The Little Mermaid: Against the Tide is a young adult novel written by J. Elle and published by Disney Editions on April 11, 2023. It is inspired by Disney's live-action reimagining of The Little Mermaid, based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen.
Description[]
An original novel written by New York Times best-selling author J. Elle inspired by Disney upcoming live action reimagining of The Little Mermaid.
After the death of Ariel's mother, the queen of the sea, the seven daughters of King Triton have grown estranged at best. It's been years since Ariel's older sisters have visited home. But this year's Coral Moon is fast approaching, and it's a special one for Ariel. Finally fifteen, she will be dubbed the Protector of her very own ocean territory as is tradition, and her sisters have agreed to visit for the celebration.
But the ceremony is halted when Mala, one of the most renowned daughters of Triton, is abducted. The only clue to where she might have been taken is a hastily scribbled seaweed note, which says, "What could have saved Mother could save me, too." To rescue Mala, Ariel must work together with her siblings, traveling to various seas, outsmarting dangerous ocean creatures, and delving into forbidden waters to find the truth of what happened to their mother. But as Ariel and her sisters begin uncovering new secrets about their family and their kingdom, Ariel will have to face the loss of a mother she never had a chance to know and discover what it means to be both a good sister and a strong leader.
And the clock is ticking, because on the day of the festival, when the moon turns a true shade of coral, her sister will be lost, like her mother, forever.
Trivia[]
- In chapter one, Ariel states she is about to turn 15. Mala is noted to have turned 15 years first (over a decade ago), making her the oldest sister. She is followed by Indira and Caspia (second and third oldest respectively). Perla is noted as the sister closest in age to Ariel, making her the sixth oldest.
- Each sister has a different nickname for Ariel, eg. Ari, Relle, Lula, etc.
- Each sister (except Ariel) has a special gift or power bestowed by their mother.
- Indira and Caspia are noted to be exceptionally close, and enjoy baiting Mala.
- One of Karina's talents is doing hair.
- Ariel's mother, the queen, was noted to have curly, auburn hair.
- The purple stones in Ariel's bracelet came from her mother.
- Ariel is noted as a peacekeeper among her sisters.
- Each sister rules their own territory with the assistance of a local sea monster. Triton's ruling stated that neither the sister nor the sea monster could ever give up the position or fall in love. This seems a bit harsh and short-sighted, and someday Triton will need an heir (Mala) to succeed to the throne unless he is immortal.
- Each sea monster is given a special gift by Triton, but these have the drawback of binding them to their region so they cannot leave.
- Ursula lured the queen to an area filled with hunters who eventually killed her.
