Born of Water: A YA mermaid fantasy

A mother’s legacy. A daughter’s awakening. A love she never saw coming.

Seventeen-year-old Targa MacAuley was supposed to become a mermaid years ago. Most sirens complete their transformation by age four. But Targa? Still human. Still landlocked. Still wondering why the ocean never claimed her.

Her mother, Mira, is a force of nature—an infamous siren-turned-salvage diver, more comfortable underwater than in society, more wild than maternal. And yet, she’s sacrificed everything to stay on land for the daughter who never grew fins.

To make her mother proud—and maybe earn a sliver of belonging—Targa joins a high-stakes dive in the Baltic Sea. The wreck is ancient. The danger is real. And one the dive colleagues, Antoni, is impossible to ignore with his unassuming smile and insightful questions.

Then the impossible happens: Targa transforms.

Suddenly, she’s everything her mother wanted… just in time to fall for someone she must keep in the dark. Mira expects her to return to the sea—but how can she leave now?

With one foot in each world and a heart divided, Targa must decide who she really is… and what she’s willing to lose to become it.

Born of Water is an award-winning YA fantasy filled with ocean magic, mother-daughter devotion, forbidden love, and the moment where growing up means choosing your own tide. If you like new twists on mermaid lore, simmering romance, and close-knit mother-daughter bonds, then you’ll love A.L. Knorr’s nautical adventure. Embark on a deeper dive into the story's lore with The Wreck of Sybellen, a companion novel included with the audiobook. Read for you by Gabra Zackman.