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Sea of Sorrow
The mermaid queen is dying, and Kiera’s in line for the crown.
When Kiera left her life in Marmor, the underground mermaid queendom located in the Bermuda Triangle, she forwent her tail and traded it for legs. Now, engaged to the man of her dreams, the sea calls with news that threatens to turn the tide.
Kiera doesn’t want to give up the life she’s created for herself, but her mother’s illness draws her back to the sea of grief and to the world she left behind.
She’s forced to decide which is her inheritance in the sea or her new life on land.
When Kiera left her life in Marmor, the underground mermaid queendom located in the Bermuda Triangle, she forwent her tail and traded it for legs. Now, engaged to the man of her dreams, the sea calls with news that threatens to turn the tide.
Kiera doesn’t want to give up the life she’s created for herself, but her mother’s illness draws her back to the sea of grief and to the world she left behind.
She’s forced to decide which is her inheritance in the sea or her new life on land.
- GenresFantasy
74 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 11, 2025
37 people want to read
About the author
Moriah Chavis
12 books217 followersMoriah is the author of the young adult fantasy Heart of the Sea and various short stories. She is a two-time graduate from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and a Master’s in Library and Information Science. It's been said you can find perusing bookstores, attempting to persuade strangers to read her favorite books, oscillating between watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy (her husband’s favorite) or Harry Potter (hers), and keeping her books from the clutches of her two feisty cats.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 4, 2025
Loved this sweet short story! Moriah did a great job of world-building within 65 pages; the story was succinct and heartfelt and it gripped me from beginning to end. Can't wait to grab my physical copy!
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July 24, 2025
The latest work by Chavis is one of her best to date. It is a quick read, perfect for a reluctant reader. It’s a tale of a girl who once had a tail. Even though it is a fantasy genre, those who love realistic fiction will also enjoy. It has realistic topics that appealed to me as a realistic fiction reader. Go ahead and get the preorder ebook. You won’t be disappointed.
June 14, 2025
Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC for Sea of Sorrow.
I was pleasantly surprised at how immersive this story was, considering it was a short length. There was no lack of details, and the main character Kiera felt authentic and fully realized. I think that it would have been interesting to hear another POV, perhaps from her fiancé as he must have been very confused as to why there was so many secrets in his relationship. I do feel bad for the fiancé as he never truly got closure on his relationship, and to me seems like he was a filler for Kiera's indecision of where her life should lie. The theme of family sacrifice was heavy throughout the story, with Kiera having to struggle between her duties in taking over family responsibilities as a mermaid or continuing her seemingly picturesque life as a human. I definitely think the main character changed and grew as in the beginning, she never truly thought that she would have to face the possibility of taking over a family legacy anytime soon. When faced with the choice of whether to flee or stay, she realized that for the greater good of her community she must take over the role as queen and take pride in her heritage. The epilogue was nice to see how she still kept her human powers and ended up being happy with both sides of her life.
I was pleasantly surprised at how immersive this story was, considering it was a short length. There was no lack of details, and the main character Kiera felt authentic and fully realized. I think that it would have been interesting to hear another POV, perhaps from her fiancé as he must have been very confused as to why there was so many secrets in his relationship. I do feel bad for the fiancé as he never truly got closure on his relationship, and to me seems like he was a filler for Kiera's indecision of where her life should lie. The theme of family sacrifice was heavy throughout the story, with Kiera having to struggle between her duties in taking over family responsibilities as a mermaid or continuing her seemingly picturesque life as a human. I definitely think the main character changed and grew as in the beginning, she never truly thought that she would have to face the possibility of taking over a family legacy anytime soon. When faced with the choice of whether to flee or stay, she realized that for the greater good of her community she must take over the role as queen and take pride in her heritage. The epilogue was nice to see how she still kept her human powers and ended up being happy with both sides of her life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2025
Audiobook Review⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to the author @Moriah.Chavis and @the_audio_collective for the #gifted audiobook.
🌊 If you’re craving a complete story but only have a sliver of time, this one is perfect. Sea of Sorrow is a very short, very immersive fantasy that somehow packs rich world-building, romance, and family drama into just a handful of pages.
We follow Kiera—a princess in hiding who traded her tail for legs—as she’s pulled back to the underwater mermaid queendom she left behind. With her mother, the queen, dying and the crown calling her name, Kiera faces a heartbreaking choice: return to the sea or hold on to the life she’s created on land.
Secret identities, family sacrifice, emotional tension, and stunning undersea atmosphere… all wrapped in a quick read that still feels complete. A perfect pick for when you want a fast fantasy escape that delivers. 💙✨
Thank you to the author @Moriah.Chavis and @the_audio_collective for the #gifted audiobook.
🌊 If you’re craving a complete story but only have a sliver of time, this one is perfect. Sea of Sorrow is a very short, very immersive fantasy that somehow packs rich world-building, romance, and family drama into just a handful of pages.
We follow Kiera—a princess in hiding who traded her tail for legs—as she’s pulled back to the underwater mermaid queendom she left behind. With her mother, the queen, dying and the crown calling her name, Kiera faces a heartbreaking choice: return to the sea or hold on to the life she’s created on land.
Secret identities, family sacrifice, emotional tension, and stunning undersea atmosphere… all wrapped in a quick read that still feels complete. A perfect pick for when you want a fast fantasy escape that delivers. 💙✨
June 6, 2025
I have had the honor of getting to read this book as a beta reader and it has been such a fun experience! This was the perfect short story to start my summer off with a splash! I have always had a love for anything mermaid-related when reading so when I heard about this book I jumped at the chance to get to read it!
The overall story was great and had an incredible amount of depth that made me shed a few tears in the process of reading it! The main character had such a fun personality and was surprisingly well-developed for such a short story! this book had themes of sacrifice, redemption and family bonds.
Moriah Chavis has outdone herself with this book!
It was amazing and the only thing I have to say is I wish it had been longer for I could keep reading about the world and characters!
My Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
The overall story was great and had an incredible amount of depth that made me shed a few tears in the process of reading it! The main character had such a fun personality and was surprisingly well-developed for such a short story! this book had themes of sacrifice, redemption and family bonds.
Moriah Chavis has outdone herself with this book!
It was amazing and the only thing I have to say is I wish it had been longer for I could keep reading about the world and characters!
My Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
July 22, 2025
I received a free copy of this book, and am voluntarily leaving a review for it!
This was a really sweet story, with such a beautiful explanation of love and duty. It was such a unique take on the "mermaid becoming human for her love" story, and while I was sad about how parts of the story went, I actually ended up really enjoying how it went against traditional story patterns, while also following them in sweet, beautiful ways! Highly recommend this book!
This was a really sweet story, with such a beautiful explanation of love and duty. It was such a unique take on the "mermaid becoming human for her love" story, and while I was sad about how parts of the story went, I actually ended up really enjoying how it went against traditional story patterns, while also following them in sweet, beautiful ways! Highly recommend this book!
August 11, 2025
Wonderful story about life, loss, and coming home afterward. This short piece may technically be a Little Mermaid retelling, but it's much more substantial than 99% of the retellings I've encountered. Well worth the read.
January 14, 2026
I have been sitting on this one for quite some time because I knew it was going to be a sad read, but I was finally in the mood tonight! It is somewhat of a loose Little Mermaid retelling, at least that’s what it struck me as, and it follows Kiera who is strung between her life on land and her family beneath the sea. This is a novella, but much like Thorns of Winter, this author does a wonderful job packing in world building and well developed characters. It was a little longer than Thorns of Winter, however, and it was a choice I liked, because I felt I got a little more time with Kiera to understand her situation. I genuinely did not know what Kiera’s choice would be, and with the decision came meaningful commentary and themes about family, grief, loss, and love.
I was right when I said I would need tissues for this, because I did indeed cry! For such a short story, the emotional impact it has is satisfying. I already love how this author writes, and I was pleasantly surprised how the story wrapped up. I think this is a good story if you have an evening off, enjoy impactful fairytale retellings, or just need a good cry. For me, it was all of the above. This might just be my favorite novella yet!
I was right when I said I would need tissues for this, because I did indeed cry! For such a short story, the emotional impact it has is satisfying. I already love how this author writes, and I was pleasantly surprised how the story wrapped up. I think this is a good story if you have an evening off, enjoy impactful fairytale retellings, or just need a good cry. For me, it was all of the above. This might just be my favorite novella yet!
August 21, 2025
Kiera has built a new life for herself on land after leaving the sea behind. When she is told that her mother is dying, she must return to the sea to say goodbye and face the choice to take her place under the sea or return to the life she has built on the land.
I loved this story so much! From beginning to end it was a perfect short read. I felt Kiera's conflict, torn between sea and land, responsibility verse the life she wants. Kiera was a likeable character who felt realistic and was relatable. I was on the edge of my seat wondering which path Kiera was going to choose.
It was deeply emotional, beautifully written and packs such an emotional punch in such a short space.
I love short stories. I love being able to read a story in one sitting. This one was really satisfying.
I do love a good mermaid story, and this one was great. I enjoyed the blend of contemporary with fantasy. The ending was perfect, and I was so glad it ended the way that it did.
If you love short stories, especially fantasy and mermaid stories, I highly recommend this.
Note: I was given a free copy of this to review. This is my honest opinion.
I loved this story so much! From beginning to end it was a perfect short read. I felt Kiera's conflict, torn between sea and land, responsibility verse the life she wants. Kiera was a likeable character who felt realistic and was relatable. I was on the edge of my seat wondering which path Kiera was going to choose.
It was deeply emotional, beautifully written and packs such an emotional punch in such a short space.
I love short stories. I love being able to read a story in one sitting. This one was really satisfying.
I do love a good mermaid story, and this one was great. I enjoyed the blend of contemporary with fantasy. The ending was perfect, and I was so glad it ended the way that it did.
If you love short stories, especially fantasy and mermaid stories, I highly recommend this.
Note: I was given a free copy of this to review. This is my honest opinion.
June 16, 2025
🐚🦀Favorite quote -
"And maybe that's what the land taught me: that it's okay to feel everything all at once, even the things that hurt the most."
Sea of Sorrow is definitely an emotional-filled story - I might have even cried in some parts.
Some moments really caught me by surprise, which kept me engaged. I loved the creative details the author put into the world; it gave me serious "Little Mermaid" vibes, which was a nice touch.
That said, I do feel like the story was rushed, even for a short story, and I wish it had been longer to fully develop the characters and plot. Overall, it's a heartfelt read with strong emotions, but it left me wanting more depth and time to connect.
"And maybe that's what the land taught me: that it's okay to feel everything all at once, even the things that hurt the most."
Sea of Sorrow is definitely an emotional-filled story - I might have even cried in some parts.
Some moments really caught me by surprise, which kept me engaged. I loved the creative details the author put into the world; it gave me serious "Little Mermaid" vibes, which was a nice touch.
That said, I do feel like the story was rushed, even for a short story, and I wish it had been longer to fully develop the characters and plot. Overall, it's a heartfelt read with strong emotions, but it left me wanting more depth and time to connect.
July 24, 2025
If you want something that will hit you in the feels with a piece of driftwood you found while swimming through the ocean, this is it. It’s a short story that won’t take long to read but will leave you thinking about it for a while after the end. At least for me anyway. The choices between love and responsibility, and blood family and chosen family, are so real that it makes it relatable to a certain degree. Overall, I loved this story. It gave enough detail and history in a few short chapters that it was easy to follow and I can’t wait to read more books my Moriah Chavis!
August 2, 2025
A beautiful story that explores grief, love, and how the choices we make shape who we are. I wish there were more books that tackle desire versus responsibility like this. More than that, Moriah does a wonderful job world building and bridging the reader to Kiera emotionally in the limited word count of a short story. I did tear up a few times.
I highly recommend for fans of mermaids, stories that juxtaposes what one wants to do with what one should do, and stories that are bittersweet.
*I recieved an ARC of this book but all thoughts and opinions are my own*
I highly recommend for fans of mermaids, stories that juxtaposes what one wants to do with what one should do, and stories that are bittersweet.
*I recieved an ARC of this book but all thoughts and opinions are my own*
August 11, 2025
This was a very short and quick read. I found the world interesting as we meet our MFC Kiera on land, acting as a human for the last 5 years. That is until she is called home. Now we must decide if she should follow her heart or her soul.
I did enjoy this short story, I do wish there was a bit more to it but the writing was well done and the story telling was captivating enough to keep me engaged. I will be keeping an eye out for Moriah’s next project, that is for sure, maybe we’ll be able to revisit Kiera eventually.
I did enjoy this short story, I do wish there was a bit more to it but the writing was well done and the story telling was captivating enough to keep me engaged. I will be keeping an eye out for Moriah’s next project, that is for sure, maybe we’ll be able to revisit Kiera eventually.
November 30, 2025
A beautiful story of the hope that comes after grief
This is definitely a heavy feelings book. My daughter actually asked, "Why are you listening to this? lt's so sad!" I really related to the main character, having to watch her mom fade from a sickness that they couldn't cure. This is a story of grief, duty, sacrifice, and finding happiness in the aftermath.
The story is heavy, but the hope at the end, while only briefly shown, is all the more beautiful for it.
The narration was great! The narrator did a great job bringing the main character's inner struggles to life.
This is definitely a heavy feelings book. My daughter actually asked, "Why are you listening to this? lt's so sad!" I really related to the main character, having to watch her mom fade from a sickness that they couldn't cure. This is a story of grief, duty, sacrifice, and finding happiness in the aftermath.
The story is heavy, but the hope at the end, while only briefly shown, is all the more beautiful for it.
The narration was great! The narrator did a great job bringing the main character's inner struggles to life.
July 26, 2025
This heartfelt short story certainly makes a splash! Moriah did a fantastic job crafting a rich, immersive underwater world that I found myself longing to be part of. (And yes, that IS an intentional nod to The Little Mermaid, because this story gave a couple nods toward the classic tale.) I thoroughly enjoyed it and would absolutely recommend the read.
Thanks to the author for providing me with an eARC copy in exchange for my honest review!
Thanks to the author for providing me with an eARC copy in exchange for my honest review!
December 4, 2025
I listen to this one and loved the narrator! It was a simple, but sweet story. I loved the characters and how it stressed the importance of family. I will definitely be reading more by this author!
July 7, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
This was a cute little novella. It was a fast and entertaining read.
The main character seems sweet. She does make a few choices that she later regrets and then does her duty to her family and kingdom.
This was very fast paced. Almost too fast. You don’t really get the time to understand the FMC or why she really made certain choices. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had been a little more expanded upon and built up. It just all felt a little rushed.
Overall, enjoyable quick read.
Read if you enjoy:
🧜♀️ Mermaids
🧜♀️ Family separation
🧜♀️ Reconciliation
🧜♀️ Modern day
Violence: none
Language: none
Spice: none
This was a cute little novella. It was a fast and entertaining read.
The main character seems sweet. She does make a few choices that she later regrets and then does her duty to her family and kingdom.
This was very fast paced. Almost too fast. You don’t really get the time to understand the FMC or why she really made certain choices. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had been a little more expanded upon and built up. It just all felt a little rushed.
Overall, enjoyable quick read.
Read if you enjoy:
🧜♀️ Mermaids
🧜♀️ Family separation
🧜♀️ Reconciliation
🧜♀️ Modern day
Violence: none
Language: none
Spice: none
September 30, 2025
Wow, okay, so I'm not even really sure where to start with this review. I have so many emotions rolling through me right now.
Sea of Sorrow is a 1st person, single POV short novella about a mermaid who longs for land but has a duty that is pulling her back to the sea.
I don't usually read novellas or short stories because I prefer something longer, with more time to develop the world and characters thoroughly. That being said, I'm really glad that I read this one. This was my first experience with Moriah's writing and I have to say, the taste left me craving more of her stories. The writing and descriptions were beautiful and drew me right in.
I know it can be difficult to find a connection with a story in so few pages, and while I do wish it had been longer, I did feel that pull towards Kiera. My heart broke with hers and I also felt her pains, as well as her joys. I was filled with empathy while she fought through her worries and the decisions that she faced.
I would have loved for this to have been a full length novel, but I can also appreciate the completeness of it left this way. Any story that has the ability to leave me this emotional in such a short amount of time is definitely worth the read. Now I'm even more excited for Moriah's newest book, The curious Case of the Midnight Spector, releasing September 16th.
Sea of Sorrow releases Aug 11th and if you're looking for a quick and emotional read then you should check this one out!
I received an advanced review copy of this book. This review is my honest opinion and thoughts
Sea of Sorrow is a 1st person, single POV short novella about a mermaid who longs for land but has a duty that is pulling her back to the sea.
I don't usually read novellas or short stories because I prefer something longer, with more time to develop the world and characters thoroughly. That being said, I'm really glad that I read this one. This was my first experience with Moriah's writing and I have to say, the taste left me craving more of her stories. The writing and descriptions were beautiful and drew me right in.
I know it can be difficult to find a connection with a story in so few pages, and while I do wish it had been longer, I did feel that pull towards Kiera. My heart broke with hers and I also felt her pains, as well as her joys. I was filled with empathy while she fought through her worries and the decisions that she faced.
I would have loved for this to have been a full length novel, but I can also appreciate the completeness of it left this way. Any story that has the ability to leave me this emotional in such a short amount of time is definitely worth the read. Now I'm even more excited for Moriah's newest book, The curious Case of the Midnight Spector, releasing September 16th.
Sea of Sorrow releases Aug 11th and if you're looking for a quick and emotional read then you should check this one out!
I received an advanced review copy of this book. This review is my honest opinion and thoughts
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews