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A Tide of Treason
The Poppy War meets The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi in this queer adult fantasy.
"A high-seas adventure unlike any you've ever read. Daniels-Annachi amazes in this utterly unique take on The Little Mermaid." -Samantha R. Goode, author of Bound & Barbed
For Veshak, the sea is both his home and his battleground. He sails the open waters as a privateer, striking against those who once betrayed his homeland. But when a lost secret from Aatma’s downfall surfaces—one forged in blood and iron—he finds himself at the center of a deadly conspiracy that could change the balance of power across the world.
Hunted by the forces of the Iron King, Zara’s only hope lies in an uneasy alliance with Veshak. A fierce and enigmatic being of the deep with secrets of her own, she will do anything to save those she loves and protect her family legacy.
As their fates unravel and failure looms on the horizon, Veshak and Zara must decide whether to chase vengeance or trust the tides of fate to lead them toward something greater.
A sweeping tale of rebellion, betrayal, and the call of the sea, A Tide of Treason is perfect for fans of high-stakes adventure and political intrigue.
Please read TW/CW on author site
"A high-seas adventure unlike any you've ever read. Daniels-Annachi amazes in this utterly unique take on The Little Mermaid." -Samantha R. Goode, author of Bound & Barbed
For Veshak, the sea is both his home and his battleground. He sails the open waters as a privateer, striking against those who once betrayed his homeland. But when a lost secret from Aatma’s downfall surfaces—one forged in blood and iron—he finds himself at the center of a deadly conspiracy that could change the balance of power across the world.
Hunted by the forces of the Iron King, Zara’s only hope lies in an uneasy alliance with Veshak. A fierce and enigmatic being of the deep with secrets of her own, she will do anything to save those she loves and protect her family legacy.
As their fates unravel and failure looms on the horizon, Veshak and Zara must decide whether to chase vengeance or trust the tides of fate to lead them toward something greater.
A sweeping tale of rebellion, betrayal, and the call of the sea, A Tide of Treason is perfect for fans of high-stakes adventure and political intrigue.
Please read TW/CW on author site
434 pages, Hardcover
Published October 21, 2025
42 people are currently reading
4767 people want to read
About the author
A.B. Daniels-Annachi
5 books52 followersAri is a trans author and editor from Oregon. Writer of mythology and fantasy
novels, he spends his free time reading, listening to nerdy podcasts,
and playing board games. Follow him on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok
@darkmythauthor to stay up to date. To learn more about him and his
books, visit his website
novels, he spends his free time reading, listening to nerdy podcasts,
and playing board games. Follow him on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok
@darkmythauthor to stay up to date. To learn more about him and his
books, visit his website
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
October 26, 2024
I hate unrealistic politics, this book follows three useless royals. All of whom should inherit their thrones, all of whom should be highly trained in battle, strategy, diplomacy and politics in order to do so. All three are the most incompetent characters I have read about in a long while, they all run from their duties, none achieve their goals in the end, and they have very little personality besides their desire not to be royal. I get that it's a take on the little mermaid but there was a clear cut plot line in that story? I would have preferred the MFC to feel like she was walking on knives, she might have been motivated to do something.
The mermaid equivalent character is constantly running off, she gets her sister killed, her father is exiled so she exiles herself? In a time when her people need her? Looking for answers behind a rot in the ocean, which she doesn't find. Instead she falls in love with the pirate captain, trans prince, who has shirked his duties to be a privateer. A very bad privateer. Happening upon a royal ship from the country that hurt his mother, with the prince on board, he decides to put in action the least realistic plan ever. He will pretend to be this prince (they share a mother so have similar features) and kill the king. He does not kill the king, he is weak, he does not put on a convincing act as the prince yet nobody says anything besides the barber (it's never explained where he goes after the discovery? It's not public?) then be decides he wants the throne for himself to improve the land? He also decides he wants to marry the mermaid, despite her backing out of the plan... The only reason that fails is that kidnapped prince number three finally gets his act together and manages to escape, get back to his kingdom and expose everything. Then some major plot, that makes no sense because when did the sea witch meet the random enemy duke, is exposed and dealt with within about two chapters at the end.
The magic system is somewhat interesting but barely explained. It is said to pass through the matriarchy but the prince (kidnapped) finds he had magic? Also, it's not a point of dysphoria for the trans prince despite apparently being dependent on him being female? So it felt a bit forced to have him be transgender? Also, I only skimmed the awful sex scene but male genitals were definitely mentioned... Unsure how he was unable to remove his breasts and has to wrap them, but has somehow gained a penis? Add it to the long list of plot points that make no sense in this book.
Finally, the epilogue consisted of the asexual prince being rejected by his best friend/ person he loves for being asexual... Man says I love you, you are enough but I need more? As an asexual reader that was an awful moment to read and it added nothing to the book? So I don't understand its inclusion...
Unrealistic characters, politics and plot.
The mermaid equivalent character is constantly running off, she gets her sister killed, her father is exiled so she exiles herself? In a time when her people need her? Looking for answers behind a rot in the ocean, which she doesn't find. Instead she falls in love with the pirate captain, trans prince, who has shirked his duties to be a privateer. A very bad privateer. Happening upon a royal ship from the country that hurt his mother, with the prince on board, he decides to put in action the least realistic plan ever. He will pretend to be this prince (they share a mother so have similar features) and kill the king. He does not kill the king, he is weak, he does not put on a convincing act as the prince yet nobody says anything besides the barber (it's never explained where he goes after the discovery? It's not public?) then be decides he wants the throne for himself to improve the land? He also decides he wants to marry the mermaid, despite her backing out of the plan... The only reason that fails is that kidnapped prince number three finally gets his act together and manages to escape, get back to his kingdom and expose everything. Then some major plot, that makes no sense because when did the sea witch meet the random enemy duke, is exposed and dealt with within about two chapters at the end.
The magic system is somewhat interesting but barely explained. It is said to pass through the matriarchy but the prince (kidnapped) finds he had magic? Also, it's not a point of dysphoria for the trans prince despite apparently being dependent on him being female? So it felt a bit forced to have him be transgender? Also, I only skimmed the awful sex scene but male genitals were definitely mentioned... Unsure how he was unable to remove his breasts and has to wrap them, but has somehow gained a penis? Add it to the long list of plot points that make no sense in this book.
Finally, the epilogue consisted of the asexual prince being rejected by his best friend/ person he loves for being asexual... Man says I love you, you are enough but I need more? As an asexual reader that was an awful moment to read and it added nothing to the book? So I don't understand its inclusion...
Unrealistic characters, politics and plot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2025
Many thanks to NetGalley and for the opportunity to read this eARC. My opinions are entirely my own.
3,5⭐️
This was a very unique and intriguing read structured in three POVs: Dorian, Veshak and Zara. In the beginning, I failed to connect to the first two characters, but I wanted to give it a try and pass page 100 because Zara’s story and personality spoke to me. I’m glad I did, because as I went on, I began to understand the Dorian and Veshak a lot more. I was surprised that my initial thoughts about Veshak changed completely, and by the middle of the book, I was completely hooked.
This story contains fantastical elements and creatures, combined with intrigues, alliances, betrayals, morally grey characters and a spark of romance. I liked how despite the fantasy element, the subplots brought something real and raw to it. It was a beautiful combination, one that kept me glued to the pages to the end. I also particularly enjoyed the Indian cultural elements, and I think they fit very well in Zara’s story of her people and pollution. I would have loved to have that plot even more accentuated than it was.
I had an issue at the beginning of the novel because I was rather confused at what’s happening and where the story was going. It became clear nearing the middle of the book, but I couldn’t help but feel that it should have happened sooner. For instance, I felt that the action Zara’s story, although my favourite, began quite late, I think around page 140. The end and the battle felt rushed. I would have preferred it if it was the other way around, a smaller introduction and a better developed ending.
All in all, it was a good and easy read that left me pleasantly surprised, and I couldn’t wait to see what happens in the final moments of the book. I’ll surely check more of the author’s work in the future!
3,5⭐️
This was a very unique and intriguing read structured in three POVs: Dorian, Veshak and Zara. In the beginning, I failed to connect to the first two characters, but I wanted to give it a try and pass page 100 because Zara’s story and personality spoke to me. I’m glad I did, because as I went on, I began to understand the Dorian and Veshak a lot more. I was surprised that my initial thoughts about Veshak changed completely, and by the middle of the book, I was completely hooked.
This story contains fantastical elements and creatures, combined with intrigues, alliances, betrayals, morally grey characters and a spark of romance. I liked how despite the fantasy element, the subplots brought something real and raw to it. It was a beautiful combination, one that kept me glued to the pages to the end. I also particularly enjoyed the Indian cultural elements, and I think they fit very well in Zara’s story of her people and pollution. I would have loved to have that plot even more accentuated than it was.
I had an issue at the beginning of the novel because I was rather confused at what’s happening and where the story was going. It became clear nearing the middle of the book, but I couldn’t help but feel that it should have happened sooner. For instance, I felt that the action Zara’s story, although my favourite, began quite late, I think around page 140. The end and the battle felt rushed. I would have preferred it if it was the other way around, a smaller introduction and a better developed ending.
All in all, it was a good and easy read that left me pleasantly surprised, and I couldn’t wait to see what happens in the final moments of the book. I’ll surely check more of the author’s work in the future!
June 23, 2025
I wish I was able to like this more!
Pros: great world building, love the creatures and the magic!
Cons: I just couldn’t like any of the characters, or connect with them. Also it seems we lost a few plot points along the way.
I’m a bit on the fence about this book, but I say give it a try and who knows maybe this will be a great read for you!
Pros: great world building, love the creatures and the magic!
Cons: I just couldn’t like any of the characters, or connect with them. Also it seems we lost a few plot points along the way.
I’m a bit on the fence about this book, but I say give it a try and who knows maybe this will be a great read for you!
February 15, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley & BooksGoSocial for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed the beginning of this book. All 3 main characters were introduced well in their POV chapters & I was intrigued to see how the threads of the story would come together. Unfortunately I was left sorely disappointed.
Firstly, I kept finding inconsistencies throughout the story.
An example: a chapter begins with Ward and Veshak playing a game together but then a few paragraphs down Orion says he will send a boat to warn Ward and The Galleon about their upcoming battle plan?
I thought he was right there with you 5 seconds ago?
Another example: In the tale about Talleen, the beautiful woman offers the man a bowl of rose water to clean his hands, however the whole point of the story is that he had just had his hands cut off because he was a thief?
This isn’t addressed in anyway.
Then halfway through the story, it’s suddenly a problem that he has no hands when he had been managing perfectly fine without them earlier in the story. He drinks and eats with no problem whatsoever but when he is given his final task of washing the rice, it’s suddenly a problem again?
These kind of inconsistencies happened a lot and really ruined the flow of the story. They were pretty much constant and I wondered if I wasn’t paying enough attention. I would have to go back and reread parts to check, which didn’t make for a smooth reading experience.
Another constant problem was the way these characters acted or reacted to each other. It was so strange and out of character most of the time!
Veshak’s long lost brother randomly appeared on the ship but he was more interested in touring a random woman around and speaking to her?
Zara told Veshak that she was actually a magical creature and he basically didn’t bat an eyelid at that?
Hari, who we are told multiple times was devoted to his best friend Dorian, just immediately helped Veshak with his plans, not even once trying to help Dorian escape? Apparently Veshak threatened Hari with hurting Dorian (a scene we really should have seen by the way) but also, Hari didn’t seem to resist in any way? He just goes with it and abandoned Dorian so easily.
Veshak had ONE conversation with Dorian where he gave him information and that was enough for Veshak to convincingly pretend to be Dorian?
Zara got over the shocking and random death of her father INCREDIBLY quickly.
There was a very casual reaction to the fact that the king, Veshak’s target throughout the entire book, was not able to move or talk and everyone was just,
‘Oh, ok.’
How did no one in the castle notice that Veshak and Zara had just battled a bunch of birds and were covered in blood and scars when they returned from the docks?!
Why would Ward take the wager? He was Captain and was about to kill Dorian, so why would he take a wager where he could lose that power when he currently has all the power? It made no sense.
What happened with the plot point of the barber discovering Veshak was an imposter?! That went nowhere.
These are just a few of the examples I noted down but there were so many more times when people acted completely out of character or there was no reaction or follow up to what had happened at all! It was incredibly jarring to read.
This book did have good trans rep, with great insight into Veshak’s mind & how he felt. There were also some lovely moments of lush and vivid description in the writing & I generally liked the idea of the story.
I liked the different POV’s at first but I found Dorian’s POV chapters to be severely neglected at the end (when he was just abandoned on this ship by his long lost brother & best friend, left to rot) & when he is utilised, I found the addition of his visions unnecessary as they didn’t really add to the overall plot. The story was made too complicated, resulting in the core of it not being fleshed out enough.
I also found that the ties of the story didn’t come together quickly enough which then culminated in an extremely rushed & unsatisfying ending.
And the ending. The ending made me SO mad. Dorian, a character who has been continually mistreated by people (who are supposed to love him) throughout this book, is rejected by Hari, the man he loves, right at the end, because…wait for it… Dorian is asexual.
Even though Hari loves Dorian (apparently) and is devoted to him (if you say so) and would give his life for him (but forgets he exists for most of the book) he rejects Dorian and leaves forever. This means that the asexual character is the only main character left alone and heartbroken, AND FOR WHAT?! This added absolutely NOTHING to the story?!
It felt like we were supposed to understand Hari and his choice. We should obviously be on his side and wish him luck in his future endeavours.
No thanks.
Reading this, as a person who identifies on the ace spectrum, was so genuinely upsetting. It triggered a pain that I didn’t know existed.
After reading this ending, I wish I’d DNFed the entire book.
I enjoyed the beginning of this book. All 3 main characters were introduced well in their POV chapters & I was intrigued to see how the threads of the story would come together. Unfortunately I was left sorely disappointed.
Firstly, I kept finding inconsistencies throughout the story.
An example: a chapter begins with Ward and Veshak playing a game together but then a few paragraphs down Orion says he will send a boat to warn Ward and The Galleon about their upcoming battle plan?
I thought he was right there with you 5 seconds ago?
Another example: In the tale about Talleen, the beautiful woman offers the man a bowl of rose water to clean his hands, however the whole point of the story is that he had just had his hands cut off because he was a thief?
This isn’t addressed in anyway.
Then halfway through the story, it’s suddenly a problem that he has no hands when he had been managing perfectly fine without them earlier in the story. He drinks and eats with no problem whatsoever but when he is given his final task of washing the rice, it’s suddenly a problem again?
These kind of inconsistencies happened a lot and really ruined the flow of the story. They were pretty much constant and I wondered if I wasn’t paying enough attention. I would have to go back and reread parts to check, which didn’t make for a smooth reading experience.
Another constant problem was the way these characters acted or reacted to each other. It was so strange and out of character most of the time!
Veshak’s long lost brother randomly appeared on the ship but he was more interested in touring a random woman around and speaking to her?
Zara told Veshak that she was actually a magical creature and he basically didn’t bat an eyelid at that?
Hari, who we are told multiple times was devoted to his best friend Dorian, just immediately helped Veshak with his plans, not even once trying to help Dorian escape? Apparently Veshak threatened Hari with hurting Dorian (a scene we really should have seen by the way) but also, Hari didn’t seem to resist in any way? He just goes with it and abandoned Dorian so easily.
Veshak had ONE conversation with Dorian where he gave him information and that was enough for Veshak to convincingly pretend to be Dorian?
Zara got over the shocking and random death of her father INCREDIBLY quickly.
There was a very casual reaction to the fact that the king, Veshak’s target throughout the entire book, was not able to move or talk and everyone was just,
‘Oh, ok.’
How did no one in the castle notice that Veshak and Zara had just battled a bunch of birds and were covered in blood and scars when they returned from the docks?!
Why would Ward take the wager? He was Captain and was about to kill Dorian, so why would he take a wager where he could lose that power when he currently has all the power? It made no sense.
What happened with the plot point of the barber discovering Veshak was an imposter?! That went nowhere.
These are just a few of the examples I noted down but there were so many more times when people acted completely out of character or there was no reaction or follow up to what had happened at all! It was incredibly jarring to read.
This book did have good trans rep, with great insight into Veshak’s mind & how he felt. There were also some lovely moments of lush and vivid description in the writing & I generally liked the idea of the story.
I liked the different POV’s at first but I found Dorian’s POV chapters to be severely neglected at the end (when he was just abandoned on this ship by his long lost brother & best friend, left to rot) & when he is utilised, I found the addition of his visions unnecessary as they didn’t really add to the overall plot. The story was made too complicated, resulting in the core of it not being fleshed out enough.
I also found that the ties of the story didn’t come together quickly enough which then culminated in an extremely rushed & unsatisfying ending.
And the ending. The ending made me SO mad. Dorian, a character who has been continually mistreated by people (who are supposed to love him) throughout this book, is rejected by Hari, the man he loves, right at the end, because…wait for it… Dorian is asexual.
Even though Hari loves Dorian (apparently) and is devoted to him (if you say so) and would give his life for him (but forgets he exists for most of the book) he rejects Dorian and leaves forever. This means that the asexual character is the only main character left alone and heartbroken, AND FOR WHAT?! This added absolutely NOTHING to the story?!
It felt like we were supposed to understand Hari and his choice. We should obviously be on his side and wish him luck in his future endeavours.
No thanks.
Reading this, as a person who identifies on the ace spectrum, was so genuinely upsetting. It triggered a pain that I didn’t know existed.
After reading this ending, I wish I’d DNFed the entire book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2025
A Tide of Treason features mermaids, pirates, and monsters from mythos. A little mermaid retelling with Indian cultural elements, queer and trans rep, and a message of environmental concern.
We follow three different POVs - Prince Dorian is a naive idealist whose heart is in the right place, Veshak is a privateer determined to earn the respect of his crew, and Zara the mermaid wants to save the katalval from the rot that has been infecting them. We see their lives intersecting fairly quickly and the adventure that follows is entertaining, tense, and has high stakes.
My favorite part was the battle with the kraken. The most gripping moments, for me the pirate lover, was when our cast was together on the ship headed to Raktam.
We follow three different POVs - Prince Dorian is a naive idealist whose heart is in the right place, Veshak is a privateer determined to earn the respect of his crew, and Zara the mermaid wants to save the katalval from the rot that has been infecting them. We see their lives intersecting fairly quickly and the adventure that follows is entertaining, tense, and has high stakes.
My favorite part was the battle with the kraken. The most gripping moments, for me the pirate lover, was when our cast was together on the ship headed to Raktam.
January 30, 2026
2.75/5 stars, rounding up to 3. If I thought someone would really enjoy this book, I would be happy to recommend it to them, but I don't see myself rereading it.
It took me a while to get through this book. One thing I've seen other reviews state, which I would agree with, is that the character voices were a massive issue. I can't see an argument behind why our 3 POV characters should have narrated in 1st person, since they each had no discernible voices.
While the elements of strong world-building were there, I feel they didn't come together quite correctly, and the characters all reading very similarly and being sort of wish-washy didn't help, unfortunately. It was a bit of a struggle to truly get into it until about page 160 (paperback), when I managed to finish the rest of it in one sitting. However, I will say that the elements that were present were remarkably interesting, and I wish we had taken more time to feel them out. I feel like what we knew of our POV mantriks changed very suddenly around the 160-page mark , and I just wish there had been more build-up.
I've waited longer than just 160 pages into a fantasy book for it to pick up before, so I'm definitely not knocking this book for that. I do think having all of our POV characters come together is what made the plot start to move along. I was engaged, don't get me wrong - a bit of The Little Mermaid plus a bit of Prince and the Pauper set against a backdrop of South Asian-infused fantasy is very much up my alley. I feel we just scratched so surface level, especially in regard to a certain character's relationship with a certain deity, that I wished we had gone back and taken more time to parse out the magic system, because it was legitimately interesting, and I would have loved to have read more about it.
There were a few creatures in this book - mainly the mermaid-equivalent creatures (this is legitimately the coolest mermaid rendition I've seen; it felt realistic, and it was so, so enjoyable to read - I wished we had more time to look into their culture), and some rather large, pretty terrifying bird-creatures (which were also interesting, and I enjoyed them as physical obstacles) - that were very, very well-done. I loved reading the author's interpretations of these creatures; it was a highlight for me.
I think the action when it came to the birds was honestly very engaging, particularly the last bird to appear. I found myself lost in some of the action earlier in the story, but when it came to them, I was wholly engaged.
Like some other reviews mentioned, I was confused by a certain mention of genitals towards the end. I'm not sure if that character was meant to be intersex, perhaps? But between that and a somewhat unsatisfying end for an asexual character (it was fair from some angles, but not from this specific approach - if you're an asexual reader who is unsure whether it's an ending you want to work towards, checking some spoilered reviews may give you a bit of insight) gave me a bit of pause.
Our primary characters often lingered on the wrong things, overlooking deaths to focus on a random motivation or goal, which would then be quickly forgotten. It made it hard to take them seriously at times, and made it hard to relate to them or see them as more than just words on a page.
Unfortunately, I think the majority of the antagonists (I would list 3, one with each POV character at the very beginning, with 2 that were sort of shared amongst them all) weren't as fleshed-out as I would have liked. Eudo, Dorian's father and our immediate antagonist, felt very 2D at times, and I had a hard time buying his reasoning behind pushing Dorian to marry at the start. (I felt satisfied with the end of his arc, however.) The primary antagonist was somewhat similar - the ending of their arc was sooo, so, so interesting, and I wish that we had explored more facets of the world building/magic system to better understand the gravity of their situation. The primary antagonist for me, unfortunately, didn't have a sound motivation, and I feel like there would have been several, far more simple ways for them to achieve their ends.
Still, once I hit the 160 page mark, I did enjoy this book. I can tell that a lot of love and a lot of heart was put into it, which is something I appreciate. It wasn't wholly uninteresting - there are just several things I wish we had taken more time to expand upon (adjusting pacing, building out the world), and I wish that the voice choices were perhaps approached differently (either going 3rd POV or being more individualistic with each POV) as I think that was my biggest barrier to immersing myself in the story, unfortunately.
Also, I did want to say that there's a romance between 2 characters that I did really, really enjoy, and I loved to see them come together after a bit of pining. I really, really enjoyed them together.
TL;DR: I enjoyed this book enough to rate it 3 stars, which is middle-of-the-road for me. This book has the capability to speak on a deep level to a multitude of readers, I'm sure (I have a couple friends I plan on recommending it to because I'm sure it *will* speak to them), but sadly, there were a few issues I found that it didn't speak to me in such a way.
I look forward to seeing what Daniels-Annachi writes in the future, and I truly wish him the best! Thank you to the author for a physical copy.
It took me a while to get through this book. One thing I've seen other reviews state, which I would agree with, is that the character voices were a massive issue. I can't see an argument behind why our 3 POV characters should have narrated in 1st person, since they each had no discernible voices.
While the elements of strong world-building were there, I feel they didn't come together quite correctly, and the characters all reading very similarly and being sort of wish-washy didn't help, unfortunately. It was a bit of a struggle to truly get into it until about page 160 (paperback), when I managed to finish the rest of it in one sitting. However, I will say that the elements that were present were remarkably interesting, and I wish we had taken more time to feel them out. I feel like what we knew of our POV mantriks changed very suddenly around the 160-page mark , and I just wish there had been more build-up.
I've waited longer than just 160 pages into a fantasy book for it to pick up before, so I'm definitely not knocking this book for that. I do think having all of our POV characters come together is what made the plot start to move along. I was engaged, don't get me wrong - a bit of The Little Mermaid plus a bit of Prince and the Pauper set against a backdrop of South Asian-infused fantasy is very much up my alley. I feel we just scratched so surface level, especially in regard to a certain character's relationship with a certain deity, that I wished we had gone back and taken more time to parse out the magic system, because it was legitimately interesting, and I would have loved to have read more about it.
There were a few creatures in this book - mainly the mermaid-equivalent creatures (this is legitimately the coolest mermaid rendition I've seen; it felt realistic, and it was so, so enjoyable to read - I wished we had more time to look into their culture), and some rather large, pretty terrifying bird-creatures (which were also interesting, and I enjoyed them as physical obstacles) - that were very, very well-done. I loved reading the author's interpretations of these creatures; it was a highlight for me.
I think the action when it came to the birds was honestly very engaging, particularly the last bird to appear. I found myself lost in some of the action earlier in the story, but when it came to them, I was wholly engaged.
Like some other reviews mentioned, I was confused by a certain mention of genitals towards the end. I'm not sure if that character was meant to be intersex, perhaps? But between that and a somewhat unsatisfying end for an asexual character (it was fair from some angles, but not from this specific approach - if you're an asexual reader who is unsure whether it's an ending you want to work towards, checking some spoilered reviews may give you a bit of insight) gave me a bit of pause.
Our primary characters often lingered on the wrong things, overlooking deaths to focus on a random motivation or goal, which would then be quickly forgotten. It made it hard to take them seriously at times, and made it hard to relate to them or see them as more than just words on a page.
Unfortunately, I think the majority of the antagonists (I would list 3, one with each POV character at the very beginning, with 2 that were sort of shared amongst them all) weren't as fleshed-out as I would have liked. Eudo, Dorian's father and our immediate antagonist, felt very 2D at times, and I had a hard time buying his reasoning behind pushing Dorian to marry at the start. (I felt satisfied with the end of his arc, however.) The primary antagonist was somewhat similar - the ending of their arc was sooo, so, so interesting, and I wish that we had explored more facets of the world building/magic system to better understand the gravity of their situation. The primary antagonist for me, unfortunately, didn't have a sound motivation, and I feel like there would have been several, far more simple ways for them to achieve their ends.
Still, once I hit the 160 page mark, I did enjoy this book. I can tell that a lot of love and a lot of heart was put into it, which is something I appreciate. It wasn't wholly uninteresting - there are just several things I wish we had taken more time to expand upon (adjusting pacing, building out the world), and I wish that the voice choices were perhaps approached differently (either going 3rd POV or being more individualistic with each POV) as I think that was my biggest barrier to immersing myself in the story, unfortunately.
Also, I did want to say that there's a romance between 2 characters that I did really, really enjoy, and I loved to see them come together after a bit of pining. I really, really enjoyed them together.
TL;DR: I enjoyed this book enough to rate it 3 stars, which is middle-of-the-road for me. This book has the capability to speak on a deep level to a multitude of readers, I'm sure (I have a couple friends I plan on recommending it to because I'm sure it *will* speak to them), but sadly, there were a few issues I found that it didn't speak to me in such a way.
I look forward to seeing what Daniels-Annachi writes in the future, and I truly wish him the best! Thank you to the author for a physical copy.
November 27, 2025
2 stars, unfortunately this book didn't work for me! I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks BooksGoSocial and NetGalley.
I'm getting real tired of the comparisons to well-known books that marketing will slap on to any new book. I saw nothing similar to The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi beyond South Asian and queer representation. I haven't read The Poppy War series, but from everything I've heard, I think this would also be a poor comparison. On the other hand, if you're looking for The Little Mermaid with diverse representation and storylines that cross paths, this is the book for you.
A Tide of Treason follows three main characters: Zara, a katalval (mermaid), Dorian, and Veshak. Dorian and Veshak are humans with magic abilities, with Dorian having hallucinations of the gods and goddesses and the ability to communicate across far distances in visions, and Veshak having the ability to breathe and use fire. All three of our main characters are next in line to their thrones, and all three do their best to avoid responsibility. Dorian needs to get married before his coronation but doesn't want to. Zara needs to step up to take her deceased mother's place, but her grief holds her back. And Veshak is captain of a pirate ship but is doing a horrible job to the point his crew starts planning a mutiny.
The prologue explains Dorian's father married his mother from a neighboring kingdom, who had the magical ability in their bloodline. The king proceeds to siphon the iron in his wife's blood and uses that to enter the Iron Age and creates iron weapons to subjugate all the other kingdoms around him. And the prologue is narrated by the iron in the queen's blood. Yeah.
The story starts after a timejump, and we learn that iron tossed into the ocean leads to the rust infecting and killing the katalval with "rot" which is how Zara's mom dies. Zara decides to go forth and find the source of all the iron and stop the "rot" once and for all. Dorian refuses to get married and decides to get away from his responsibilities by hunting down katalval, which is supposedly how his mom die at sea. Veshak is being a bad captain but wants to hunt down the man responsible for hurting his mother before she fled and found her current husband, Veshak's father. All three of their storylines intersect and what comes out of it is a confusing mess. Unfortunately, by the end of the book, it's hard to see if any of them have truly grown up to take on the responsibility they were running away from.
There is so much told and not shown with our protagonist's decisions. For example, we're just told Dorian feels uncomfortable with marriage and is not at all interested. There's nothing substantial about his feelings that I could empathize with, and it just made me annoyed as the other two characters also had the same writing. Chapters were full of actions and decisions made, but there wasn't any transitions between scenes for breathing room to have some worldbuilding or mental reflection from the characters. And especially with the latter part, this was all first person writing, I would expect some emotional impact from the characters. But everything felt so impersonal, and I couldn't get myself to care about any of them.
The worldbuilding was also lacking, I had no clue there were gods or goddesses involved in this world until Dorian gets his first vision. The prologue was so trippy and confusing I thought there was a tiny person that was narrating until it was made more clear it was the iron talking.
I do appreciate the queer and South Asian representation, and I wish I could've enjoyed this book more than those qualities. I hope the author improves their writing and I wish them the best of luck.
I'm getting real tired of the comparisons to well-known books that marketing will slap on to any new book. I saw nothing similar to The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi beyond South Asian and queer representation. I haven't read The Poppy War series, but from everything I've heard, I think this would also be a poor comparison. On the other hand, if you're looking for The Little Mermaid with diverse representation and storylines that cross paths, this is the book for you.
A Tide of Treason follows three main characters: Zara, a katalval (mermaid), Dorian, and Veshak. Dorian and Veshak are humans with magic abilities, with Dorian having hallucinations of the gods and goddesses and the ability to communicate across far distances in visions, and Veshak having the ability to breathe and use fire. All three of our main characters are next in line to their thrones, and all three do their best to avoid responsibility. Dorian needs to get married before his coronation but doesn't want to. Zara needs to step up to take her deceased mother's place, but her grief holds her back. And Veshak is captain of a pirate ship but is doing a horrible job to the point his crew starts planning a mutiny.
The prologue explains Dorian's father married his mother from a neighboring kingdom, who had the magical ability in their bloodline. The king proceeds to siphon the iron in his wife's blood and uses that to enter the Iron Age and creates iron weapons to subjugate all the other kingdoms around him. And the prologue is narrated by the iron in the queen's blood. Yeah.
The story starts after a timejump, and we learn that iron tossed into the ocean leads to the rust infecting and killing the katalval with "rot" which is how Zara's mom dies. Zara decides to go forth and find the source of all the iron and stop the "rot" once and for all. Dorian refuses to get married and decides to get away from his responsibilities by hunting down katalval, which is supposedly how his mom die at sea. Veshak is being a bad captain but wants to hunt down the man responsible for hurting his mother before she fled and found her current husband, Veshak's father. All three of their storylines intersect and what comes out of it is a confusing mess. Unfortunately, by the end of the book, it's hard to see if any of them have truly grown up to take on the responsibility they were running away from.
There is so much told and not shown with our protagonist's decisions. For example, we're just told Dorian feels uncomfortable with marriage and is not at all interested. There's nothing substantial about his feelings that I could empathize with, and it just made me annoyed as the other two characters also had the same writing. Chapters were full of actions and decisions made, but there wasn't any transitions between scenes for breathing room to have some worldbuilding or mental reflection from the characters. And especially with the latter part, this was all first person writing, I would expect some emotional impact from the characters. But everything felt so impersonal, and I couldn't get myself to care about any of them.
The worldbuilding was also lacking, I had no clue there were gods or goddesses involved in this world until Dorian gets his first vision. The prologue was so trippy and confusing I thought there was a tiny person that was narrating until it was made more clear it was the iron talking.
I do appreciate the queer and South Asian representation, and I wish I could've enjoyed this book more than those qualities. I hope the author improves their writing and I wish them the best of luck.
December 15, 2025
I struggled to stay invested in this book. First off, the prologue told from the POV of a palmful of blood taken from the queen was confusing — but at least interesting! — with the only downside being that that voice, the voice used for the blood, is the same voice used for every other character in the book. Everyone is so flat, stilted and stiff with neither personality nor an interest in reacting to any of the astonishing events happening around them.
It reads very monotone, and I honestly found it hard to remember which character I was reading from in various chapters — especially if I’d put the book down for a day or two. And once I put it down it was hard to pick it back up again; I just kept … forgetting about it. Nothing about this book really stuck with me, other than that prologue. And I can’t honestly say I enjoyed it.
This is a book where the ideas are, in my opinion, better than the story. The world building is paper thin, but there’s an effort made to make each of the three primary settings stand apart from the others. It’s a book full of action, but rather than being experienced by the characters or even actions taken by them … it’s the book telling me, over and over, what’s happening. This is also a book afraid of using “said” more than once a chapter, leading to musing, yelling, snapping, stating, murmuring and so on and so forth. Which … isn’t terrible, but along with the rest of the issues I was having in making myself continue reading, did get on my nerves a bit.
I’m just not the audience for this book, I think. I wanted more from the characters, more from the world, and for the plot to feel like anything that was happening mattered, even if only to one person. But if you’re more of an action-oriented person, this book might work for you. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.
October 13, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!
Unfortunately, except for the cover, there’s nothing else I actually liked about this book.
Was not a fan of the writing. The prologue did not grip me, neither did the first chapter or the whole book for that matter, which is typically the case with a good book. I pushed through only because I don’t like leaving things halfway.
The prologue was not good, even slightly confusing at first. The chapters ahead followed in the same vein, just barely strung together pieces. Not enough focus on the scenes; we jump from one to another in the matter of a sentence or two. Everything happens too fast, we don’t get enough time to spend with the characters (besides the main povs we follow, of course) nor the scenery, and then we are stuck on a ship for half of the book. We don’t really get the details needed to conjure an image in our heads, it’s simply words on paper for the sake of it, and you don’t even get a chance to be a part of it. The descriptions in general lack flow, feel choppy, mostly dialogue. Which is a shame because during the times there was more than a simple one-line characterization, it looked quite promising. The dialogue itself was not that bad, just not charming or convincing. The writing style is simple enough for the book to be a quick read, but that wasn’t the case for me, because I was not enjoying my time reading it.
The characters did not feel like real people, or let’s say, people you would like to read and know about. Bunch of nobles that don’t want to do their jobs. The only pov I could find enjoyable was that of Zara, but only at first, then it also went downhill real fast. She got over the death of her family real quick and would then only bring them up during conversation. All of them kept making dumb decisions and set goals that they did not achieve (at least themselves), and I couldn’t root for any of them, especially Veshak (let me not question his anatomy in the steamy scene), even though the most boring of all was Dorian. God forbid a woman that is not Zara steps on the ship. Let’s not forget the cartoonish villain that only appears a couple of times, including the final battle. What was her motivation to want the throne and need to get rid of Zara, to do anything really? I’m not sure.
The romance was… It was there, I guess? If you can’t get into the characters, you can’t really care what they feel (in general too) for each other either. Let’s not even talk about the ending.
The book was not polished at all, at least that’s how it felt to me. Not fun nor entertaining, not a story you would like to read about.
Unfortunately, except for the cover, there’s nothing else I actually liked about this book.
Was not a fan of the writing. The prologue did not grip me, neither did the first chapter or the whole book for that matter, which is typically the case with a good book. I pushed through only because I don’t like leaving things halfway.
The prologue was not good, even slightly confusing at first. The chapters ahead followed in the same vein, just barely strung together pieces. Not enough focus on the scenes; we jump from one to another in the matter of a sentence or two. Everything happens too fast, we don’t get enough time to spend with the characters (besides the main povs we follow, of course) nor the scenery, and then we are stuck on a ship for half of the book. We don’t really get the details needed to conjure an image in our heads, it’s simply words on paper for the sake of it, and you don’t even get a chance to be a part of it. The descriptions in general lack flow, feel choppy, mostly dialogue. Which is a shame because during the times there was more than a simple one-line characterization, it looked quite promising. The dialogue itself was not that bad, just not charming or convincing. The writing style is simple enough for the book to be a quick read, but that wasn’t the case for me, because I was not enjoying my time reading it.
The characters did not feel like real people, or let’s say, people you would like to read and know about. Bunch of nobles that don’t want to do their jobs. The only pov I could find enjoyable was that of Zara, but only at first, then it also went downhill real fast. She got over the death of her family real quick and would then only bring them up during conversation. All of them kept making dumb decisions and set goals that they did not achieve (at least themselves), and I couldn’t root for any of them, especially Veshak (let me not question his anatomy in the steamy scene), even though the most boring of all was Dorian. God forbid a woman that is not Zara steps on the ship. Let’s not forget the cartoonish villain that only appears a couple of times, including the final battle. What was her motivation to want the throne and need to get rid of Zara, to do anything really? I’m not sure.
The romance was… It was there, I guess? If you can’t get into the characters, you can’t really care what they feel (in general too) for each other either. Let’s not even talk about the ending.
The book was not polished at all, at least that’s how it felt to me. Not fun nor entertaining, not a story you would like to read about.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2025
Ahhhh, this was a fun read.
I love a good fantasy novel, and I *especially* love a good fantasy novel where massive amounts of worldbuilding feel effortless to read. That's exactly what I got with A Tide of Treason.
The world. THE WORLD. It felt so real, so tangible, but the story never felt bogged down by the details! I think that was, in part, thanks to some really beautiful prose. The author struck an excellent balance, laying out the world, all of the set up for the story, and adding in just the right amount of flowery prose to make it feel like a steady, lyrical rhythm while reading.
The characters are *to die for.* Truly, I latched onto all three of the POV characters within the first hundred pages. They're delightful, they're messy, they're queer af, and they made me want to read and read and read just so I could learn more about them.
A Tide of Treason has been a pretty easy sell at the bookstore. It strikes such a good balance of high stakes, compelling stories and motivations, political intrigue, and romance, that it can scratch the itch for a lot of readers, especially with so many people looking for more diversity in fantasy right now. I think it's perfect for fans of Brandon Sanderson's Mistoborn series, Susan Dennard's Witchlands, or even fans of the Dragon Age games!
And while I did receive a free copy of the book for review, I liked it so much I ended up buying myself a copy, and this is a completely voluntary review <3
I love a good fantasy novel, and I *especially* love a good fantasy novel where massive amounts of worldbuilding feel effortless to read. That's exactly what I got with A Tide of Treason.
The world. THE WORLD. It felt so real, so tangible, but the story never felt bogged down by the details! I think that was, in part, thanks to some really beautiful prose. The author struck an excellent balance, laying out the world, all of the set up for the story, and adding in just the right amount of flowery prose to make it feel like a steady, lyrical rhythm while reading.
The characters are *to die for.* Truly, I latched onto all three of the POV characters within the first hundred pages. They're delightful, they're messy, they're queer af, and they made me want to read and read and read just so I could learn more about them.
A Tide of Treason has been a pretty easy sell at the bookstore. It strikes such a good balance of high stakes, compelling stories and motivations, political intrigue, and romance, that it can scratch the itch for a lot of readers, especially with so many people looking for more diversity in fantasy right now. I think it's perfect for fans of Brandon Sanderson's Mistoborn series, Susan Dennard's Witchlands, or even fans of the Dragon Age games!
And while I did receive a free copy of the book for review, I liked it so much I ended up buying myself a copy, and this is a completely voluntary review <3
November 12, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this eARC.
I really wanted to enjoy this book but unfortunately it fell a bit short for me. The cover is beautiful and it’s what drew me in. The world itself, heavily inspired by Indian mythology, was the best feature of the book. It was rich, vibrant, and I liked the dark fairytale vibes. The story was a little too fast-paced for my liking and the writing felt a bit choppy; almost like we were flitting from place to place nearly instantaneously.
Instead of starting the book on our first main character, the prologue opted to introduce us to the book’s intriguing magic system through an unconventional POV. Honestly it was very confusing and jarring at first, but quite interesting once you understand what’s going on. I figured from the prologue that the magic system would play a huge part in the story but I felt that it wasn’t really explored or explained as much as it could’ve been. It only really plays a part in the climax where it played a convenient role in easily eliminating the main villain.
I thought the characters were just alright. Without giving too much away, I liked Veshak and Zara but I don’t think their character arcs ended satisfyingly. Dorian had a better “ending” but he had almost little to no character growth and he was pretty much stuck on the boat for the majority of the book doing nothing.
Overall great concept and world but just not the best execution.
I really wanted to enjoy this book but unfortunately it fell a bit short for me. The cover is beautiful and it’s what drew me in. The world itself, heavily inspired by Indian mythology, was the best feature of the book. It was rich, vibrant, and I liked the dark fairytale vibes. The story was a little too fast-paced for my liking and the writing felt a bit choppy; almost like we were flitting from place to place nearly instantaneously.
Instead of starting the book on our first main character, the prologue opted to introduce us to the book’s intriguing magic system through an unconventional POV. Honestly it was very confusing and jarring at first, but quite interesting once you understand what’s going on. I figured from the prologue that the magic system would play a huge part in the story but I felt that it wasn’t really explored or explained as much as it could’ve been. It only really plays a part in the climax where it played a convenient role in easily eliminating the main villain.
I thought the characters were just alright. Without giving too much away, I liked Veshak and Zara but I don’t think their character arcs ended satisfyingly. Dorian had a better “ending” but he had almost little to no character growth and he was pretty much stuck on the boat for the majority of the book doing nothing.
Overall great concept and world but just not the best execution.
October 31, 2024
A Tide of Treason is a captivating blend of adventure, romance, and political intrigue that sweeps readers into a vibrant underwater world and the high seas. Prince Dorian’s internal struggle between duty and the allure of freedom sets the stage for a thrilling escape that leads him to unexpected challenges.
Meanwhile, Zara's transformation from mermaid to human in her quest to save her underwater kingdom is both empowering and poignant. Her burgeoning romance with the enigmatic privateer Veshak adds depth to the narrative, as they navigate their own desires while grappling with the weight of their respective missions.
The tension escalates with the arrival of a cunning shapeshifter, bringing secrets and betrayals to light. Daniels-Annachi masterfully weaves the trio's fates into a compelling tale of alliance and self-discovery. Richly developed characters and a lush, imaginative setting make this a must-read for fans of fantasy. Dive into this enthralling story and prepare for an unforgettable journey!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Meanwhile, Zara's transformation from mermaid to human in her quest to save her underwater kingdom is both empowering and poignant. Her burgeoning romance with the enigmatic privateer Veshak adds depth to the narrative, as they navigate their own desires while grappling with the weight of their respective missions.
The tension escalates with the arrival of a cunning shapeshifter, bringing secrets and betrayals to light. Daniels-Annachi masterfully weaves the trio's fates into a compelling tale of alliance and self-discovery. Richly developed characters and a lush, imaginative setting make this a must-read for fans of fantasy. Dive into this enthralling story and prepare for an unforgettable journey!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 10, 2025
Crossposted to Netgalley
DNF @ 18%. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.
This is classified as an adult fantasy, but the writing is painfully sludgy, with barely distinctive voices between the three main POVs. I simply do not care enough about three royals (from different kingdoms) to continue reading. Certain sections felt like they had missed a line or two (Zara's first chapter appeared to be time skipping - at first she was out at midday, then suddenly it was late afternoon and the sun was supposed to have set before she got home, but she had a meeting and then the sun was still out? But a few paragraphs later, apparently she and her sister had travelled all night without sleeping and it was midday again?).
Also why would you have contortionists performing during an important meeting? Then randomly slapping one of your advisors for apparently "interrupting" too many times. Eudo was cartoonishly evil from the start.
Really interesting concept, but the heavy-handed writing; bland, indistinguishable characters; and a poorly explained magic system plus a crucial misunderstanding of nautical battle means this is a nope from me.
DNF @ 18%. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.
This is classified as an adult fantasy, but the writing is painfully sludgy, with barely distinctive voices between the three main POVs. I simply do not care enough about three royals (from different kingdoms) to continue reading. Certain sections felt like they had missed a line or two (Zara's first chapter appeared to be time skipping - at first she was out at midday, then suddenly it was late afternoon and the sun was supposed to have set before she got home, but she had a meeting and then the sun was still out? But a few paragraphs later, apparently she and her sister had travelled all night without sleeping and it was midday again?).
Also why would you have contortionists performing during an important meeting? Then randomly slapping one of your advisors for apparently "interrupting" too many times. Eudo was cartoonishly evil from the start.
Really interesting concept, but the heavy-handed writing; bland, indistinguishable characters; and a poorly explained magic system plus a crucial misunderstanding of nautical battle means this is a nope from me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2024
This was a hauntingly beautiful story, with mythology, fantasy, and a little romance intertwined. We get to follow the story from three POVs – Dorian, Zara, and Veshak. Each adds unique insight into their world, even after their paths become inextricably laced together. Daniels-Annachi has a beautiful writing voice, and really transports you right into the story, like slipping unseen through a magic portal. The characters are complex, and not everyone is exactly as you expect them to be, in a good way. The story itself moves at a good pace, and it’s really difficult to set down once you start reading. You can tell there are fairy-tale/myth elements running through everything, but the story is unique. If you’re looking for a unique. magical, fairy-tale-esque adventure, you absolutely need to grab this.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 1, 2025
An exciting retelling of the little mermaid, with mythical creatures, political intrigue, magic, and beautifully written characters who will steal your heart.
This book has 3 POVs and each character has a their own role and stakes in the story.
Veshak, the dashing pirate captain was my favorite and had some amazing moments in the story and I want nothing but happiness for him. 💜
Zara, the devoted daughter and sister is the mermaid of this tale and she goes THROUGH it, but her determination to stop the rot killing her people makes her fierce and compassionate.
Dorian, the son of a tyrant king being forced to take a wife and a crown he does not want. His story had some beautifully written heartache and I liked reading such an ace character.
If you like mermaids, pirates, political intrigue, mythic creatures, magic, and wonderfully queer characters then you sould absolutely read this book.
This book has 3 POVs and each character has a their own role and stakes in the story.
Veshak, the dashing pirate captain was my favorite and had some amazing moments in the story and I want nothing but happiness for him. 💜
Zara, the devoted daughter and sister is the mermaid of this tale and she goes THROUGH it, but her determination to stop the rot killing her people makes her fierce and compassionate.
Dorian, the son of a tyrant king being forced to take a wife and a crown he does not want. His story had some beautifully written heartache and I liked reading such an ace character.
If you like mermaids, pirates, political intrigue, mythic creatures, magic, and wonderfully queer characters then you sould absolutely read this book.
February 1, 2026
Really enjoyed this! I love pirates and underwater fantasy and princes who refuse to behave properly so I had a blast. This novel does start from the perspective of an inanimate object, which was such an innovative choice; really wish we'd gotten to hear more like this after the prologue, but I still had a good time. All three perspectives were given ample time and development, though Veshak was by far my favourite. The climax of the book did feel a bit rushed, as the big bad showed up and was defeated in a matter of a few pages, but I still liked it and it's the author's debut, so I'm willing to be more forgiving. I wasn't sure what to expect, as the summary trended towards epic fantasy but reviewers kept referencing The Little Mermaid, but it actually felt like both meshed very well. I'm intrigued to see where Daniels-Annachi goes next!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a free e-ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a free e-ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
October 5, 2024
A. B. Daniels-Annachi amazes in this utterly unique take on The Little Mermaid.
A Prince, a pirate, a mermaid.
We are gifted three POVs through the eyes of our captivating main characters, whose complex backgrounds and motives weave together to form a page-turning quest for adventure and revenge.
Annachi shines through prose that cements you into the vivid setting, whether in a castle, sailing the seas, or swimming within them. Not to mention the world-building, which is lush with fascinating magic and steeped in Indian mythology and culture.
The setting, paired with the astounding world and intriguing plot, leads to a book that will take you on a high-seas adventure unlike any you've ever read.
Disclaimer: I was asked to blurb this book after reading it for free before it was published.
A Prince, a pirate, a mermaid.
We are gifted three POVs through the eyes of our captivating main characters, whose complex backgrounds and motives weave together to form a page-turning quest for adventure and revenge.
Annachi shines through prose that cements you into the vivid setting, whether in a castle, sailing the seas, or swimming within them. Not to mention the world-building, which is lush with fascinating magic and steeped in Indian mythology and culture.
The setting, paired with the astounding world and intriguing plot, leads to a book that will take you on a high-seas adventure unlike any you've ever read.
Disclaimer: I was asked to blurb this book after reading it for free before it was published.
March 30, 2025
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I found the mythology and worldbuilding in this book to be fascinating, and I loved the parts about the environmental impacts of the colonialism. However, I just could not sympathize with the main characters, which threw me off. I cannot sympathize with a captain who throws all the women on his ship overboard, regardless of the reason. And I understand Dorian and Zara struggling with their royal positions, but they read more like grumpy teenagers than adults. I really wanted to like this book and there are certainly things to like about it, but the characters dragged the book down. I know morally grey characters are common, and they can be written well, but the narrative didn't seem to be aware at all about Veshak being morally grey.
I found the mythology and worldbuilding in this book to be fascinating, and I loved the parts about the environmental impacts of the colonialism. However, I just could not sympathize with the main characters, which threw me off. I cannot sympathize with a captain who throws all the women on his ship overboard, regardless of the reason. And I understand Dorian and Zara struggling with their royal positions, but they read more like grumpy teenagers than adults. I really wanted to like this book and there are certainly things to like about it, but the characters dragged the book down. I know morally grey characters are common, and they can be written well, but the narrative didn't seem to be aware at all about Veshak being morally grey.
January 12, 2026
First, thank you for the book in exchange for an honest review.
To start, I LOVE the cover art. The world was fascinating and I love the magic in the world.
All of that being said, I struggled with the characters. It didnt feel as though they were very well hashed out and their interactions with one another were a bit flat to me. The vast majority of what the reader learns of each of them is stated and not really shown. They talk sure, but there is not much actual action taken by any of them. We are TOLD how they feel TOLD what they will do but we dont get to see them work out why or how or show things.
Overall the book was good and I enjoyed reading it. I just am not sure I would go back for another re-read.
To start, I LOVE the cover art. The world was fascinating and I love the magic in the world.
All of that being said, I struggled with the characters. It didnt feel as though they were very well hashed out and their interactions with one another were a bit flat to me. The vast majority of what the reader learns of each of them is stated and not really shown. They talk sure, but there is not much actual action taken by any of them. We are TOLD how they feel TOLD what they will do but we dont get to see them work out why or how or show things.
Overall the book was good and I enjoyed reading it. I just am not sure I would go back for another re-read.
November 7, 2024
At first it took me a little while to wrap my head around the separate POVs as I got confused with thr first pov and to me it's a flow build up . But once I wrapped my head around the POVs this book was a good read. .
I like books with POVs and it made this book more interesting to beable folow multiple characters and see there point of view to follow there journey through there eyes was fantastic. Once I got into this book I read it every opportunity I had. . Like always A. B. Daniels-Annachi is a fantastic author and has done it again with this book ..
It is definitely has little mermaid vibes with twist and turns along the way
I like books with POVs and it made this book more interesting to beable folow multiple characters and see there point of view to follow there journey through there eyes was fantastic. Once I got into this book I read it every opportunity I had. . Like always A. B. Daniels-Annachi is a fantastic author and has done it again with this book ..
It is definitely has little mermaid vibes with twist and turns along the way
July 29, 2025
A Tide of Treason is an enchanting sear faring journey steeped in rich culture.
From the first page I was reeled into the mysteries unfolding in the rich world that was created. It's fun, heartfelt and full of adventure, found family, and even a dash of yearning.
I enjoyed the fast pace setting sailing across the open seas, dealing with pirates and sea creatures. The found family and romance aspects felt very cozy despite the events of the book. If you're looking for a queer normative romance that checks all the boxes for delicious enemies to lovers tension, look no further.
I am eagerly awaiting the next installments, and more time with the dashing pirate captain himself, Veshak.
From the first page I was reeled into the mysteries unfolding in the rich world that was created. It's fun, heartfelt and full of adventure, found family, and even a dash of yearning.
I enjoyed the fast pace setting sailing across the open seas, dealing with pirates and sea creatures. The found family and romance aspects felt very cozy despite the events of the book. If you're looking for a queer normative romance that checks all the boxes for delicious enemies to lovers tension, look no further.
I am eagerly awaiting the next installments, and more time with the dashing pirate captain himself, Veshak.
October 30, 2024
A Tide of Treason by A.B. Daniels-Annachi is a spin on The Little Mermaid and she really made this tale her own. The story is written beautifully and I loved how Indian mythology was woven into it.
The writing is flowing and the characters come across very well. The different POVs made that I was more engrossed in the story and this way you got more perspectives. I always believe more POVs make that a book is more interesting.
I loved reading A Tide of Treason and can recommend reading this lovely book to anyone who loves a good retelling.
The writing is flowing and the characters come across very well. The different POVs made that I was more engrossed in the story and this way you got more perspectives. I always believe more POVs make that a book is more interesting.
I loved reading A Tide of Treason and can recommend reading this lovely book to anyone who loves a good retelling.
March 1, 2025
I am trying to get back into my fantasy roots and this story definitely did the trick. The mythology and world building was well-thought-out and explored. A majority of this played like a well-thought-out movie in my head. I loved the different nods to both Indian mythology and The Little Mermaid.
Ari is able to weave the story between three POVs almost effortlessly. My only complaint is that I feel like there was just too much that left me wanting more. There was a lot of Dorian, Zara, and Veshak's backgrounds and futures I wanted to be a part of. I felt like it was packed with so much story that it could have easily become a series, one that I would have been very eager to read.
I am thankful for receiving a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Ari is able to weave the story between three POVs almost effortlessly. My only complaint is that I feel like there was just too much that left me wanting more. There was a lot of Dorian, Zara, and Veshak's backgrounds and futures I wanted to be a part of. I felt like it was packed with so much story that it could have easily become a series, one that I would have been very eager to read.
I am thankful for receiving a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
October 13, 2024
I enjoyed the way A. B. Daniels-Annachi had incorporated Indian mythology into the Little Mermaid story to create this beautiful and unique story. I also enjoyed the different povs so you can get the different characters’ perspectives on the world and situation they were in. Once again, another great story from A. B. Daniels-Annachi, and I can’t wait to read more.
Disclaimer: I received a free arc copy before publication but these words are my own thoughts.
Disclaimer: I received a free arc copy before publication but these words are my own thoughts.
October 22, 2024
Book review
A.B. Daniels-Annachi creates a culturally rich and inclusive fantasy world that leaves your emotions rising and falling as “A Tide of Treason” would suggest. Underlying a unique take on a classic fairytale, this book has an incredible take on the effects of colonialism in the environment and its people.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A.B. Daniels-Annachi creates a culturally rich and inclusive fantasy world that leaves your emotions rising and falling as “A Tide of Treason” would suggest. Underlying a unique take on a classic fairytale, this book has an incredible take on the effects of colonialism in the environment and its people.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 24, 2025
I enjoyed this book thoroughly! The characters were fully realized which I find can be difficult for multi-person povs and I enjoyed their dynamics. The trans experience and the different ways magic and non-magic characters deal with transness was cool to see.
It was nice to see the author’s culture interwoven in through the book, and with so much care. And it was really nice to see a fantasy book from a SWANA author.
It was nice to see the author’s culture interwoven in through the book, and with so much care. And it was really nice to see a fantasy book from a SWANA author.
October 29, 2024
I had the pleasure of doing an Arc read for this book, and when I told you I couldn't put it down, I really couldn't.
A. B. Daniels-Annachi tells an amazing story with different POVs that let you hang on their every word.
It's an amazing adventure!
A. B. Daniels-Annachi tells an amazing story with different POVs that let you hang on their every word.
It's an amazing adventure!
August 27, 2025
Thanks goodreads for this book i won in a giveaway. Not a bad read, but not my favorite. It has mermaids and pirates though so that was a plus. It gives an alternative little mermaid vibe. It's told in three different point of views. Overall not bad of a story.
October 7, 2025
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. There was so much world building, the representation , the lovers. It was really well written, and easy to follow and enjoy. The battles, the characters, the involvement, everything was just really good. I will most likely reread this.
January 24, 2025
Excellent book with lots of action, good queer rep, and excellent world building. This is not my usual genre but the writing and the story had me hooked.
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