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The Falling in Deep Collection
Of Ocean and Ash
Of Ocean…
Cast into the sea at birth, human-born Ia found her adoptive family among the merfolk. While her underwater upbringing was peaceful, Ia’s blood-heritage and the strict societal rules of the merpeople lead her to wonder of the world above the waves.
And Ash…
When a storm lands Ia ashore, she discovers her body has transformed into the human she would have been. Taken in as property by a callous plantation owner, Ia works alongside the slaves until she can make her way back to the water. There is nothing Ia wants more than to go home, that is, until she meets a handsome, troubled man named Matthias, who has a touch that can be as kind as his tongue is harsh.
Torn between two very different lives, Ia must choose – stay in his world and risk her life for a love untested, or return to the familiar arms of the underwater world that raised her and risk losing what may be the greatest love she will ever know.
Will Ia’s choice lead to her happiness or her destruction?
Cast into the sea at birth, human-born Ia found her adoptive family among the merfolk. While her underwater upbringing was peaceful, Ia’s blood-heritage and the strict societal rules of the merpeople lead her to wonder of the world above the waves.
And Ash…
When a storm lands Ia ashore, she discovers her body has transformed into the human she would have been. Taken in as property by a callous plantation owner, Ia works alongside the slaves until she can make her way back to the water. There is nothing Ia wants more than to go home, that is, until she meets a handsome, troubled man named Matthias, who has a touch that can be as kind as his tongue is harsh.
Torn between two very different lives, Ia must choose – stay in his world and risk her life for a love untested, or return to the familiar arms of the underwater world that raised her and risk losing what may be the greatest love she will ever know.
Will Ia’s choice lead to her happiness or her destruction?
162 pages, Paperback
First published June 6, 2015
4 people are currently reading
276 people want to read
About the author
A.R. Draeger
4 books40 followersA.R. (Amber) Draeger resides in rural Texas with her husband, Josh, and son, Logan. When not writing or reading, she is watching reality TV shows or tromping through the nearby woods.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 17, 2015
I love the cover for Of Ocean and Ash by A R Draeger. It told me what I would find inside, a mermaid able to live on land and sea, and I think that is important.
The mermaid fantasy is lived out in the 1700s, during the time of slavery on a Caribbean island, an original and unique slant to a familiar storyline.
Ia’s life started out ugly, most would say, but she didn’t see it that way. She never would have found Mother, otherwise. Even through all the pain, doubt and abuse, Ia stayed pure in heart. She had found him and knew that was where she was supposed to be.
Politics, savagery, slavery, abuse and rape occur in the mer world, just as they do in the human world.
This 136 paperback of Of Ocean and Ash by A R Draegar does not disappoint. I have not read a mer book like this and loved that A R Draegar gave us a new twist on an old story, which is difficult to do. Most stories have been told many times, just the details are changed.
Of Ocean and Ash holds a lot in a small package, a romance that surpasses all boundaries and ends with a happy ever after. Isn’t that what we all want, a HEA, though the journey to get there was sometimes ugly. Some of the peripheral characters shown through in their ability to give, even when the only thing they had to give of was themselves.
My only complaint is I wanted Of Ocean and Ash by A R Draeger to be longer, more detailed and developed. I think A R Draeger could have brought me to my knees, but, alas, there was that something special missing. Needless to say, read this book if you love fantasy. I believe it will leave you wanting more, just like me.
I received a copy of Of Ocean and Ash by A R Draeger in return for an honest and unbiased review.
To see more visit http://www.fundinmental.comm
The mermaid fantasy is lived out in the 1700s, during the time of slavery on a Caribbean island, an original and unique slant to a familiar storyline.
Ia’s life started out ugly, most would say, but she didn’t see it that way. She never would have found Mother, otherwise. Even through all the pain, doubt and abuse, Ia stayed pure in heart. She had found him and knew that was where she was supposed to be.
Politics, savagery, slavery, abuse and rape occur in the mer world, just as they do in the human world.
This 136 paperback of Of Ocean and Ash by A R Draegar does not disappoint. I have not read a mer book like this and loved that A R Draegar gave us a new twist on an old story, which is difficult to do. Most stories have been told many times, just the details are changed.
Of Ocean and Ash holds a lot in a small package, a romance that surpasses all boundaries and ends with a happy ever after. Isn’t that what we all want, a HEA, though the journey to get there was sometimes ugly. Some of the peripheral characters shown through in their ability to give, even when the only thing they had to give of was themselves.
My only complaint is I wanted Of Ocean and Ash by A R Draeger to be longer, more detailed and developed. I think A R Draeger could have brought me to my knees, but, alas, there was that something special missing. Needless to say, read this book if you love fantasy. I believe it will leave you wanting more, just like me.
I received a copy of Of Ocean and Ash by A R Draeger in return for an honest and unbiased review.
To see more visit http://www.fundinmental.comm
September 3, 2015
4.5 stars
Just... wow. This is not your mother's mermaid story. And DEFINITELY not your daughter's either. This story toed the line to being too dark, but that was also one of the best things about it. Aside from the mermaids, this story was historically accurate (or at least as far as I could tell, being a layman). There was death, abuse, sex both consensual and non. At times it was downright painful to read, but I kept going because there are dark parts of our history that shouldn't be ignored. Slavery happened. The fact that A.R. Draeger didn't shy away from this darkness meant so much to me. A lesser author would fade to black, or just infer these crimes. Bravo, Amber!
I'm not a huge mermaid fan, but I've really enjoyed going through this particular mermaid collection. The authors have all taken such completely different approaches with this loose theme. Some of them are light and fun, while you may not crack a smile at others. I've had goosebumps on more than one occasion. Of Ocean and Ash didn't revolve around mermaids, but more about what plantation life was like from a slave's perspective. Amber's writing style pulled me right in, and I found myself in Ia's shoes, far too easily.
If I had to have a complaint, it's that the characters are all too right or wrong, without all the shades of grey. There's never any doubt about who the heroes are. Or the villains... BUT that also gave me the whole length of the book to plot my revenge on these despicable creatures! GRRR!
A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Just... wow. This is not your mother's mermaid story. And DEFINITELY not your daughter's either. This story toed the line to being too dark, but that was also one of the best things about it. Aside from the mermaids, this story was historically accurate (or at least as far as I could tell, being a layman). There was death, abuse, sex both consensual and non. At times it was downright painful to read, but I kept going because there are dark parts of our history that shouldn't be ignored. Slavery happened. The fact that A.R. Draeger didn't shy away from this darkness meant so much to me. A lesser author would fade to black, or just infer these crimes. Bravo, Amber!
I'm not a huge mermaid fan, but I've really enjoyed going through this particular mermaid collection. The authors have all taken such completely different approaches with this loose theme. Some of them are light and fun, while you may not crack a smile at others. I've had goosebumps on more than one occasion. Of Ocean and Ash didn't revolve around mermaids, but more about what plantation life was like from a slave's perspective. Amber's writing style pulled me right in, and I found myself in Ia's shoes, far too easily.
If I had to have a complaint, it's that the characters are all too right or wrong, without all the shades of grey. There's never any doubt about who the heroes are. Or the villains... BUT that also gave me the whole length of the book to plot my revenge on these despicable creatures! GRRR!
A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
March 8, 2022
This is a short romance novel or novella, which is not my cup of tea. I was given a copy at a Christsmas gift exchange and since the story line involved mermaids I thought I'd give it a read.
The book is quite interesting, mixing the themes of real mermaid life with slaving in the mid 1700s. Draeger does a good job of making things real: true to history and the characters she creates. Her descriptive style moves the story along, creating menorable scenes. Of course, there is the underlying theme of romance, contrasted with brutality, and the firey sex scenes but nicely done.
If romance is your cup of tea, you're in for a treat.
The book is quite interesting, mixing the themes of real mermaid life with slaving in the mid 1700s. Draeger does a good job of making things real: true to history and the characters she creates. Her descriptive style moves the story along, creating menorable scenes. Of course, there is the underlying theme of romance, contrasted with brutality, and the firey sex scenes but nicely done.
If romance is your cup of tea, you're in for a treat.
February 8, 2019
First off; this book got to have one of the most beautiful covers ever! It looks good and it fits the story really well.
I loved this one, but I do think that it could have benefited from being a little longer. It would have been nice to get to see a little more of Ia's life on the island and more interactions between her and the other slaves and servants. I did not like Matthias at the start but he kind of grew on me after some time.
I loved this one, but I do think that it could have benefited from being a little longer. It would have been nice to get to see a little more of Ia's life on the island and more interactions between her and the other slaves and servants. I did not like Matthias at the start but he kind of grew on me after some time.
November 15, 2018
I am absolutely in love with A.R. Draeger's books. I bought and read both in a single day. I desperately need for her to release another one. Her writing style is unique and enchanting and her stories are extremely original and fascinating. Of Ocean and Ash is no exception to that.
June 14, 2017
This is a fantastic story. It was an incredible read that took my breath away.
Available on Kindle Unlimited.
Available on Kindle Unlimited.
September 17, 2015
I was given a copy of this book for my honest review, I was not paid for my review or my thoughts. These are my own.
I have to admit, I have been excited and nervous to review a book of someone I know, someone I communicate with. Granted, we are not best friends, we do not hang out on weekends or go have coffee and talk about recent trips and adventures, we do talk. Her and my mom talk. However, even though I know her, my rating still stands at 5 stars because I am here to rate her book and not her as a person (and she is pretty damn cool in my opinion ;) ).
First, the writing is amazing and very fluid, the story has moved a long very quickly. Every aspect of this story flows together in one smooth motion, like spreading rich, creamy peanut butter on a piece of freshly baked bread. You become enamoured with Ia from the very beginning. You want her to succeed at becoming a Caller, but at the same time, you don't want her to succeed because you want her to have the freedom to escape the likes of Ro. It is a historical romance piece, set during 1736 in the Caribbean. I believe the amount of research needed had to be immense to get the amount of detail for the different types of servitude (slavery, indentured etc).
I like history, I like how it is explained in the context of the story, how it is explained to Ia, who does not understand or know the differences, because it shows that a lot of research was done to get it correct. I do not read a lot of historical romance often, and I like the paranormal and historical romance combination to create this piece.
My least favorite character is Ro. I would not want to be forced into Ia's position where I would ether have be Ro's bride or have Ro force himself upon me and there be nothing anyone could do about it due to being a Lesser. The scene that Ia had witnessed at the beginning where Ro raped another Lesser was sad, and when Ro discovered that she did in fact see, he didn't care and informed Ia that one way or another, she would be his.
One qualm I do have with the story, some terms I had to just kind of figure out. The mer-society Ia is a part of is interesting, and though some terms I could figure out on my own, such as Lesser, it would be nice for a small dictionary somewhere (maybe there is and I just didn't know) where other terms would be. I gathered that a Caller would be similar to a Siren, maybe, because of my work and how much of it I have been doing on little food and sleep the past few days, I didn't connect the dots right off on my own, but some of the roles in the mer-society, would be nice to be listed out.
I have been trying to decide my feelings on Mathias. He warns Ia of the dangers of Lord Malcom and other Overseers, but something inside me kept telling me to be mindful of him. Him being in a position of power is just as capable of hurting Ia. I feel too often, his moods are bipolar. I do like that he does care, and I can appreciate the risks he puts himself in by some of his actions. In the same respect, Ia does not fully comprehend the exact risk because she is not of land. He did grow on me, but even by the end, I still have mixed feelings with him. Men. Should have listened!
I wanted to cut Lord Malcolm. He was well written. If you want to hate a bad guy, he is written to be hated! As a reader, you wanted to kick him, cut him, punch him and come to Ia's rescue every chance you get! (I won't go into more because I do not want to give spoilers, but brace yourself, poor girl).
I have to admit, as I was reading, I often kept thinking of the Little Mermaid. Maybe, this is because it was my first mermaid story I read, but Ia reminded me of Ariel so often!! The first time she saw her legs after she was washed up on the shore after the storm, when she first saw a spoon to use for her soup before chores, and pretty much any other time she had any experience with a human object. I found myself hoping the entire story she would return to the ocean, even if there were aspects she did not like in being a mermaid. I know that is selfish of me. Ia was born crippled, and tossed into the ocean at birth by her father who would rather her die than try to raise her in this world as a cripple. When she was washed up on the shore, she lost her fins and gained her legs back, but they were crippled like she was at birth. Ia had to learn how to be human when she has never been human other than the few minutes when she came into existence.
In true form to my book reviews, I didn't want to give away any spoilers, read the book. It is sooooo goood!!!! And it gets even better, like OMG amazing once it hits the climax!!! DO IT!
I have to admit, I have been excited and nervous to review a book of someone I know, someone I communicate with. Granted, we are not best friends, we do not hang out on weekends or go have coffee and talk about recent trips and adventures, we do talk. Her and my mom talk. However, even though I know her, my rating still stands at 5 stars because I am here to rate her book and not her as a person (and she is pretty damn cool in my opinion ;) ).
First, the writing is amazing and very fluid, the story has moved a long very quickly. Every aspect of this story flows together in one smooth motion, like spreading rich, creamy peanut butter on a piece of freshly baked bread. You become enamoured with Ia from the very beginning. You want her to succeed at becoming a Caller, but at the same time, you don't want her to succeed because you want her to have the freedom to escape the likes of Ro. It is a historical romance piece, set during 1736 in the Caribbean. I believe the amount of research needed had to be immense to get the amount of detail for the different types of servitude (slavery, indentured etc).
I like history, I like how it is explained in the context of the story, how it is explained to Ia, who does not understand or know the differences, because it shows that a lot of research was done to get it correct. I do not read a lot of historical romance often, and I like the paranormal and historical romance combination to create this piece.
My least favorite character is Ro. I would not want to be forced into Ia's position where I would ether have be Ro's bride or have Ro force himself upon me and there be nothing anyone could do about it due to being a Lesser. The scene that Ia had witnessed at the beginning where Ro raped another Lesser was sad, and when Ro discovered that she did in fact see, he didn't care and informed Ia that one way or another, she would be his.
One qualm I do have with the story, some terms I had to just kind of figure out. The mer-society Ia is a part of is interesting, and though some terms I could figure out on my own, such as Lesser, it would be nice for a small dictionary somewhere (maybe there is and I just didn't know) where other terms would be. I gathered that a Caller would be similar to a Siren, maybe, because of my work and how much of it I have been doing on little food and sleep the past few days, I didn't connect the dots right off on my own, but some of the roles in the mer-society, would be nice to be listed out.
I have been trying to decide my feelings on Mathias. He warns Ia of the dangers of Lord Malcom and other Overseers, but something inside me kept telling me to be mindful of him. Him being in a position of power is just as capable of hurting Ia. I feel too often, his moods are bipolar. I do like that he does care, and I can appreciate the risks he puts himself in by some of his actions. In the same respect, Ia does not fully comprehend the exact risk because she is not of land. He did grow on me, but even by the end, I still have mixed feelings with him. Men. Should have listened!
I wanted to cut Lord Malcolm. He was well written. If you want to hate a bad guy, he is written to be hated! As a reader, you wanted to kick him, cut him, punch him and come to Ia's rescue every chance you get! (I won't go into more because I do not want to give spoilers, but brace yourself, poor girl).
I have to admit, as I was reading, I often kept thinking of the Little Mermaid. Maybe, this is because it was my first mermaid story I read, but Ia reminded me of Ariel so often!! The first time she saw her legs after she was washed up on the shore after the storm, when she first saw a spoon to use for her soup before chores, and pretty much any other time she had any experience with a human object. I found myself hoping the entire story she would return to the ocean, even if there were aspects she did not like in being a mermaid. I know that is selfish of me. Ia was born crippled, and tossed into the ocean at birth by her father who would rather her die than try to raise her in this world as a cripple. When she was washed up on the shore, she lost her fins and gained her legs back, but they were crippled like she was at birth. Ia had to learn how to be human when she has never been human other than the few minutes when she came into existence.
In true form to my book reviews, I didn't want to give away any spoilers, read the book. It is sooooo goood!!!! And it gets even better, like OMG amazing once it hits the climax!!! DO IT!
September 18, 2015
First of all, I really want to applaud Quirky Bird for the beautiful cover they designed. The cover is very well-done and was a big influence on my decision to agree to read this book.
Just so readers are aware, this a novella, not a full-length novel. I read it in about a day. It is very fast-paced, which is good and bad. I was able to easily read the story, but I think there was a lot of room for development of the Mer-world. The fact that the mer-people largely subsist on humans was very interesting, but the implications of eating humans was not really explored – especially by the protagonist Ia. I mean, she is pretty much a cannibal. She knows she was born human, why does it not bother her that she eats other humans? Also, the Mer-world seems to be female-centric, with Queens or High Mothers as the supreme rulers and female Callers doing the hunting to provide food. However, it is not a matriarchy. Men still hold power over females and are prized for their physical abilities. I found this to be an extremely odd set up and had the Mer-world been a true matriarchy, it would have provided an interesting contrast with the human world.
I also took some issue with the title and phrase “ocean and ash,” which is repeated throughout the book. The “ocean” link is pretty obvious, but why “ash?” There is a fire, but (I can’t say much without spoilers) not enough to implicate they are two halves of the same coin. “Ocean and Sand” or “Ocean and Land” would have been more appropriate, but I think the author must have fallen in love with the sound of “ocean and ash” and wanted to use it (I admit it does sound nice) even if it didn’t exactly fit the story.
Mermaid fiction has picked up in popularity over the last couple of years, but this is the first one I read. I found it entertaining enough that I will probably seek out more, but I would have liked more world-building here.
Just so readers are aware, this a novella, not a full-length novel. I read it in about a day. It is very fast-paced, which is good and bad. I was able to easily read the story, but I think there was a lot of room for development of the Mer-world. The fact that the mer-people largely subsist on humans was very interesting, but the implications of eating humans was not really explored – especially by the protagonist Ia. I mean, she is pretty much a cannibal. She knows she was born human, why does it not bother her that she eats other humans? Also, the Mer-world seems to be female-centric, with Queens or High Mothers as the supreme rulers and female Callers doing the hunting to provide food. However, it is not a matriarchy. Men still hold power over females and are prized for their physical abilities. I found this to be an extremely odd set up and had the Mer-world been a true matriarchy, it would have provided an interesting contrast with the human world.
I also took some issue with the title and phrase “ocean and ash,” which is repeated throughout the book. The “ocean” link is pretty obvious, but why “ash?” There is a fire, but (I can’t say much without spoilers) not enough to implicate they are two halves of the same coin. “Ocean and Sand” or “Ocean and Land” would have been more appropriate, but I think the author must have fallen in love with the sound of “ocean and ash” and wanted to use it (I admit it does sound nice) even if it didn’t exactly fit the story.
Mermaid fiction has picked up in popularity over the last couple of years, but this is the first one I read. I found it entertaining enough that I will probably seek out more, but I would have liked more world-building here.
July 1, 2016
Content warning : Adult content, physical and verbal abuse
Of Ocean and Ash
by A.R. Draeger
4
I was given an ARC book for an honest review free of persuasion from the author or anyone else affiliated with this book.
Ia, human born, was raised by merfolk. She was of age now and had to take the Calling test. If she passed the test, she would prove herself and choose a mate. If she failed, she would be a Lesser and have to serve. She refused to be a lesser. if she didn't pass, she decided that she would swim away and most likely die.
When Ia takes her first test, she is swept away by a terrible storm. Washed ashore with her original legs returned, she is believed to be a slave from the ship that went down in the sea. As a slave, she meets Matthias and falls in love.
Will Ia be able to return to the sea? Will she be united with Matthias? Will she be able to endure the evils that the slaves face?
This is not the little mermaid. The author spends a lot of time exploring what slave life is like. The author also compares the evils of life below and above the water. It is a dark book. The characters are well developed and their motivations are made clear to the reader. It is a very descriptive book. It makes you angry at each world's injustices.
Of Ocean and Ash
by A.R. Draeger
4
I was given an ARC book for an honest review free of persuasion from the author or anyone else affiliated with this book.
Ia, human born, was raised by merfolk. She was of age now and had to take the Calling test. If she passed the test, she would prove herself and choose a mate. If she failed, she would be a Lesser and have to serve. She refused to be a lesser. if she didn't pass, she decided that she would swim away and most likely die.
When Ia takes her first test, she is swept away by a terrible storm. Washed ashore with her original legs returned, she is believed to be a slave from the ship that went down in the sea. As a slave, she meets Matthias and falls in love.
Will Ia be able to return to the sea? Will she be united with Matthias? Will she be able to endure the evils that the slaves face?
This is not the little mermaid. The author spends a lot of time exploring what slave life is like. The author also compares the evils of life below and above the water. It is a dark book. The characters are well developed and their motivations are made clear to the reader. It is a very descriptive book. It makes you angry at each world's injustices.
June 10, 2015
Gah! This novella is beautiful and so well-written. It is a period piece, set in the Caribbean during a time of grand ships and slavery.
Born crippled, an infant Ia was tossed into the ocean and adopted by the merfolk. Years later, she faces the test of her lifetime to earn a place among the Callers in her clan. When things go awry, she finds herself beached in human form and is turned over to the Master of the wealthiest plantation on the island, where she becomes his new servant.
That's when she also meets a troubled foreman, Matthias. Her goal is to return to her home in the sea, but when a forbidden love grows, the goal for 'home' becomes less clear.
This novella had me hooked, filled with suspense and a slow-burning, sexy romance. I recommend it for people who enjoy mermaid fantasy twisted in a historical setting!
Born crippled, an infant Ia was tossed into the ocean and adopted by the merfolk. Years later, she faces the test of her lifetime to earn a place among the Callers in her clan. When things go awry, she finds herself beached in human form and is turned over to the Master of the wealthiest plantation on the island, where she becomes his new servant.
That's when she also meets a troubled foreman, Matthias. Her goal is to return to her home in the sea, but when a forbidden love grows, the goal for 'home' becomes less clear.
This novella had me hooked, filled with suspense and a slow-burning, sexy romance. I recommend it for people who enjoy mermaid fantasy twisted in a historical setting!
August 21, 2015
Amazing read. I fell into this fantasy story and got sucked in. This book was beautifully written and the details made it even better. I LOVE that there is a strong female character in this book. She holds her own and whenever something goes wrong she is brave and courageous and I love that in a story. I love the chemistry and tension of Ia and Matthias. Read it in a day. :) So glad I won a signed book from her.
February 11, 2016
Grand adventure
What a crazy adventure you go on when you read this book! It is unlike anything I have read before!
What a crazy adventure you go on when you read this book! It is unlike anything I have read before!
July 5, 2015
This wasn't bad.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews