Rising Tide

Sirens #1

by T.L. Zalecki

Forget whatever you think you know. History has been rewritten, and the future is in peril.

In a world where rising ocean levels swallow coastal cities and people scramble for resources on an overpopulated earth, the survival of the human race depends on biogenetic research to develop aquatic abilities. The year is 2098, and it has never been more dangerous for the elusive Sirens to be discovered.

Until now, the Sirens have remained hidden from the human world, inhabiting an obscure, undiscovered island in the Indian Ocean. Amid growing discontent among their youth, the Sirens, led by headstrong Mello Seaford, decide to test the waters of open society by striking a deal with the all-powerful megacorporation, DiviniGen Inc.

And they risk everything to do it.

Will the risk prove worth it, or will the Sirens be subjected to the diabolical whims of humanity?

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Mermaids, Dystopia, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

358 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 4, 2015

About the author

T.L. spent several years in the corporate world working with global “megacorps” before moving on to her most important job, raising her two children. During naptime, she created a world to escape to in SIRENS. She enjoys using science to create fantastical fiction, packing sophisticated, sometimes controversial, themes into stories of adventure, and twisting ordinary legends. Book 1 Rising Tide will be followed by Lost World. She lives with her family and some tropical fish in Washington, DC. This is her first novel.

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rising Tide (Sirens #1) by T.L. Zalecki is a different kind of dystopian novel. A bit of science fiction, mystery, government control, little fantasy, and a pretty fair read. I hate cliff hangers so this was a let down but other than that not a bad read ;)

[The Behrg · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a few things all truly great Science Fiction novels have in common:

-- First, they have a unique world populated with remarkable characters. It must be different from our own but with enough parallels that you could imagine us eventually getting there.
-- Second, they have an intriguing storyline, something that grabs you and quickly carries you through the story.
-- Third, and this is the toughest one to do well, they leave a commentary on the state of our world without necessarily drawing attention to it. Whether it be politics, humanity, nature, etc, there's always a message subtly drafted and hidden in great sci-fi works.

Rising Tide, by T.L. Zalecki, succeeds in all three areas. I expected this to be a typical YA novel, full of icing and cake but without a lot of meat. Instead, there is a depth to this work that completely caught off guard. We enter a world where the ocean levels have risen to cover over 90% of the earth's topography, where a corporation is the new world government and where religion is the feel-good sentiments of a MLM scheme.

I loved the idea of this erbium drug that is a cure-all, yet the masses are unable to ever receive any. So much in this story mirrors what really goes on in our world yet is hidden behind a well placed curtain. The world of these Sirens was equally as interesting as was the dynamic of the relationships between our cast of characters.

A great start to a new series, this is one I'd definitely recommend. Looking forward to the sequel.

[Jonel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and believable novel that also was absolutely out of this world. Zalecki easily brings this dystopian world to life in a big way. I loved the way that everything blended together in a larger than life manner that still allowed me to picture each and every aspect of it. The futuristic aspects really came to life in this exciting manner that really allowed me to picture the entire story. Her descriptions blended with the enticing plot in a manner that was fantastic. I loved the mix of biology and fantasy, the excitement and the intense undercurrent running throughout.

The characters in this tale made it even better. I truly enjoyed getting to know them. I found that the flashbacks not only added to the story but also gave me peeks into who they characters were. I engaged with many of them easily, wanting to know more about them and wanting to become part of their tales.

This was definitely a well thought out, exciting novel that I was sad to see end. Oh, and the cliff-hanger at the ending? Priceless & left me dying for more

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.

[Katherine Coble · Rating 1 out of 5]

No good deed goes unpunished. My punishment for pledging to read 35%+ of my books this year from my TBR folder was this.
This book... It's just not good. The characters are unrealistic and cartoonish. And that's just the HUMAN characters. The rebel merman with the laughable name ("Mello Seaward"--all I can think is "C Word") is actually the most relatable of all the characters. But I can't have sympathy for him, seeing as he left a human woman pregnant with his child and returned to his Magic Algae Paradise without more than a passing thought.
Until he jeopardizes his Magic Algae Paradise to go looking for the child decades later because he's bored and lost his battle to bring dancing, er, hologames too his tiny town.
That's the book I want to read. Footless. The one about the town council harshing Mello's mellow. But don't worry! There's vivisection aplenty for Mello! Good times.
Let's instead turn to our ridiculously named "heroine"...Lorelei Lyn Phoenix. Her father is dying. She is sad. We know she's sad because the author tells us she was so sad that her hair got messed up. And then there are three pages about how humanity is dying out BUT! They can take pills to change their hair colour. Lorel is earnest and super smart though, because she stopped taking the hair color pills. Also she has a PhD. Which she got with her boyfriend. But now they have to break up because the government paid his PhD tuition and now he has to pay it back by being a navy SEAL for 5 years. Which, it's good hes a navy SEAL in his PhD spare time because he can lend her a gun and tell her how to break into the back room of the pharmacy for the magic algae drug to save the father she's so sad about she didn't brush her natual red hair. So, in the future everyone dies at 60 unless they can take Magic Algae Pills. Which she can get by climbing through an open window and pretending that she's a rat wh triggered the alarm. But no! The pills are sold out.

This is how the book _starts_. It goes down hill from there until it hits a screeching halt. It's not even a cliffhanger. It's as if she just got tired of writing one day and was like "screw it. That'll do. I can finish the story in the "sequel" ."

The implausibility of the story is deeply ironic, given how the action of the book often stops for 3 or 4 pages at a time so that the characters can muse about the stupidity of religion and the dumbness of all people. Of course, the fact that I believed all the 5 star reviews for this DOES kinda prove that point. I was dumb. Not dumb enough to pretend this book was good and not dumb enough to read the second half aka "sequel". But dumb enough to go along. Allow me to save you from the perils of this book with my dumbness.

Oh well. At least it counts toward my goal.

[Hannah D · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring. That is how I would describe this novel. In a world where water levels have drastically risen and algae have killed off most of the marine animals habitats, humans survive and hiding from humans, sirens. With evil corporations controlling the world, nobody is truly safe.
The cover and synopsis looked super cool and interesting. I was ready to be blown away with action, danger and mysteries. That is not at all what I received in Rising Tides. There was way to much unnecessary backstory and very little actually occurring in the novel. I found that the plot had nothing large or important enough to capture and keep a readers attention. The story seemed to drag on and on with no apparent goals or intrigue. I did not think any of the characters in this novel were developed all that well, making them very hard to care about or connect with. There was a lot of uninteresting perceptive changes that made it hard to figure out the importance of the main characters. I definitely do not recommend this novel and give it ONE OUT OF FIVE STARS!

Want more of me? Go to: http://thenotsopubliclibrary.blogspot...

[Sofia The Great · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Platypires for Rising Tide by T.L. Zalecki

This is a great book for any science loving reader. The whole time I was reading this book I kept thinking it was so smart and well researched.
As someone who loves learning about evolution of mankind, I thought Rising Tide was so refreshing to read. Personally, I've been pretty vocal in my fantasies that maybe some humanoid species might still exist and they are still among us. Oh, T.L Zalecki were you in my mind. lol . Just Kidding.
I really liked the future world building. I could really imagine that world existing if global warming, population growth and corporate greed continues. Plus the advancement of technology was really neat to read. I could very well see this story becoming a movie.
The characters were also well developed and I look forward to seeing what happens next in the proceeding books. Plus it's a good , well written story with suspense and action.
I received a free copy though Amazon's Kindle Scout program.

[LunalandBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of Sirens in exchange for an honest review.
I totally became absorbed in the concept of this story. The futuristic aspects of Sirens were produced in a believable and manner with a lovely depth to the book. I wanted Mello and Lorel to succeed in their quests and I wanted everything to work out for them.
However, because of all the information you get thrown at you in the story you don't really get the time to develop a bond with the characters.I did get completely enthralled in Zalecki's world and i think this is the beginning of a truly extraordinary author.
I should tell you that the book does end in a cliff hanger but although you want to find out what happens in the next book the ending itself isn't soul destroying. I would recommend this book to people who like a good dystopian genre with not too much romance involved.

[Ann Omasta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though we are not supposed to judge a book by its cover, the awesome picture on this one caught my attention as soon as I saw it on the Kindle Scout website. And guess what?...It's just as great on the inside as the cover implies. I'm not generally drawn to futuristic titles, but the idea of a secret sirens society pulled me right in. This book has just enough scientific language to keep it believable, but doesn't get bogged down in jargon. Fair warning –– the cliffhanger ending will leave you desperate for more. Can't wait to get my hands on book two!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a new mom who has been missing her book club, craving an escape from breastfeeding and diapers. Sirens: Rising Tide totally hit the spot! I loved escaping into the future that T.L. Zalecki imagines in her book. As an environmental scientist, I can say the effects of climate change that help shape the setting and the story are chillingly realistic. And, I can't believe this is her first novel! I know there's a 2nd book on the way, but I hope she develops this into a full series. I want more!

[Sharah McConville · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Rising Tide' is a futuristic novel set in 2098. The story contains a wonderful blend of fantasy, science and...Mermaids! I really enjoyed book #1 in the Sirens series. Thank you to Tanya Zalecki for my copy. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently, being restless has made for less reading than I'd like. Being picky in what I like to read might also be a factor. When browsing the amazon.com website I discovered this in the science fiction genre of select Kindle books on a holiday sale. The cover caught my eye. The summary talking about a futuristic dystopia and alluding to mermaids (a childhood favorite)... I couldn't say no, and I'm glad I didn't, because what a refreshing, different, and new idea Sirens: Rising Tide is.

Popular dystopia's lately have a common theme of dealing with an unscrupulous government looking to make their own rules while using the little people as their pawns. The hierarchy in this particular story are using the people, but under the promise of religion, reigning in the masses with just enough of what they need, and nothing more, to give semblance to a normal life under the fall of depleted resources, and those that don't question it aren't afraid of the continuing rise of ocean levels that is the runner up for literally taking over the world. Also, in those oceans, a race of an underwater species called Sirens, whose way of life is taken away from the stereotype of The Little Mermaid while connecting to humans in an unexpected way. Maybe I need to expand my interests and read more, but when have you heard of a plot like that before? I say it again: refreshing, different, and new. It was just what I needed to hold me down for an hour or two during my free time. The more the plot moved the more I didn't like it when I had to turn off my Kindle.

I try to avoid being a reviewer who reiterates a summary as I did above, but I didn't want to leave this simply as "I really liked it". I wasn't surprised when I read that this is the first novel by this author, but it is clear that T.L. Zalecki is doing something right. I've already recommended this to a couple of friends whom I know like the genres here. Knowing that there is another book on the way, I hope this series can get more support. Until then I'm excited to find out what happens next.

[Vincent Annunziato · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Rising Tide,” the Sirens series by TL Zalecki is a fast-paced, action packed book that will bring you back to a genre that has taken a back seat to a spate of fantastic creatures in the horror and fantasy novels depicted today. This is not a book of faerie tells, but of a potentially real feeling story of a future yet to come. The book opens with a mystery body found on the beachhead of a futuristic world that has given up on religion in favor of consumerism and technology. One company Pan Divinity rules it all and has no interest in giving up is position of wealth and power.
The main character Lorelei is a scientist who has been made a job offer from the company she distrusts the most. Involved with a Navy Seal, she has to choose between her career and her boyfriend. Her work wins out and this decision unknowingly ties her to the mysterious world of the Sirens.

Lorelei researches an algae called erbium which could save the world from sickness. There is a slick tie-in with the Erbium. Her dad is not well and in desperate need of the cure she is working on. Unbeknownst to her Erbium is an algae known only to the Sirens. The Sirens trade it with Pan Divinity which sets up an interesting juxtaposition between corporate greed and purity.

Author TL Zalecki does a great job of pulling the reader into the story by moving us between the two worlds. The Sirens themselves are elusive, but integrated into parts of our society to watch over the world above them. There are some very tender moments and the author is not afraid to show vulnerability in her characters. The flaws make them interesting and real.

“Rising Tide” is a fresh take on a story that often becomes more of a cartoon than a potential reality. Readers will love the futuristic view as well as the darkness of its villains. Author TL Zalecki is excellent at painting pictures with words and creating a believable environment that readers will easily become lost in.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trigger Warning: Scenes of violence and mentions of torture.

Rising Tide is a book with a very interesting premise. In a future that feels a little too real, mankind has caused destruction on a pandemic scale. Polar ice has melted, seas have risen, and the human race is somehow surviving. The megacorporation DiviniGen Inc. provides everything now, from food to clothing to drugs, and no one questions just how some of those items have come to be.

Dearest reader, in the course of reading a book have you ever felt the urge to reach through the pages and slap a character upside the head?

That feeling is something I experienced several times while reading T.L. Zalecki’s first book Rising Tide. On more than one occasion I had to suppress the urge to throw the book across the room because of something one of the main characters did, or rather did NOT do.

Every character in the book is motive driven; most times this is a good thing as a person generally needs a reason to drive their actions. It is when the motives become selfish that issues arise. And this occurs for almost every character. They throw caution to the wind and damn the circumstances.

Also, going from the blurb one would think that the Sirens are the main characters of the story. This is sadly not true, they are secondary characters at best. The only main character that happens to be a Siren is Mello, the rest of his kind are mostly mentioned in flashbacks. The real main characters are the humans like Lorelei.

It is difficult to write a review for a book when you were expecting one thing and were given another but I have tried. The idea behind Rising Tide is a good one and I think if the characters were more likable then I would be able to give it a more favorable review. As it is, I cannot and I advise my readers to skip this one.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly believable, but the ending didn't work for me.

This dystopian saga set in Earth’s 2098 centers on the struggle for existence in a world gone wrong. With sea level continuing to rise and people concentrated on smaller and smaller bits of earth, humanity’s future is in doubt.

The main players are as follows: a global megacorp CEO who is hunting an aquatic species; a male from a distant island who plays fast and loose with the rules of his homeland; a marine biologist who lands a cushy top secret research post in DC as she graduates with her PhD; and a Navy SEAL who questions his orders.

Just when humanity needs a break, a miracle cure antibiotic extracted from a rare purple algae is in short supply and people are dying. Then the marine biologist receives strange coded messages, and the mystery begins to unfold.

I totally became absorbed in this story. The futuristic concepts were presented in a believable manner, and while I didn’t become close to many of the characters, I wanted Mello and Lorel to succeed in their quests. In short, the story hooked me and reeled me along like a trout. Trouble struck with the jarring ending. The narrative just stopped. No build up to a climax. No satisfying ending. Not even the promise of another book in the series wiped out the discord I suddenly felt. Sorry. I wanted to give this book 5 stars for the good writing, but in good faith, I just couldn’t. Another trouble spot for me was Jake who went to school on the military's dime, then right after graduation he's suddenly a Navy SEAL.

Maggie Toussaint and Rigel Carson for Muddy Rose Reviews

[R.E. Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like happy, sappy romances about poor lost mermaids singing songs and rescuing sailors… might I recommend Disney’s The Little Mermaid. If you want a taut, science-heavy, historical mystery with a kickass female lead and the hottest Special Forces marine biology nerd in history, then take a dive into Sirens. T.L. Zalecki dares to assume her readers are smart enough to keep up with her time-bending delight of a seat tale, spinning the reader into a frenzy of delight and confusion as fervid as sharks in a chum Jacuzzi. I found myself diving head first into a world of dazzling white walls and the only cats that make my in-house monster seem tiny. Normally I hate cliffhangers and I ended up screaming in righteous rage as I was left hanging, but then I realized that all I wanted was more. Bring on the mermaid apocalypse, because I need to know where this all leads.

[Joood Hooligan · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://www.platypire.com/j-hooligan/r...

I nominated this on Kindle Scout, so I was given a copy of this when it published.

There was much of the book I liked, like how it showed a negatively affect of religion and monopolies having too much power. There's also totally mermaids in this book.

My biggest issue was that it was all over the place with the character switching and flashbacks, so it was a bit hard for me to keep up with at times. There's also a couple instances of incorrect usage of a word.

So, interesting book. Pretty good. I do suggest you give it a shot, but don't be surprised if you get confused.

[Kari (BookandCoffeeLover) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

The premise to this book sounded wonderful, but there were too many problems I couldn't ignore. There were far too many time jumps and clumsy flashbacks that just didn't work for me. An inordinate amount of world building eventually became tedious and dry. The characters themselves were interesting but I was unable to become invested in any of them. Rising Tide had a rather predictable (cliffhanger) ending, but I found the plot did pick up slightly near the end. Ultimately, this book was not for me, but others may enjoy it.

[Amanda Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gem of a fictional novel. It's the perfect read for a range of age groups that will keep you turning the pages (or pressing your "next" arrow on your kindle). The characters are relatable as well as surprisingly multifaceted. The author engages you every page of the way, drawing you in with artistic flair for each of the story elements. Blending the past, present and future, T.L. Zalecki will have you loving, hating and rooting for each of her characters all while introducing you to fantastical realities that will leave you longing for another world.

[Mariela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dude, this book was boring, I have been reading it for a long period of time and I still did not finish it. I just could not get into it. Too futuristic for me, the characters are boring, each chapter in a different POV which I usually do not mind at all, but with this book it bothered me a lot. I had to stop reading it because I was going to force myself to try to finish it but I new I was not going to finish it.

E-book provided by Xpresso Book Tours in exchange of a fair review.

[Marleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written, fantastic descriptions. I love the flashbacks in this book and experienced every emotion along with the characters. How Zalecki managed to think of this amazing detailed backstory and culture for this book is amazing. I will be on the look out for the second instalment to this story.

[Emily Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

T. L. Zalecki transports readers to a world that is both lifelike and imaginative through wonderfully descriptive writing. As each notable character narrates, readers are engulfed in a story that stimulates the senses and reflects the future.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love sci-fi and fantasy books, but so often they go too "geeky" for me. I found Sirens to be a perfect blend of fantasy, science, and a great story. I loved it! Would love to see them make a movie out of this one!

[Lane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from Kindle Scout!

The snapshot that I read was promising, but the story was just, okay. There was so much detail when it came to the beliefs of the people and their blindness to reality. Another reviewer called the writing polemic... While I read, "propaganda" was the word that came to mind, several times. I felt like the book was a campaign for evolution, anti-religion, and anti-mega-corps. I did get tired of reading the parts that seemed to drone about this. There were parts of the story that peaked my curiosity and other parts that I skimmed over. I tried following the dates at the beginning of each chapter, but had to swipe back several times to get a better idea of when that portion of the story was taking place.

Despite all of that, there were good parts of the book. The writing was easy to read. I did like the world that Zalecki created for this story. The idea was an intriguing one and this story was not what I thought it would be from when I read the blurb. Overall, it's an okay read that I don't think I'd read again, but I would not discourage others from trying. maybe 2.5-3 stars

The story is fairly clean and easy to read. It was written in multiple POVs that are easy to follow. Lots of topics could be pulled out to create great conversation.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a different type of futuristic novel. It's not really dystopian, as people are not struggling to survive, but the world has changed with the rising of the ocean levels after the polar caps melted. At times, it felt a little pushy about evolution, but that plays in with the story, so it made sense to do so. One would think that by doing so, the author would bash religion as well. And, although the current world religion (which is more political and a corporate entity) is depicted negatively, the portrayal of religious beliefs of the past is kinder.

It was an easy book to read. There were some technical concepts thrown about, but they were overly "techy." The story moved along at a good pace, and the characters felt as if they were ones who could have existed. I liked the information about sirens, and would have enjoyed seeing more about their culture. Perhaps I'll see that in book 2.

The book does end without wrapping up everything, so if you really got into the story, you'll want to pick up the next book.

[AnnaReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rising Tide by T.L. Zalecki is a fun read. It’s part science fiction part fantasy. The fantasy part in quite obvious from the title. Sirens. Actual sirens. There aren’t enough books about sirens. I really loved the way they are discribed in this book. They are more like humans than not.
The story is set in the future, in 2098. The oceanic levels are rapidly rising and most of the land is under water. The fact that this is something that could happen for real just makes this all the more realistic and scary, really.

The characters are interesting enough. Especially Mello the siren. He acts like a child who is curious about anything and everything but this is what I like about him the most.

Lorel is a scientist. She is yout typical beautiful-but-doesn’t-know-it girl. Which is kind of tiresome but she is selfless and kind.

[Leslie Rawls · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dystopian novel with hope in the sea

I thought I was done with dystopian novels. This one too closely tracks the way we currently disrespect and abuse the planet --- to its inevitable result. But there's hope in the sea, even as it seems devoid of life from overfishing and pollution. Sirens, not mermaids. A snack food reading book, but fun.

[Sirenita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phenomenal!!!

A truly grim yet accurate depiction of future oceanic events if we choose to ignore the warning signs. The plot also had a bit of fantasy/ mythology woven in. I couldn't put this down and I look forward to reading the next book!

For more mermaid/selkie/siren/nymph reviews, check out my profile and website, Sirenita's Grotto!

-Sirenita The Selkie

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Book!

I’ve always loved stories about Sirens and the sea and this one is wonderful! It’s a real page turner and I was hooked on every word. I can’t wait to continue the series!

[Robert Ullrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing story

Only the beginning and one that has me looking forward to the next installment of the series. I find the legends of the sirens fascinating and this book has enough to make me hope they are really out there.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I eventually enjoyed this book...but it felt like it took me forever to get through. I don't think I really got into it till The last quarter of The book...I kept reading because I really enjoyed The main heroin. The dystopian setting is so very earily plausible. I will continue the series.