Waves

by Ann Denton

I made a terrible mistake.

I gave my heart to my worst enemy in order to survive.

Relinquishing my heart allows me access to my pent-up magic. But it has a side effect. Now, as I swim through the sea kingdom, I find myself randomly consumed by dark thoughts.

Sometimes when I stare at the men competing in the tournament for my hand, I get a random itch—the urge reach out and snap their necks. To hear that brittle crack of bone and watch their eyes fade to gray. It doesn’t matter how sweet, funny, or handsome they are. The desire to hurt them is nearly overwhelming.

I always thought my birth mother was a monster by choice. Now, I wonder if it’s not a sea sprite’s destiny.

Will I become a leviathan too?

I need to know, and I need to find out quickly as these men grow closer to me and my evil appetite grows stronger. I don't know what I would do with myself if I hurt the sweet courtier, Keelan; the dashing pirate, Valdez; or my one true love, Mateo.

I’m afraid that they’ll see what lies beneath the surface, the shadows swimming in my eyes.

This beast inside might not just cost me my kingdom, but my soul.

390 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 19, 2025

About the author

Ann Denton lives in a small community in Oklahoma where her four grandchildren are the center of her attention. Ann has shared her imagination with them since they were babies. She has spent hours of playtime with her grandsons playing everything from “pirate ship” to dressing up as aluminum foil robots. With her granddaughter, she has had countless magical tea parties and played “princess dress up.”
Ann has written poetry for years, but most recently, she collaborated with her fifteen-year-old grandson to write her very first young adult series . . . Kiah’s Soul-Shifting Journey. In January of 2013, her debut novel, The Quadrant War, book (1) was published. The Tech War, book (2) was released in September of 2013, and War's Redemption, book (3) of the trilogy was released in June of 2014.
Ann's favorite genre is young adult—both to read and write; however, she also enjoys reading other genres. Ann does most of her writing late at night when her characters take on a life of their own and keep her awake.

Reviews

[Lysanne Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The long awaited conclusion to the Tangled Crowns series now here! And what a conclusion it was!

I loved the first part of the series following Bloss, and the enemies to lovers premise, but the second part following her sister Avia takes it to a whole other level. So much so I was wondering if the villain would be redeemed or if he’d have to meet his end (to be fair i always root for the villain 🤷🏽‍♀️). So does he? You’ll have to read Waves to find out!

I love the quirky motly crew of characters Ann crafted for this one, her underwater world descriptions vivid and interesting, the characters’ personalities diverse, and everything seen through the eyes of a new queen who is trying to belong in a new world.

10 stars. It’s a must read!

[Tracy W. Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good wrap up to a great series!

Avia showedd so much growth and change in this book. There were many unexpected surprises with a few of her consort competitors that disappointed me as well as Avia. The best part of this story was Raj. He was taken completely out of his evil comfort zone and we watched him come to terms with who he was with Avia.
Kudos to our author! Keeping a story that is entertaining flowing through all these books over a period of years is something not often done this well.

[Voe Lettore · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Captivating Conclusion…!

I love this conclusion to the second storyline within the Tangled Crowns series.
Still utterly suspenseful and with shock twists, it kept me glued right to the very end.