Reviews

The Pull of the Tide by Elliot Ason, Ali Williams, Julie Brydon, Erin Branch, Erin Casey, Aoibh Wood, S.D. Simper, Theresa Tyree, Evelyn Shine, Rosemarie Dillon

ddellis08's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

lilianapisarka's review

5.0

I was very lucky to receive an ARC copy of Out of Water by Julie Brydon and I gobbled it up in one sitting. Then I went back and read it again!

Out of Water is an 8k word short story and sapphic retelling of the Little Mermaid. I tend to be a little hesitant when it comes to fairytale retellings as I've found them to be hit or miss, but my nerves were for naught—this was definitely a hit for me.

The story is entertaining and fun, sprinkled with adorable ocean analogies and a very sweet sapphic romance. Without going into any spoilers, this story played out better than the original Little Mermaid did. I much prefer this version of the tale :)

All in all, I really enjoyed Out of Water and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the anthology when it comes out!

jill121's review

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I had the pleasure to pre-read Erin Casey's contribution to this collection!
Erin Casey's Tangled Tides is a beautifully written pirate tale. Her characters are richly developed and relatable. This sapphic short story is a delight to read.  

katvou's review against another edition

fast-paced

3.0

This review is for Selkie’s Promise by Evelyn Shine. I received an ARC copy of the story and haven’t read the other stories in this book.

Selkie’s Promise was a fast-paced insta-lust FF romantasy. The story was really short, only about 70 pages, so there wasn’t much time for world or character building.

Fast and easy to read, but a bit confusing at times due to the lack of background information.

sinnybuns's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

flygirl_01's review

5.0

4.5 out of five stars!

Thank you Sunset Wave Press and SD Simper for the eARC! I have chosen to make an honest review.

This read is perfect for the upcoming summer season! There are various stories taking place on the high seas. Sometimes there are pirates, sometimes mermaids are present, and sometimes there's spice. All of these stories contain sapphic women and tales of romance. I loved the diverse stories within this anthology. My standout favorites were A Mermaid's Heart by SD Simper, For the Love of the Sea by Aoibh Wood, A Study of Pupfish, Margaritas, and Mermaids by Rosemarie Dillon (love the women in STEM rep), Out of Water by Julie Brydon, and Selkie's Promise by Evelyn Shine! There were some stories that I wished were longer or more fleshed out, but overall, this was a great anthology from a new publishing company! Sapphic readers will find at least one story to their liking.

Rep: sapphic women, including a trans woman. Specific content warnings are listed inside the anthology. If you have thalassaphobia, it might be better to avoid this anthology.

marianafvdcc's review

1.0

i liked the story but even though its a small book, the romance was a bit too fast and i just couldn’t feel the connection between the characters.

courtvander's review

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

"Damn the succession rules to the depth of the dark seas." 

I had the privilege to receive this ARC read. The Pull of the Tide is a lovely short story! I didn't put it down the moment I started it. This romance is between a selkie and a siren. The sweet song between these two females is so beautiful and captivating. 

ndevilsclaw's review

hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Aoibh Wood is a wordsmith. She uses atypical words within her stories but masterfully applies them in context for comprehension. It's one of the characteristics of her writing that I appreciate as an avid reader. The cadence and flow of the story are succinct and set at a perfect tempo. This story is well developed and includes full bodied characters and storyline. I was slightly disappointed that it is a short story, I definitely wanted more. Looking forward to more adventures from the Sea

diza0319's review

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Rosemarie Dillon writes a fantastic story inspired by the tragic missing persons case of the Devils Hole in 1965. The story is about a Scientist (Kitty) researching the anomaly of the pupfish and their only natural home. When tragedy strikes, and her research assistants don't resurface, she dives down and discovers an unexplored underwater cavern that is home to mermaid kingdom.