Forbidden Tides: A Dark YA Mermaid Romance

by Kyla Stan

Astrid Murphy, born with strange webbed hands and a thirst for saltwater, feels like a freak. She desires to look and feel normal, just like her family. But Astrid doesn’t realize that she’s meant to be the next ruler of the Deep Clan, a race of merpeople who are dying from pollution and overhunting. She is the only one who can save them.

Zander’s mission was to find Astrid, bring her home, and save their world. Not to fall in love with his target. Surrounded in a web of danger, a forbidden love between princess and warrior blossoms. But Zander knows they can’t focus on each other. The Deep Clan must come first.

But it’s the one enemy Astrid never expected who will tear it all down. Her father. The one person who was supposed to love and protect her, will do anything to keep her from fulfilling her destiny with Zander. Even kill.

As Astrid and Zander fight for their world, they learn the true depth of what it means to love, the power of hope, and what it means to be free.

Genres: Fantasy, Mermaids, Young Adult, Romance, Fiction

Unknown Binding

Published September 1, 2018

About the author

Ever since she was young, Kyla Stan enjoyed creating fantasy stories. As a child, she used to fill up notebooks with fantastical ideas of mermaids and other ocean creatures, which were updated in her short story collection Ocean Song. Kyla knew at a young age that being a writer was her dream, so she pursued it at the young age of sixteen.


Kyla primarily writes for a young adult audience in the fantasy, horror, and contemporary literature genres. Some of the main themes within her work include mental illness, complicated family relationships, female empowerment, and environmental issues. She has a bachelor's degree in Communications, and a master’s in English and Creative Writing. Kyla is also an adjunct professor and teaches various levels of creative writing and English at Southern New Hampshire University.


Kyla loves animals, and shares her home with a variety of rescue pets. When she isn't writing, Kyla loves to watch baking competitions, play video games, and sewing.

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Reviews

[Terra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!!!!

I loved this story. And I will be recommending it to my fellow book nerds.
A brooding supernatural, Mermaid story with a touch of mystery. The romance had me glued to every page.


"A thrilling urban fantasy.
This book called my soul and I answered with all my heart. A love story as big as the ocean, secrets that are unraveled and a lot of excitement. Read the book, you won't be disappointed.

[Laura Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was completely taken by this beautifully written story that when I reached the end I was completely unprepared to say goodbye. The weaving of land and sea was enthralling and the story of lost love and new love was simply enchanting. This is a story that I will reread over and over again throughout the coming years.

[Britt Nichole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hang on, this review needs to wait - I can still smell the salty ocean air.
'Forbidden Tides' by Kyla Stan was incredible. There's no other way around it. Of all of the mermaid fiction I've read lately (I didn't realize merfolk fiction would become my new thing, but here we are), this read was - and is - my favorite, as of my writing this review. The history behind the "predator vs. prey" relationship with the Sirenia (the merfolk) and the humans is so complex, well-written, and detailed - honestly, this book was PACKED full of incredible imagery and I still feel like I'm residing in a Pacific coast town.
As the title suggests, 'Forbidden Tides' is your classic "forbidden" young adult love story. Now, normally, 'forbidden love' isn't usually my favorite sort of romance thanks to the familiar little trope that many young adult writers LOVE to abuse - instalove. Regarding this story, though, I would deem it accurate to say that there's some instaattraction between our two main characters - Astrid and Zander - but no instalove. Instaattraction I don't mind, so long as it's done well, because, let's face it - if you come across a person who's the gender of your liking and you have eyes that function properly, you can probably tell within the first 3 seconds of meeting whether they're attractive or not. Some of that definitely goes down in Forbidden Tides, but it's written incredibly well and the characters ALL read like real people. I literally could not find one single person in the plot who felt flat to me. And I appreciate the "forbidden" aspect in that, humans in this universe KNOW of Sirenia and hunt them down. Sirenia are seen as either freakshows (made for entertainment) or food, and to fall in love with a member of the other species - whether you're a Sirenia falling for a human or vice versa - is seen as Not A Very Good Thing. It's so different from your typical vampire or werewolf story and I LOVE that, for once, the *humans* are seen as the hunters instead of the ones being hunted.
That being said, there were a couple of things that sort of confused me about the plot, but they're all very minor, so I'll just go over them here quickly:
1. It was described, briefly, how male Sirenia are able to breed with female humans, and the way that it was described makes sense to me. However, though a female Sirenia/human male relationship was briefly mentioned, I can't wrap my head around/seem to work out how the more...intimate things would work out the other way around.
2. When Zander tells Astrid about what her father did to him and his family, her reaction seems kind of... instantaneous and random. Then she's okay again after a very short period of time. So... that was a little weird. But I love the rest or their interactions together, before and after that brief, uh, lapse.
Moving beyond those few little points, I mentioned above how the characters felt so realistic and I want to touch base on that again. Zander and Astrid, in their own ways, read like real people and, honestly, I can't decide who I like more. They are both incredible characters. And, though I know that he was the villain of this tale, I want to give Finnegan a moment of appreciation, too. All of the characters felt very real, but he, in particular, is an *incredible* villain. I was a little confused with the little prequel scene at the very beginning, but it tied in so *perfectly* in explaining how and why he's the way he is toward the end. Also, though I know this sounds, uh, not good, I can really appreciate his relationship with Astrid because I love how his antagonistic ways are, like, subtle enough toward her to not be 'in your face' all the time, but it's still enough for both the readers and the rest of Astrid's family to be like, hey... something's not right - if that makes any sense at all. Finnegan is an A+ villain and I very much approve.
Overall, I LOVED this book. The characters, the imagery - it was all so wonderfully put together, and the author's spin on the human/mermaid relationship was so unique, and I DEFINITELY recommend this book for any mermaid lover! Annnd now I wanna go walk along the ocean. {she says as she lives in the landlocked Midwest}

[briethebookishluxen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forbidden Tides by @kylastanyaauthor is an amazing story about love and climate change!!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 I absolutely loved reading this book because I have always been fascinated with mermaids!!! The chemistry between Zander and Astrid was impeccable, the ocean scenes were beautiful, and the emphasis on climate change/the pollution of oceans was very tastefully done. If you read this book, just be aware that there are some DA and violent scenes throughout the story. So if that triggers you, please proceed with caution. However, I definitely recommend everyone read Forbidden Tides as it is peak storytelling! 😊📚🙌🏻✨ #forbiddentides #kylastan #bookreview #booklover #bookstagram #avidreader #amazing #mermaids #romantasy #climatechange #orcas #ocean #pollution #takeastand #protecttheocean #igreads #readthisbook.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Allison C · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not finish book. Stopped at 51%.

A bit disappointed. This story has some high ratings on goodreads, but unfortunately wasn’t for me. I’m such a sucker for mermaid stories, sucks that I won’t be adding this one to my recommendations list… But just because I didn’t enjoy the reading experience doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t. If the story even remotely captures your interest, go ahead and give it a shot.

[Susan Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Omg! This book is a waste of money. This person supposedly has a degree in creative writing. I honestly think she should either get her money back or try another profession. The writing is choppy. She tries to introduce too many characters at the same time. I couldn't even tell you who's the narrator. The description is good but there is too much of it. She should leave some imagination to the reader. To much description makes a book very boring. Also, I had to read several sentences at least three times to understand what the author was trying to convey. There were too many adjectives and adverbs. This book proved one thing to me... an education doesn't make a person a good writer. This author needs to go back to school. If she teaches creative writing, I feel bad for her students. Don't bother with this book. It's awful!!!!!

[Katie O'Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though it would seem that "mermaid" is a universal character, there's much that's not canon about life beneath the waves, and it leaves so much to the individual author's imagination that each mermaid story ends up with unique twists and explanations for how mermaids survive, speak to one another, and travel on dry land (if they can.)

Kyla Stan has created one such unique world. FORBIDDEN TIDES is an engaging mermaid fantasy, where the myths of Selkies and Mermaids are twisted together and set on the California coast. Danger, greed, suspense and light romance weave together with a strong environmental message to create an interesting tale.

My youngest son was in a summer stock performance of SELKIE a few summers ago. Set in Ireland, the play begins with the father figure tricking a young selkie woman into marriage when she was in human form at the full moon. Their half-breed child, a girl, was born with webbed feet and hands, and a love for the ocean, like it was calling to her. The father becomes evil and greedy, killing as many seals as he can to sell the pelts, even though he knows in his heart that they are selkies, like his beloved wife. He routinely slices the webbing between his daughter's fingers to keep her from being bullied in their small village.

In so many ways, this book reminded me of that play.

Astrid is obviously a half breed, although she doesn't know it and it's unclear for most of the book whether her mother is a mermaid or not. (She does seem to know an awful lot.) Astrid's father is the greedy monster who gets rich by catching and killing mermaids to sell for their "pelts" and as specialty food. He also routinely cuts the webbing from between Astrid's fingers. He doesn't want her to ever know of her close connection to the ocean or to the underwater creatures he now hunts.

Zander is the merman given the mission to find Astrid and bring her back to the clan before they die off from over-hunting and pollution. He doesn't expect to fall in love with her, or to end up spending time on dry land with her and her human family. He certainly doesn't expect her to love him back.

And it gets more complicated from there.

The book is an odd mix of light ocean imagery and banter, and soul-wrenching darkness. Told in alternating points of view between Zander and Astrid, the book also has a disturbing amount of head hopping and omniscient narrator going on. The author also describes a few merfolk feeding frenzies that makes the race sound downright scary. Even scarier are Astrid's father and the other fishermen, bloodthirsty and driven by greed, as well as the directors at the local aquarium, who decide it's easier to study the mer-creatures when they're dead. Rather than embrace this new race and try to learn about them, everyone acts like they're fish. Animals. Less than.

I'm not exactly sure who the target audience is for this story, as there are aspects that are far, far darker than other YA mermaid stories, and yet other parts that are too light and playful for adult readers, with not enough sexual tension to interest New Adult readers. I guess this is for mermaid lovers only, and it's really an interesting look at one author's mermaid vision and world.

[Pete Tarsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good mermaid book, and when I got the opportunity to read an advance copy of Kyla Stan’s new book, Forbidden Tides, I took it. I had already read her YA werewolf novel, Poet Tongue, and some of the aspects of that book I enjoyed were its vivid descriptions of the natural setting and its strong message of conservation of nature. Oh yeah, and that book had a good plot and theme about finding one’s sense of belonging within a community. I wondered if she’d transport some of those themes into an underwater realm, and I’m happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed.

The story starts with a prologue occurring when main character Astrid Murphy was only a few years old. While at a beach celebration with her parents, a figure appears from the water and beckons to Astrid. Yes, it telegraphs a good chunk of the upcoming story, but it’s so well-written that I don’t mind knowing that early that Astrid is part Sirenia (Stan’s species name for the mermaids in this story)—after all, it is mentioned in the book description.

Jump ahead to Astrid when she’s eighteen years old and dismayed by her father’s coarse attitude and disgusted with his occupation. He has a lucrative business fishing for Sirenia; apparently, they’re a culinary delicacy. Though I agree with the message against hunting endangered species, and though I’m no vegan, I can understand the message of seeking healthier and/or more humane alternatives than eating meat. However, the eating of Sirenia can be interpreted as borderline cannibalism since they have human-like upper halves. Fortunately, this is only a side detail briefly mentioned and never shown.

The majority of the story deals with Astrid coming to terms with her true heritage, a Sirenia male named Zander tasked with finding his dying king’s heir, and the interconnected history between the two stories and Astrid’s parents on land. I’m not going to spoil the details, but some of them are easily spotted and others are hidden well. There are some fun fish-out-of-water moments as Zander comes to land looking for Astrid. And there are some tense interactions between Astrid and her father. For the most part, the story is solid.

My only issues with the story are that I think it rushed to its conclusion and some elements needed for that conclusion seem to come out of nowhere—without saying much, I’m talking about Astrid adapting to her role among the Sirenia and Zander’s fate near the ending. The novel reads at a relatively quick pace, so it wouldn’t be hard to plant a few necessary seeds for the ending to flow better earlier or to slow down some events at the ending. Also, the epilogue is a fantastic idea concerning Astrid’s younger brother, but it would be more meaningful if he had had a greater role earlier in the story. But I guess when the criticism is that you want more, it’s a lot better than wanting there to be less.

Because what’s there is good. Like her previous novel, Kyla does a great job describing the wonder of nature. And her mermaid world is different from some others I’ve read, so that’s a welcome touch. For its interesting characters, strong imagery, and some clearly thought-out themes, you should dive into Forbidden Tides, which I give FOUR STARS.

[Krystal Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this book. The imagination of the author, Kyla Stan, never ceases to amaze me. Stan has done an amazing job bringing this story to life.

Not only does the author give us a captivating love story, she gives us adventure, excitement, danger, heartbreak, and freedom within the depths of this truly amazing tale about a girl who realizes she doesn’t know the entire truth about her existence.

Even though she’s so different, Astrid is very relatable. Her journey of self-discovery is one that can teach us all a valuable lesson about accepting ourselves, accepting others, and realizing our actions have consequences. I also love that she’s not your typical damsel-in-distress character. While she has some weak moments that she has to learn to overcome, she’s a strong woman.
And Zander…..whew, let’s talk about Zander. He’s hot and loyal and protective. It isn’t until he shows up that Astrid starts to realize that the world she was born for is in more danger than she could imagine.

The love stories within this book are so intriguing. Stan does a fantastic job of depicting several different types of relationships within this novel along with the drama and passion that emanate from them.

I absolutely loved this novel. I highly recommend it!

[Amanda M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and Booksprout for providing me with a free copy. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The idea behind this story was very intriguing and had a lot of promise. However, the story line was very inconsistent with pacing. It would be slow then a lot would happen and then nothing again. I also didn’t really feel that there was a good climax to the story line. The events near the end felt very rushed and was just a lot thrown at you at once.

That being said, there were a lot of things I liked about the book. The characters were developed nicely throughout the story. The idea behind the story was amazing, and you can tell the author has passion for writing and the ocean. I also enjoyed the romance aspect of it as it added a nice extra part of the story. I also loved how the epilogue/ending was written. It was something I didn’t see coming and really enjoyed that.

Overall, I loved the idea of the story but the writing just wasn’t there for me. I enjoyed the characters and the story itself but it could get confusing and changed pace randomly.

[ErinTurnsPages · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny story, I started reading this and I overheard my 5 year old daughter telling my dad a story about how she wanted to play as a human and then a mermaid and then a human again when she was out of water, she hadn’t heard me say what my current book was about. That said.
I loved this book. It was easy to read, quick to read, and interesting. It reminded me of that Disney movie, The Thirteenth Summer. It dealt with more than just the mermaid vs human problem. So much more. Ethics in science, marine biology, bullying, abuse... and there’s more as well. The characters were well written, when I felt that Astrid was starting to annoy me, she delicately changed and I liked her again before I knew it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun book. Very YA, found family, secret heritage, merfolk, need I say more?

Astrid is our FMC and let me tell you, this chick has been through some stuff. She’s bullied at school for her webbed fingers, her dad is a literal ass and actually harms her (no detail descriptions in the book), and the only place she finds solace is the ocean.

Zander is second in command to the leader of the Sirenia (merfolk), Aryes, and one of the most trusted warriors. Aryes has tasked Zander to find his daughter and bring her back to lead the Sirenia. Let’s just say that Zander was not prepared for what he found.

These two are so sweet. She is so kind and gentle to him and helps him adjust to “land life” while he teaches her about her people and her heritage. He is also very protective of her, almost instantly. Their friendship turned relationship feels very natural and again, very sweet.

If you want a little mermaid feel, this would be a great book to read!

[Joey Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up because of the title, and the blurb. I was dragged into the pages and into the story, needing to continue with it like it was oxygen. I loved Astrid and Zander, loved watching their story come to life in the words. The world was beautifully crafted and excellently told. I was hooked from word one til the very end and adored the ending. The characters were so life like and the many twists and turns the story took just made you hungry for more. A very enjoyable read with an excellent message, and one that I highly recommend!

[NanaShauna Joesten · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read. If your love the Mermaid World you will love this read. Astrid doesn't know that she is part of the Merfolk world. She has webbed hands and can do other things. Zander who is from the Merworld is sent to bring back Astrid to the Merworld can he convince her to come back. The Author has done a wonderful job at creating the different worlds in this Fantastic story. Its a fascinating story that gets you lost in the pages of this book. That Highly recommend.
Shauna Joesten

[Ronda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written

I loved this story, and the fact it brought two people/merfolk together through their own experiences and distrust of one evil wicked man. And evil he was. I enjoyed the swim in the ocean, and the humpback whale named Bruno. The orca siblings. Also the love that grew between Astrid and Sander pricing love can conquer all.

[Charlotte Patrone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great story of teenage forbidden love. The hatred between species is revisited throughout, but there's also references to issues in the ocean caused by humans. In general I liked the main characters, I found them irritating at times but I think that's because they're teenagers! There's domestic abuse at points in the story that some may struggle with

[Idi Aldama · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the way Kyla was able to mix fantasy with reality seamlessly. Zander and Astrid are such a beautiful, dynamic couple. In this book it shows what would happen if humans knew that mermaids existed. I Would highly recommend this book.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel was very engaging. Astrid is different and has known so all her life. Zander also feels the same way.

Together they learn to embrace themselves, their love and fight for what is right. I loved that while this novel focuses of Merpeople, and their hardships...this novel also focuses on real issues that we are facing daily. With pollution, lack of clean water...and overall what humans are doing to the planet which is causing way too much destruction to land but also sea.

This novel was very detailed into the destruction that is plaguing the ocean. I really loved Zander as a main character. He is a strong warrior, but is able to let his walls down slowly around Astrid.

I was worried how this novel would end, as it was extremely fast paced. However, I loved the arc that this novel took overall. I loved the characters growth and the lies that were told throughout. I definitely recommend this novel for anyone that has an affinity to the water, has an interest in merpeople or just really loves a good action-love story.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enthralling read of a young girls journey to reveal her true heritage and see where her loyalties lie, to her half human self or her half Sirenia side! I absolutely loved the character development and love story!

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay this was a new author to me but I was drawn to this book because of the blurb.
I'm honestly happy I took a chance on this book becasue I abostly loved it.
Kept me pulled into it. Couldn't put it down. 5 star book. Highly recommend it.
Can't wait to read other works by this author.

[Donamarie Fournier · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting mermaid story. This is not my usual type of book, but it was very interesting although a bit choppy at times. I enjoyed the storyline and the main characters.

[Jessie Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dark tale on mermaids...I loved it!!! I couldn't put it down! I wanted more pages...more story...it was just that amazing!! I'm a sucker for mermaids, and all things mythical. This was spot on for me!! Such a great read! Great writing style!! Will be reading it again soon for sure!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ursala · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this genre ❤️!

I received an ARC from the author and Booksprout to review.

Astrid is a young woman off to college, trying to enjoy her last summer at home with her family when an encounter with a Sirenia throws her life into chaos.

Zander is a hard-working, dedicated merman with close ties to his clan leader. His clan leader trusts him above all others, even if he is slightly different. He trusts Zander to find and return his long-lost daughter.

I was excited to read this as the plot sounded so good! I was not disappointed. The story had my heart racing and my eyes trying to skim ahead🫣. I've never read a mer-story like this before and I loved it. I loved the mixing of the humans and merfolk. The story hit the nail on the head with the fear and ignorance displayed by both species.

There is a lovely blend of love, tragedy, heartbreak, death, and redemption. This story has it all. I would say it is appropriate for all ages.

[Lindsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really glad to find out this wasn't a normal mermaid story. This was a bit different than the ones out there. I enjoyed this story and the mermaid theme and the characters.
I thought Astrid was a little naive because she was helping Zander with the same problems she was having but seemed shocked and upset when she learned the truth about herself. I think I literally said the word, "Duh!", when she found out. I liked the chemistry between Astrid and Zander though and was glad Astrid had somewhere to go to get away from her father. I really did not like her dad but nobody should. I couldn't understand how her mother was still with her father but I am glad things turned out a bit better for everyone. I wasn't really expecting the ending but I am not sure how else it could have ended.
I'm glad I was able to get an early copy of this to read and give my honest review.

[Megan B · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars rounded to 3
As a writer, this book made me internally scream.
There was so much head hopping that at I couldn’t tell who’s POV I was reading half the time. There was a lot of telling and not enough showing.

[Suus · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don’t like this book. Elaborate review coming soon. Need some time to find words for my disappointment. Did not finish.