Our vengeful souls

As a daughter of Poseidon, mermaid Sereia possesses strong magical powers, but they are compromised after an altercation with her brother, Triton, leaves her transformed into a human and cursed to remain on land: "the moment the ocean touches your skin, you will become a monster. A twisted hybrid forever banished from our kingdom." Washed upon the shores of Atlantis, Sereia is taken in by a kind merchant. She has much to learn about life above the sea but quickly discovers that Atlanteans regard magic with great fear, leading her to keep her true identity a secret. Readers will root for Sereia as she grows closer to the man who saved her and finds the strength to stick up for herself in the face of adversity. While the idea of revenge on Triton motivates many of Sereia's actions, it is challenged by an unexpected fondness for her new life. Fast-paced with many action scenes, Seneia's journey ultimately leads to an understanding that sometimes one has to be displaced to find out where one belongs.

Magic, Greek mythology, and revenge intertwine in this retelling of a classic. Sereia is a mermaid and the daughter of sea god Poseidon, but despite her superior use of magic and powerful fighting skills, she is overlooked by her father, who instead names Triton, her older brother, heir to the throne. When their younger sister gets into unexpected trouble and Sereia saves the day, a jealous Triton curses Sereia, who loses her tail and her magic and is banished to the human world. If she ever returns to her beloved sea, she will become a monster. Sereia ends up in wondrous Atlantis, where she joins their army and eventually finds love, a warrior's purpose, and the truth behind her father's legendary trident. But her new life is threatened by her deep thirst for revenge against her brother and the humans' tales of "vicious, vengeful" mermaids. This reimagined origin story for the sea witch from Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" offers a humanizing portrayal of its protagonist as she finds her way through a world in which the odds are stacked against her. While humans' antagonism toward magic feels shoehorned in, this is an empowering story that does its main character justice. It explores love, heartbreak, and ancient histories while also tackling the misogyny present in Greek mythology. Main characters read White. An enjoyable take on a villain's origin story. (map) (Fantasy. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.