Treading Waves

Siren Anthology #3

by S.R. Atkinson

Santiago strives to help Rogan while he struggles to deal with the tragic loss that rocked his family, but all of her attempts seem to be failing. Now that they live in the large city of Daris she wonders how their tenuous relationship can survive without the love and support offered by their smaller community.

During this fraught time in their relationship Santi must also prepare for major events that test her leadership and integrity while dealing with a choice that could leave the entire ocean in conflict. Through it all Santi begins to suspect ulterior motives from those in power and a sense that her success is being sabotaged.

Genres: Fantasy

594 pages, Paperback

Published June 16, 2019

About the author

I have been a writer since I was a child, finishing my first chapter book in 5th grade about a computer who brainwashed a little girl to take over the world. Since then my writing ability has improved but my imagination has stayed the same.

Weaving tales of adventure, magic, and heart, I try to write real-world problems in fantastical situations. I always makes sure females are heroic and family values are at the fore-front.

My first book, Breathing Water, was released in July 2015 and the sequel, Surface Tension, came out in July 2016 to rave reviews. I am so excited to have my third book in the Siren Anthology series, Treading Waves, coming out June 16, 2019!

Reviews

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

They were the gods of old: he for the ocean, she for the beings in it. She wasn’t his wife, as the mortal legends had told. He wanted to control her, control everything. She would not have it.

I really enjoyed this! I love a good mermaid tale and this definitely did not disappoint.

Vividly written in a lushly depicted, diverse and sprawling oceanic world, this book features two female protagonists, each strong in their own way. Their narratives unfold centuries apart, yet they weave together seamlessly, steadily building the plot from both the past and present without giving too much away. Plot exposition was excellent, never info-dumpy, and the touch of foreshadowing regarding the 'Tunnel of Loss' was very nicely done. Both characters (Santi in the present, Yemri in the past) had distinct character voices and personalities, and I was particularly interested in Yemri's narrative (as it also had the most plot twists). I also enjoyed Santi's copious doses of sass! Aside from admirable world-building and character work, Treading Waves also had humour and great action scenes (the Dwattle game was a favourite).

"I hate my tail. I hate the way I look...I did not ask for this. Everyone notices it, and that is all they can focus on. It is all I am known for."
Tope's answer was immediate and perfect. "When they talk about your tail, they steal your power."

I really, really liked this exchange between Yemri and her father, Tope. In a way, it encapsulates one of the core obstacles in Yemri's character development; the way she's never taken seriously, or respected for what she has accomplished rather than for what she was born into (her title and beauty). It reminded me a lot of something I heard a while ago, encouraging parents/teachers/adults to praise young girls for things other than their 'prettiness'. It affirms that they are worth more than how beautiful other people think they are, worth more than face-value impressions, and that they decide their own merit based on what they do rather than how they look. It's okay to be beautiful! It's okay to feel beautiful! But you know what's also great? Knowing that superficial beauty is just one part of a brilliant, multi-faceted person who has a bunch of other things to offer. I really loved how Yemri grew enough confidence in herself, her goals and her achievements that she could finally make peace her beauty, and through this acceptance, gain long-coveted agency.

For the first time in her life, she didn't think being beautiful was a bad thing. Beauty could bring people joy, and maybe that was enough to change her regard for her unusual tail.

Small quibbles I have regard typos and accents. There were a few typos that cropped up every now and again, e.g. 'peaked' instead of 'peeked', and some occasionally missing connective words, such as 'of'. I also found the phonetic rendering of Celia's heavy Spanish accent distracting rather than illustrative, e.g. 'joo' rather than 'you'. It varied, as Celia sometimes said 'you' even though I assumed from the phonetic rendering that she pronounces it 'joo', and this was the same case for 'de/the' and 'habe/have'. If Celia pronounces her 'v's with a 'b' (as in European Spanish), I thought she'd also pronounce 'love' as 'lobe' and 'lives' as 'libes', but she doesn't. Eventually I just left the passage feeling confused rather than hearing any sort of accent in my head.

Minor niggles aside, having jumped in at Book 3, I was impressed that even though the exposition was never overdone, I was nevertheless quickly immersed in the Serra world, and could easily follow the plot. The glossary in the back was very helpful in this respect. Enough events from Books 1 and 2 were referenced that I'd quite like to read them now, and I look forward to the sequel!

Thank you to Smith Publicity for sending me a copy for review!

[Leelynn (Sometimes Leelynn Reads) ❤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am so thankful for the opportunity to read the third installment of this series by S.R. Atkinson, and I am so glad I did. It definitely makes me want to read the first two books so I have a better understanding of what went down in this book, but I had a pretty good idea. It wasn't too bad that I was completely lost and wasn't able to enjoy it, so at least that was something.

In this world, mermaids are known as Serras, and humans are known as Crural. There are Kus that are almost described as someone's energy or life force, and every single living thing has a Ku. It's also interesting how the Serras use their Ku on one another (from allowing a huge group of Serras to hear someone speak, to feeling whether or not there is someone around you in the vast open ocean). That part kind of reminded me of sonar technology, so I think I understood it.

Santi (short for Santiago) is still the main character of this series, and we are following her in the aftermath of the second book. Terrible deaths occurred that affected both her and her childhood friend and mate Rogan. It's gotten to the point that Rogan is almost numb and has lost all personality. It's understandable though when it's told who died (since I did not read the second book, having it told who was killed helped me understand why Rogan took it so hard), but it's really bad. Santi doesn't know how to help him, and not only does she have to deal with that, but also finding out that she's the True Heir that will help the Serras kill the Siren Queen Zitja is probably not something she anticipated.

One think you have to understand is that Santi is Crural, while Rogan and the rest are Serras. It wouldn't be hard to understand why Santi is worried about being deemed the True Heir when she wasn't even born a Serra. She doesn't have a tail like a Serra, she had to learn how to breathe underwater and swim underwater from Rogan when they were young, so she already doesn't truly belong in their world. To have a total outsider be their "savior" against the Sirens can definitely feel like a slap in the face.

On the other hand, we also hear about Yemri, considered the Ocean Mother many years before, after Queen Nephira died and how she deals with Zitja before she comes the formidable Siren ruler. The prologue to this story gave me a brief understanding of what turned Zitja, since she was in training to be the Ocean Mother since she was many years younger (I want to say 11 years old? something like that) before everything happened. What happened that was so bad, that she ended up turning Siren? And what is the true relationship between Zitja and Yemri that doesn't seem to be talked about in the present?

Unless I saw that Netgalley classified this as a Young Adult book, I really wouldn't have thought it was. Not that that's a bad thing, but I really didn't get any YA vibes from it, which definitely made it enjoyable for me to get through. I love mermaids, so this take on them was nice to read about, and I definitely loved the story that Atkinson gave to us. I look forward to reading the first two books and coming back to this one with that back history. I'm sure knowing that will help me appreciate this ending so much more. I look forward to reading more books from her as well.

[Dee ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, I would like to thank S.R. Atkinson and the publisher of Treading Waves for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I did really enjoy this story! It was amazing, and I love how totally unique it is. The whole world that Atkinson has made is incredible and creative.

I especially love the way that he has created what's called a Ku. Everything that lives has a Ku. This is used on one another by allowing someone to hear the others thoughts or used to feel if there's someone close to you. I found it to be one of my favourite things from the book and I found it made the story a lot more intriguing.

The only reason I gave this three stars is due to feeling a bit lost as I started the book. It was hard to try and catch up in the beginning when I haven't read the first two books (which I will be reading soon!) I

think it would be amazing if there was some kind of flashback or explanation in the beginning just so I got caught up in the story a lot faster. It could also help people who have read the first two books and have forgotten what exactly happened in them.

I also found this book fits more into the Fantasy genre than the Young Adult genre in my opinion?

Other than that, I loved it so much! I got caught up with some kind of short summary I would've definitely given it 5 stars. So creative and I am in love with Atkinson's style of writing.

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Treading Waves is a vivid take on mermaids and the like, encapsulated in a well-written and sprawling world, featuring a promising relationship (in the barest sense of the word) from two MC's.

[Rachel Gomes · Rating 2 out of 5]

S.R. Atkinson’s The Siren Anthology is a trilogy about realizing your childhood fantasies are a reality–albeit much darker than you could’ve imagined.

Bringing your childhood fantasies about mermaids to life

Remember all the time you spent as a child using your imagination to conjure stories? S.R. Atkinson’s debut trilogy The Siren Anthology brings those fantasies to life. The trilogy, comprised of Breathing Water, Surface Tension, and Treading Waves, follows Santiago, a typical 18-year-old living with her mother, as she realizes that the thought-to-be-imagined memories of her childhood are actually real.

The series begins with a flashback to a traumatic memory that Santiago has somewhat suppressed. But six years later, Santiago quickly realizes that those memories are true and that her friends from the ocean need her help. She must return to the ocean to find out what happened to her friend Rogan, a mermaid (otherwise known as a “Serra”) and join the fight against the Sirens. Santi must not only overcome the shock of realizing that an entire civilization lives beneath the waves but must also reacclimate herself to life under the water.

Over the course of the trilogy, readers are treated to nearly non-stop action, burgeoning romance, and strong friendships. Atkinson is able to use Santiago as an avatar for the reader as she learns about the Serran civilization, making the exposition flow smoothly. As a debut series, The Siren Anthology is a fun read that is plot-driven and therefore easy to follow.

The Bottom Line: 2/5 Stars
While the concept and story are intriguing, the driving nature of the plot often overwhelms the character development. There are times where the action is a bit confusing and some characters are not fully realized. I would definitely recommend these novels to young YA readers or anyone looking for a quick, fun read.