made too many references and comments that were very non-sensical; like how exactly does a fish stumble? Two teens wrote weekly correspondencee and were able to create an unbreakable code? Speaking of writing, I think if I play the shot game for every time the author had to specify SQUID INK I wouldv'e died from alcohol poisoning.
Overall, the book couldv'e done with quite a few more proof reads. My problem isn't with the concept and I genuinely enjoy YA, but consistency and clarity matter. There can be both too much and not enough exposition and that is definitely what happened here. I really wanted to like this, but it was rough and I would not recommend this book even on my worst day.
My main complaints:
1) Descriptions of time - The author used "tides", "moons", "luminaries", and "phases" to describe the passing of time. The problem is that there was such stark inconsistencies that I just couldn't understand wtf the author was trying to infer. The onlytime device that was used consistently (technically; because even the merfolk forgot that they weren't supposed to be familiar with "human" descriptions of time) was "luminaries" in places of years. Not only was the passing of time discussed to an extreme degree, but it made it hard to understand the overal idea because there were times when "tides" and "moons" were used seemingly interchangeably but also not.
2)World building - gods was there so much potential that was knocked into the trash by weird details and explanations. It's implied that the merfolk get most or all things from shipwrecks, but create elaborate clothing that seemingly defy physics / the kingdoms are geographically spread out like half a world a part, but somehow the merfolk and dolphins can swim across half the globe overnight?? / the merfolk just exist hoping to not be noticed by humans, which if the author leaned a little into the magic and mystery of fantasy there wouldn't need to be explanation, but straight up the merfolk in conversation just say they haven't been noticed. The time period is meant to be modern, so you're trying to tell me that we know really crazy details about Marianna's trench but would be able to not notice mermaid castles and shit? Nahhhhhhhh. / Why on earth was there a whole scene about FMC trying to figure out how to bathe? It added absolutely nothing to the story except fluff and confusion.
3) Character details and development - No consistency in naming styles in a way that is glaring and doesn't flow with the overall vibe. FMC is a super boring but most special flower but dumb human but great lost princess but naive but so capable but damsel in distress... just picksomething. Also FMC hair grows super fast and fashion colors over naturally dark hair would totally stay vivid and bright as it grows out? Author implies the love interest will be the homie who "found" her but also he must get married to random noble who has tons of little face scars (don't forget that she looks totally perfect unless you look closely and see all her scars)
4) Everything? Truly there was so much of nothing and everything going on. Author kind of leaned into magic but also not, leaned into merfolk being an established self-sufficient society but also not, made too many references and comments that were very non-sensical; like how exactly does a fish stumble? Two teens wrote weekly correspondencee and were able to create an unbreakable code? Speaking of writing, I think if I play the shot game for every time the author had to specify SQUID INK I wouldv'e died from alcohol poisoning.
Overall, the book couldv'e done with quite a few more proof reads. My problem isn't with the concept and I genuinely enjoy YA, but consistency and clarity matter. There can be both too much and not enough exposition and that is definitely what happened here. I really wanted to like this, but it was rough and I would not recommend this book even on my worst day.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2024
The story follows the FMC Cari in her journey. She grew up believing she was a normal teenage girl but is soon thrust into the world of mermaids and has to adapt to everything she thought she knew to her new reality she's facing. The story contains some fun banter between characters, mystery that keeps you guessing and a story line that flows. I enjoyed following Cari and meeting the fellow mermaids/merman in the story. I was not ready for this book to finish! Definitely impatient to get my hands on the next to see how these characters grow and to finally figure out if the sea witch is friend or foe.
Definitely a great debut start for author Kay Leyda.
Definitely a great debut start for author Kay Leyda.
March 18, 2025
This was alright. A little childish but that's kind of to be expected from the cover. A cute little story.
October 2, 2025
I wanted to like it but I couldn't connect
May 2, 2024
Do you love the sea? Do you dream of the magic that resides there? Well dip your toes into the water and ride the waves to a totally immersive experience! Amazing world building skills make you feel as if you are swimming along next to Cari as she discovers her true self. A journey you will remember til the end of days.
March 28, 2024
I really loved reading Of Seafoam & Saltwater and there is so much potential for future stories :)
This story follows Cari as she discovers she is a mermaid and all that goes with that. She goes on a journey of self-discovery. I love the character interactions Cari has and how things are developed.
I also really enjoyed the descriptions of the under-water realm and the overall pace of the story. It felt like I wasn't reading at all but in a magical place. I love when a story can do that!
Also, the sea witch. Get ready for her! :)
Please go read this book if you like YA or anything mermaid/merfolk. <3
This story follows Cari as she discovers she is a mermaid and all that goes with that. She goes on a journey of self-discovery. I love the character interactions Cari has and how things are developed.
I also really enjoyed the descriptions of the under-water realm and the overall pace of the story. It felt like I wasn't reading at all but in a magical place. I love when a story can do that!
Also, the sea witch. Get ready for her! :)
Please go read this book if you like YA or anything mermaid/merfolk. <3
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews