Description
Where sea and land meet, two worlds clash in a fury of wind and waves.
Arden Bleu has always known that her stepsister, Jade, was destined for great things. In a world where beauty follows magic, she has no doubt that their upcoming Awakening ceremony will reveal that gorgeous Jade is far more than a mere mortal. But when Jade is kidnapped by a mysterious sect of mer on the eve of the newly-returned king’s ball, Arden will do anything to save her sister. Even face down the man she’s always dreaded meeting because of the power he holds over her family, the man to whom her father swore loyalty long before she was born. The Sea King.
Seidon, the Sea King of Daryatla, has grown only more powerful as the centuries have gone by, but lifetime after lifetime have failed to give him what he most yearns for: a family. He knows that it will take a woman of extraordinary power to match him enough to create a child, and no such woman seems to exist…until he feels her magic calling to his one day in the water. And when Arden Bleu, daughter of his most trusted official, arrives to tell him about her missing stepsister, he knows this Jade, with a new magic so coveted that the Mer would risk war with his kingdom to steal her away, may be the one he’s waited centuries for. But how can he and the determined Arden ever hope to find one young woman trapped beneath the waves? Perhaps the Great Golden Sea Hawk who has guarded the sisters all their lives holds the key.
In a world on the brink of war between the mer and the land-dwellers, friendship, faith, and love demand the ultimate sacrifice as both kingdoms seek to unlock the prophesied magic waiting to spring forth: the magic of wind and sky. To the mer, it would mean the freedom to return to the land. To Seidon’s court, it would mean safety from every storm. But how can any human hand wield the wind?
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Sarah V –
Oh, my word! This book was fabulous! Quite possibly my favorite book of the year! (How many exclamation points are too many for a review??)
When one of my very favorite authors announced that she was writing and then publishing a Fantasy novel, I thought “I’ll give it a try! I love her other books, so what’s the worst that could happen? She finally writes something that I’m not a huge fan of?” Ha. Any hesitation that I might have had was gone within the first chapter. I adored this book! I loved Arden, Seidon, Jade, Storm, Jericho, Sapphire, and Ora. I even really liked a couple of the mer-people. I loved the combination of water “magic” and sky “magic.” I loved how the world felt so familiar, but also so fun and unique with magic and technology so different from ours.
I made a terrible mistake when I started this book, though. I started it right before bed, which means that when I was immediately pulled into the story, I stayed up WAY too late and missed more sleep than was wise. But do I regret my choices? Maybe a tiny bit. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Will I do it again when the next book releases? Almost without a doubt.
I tried to narrow down my favorite thing about this book, but there are far too many things and too many spoilers if I listed them all. So I will say that I adored the romance. It made me smile so big when the characters got to their first kiss and ah . . . I can’t say anything else! But I have reread those parts several times because their relationship just makes me happy. I confess, I also loved that I was partially right! Haha! Because if I had been wrong, I was going to be super confused about what was going to happen next. And the ending! I loved that there wasn’t a huge cliffhanger, as is so common to the other Fantasy novels I’ve read.
The lack of cliffhanger definitely hasn’t dimmed my anticipation for the next story! I can’t wait to meet some new characters to love and learn more about this fun world Ms. White has created!
Overall, if you enjoy fantasy with delightful characters and a beautiful romance then I would highly recommend darting off to find/buy a copy of this book!
*My thanks to the author for my copy of this book! I was not required to write a positive review and have not been compensated for it in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
Katie –
This was such a cool, beautiful book!! 😍 I’ve been a fan of Roseanna M White for many years, so when I saw she was publishing a book in my favorite genre, fantasy, I knew I had to read it! I really enjoyed the engaging plot, unique world building, intriguing characters, and sweet and clean romance. Arden and Seidon were such strong characters who had their fair share of insecurities and trauma. I loved their relationship and how they completed each other!
I liked that we got Jade’s POV along with the two MCs, and appreciated her character and what she brought to the story.
I’ve never seen a book with world building quite like this one and liked the creativity of it! The faith elements were naturally woven in and really added to the book.
I felt like the writing was structured a little weird at times, but nothing too bad.
So excited for the next books in this series!! 😆
/I received an ARC from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own./
Ashley S. –
I think this is my new favorite Roseanna White book! I loved it so much! It was easy to fall into this book and get lost in its pages. It’s been a while since a book has so completely immersed me in it.
The worldbuilding was great! So detailed but never overwhelming. So imaginative and unique, yet slightly familiar.
The characters were wonderful! So likeable and easy to root for. They were relatable and three-dimensional.
I loved that there was tech in this fantasy world. You don’t see that too often, but it worked so well! More, please!
I loved this book and highly, highly recommend it to fans of clean romantasy. I also think it’d be a good intro into the fantasy genre for people who’ve never read it before. I can’t wait for more books set in this world!
I received a copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.
Halee Porter –
Well Roseanna has done it again! I’ve never been so engrossed in a book so quickly as I have with the book, Awakened. The characters of the book each have their own journeys to fulfill that impacts a world that is walking a fine line between peace and war. I have never read romantasy books before, but because of the author herself, I was willing to try something new – and I was NOT disappointed. The story plot not only gives a perfect understanding of the transformative power of love; but it also encourages us to believe that love never fails. I didn’t know that I needed to be taken on a literary adventure through land and sea until I read this book. Awakened had become my much needed oasis after a long day. Well done, Roseanna!
Jessica Turbiville –
Awakened is a thrilling romantasy with magic and adventures, but it’s not paradise. A long forgotten group has taken Arden’s sister, and King Seidon has to worry about a potential war. When they come together to solve both problems, they won’t be able to kill two birds with one stone. This fantasy has compelling world building that isn’t your typical mermaid and human trope.
I loved this fun and exciting book and highly recommend it!
Tina Chen –
I’m so excited that Roseanna White is venturing into the world of speculative fiction! Her characters are always so rich and nuanced, and that is a perfect fit for romantasy! As expected, I absolutely loved the characters she created in this book! They quickly become so real that you forget you are reading fantasy. Mrs. White’s world-building is also stellar. I’ve always enjoyed the settings she creates in her historical fiction, but it was so fun to see her get to expand her creativity without as many limitations in this book! It was so easy to lose myself into this world, and I loved it!
There were two things I struggled with in this book that knocked a star off for me.
**********Slight spoilers and a bit of theological pickiness ahead, so feel free to skip**********
The first thing I struggled with is the differences in age and life experience of the two main characters. While I understand how and why it works in this story world, as a mom of teen and young adult daughters, I just couldn’t help but cringe if I let myself think about it much. I usually rave incessantly about Mrs. White’s books and get my girls to read them as soon as possible, but I won’t be pushing them to read this one. If they want to, they can, but I won’t bring it up and really couldn’t recommend it for young adult readers for that reason.
I also really struggled with some religious aspects of this book. Even though I thought it was so cool how Mrs. White imagined the future, I really wish this had been set in a completely fantastical world rather than in our world in the future because then, the author could have set the rules for how the deity of that world interacted with people (as in Narnia and Sharon Hinck’s Christian fantasy). Because Mrs. White chose to set this in our world, the reader is forced to read it less allegorically and more critically and make sure it is in complete agreement with Scripture, and I had issues with a couple parts of it because of that – namely, that participating in magic and ceremonies involving blood are forbidden for believers and that something akin to the intermarrying of the sons of God with the daughters of men condemned as evil in Genesis is presented as a good, God-approved thing in this story. I don’t believe that God’s laws are subject to change, so these things bothered me about this story. I was able to set them aside in my mind for the most part and just enjoy the story, which is why it was still a 4-star book for me, but I would be very hesitant to recommend it to others without giving these caveats.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and was encouraged to give my honest opinion and thoughts in my review, and I have done so.
Melissa D. –
Ahh! Roseanna M. White has definitely found a new genre. Her debut romantasy Awakened is absolutely amazing!!! I loved this book. It’s a clever, unique mermaid tale like I’ve never read before that brilliantly combines romance, futuristic science, mermaid lore, & faith.
As the Awakening Ceremony approaches, Arden Bleu knows her sister Jade will excel all expectations & have magic awakened within her. After all, “magic follows beauty.” But, when Jade is kidnapped by sea dwelling mer determined to unlock her magic for themselves, Arden must face the powerful Sea King to ask for help.
Seidon, the Sea King of Daryatla has lived for centuries searching for the woman who can match him in every way & fulfill the prophesy, granting him the family he’s longed for. After many years away, he returns to his kingdom hoping to prevent a war & find the one he’s almost given up waiting for. When he feels magic beckoning him in the water & learns of Jade’s kidnapping, he believes she might be the one. As he & Arden work together to find her sister, he really sees Arden & feels a strong pull to her, but will he risk breaking their hearts when Jade is his destiny? Only the Great Golden Sea Hawk who’s been guarding the sisters their whole lives holds the key.
This story was utterly addictive! I adored Seidon. The delicious banter between him & Arden was so much fun. Though he’s a powerful being, he has such a delightful, playful personality that completely drew me in. I loved how loyal he is to Arden & the heart achingly beautiful way he loves her.
Arden’s been in her sister’s shadow her whole life. I loved seeing her grow more confident in herself & her abilities. I also loved how from the start she was willing to tease the king right back & didn’t let his powerful position intimidate her.
The world building was amazing! I loved exploring the mer world & the author’s creative spin on mermaids. I loved Jade’s perspective & how she navigates her captivity. Also enjoyed the unique way faith was shared. Excited to explore more of this world & others alluded to.
Highly recommend! Can’t wait for more books! I received an advanced copy from the author with no expectation of a positive review. All opinions are completely my own & provided voluntarily.
Margaret Nelson –
I am always amazed when an author is able to create a whole new world that makes sense to me in the speculative fiction/fantasy genre. Although the world in Roseanna White’s new romantasy (romantic fantasy) novel is based on our world, it is many, many years in the future, and life is a lot different than it is now.
I quickly fell in love with the characters and the world White has created, complete with mer men and maids, special gifting that allows some of the characters to live several hundred years, magic, giant eagles, and much more.
In the midst of all this, the emotions and challenges of the characters are familiar – those who are driven by pride and a desire for power, others seeking for adventure and excitement, some who feel left out, overlooked and useless, people who want to follow their dreams (which seem impossible), those seeking their Creator, and others denying His existence.
If you enjoy a good story with great characters, spiritual insights that apply to any age, and the fun of imagining swimming with a mermaid or riding an eagle, I think you’ll really enjoy this book!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Courtney –
As a mom of three littles, we all – myself included – have strict bedtimes each night. Despite my daily exhaustion, I found myself staying up late night after night like a kid hiding under a blanket with a flashlight just to finish a few more pages of Awakened. And of course, those few more pages always turned into a chapter, which turned into two chapters, which turned into me losing out on a whole lot of sleep each night. But, I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN!
I’ve read maybe a handful of fantasy novels throughout my lifetime so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but it’s safe to say that Awakened went far beyond my expectations and had me caught – hook, line, and sinker – from beginning to end.
In this unique fantasy world, White creates a mesmerizing blend of magic, mermaids, romance, and royalty, while weaving Biblical truth throughout the story. You’ll be left in wonder and without doubt that Roseanna M White is just as talented in the fantasy genre as she is in the historical world. Don’t miss out on this one!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publishers. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Booklovebykristi (verified owner) –
“What I know is that love is never a gift the Triada gives to break us. It is how he gives us wings. It is how he takes us to new heights, new depths. Love, real love makes us better.”
Y’all!! I don’t have the words. I love Roseanna’s historical fiction but I think I might love her fantasy more!! This story was amazing!! I was completely drawn into the story from the first chapter. The descriptions of the post-cataclysmic kingdoms were fantastic. I felt like I was there experiencing it all, on land, in the sea, and in the air. The characters both primary and secondary are all top-notch. The magical elements and the characters faith in the “Triada” perfectly balanced. As Roseanna describes it “the touch of our Creator has combined with our own technology to create a world of magic”.
Arden was so strong and capable but completely doubted herself and her importance. Her devotion to Jade was sweet as was her relationship with her father. Jade definitely had a difficult time and had her own struggles. I liked how she kept believing Triada had a plan for her even in her trouble. Seidon was amazing! I loved that he was humble yet confident and completely surrendered to Triada’s will. I loved his friendship with Rico. Seidon and Jade’s friendship was the best part, and that’s all you get on that. 😉
A few quotes:
“Are you flirting with me, Your Majesty?” “His Majesty definitely isn’t—that would be a terrible idea. Seidon, on the other hand… he definitely is.” “Why?” “I can name several reasons.”
“Look, I know she’s your sister. You love her. She could well have magic that’s the key to everything—I get all that. But I don’t know her. You, however, have become in the last month one of the best friends I’ve had in my entire life, and I will not lose you to this Triada-forsaken civil war.”
“I’d like the record to reflect that I told you I loved you before I realized whose blood it was I’d felt. That I proposed before all this. And also—I told you so.”
This ARC was provided by the author. I was not required to give a positive review, rating and opinions are my own.
Joelene –
The perfect romantasy to start your summer with! This is a uniquely fresh take on mermaid fantasy, with beautiful romance and adventure filling up every page. A highly recommended read!
Bree Morgan (verified owner) –
•𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰•
{𝑨𝒘𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅}
🌊 Release Date: June 2, 2025 🌊
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This was one of the first Christian fantasy books I’ve ever read, and let me tell you—it was incredible! I love how it was filled with characters of good morals, showcasing love, faith, courage, and resilience. This would definitely be a book I would highly recommend to older teens for good, sound reading entertainment—I just wish this book would have been around when I was younger!
From swimming in the depths of the ocean to soaring through the sky on the wings of a hawk, this book was brought to life with all of the vivid descriptions and rich details that Roseanna M. White included in this epic fantasy! I loved learning about Daryatla, the Tidal Kingdom, and the Sunken Cities, home of the merfolk. Both places were extremely fascinating, and Roseanna did an excellent job creating them—I’m so excited for more books set in this post-cataclysmic world!
This book was packed with all of the best elements to create the perfect YA fantasy: magic, merfolk, and romance! I really appreciated the magical elements in this story; they were absolutely beautiful, with nothing dark or evil about them. Everything about this book was upbuilding and uplifting for readers!
I haven’t read many stories that include merfolk in them, but I don’t have to have much knowledge of them to know that Roseanna did a phenomenal job with the merfolk in her story! They were such fascinating people, and I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing life with them in this book. I look forward to reading more “mer” stories in the future!
The romance in this story was positively delightful—it was very well-written, with lots of swoony moments! The flirting and banter between certain characters was top-notch, and it definitely had me smiling 😁 I loved watching the tentative first feelings of love start to bloom between the love interests and grow into the most beautiful, unwavering kind of devotion ♥️
I absolutely adored the characters in this book so much! Seidon had such a soft and caring heart for those around him, making him the perfect Sea King! I loved the strong sisterly bond between Jade and Arden, and how they didn’t let anything come between them—not even jealousy over Jade’s beauty and popularity. The family moments in this book were immensely heartwarming and will definitely make you appreciate your own family even more!
Read it for:
🔱 Strong faith themes
🔱 Amazing world building
🔱 Age gap
🔱 Powerful Sea King
🔱 Kidnapped sister
🔱 ✨Magical✨ elements
🔱 Merfolk
🔱 An EPIC plot