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The Curse-Breaker Series #3
Tide: Retelling the Little Mermaid
Galahad Stormcrane is perhaps the greatest curse-breaker who ever lived. But in spite of all his experience and strength, this mission may finally break him.Young Galahad Stormcrane comes to a small seaside kingdom to investigate the loss of a Guardian of the Seal—only to find that this guardian has abandoned her post, and made a deal with a sea witch to become human. However, if the prince refuses to marry her, she will die, and the Great Seal will fall into the hands of incredible evil. For the sake of the entire realm, Galahad must somehow arrange a marriage between a royal prince and a mermaid who cannot speak. But what if his own guarded heart becomes entangled?A dramatic and surprising reimagining of the timeless romance of “The Little Mermaid” continues Alydia Rackham's epic fairy tale series. If you enjoy magic, mystery, and the power of true love, you will relish this tale.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 14, 2018
10 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
About the author
Alydia Rackham
125 books147 followersYou don’t have to be afraid when you read my books. Well—you might be terrified for the hero, because his arch-nemesis has him at gunpoint with his back to the river Thames, demanding that he hand over the code that could spell the downfall of Europe…
But you’ll never have to squint, worrying that the romantic scene is about to get FAR too steamy—or that, in a tirade, someone is about to spew a stream of obscenities that will make you want to shut the book and go take a shower.
I don’t write sexual scenes in my books. EVER. And I do not use profanity. EVER. And yes, God lives in my stories. He is the deep foundation—you can FEEL Him.
Yet, I can prove without a shadow of a doubt that WITHOUT ANYTHING risqué, you can still have the adventure of a lifetime between these pages. You’ll hold your breath, you’ll laugh, you’ll sit on the edge of your chair, you’ll stay up till two in the morning pinned to the page—and you might even cry. In fact, I’ll bet on that. And I HATE it when writers are lazy and tacky and beat you over the head with some philosophical or theological point they’re trying to make, instead of just TELLING THE STORY. So, I avoid that at all costs. Still not sold? Well, give one of these books a try. Go ahead—any of them! Whether we’re speeding through space, breaking through the ice on a frozen river, galloping on a chariot across the desert or running up the Asbru bridge chased by wolves…you’re still safe with me.
But you’ll never have to squint, worrying that the romantic scene is about to get FAR too steamy—or that, in a tirade, someone is about to spew a stream of obscenities that will make you want to shut the book and go take a shower.
I don’t write sexual scenes in my books. EVER. And I do not use profanity. EVER. And yes, God lives in my stories. He is the deep foundation—you can FEEL Him.
Yet, I can prove without a shadow of a doubt that WITHOUT ANYTHING risqué, you can still have the adventure of a lifetime between these pages. You’ll hold your breath, you’ll laugh, you’ll sit on the edge of your chair, you’ll stay up till two in the morning pinned to the page—and you might even cry. In fact, I’ll bet on that. And I HATE it when writers are lazy and tacky and beat you over the head with some philosophical or theological point they’re trying to make, instead of just TELLING THE STORY. So, I avoid that at all costs. Still not sold? Well, give one of these books a try. Go ahead—any of them! Whether we’re speeding through space, breaking through the ice on a frozen river, galloping on a chariot across the desert or running up the Asbru bridge chased by wolves…you’re still safe with me.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 16, 2025
Content:
Profanity: None.
Violence: Mild. Minor blood depictions from cuts. Scars from old wounds. Past battles talked about.
Sexual: Mild. One scene with a naked woman (she's all scrunched and covered up and it's not sexualized at all, she needs help). A male character has no shirt a few times when working outside. Hand-holding, hand-kisses, hugs, forehead/hair kisses, a few on-the-lips kisses described only as 'fevered' and the like. One scene with a married couple waking up in the morning together in bed talking. The man is bare-chested, but nothing else described.
4.5 rounded up
I was not expecting to like this as much as I did. It took a while for me to get into the tone and vibe of this story. It was a type of story-telling I hadn't read in a while, namely that we get zero insight into any of the main character's thoughts. It's all show. We see what they do and say out loud, and at first I was so frustrated. Then...it became so addicting to figure out what was going to happen, because I had to infer a lot of what the characters were feeling and thinking through what they did and said.
Wow. It's been a while since reading something so purely 'show', and after I realized what was happening, I got a deep thrill at it.
Galahad (no not that Galahad) Stormcrane had a little cameo in the previous book, and I took him for one of those arrogant egotists that nevertheless was loyal and dedicated to his job. This story proved me wrong, and every chapter I got to see his character bloom and deepen in my mind. And, like the best fiction, I fell a little in love with him as I came to understand him.
Dedicated, yes, but his silent communication and steady presence to our Little Mermaid, Meira, is what had me pausing at my first impression of him from the previous book. He was so...cautious and careful with everything he did. He was not impulsive, but restrained in all areas. I kept wondering what it would take for him to lose some control. Even when he did, he still deliberately lost his control. It was fascinating. And I adore his character.
Meira was harder to figure, but the pure fun of figuring her out and how creatively Rackham delivered her story without being able to have her speak...wowzer. I loved being able to see how Galahad interpreted what Meira said and did, and as a woman myself, be pretty sure he was reading her all wrong. Haha.
The tone of the entire story is one of longing and belonging, with an ethereal setting on an island surrounded by ocean. It was thoroughly enjoyable, and I swear I could hear the ocean roar at times with how well it was described, and see the foam from the tide and smell the salt. My goodness those descriptions were great. Sometimes a bit more than I'd normally expect or enjoy, but it leant itself to the tone so well that I can't regret or reprove the decision of the author to do so.
My only confusion was the random addition of some knights of Camelot, and yet Galahad was not the Galahad of Camelot (at least not in this book). It took me a bit to realize that it may be part of the next and final book to have a nod toward Arthurian lore. Tristan and Isolde, Lancelot and Guinevere, and Gawain are introduced in this, but have little but side character roles in it, and I'm intrigued to see what Rackham is going to do in the last book in regards to Camelot in general (which is mentioned by name).
But my need to know how Rackham was going to play out that ending with all the nuances she introduced had me feverishly racing to the last page. And how delighted I was to see that all my suppositions about what could happen were wrong. I got a few details, but the whole of it surprised and delighted me. The satisfaction I felt has had me buoyed up in an endorphin high since I finished an hour ago.
Such a great addition to The Little Mermaid retellings!
AUDIOBOOK
This is narrated with Virtual Voice, an AI company. As computer voices go, this one is pretty good. There were a few oopsie moments of mispronunciations, like saying 'bow' as a bow in your hair, instead of taking a bow. But overall it did pretty well once I sped up the playback. It's better than having Alexa read it to me, but not anywhere near a real human's rendition. It's nice to have an audio option, and I know it's way less expensive for the author, so I'm glad she has most of her books with Virtual Voice at least. This one did better on not having humungous gaps when songs were on the page in stanza form ("Ghost" was horrible that way).
Profanity: None.
Violence: Mild. Minor blood depictions from cuts. Scars from old wounds. Past battles talked about.
Sexual: Mild. One scene with a naked woman (she's all scrunched and covered up and it's not sexualized at all, she needs help). A male character has no shirt a few times when working outside. Hand-holding, hand-kisses, hugs, forehead/hair kisses, a few on-the-lips kisses described only as 'fevered' and the like. One scene with a married couple waking up in the morning together in bed talking. The man is bare-chested, but nothing else described.
4.5 rounded up
I was not expecting to like this as much as I did. It took a while for me to get into the tone and vibe of this story. It was a type of story-telling I hadn't read in a while, namely that we get zero insight into any of the main character's thoughts. It's all show. We see what they do and say out loud, and at first I was so frustrated. Then...it became so addicting to figure out what was going to happen, because I had to infer a lot of what the characters were feeling and thinking through what they did and said.
Wow. It's been a while since reading something so purely 'show', and after I realized what was happening, I got a deep thrill at it.
Galahad (no not that Galahad) Stormcrane had a little cameo in the previous book, and I took him for one of those arrogant egotists that nevertheless was loyal and dedicated to his job. This story proved me wrong, and every chapter I got to see his character bloom and deepen in my mind. And, like the best fiction, I fell a little in love with him as I came to understand him.
Dedicated, yes, but his silent communication and steady presence to our Little Mermaid, Meira, is what had me pausing at my first impression of him from the previous book. He was so...cautious and careful with everything he did. He was not impulsive, but restrained in all areas. I kept wondering what it would take for him to lose some control. Even when he did, he still deliberately lost his control. It was fascinating. And I adore his character.
Meira was harder to figure, but the pure fun of figuring her out and how creatively Rackham delivered her story without being able to have her speak...wowzer. I loved being able to see how Galahad interpreted what Meira said and did, and as a woman myself, be pretty sure he was reading her all wrong. Haha.
The tone of the entire story is one of longing and belonging, with an ethereal setting on an island surrounded by ocean. It was thoroughly enjoyable, and I swear I could hear the ocean roar at times with how well it was described, and see the foam from the tide and smell the salt. My goodness those descriptions were great. Sometimes a bit more than I'd normally expect or enjoy, but it leant itself to the tone so well that I can't regret or reprove the decision of the author to do so.
My only confusion was the random addition of some knights of Camelot, and yet Galahad was not the Galahad of Camelot (at least not in this book). It took me a bit to realize that it may be part of the next and final book to have a nod toward Arthurian lore. Tristan and Isolde, Lancelot and Guinevere, and Gawain are introduced in this, but have little but side character roles in it, and I'm intrigued to see what Rackham is going to do in the last book in regards to Camelot in general (which is mentioned by name).
But my need to know how Rackham was going to play out that ending with all the nuances she introduced had me feverishly racing to the last page. And how delighted I was to see that all my suppositions about what could happen were wrong. I got a few details, but the whole of it surprised and delighted me. The satisfaction I felt has had me buoyed up in an endorphin high since I finished an hour ago.
Such a great addition to The Little Mermaid retellings!
AUDIOBOOK
This is narrated with Virtual Voice, an AI company. As computer voices go, this one is pretty good. There were a few oopsie moments of mispronunciations, like saying 'bow' as a bow in your hair, instead of taking a bow. But overall it did pretty well once I sped up the playback. It's better than having Alexa read it to me, but not anywhere near a real human's rendition. It's nice to have an audio option, and I know it's way less expensive for the author, so I'm glad she has most of her books with Virtual Voice at least. This one did better on not having humungous gaps when songs were on the page in stanza form ("Ghost" was horrible that way).
November 2, 2021
I'm a college senior studying English and Writing. For my final capstone project, I decided to research why fairy tales are retold and how contemporary authors adapt them to fit present-day audiences. I chose this book as one of three "Little Mermaid" retellings I would read and analyze for this project. This book has 259 pages and I quit reading at 186. To be honest, I was a little thrown off by the first paragraph, which should have alerted me to the fact I wouldn't finish it:
It's not bad, it's just... not great. Most of the description throughout the book seems to tell more than show. I have not read the first two books, so I was confused by the feelings of the main character. His concern for a fellow-curse breaker seemed to be because of a crush rather than out of concern for a friend. As Galahad began showing feelings for Meira, I was confused by who he really had feelings for. Some of the other reviews mention how great she shows Galahad's feelings for Meira through actions rather than words, and I agree. She did a great job trying to not let it slip through words, but it also was tiring. Can't he mutter under his breath about his feelings or accidentally confide in the prince?
The action is so slow, it felt like the plot dragged on. With how slow the plot was moving, I had a hard time feeling inspired to sit and read. It felt like a chore when I sat down to read rather than a pleasure. I think this book is well-suited for a middle or high school reader, but not for a college student who has spent four years studying English and writing. I will not attempt to read again. I also feel like Rackham would benefit from an editor (I didn't see any listed on copyright pages or anything).
A lone, black figure stood upon the crest of a hill, astride a muscular horse-equally black. The young rider's cape twisted out behind him, borne on a cantankerous wind that had wound its way up through the craggy valley from the sea. That same wind disturbed the long, rolling mane of the horse, sending it writhing across the rider's gloved hands-and it troubled the rider's shoulder-length, ebony hair.
It's not bad, it's just... not great. Most of the description throughout the book seems to tell more than show. I have not read the first two books, so I was confused by the feelings of the main character. His concern for a fellow-curse breaker seemed to be because of a crush rather than out of concern for a friend. As Galahad began showing feelings for Meira, I was confused by who he really had feelings for. Some of the other reviews mention how great she shows Galahad's feelings for Meira through actions rather than words, and I agree. She did a great job trying to not let it slip through words, but it also was tiring. Can't he mutter under his breath about his feelings or accidentally confide in the prince?
The action is so slow, it felt like the plot dragged on. With how slow the plot was moving, I had a hard time feeling inspired to sit and read. It felt like a chore when I sat down to read rather than a pleasure. I think this book is well-suited for a middle or high school reader, but not for a college student who has spent four years studying English and writing. I will not attempt to read again. I also feel like Rackham would benefit from an editor (I didn't see any listed on copyright pages or anything).
January 20, 2021
Very enjoyable
It's been a long time since I had actually enjoyed a romantic read. I always avoid romance novels like the plague. But this book was a gift from a friend and it relaxed me to just sit and read a good story.
The story itself is really cute, places, and people are beautifully described. Scenes jump around a little bit, but otherwise story flows very nicely. Thondorfax was definitely my favorite.
Christa
It's been a long time since I had actually enjoyed a romantic read. I always avoid romance novels like the plague. But this book was a gift from a friend and it relaxed me to just sit and read a good story.
The story itself is really cute, places, and people are beautifully described. Scenes jump around a little bit, but otherwise story flows very nicely. Thondorfax was definitely my favorite.
Christa
August 1, 2025
This was such a good love story - you kept waiting for the moment of realization to hit, and started panicking the closer to the end of the book you got, and it wasn't happening! It's nice when the hard-as-nails stiff guy gets to experience a gentler side, and thankfully in time to make it all right.
added-it
April 27, 2022🎁 FREE on Amazon today (4/27/2022)! 🎁
February 6, 2024
Content:
The Little Mermaid has never been a favorite of mine. I usually avoid retellings of this story. Since I truly enjoy this author’s imaginative other retellings, I decided to give this one a try. I am so glad I did! Now I have a Little Mermaid retelling that I love.
I was expecting the classic story line, but this retelling has taken on a life of its own while staying true to the bones of the classic mermaid tale.
It was unique in that the story is all seen through the eyes of Galahad. You aren’t given his thoughts or his exact emotions but rather you discern them through his actions and what he does or does not say. It made it all the more powerful and engrossing of a story to read it this way.
I loved the relationship between the introverted and hard Galahad and the reserved Meira who had a sense of wonder for life.
This fresh retelling won’t disappoint! A beautiful story of love and sacrifice.
The Little Mermaid has never been a favorite of mine. I usually avoid retellings of this story. Since I truly enjoy this author’s imaginative other retellings, I decided to give this one a try. I am so glad I did! Now I have a Little Mermaid retelling that I love.
I was expecting the classic story line, but this retelling has taken on a life of its own while staying true to the bones of the classic mermaid tale.
It was unique in that the story is all seen through the eyes of Galahad. You aren’t given his thoughts or his exact emotions but rather you discern them through his actions and what he does or does not say. It made it all the more powerful and engrossing of a story to read it this way.
I loved the relationship between the introverted and hard Galahad and the reserved Meira who had a sense of wonder for life.
This fresh retelling won’t disappoint! A beautiful story of love and sacrifice.
October 1, 2018
Tide is one of my favorite fairytale retellings. Here are a few reasons:
1) The characters! These are some of my favorite Alydia Rackham characters so far. Galahad, in particular, feels like such a real person. He is a good example of a round character, and I felt like I really got to know him while reading the book. I found myself feeling empathetic and sympathetic toward the characters throughout the story.
2) The surprises! So many elements of this plot surprised me, from the romances, to the character cameos, to the ending. I like being surprised. I've read so many books (thousands and thousands and thousands) that I sometimes feel numb to overused character tropes and plot devices, but this story felt fresh and unique.
3) The emotions! I can always count on this author totally and completely manipulating my emotions with her stories, and this time was no exception.
1) The characters! These are some of my favorite Alydia Rackham characters so far. Galahad, in particular, feels like such a real person. He is a good example of a round character, and I felt like I really got to know him while reading the book. I found myself feeling empathetic and sympathetic toward the characters throughout the story.
2) The surprises! So many elements of this plot surprised me, from the romances, to the character cameos, to the ending. I like being surprised. I've read so many books (thousands and thousands and thousands) that I sometimes feel numb to overused character tropes and plot devices, but this story felt fresh and unique.
3) The emotions! I can always count on this author totally and completely manipulating my emotions with her stories, and this time was no exception.
April 22, 2019
I loved reading this through the hero's perspective. However, I would have enjoyed the story more if we saw more of his thoughts. All of his actions are on display, yet we are left to gleam bits of his personality through those actions. We don't get to really delve too much into what is going through his head. I enjoyed how the retelling takes its own liberties with what elements to include in the story, but I was so interested in Galahad's character that I wish we got to see more of his thought process.
January 1, 2021
This is another fairy tale that has never been my favorite but is becoming one. Another beautiful retelling of the little mermaid and sweet love story. I love the voice this story is written in. Again, beautiful imagery and wonderfully told story.
Content:
Sexual: kissing
Violence: none
Language: none
Content:
Sexual: kissing
Violence: none
Language: none
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews