I always knew this day would come. That just as my hair lengthened and my curves formed, I would make the transition from girl to woman. To siren. Arianna is the youngest daughter of a siren. To become a siren herself, she must kill a man and sacrifice his heart to the God of the Deep. But she never expected to be assigned to kill a prince or to fall in love with him. Torn between her family and …
Torn between her family and her new love, Ari must decide what lies in the depths of her soul.
DEPTHS is a darker twist on The Little Mermaid that borrows from Greek/Roman mythology and early Christianity. An early version of this novel was published in Kingdom of Salt and Sirens Anthology (2018).
Light horror and sensuality. No graphic content. Recommended for young adults and teen readers ages 14 and up.
Other Books by Jacque Stevens:
Stone Bearers:
0. The Stone Bearers (2016)
0.5. The Frog’s Princess (2016)
1. The Queen’s Opal (2017)
2. The Queen’s Gift (2018)
3. The Queen’s Heir (2018)
4. The Queen’s Bane (2019)
5. The Queen’s Rite (Coming 2019)
Please Note: The Queen’s Opal is Book One. The Stone Bearers is a standalone novel that can be read before or after the full series.
The short story, The Frog’s Princess, can also be read in any order. Find it in The Fantastic Worlds Anthology (2016) or have a free digital copy delivered to you after signing up for my email list at sjacquebooks.com. Those on my email list will receive monthly emails with updates on deals, review opportunities for new releases, and other exclusive content.
Fairy Ring:
1. Fairy Ring: Shards of Janderelle (2017)
2. Fairy Ring: Changeling of Janderelle (2019)
3. Fairy Ring: Prince of Janderelle (Coming 2019)
Others:
Winter Falls: A Tale of the Snow Queen (2017)
Depths: A Tale of the Little Mermaid (2020)
more
Lies. It’s a reality that an entire ocean kingdom is built upon. It’s soaked in darkness. Its waters overflow with the blood sacrifice of many men, but this creature of the deep decrees it’s still not enough. She chants her twisted mantra that they deserved their bloody fate, because they are cruel beasts. She claims they are a monster breed that will take what they want as they please and toss aside the corpse, but she somehow never sees the true monster. There’s another reality though that her daughter, Arianna, has glimpsed. It’s soaked in light, the images that fairytales are built upon. It’s the belief that the world is kinder, and the happily ever after endings aren’t confined to a book. It’s the belief that love can be found because the princes of the storybooks could exist, and two people can share that magical connection that lasts forever. Two realities coexist as far apart as the heavens tower over the depths of the sea. When Arianna is given the bloody task of killing the prince and carving his heart out as offering to the God of the Deep to become a siren, Arianna must finally decide which reality to build her world. The scales drop from her eyes the more time she spends with the prince, and she discovers her storybook reality is closer to the truth that the tale she’s been fed for years by her mother. He’s everything she hoped for. Kind. Caring. Protective. Noble. He’s her heart’s longing, and she knows that now. She’s seen the truth, and she holds out her hand to grasp her fairytale ending. Yet her reality has its own distortions that she didn’t perceive. He is indeed everything she saw, truly possessing the heart of a prince, and so his reality dictates a different ending. One that’s unselfish and thinks first of what’s best to bring a lasting peace to his kingdom. In that moment, the heartbreaking cry that pours from her is echoed in our spirits. For it’s not hers alone. It’s the one felt when the waves of life dash your dreams against the rocks, and they’re broken to pieces before your eyes. When your eyes drown in a sea of tears as your attempts to put the shards back together prove beyond you. When you realize the future you hoped for could be toppled by one wave from the ocean of life. That your castle was built of nothing but sand. It’s where Arianna finds herself, along with so many others at some point in this life. She moved past the lies of her past, but can she bear to see the deception in her own vision? A choice remains. As she looks out to the watery expanse, it’d be easier to just let the stormy seas have their way, and allow the undertow to take her under. Let the lies, the darkness win the battle in the end. Or maybe it’s time she stood tall again against the roaring waves, brushed the sand off, and learned to walk on the water. Her answer? “My life might have been a foregone rite of blood and pain, but that would all end with me. The rest of the world could have their fairytale. I had found my purpose and my true voice at last.” Maybe not a fairytale ending, but it’s a vision that’s just right for what’s ahead.
A wonderful retelling of The Little Mermaid, this story is full of atmosphere and suspense. Well written with excellent characterization, the book grabs your attention and doesn’t let go. A brilliant contemporary treatment of a beloved classic fairy tale that makes the story new, all over again!
This was my first Jacque Stevens’s book. This is the first book in the HighTower Little Mermaid Series. This Little Mermaid retelling is original, well written, and enthralling. The characters are well developed, and intriguing. I loved it. Caroline Turner Cole did a great job with the narration. Looking forward to listen to the next book in the Series, Graves.
Depths: A Tale of the Little Mermaid by Jacque Stevens is a wonderful story to read. This is book number one in this wonderful start to a brand new series that I have loved reading and can not wait to read the rest of this wonderful series. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about fantasy and dark romance.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved this Little Mermaid retelling. The story is very well written and has a great flow. I love the characters and found them well developed. If you love fairy tale retellings you will love this book. I recommend.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
„Depths: A Tale of the Little Mermaid” by Jacque Stevens is a new retelling of the classical tale “The little Mermaid” by HC Andersen. I want to stress the fact that this is a retelling inspired by Andersen original tale that does not fall into the pop-pits of the well-known Disney’s versions.
In Stevens’ story Arianna is still a young girl, who still has not become a siren herself. To follow into the path of her siren mother, Arianna must offer a sacrifice to the God of the Deep, who in return would grant her life as a full-blooded siren. Arianna has been fully aware of her destiny and its moment of fulfillment at puberty. But as reality quicks in she is torn between destiny/family tradition and her new found love for the one destined to be sacrificed, because for Arianne to become a siren, she has to kill her love one and offer his heart to the God of the Deep, and thus Arianne destiny becomes a soul searching journey into the meaning of love, and to which ends she would be capable to go to fulfil her own desires.
Jacque Stevens have preserved Andersen’s atmosphere and his message and transform into a much modern version without adding any kind of unnecessary kitsch in the process. It is a fascinating tale about duty and desire, love and tradition and reaching own boundaries in the process. Everything has a price; this is the tale about the will to pay it and the consequences of not doing so.
Absolutely Amazing .this retelling of the little mermaid stick to the original story lines and have given us some twists and turns. I really enjoyed it and am excited for book 2. But reader beware this is a dark fantasy and maybe Adrianna won’t just find out about feet and streets but who she is inside. .Happy reading.
From all the fairytales existing, I think the little mermaid might be one of the most fascinating ones. Not just because it doesn’t have a happy ending, but it’s one of the few tales where first love is taught to be foolish and dangerous, that no man is worth changing who you are and giving up a part of yourself for. It’s a fascinating and also a very important tale. And I’m glad more and more authors discover this tale and create versions to tell to new generations of girls.
And this retelling is quite unique. It combines the well known tale of the little mermaid with elements of the Greek Mythology and the Roman Empire. Although this society is clearly not MY kind of society, Stevens did an amazing job creating the atmosphere, building the city and culture and showing the values of this world. It’s a harsh and brutal world, both under the sea and above it.
Our heroine, a girl who has to perform a ritual to become a siren like her mother and sisters, has quite a journey ahead of her and it’s a pleasure to watch her grow and learn. She’s constantly trying to match what she knows with what she sees. She’s constantly learning, gaining new insight, growing, readjusting her interpretation of the world and its people, reevaluating how she has been brought up. At times the story FEELS a little slow, but it’s mostly laying the fundament for a new hard choice our mermaid has to make.
But, one of the starring elements, if you ask me, is the use of sign language. Official sign language. The prince recognizes what she needs and goes find it. There are not that many books with mute characters that use sign language, but this book didn’t just use it, it also describes it. I’ve learned a few signs by just READING a book. One of the few things books can do is normalize things we normally don’t see or experience daily. I hope that books like this can really make a difference for sign language and can interest more people to learn it. Who knows, maybe one day I will take that course too!
I’m excited to read how the story continues, although the ending does feel kind of satisfying already. The story, if you ask me, could work as a standalone too.