Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Dark Waters: A Mermaid Anthology

Rate this book
5 Dark Mermaid tales brimming with forbidden romances, curious underwater worlds, and kick-ass revenge seeking sirens. Get lost in Alexia Purdy’s imaginative world of legends where in the depths of the ocean, an ancient creature awakens with a horrendous appetite and begins to hunt in Bloodtides and Slipstreams. Seek vengeance against ancient Grecian Gods in Jessica Ozment’s account of how one siren risks it all to break an unsightly curse Poseidon casts upon her, forcing her to dredge her land-loving soulmate from one side of the sea to the other in The Lost Lady of the Water. In Nicole Strycharz’s tale of gods, love, the mer, and mortals, destiny might mean tragedy and myth might mean reality in She Comes With The Tide. Dealing with a mysterious illness with her friend at her side, Jane propels herself into the unknown and discovers that she was meant to live an extraordinary life unlike anything she could have imagined in Scales by Stefanie Jolicoeur. Travel to a unique aquatic realm where Liasa’s human lover, Visal, is held captive by the son of Poseidon, she has little choice but to do whatever he wishes in order to save the life of the man she loves in Marsha Black’s story Liasa’s Tail of Woe. Can you survive these stimulating underwater chronicles of regret, reprisal, and retribution? ***This book contains some violence and mature sexual content best suited for ages 18 years and up. *** Most of the submissions in this book will be a continuation of other stories in the future.

317 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 30, 2018

13 people are currently reading
60 people want to read

About the author

Jessica Ozment

8 books42 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
22 (59%)
4 stars
13 (35%)
3 stars
1 (2%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
1 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
Profile Image for Martha Sweeney.
Author 35 books596 followers
December 7, 2018
I had the honor to read "She Comes with the Tide" by Nicole Strycharz and LOVED it. At first, I didn't know what was happening when I kept reading of new eras in time where a mermaid (siren) came to steal a love away from another...but, you have to read the whole story to the end for it all to make sense. I really enjoyed how she tied in Greek mythology into the story...I can't say much more or I'll be giving it all away. Make sure you read this story!
Profile Image for Skyye Breeze.
371 reviews
June 28, 2018
My review is for the story Slipstream and Bloodtides by author Alexia Purdy....

I loved the story! It's so much fun to read, completely irresistible i couldn't stop reading and before i knew it i was done too fast! I've always loved mermaids and the world they live in.. i find it magical and that's exactly how i felt while reading this book i felt completely fascinated by what was going on and with the characters Kiani and Odette!
The author did a wonderful job on her story in this book and I'm hoping we can get a follow up to find out more!!! I am HOOKED!!!!
220 reviews11 followers
June 24, 2018
Wow! This book took me by surprise. What an awesome read. Met all my expectations and more. Really enjoyed reading this book. I highly recommend this book.
Profile Image for Laurie Beemer.
679 reviews28 followers
July 1, 2018
This book isn't what I usually read. I am so glad that I decided to read this one. Each story was simply spellbinding and so entertaining. I started reading it and found myself not wanting to leave the pages of this journey to the magical and mystical. What a fantastic anthology.
Profile Image for Danielle Palmer.
1,099 reviews15 followers
April 20, 2021
This book supported my theory that short mermaid stories can tend to be good but longer novella type mermaid stories tend to not be. There was one short mermaid story in here, and it was the best one. Even then, it kinda just ended without any type of resolution. Be ready for that with this book, as multiple stories in here actually end with “to be continued” typed at the bottom. A few of the stories were overly sexual, like mermaid erotica which is NOT what I was expecting. (Although, after studying the cover I now see the mermaid on the front has bright fins growing out of her nipples so I guess that should’ve been an indication). One of the stories glorified an unhealthy possessive s/m type relationship. For most of the stories the writing was amateur at best, and most of the stories were too long for their own good. Lots of editing mistakes abound as well (spelling, punctuation)

Slipstreams and blood tides - 3 stars, would’ve been 4 stars if there had been any kind of ending instead of just kind of stopping with absolutely no conclusion. I liked the idea of mermaids hibernating in a layer of algae goo and the idea of mermaids having some kind of mind control over humans to make them do their bidding.

Sapphira The Lost Lady of the Waters - Way too long for it’s own good. Based on Greek mythology, everything but the kitchen sink is thrown into this one including an elephant/Octopus hybrid pet?? The final chapter (in my opinion short stories shouldn’t have “chapters”....these were supposed to be SHORT stories) veers off into completely new and perhaps more interesting territory and then literally ends with “To Be Continued...” (which again breaks the guidelines of a “short” story, which would wrap up in a timely enough manner that “to be continued” would be necessary).

Scales - This was about a girl who gets a rash, likes having the rash touched by some hot stranger in a nightclub (who can somehow talk inside her mind) and then he takes her into the ocean and they transform together. Literal reference to Twilight characters in the story, as the author seemed to understand she was probably not getting her message across clear enough and referenced Bella/Edward so you’d know what she was going for...

She comes with the tide- a glorified telling of an unhealthy/controlling S/M relationship, that is supposedly so beautiful it’s existed for hundreds of years between the same souls in different bodies - Even an enslaved person and her owner. The enslaved woman loves the owner so much that she doesn’t want to be set free...because he would always be her owner anyways (because she loves him so much...🤢). This is another story where the main character and her love interest can talk inside each others heads. There’s a suicidal guy in the story that justifies his suicidal desires by drowning to become a merman. The decisions the main character makes are really juvenile, like not asking her dad for help when someone is trying to kill her even though her dad is knocking on the door asking if she’s ok! I liked the idea of mermaids coming to shore to choose their mate (mermaids can’t reproduce on their own) and how the human man is transformed and lives with them 100 years. I also liked that mermaids are portrayed more animal like in this story. Some LGBT here for those who like that.

Liasa’s Tale of Woe - Starts off with a grandma mermaid gathering little ones around and then tells them a story with bunch of sexual stuff???? Inappropriate! I did like the idea of mermaids turning into sirens if they performed evil deeds. Lots of really bad poems/lyrics sprinkled throughout. Main male human does not care that main female character performs lots of horrendous murders - he loves HER not her actions...didn’t make sense to me. Ends with “To Be Continued”
Profile Image for Tish.
1,532 reviews5 followers
July 12, 2018
I haven't read many books like these before so I was a little nervous going it but I really enjoyed them all. I don't even think i can really pick a favorite. This was a great collection of 5 unique stories that sucked me in and made it impossible to put down.

This book was given to me at my request and I provided this review voluntarily
Profile Image for Laurie.
24 reviews1 follower
Read
July 2, 2018
*I received this book free for an honest review.
*I have since found out that many of the editing issues were fixed. My bad -- since I was given the ARC a week before publication, I didn't think there would have been time to edit.
*Copied over from Amazon
I have always been fascinated with the mermaid mythos, and have been reading many different stories about them. I liked this anthology since there were five different stories, five different authors, and five different takes on what it is to be a mermaid. The first story, _Slipstreams and Bloodtides_ had me begging for more. The worldbuilding was well thought out, the mermaid wasn't a Disney mermaid, though she also wasn't necessarily a Homer mermaid either. She was a predator, a very realistic one. The second story, _Sapphira_, could have been a great story. It blended Greek mythology along with a redemption quest. Unfortunately, there were a lot of editing errors within it -- things spellcheck wouldn't catch: 'parish' instead of 'perish', 'bare' instead of 'bear', that type of thing. There were also a number of plot holes within it, one of the biggest being at the end where she mentions that her lover taught her how to read. The plot hole here is that this lover was from ancient Greece, or within that era, and she was on a beach in 21st century America. The third story, _Scales_, was pretty good, if slightly tropish. I would like to find out what happens to the protagonist. It would hold a sequel quite nicely. _She Comes with the Tide_, the fourth story, is a very interesting take on how mermaids choose partners. The fifth story, _Liasa_, seemed to be a bit rocky. I found myself not caring one whit about the main character, and hoping she would be captured. But since there is a sequel, and since redemption is promised, it is possible that the sequel will change my mind.
All in all, I'm glad I read these stories. Even though I sound like I'm complaining more than complimenting, I'm hoping that the publishers and editors would do justice to these writers and check their work over more carefully. A little bit of proofreading goes a long way.
Profile Image for Teri.
3,918 reviews37 followers
July 1, 2018
Ready to get wet and wild with the Mer folk?? Well here is your chance to read different versions of Mer stories. These are great stories of broken hearts, blackmail, fated mates and more. Each story unique. Oh yea these aren't your friendly loving Mer's so well. . . you'll see.

It starts of with Alexia Purdy and her jilted lover story. Loved this story and the main character. Had to laugh out loud at the ending then decide on my own choices. This author never disappoints so yes an awesome read in the collection.

Then theres Jessica Ozment's story which tells the story of Mer suffering for loving a human. Pitting the god's against each other wont be easy and may not turn out how she expected. Being friends with Medusa and her cronies may be a nail in her coffin.


Stefanie Jolicoeur's story about a woman in an abusive relationship that has a curious rash but that's not all. She also has a mysterious stranger that shows up. That's all you'll get on that one but oh yea it's a great read


Nicole Strycharz tells a story of lost loves and a woman from the sea. Past lives, a woman scorned, favor of the gods and a fight to save a loved one. Love that this woman wont let her man be taken, battles down and dirty with that love as her weapon.

Marsha Black rounds this boxset up with her tale of a mer gone bad. What happens with your love is used against you? For this mer it may not just be about her being used as a tool, it may also be her downfall. Warnings don't help. How do you turn back the clock when your heart is too black to care? Great story of a broken heart.
Profile Image for Melissa Ferreira.
66 reviews
July 1, 2018
I enjoyed this series very much. The different stories were all very interesting. Slipstreams and Bloodties reminded me of the new show “Siren” and I was really interested in the story but than it just abruptly ended and it left me pretty disappointed not knowing what happened. Sapphira had a little mermaid feel to it with a mix of Greek gods. I found the story pretty confusing as half of the terms I did not even understand. There was way too much going on in this story for me. Scales was very different and I really enjoyed this story. It had it’s own plot and didn’t remind me of something I had heard of before. It was unique on it’s own and I kept wanting to read on. I look forward to reading other stories by this author. She comes with the tide was interesting, I liked how there was little mini stories within the story itself. At the end it all fell together in place and I was not expecting many of things that happened to happen and that made it even more interesting. The last story Liasa was really great. Once again it was a story that had it’s own unique plot without reminding me of something I had heard or saw before. I kept wanting to go on to see what was going to happen next and I really glad that this will be continued. I look forward to finding out what is going to happen.
Profile Image for Amber Marie.
59 reviews1 follower
July 27, 2018
I like reading anthologies because of the different takes on a similar theme by different authors. I really enjoyed all of the stories in this anthology. Two of my favorites were She Comes With The Tide by Nicole Strycharz and Liasa's Tail of Woe by Marsha Black.
I loved that in the first story She Comes With The Tide it was based off of history and Greek mythology because that is my favorite subject to study. This story made me want to keep reading to find out more about the characters, I just didn't want to put it down. I connected with the characters so much so that I would get upset when they were upset, and I could feel how much they loved each other.
The second story was Liasa's Tail of Woe. This story took you on a roller coaster ride of Good and Evil. I love watching the character grow and change throughout the story. The descriptive language of the characters and the surroundings are very detailed and made it easy to submerge (hehehe, water humor) yourself within the story.
I enjoyed all the stories in this anthology but was a little sad about a couple that ended to abruptly. I hope to learn more about the worlds in those stories in the near future.
Profile Image for Beverly Laude.
2,260 reviews45 followers
July 23, 2018
What an appropriately named book! "Dark Waters" is a mermaid anthology, but these mermaids aren't like the ones in Disney movies!

Each of the five tales is wonderfully written and gives the reader an insight into the mythos of the merfolk. Full of love, lust, revenge and power, you will be caught up in these stories.

I loved how the authors interwove Greek mythology into these stories. I admit that I really don't know much about mythology, but feel like I learned a lot about the Greek gods and goddesses that rule the oceans.

Most of the stories involve love in one form or another. The main thing is this: Can true love transcend the call of the mermaid? Or, will the dark powers of the deep conquer true love?

If you love mythology and mermaids, this is a great collection. Just don't expect Ariel or her friends to be hidden in here!
Profile Image for Wendy.
702 reviews9 followers
June 30, 2018
A love for mythology

This review is for She Comes With the Tide by Nicole Strycharz.
She Comes With the Tide is for lovers of Mythologies and Mir people. I really enjoyed the lapses through time in this book. The connection between Theo and Kita is unique and seemingly unbreakable until two new strangers arrive on the islands. Suddenly, the men in this group of friends start acting out of character. Kita doesn't believe that her and Theo can suddenly lose their bond and tries to figure out the reason behind the strange behavior.
I really enjoyed the mythology and the intertwining of one of my favorite stories... The Odyssey. Nicole really added her own flair and imagination to an already amazing story.

-Enjoy!
Profile Image for Jennifer Zamora.
324 reviews9 followers
July 11, 2018
So I started with Liasa's Tale of Woe.... This is a starter. There is more after this story. It is very much a beginning with no end. This often bothers me if I do not know that going into a story. I want an ending. That being said and out of the way, overall this was a really good dark twist on the story of the little mermaid. What begins as a children's tale turns very dark indeed as Liasa is forced to choose just how far she will go to save the one she loves. Even though every act causes a darkness to take over a part of her heart, she knows she cannot just leave him to Pontio's mercy. As all know he has none. In the end will there be anything left of the Liasa Visal fell in love with? Or will she be lost to all including herself?
Profile Image for Arien/Sloan.
255 reviews3 followers
July 16, 2018
I enjoyed reading the story Liasa’s Tail of Woe - this is the story that I am leaving a review for.
It was well written and you certainly felt the stress of this poor mermaid with everything she had to deal with. Would she be able to save the love of her life? Or would she be the one to drown in the chaos that is quickly becoming her life? What choices will make things work out and is there truly an end in sight that will work out for everyone or will Liasa be the downfall of everything under the waters? You will enjoy this read and want to keep turning pages to see how it all comes to a closure. If the rest of the stories are as good as this one then I can only imagine how wonderful this Anthology would be and recommend reading it to all.
Author 3 books38 followers
July 1, 2018
Presented here are five short stories for your reading pleasure. The first, a tale of love and revenge that's just getting started as it ends. The first story was my least fave for this reason alone. Next we meet Sapphira. Imprisoned in the deep for her crimes, it is Medusa herself who puts forth a trade. A life with her love for a dark deed. If you love mythology, this is your kind of story. Three makes dreams come true. It's a story of strength and change and a destiny of sorts. Fourth, comes a tale of men lost to the call of the mermaid, and last forbidden love. All in all, stories that will stimulate the imagination and make sure you'll never look at the water the same again.
Profile Image for Laura.
Author 5 books258 followers
July 9, 2018

This anthology marked the start point of my mermaid tales obsession!

What I love about anthologies is that I discover new authors and have a different selection of stories to choose from.

She Comes With the Tied was my first mermaid story and my favorite from this selection.

Nicole's ability to bring history into a modern tale amazed me and made me want to research the heck out of all the books and facts and myths.
I read this in one sitting because I just needed to know what was going to happen next. I still hope she writes this into a full novel one day.
If you love history, mythology and a love story that transcends time...you need this in your life.
Profile Image for Lisa Eiff.
966 reviews27 followers
July 1, 2018
I really enjoyed reading this collection of mermaid tales. This is a set of stories that deal with mermaids and sea creatures, and each one is entertaining. My favorite was the final story...Liasa's Tail of Woe. It's a heartbreaking story about a young mermaid that discovers love right when she never expected it, just to lose it and feel she now must become a treacherous siren to avenge his death by consuming all the human sailors she can. I'd recommend this collection to fans of reading sea-related stories and books about mer-life.
Profile Image for Rabid Reader.
959 reviews16 followers
July 1, 2018
This is an interesting mix of short stories, containing love, mythology, revenge, cruelty, mystery and magic. I think my favourite was Slipstream and Bloodtides by Alexia Purdy. The savagery, magic and strength of the Mir in this story takes your breath away. She is an apex predictor and humans are prey, but her last victim is different and now Odette (a human girl) has been drawn into the Mir’s life. These are 5 enthralling short stories that will hopefully lead on to longer books
Profile Image for Angelica DelMargo.
50 reviews2 followers
July 11, 2018
I’m not typically one for mermaid books. It’s just not my thing, but when I saw this, I knew I had to get my grabby-hands on it! I’ve only read She Comes With The Tide By Nicole Strycharz so far, but if the rest of these stories are anything like Nicole’s, I’m in for a real treat. Her story was beautiful. There’s no other word I can use to describe it. The imagery, the freaking feels! Ahhhh, it was by far my favorite read this year!! Bravo, ladies!
Profile Image for Shannan Williams.
Author 3 books41 followers
August 5, 2018
I love mermaids so when I saw this I just had to get it. I was absolutely beyond pleased with these tales. I did not like how some of them ended leaving me hanging on for dear life wondering what will happen next. But that just means they were awesome stories. I really hope these authors expand on these stories because they are just so good!! If you like the dark and mysterious world of mermaids then this collection is for you! Highly recommend!
Author 41 books144 followers
June 29, 2018
Some very well written stories, with many different angles for the stories to be told. My favorite has to be Lissa's Tale of Woe, you quickly become engrossed with the duality of her character. You want her to get all she wants but at the same time you dread seeing what's coming next. The story is engrossing and leaves you wanting more. All the stories are worth a read and are enjoyable.
62 reviews3 followers
July 5, 2018
WOW!! In my mind mermaids were like Arial from "Little Mermaid " these authors have done a awesome job showing us all a whole nother side of mermaids. Each story left me wanting more of the story, which is what I love in book. The use of ancient Greek gods really added a great layer in the stories. I want more please!!! Thank you for allowing me to review it.
Profile Image for Boo Vickery.
79 reviews10 followers
June 30, 2018
I loved this Anthology!
This was an awesome read! Each story keeps you on the edge of your seat! I was guessing through the whole thing! And kept flipping the pages as quickly as I could! A must read!
Profile Image for Leialoha.
20 reviews1 follower
July 19, 2018
Mermaids, Gods & Sirens Oh My!!

If you love Mermaids you will love these mini stories. Love, betrayal, sorcery its all there. The only downfall.........the stories end to soon!
Profile Image for Barbara Senteney.
494 reviews42 followers
August 17, 2018
An anthology of mermaid stories, I enjoyed them story 1 was probably my favorite
Profile Image for Annamarie.
267 reviews3 followers
November 8, 2018
I love fantasy stories and when I was asked to read this anthology I said yes.
Some of these stories were better than others and at one point I was going to skip the story I was on and start on the next one but I persevered and read them all even though that particular story did not get better.
Each of the stories were different which is great. The stories have broken hearts, other mythical creatures, soul mates and more. There were cliff-hangers in some of the stories which does not seem right for an anthology but I do know that some of these are just glimpses into full length novels that are to follow.
Profile Image for Darlene Loop.
262 reviews1 follower
July 1, 2018
I loved all the different stories, very catchy ,well written, I loved the characters. but now I am craving more.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.