What if that “happily ever after” wasn’t so happy? L. E. Richmond’s The Mermaid’s Tale dives straight into the action to explore a world after Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid. Locklyn is a mermaid without a tail but with legs because of her great-great grandmother’s curse. Now, when her niece is also born without a tail, Locklyn gets a chance to break that curse and help her family. L. E. Richmond swims through the murky waters of racism, family legacy, and political intrigue in this exciting undersea adventure to start the Chronicles of the Undersea Realms series.

Best for: Female fans age 15 and older, lovers of adventure with mermaids.

Discern: Racism in a fantasy setting, brief violence during fights between factions or fantasy animals, mildly implied love triangle, cliffhanger ending.