Year of the Mer

by L.D. Lewis

A dark, bloody epic fantasy reimagining of The Little Mermaid that goes far beyond the fairytale to explore family legacy, war, and what we will sacrifice for vengeance—the perfect read for fans of The Priory of the Orange Tree and Circe.

The fairytale mermaid Arielle might have gotten her happily-ever-after, but her granddaughter Yemi is having a much harder time. Her father, the king of Ixia, was assassinated years ago, her mother is slowly dying of a poisoned wound, and she faces whispers and slights from her own people. Yemi has been raised as the shield of the kingdom and is soon to inherit the throne, but she cannot shake her fury at how Ixia has treated her family after all they’ve sacrificed. Only her patient mother and steadfast personal bodyguard (and fiancée), Nova, help Yemi rein in that fury...most of the time.

When the kingdom’s discontented rumblings reach a fever pitch, a coup erupts and Yemi’s throne is usurped, stripping her of her family and forcing her into exile. Now, only one being has the power to help her: Ursla.

Like her grandmother before her, Yemi is tempted by a deal with the sea-witch. With powerful and ancient magic behind her, Yemi could avenge her family, take back her throne, and protect the love of her life. But she should know more than anyone that there is always a price. As much as Yemi wants vengeance, Ursla has been waiting a very, very long time for her own—and it may take more fortune than Yemi possesses to keep her from losing everything all over again.

Genres: Fantasy, Retellings, Queer, Lesbian, Adult, Fiction, LGBT

400 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication April 7, 2026

About the author

L. D. Lewis (she/her) is an editor, publisher, and Shirley Jackson award-nominated writer of speculative fiction. She serves as a founding creator and Project Manager for the World Fantasy and Hugo Award-winning FIYAH Literary Magazine. She also serves as the founding Director of (Hugo-nominated) FIYAHCON, Researcher for the (also award-winning) LeVar Burton Reads podcast, and pays the bills as the Director of Programs and Operations for Lambda Literary. She once chaired a Nebula Conference and Tech Directed a Nebula Award Ceremony (but hasn’t quite won a Nebula), and she runs the Ignyte Awards alongside Suzan Palumbo. She is the author of A Ruin of Shadows (Dancing Star Press, 2018) and her published short fiction and poetry includes numerous appearances in online publications, as well as Scholastic and Neon Hemlock anthologies, and Jordan Peele’s Out There Screaming. She lives in Georgia on perpetual deadline, with her partner, two cats, a coffee habit, and an impressive LEGO build collection. Visit ldlewiswrites.com to learn more.

Reviews

[Book Riot Community]

Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026:

I once read a horror story by L. D. Lewis that frightened me so much that I put the book down for a full year before picking it up again. This is a violent, dark sapphic extension of The Little Mermaid tale that will for sure keep you reading up past your bedtime. We know how Arielle got her fairytale ending, but Yemi, her granddaughter, is living a much different life. Yemi’s father, the king, was assassinated and her mother is dying. A coup forces Yemi into exile and the only place she can think of turning to is to Ursla, the sea-witch. Yemi wants vengeance and so, too, does Ursla. Will Yemi be tempted by her own rage and Ursla’s power? —Patricia Elzie-Tuttle

[Ladz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intricate, compelling, and exhilarating, YEAR OF THE MER is everything I want and more in a sapphic continuation of The Little Mermaid. Lewis crafts a maelstrom of familial love, ancestral hurt, and alluring magic in a world where instead of happily ever after, true love's kiss sparked political conflict for generations to come.

[Syndrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through "Year of the Mer," L. D. Lewis has crafted an engaging story that is both a dark re-imagining and a sequel to a well-loved fairy tale. This is not the story of The Little Mermaid that many of us grew up on, but a story of how the selfish choices of one Mer girl ended up causing strife and political unrest across multiple nations—both on land and in the sea—for many years to come.

Not only do we get to see how Arielle's descendants are living as a result of her decision to leave the sea to live as a human, but we also get a lot more insight into the character of the sea witch, Ursla, herself. Lewis has clearly put a lot of thought into this tale and has created a fascinating lore for the world itself as well as managing to give Ursla a proper backstory—something that I was especially interested in.

I found the pacing to be absolutely perfect here and I'm impressed at just how much story was packed into just 400 pages. Things do start off a little slow as we're introduced to the general setting, characters, and conflicts, but once the action kicks in, it really kicks in. I was personally happy to have had the slower start to really get myself oriented with the story and get some real insight into the character's personalities as well. (Also, this is only the first book of a planned duology, so we have plenty of time to see more action with book two!) The characters themselves were properly fleshed-out as well and each one really stood out as a unique person in the story. We really get to see their beliefs and ideals come through in the choices they make, as well how their interpersonal relationships occasionally make choosing the "right" path a bit of a struggle.

Overall, "Year of the Mer" was a riveting story packed with anger, trauma, revenge, and love—both familial and romantic. I'll probably be thinking about this one for a while still as I eagerly await the second book, because that ending especially has left me wanting more!

[Thank you to Saga Press for providing me with an advance review copy via NetGalley! I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.]

[jlreadstoperpetuity · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW: Pub Email, Year of the Mer

“Being a fairy tale princess does not guarantee a peaceful throne.”

🗓 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: April 7, 2026
📚 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Year of the Mer (Year of the Mer Duology #1)
👑 𝗔𝘂t𝗁𝗼𝗿: L. D. Lewis

✨ 𝗤𝘂𝗂𝗰𝗄 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗒 & 🍵 𝗧𝗲𝗮 𝗧𝗁𝗼𝘂𝗀𝗁𝘁𝘀
Yemi is the granddaughter of a fairy tale mermaid who thought she’d gotten her happy ever after. But Yemi’s life is far from smooth. Her father, the king of Ixia, was assassinated, her mother carries a poisoned wound, and Yemi has spent her life holding together a kingdom that barely appreciates her efforts. Raised as both shield and heir with Nova, her loyal bodyguard and fiancé, at her side, Yemi’s simmering anger and political tensions finally erupt into a coup that forces her into exile. As she faces betrayal and loss, ancient magic and dangerous pacts may be the only ways to fight for her throne and the people she loves.

This was a rich and layered fantasy with a lot on its narrative plate. The mix of personal anger, family legacy, political upheaval, and deep magic gives the story weight and drive. At times the worldbuilding felt dense, especially early on while establishing all the stakes, which slowed the pacing for me a bit, but once the action and conflicts picked up I found myself drawn into Yemi’s journey. The characters are complex and the stakes feel genuinely high, even if some plot threads took longer to click into place. Overall it’s an immersive start to the duology with a blend of classic fantasy and mythical legacy energy.

🫶 Thank you to @titanbooks for this gifted copy!

🌊 Fantasy with mythical legacy
⚔️ Political upheaval and exile
💔 Family and betrayal
🧙 Ancient magic and consequences
👑 Complex heir drama
✨ Rich worldbuilding

[Megan Hamilton · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very slow start for me, and some of the writing and phrasing felt awkward, which made it a struggle to get through. Unfortunately, the opening didn’t read as meaningful world or character-building so much as an information dump, paired with extended dialogue that didn’t seem to move the story forward. I was hoping for richer lore, more history of the wars, deeper insight into the courts and political structure, but instead was given a largely unlikable main character and a lot of unnecessary fluff.

Around the 35% mark, the pacing begins to improve, though I didn’t find myself truly engaged until about 60%, when the storyline noticeably shifts. Because of this structural change, I think the story may have been stronger if the duology were edited and condensed into a single standalone novel. After reading other reviews, it’s clear I wasn’t alone in struggling with the pacing—many readers point to the same 35% mark—which suggests the opening could have benefited from tighter editing and reduced filler.

That said, I do think this book will find the right audience. Readers who are especially drawn to Disney-inspired lore, queer romances, and are willing to commit to book one as setup for book two may enjoy this story more than I did.

Thank you to Netgalley and Saga Press for this ARC edition in exchange for an honest review.

[Giselle]

Omg a dark reimagining of my favourite fairytale, THE LITTLE MERMAID?! Yes please!

[Siavahda · Rating 2 out of 5]

*I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*

I really wanted to DNF midway through the first chapter, but after the (longer) second chapter, I’m tapping out.

One thing is purely my own fault, though: for some reason, I assumed that Yemaya, the granddaughter of Arielle, was a mermaid and at least the first chunk of the book was going to take place underwater. No idea why I thought that, and that was completely incorrect; Yemaya is bipedal and lives on land. Don’t know if she gains a mermaid tail later.

Things I didn’t like that did not come from me making dumb assumptions: the worldbuilding is interesting but deeply odd. Cars and (landline) phones and cameras exist, but, while guns exist, they’re not any kind of widespread. On the one hand, I like the wish-fulfilment of this, but on the other hand, I’m struggling to make it make sense. The setting feels hugely messy because of this; we have characters saying ‘yikes’ and radio, but they sail wooden ships. It doesn’t feel cohesive, just really confusing.

There are also things like – once a monarch is crowned, no one outside their inner household ever sees their face again. They always wear a mask, even within the palace. When they host feasts, they don’t eat, because the mask can’t come off. This…is a completely unbelievable way to run a monarchy. a) hosting feasts is a huge diplomatic thing and if you don’t eat at said feast you’re sending a very bad message to the guests you presumably want to think well of you, and b) more importantly, how can anyone trust a monarch they can’t see?! What noble or ambassador or businessman can EVER be sure they’re talking to the actual monarch and not a body-double? How can you make treaties or sign deals or ANYTHING?

I assumed that living like this would mean the monarchs regularly, you know, go about incognito, because no one will recognise them without the mask, but from Yemaya’s thoughts that’s not it, she really will be wearing the mask for the rest of her life once she becomes queen.

Yemaya is going to be marrying another woman. Very cool! But I’m baffled that this has apparently made no difference to the religious and political factions that are unhappy because Yemaya has Mer blood. If Yemaya adopts, or her wife acts as surrogate, won’t the next heir be Mer-blood free? Or will Yemaya be pregnant and give birth (in which case the baby would have Mer blood)? Maybe this is clarified later in the book.

Yemaya and Nova – her bodyguard and wife-to-be – are not the kind of characters I like reading about. Yemaya hates being a royal, doesn’t want to be queen, and other than interacting with the military has no interest in the role. She’s horrifically rude/tasteless at an important dinner just because she’s bored. She drags her feet at everything. I know why this is a popular character type, but to be honest I’m incredibly bored of it. If you’ve been raised from birth to all this responsibility, shouldn’t you be inured to it by now? Shouldn’t you be at least tolerable at playing nice with nobles and whatever? How have you not learned manners yet? Nova is hyper-competent, but also very…blase about everything? The book goes on and on about how she never leaves Yemaya’s side…and then almost immediately she wanders off, leaving Nova unguarded, because they’re on a military ship so the whole military is supposedly guarding her. But…there’s no military guard on Nova’s door? You wandered off with no one to replace you? What??? It’s a lot of stuff like that.

Then there’s the prose, which is full of really odd or awkward phrasing. Occasionally I genuinely didn’t understand what was being said. Examples below. (Usual caveats apply: I read an advanced reader copy, there’s no telling what’ll change between what I read and the book in stores on release day.)

scents of tobacco and hearth and of bergamot someone was wearing poorly.

‘someone was wearing poorly’ sounds very awkwardly phrased to my ear.

When frustrated by a bunch of military leaders, Yemaya thinks

You need these people, she calmed herself. If no one else.

I really can’t figure out what this means – I get that she’s reminding herself that these people are important, but what does the ‘if no one else’ refer to? She can’t actually believe it doesn’t matter what the rest of the military thinks of her? Or the civilian populace? Or the nobility? Or – you get it.

“We’ll prepare the final report for the generals by arrival tomorrow.”

Very odd phrasing, possibly a typo?

Night had fully descended, and all was dark but what the moon graced.

‘It was dark except where it wasn’t.’ Okay, snark aside: does this not mean it’s a well-lit night?

But what else is there ever to do at sea but callous your hands and trade make-believe?

That ‘ever’ is jarring.

Of a painting of a dead man, the book says

The Bear King stood in immortal silence,

I think I understand what this means, but ‘immortal silence’ is deeply weird phrasing.

Roughly half of [the nation] hated the throne, but was just too depleted to fight about it anymore.

‘Depleted’ seems an odd way to say that?

The present military force was by default deputized into the Qorrea’s protection,

Qorrea is the equivalent of princess in this setting. From context, this line is supposed to mean that while the Qorrea is with the military, the military is supposed to protect her. But in that case it should be ‘deputized to the Qorrea’s protection’, not ‘into’. ‘Into’ makes it sound like the Qorrea is protecting the military.

allowing her mind to wander to the soft, wet mischief to be made in the nooks and crannies of the late Bear King’s ship, should she ever catch his daughter in the proper mood.

This is where I wanted to DNF. ‘soft, wet mischief’? If I had a paper copy of this book this is where it would be defenestrated. Definitely in the top ten grossest ways I’ve ever heard sex described, thank you not at all!!!

“We know her future is coming fast. And she is loved with us.”

This is a military commander saying they know the Qorrea will take the throne soon, and it’s fine because the military likes her. But ‘loved with us’ doesn’t make sense there. ‘Loved by us’, maybe? I’d have gone with ‘And among us, she is loved’ personally.

And the truth of anything was that any word spoken by anyone had the potential to be a lie.

Don’t disagree with the statement, but very awkward phrasing.

When speaking of a landmark,

They shielded the palace atop the cliffs from naval attack and marked minutes to the city’s docks.

I think I understand what’s meant here, but ‘marked minutes’ feels incomplete. ‘and marked that viewers were minutes from the city’s docks’, maybe, something like that.

“I’m fine. Not thrilled to get back to the Rock of course, but…” She shrugged, which was its own end to the sentence.

‘which was its own end to the sentence’ sounds horrible to me.

Nova’s dark brown eyes warmed like amber in the sunlight as she inspected Yemi for lies.

‘inspected Yemi for lies’?

Speaking of the country’s population,

Most of the people had at some point earned their livelihoods from these waters.

‘these waters’ meaning the sea. This line has been driving me bonkers because Ixia, this nation, is not an island – and even if it WAS, surely it would have to be a TINY island for most of the population to be involved with the sea? Imagine saying of Ireland, ‘most of the people had at some point earned their livelihoods from the sea’. It would be nonsensical. And Ixia isn’t an island, from comments in the second chapter it seems to have a land border with another country. So how does this work? Is Ixia a tiny strip running along the coast, just a few miles wide? I’m baffled and I can’t drop it.

the blinding, impossible shine of his spear

‘shine of his spear’ just sounds wrong.

Nova, who was giving her a yikes look

Hate that super-modern note, don’t like it at all.

The palace itself was a sprawling compound in the shape of interlocking squares built from pale stone, adorned with ornate porticos and laced with intricate gardens that told the story of bored royals with green thumbs going back centuries. In the summer, the stone became highly reflective as it warmed, making it seem like the walls were made of forest.

The first sentence is way too long; the second is confusing. If the stone walls are pale, how do they look like a forest? It’s at the top of a mountain, what are they reflecting? The forest is below them.

“What do you think is the slowest we’ve ever walked?”

“Does standing still count?”

There’s a lot of banter like this, which strikes me as very modern and also really stupid. You’re supposed to be the next queen-and-consort! Why do you sound like moody teenagers?

The Qorrea has apparently returned with the rest of Her Majesty’s navy from an exercise we’ve been told was “exploratory of the roots of our famished seas.” Good news, you think, Max?

What on earth does ‘exploratory of the roots of our famished seas’ mean?

“I’m ridiculous?” Van nearly shrieked.

This is the second-in-command of Nova’s spy network. And it’s kind of emblematic of the book: being funny takes precedence over things making sense. It’s funnier to have a histrionic second-in-command than it is to have, you know, a really good one who isn’t an idiot.

“You’d be…amicable to a dissolution of the monarchy?” [random stuff here]

“If you tell someone they’re a god from birth, indoctrinate them, steep them in that reality, give them immeasurable power and influence, and then suddenly tell them they’re not because you’ve changed your mind, thereby fucking up their entire reality, how well do you expect that should go?”

I don’t understand this as a response to the question. And there’s a lot of moments like this, where something is said that, to me, doesn’t match up to what they’re responding to. I don’t know if it’s genuinely bad writing, or if I’m being Very Autistic, but it’s exhausting. In this example, Yemi/Yemaya is the one speaking, and she doesn’t believe she’s a god, so what is she talking about?

Two chapters in, and I’m out.

[Heather Pacella · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Year of the Mer is based on a fascinating premise - what if we could see the outcome of The Little Mermaid beyond the "happily ever after"? In the land of Ixia, Arielle's granddaughter, Yemaya, is in line to become the next ruler of the realm. Though she occupies a privileged position of power, her life has been more tragic than most. Her cherished father was assassinated years ago by those intolerant of Mer ancestry on the throne, and her mother was severely wounded and poisoned in a similar attack. As the effects of her mother's poisoning progress beyond treatment, Yemi must prepare to ascend the throne at a time of growing unease in her nation. Restless and at their breaking point after decades of bloodshed, there are those in Ixia who believe the only path to future peace is to remove Yemi, and therefore her bloodline, from the throne. When this restlessness boils over into a coup, Yemi is forced to go on the run with Nova, her bodyguard and beloved. As she confronts her Mer heritage and attempts to take back her throne, she meets the feared sea witch Ursla, who is as dangerous as she is powerful. Much like her grandmother before her, Yemi is tempted to make a bargain with the sea witch, once and for all avenging her family and establishing herself as the rightful, unquestioned ruler of Ixia. However, Ursla has been making deals with desperate humans for centuries, and Yemi soon realizes that any deal she makes may cost more than she is willing to pay.

As someone who grew up as part of the prime viewing audience for Disney's The Little Mermaid (and, like the author, also had some *strong* second-hand embarrassment/concerns about the way Ariel behaved), I was immediately drawn in by the premise of this book. The first prologue, detailing the gods of the land, hints at a great expansion of the story's mythology, and I was really excited to see where things would go. The beginning of the book (~35%) was quite slow, describing the history of the kingdom and setting up the conflict to come later on. Though it was perhaps a bit too slow, I enjoyed seeing the time and detail the author spent on establishing Ixia and its current political climate. However, the rest of the book, specifically Yemi's journey through exile to achieve vengeance, did not work for me at all. Yemi, even giving her grace for her tragic past, is a deeply unlikable character. I usually don't mind disagreeable characters, especially if they are flawed and you can understand why they behave how they do. Unfortunately, Yemi doesn't quite meet that mark. She flits around from one location to another, being incredibly rude to everyone she meets and then acting shocked when they are not willing to aid her in her quest. The worldbuilding also becomes a bit under-baked in the back stretches of the book - I really wanted to get more backstory, especially on the Mer kingdoms and their history with Ursla, but the plot moved on from them very quickly. Though you could argue that Yemi gets her comeuppance in the end, it wasn't enough for me to enjoy the story overall. However, the ending of the book is quite shocking and seems to set up an interesting premise for the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[BoetBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this is incredibly intriguing - I've been enjoying retellings, and I was ready for a dark version of The Little Mermaid.

I enjoyed seeing the darker side of the repercussions of Arielle's decisions long ago, and I love witchcraft. Unfortunately, I struggled with a handful of things that hopefully won't be an issue for everyone.

The pacing was a bit slow for me. I found myself checking my percentage, and around the 35% mark is when things started shifting into gear, but 60% is when it started picking up a bit more (it slowed down again for a while, though). There was a fair amount of filler as well. I think with some further editing, this could be a standalone instead of leaving us on a cliffhanger.

Usually, I can handle pacing if I'm loving the characters, prose, and atmosphere, but I struggled a bit here as well. I found myself confused about this world - it seemed ancient, but yet there were cars, radios, and guns (I don't know why this threw me off so much), I didn't understand the magic/powers. The prose were a bit confusing at times, and I found myself rereading sentences trying to understand the intent.

It's been a while since I've had an MC I wanted to smack. Some people may like this - in some ways, it was nice to mix things up from having an MC make smart decisions. However, Yemi was so selfish, rash, reckless, delusional, and unnecessarily rude I couldn't find myself enjoying her at all. She treated her partner with such disrespect that I wanted her to give up on their love. I will say I was proud of her partner for standing up to her a few times - but nobody should put up with that, Yemi did not earn the loyalty she was given from a select few. There is a dual POV, but I didn't think that added much.

Ursula was, unsurprisingly, my favorite character. I'd love a book with her as the MC. Of course, she has tricks up her sleeve! I again wanted to smack Yemi for blindly trusting her when she clearly has a history of deceit. I enjoyed Ursula calling Yemi out a few times -

"If nothing else convinces me you are hers, that reckless selfishness is unmistakable."

"Your problem, child, is that you're so caught up in what you believe you are owed, it has never once crossed your mind that anything you desire should be earned."

There are some badass battle scenes, which helped amp up the action - things get a bit dark on occasion, so be cautious of your comfort level.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the eARC.

[Sudenmorsian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yemi is the crown princess of the kingdom of Ixia, and she is angry. Her father has been murdered and her mother is slowly dying of poisoning, all because of who they are. Yemi’s grandmother was the mermaid Arielle, made human through the sea-witch Ursla’s magic, and since then, a faction of Ixia has been waging war against the royal line, seeking to dethrone the rulers descended from the Mer. Yemi feels a powerless rage; she can’t change who she is or who her grandmother was, yet all her parents ever wanted was to be accepted. But how can you be a good ruler if a portion of the population thinks there’s something fundamentally wrong with you?

I loved the queernormative world of Year of the Mer, featuring a Black sapphic main character. This book doesn’t contain romance in the traditional sense because Yemi has been engaged to her fiancée, Nova, for 12 years. Instead of reading about falling in love, we see how two people in an established relationship manage things in a time of crisis, even when they disagree on the best path forward.

The book starts a bit slowly, and in the beginning, we meet many side characters who all play smaller roles later on. While I wasn’t immediately drawn in, the premise was so interesting that I wanted to continue anyway, and I’m glad I did. Things pick up a bit in chapter 3 when we get to see the first glimpses of the plot to overthrow Yemi’s family, and the story really takes off in parts two and three.

I really loved the themes and the world-building. I felt I could understand the motivations of the main characters and why they made the decisions they did. Yemi, especially, has to decide quickly how to react to events while missing crucial information because people like to keep their secrets. Her decisions are not always the most sensible, as she is coming from a place of rejection and trauma, and she wants to make sure her parents’ sacrifices were not in vain, so she is willing to take big risks.

I can’t wait to read book two, I need to know what happens next!

Thank you to Saga Press for providing me with an advance review copy via NetGalley!

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

So, the first thing I have to say about this book is the unfortunately, the pacing draaaaaaags so much. I only did not DNF the book within the first 18% because I saw some reviews that said the plot picked up a lot around the 30% mark, so I hung in there, and yes the plot got way more exciting at that point, and at the 65% mark, but it took so long to get there. The worldbuilding and prologue about gods and mer vs. humans was actually pretty interesting, but unfortunately, the story is all told from Yemi's POV, and to be honest, in any other story, Yemi would probably be the villain. She's a quarter-mer princess who hates most humans and her subjects and thinks that they should accept her rule out of sheer fear; some of this is somewhat understandable since her father died in an assassination plot and there is a lot of anti-mer sentiment among the human populace, but she definitely doesn't help matters by beating people up at bars for talking shit about her family, ripping out tongues, and reveling in carnage. Honestly, I'm not surprised the Drakes make a coup attempt. In fact, again, in another book, this would be a very reasonable plot given that the heir to the throne has a terrible temper and is so violent. I did wonder if the entire point of the story was to make Yemi the villain protagonist and have her go totally dark-side--and to be fair, the story seemed to somewhat be getting there at the end but then Ursula took over her body, so that seems to grind that plotline to a halt.

The romance between Yemi and Nova was also just bland. There is no conflict at all over the idea that Yemi, a princess, wants to marry Nova, her bodyguard. What, shouldn't they be trying to make marriage alliances given how pissed off so many of the noble families are that Yemi's mer grandmother Arielle just swept in and made the king fall in love with her?

Personally, I think this duology should have just been one book given all the pacing problems throughout. Still, if you want a very dark Little Mermaid take, you can take a look at this.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping, heartwrenching, and honestly kind of bleak. This action-packed adult fantasy novel full of court intrigue and metaphorical racism explores the generational cascade of consequences sparked by Princess Arielle’s decision to leave the sea and marry a human prince. Yemi, Arielle’s granddaughter, starts this story in a precarious position. Her father is dead, her mother is dying, and her people do not respect or trust her enough to lead their country. Her being a “fish-person” is part of that lack of respect, but Yemi is also an incredibly arrogant, entitled, and abrasive young royal who demands the loyalty of her people based on her lineage alone. This is a story of complex and deeply flawed characters, deteriorating relationships, and the pursuit of power at any cost. Lewis skillfully uses multiple perspectives and intricate worldbuilding to reimagine the story of the Little Mermaid in brutal yet captivating way.

Thanks to Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an eARC.

[Tee · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun (and dark) retelling this was!

I was so excited when I first heard about this book—a Little Mermaid retelling sounded right up my alley. And I’m so glad that this book didn’t disappoint!

One of my favorite aspects of this book was the queernormative world! And the romance between Yemi and Nova—who had already been in a 12-year relationship when the book started—was definitely an enjoyable fresh take for the fantasy genre!

The book starts off a bit slow (and doesn’t really pick up the pace until chapter 3); but once it gets going, I was definitely drawn in and excited to keep reading.

I appreciated Yemi as our main character, as I totally understood where she was coming from most of the time. Her decisions made sense, even if they weren’t always the likeable choice, and I liked following a character with that mindset. I am interested in seeing how her story continues in the sequel.


Thank you so much to Saga Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read the eARC!

[Rediswow · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark and epic fantasy reimagining of The Little Mermaid that goes far beyond the fairy tale happily-ever-after.
Year of the Mer is an immersive start to a duology. Things do start off a little slow as we’re introduced to the world, characters, and conflicts. At times the worldbuilding felt dense, especially early on. Around the 35% mark, the pacing begins to improve, though I didn’t find myself truly engaged until around 60%, when the storyline noticeably shifts. I was hoping for richer lore, more history of the wars, deeper insight into the courts and political structure, but instead was given a largely unlikable main character (too YA) and a lot of unnecessary fluff. That being said, I do think this book will find the right audience.
If you like a riveting story packed with anger, trauma, revenge, family legacy, political upheaval, deep magic and love-both familial and romantic, and are willing to commit to book one as setup for book two. Then I 100% recommend reading.
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway, thank you to the author for a chance to read and review.

[Ashlee Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the dark, angry Little Mermaid retelling I didn't know I needed. It starts off slow, but becomes action-packed as we get to know Yemi and her world as a descendant of Arielle. Lewis crafts compelling lore for the politics at play after Arielle came to land. I wanted a little more of the romance between Yemi and Nova, as I was very intrigued by their history and bond, but also enjoyed Yemi learning more about her Mer side. There was so much emotion and heart behind each character and their choices. It was interesting to get so much of Ursla's often forgotten perspective, and I'm anticipating the next book to see how it all plays out. Thank you to Netgalley and Saga Press for the ARC.

[Risa]

DNF at 7% (Read through page 24 of eARC)

The writing is fine enough. And I was so excited to read a Little Mermaid retelling.

But after reading the prologue and a good chunk of the first chapter, I just didn't feel compelled to keep reading. I think that's in part because we were just thrown into the world, with various proper names used without context clues, so I never felt grounded in the world or story.

Also, the first chapter is full of dialogue from several characters--which I usually love, but I feel like we don't know who any of those characters are, so it was hard to keep track of who was who.

So I think it's best for me to put this book aside. Hopefully other readers will enjoy it more than I did though.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is sort of a retelling of The Little Mermaid, but it’s not the version we all know (Disney). This is the story of after Arielle made her choice and how that choice has effected the future generations and the nations around them.

Things start off a bit slow with our main characters, and as the story takes off, you get sucked right in! There’s a bit of build up with the characters, the setting, and the lore of this world.

There’s a lot of anger, trauma, and love as these characters make choices throughout the story. It was also neat to read more about Ursula.

I can’t wait to read book 2!

[Kenzie Deerin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adored this book!!! A dark Little Mermaid reimagining that follows the political ramifications of Arielle’s decision to stay on land through her granddaughter. This book was excellently crafted, the writing was spectacular and the focus on court politics was so interesting. Ursula’s character was AWESOME and I can’t wait to read more about her. I also loved the romance here; the FMC & her girlfriend/ royal guard have been in love since they were young and I enjoyed reading about a long standing relationship dealing with conflict. I can’t wait for book 2!

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of this book! To sum up: you should have this on your TBR. The longer version: LD Lewis’ Year of the Mer transports readers beyond familiar waters to explore deeper issues of generational identity, trauma, revenge, and anger. The book has so much heart, and so many moments where my own heart was ready to crumble. I can’t wait see it out in the world, wrecking havoc. A fantastic, deeply moving story.

[Venneh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book is one I've been hearing about for a while, and was hoping to get my hands on; thank you to Saga for the ARC! Lewis gives us a nation where the descendants of the Little Mermaid rule a nation, and the sudden coup that happens when our main character's mother passes. Yemi as a main character is fascinating because she has a lot of difficulties reconciling her duties to the nation that hates and discriminates against her and her family, and what she actually wants as she searches for the Sea Witch to try and get her crown back. The world building is a little light at times (I found myself confused by the technology levels at times but that could've just been me missing details), but where the focus is is on the belief system and the political realities of the nation. Throw in familial grudges and resentments form people our main has never met, and a romance between the captain of her guard and Yemi as she tries to figure all this out, and you've got a great slow boil of a book. There's a lot of table setting in this book, but it all maneuvers into place for the last scene, and I can't wait to see what comes of it in the next half of the story.

[Katelin Campbell · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 19%

I think this book made me feel like I was in a slump. Turns out, I really am not interested. The idea is sound, but I'm so bored, and the main character, Yemi, is so unlikeable, I can't read anymore. There are a lot of things happening with very little explanation. The author doesn't have to info dump to make things understandable. I am confused.

[Serena Mancini · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited to read this but ended up disappointed. I was expecting more of a Hans Christian Anderson-style retelling, but this had more of a romantasy vibe. I also didn’t connect with any of the characters which made it difficult to fully engage with the book.

[Nelly]

woow this book I NEED <3