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Many cultures person myths of mermaids, mermaid books, oregon akin accountings of mythical marine creatures. In 1998, Basil H. Johnston, an Ojibwe writer and student from Ontario, collected First Nations folktales into his publication Mermaids and Medicine Women: Native Myths and Legends. Mami Wata is simply a protective h2o deity successful African and African American folklore who often resembles a snake oregon a mermaid.
Marginalized radical astir the satellite often consciousness drawn to mermaids, who don’t rather beryllium either connected onshore oregon successful the ocean. In 2017 on Book Riot, Leah Rachel von Essen wrote about Hans Christian Andersen’s unrequited attraction for a antheral person and however this perchance inspired him to constitute “The Little Mermaid.”
Growing up disabled, I related to Disney’s Ariel and her tendency to walk. I’ve published fabrication and essays and fixed interviews exploring this feeling. I realized galore years aboriginal that I recovered it liberating that Ariel lives successful a nine wherever nary 1 expects to walk. Disabled writers person besides pointed retired that the mermaid successful Andersen’s archetypal fairy communicative becomes incapable to talk and feels symptom with each step.
Though they’ve ever been popular, mermaids are having a moment. In 2022, the movie The King’s Daughter, based connected the 1997 caller The Moon and the Sun by Vonda N. McIntyre, was released. Disney’s live-action mentation of The Little Mermaid volition travel retired successful May 2023. Sea gods, sirens, and selkies are besides fashionable subjects for caller YA phantasy novels. Mermaid books look successful Peter Pan retellings like Second Star to the Left, though they aren’t the main characters. House of Salt and Sorrows, a caller YA retelling of “The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” is acceptable connected an land wherever radical worship nautical gods. Books that aren’t fantasies often usage mermaids arsenic symbols.
These caller mermaid books span genres, property groups, and cultures and scope successful code from lighthearted to serious. They connection unsocial interpretations of mermaids and akin oversea dwellers.
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Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen
This 2021 YA phantasy caller is inspired by “The Little Mermaid” and West African folklore. The protagonist, Simi, is simply a mami wata, a h2o tone who guides enslaved radical who dice astatine oversea to the Yoruba afterlife. When Simi transforms into a quality and saves an enslaved human, the communicative inverts crippled details from “The Little Mermaid” successful fascinating ways. Soul of the Deep, the sequel, was published successful autumn 2022.
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
In 2022, Addison Rizer recommended this publication for fans of Our Flag Means Death, and arsenic a instrumentality of this publication and OFMD, I agree. This YA phantasy caller combines pirate adventures with diverse, queer characters who signifier a household of choice. Lady Evelyn Hasegawa feels trapped by compulsory heterosexuality, but her kindness and bravery assistance her commencement a caller life. I besides emotion erstwhile the oversea becomes a character. I don’t privation to springiness distant however the publication does this due to the fact that it’s precise moving.
Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Natalia Sylvester
This is literate YA fabrication and not fantasy, but it weaves successful the imagery of mermaids beautifully. Veró, a Peruvian American miss with hep dysplasia, wants to enactment astatine a section mermaid-themed parkland successful Florida. Veró relates some Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid” and Peruvian myths astir mermaids to her disability, her archetypal love, and her passionateness for swimming.
Above the Sea by Laura Burton and Jessie Cal
In this 2022 mashup betwixt “The Little Mermaid” and Peter Pan, mermaid Lexa, Poseidon’s daughter, is secretly successful emotion with Captain Hook. This YA phantasy romance is the 5th successful the authors’ Fairy Tales Reimagined series. All the books successful the bid archer interconnected stories involving different fairy communicative characters, including Snow White, Cinderella, and The Snow Queen. Although you tin work it by itself, the bid is champion work successful order.
The Deep by Rivers Solomon with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes
Rivers Solomon, the writer of Sorrowland, expanded clipping.’s opus “The Deep” into a novella successful 2019. The opus was nominated for a Hugo Award, and the publication won a Lambda Literary Award. The protagonist, Yetu, is simply a wajinru, descended from enslaved, large African radical whom slave-owners threw overboard. She breathes underwater and keeps her people’s memories. Oil drilling and contamination endanger each her people’s lives.
Prince of Song & Sea by Linsey Miller
Disney’s Prince Eric ever seemed similar a vague quality to me. If you’ve ever wondered astir his family, emotion of music, kingdom, oregon different motivations, past this publication is for you! It begins with Ariel rescuing Eric, told from Eric’s POV. This 2022 caller is the archetypal successful Disney’s caller YA Princes series. Miller’s publication astir Prince Phillip from Sleeping Beauty, Prince of Thorns & Nightmares, volition beryllium published connected October 3, 2023.
The Little Mermaid: Against the Tide by J. Elle
This YA novel, which volition beryllium published connected April 11, 2023, ties into Disney’s upcoming live-action Little Mermaid movie, starring Halle Bailey arsenic Ariel. It should supply a backstory for the decease of Ariel’s parent and explicate Ariel’s adventurous property and King Triton’s over-protectiveness towards his daughters. Ariel indispensable assistance look for 1 of her sisters, who has been kidnapped.
The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror by Daniel M. Lavery
Lavery co-founded the feminist wit website The Toast. Some of the phantasy and fearfulness stories successful his postulation grow on, oregon appeared in, his bid for The Toast, Children’s Stories Made Horrific. His “Little Mermaid” retelling puts an eerie rotation connected the heartbroken mermaid’s accidental to summation an immortal psyche alternatively of turning into oversea foam. Other stories retell Shakespeare and “The Velveteen Rabbit.”
A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow
This contemporary, YA phantasy centers astir the improbable relationship betwixt 2 young, Black women: Effie and Tavia. Effie performs arsenic a mermaid astatine Renaissance Faires astir Portland, Oregon and has mysterious powers. Tavia is simply a siren. Unlike different magical beings successful the novel, sirens look distrust and prejudice due to the fact that they are truthful almighty and tin mesmerize people. The sequel, A Chorus Rises, was released successful 2021.
A Song of Silver and Gold by Melissa Karibian
This is simply a New Adult, sapphic retelling of “The Little Mermaid” and portion 1 of a phantasy duology. The cardinal enemies to lovers, queer romance is betwixt a human, sex non-conforming pirate skipper and a siren. Fitting the title, the publication has an epigraph from Sappho, dedicated to queer readers, and tons of archetypal poesy and lyrics. The sequel, A Chorus of Ashes and Shadows, volition beryllium published connected June 16, 2023.
I besides bask Selina Fenech’s coloring books of phantasy creatures, including her Mythical Mermaids Fantasy Adult Coloring Book.
Love mermaid books? Want more? Check retired mermaid comics oregon mermaid kids’ books.
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