Fantasy and Sci-Fi Fanatics

Aquamarine by Alice Hoffman

This book is a classic, and so much better than the movie; I’ve read it more times than I can count. 😅 During their last summer together, Hailey and Claire discover something lurking at the bottom of the pool at the local beach club. Turns out it’s a mermaid who’s left her sisters to look for love on land. Yet Aquamarine’s time is running out, and the friends will need to return her home before she dies. A story about friendship, magic, and growing up.

The Mermaid’s Tale by L. E. Richmond

A clean, no-spice YA fantasy romance in which a mermaid, Locklyn, who’s born with legs instead of a tail tries to save her niece from the same kind of rejection. The only place where they’ll be accepted is Atlantis.

In this book you’ll discover a family curse, lost treasure, unrequited love, and a race against time as Locklyn and the boy she loves seek to save their family, their kingdom, and eventually the entire Undersea Realm without losing each other.

Son of the Deep by K.B. Hoyle

This book is listed as middle grade on Goodreads, but it felt more YA to me, due to the age of the characters and the romance. Yes, there’s romance, as this is a Little Mermaid retelling, but it was minimal. In fact, the relationship between the two characters felt like insta-love, and was a major reason I couldn’t finish the book (that and I wanted more world-building details. What does the underwater palace actually look like?!)

But the characters are sweet and well-developed, and I love the themes of family, duty, and honor woven throughout.

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

I still have yet to read this book after hearing and talking about it for years. Hopefully one day!

This book is another Little Mermaid retelling, yet sirens–not mermaids–are the star of the show. It’s a little darker too, because the main character, Princess Lira, kills human princes. But then her mother punishes her, forcing her to become a human, and Lira meets Prince Elian, who hunts sirens.

If you enjoy pirates, enemies-to-lovers, or The Little Mermaid, then you should check out this book!

Sing Me to Sleep by Gabi Burton

In this dark YA romantasy, a siren must choose between protecting her family and following her heart in a prejudiced kingdom where her existence is illegal.

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

Tavia is forced to keep her siren identity hidden in a society that wants to keep her kind under lock and key. Then a siren murder trial rocks the nation. Tensions escalate when Tavia’s friend, Effie, starts being haunted by demons from her past, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice during a police stop. No secret seems safe anymore—soon Portland won’t be either.

If you enjoy fantasy stories that take place in the real world, then this story is for you.

Where Oceans Burn by Casey L. Bond

When Elira, the Scourge of the Sky finds herself at the mercy of her greatest enemy, the Shark of the Sea, the monster who killed the person she loves most, she accepts that she will die. But the Shark does not lash out in revenge. He tells me his true name is Crest and shares his hope to garner peace before the land is further soaked with the blood of sky and sea.

The longer Elira lives among his kind, the more she wonders if he might be right. Could an alliance be the salvation of both their peoples?

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

If you enjoy villain stories, then you might like this darker mermaid fantasy that tells the story of Ursula from The Little Mermaid.

Before that familiar tale, there were three friends. One feared, one royal, and one already dead.

Secrets of the Deep by Marisa Noelle

Determined to face her fear of the water, Cordelia enters the ocean for the first time since her twin brother was killed and learns she is from the oldest bloodline of mermaids. Entrusted with a magical relic, it us up to her alone to break an ancient curse and free the mermaids from the water.

Coral by Sara Ella

In this mermaid fantasy book, Coral has always stood out from her mermaid sisters and wonders if she has the dreaded Disease, said to be carried by humans—emotions.

Meanwhile, Brooke, a human, struggles with depression and anxiety. When the girls’ worlds collide, they’ll do whatever it takes to survive, but what–and who–will they leave behind in the process?

A Kingdom Submerged by Deborah Grace White

You’ll find both dragons and mermaids in this book!

In addition to irritatingly inscrutable dragons, the four-part series features a clean slow burn romance between a mermaid and a reluctantly magical human. If you enjoy adventure, fantasy, mystery, and hard-won happily ever afters, give this book a try.

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he’s heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma’s gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom…

The Mermaid’s Sister by Carrie Anne Noble

In this historical fantasy, Clara discovers scales just beneath her sister’s skin: Maren is becoming a mermaid and must be taken to the sea or she will die.

So Clara, their best friend, and the mermaid-girl set out for the shore. But the trio encounters trouble around every bend. Ensnared by an evil troupe of traveling performers, Clara and their friend must find a way to save themselves and the ever-weakening Maren.

Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly

This mermaid fantasy book takes place completely under the sea, unlike many of the others on this list.

During her people’s special ceremony that will determine whether Serafina is worthy of her mother’s crown, an assassin’s arrow wounds her mother. The realm falls into chaos, and Serafina and her friend must embark on a quest to find the assassin’s master and prevent a war between the mer nations.

Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

Simi serves the gods as Mami Wata—a mermaid—collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home.

When a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi goes against an ancient decree and saves his life.

To protect the other Mami Wata, Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But all is not as it seems. There’s the boy she rescued, who knows more than he should. And something is shadowing Simi, something that would rather see her fail…

Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods

There are both Cinderella and A Little Mermaid vibes in this historical fantasy set in England in the late 1700s. Luce, the daughter of a wealthy ship-owner, longs to leave her stifling home for a life at sea.

Her plans to escape with her friend Samuel are blown off course when she rescues the son of the most powerful ship-owner from the sea.

As Luce is plunged into a world of magic, brutality, and seduction, secrets that have long been lost in the shadowy depths of the ocean begin to rise to the surface. The truth of her own power is growing brighter and brighter, shining like a sea-glass slipper.

Saltwater Souls by Hannah Carter

A short story collection filled with all kinds of mermaids. Some of the stories are light and hilarious, others are deep and pondering, but they’re all perfect for fans of deep themes, beautiful characters, and salty worlds.

The Palace Beneath the Sea by Lauren Wiesebron

Nolwenn defends her beloved coastal city of Ys as a lighthouse keeper. But when a dangerous, unnatural tide threatens Ys, the queen instead tasks Nolwen with collecting enough rare seasilk to shield the city from the deadly monsters who lurk beneath the waves.

When Nolwenn is attacked by the creatures she’s trying to defend her city against, she’s saved by Morvan. He’s a member of the korrigez people, with the torso of a human and the tail of a fish. Morvan drags her deeper into the ocean to the coral palace of Below-Ys, and the more time Nolwenn spends below the surface, the less sure she is that she wants to leave.

A Magic Deep and Dreaming by Hester Fox

In the Dutch Republic, 1650, Clara escapes her mother’s overbearing rule to oversee a wealthy merchant’s household.

When an ancient bargain, forged in blood between the mythical people of the sea and the rulers of the land, begins to unravel, Clara finds herself at the heart of a deadly struggle for power.

The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey

A magical realism book in which David finds a mermaid while fishing. Once a beautiful young woman, she was cursed by jealous wives to live in this form for the rest of her days.

David must win Aycayia’s trust while she relearns what it is to be human, navigating not only her new body but also her relationship with others on the island. As David and Aycayia grow to love each other, they juggle both the joys and dangers of life on shore. But a lingering question remains: Will the former mermaid be able to escape her curse?