Dive into a world of enchanting stories where oceans, seas, rivers and their magical creatures take centre stage. Whether you're a lover of mermaids, sirens or sea gods, or just want a good old swashbuckling adventure across the high seas, our curated list of water-themed SFF has got you covered.
So what are you waiting for, your next favourite fantasy adventure is waiting just below the surface.
The Wicked Sea by Jordan Stephanie Gray
From the author of Bitten comes an adult romantasy in which a magically bound mermaid and warlock must journey to the ocean's darkest depths to claim the fabled heart of the God of Death – if they can survive the wrath of their enemies . . . and each other.
On the run from a dangerous captor and years of abuse, Mermaid Zephyra of the Syl has shed her tail, grown legs, and hidden herself on land in the merrow-loathing kingdom of Mortia, left to steal and barter on the dirty streets. But her freedom is short-lived when she's caught and sentenced to death by the brutal warlock, Arion Stone.
Arion is as beautiful as he is cold and deadly, only interested in punishing the merrow he views as evil. He has grown as strong as any warlock might, but at great personal cost . . . which can only be remedied by the heart of the God of Death, lost to a fabled kingdom beneath the ocean's treacherous depths.
So Arion offers Zephyra a deal she can't refuse; help him find the mystical heart, and he'll spare her life. With no other options, Zephyra agrees, entangling their souls and forbidden desires in a magical bargain until death do they part. But their enemies are circling, and if Zephyra and Arion can't learn to fight together-and trust each other-there are worse things awaiting them than just death.
A dark and sultry, enemies-to-lovers romantasy, The Wicked Sea is utterly addictive and one you don't want to miss!
SHOP NOW
Saltswept by Katalina Watt
If you’re looking for a swashbuckling epic fantasy brimming with found family, high-seas adventure and lush mythology, then Katalina Watt’s Saltswept is the perfect voyage to embark on!
A pirate awaiting the gallows. A farmer desperate to save her daughter. An acolyte whose priestesshood proves more curse than blessing. Alongside a sly pickpocket and a talking ottercat, this ragtag crew set out on the most impossible of quests: to sail into the Maelstrom – a raging whirlpool from which no one has ever returned – and uncover the treasure hidden within.
But their fragile alliance will be tested at every turn. Beyond riches, the fate of the world’s magic hangs in the balance, and the barrier between life and death grows dangerously thin. Meanwhile, in the Bastion, the queen’s insatiable thirst threatens to consume everything.
Lyrical and vibrant, Saltswept is the first book in an epic duology inspired by Southeast Asian mythology. This is a dazzling tale of honour, betrayal, and the bonds that can be forged on the high seas.
The Palace Beneath the Sea by Lauren Wiesebron
As lush as it is lyrical, The Palace Beneath the Sea is an atmospheric retelling of the legendary lost city Ys, following two lovers and their connection between two different worlds – one on land and one beneath the waves.
Nolwenn is a lighthouse keeper, and her life's purpose is to defend her beloved city of Ys. But when a dangerous tide threatens Ys, the queen instead tasks Nolwenn with collecting rare seasilk – enough to shield the city from the deadly sea monsters that threaten it.
Determined to fulfil her task, Nolwenn searches for the seasilk, only to be attacked by the very sea monsters the queen warned her about. She's saved by Morvan, a sea-dwelling korrigez with the torso of a human and the tail of a fish, who drags her deep beneath the sea to the coral palace of Ys-below. Although terrified and homesick, Nolwenn can't deny that Ys-below is strange and beautiful - and so is Morvan. And the more time Nolwenn spends below the surface, the less she is sure she wants to leave . . .
As danger draws ever nearer and Ys remains precariously unprotected, Nolwenn must decide between her heart and her home.
A sweeping tale with gorgeous, lyrical prose, and a beautiful love story that will steal your heart. A doomed love story created the city of Ys, it's fitting that another one would end it . . .
SHOP NOW
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
A beautifully captivating story of love and family, and how much we are willing to sacrifice. The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a gorgeous feminist retelling of an ancient Korean legend, perfect for fans of Uprooted and Miyazaki's Spirited Away.
Don't chase fate. Let fate chase you.
Mina’s homeland is cursed by a Sea God who was once their protector. To appease him, someone is thrown in the ocean each year hoping that the Sea God will choose a bride and cease his violence. When Mina’s brother’s beloved is chosen, Mina goes in her place. Instead of certain death, she finds the Spirit Realm where the Sea God is in an enchanted sleep. Working with a group of demons, gods and spirits – and the mysterious and charming Shin – Mina attempts to free the Sea God from his slumber before it is too late, before those who are keeping the Sea God in his sleep find her.
Twisty and charming, and with a quirky cast of characters The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a must-read.
SHOP NOW
Sing Me to Sleep by Gabi Burton
If you're looking for a dark fantasy romance in a world filled with fae and sirens, then look no further than Sing Me to Sleep.
Saoirse Sorkova is a Siren, which is illegal in her kingdom. She passes as a fae but at night works as an assassin. Nobody knows she is a Siren, or that, sometimes, she isn’t in control of her deadly powers. When someone threatens her sister, Saoirse must infiltrate the palace and pass as the Prince’s bodyguard. As Saoirse works to help her sister, she and the Prince become closer and closer until the Prince tasks her with finding a notorious killer. Except, the killer is Saoirse.
Featuring an all Black and Brown cast of characters and a forbidden romance, Sing Me to Sleep is seductive and captivating. First in a stunning duology, book 2, Drown Me With Dreams is available here.
SHOP NOW
The God and the Gwisin by Sophie Kim
In this, the much anticipated, page-turning sequel to The God and the Gumiho, a trickster god must work with his reincarnated lost love to solve the mystery of his brother’s murder on board a luxury underworld cruise ship.
Seokga the No-Longer-Fallen is looking for his love. Since he lost Hani nothing has felt right – and he's been desperately searching for her reincarnated form ever since.
When the red thread of fate finally leads Seokga to a cruise down the river of the dead, the woman he finds isn't Hani . . . her name is Yoo Kisa, and she has no memory of Seokga – and no interest in regaining it either.
But then the Heavenly Emperor is murdered aboard the ship, and it falls to Seokga and Kisa to solve the crime before the cruise ends. As the mystery draws them closer, they will have to decide what they truly mean to each other. The fate of their world might just depend on it . . .
With the return of some familiar faces, and a host of new characters, The God and the Gwisin is a charming and clever contemporary fantasy romance that we know you will adore.
SHOP NOW
A Duet with the Siren Duke by Elise Kova
If you’re looking for your next sizzling standalone, venture into Elise Kova’s expertly-crafted tale inspired by The Little Mermaid and the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.
Victoria risks everything to leave a dangerous marriage. But when her escape goes awry, she finds herself caught in the strong embrace of a mysterious siren, forced to choose: temporary salvation or immediate death.
And so, a cursed deal is struck.
Five years later, Victoria is alive – and the world's finest ship captain. But her debt to the siren is due. Taken to the magical and deadly Eversea, Victoria is meant to give up everything that draws her to the world of the living. Yet, all she can think about is how this handsome siren's song, and his hands, make her feel very much alive . . .
Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Danielle L. Jensen, A Duet With a Siren Duke is a a fantasy romance with deep lore, second-chance love, sacrifice, forbidden and slow-burn romance that leaps off the page.
SHOP NOW
Serpent Sea by Maiya Ibrahim
Prepare to be swept away by the dual-POV sequel to the instant Sunday Times bestseller Spice Road, a romantic, action-packed, Arabian-inspired YA fantasy set in an land.
Once, Imani swore to protect her home from the monsters roaming the desert. But now an even worse enemy threatens the Sahir, and as the Harrowlanders march south with their stolen magic, it is only a matter of time before the invasion begins.
The only chance for survival is a dangerous alliance with Qayn, a djinni king. If Imani journeys with him on a quest beyond the sands to restore his lost powers, he will summon a supernatural army to save her people. Meanwhile, her rival, Taha, has been captured and is on a dangerous mission of his own.
One wrong move could cost them their lives – and everyone they love. But they may find that there is more than meets the eye crossing the Serpent Sea . . . and betrayal cuts deeper than any dagger.
Adventurous and epic, Serpent Sea is the gripping continuation of a magical series.
SHOP NOW
Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor
Taste for the speculative sci-fi that will keep you up at night, and on the edge of your seat? Join a famous rapper, a marine biologist and one rogue soldier as they handle humanity’s first contact with an alien ambassador.
Three strangers, each isolated by his or her own problems: Adaora, the marine biologist. Anthony, the rapper famous throughout Africa. Agu, the troubled soldier. Wandering Bar Beach in Lagos, Nigeria's legendary mega-city, they're more alone than they've ever been before.
But when something like a meteorite plunges into the ocean and a tidal wave overcomes them, these three people will find themselves bound together in ways they could never imagine. Together with Ayodele, a visitor from beyond the stars, they must race through Lagos and against time itself in order to save the city, the world. . . and themselves.
Genre-blending mastery, with the perfect mix of magical realism and high-stakes action.
SHOP NOW
The Deep by Rivers Soloman
Got the horror bug? Get wrapped up in Rivers Soloman’s imaginative and brilliantly devised novella about an underwater society inspired by the Hugo Award-nominated song "The Deep" from Daveed Diggs's rap group clipping.
Yetu holds the memories for her people-water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African slave women thrown overboard by slave owners – who live idyllic lives in the deep. Their past, too traumatic to be remembered regularly, is forgotten by everyone, save one – the historian. This demanding role has been bestowed on Yetu.
Yetu remembers for everyone, and the memories, painful and wonderful, traumatic and terrible and miraculous, are destroying her. And so, she flees to the surface, escaping the memories, the expectations, and the responsibilities – and discovers a world her people left behind long ago.
Yetu will learn more than she ever expected to about her own past-and about the future of her people. If they are all to survive, they'll need to reclaim the memories, reclaim their identity-and own who they really are.
Winner of the LAMBDA LGBTQ Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror Award, and inspired by a song produced by the rap group Clipping for the This American Life episode "We Are In The Future," The Deep is vividly original and uniquely affecting.
SHOP NOW
The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones
Get lost in this magical, ethereal fantasy novel from the bestselling author of The Bone Houses, in which a crew led by a magic welding woman fight to take down the overpowered prince that used and abused them.
Once upon a time, the kingdoms of Wales were rife with magic and conflict – and eighteen-year-old Mererid 'Mer' is well-acquainted with both. As the last living water diviner, she can manipulate water with magic – a unique elemental power many would kill to possess.
For years, Mer has been running from the prince who bound her into his service – and forced her to kill thousands with her magic. Now, all Mer truly wants is a safe, quiet life, far from power and politics.
But then Mer's old handler – the king's spymaster – returns with a proposition: use her powers to bring down the very prince that abused them both. Part heist novel, part dark fairy tale and rich with Welsh legends, The Drowned Woods is an ethereal fantasy, perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and Maria V. Snyder..
SHOP NOW
Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa
TikTok sensation and romantasy fan-favourite, Laura Thalassa brings to life this first in a darkly hypnotic series.
Callypso Lillis is a siren with a very big problem. For the last seven years she's been collecting a bracelet of black beads up her wrist, magical IOUs for favours she's received. Only death or repayment will fulfil the obligations. Only then will the beads disappear.
Everyone knows that if you need a favour, you go to the Bargainer to make it happen. He's a man who can get you anything you want . . . at a price. And everyone knows that sooner or later he always collects. When Callie finds the Bargainer in her room, a grin on his lips and a twinkle in his eye, she knows things are about to change. At first, it's just a chaste kiss – a single bead's worth – and a promise for more.
For the Bargainer, it's more than just a matter of rekindling an old romance. Something is happening in the Otherworld. Fae warriors are going missing one by one. If the Bargainer has any hope to save his people, he'll need the help of the siren he spurned long ago. Only, his foe has a taste for exotic creatures, and Callie just happens to be one.
Begin your journey into an insatiable romantic trilogy, perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout and Raven Kennedy.
