Year of the Mer

Anne (eggcatsreads)

A dark fairytale to reimagine The Little Mermaid

"A dark fantasy take on the political repercussions of the events in the Little Mermaid - after all, what are the country’s feelings towards having a mermaid on the throne? Was there a political marriage that was shoved to the wayside so she could marry him? This book was not only a reimagining of the Little Mermaid, but taking the events of the story and reforming them into its own world. I liked how the main character is the granddaughter of Ariel (Arielle), who must ascend the throne despite a rising faction of anti-mer sentiment who wish for humans to be their sole rulers once again. Forced to confront both her human and mer sides, Yemi is forced between both halves of herself. ‘I won’t refuse my own nature to appeal to people who will never accept me.’ Filled with anger - at the political assassins plaguing her family, those within her country who insult her mer heritage, and her political enemies - Yemi is the exact opposite of the ideal of level-headed heads of state her mother tries to shape her into. Forced into exile to save her life, she turns to the only person who might be able to give her the power to take back her throne and destroy her enemies - the same villain from her grandmother’s tale, Ursula. ‘Forgiveness was the recourse of people without the power to exact vengeance.’ I also really liked how the romance was handled in this novel between Yemi and Nova, and as Yemi slowly embraces more and more of her mer side and her anger grows at the humans in her country, she slowly begins causing a strife between her and Nova, her human queensguard. I thought the switching POVs between the two to be done really well to allow us perspective into how both Yemi and Nova feel about the events of the novel, and to see the slowly growing discontent between the two as Yemi embraces more of her monstrous side in order to keep her throne. With an ending that changes everything and the line between man and monster blurring, I can’t wait to see how this political fantasy ends. A huge thank you to the author, Netgalley, and Saga Press for providing me this e-ARC. ["

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April 19, 2026

Kim

For the Slow Burn Fans

"Through "Year of the Mer," L. D. Lewis has crafted an engaging story that is both a dark re-imagining and a sequel to a well-loved fairy tale. This is not the story of The Little Mermaid that many of us grew up on, but a story of how the selfish choices of one Mer girl ended up causing strife and political unrest across multiple nations—both on land and in the sea—for many years to come. Not only do we get to see how Arielle's descendants are living as a result of her decision to leave the sea to live as a human, but we also get a lot more insight into the character of the sea witch, Ursla, herself. Lewis has clearly put a lot of thought into this tale and has created a fascinating lore for the world itself as well as managing to give Ursla a proper backstory—something that I was especially interested in. I found the pacing to be absolutely perfect here and I'm impressed at just how much story was packed into just 400 pages. Things do start off a little slow as we're introduced to the general setting, characters, and conflicts, but once the action kicks in, it really kicks in. I was personally happy to have had the slower start to really get myself oriented with the story and get some real insight into the character's personalities as well. (Also, this is only the first book of a planned duology, so we have plenty of time to see more action with book two!) The characters themselves were properly fleshed-out as well and each one really stood out as a unique person in the story. We really get to see their beliefs and ideals come through in the choices they make, as well how their interpersonal relationships occasionally make choosing the "right" path a bit of a struggle. Overall, "Year of the Mer" was a riveting story packed with anger, trauma, revenge, and love—both familial and romantic. I'll probably be thinking about this one for a while still as I eagerly await the second book, because that ending especially has left me wanting more! (I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Saga Press, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.) ["

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April 7, 2026

PSReviews

Dark Times Ahead for the Little Mermaid's Granddaughter

"I want to love this book. I have been devouring mermaid, siren, and pirate books this year. The POV and pacing just didn’t work for me in this book. Sometimes 3rd person point-of-view just doesn’t create enough of a connection for me, and that’s unfortunately what happened here. The prologue and beginning of the book were so intriguing, though. I thought for sure I would be hooked. I loved the summary of Ursla’s rise to power and the dark nature of her and the first gods. The mermaids were described in a very eerily way that felt unique. Then the pacing slowed way down and the story was feeling like it would have little to do with the sea. It started to pick up again in the second half when Ursla and mermaids come back into the plot. The ending was also very good and the journey ahead feels impossible for the lead characters. I definitely think this book will be well loved by many, and had I felt a stronger connection to Nova or Yemi, I would probably be dying for the next installment. Thank you Saga Press and NetGalley for an ARC! ["

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May 15, 2026

Morgan

Dark Little Mermaid reimagining with a delightfully flawed main female character

""I won't refuse my own nature to appeal to people who will never accept me anyway." "If they want to fear me, I will be a thing to be feared." If you enjoy reading about flawed female characters, then this is the book for you. I support women's rights and wrongs, so I do like reading about an unhinged queen from time to time. I would guess that most of the negative reviews about this book just come down to this point. It was cool to read about a retelling of The Little Mermaid that finally addressed the fact that Ariel (or Arielle in this story) drastically changed the future of two kingdoms with her choices. Following her granddaughter as she struggles to be accepted by her people really drives that home Yemi makes so many mistakes in this book, pushing away everyone who cares about her and opening herself up to be manipulated by Ursla just as her grandmother was. She is so filled with rage and grief over her mother that she gives in to her darker urges, and I couldn't help but be delighted by just how far she sunk. Her partner, Nova, is my favorite character in the book. She is so supportive and never stops trying to get Yemi back to being the person she knows she's capable of being. Her emotions really take a beating in this story, but I hope there's a good ending for her. Speaking of endings, my jaw was on the floor with this one. Looking back now it all seems so obvious how things would end up, and I absolutely can't wait to see where things go from here and whether Yemi can learn from her mistakes and come back from this. Thanks to Saga for the copy. ["

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April 13, 2026

Mia Sage

5★★★★★ Lush, Dark Fantasy The Little Mermaid retelling...

"Drag me under the sea with this gorgeously lush dark fantasy Little Mermaid retelling… 🧜🏾‍♀️🔱🦈🌊🐚🪼 L. D.’s writing captures you with immersive setting and flawed characters where even though you have a grasp on the original Little Mermaid story, you are on the edge of your flipper waiting to find out what happens next. The plot was engaging with twists and turns. The magic was believable with the familiar *hum* of an old folktale. I love how we were introduced to our kingdom’s family out at sea then brought home to the political intricacies between our main character Yemi Blackgate and her mother the Bear Queen until the dominos fall into place that force Yemi to further explore her Mer side under the sea. The development between our characters Yemi and Nova and the difficult decisions made and forced upon them shattered my heart, stomped on the pieces and put them back together again. The romance in my opinion is definitely a sub-plot but their dynamic gave me the giggles and you can feel through the pages how these characters truly care for one another. A beautiful example of a well written sapphic/lesbian romance. You truly see Yemi’s emotional and mental maturity as next in line for the throne ebb and flow through these pages. I gasped. I screamed. I threw my e-reader device at the twists and turns which were so unique and unexpected. I absolutely loved the Year of the Mer and the overwhelming themes of generational trauma, war, family legacy, and revenge. The small taste we received of Ursula keeps me so intrigued. I cannot wait for the next chapter and finale of this incredible story… Characters: 5★ Setting 5★ Plot: 5★ Magic: 5★ Themes: 4.5★ Emotional Impact: 5★ Personal Enjoyment: 4.5★ 4.5/5 stars ["

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April 7, 2026