Our Bloody Pearl question

1) Have you ever read other books about sirens or mermaids? What sorts of background understanding are you bringing to Our Bloody Pearl?
3) How does Perle match up to what you believe about sirens?
5) How does the sirens’ song and behavior match up with your background thoughts?

I'm going to discuss these three questions together.
I can't think of a lot of other books I've read about mermaids and sirens. I've read The Little Mermaid and watched both the Disney movies and spin-offs as a child, so most of my basic understanding of mermaids will originate there. I'm also reminded of Peter Pan (and more recently, Peter Darling ), but the mermaids didn't have such a big role there, as far as I remember. I did write a story with a merman myself, which is in the Love & Bubbles anthology edited by Jaylee James and Jennifer Lee Rossman. There, I played a little with the concept, as my merman was grumpy and elderly and needed hot water in order to relieve his chronic pain—in that sense, Perle is perhaps a little more similar to him than to the 'classic' mermaids.
As for sirens, I haven't often encountered them in books, but I have written about one too and read up on them before I started on that story. ("Stars from the Stars" in Space Opera Libretti , edited by Brian McNett and Jennifer Lee Rossman, has Simon the Siren compete in a talent show in space.)
The sirens in Greek mythology, which I based Simon on, weren't much like mermaids, and therefore also not that much like Perle. They did sing to tempt people and wreck ships, but they were often depicted with feathered wings and human legs rather than a fishtail. So they generally are like Perle in occupation, but not in physical appearance.

2) Siren songs are usually about wanting, luring people to the depths with longing. Often in popular culture, the songs have a sexual nature. What other types of longing do you think could lead people into the sea?

The longing for peace and quiet can make it very tempting to go too far into the water. Or the idea of feeling cool water around you rather than heat and sweat when working on a ship on a hot day.

4) There is definitely a power dynamic at play; while Dejean doesn’t want to hurt Perle, he still has power over them. How do you see that power dynamic at play? Do you think he is actually kind or just wants to be? Can a person who inflicts violence to get what they want inherently be a good person? What about a person who keeps another hostage?

I think this complicated relationship is part of what makes the book so interesting and difficult to put down. It makes all the difference that Dejean seems to be aware of the power imbalance and tries to make amends. In spite of his original intentions, he has come to realise that Perle is a sentient person and does what he can to make them as comfortable as possible. He makes it clear that Perle would be free to go if they were able to, and that they are not a hostage or pet, but a guest at his home. Of course he is not just "a good guy", as he is a pirate who fights in order to take other people's possessions. But when it comes to Perle, he seems to try his best to be kind and is open to learning how he can be better, and I would say that is more important (certainly in this sort of story) than his past actions. Besides, Perle themself is not a purely "good" character either, considering that they threaten to hurt and eat humans several times, and not always purely because they're hungry. To me, that puts their dynamic in a different light than if Perle had been a defenceless and innocent character.
This question also reminded me of a quote from Neil Gaiman about learning to be kind by “faking it” by performing kind actions until it becomes the natural thing to do. I do think it’s something that can be learned rather than something a person just “is” or “is not”.

6) Perle says the sea rejects them; why do you think this is so? Do you think Perle is right, that they are rejected, or that Kian did something to them?

The way I read it, I would say that this is mainly a physical and psychological problem for Perle. Unable to swim and sing after Kian's torture, they no longer feel "whole" and therefore interpret what happened as being rejected by the sea. They haven't come to terms with what happened and can't accept their disabilities yet, but instead feel like they're no longer a "real" siren without those (in their mind) defining traits.

7) The conflict between humans and sirens seems to be at least partially due to a miscommunication. Do you think that the two can reconcile that?

Dejean and Perle seem to learn fast when it comes to communication. When reading, I sometimes wondered how Perle would make the sign for certain more abstract concepts, as sign language usually knows a lot of cultural influence and this siren and human are coming from wildly different cultures. However, it is satisfying to see that they get there after a few attempts, and therefore I imagine this won't damage their chance at forming a lasting friendship.

8) What have you enjoyed the most about these opening chapters?

The book is very easy to read and the characters are likable.

9) How do you feel about the representation in the book so far?

I love that there is a non-binary main character and the easy way Simone was shown to be trans. (And that her fiancée is also a woman. ^^)
Dejean reads as aromantic and asexual, but it makes me a little sad for him that his crew members don't seem to understand him well. However, I do wonder if this is more due to his character than to his orientation, which is something I suppose we will find out more about in the next chapters.

10) Do you have any predictions for the next chapters?

I think Perle and Dejean will grow very close, but that their peace will be disturbed by Kian finding them and fighting to take Perle back or attempting to kill them.