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Saltwater Souls
You can take the woman out of the ocean, but can you take the ocean out of the woman?
A lightkeeper fights to live up to her father’s legacy.
Two heartbroken sisters desperately cling to their mother’s memory.
A mer-child is determined to free captive mermaids from their prison.
A mermaid must battle a curse to save her new friend.
Sirens avenge the souls of murdered children.
A young woman’s life is upended when she rescues a mermaid’s baby.
Journey alongside heroines searching for their place in this world . . . even if it means embracing the wildness of the sea and the saltwater in their souls.
A lightkeeper fights to live up to her father’s legacy.
Two heartbroken sisters desperately cling to their mother’s memory.
A mer-child is determined to free captive mermaids from their prison.
A mermaid must battle a curse to save her new friend.
Sirens avenge the souls of murdered children.
A young woman’s life is upended when she rescues a mermaid’s baby.
Journey alongside heroines searching for their place in this world . . . even if it means embracing the wildness of the sea and the saltwater in their souls.
164 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 24, 2024
3 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
May 10, 2024
This relatively short anthology of saltwater tales contains only six stories, so the ride was shorter than expected, but it was a fun one overall.
Is salty water as a setting the only theme? No, but it's the unifying one, the glue keeping them all together to form a thematic collection. I'd say that the underlying theme is torment of the soul. Grief, worry, regret, guilt, loss, and pain. But also some positive "torments" like love and the joy of redemption. There's more of the former than the latter, because Hannah Carter makes her characters work hard for their drop of non-salty happiness.
The stories vary in length and level of fantastical elements and magic, as some had more and some less, but all of them had girl protagonists, another nice bonus. I would've liked that there had been a bit more variety in ages as well, but at least there's more cultural variety.
Now, on to the stories:
THE LIGHTKEEPER
This one is about a half-siren who lives in a lighthouse whose custodianship she inherited from her father, about whom she has too many regrets to count. One day, she witnesses a shipwreck that unexpectedly kicks off an internal war between the two sides of her nature. Will she hear the cruel but alluring siren's song her mind sings, or will she listen to her more compassionate human heart? That handsome sea captain sure will help her decide, and fast!
I do wish this hadn't ended so abruptly, though. This should've been a novelette more than a short story, and I sure do hope to read the full version republished one day, if Hannah were to do it.
THE MERMAID HUNT
This was the most self-reflective and inward-looking of the stories in the collection, dealing with the grief of a couple of girls that have lost their beloved mother to drowning. The elder sister, pragmatic and full of regrets over her strained relationship with her deceased mother, has to take care of the younger sister, who dreamily believes their mother was a mermaid and insists on going hunting for the mermaid she swears she's just seen moments ago.
There seems to be no plot but addressing trauma and PTSD here, at least that's what the point of the story seemed to be for me. Maybe because of this limited plot, it was also my least favourite in the anthology.
FINS FOR FREEDOM
The funniest story, by far! It's about a "freedom fighter" mermaid that's too caught up in tales of heroic rescues of enslaved merfolk that decides to play mermaid-in-shining-armour when she witnesses a human "attacking" a helpless mermaid with a "gun" underwater. Trouble is, she is completely and comically wrong about everything she believes in.
This was a laugh-out-loud story, but there's underlying seriousness by the end too. Humour with a message, essentially.
SHARP AS A SIREN'S SONG
I'm positive I've read this story before, in another anthology. But I don't recall enough of the first version to say whether this one is much different, but that slightly amnesiac portion of my mind insists that the version I first read was darker than this one. I'd have to reread the first and second versions to compare...
The plot is the same, however. A siren is sent by the Sea Witch to kill the prince in exchange for her sister's life, and to accomplish this, she must first seduce the handsome prince, without the help of her alluring voice. Can she? Sure! When do mermaids ever fail at this task when it's not Hans Christian Andersen writing the plot, anyway? Honestly, I might be misremembering it 100% or, worse, mistaking it for another mermaid story, but I'd prefer the darker version in which the mermaid fails at it and the prince wins, just for the twist (of a knife!).
LA LLORONA
The darker of all the stories here, with Horror elements (but very mild for this genre, so the scaredy cats amongst you don't need to be too worried). It's based on the legend of La Llorona, a phantasmagorical weeping woman who haunts the nights with her blood-curling cries and lamentations, and purports to give the legend an origin story.
La Llorona isn't exclusively Mexican, it also exists all over Latin America and Spain, and is very old, from around the time of the Conquista or thereabouts, but its roots might be even older because this legend has Medea elements (the llorona is turned into a terror-inducing ghost as punishment for killing her children after a love affair gone bad). Perhaps it's that I knew this legend from ages ago, but I'm rather unimpressed and don't find it scary at all, or original as a plot premise.
SALTWATER SOULS
This story smells strongly of the author trying to play with "mermaid reproduction" ideas. As in, explain how mermaids have babies, how they get pregnant and baby mermaids are born. If I'm right in my guess, Hannah Carter owes me a Welcome-to-America apple pie as soon as I land. And if I'm wrong? Well, she still owes me an apple pie as compensation for Story #1!
But how do mermaids make babies? Mmm, some of you need to either read this to get an answer, or visit an aquarium and observe the marine animals' habits. No, I'm not talking about fishy sex habits, but that may help.
I'm giving this 3.5 stars averaged for all six stories in the anthology, individual stories would get ratings ranging from 3 to 4 stars, and the first and last stories were the ones I liked best.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
_________________________________
Be careful what you wish for, they said. You might get it, they said. I didn't listen, and getting the ARC was my punishment.
Is salty water as a setting the only theme? No, but it's the unifying one, the glue keeping them all together to form a thematic collection. I'd say that the underlying theme is torment of the soul. Grief, worry, regret, guilt, loss, and pain. But also some positive "torments" like love and the joy of redemption. There's more of the former than the latter, because Hannah Carter makes her characters work hard for their drop of non-salty happiness.
The stories vary in length and level of fantastical elements and magic, as some had more and some less, but all of them had girl protagonists, another nice bonus. I would've liked that there had been a bit more variety in ages as well, but at least there's more cultural variety.
Now, on to the stories:
THE LIGHTKEEPER
This one is about a half-siren who lives in a lighthouse whose custodianship she inherited from her father, about whom she has too many regrets to count. One day, she witnesses a shipwreck that unexpectedly kicks off an internal war between the two sides of her nature. Will she hear the cruel but alluring siren's song her mind sings, or will she listen to her more compassionate human heart? That handsome sea captain sure will help her decide, and fast!
I do wish this hadn't ended so abruptly, though. This should've been a novelette more than a short story, and I sure do hope to read the full version republished one day, if Hannah were to do it.
THE MERMAID HUNT
This was the most self-reflective and inward-looking of the stories in the collection, dealing with the grief of a couple of girls that have lost their beloved mother to drowning. The elder sister, pragmatic and full of regrets over her strained relationship with her deceased mother, has to take care of the younger sister, who dreamily believes their mother was a mermaid and insists on going hunting for the mermaid she swears she's just seen moments ago.
There seems to be no plot but addressing trauma and PTSD here, at least that's what the point of the story seemed to be for me. Maybe because of this limited plot, it was also my least favourite in the anthology.
FINS FOR FREEDOM
The funniest story, by far! It's about a "freedom fighter" mermaid that's too caught up in tales of heroic rescues of enslaved merfolk that decides to play mermaid-in-shining-armour when she witnesses a human "attacking" a helpless mermaid with a "gun" underwater. Trouble is, she is completely and comically wrong about everything she believes in.
This was a laugh-out-loud story, but there's underlying seriousness by the end too. Humour with a message, essentially.
SHARP AS A SIREN'S SONG
I'm positive I've read this story before, in another anthology. But I don't recall enough of the first version to say whether this one is much different, but that slightly amnesiac portion of my mind insists that the version I first read was darker than this one. I'd have to reread the first and second versions to compare...
The plot is the same, however. A siren is sent by the Sea Witch to kill the prince in exchange for her sister's life, and to accomplish this, she must first seduce the handsome prince, without the help of her alluring voice. Can she? Sure! When do mermaids ever fail at this task when it's not Hans Christian Andersen writing the plot, anyway? Honestly, I might be misremembering it 100% or, worse, mistaking it for another mermaid story, but I'd prefer the darker version in which the mermaid fails at it and the prince wins, just for the twist (of a knife!).
LA LLORONA
The darker of all the stories here, with Horror elements (but very mild for this genre, so the scaredy cats amongst you don't need to be too worried). It's based on the legend of La Llorona, a phantasmagorical weeping woman who haunts the nights with her blood-curling cries and lamentations, and purports to give the legend an origin story.
La Llorona isn't exclusively Mexican, it also exists all over Latin America and Spain, and is very old, from around the time of the Conquista or thereabouts, but its roots might be even older because this legend has Medea elements (the llorona is turned into a terror-inducing ghost as punishment for killing her children after a love affair gone bad). Perhaps it's that I knew this legend from ages ago, but I'm rather unimpressed and don't find it scary at all, or original as a plot premise.
SALTWATER SOULS
This story smells strongly of the author trying to play with "mermaid reproduction" ideas. As in, explain how mermaids have babies, how they get pregnant and baby mermaids are born. If I'm right in my guess, Hannah Carter owes me a Welcome-to-America apple pie as soon as I land. And if I'm wrong? Well, she still owes me an apple pie as compensation for Story #1!
But how do mermaids make babies? Mmm, some of you need to either read this to get an answer, or visit an aquarium and observe the marine animals' habits. No, I'm not talking about fishy sex habits, but that may help.
I'm giving this 3.5 stars averaged for all six stories in the anthology, individual stories would get ratings ranging from 3 to 4 stars, and the first and last stories were the ones I liked best.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
_________________________________
Be careful what you wish for, they said. You might get it, they said. I didn't listen, and getting the ARC was my punishment.
Read
April 10, 2024I was part of the editing team for this book, so I can’t leave a formal review. But I’m so proud of Hannah and love her and these stories to the very depths of the sea and beyond. 🌊
April 12, 2024
I had a lot of fun with this collection. I’ve been a fan of Hannah’s work for a while and this showcased all the things I love about her writing. Lots of great characters, cool concepts, and bits of angst and sass.
May 13, 2024
This collection is a mirror held up before each reader, asking, "Who are you, and who do you want to be?" The stories combine to demonstrate one of the truest human powers: the power to choose, to make the kinds of decisions that transform one's soul from a toothy, scaled beast into something warm, cherished, and possibly even huggable. And it doesn't hurt, of course, that said mirror is also shining with salt crystals, sea pearls, and mermaid scales.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review of this anthology.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review of this anthology.
May 14, 2024
Six lovely stories of people with hope and saltwater in their veins, this was pretty much my perfect short story collection. They're long enough to be satisfying, short enough to be one-sitting reads, and linger long after you've finished them. There are themes of grief, family, forgiveness, and finding yourself, all wrapped in shimmering scales and siren's songs. I truly loved every story, and this collection gets 5 stars from me!
**I received a copy of this book from the author. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own.**
**I received a copy of this book from the author. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own.**
June 26, 2025
A collection that will break your heart and simultaneously piece it back together while healing scars it didn’t leave, Saltwater Souls is a book readers need. Each piece centering on every person’s power of choices, Hannah Carter reminds us all that our humanity and love are beacons that we can always choose to keep shining—no matter how dark the world around us becomes. Like the sea will meet the shoreline always, let these beautiful stories remind you that there is hope always.
*I did receive an early copy (all thoughts and opinions are my own), and I happily endorsed this book!*
*I did receive an early copy (all thoughts and opinions are my own), and I happily endorsed this book!*
May 17, 2024
Hannah Carter knows how to weave her stories to tug at your heart and pull you into new worlds with magic and soul.
She has the magic touch when it comes to topics of grief, trauma, found family, love and I could go on and on. These were just a few themes you can find in these seaside stories.
I really loved the variety of genres and range of characters and lore.
This was a great collection that will keep you reading until the very end!
She has the magic touch when it comes to topics of grief, trauma, found family, love and I could go on and on. These were just a few themes you can find in these seaside stories.
I really loved the variety of genres and range of characters and lore.
This was a great collection that will keep you reading until the very end!
Read
April 10, 2024I was part of the editing team for this story. Therefore, I cannot leave a formal review. But I do think that for those of you who enjoy mermaids and stories varying from sweet to salty, there's definitely some stuff you'll enjoy here. Includes some old favorites from Carter's previous releases and some wonderful new friends.
January 28, 2025
«The sea loved to shatter the bones of men and boats against rocks, and the sirens rejoiced in this.»
ARC review:
An anthology with a clear theme of the sea and whoever is part of it. The stories were all connected with their themes and main characters, all mermaids or sirens.
It could use some more editing, like the use of the three dots which were spaced out being changed so they're like this: ... And not . . . The story La Llorona also didn't have a seperate heading/chapter and therefor got mixed with the one in front of it.
But besides all that, I found the stories enjoyable, although sometimes a bit repetitive. I can tell the author tried to make every story something new, but unfortunately every character felt sort of the same variety of a girl that didn't fit it because they're a mermaid or siren, struggling with their vengeful nature or desire to go towards the sea. Perhaps if each story had a different setting, still related to the water but with different descriptions and words used, it wouldn't all mix together.
I overall enjoyed the clear use of the themes and how they were explored, as well as the mix of folklore, myths and the authors own inspiration of mermaid and sirens.
ARC review:
An anthology with a clear theme of the sea and whoever is part of it. The stories were all connected with their themes and main characters, all mermaids or sirens.
It could use some more editing, like the use of the three dots which were spaced out being changed so they're like this: ... And not . . . The story La Llorona also didn't have a seperate heading/chapter and therefor got mixed with the one in front of it.
But besides all that, I found the stories enjoyable, although sometimes a bit repetitive. I can tell the author tried to make every story something new, but unfortunately every character felt sort of the same variety of a girl that didn't fit it because they're a mermaid or siren, struggling with their vengeful nature or desire to go towards the sea. Perhaps if each story had a different setting, still related to the water but with different descriptions and words used, it wouldn't all mix together.
I overall enjoyed the clear use of the themes and how they were explored, as well as the mix of folklore, myths and the authors own inspiration of mermaid and sirens.
June 25, 2024
A lovely little collection of mermaid stories sure to stir the imagination. My favorite was by far “Sharp as a Siren’s Song,” which has notes of both Little Mermaid and Cinderella along with the trope of girl-sent-to-kill-the-prince, and great OCD rep.
May 31, 2024
I really enjoyed this book.There are 6 short saltwater tales that all have a different spin on mermaids. They touch on friendship, family, strength, grief and forgiveness. I loved each story, but The Light keeper and Sharp As A Siren's Song were my favorites. I kind of hope that either one of those are made into a longer story in the future.
December 31, 2024
Creative, could have been a tad more bittersweet, especially with the fanfic of the Little Mermaid (which was still a weird choice), but still one of the better quality KU stories
4/5
4/5
June 25, 2024
Mermaid Stories full of soul
Great collection of short stories featuring mermaids! Each story is different enough to keep you interested but united by soul-deep themes of love, forgiveness, wrestling with pain, and healing. Sometimes short stories leave you wanting so much more, but these have satisfying conclusions. Great summertime read!
Great collection of short stories featuring mermaids! Each story is different enough to keep you interested but united by soul-deep themes of love, forgiveness, wrestling with pain, and healing. Sometimes short stories leave you wanting so much more, but these have satisfying conclusions. Great summertime read!
June 4, 2024
Saltwater Souls is a great little anthology for anyone who loves mermaids! I love the different interpretations of them used in each story. Each story tugged at my heart strings, especially the last one. My favorite, though, was a Little Mermaid retelling called Sharp as a Siren's song, in which the sea witch was enslaving mermaids and training them as assassins. It was a marvelous twist on the classic tale.
April 27, 2024
The part of me that loves all things ocean was so excited to find this collection of short stories! I enjoyed each of the stories’ unique worldbuilding and characters.
Tales of sirens and lighthouses, sisters and family struggles, a young woman and a baby mermaid…each of these stories were written beautifully. The last one especially was my favorite with its sweet ending. And a certain tale set in Mexico definitely gave me the chills.
If you or someone you know enjoys the ocean, mermaids, and adventure then I highly recommend this collection of stories! It was a joy to read!!
Sexual Content/Romance: Mild (a brief kiss)
Profanity: Light
Violence: Moderate (talk of suicide without descriptions, bloody wounds and fights without gory descriptions)
(I received an ARC copy for an honest review. Thank you to the author for this digital copy!!)
Tales of sirens and lighthouses, sisters and family struggles, a young woman and a baby mermaid…each of these stories were written beautifully. The last one especially was my favorite with its sweet ending. And a certain tale set in Mexico definitely gave me the chills.
If you or someone you know enjoys the ocean, mermaids, and adventure then I highly recommend this collection of stories! It was a joy to read!!
Sexual Content/Romance: Mild (a brief kiss)
Profanity: Light
Violence: Moderate (talk of suicide without descriptions, bloody wounds and fights without gory descriptions)
(I received an ARC copy for an honest review. Thank you to the author for this digital copy!!)
Read
April 12, 2024Hannah Carter’s SALTWATER SOULS captures the wild beauty and terror inherent in the sea. I really enjoyed the different creative iterations of mer-lore that she depicted, as well as the tempestuous characters who reflected the ever-changing nature of the ocean and breathed a salt-filled breath of air through the pages. This collection is for the ocean girls—mermaids, sirens, and things in between—who are ever drawn to the water.
Thanks to the author and publisher for this ARC!
Thanks to the author and publisher for this ARC!
December 18, 2025
This is a charming anthology that features 6 different stories about mermaids, sirens, and other creatures that live beneath the waves. I loved the variety of emotions we got across the collection, from bitter to comedic, from sorrowful to sweet. There's a good range of historical and contemporary settings with lovable and relatable and hateable characters. Regardless of your personal taste in mermaid media, there's something for anyone to enjoy in this. The stories are also pretty short and well paced, I thought this was a fun quick read for MerMay. I think it would be a lot of fun to illustrate some of these scenes. I also appreciated that none of the stories focused on romance as the driving focus, even if some of them had some romantic elements as an undercurrent - the priority was always on family or self discovery or choosing to do the right thing and I enjoyed that a lot.
I think my favorite story was the Mermaid Hunt. The relationship between the two grieving sisters was both touching and heart wrenching, and I found myself yearning to believe in Evie's stories.
I highly recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys mermaid tales!
I think my favorite story was the Mermaid Hunt. The relationship between the two grieving sisters was both touching and heart wrenching, and I found myself yearning to believe in Evie's stories.
I highly recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys mermaid tales!
October 22, 2025
I enjoyed this book!
May 20, 2025
Saltwater Souls brings together 6 imaginative and immersive stories drenched in mermaid lore and familial bonds. Each story had a unique take on merfolk and sirens and was set in locations from around our world and into the fantastical. I loved each of the stories for different reasons, and across the board found the main characters likable and relatable and the worlds fun to explore.
There were two stories that really stood out for me. The Mermaid Hunt which I honestly didn’t expect to like at the beginning, but loved by the end, and La Llorona. I know the legend of La Llorona and was still thrilled by the twists as they were revealed along the way, not to mention the dark, ethereal tone and complicated characters. It also represented a good balance in the anthology overall. There was darkness in one story, a spark of romantasy in another, a sweet story about unexpected motherhood, vibrant, youthful whimsy, and A Little Mermaid meets Cinderella retelling. Each connected not only by the mermaid premise but the bonds its characters share with family and friends (even when those bonds are strained) and consistent threads of hope. I had fun reading this book over the last week, never knowing what to expect beyond “mermaids”, and was delightfully surprised at every turn.
Whether you like fully immersed fantasy or a touch of magic beneath the waves, this anthology has a story for you.
There were two stories that really stood out for me. The Mermaid Hunt which I honestly didn’t expect to like at the beginning, but loved by the end, and La Llorona. I know the legend of La Llorona and was still thrilled by the twists as they were revealed along the way, not to mention the dark, ethereal tone and complicated characters. It also represented a good balance in the anthology overall. There was darkness in one story, a spark of romantasy in another, a sweet story about unexpected motherhood, vibrant, youthful whimsy, and A Little Mermaid meets Cinderella retelling. Each connected not only by the mermaid premise but the bonds its characters share with family and friends (even when those bonds are strained) and consistent threads of hope. I had fun reading this book over the last week, never knowing what to expect beyond “mermaids”, and was delightfully surprised at every turn.
Whether you like fully immersed fantasy or a touch of magic beneath the waves, this anthology has a story for you.
January 4, 2025
This anthology contained wonderful adventures! It carried a nice air of nostalgia decorating each plot. These short narratives felt like bedtime stories with the added measures of expanded details and world-building to enrich the experiences. Moments were sweet, situations were tense, and heartstrings were pulled. The first three stories were light and simple with unique morals underlying their creative narrations. The second three were considerably complex and tense, integrating a wide range of emotions in various directions as the plots developed and cliches were broken. As someone with a love for cryptids and legends, "La Llorona" has captivated my mind long after closing the book. The intensity and perspective shift of that story was an invigorating experience and invoked a powerful response.
Overall, this was a solid collection of stories, and I appreciate that each delivered the promise of the anthology's overarching theme. Hannah is an excellent author, and I look forward to reading more of her work.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, this was a solid collection of stories, and I appreciate that each delivered the promise of the anthology's overarching theme. Hannah is an excellent author, and I look forward to reading more of her work.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 22, 2025
4 stars – A great intro to short stories with memorable moments
Saltwater Souls is the first short story collection I’ve ever read, and it turned out to be a really cool experience! I picked this up from BookSirens while looking for Mer-May themed ARCs, and the premise instantly caught my eye.
As someone new to short stories, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I ended up really enjoying the format. I read one or two stories at a time in between my other books and finished the whole collection in just over a week. Some stories were absolutely amazing, some were just okay, and a few really stuck with me—I kept thinking about them for days afterward.
There were definitely a couple of stories that felt like they could become full-length novels. I found myself completely hooked and didn’t want them to end!
I’m giving this 4 stars because while not every story blew me away, the majority were genuinely enjoyable and made me want to explore more short story collections in the future. A great pick for anyone looking for a sea-themed, magical read.
Saltwater Souls is the first short story collection I’ve ever read, and it turned out to be a really cool experience! I picked this up from BookSirens while looking for Mer-May themed ARCs, and the premise instantly caught my eye.
As someone new to short stories, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I ended up really enjoying the format. I read one or two stories at a time in between my other books and finished the whole collection in just over a week. Some stories were absolutely amazing, some were just okay, and a few really stuck with me—I kept thinking about them for days afterward.
There were definitely a couple of stories that felt like they could become full-length novels. I found myself completely hooked and didn’t want them to end!
I’m giving this 4 stars because while not every story blew me away, the majority were genuinely enjoyable and made me want to explore more short story collections in the future. A great pick for anyone looking for a sea-themed, magical read.
June 18, 2025
First and foremost, thank you Hannah and Twenty Hills Publishing for my copy! This was a perfect read amongst the chaos of graduation with being able to read a short story here and there without having to stop in the middle of a story.
Hannah wrote a cute collection of short stories of women finding their place in this world and embracing their saltwater souls.
This book has a good collection of stories that not only were entertaining, but also gave a variety of lessons that could be learned. It felt very similar to say a fairytale you’d read as a kid or the collection of short stories your parent would read to teach you mini lessons, helping you grow as a person. I will admit, the last story did hurt my heart a bit but overall was an excellent read!
Hannah wrote a cute collection of short stories of women finding their place in this world and embracing their saltwater souls.
This book has a good collection of stories that not only were entertaining, but also gave a variety of lessons that could be learned. It felt very similar to say a fairytale you’d read as a kid or the collection of short stories your parent would read to teach you mini lessons, helping you grow as a person. I will admit, the last story did hurt my heart a bit but overall was an excellent read!
August 13, 2024
Hannah has achieved the ability to fill a short story with purpose, emotion and a rawness that you can’t help but feel as you read it. The final story especially brought me to tears at the internal struggle of fighting the voices within that were created by others, and the power of love to show the truth.
May 2, 2025
This was such an interesting read. Each chapter was a short story in and of itself and I didn’t realize that when I first picked it up. Normally I’m not one for short stories because once I get invested in a story I want it to last a lot longer than just a few pages, but the author did a really good job with this collection of stories and I’m glad I read it.
November 30, 2024
This was the perfect book for a girl who played mermaids all the time as a kid! Each story made me fall in love with its characters and the very last one left me crying. If you want to believe in the magic of the sea again, Saltwater Souls is perfect!
December 19, 2024
Really enjoyed this short story collection. I appreciated the mix of retellings, original content, and folklore. Looking forward to more of Carter's work.
January 6, 2025
I enjoyed this book!
February 1, 2025
Really good collection of short stories. All different, all exceptionally well-written.
April 19, 2024
Thank you to Twenty Hills publishing for this ARC copy. While this book was provided to me at no cost, the review is entirely my own. The collection is cute, cozy, slightly spooky, and fun. Great for anyone who wants bite-sized fiction with a full kick of world building and witty dialogue.
Again I find myself finishing books late at night when I'm awake and sick. I started it earlier this week and finished it tonight as something to keep my mind off of being so sick. The stories did a wonderful job of transporting me out of my head.
Carter has always done a magnificent job of weaving together a magical setting that fits the tone of each story. Truly one of her largest strengths is her world building. It's so hard to build a world in a short story, but Carter has always nailed it. She's always been able to make me care about the characters in her stories. Her representative of characters struggling with anxiety and OCD (things I also struggle with) was masterfully done. It did not feel contrived or done to check off a box. She always done an amazing job portraying characters struggling but surviving in the face of it all. I admire that about her writing. Truly Carter cares about her characters and her readers.
I highly recommend picking up a copy of Saltwater Souls for a refreshing read (one story is a bit spooky but it's still a cozy read). Really, Carter is amazing at making a cozy story. And witty lines of dialogue.
I may return to this review when I'm more awake and less sick but I do enjoy getting my thoughts written quick as possible when I love a book this much. I look forward to having Carter sign a physical copy at Realm Makers 2024 this year.
Again I find myself finishing books late at night when I'm awake and sick. I started it earlier this week and finished it tonight as something to keep my mind off of being so sick. The stories did a wonderful job of transporting me out of my head.
Carter has always done a magnificent job of weaving together a magical setting that fits the tone of each story. Truly one of her largest strengths is her world building. It's so hard to build a world in a short story, but Carter has always nailed it. She's always been able to make me care about the characters in her stories. Her representative of characters struggling with anxiety and OCD (things I also struggle with) was masterfully done. It did not feel contrived or done to check off a box. She always done an amazing job portraying characters struggling but surviving in the face of it all. I admire that about her writing. Truly Carter cares about her characters and her readers.
I highly recommend picking up a copy of Saltwater Souls for a refreshing read (one story is a bit spooky but it's still a cozy read). Really, Carter is amazing at making a cozy story. And witty lines of dialogue.
I may return to this review when I'm more awake and less sick but I do enjoy getting my thoughts written quick as possible when I love a book this much. I look forward to having Carter sign a physical copy at Realm Makers 2024 this year.
August 10, 2024
Super sweet stories that will make you wish you had a tail instead of legs. I loved how every story ended with a happy ending and that most of them had some kind of familial relationship, whether it was father/daughter, sisters, or mother/daughter.
I wish there had been more sea creatures than mermaids and sirens featured in the book, but that's just a small thing. The stories were well-written, and the characters were worth rooting for. I wouldn't have minded a few more setting or world-building details to root me in the stories.
But overall, I'm glad I picked this book up, and I will keep it to read on future hot, summery days. It's the perfect book to take to the beach! Or the pool. Or your living room sofa :).
I wish there had been more sea creatures than mermaids and sirens featured in the book, but that's just a small thing. The stories were well-written, and the characters were worth rooting for. I wouldn't have minded a few more setting or world-building details to root me in the stories.
But overall, I'm glad I picked this book up, and I will keep it to read on future hot, summery days. It's the perfect book to take to the beach! Or the pool. Or your living room sofa :).
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