The Teeth in the Tide

Savage Seas #1

by Rebecca F. Kenney

Pitched as Attack on Titan with mermaids, this savage gender-swapped retelling of “The Little Mermaid” is perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout, Alexandra Christo, and Holly Black.

Trapped on a walled island with her people, Kestra aches for vengeance against the swarms of ravenous mermaids that ate her father fifteen years ago. The swarms threaten her town’s last supply ship and the safety of the brave young captain who smiles so charmingly at her whenever he makes port. With the help of her scientist cousin and the handsome captain, Kestra takes her future and her people's fate into her hands, determined to find a way to destroy all the mermaids for good.

Abused and miserable, Rake serves in the harem of the three high mermaid Queens. When he is given one of his spawn to raise, Rake resolves that his little son will have a better life. With the help of a monstrous creature that deals in memories, he discovers a century-old secret—one that could lead to freedom.

This fantasy novel blends a dark, brutal setting with romance and humor. New Adult. (Content warnings: Violence, abuse, brief mention/implication of off-screen rape/sexual slavery, cannibalism, PTSD.)

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Mermaids, Dark, Retellings, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance

387 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2021

About the author

Rebecca F. Kenney writes spicy fantasy romance about sassy, strong women and hot guys with tragic backstories... pirates, warlords, demons, Fae, and royals. Her main series are the "Wicked Darlings" series (spicy Fae retellings of the Nutcracker, Wonderland, and Oz), the "Dark Rulers" series (standalones in a shared world), and the "For the Love of the Villain" series of genderbent fairytales. Other books include a post-apocalyptic vampire romance trilogy ("The Vampires Will Save You"), a demon romance "Interior Design for Demons," a dark mermaid fantasy duet, and other spicy retellings.

Rebecca is represented by Eva Scalzo of Speilburg Literary. She lives in upstate South Carolina with her handsome blue-eyed husband and two smart, energetic kids.

For updates and information about upcoming novels, follow on Instagram @rebeccafkenneybooks, on Twitter @RebeccaFKenney1, and on TikTok @rebeccafkenney

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is nothing I love more than to curl up with a delicious fairy tale retelling. There’s just something magical about getting transported to a familiar tale whose heart you know, but seeing the way a new author puts their own magical spin on it and makes the character and world come to life. In THE TEETH IN THE TIDE, a YA Fantasy Little Mermaid retelling, Rake has grown up in a system where his purpose is to be a male mermaid breeder, and through forced sexual slavery, will sire heirs for the female mermaids that rule the kingdom. It’s a darker spin on the fairy tale for sure. I loved Kestra as well, who has every reason to hate mermaids after they ate her father (oops—that love story has a few roadblocks ahead.) I really liked how the book addressed hard issues of sexual abuse and PTSD while also telling a delightful story. This is a lovely, dark delicious fantasy perfect for mermaid lovers!

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.

[Katherine Macdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhh, what a story! It's really difficult to put into words quite what this story is, or even it's genre. It's kind of dark fantasy, but the fantasy is "scienced"... but it's definitely not sci-fi. It feels New Adult to me, with some sex (nothing graphic, definitely delicious) and LOTS of violence... but nothing that made me uncomfortable. Either way, I adore the world Rebecca has crafted. It's beautiful and deadly and oh so real.

I loved the characters, particularly Rake. He has my whole heart, and I'm sure he'll ensnare yours, too. I also love Kestra and her her gentle darkness, and Flay was gorgeous too.

As expected, Rebecca's prose is incomparable and unbelievably beautiful, and she handles the emotional impact of the abuse several of the characters suffer with care and heart.

Fair warning, while this book can pretty much be read as a standalone, there is a sequel in the works... and believe me, you're going to want it. You definitely won't be done with these characters!

[M.E. Aster · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Teeth in the Tide is one of the best books I’ve read all year! I enjoyed it so much that as soon as I finished reading it I turned around and purchased the paperback which isn’t something I do often!

Kenney is a new to me author but after reading this book I’m eager to check out her other works. The Teeth in the Tide takes a commonly used concept (mermaids) and makes it something all it’s own. Everything about this book was unique and memorable. I couldn’t put it down!

From the vicious mermaids to the lurking sea beasts to the interesting love “triangle” and everything in between, The Teeth in the Tide is a masterpiece. The pacing is perfect, the characters are wonderful, and the editing is impeccable! I honestly can’t find one flaw in this book.

Kudos to Kenney for creating a story that both fans of The Little Mermaid and Attack on Titan can enjoy. I am excited to read more from her and also to see her new amazing covers!

*I was given an ARC through Booksprout and this is my honest, voluntary review.*

[Shelby | Spicy.booknook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This info is for the EXTENDED EDITION which has added, spicy scenes.

MF Monster* Romance
*I don’t want to call him a monster 😞
Undetermined Love Interests
Gender Swapped Little Mermaid (sort of)
Dark Fantasy
Scary Ass Mermaids
Action-Adventure

My reading of this book is a little all over the place. I started it, was confused because FMC was already having a thing with a guy…thought, is this gonna be a love triangle?? (I try and stay away from those, because I always like both choices, it’s why I read why choose!) I went and read some reviews of book two, got some answers, pouted a bit and decided to DNF this one at 30%. The problem was that over a week later, I could NOT get this story out of my head. The scenes with the evil mermaids just stuck in my head – shit was creepy! I cared more about the story than the love interests. And I am SOOO glad I did, because I went back and finished and consider it a five star book.

So, in this book you have a few main characters. You have Kestra, who lives in a world that is dictated by the fact that there are vicious merpeople that surround them, and cut the island people off from the outside would. Their saving grace is Flay, the outgoing and adventurous captain of the ONLY ship willing to come near, and bring the occasional lot of supplies. Kestra is totally enamored with the handsome captain. Under the sea, you have Rake, a slave and breeder to three evil Mermaid Queens. He just wants to live a life of freedom and wonders what it would be like to live amongst the humans he catches glimpses of here and there. There is also Mai, the scientific little cousin of Kestra that is dedicating herself to finding a way to end the mermaids hold on the people. Through many twist and turns, these four lives intersect and a fast paced, wild and scary adventure takes place.

Seriously, it’s so good. If you are more for romance (which is here, just maybe not in the form you think it will be) stick with this, and it will be worth it. If you aren’t, there is a clean version on this book. I’d recommend this to anyone that likes nerve wracking, tense as f*ck reads lol
I’m very excited to dive right into the next book.





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From DNF to a 5🌟
I’m so glad I finished this. Will update soon 💜

[Michele Quirke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I'm not really sure where to even start with this. I just finished reading The Teeth in the Tide and I have feelings!! It was not at all what I expected, although to be fair...I didn't even read the blurb before I preordered it. All I needed to know was that it had a gorgeous cover, was written by Rebecca F. Kenney, and had mermaids. The rest was a mystery.

The Teeth in the Tide is NOT your typical mermaid book. It's dark, intense, and full of powerful emotions. I especially loved the relationship Rake had with his son, Jewel, and the fact that he was willing to do anything to keep him safe. I also LOVED Kestra and the captain, Flay, together. Their relationship was super sweet, but I really enjoyed watching it deepen as the story progressed. I don't really want to say much more because of spoilers, but I do want to mention that Kestra's character development was absolutely phenomenal. I'd say she impressed me the most. But then again, so did Rake. He really, really came into his own throughout the book and it was so great to see him overcome the horrors of his past.

I could probably go on and on about this so I'll wrap it up by applauding Kenney's writing style. It's so descriptive and beautiful. I already knew that going in, since I've read one of her earlier books, but I really loved how she described the underwater scenes. Top notch writing!

5/5 stars and I can't wait for the sequel!!

[Sara Cleveland · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are very few books where I'm less than two chapters in and I'm already thinking "this is going to be a 5 stars review." The Teeth in the Tide was one of those for me. It is just plain good. The writing is spot on. The character development is great. Kenney somehow manages to bring a sense of absolute horror without actually turning it into a horror novel. I got to the end of the book and I my immediate thought was I want more. Fortunately for me, it appears that Kenney does intend to continue the story in a second installment and I am already chomping at the bit for it.

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

[Hayley Chow · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this book was a surprise in the best way!

Let me start by saying, I'm not a mermaid person. When I originally saw this book described as a gender-swapped Little Mermaid retelling, I thought, "Eh, not for me."

Then... when I saw it pitched as "Attack on Titan with mermaids," I thought... Okay... well THAT I've got to see. And this book so totally pulled it off! The dual-POV plot follows a girl struggling with her deep-seated anger with the infestation of cannibalistic mermaids around her small island that threatens to cut them off from the rest of the world, and a merman struggling to escape slavery from the twisted, abusive mermaid queens.

Kenney does NOT hold back with the viciousness of the mermaids as she so vividly paints their world. Perfectly paced, I totally loved the brisk, rich writing style and the intricate and barbaric culture of the mermaids. I liked all the characters from the quietly raging Kestra, to intelligent Mai, and the charismatic ship captain, and the dialogue between them was sharp and fun.

The only thing that didn't quite work for me was the glimpses of the love triangle that I feel would be further explored in future books. Without getting into spoilers, the chemistry between two points of the love triangle didn't quite gel for me, and I was a little bit anxious about who the MC would end up.

I felt like the ending tied up the strands perfectly though, closing out the story while leaving room for future tales. As for a content warnings: there is definitely some intense, bloody violence, but language is mild, and romance scenes are fade-to-black, so I'd say PG-13. I would recommend this book to any fans of fantasy with an edge... and extra bonus points if you're into mermaids!

These are my voluntary, honest thoughts, and thanks so much to the author and BookSprout for the ARC!

[georgie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kestra is easily the most annoying and frustrating fmc I’ve encountered in a long time 👏

[L.V. Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhh!!! I absolutely loved this book! Loved it!
Terrifying, bloodthirsty mermaids and angry girls! Yes!!! Yes please!

The world building here is exquisite, the writing gorgeous, the characters... All of them were so imperfectly perfect, would legit die for all of them.

I cannot fangirl enough over this book... But I'll stop for now. Just go read it.

I'm off to preorder the sequel! 🖤🖤🖤

[Sara Saif · Rating 5 out of 5]

OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!!!!
What a beautiful and tantalizing book!
The book's pitched as Attack on Titan meets the Little Mermaid and I have never heard of a combination quite so unique and delicious as this before. The beginning of the book was so, so good. It's not exactly horror, but those first few pages were really vivid and scary. I didn't think I would finish this so fast but I did, thanks to the exquisitely written story. It's absolutely wonderful. The world-building is fantastic, the characters are endearing and worth rooting for and the writing is mesmerizing. It's perfectly paced and has a neat ending. EXCEPT THAT THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL. YAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY.

[Chesney Infalt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Fantasy

Wow! What a well-written story. I loved the bond between father and son, and look forward to seeing what the next book holds. Only thing: this says gender-swapped Little Mermaid retelling, and if you go into it expecting the original tale, you'll be confused. This is a story of its own with only little hints of the fairytale, but is very much worth a read if you like dark fantasy.

Contains:
-Violence
-Sexual references
-Trauma

[K Dezendorf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a thrilling delight. I very much enjoy the main characters. Both had good, lovely sides to them as well as dark and twisted sides, making them feel less like just book characters and more like people. The story definitely kept surprising me. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen next it kept surprising me. The visual details were lovely, especially the descriptions of the undersea areas. both Rake and Kestra going through amazing changes, one learning to overcome hate and internal bias, and the other coming to terms with their abuse and taking the first steps to overcome trauma. if you enjoy monstrous mermaids, adventure, romance, and just the right amount of darkness to spice it up, I'd highly recommend this read.

[Sarah D · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was almost a DNF. The mermaid POV was interesting, but the human one was boring as heck. I found myself skimming and skipping the human POV to try to get to the more interesting mermaid parts.

Eventually, around 50%, the storylines coalesced, and it picked up. I still found myself skimming the Kestra POV a lot of the time.

I found Kestra to be a fundamentally unlikeable character. There were moments of attempted redemption, but ultimately she is not a nice person. Rake and Flay are both charming and kind and one wonders what they see in her.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebecca F. Kenney knows how to tell a story!

Let’s start with the world she’s built in The Teeth in the Tide. These are not your Disney mermaids. But they aren’t your typical man-eating sirens either. She’s created an underwater world with three classes of mermaids, a distinct (and disturbing) female-centric culture with males treated as breeding stock, and a human culture that has massively shifted to compensate for the danger of these flesh-loving creatures.

Kestra, our first main character, is beautifully drawn, with strength (and violence) born of the pain of losing her father to ravenous mermaids. Kestra is in love with Flay, a smiling, devoted ship captain who visits her island (which is walled off to protect against mermaids) every quarter.

Rake, our other main character, is a male mermaid who’s lived a life full of abuse as a breeder for the mermaid queens. While the many instances of his sexual abuse are kept off the page, Kenney does a wonderful job showing us his pain and how it affects his life. He’s a single father of a mermaid boy, and I’ll just admit—I’m kind of in love with Rake.

Kestra, Flay, and Rake work together to free Rake and his son from their slavery to the mermaid queens and to save the island from the hungry mermaids surrounding it. The book’s climax is thrilling, and while it wraps up the immediate conflict, it leaves a very tantalizing opening for the sequel. Thank goodness Kenney writes fast, because I don’t want to wait long to see what happens next!

I’d rate this book PG-13. There’s language, violence, and non-explicit sexual references.

[Cat Bowser · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

OMG, more books like this, please! I don’t know what the publication world seems to have against mermaids but stuff like this is what we want! Not only are the mermaids not the typical ones you see but they have their own involved culture that benefits some and harms others and we get to see the fallout of that.

Each of the main characters we can relate to. We understand and sympathize with their struggle while also feeling the stress from the world that has been set up. It feels real and lived in.

And the platonic relationships! Dear God, give me MORE of these! Not every study need rely on a romantic relationship. And the familial story in this beautiful tale is amazing and I want more of that!

Give this story your love, it’s well worth it!

[Rapier Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping to the end.

These are not sweet mermaids but dangerous predators. A single dad, Rake, escapes the cruel mermaid queens with his young son and tries to find refuge among the humans. Only problem is the humans hate the mermaids, especially Kestra, whose father was eaten by the mermaids when he fell into the sea.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, dark fantasy, I recommend The Teeth in the Tide. I read it in two days because I couldn’t put it down.

*Notes: This is the first edition, with fade-to-black, closed-door intimacy between the characters. Since I read this book, there is now an Extended Edition that is more “spicy.”

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 4 ⭐️
Spice 🌶🌶
Dual POV

Romantic Fantasy
High seas adventure
Mermaids are the bad guys
Reluctant allies
Found family
No cliffhanger
HFN

I have enjoyed everything I've read so far from Rebecca's catalog, and when I discovered she had a book about mermaids as the villains, I was very intrigued. When it's shown that the mermaids operate as a cold and callous matriarchal society, and truly do not value anything beyond their need to feed and breed... I enjoyed seeing this spin on mermaid folklore. They truly were a plague within their region of the ocean and it was great fun seeing our band of misfits come together for the greater good of the island the humans reside on, and the ocean as a whole and take down the mermaids.

I will admit it took a while for me to warm up to Kestra. She was probably my least favorite of all the characters, but by the end, I did appreciate her growth in humanity and empathy, acceptance of differences, and letting go of her grief. Rake was a precious cinnamon roll who deserves all the affection and love he's been denied his whole life. Even Flay is equally sweet, progressive, and emotionally intelligent for a sea captain, when the role is stereotypically written as brooding, vicious, and/or somewhat misogynistic. I have no idea what direction the romance is going. Kestra and Flay are together and both have declared that to Rake. But both have commented on how beautiful Rake is... and Rake equally acknowledges both of them as beautiful too (though his keen interest is in Kestra). But there was also a moment Rake had with Mai... I'm wondering if this is going to turn into a love triangle or why choose.

Despite the vicious nature of the task at hand to destroy all the mermaids, the story took a sweet turn when the makings of the found family trope began to emerge between the humans and Rake and Jewel. I hope we get to see more of this develop in book 2.

This is a fast-paced paced adventurous story where the mermaids are the bad guys, humans are the ones trying to save the ocean (and themselves), and there are some touches of romance thrown in.

[Jessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I FLEW through this book! I also learned something very important - mermaids freak me tf out and I don't know why but I still couldn't stop reading.

The writing was beautiful! I love anything and everything ocean, so I adored the description and the imagining of the world under the sea.

I loved the two main characters - usually in a dual POV novel I find there's one character I prefer but I really couldn't pick a favorite with this one. The character development was excellent and I can't wait to see where the sequel takes them.

[Tania · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was anticipating kestra x rake the entire time and it did not happen at all

[Fátima Carrero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deliciously dark retelling of The Little Mermaid. It begins with a bang that will make you stare at the page with your mouth open in complete shock and it only gets better. Packed with action, this edges the line with grimdark for me in all the right places. With every twist, Rebecca magically crafts and builds such a realistic world in which mermaids aren't your every day cute Disney character. These mermaids are brutal and fierce and a tiny island is surrounded by them, but Kestra is even fiercer.

[Arleny · Rating 3 out of 5]

i would give it more stars but there were some hints of sexism 😭

[Mimia The Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had heard a lot of good things about the author's work and read her Pied Piper retelling from Villainous: An Anthology of Fairytale Retellings which I really, really liked. Despite that, I was still pleasantly surprised because this book was very, very good in so many different ways.

The world created, with both humans and mermaids and their different societies and rules and how they affected each other without directly interacting, was so captivating because it was so different while also recognisable.
The themes of darkness and love (not only romantic which I really appreciated) and freedom and overcoming of fears and all the things were so good and made so much sense in this story.
The characters' dilemmas and the portrayal of their feelings, the merman discovering a whole new world, the Horror from the sea (there's more to it (them?) for sure and I'm here for it) and all the darkness were great to read and really made the story.
The writing really had a way of painting all this while being a pleasure to read in itself (Am I weird for this? Maybe...) and I highlighted so many things (so many!) because they rang true and were beautifully described and I want reread them just for that pleasure!

I'd also like to take a moment to point how the cover and title for this couldn't be more appropriate for the book. A book that doesn't fit into a box of what we would think a dark fantasy retelling of the Little Mermaid would be (although I'd say it is a very loose retelling). It may not fit a clear genre but it is definitely a story that needed to be told because our world is always in need of more good stories. This means it will keep you guessing and I enjoyed that very much.

There's a slight cliffhanger right at the end that leaves you satisfied with this book alone but wanting more (and there's a promise of a sequel!).


Note: At first, I thought this would be a 4.5 stars read for me, but, after sleeping on it, it deserves the whole 5 stars.

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

[Brittni Kitten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carnivorous mermaids blockade an island. All anyone wants is to be free to be who they are. Romance, family obligation and violence wrap together to make this an interesting story to read. Cannot wait to see what happens next!

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

[K.J. Harrowick · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Impressions

I have been dying to sink my claws into this story since the first time I saw a tweet about it on Twitter. I’ve never read anything by Rebecca F. Kenney, but who can resist a dark twist on fantasy mermaids with a romantic subplot?

I had to sit on this tale for days while I finished a critique, and it was definitely worth the wait in so many ways. It’s a dark and luscious tale that takes readers between harsh island life and the Down Below, a world of horror and dark agendas.

I think what threw me off a little at the beginning was the character Kestra. She was so submissive to her mother and others around her that the story almost read like a young adult novel. In fact, I thought it was, but after the first few chapters the prose settles more into an adult rhythm.
The Characters

Rake, the merman from Down Below, was exceptional! A tortured soul with a gentle heart, he was so easy to connect with and sink into his story. A victim of abuse and torture, he was forced to keep his head down and his actions subservient. But once he met his son, that fatherly instinct took over and he slowly gained the confidence and strength he needed to protect his child – never losing the gentleness of his personality.

As for Kestra, I really struggled with her character. At first she was so subservient to her mother and others that she seemed almost like a teenager. Though she had a gentle, carefree spirit, it was easy to see how she really thought through each of her actions. However, right about the middle of the book she flipped the switch and turned vicious and full of rage. While there were little hints about festering grief, the transition was so abrupt it nearly ruined her story for me. And this didn’t really change until near the end, where she flipped from hatred to friendship and love. I think they were all great emotions for her to have in this tale, as a reader though I wish they’d shifted more organically.

The Romance

If you’re a romance reader, you know that when a story has two POVs, those two characters are central to the romance. However, in this tale the romance (or lack of) was very confusing. Kestra and Captain Flay are lovers, but it’s Kestra and Rake who are the POVs. So that gnawed at me the whole time trying to understand why Flay was still in the picture and if this would become a poly romance (which I’m cheering for). It may happen in future books, but in this story the romance was meager at best.

It was sweet, but had no real fire. Between Kestra’s personality flips and Flay being oddly laid back as a ship’s captain (he had no real grit to me), I wasn’t 100% sold on their romance. And with Rake, he’s fascinated by both Flay and Kestra and his feelings seemed to hold more strength, but he did not become more than a test kiss in the romance.

That said, anyone who loves a sweeter romance in their fantasy will probably love it. I just wanted more fire and passion and a bit more head-strong dialogue from all parties, not just Kestra.

What I Loved

Despite my misgivings about some things above, I still think this story is utterly stellar.

The mermaid factions are dark and horrifying, and the culture is so different from our own that part of the horror is not knowing how the ‘breeder males’ should be acting.

Not only that, the Down Below world is so vivid and full of life, from the sea grass to sleep in to the gentle current of the ocean to the swarms of murderous merlows…. I love everything about the world Kenney has built and I’m eager to see more of it in future books.

Verdict & Recommendation

Overall, I absolutely loved this book. The author has built a dark and gorgeous world with all the Horror you might find in a derelict starship before the murdering really starts. If you love grimdark worlds and murderous mermaids, this story is definitely for you.

I would recommend this book to anyone, honestly. The romance was very closed door, the horror wasn’t throat closing, and the storylines are heartwarming and build found family friendships.

[Emmarie Vaughan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The easiest FMC to hate, she’s truly disgusting

In my Rebecca Kenney binge, THIS is top 3. Dual pov but not between lovers, like I normally see. One pov is the human FMC and the other is the mermaid MMC. The story caught me on its hook and I didn’t want to be let go.
The pacing was decent, but I can’t complain because this is longer than most of her books and was able to give a full story.

The mermaid MMC, Rake, has my heart. He fought so hard when everything and everyone was trying to shove him down. The real MVP and the only hero. All other characters were his side kicks.

Before my rant, I want to mention that I loved this story. It is intense, suspenseful, and dangerous. However, the FMC, felt like the person standing in front of you, blocking your view, and won’t move out of the way.

Spoiler rant:
The hate from the FMC is next level and the grossest behavior I have ever read. Her boy toy, Flay, is influenced by her so he is mildly hateful. He eases up, but keeps quiet and allows Kestra to rage all over the place, treating everyone like shit.

Kestra, the FMC, was fine in the beginning and flipped her switch around 50%. She is truly a disgusting, genocidal tyrant who ruthlessly kicked the MMC down as he was begging for help. Rake explained the difference between the mermaids but she continued to see them all the same. From 50% to 99%, she treated Rake like shit, yelled at her lover “telling her what to do” when he was only for being considerate of her life, and ignores her responsibilities even when her mother visibly struggling without her. She runs around, contributing nothing but fits of rage and words of hate. Willing to call a giant legendary monster to wipe out the mermaids without considering the danger to her people because she hates them that much. AND NO ONE STOPS HER!
Then, she has the audacity at the end to call herself a hero.
None of the ideas were hers, she can’t help on the ship they use, and she can’t swim in the sea to act on their plan. At the end, she is wailing in grief because Rake sacrificed himself. It didn’t make sense and confused me. She hates him! And has up until this very point.

[Casie Aufenthie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Teeth in the Tide by Rebecca Kenney hooked me on page one. The author immerses you in the world and the emotional state of the characters immediately, but so subtly, you don’t realize you’ve been caught in the tide of the tale until you’re already several chapters into this unique journey.

One of the aspects that reeled me in (Yes, the fish puns will continue), is how the author captured life above and below the sea. Not only are there beautiful, imaginative descriptions of undersea caverns and a quaint island village, there’s abounding symbolism showing how, on the surface, these worlds seem different, but in some ways, they’re tragically similar. This is especially poignant in relation to the two main characters.

Rake is a mermaid in a society where the men are viewed as worthless aside from breeding purposes. He’s trapped in a life where he’s used and abused to heartbreaking and gut-wrenching extent. He’s an object for the Queens’ amusement rather than a living being. He used to numbly tolerate his existence until he learns of a son, Jewel. As soon as he does, he’s willing to risk everything for his child, and he becomes, easily, the most endearing character.

Kestra is a fiery young woman trapped on an island who dreams of finding a way to get vengeance on the mermaids for eating her father. (Yes, you read that right – eating. Did I mention these mermaids are gloriously gory in their violence?) While Kestra yearns to join her lover, Flay, a ship’s captain out on the high sea, he doesn’t think she’d do well in such an environment. While Kestra starts out immature and a little over-the-top rageful, she finds her footing and grows into a strong, compassionate character.

To wrap up this lengthy review, the plot had great pacing, continuing to lure me in page after page. Sensitive subjects were handled with care, and while there was a bit of a cliffhanger, the main story resolved while leaving lots of room for the sequel. I’d definitely recommend The Teeth in Tide to any fans of dark fantasy.

[K.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

You know those rare books that you just can't stop raving about? Teeth in the Tide was an unexpected delight - unexpected because it was an indie-published novel from one of my favourite book cover designers, and I thought "if she's so good at design, she can't possibly be that good at writing too". Ha. Haha. Ha. SHE IS.

I don't, as a general rule, do mermaid books. I've found them to be frilly and romanticised and impractical, and every mermaid is either Arial or Aquaman. But this book felt real - from one of the MCs griping about the impracticality of unsealed containers as their contents would float away, the 3D battle scenes where up and down become options for escape, and the evolution characteristics of beings living under the sea.

And this book was written with both style and care, tackling difficult issues such as matriarchal societies/male subjugation, racism, expectations on women and sexual assault with a refined dignity that didn't give the reader all the answers, showing rather than telling, and exploring the realities of the world.

I've read plenty of 'good' indie books in my time, but I was absolutely blown away by this one. The quality of the writing, the lack of typos, the depth of the world Kenney has created (literally and figuratively - I absolutely adored the creativity of the cursing, in a world where the sea is the cause of everything bad: eg "torrent and tide!", "by the maelstrom!"), the avoidance of cliches, and the lack of easy resolution for the characters' flaws. Kenney has made a solid fan out of me with just one book, and I am incredibly excited to read the remainder of this series.

“Eyes be salt and body be sand, but soul be the breeze that flies to the land.” The woman’s voice quavered the same refrain over and over, an undercurrent to the shrieks ripping from Kestra’s mother and the keening of the mermaids in the surf below the wall.

[Ashley Anglin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd kind of like a do-over, so I could take this with me as a beach read (though maybe it would have made me nervous to get in the water?). I'm not usually one for books marketed as New Adult or romance, but I've always been obsessed with mermaids. The Teeth in the Tide is a little bit Things in Jars, a little bit Speak the Ocean, and has something for a wide range of readers, including me!

What I enjoyed very much:
-Tight plot/pacing and perfectly managed dual points of view to advance the story.
-Well-developed, flawed characters I really liked as "people" (especially Mai and beautiful, brave Rake).
-Feminism/some atypical gender roles, body and sex positivity. Not afraid to explore female rage!
-Scary without too much horror/gore (the "Ursula" equivalent is YIKES in a good way), emotional/sexy (the feels!!) but no graphic on-page encounters.
-Clever ways of showing the meaning and importance of family.
-Science as "magic" in a world where mermaids are real.
-The rather poetic third-person narration felt like a happy throwback to the writing style of fantasy books I loved when I was younger. I found myself smiling at the fun when elements of the Little Mermaid story would appear, but this is very much its own original story, not just another retelling.

My minor quibbles (as distinct as the 2 species are, how do they share a common language? why are males and females of Rake's kind all called "mermaids" instead of a gender-neutral name?) definitely didn't stop me from devouring this story like a swarm of merlows and hoping for a sequel.

I was fortunate to receive a free advance copy. This is my honest review.

[Inés Doce · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story and the world the author created are very interesting.

The book felt like it lacked a good rythm, very slow-paced at the beginning and then very fast-paced.

The way the information about the world was conveyed was very much tell and not show, which again the beginning was quite boring because of all the info-dumping.

I really got to imagine the world thanks to the descriptions but at times they became too much and too boring.

Kestra was very boring, sadistic and irrational. I enjoy characters with these traits when you can tell they are meant to be that way but I felt like the author was trying to paint her as a good person, when indeed she was not at all.
Also, I think the story would have been totally fine without her (even better, honestly). She was inconsequential to the story, added absolutely no value; Mai was inventive, Flay was the captain, Rake was the mermaid and Kestra was just there (to be loved, for no reason at all)?¿

The romance between Flay and Kestra was not really a romance at all. Flay was totally in love with the idea of Kestra and not Kestra herself. And Kestra's love for Flay wasn't well potrayed, I ended the book feeling like she wasn't in love with him at all, and was just with him because she was supposed to love him and not because she loved him. This, I don't know if it was intentional by the author or I just felt this way.

All the other characters were interesting but they lacked depth, which made it hard to care about them.

Nevertheless, I will read the next book! I am intrigued as to how the relationships will develop.

[Shannon Rohrer · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

This was an excellent read. Rebecca has such a talent for storytelling, for writing in such a way that rolls, sweeps and coils as it ensnares the senses. The story flowed beautifully, the characters were distinct and interesting, and the plot kept those pages turning.

Kestra is far from perfect, which is what makes her such an impactful character: she is angry, grieving, resentful, and because of this, bears darkness. This is not romanticized, but utilized in a way that I feel reflects reality quite well--she has suffered a great loss, deals with the difficult aftermath of how said loss impacted her mother, and has lived a life with its share of ups and downs. And yet, despite the darkness, she still has that fierce inner fire, too. Did I always like her or the things she did/said? No. But her complexity is what made her a *good* character, as did her growth.

I really loved and sympathized with Rake; equally as complex, born in a savage, cruel world, yet so capable of kindness, intelligence and love. To me, he personified the breaking of toxic cycles, of becoming more than the society and cultures we're born into--of the people who raise us.

Flay, Mai, Jaza... Each character brought something to the story, had their own thoughts, feelings, motivations, spark.

My only hangup was "mermaid" being used even when referencing the males or the collective; but it was a considerably tiny nitpick for me, as the story itself was thoroughly enjoyable.

Great characters and excellent story. Highly recommended for anyone looking for some dark mermaid fantasy.