Very Specific Book Recs: Discover 19 Fantasy Books Set at Sea that Bring the Ocean to Life

Who doesn’t love a swashbuckling adventure on the high seas, or fantastical island Romantasies? In celebration of World Ocean's Day, what better way to honor the vast and mysterious wonders of the ocean than by diving into a collection of captivating fantasy books that transport us to its depths? From mermaids and pirates to ancient sea creatures and hidden treasures, these stories offer an opportunity to explore the sometimes stormy and unpredictable realm of the ocean. Grab your map, and prepare to explore a rec list of oceanic escapades of YA and Adult reads to add to your TBR pile. Ready to embark on this literary voyage? Here are the recs:

Daughter of the Pirate King and Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller

This YA duology is a super fun, high seas adventure with high stakes and some romance. Book two is my personal favorite, and Alosa is the quintessential strong female MC. Both novels are also currently available in Kindle Unlimited, and the new covers are up for preorder.

Synopsis from the publisher: “Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map―the key to a legendary treasure trove―seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

In Daughter of the Pirate King, debut author Tricia Levenseller blends action, adventure, romance, and a little bit of magic into a thrilling pirate tale.”

The Bridge Kingdom, The Traitor Queen, The Inadequate Heir, and The Endless War by Danielle L. Jensen. 

This Romantasy series and Booktok favorite started out as a duology, and now has spinoffs. If you’re looking to get yourself out of a reading slump and you need a quick, low fantasy read, this is the series! Lara and Aren are one of my favorite enemies to lovers stories, and the stakes are incredibly high. Oh, and yes, there are sharks involved. The Traitor Queen is my favorite out of all four (yes, I’ve listened to the newly released fourth installment too!). Traditionally published through Audible first, phsyical book readers have to wait about six months after the audiobook releases to get their hard copies, but the first three books are currently out and available in all formats. And protip: if you have any Audible membership, this entire series is included in their catalog, so you don’t have to use credits. AND the first three are currently in Kindle Unlimited as well. I can’t wait to get the next duology spinoff and see some more of the map expanded!

Synopsis of book one:
”A warrior princess trained in isolation, Lara is driven by two certainties. The first is that King Aren of the Bridge Kingdom is her enemy. And the second is that she'll be the one to bring him to his knees.
 
The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom enriches itself and deprives its rivals, including Lara's homeland. So when she's sent as a bride under the guise of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture its impenetrable defenses. And the defenses of its king.
 
Yet as she infiltrates her new home and gains a deeper understanding of the war to possess the bridge, Lara begins to question whether she's the hero or the villain. And as her feelings for Aren transform from frosty hostility to fierce passion, Lara must choose which kingdom she'll save... and which kingdom she'll destroy.”

Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig

This was a recent read and is NOT the high stakes adventure story of a Chinese pirate queen that I thought it was going to be. However, it is a tragic literary historical fiction story that’s worth a read if this time period and culture interests you. It’s incredibly sad and dark at times, so check trigger warnings. Many thanks to Bloomsbury for sending me an advanced copy.

Synopsis from the publisher: “When Shek Yeung sees a Portuguese sailor slay her husband, a feared pirate, she knows she must act swiftly or die. Instead of mourning, Shek Yeung launches a new plan: immediately marrying her husband’s second-in-command, and agreeing to bear him a son and heir, in order to retain power over her half of the fleet.

But as Shek Yeung vies for control over the army she knows she was born to lead, larger threats loom. The Chinese Emperor has charged a brutal, crafty nobleman with ridding the South China Seas of pirates, and the Europeans―tired of losing ships, men, and money to Shek Yeung’s alliance―have new plans for the area. Even worse, Shek Yeung’s cutthroat retributions create problems all their own. As Shek Yeung navigates new motherhood and the crises of leadership, she must decide how long she is willing to fight, and at what price, or risk losing her fleet, her new family, and even her life.

A book of salt and grit, blood and sweat, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is an unmissable portrait of a woman who leads with the courage and ruthlessness of our darkest and most beloved heroes.”

Fable, Namesake, and Saint by Adrienne Young

First of all, let’s take a second to appreciate these gorgeous covers. You probably can’t tell from this far away, but there are incredible pictures within each of the characters’ eyes as well. I’m not going to lie, Fable and Daughter of the Pirate King came out around the same time, and were also popular on Booktok around the same time and used to get them mixed up all the time. YA pirate-y adventure? Check. Red-haired, strong female MC? Check. Mortal danger? Check. Crappy dad situation? Check. A romantic sub-plot? Also check. Look, even though the stories are different, if you liked one, you’ll probably like the other.

Synopsis from the publisher: “Welcome to a world made dangerous by the sea and by those who wish to profit from it. Where a young girl must find her place and her family while trying to survive in a world built for men.

As the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home seventeen-year-old Fable has ever known. It’s been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during an unforgiving storm. The next day her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food. To survive she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one and rely on the unique skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal of getting off the island, finding her father and demanding her rightful place beside him and his crew. To do so Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father.

But her father’s rivalries and the dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied since she last saw him and Fable soon finds that West isn't who he seems. Together, they will have to survive more than the treacherous storms that haunt the Narrows if they're going to stay alive.”

Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford

I read this years ago, and haven’t picked up the sequel yet. It might be time for a reread because I did really enjoy book one. Lots of political intrigue in this one. And if you loved Red Queen, you’ll probably love this one.

Synopsis from the publisher: “Red Queen meets House of Salt and Sorrow. For generations, the crown princes of Ilara have married the most beautiful maidens from the ocean village of Varenia. Nor once dreamed of seeing the mysterious mountain kingdom for herself, but after a childhood accident left her with a scar, she knew her twin sister, Zadie, would likely be chosen to marry the crown prince.

Then Zadie is injured, and Nor is sent to Ilara in her place. She soon discovers her future husband, Prince Ceren, is as forbidding and cold as his home. And as she grows closer to Ceren’s brother, Prince Talin, Nor learns of a failing royal bloodline, a murdered queen…and a plot to destroy her village.

To save her people, Nor must learn to negotiate the treacherous protocols of a court where lies reign and obsession rules…but discovering her own formidable strength may cost her everything she loves.”

Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

This is the fifth book in The Chronicles of Narnia, and this series will always hold a special place in my heart. While I will say you could read it on its own, these novels are so short and special, I’d recommend reading them all. And if you have kids, they’re always a fun bedtime read.

Synoposis from the publisher: ”A king and some unexpected companions embark on a voyage that will take them beyond all known lands. As they sail farther and farther from charted waters, they discover that their quest is more than they imagined and that the world's end is only the beginning.”

The Bone Shard Daughter, The Bone Shard Emperor, and The Bone Shard War by Andrea Stewart (The Drowning Empire series)

I’ve said it so many times, but I’ll say it again: this series has one of the coolest, unique magic systems I’ve ever read. Book one is a great read, and I would highly recommend it. Full disclosure, I was somewhat disappointed in the other two installments, especially with how the trilogy ended. But I know others that loved it, so it really comes down to preference.

Synopsis of book one from the publisher: “The emperor's reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire's many islands.

Lin is the emperor's daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognize her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic.

Yet such power carries a great cost, and when the revolution reaches the gates of the palace, Lin must decide how far she is willing to go to claim her birthright - and save her people.”

The Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert V.S. Redick

I read this years and years ago when it came out, and remember really enjoying it. I haven’t picked up the sequel yet, so I might have to do a reread one of these days.

Synopsis from the publisher: “The Imperial Merchant Ship Chathrand is the last of her kind. Six hundred years old, the secrets of her construction long forgotten, the massive vessel dwarfs every other sailing craft in the world. It is a palace with sails, a floating outpost of the Empire of Arqual. And it is on its most vital mission yet: to deliver a young woman whose marriage will seal the peace between Arqual and its mortal enemy, the secretive Mzithrin Empire. But the young woman in question-Thasha, the daughter of the Arquali ambassador-has no intention of going meekly to the altar. For the ship's true mission is not peace but war-a war that threatens to unleash an ancient, all-consuming evil.

As the dark conspiracy at the heart of the voyage unfurls, Pazel Pathkendle, a lowly tarboy with an uncanny gift, will find himself in an unlikely alliance with Thasha and her protectors: Hercól, a valet who is more than he appears; Dri, the queen of a race of tiny stowaways who have their own plans for the great ship; and Ramachni, a powerful sorcerer from another world. Arrayed against them are the Chathrand's brutal captain, Nilus Rose; the Emperor's spymaster and chief assassin, Sandor Ott; and the enigmatic Dr. Chadfallow, a longtime friend to Pazel's family whose kind words may hide a vicious betrayal.

As the Chathrand navigates treacherous waters to complete its mission, Pazel, Thasha, and their allies-including a singularly heroic rat-must also navigate a treacherous web of intrigue to uncover the secret of the legendary Red Wolf.”

Ocean/High Seas books next on my TBR: 

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

This one has been described to me as The Princess Bride if Buttercup had to go rescue Wesley, and I am so ready for this story! After all, this has become my year of reading Brandon Sanderson (we’re currently reading Warbreaker for this month’s Buddy Read in the BAMTP Discord community).

Synopsis from the publisher: “The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?”

Dark Water Daughter by H.M. Long 

I just received an ARC of this pirate adventure and I am SO excited to read it (and not just because H.M. Long and I are mutuals on Booktok)! This will in fact be my first read from Long, and it sounds so, so good. Pirates, intrigue, and I’m hoping a smidgen of romance? Yes, please.

Releases: July 18th, 2023

Synopsis from the publisher: “Mary Firth is a Stormsinger: a woman whose voice can still hurricanes and shatter armadas. Faced with servitude to pirate lord Silvanus Lirr, Mary offers her skills to his arch-rival in exchange for protection - and, more importantly, his help sending Lirr to a watery grave. But her new ally has a vendetta of his own, and Mary's dreams are dark and full of ghistings, spectral creatures who inhabit the ancient forests of her homeland and the figureheads of ships.

Samuel Rosser is a disgraced naval officer serving aboard The Hart, an infamous privateer commissioned to bring Lirr to justice. He will stop at nothing to capture Lirr, restore his good name and reclaim the only thing that stands between himself and madness: a talisman stolen by Mary.

Finally, driven into the eternal ice at the limits of their world, Mary and Samuel must choose their loyalties and battle forces older and more powerful than the pirates who would make them slaves.”

Sing me to Sleep by Gabi Burton

Releases: June 27th, 2023
Synopsis from the publisher: “Saoirse Sorkova survives on lies. As a soldier-in-training at the most prestigious barracks in the kingdom, she lies about being a siren to avoid execution. At night, working as an assassin for a dangerous group of mercenaries, Saoirse lies about her true identity. And to her family, Saoirse tells the biggest lie of all: that she can control her siren powers and doesn't struggle constantly against an impulse to kill.

As the top trainee in her class, Saoirse would be headed for a bright future if it weren't for the need to keep her secrets out of the spotlight. But when a mysterious blackmailer threatens her sister, Saoirse takes a dangerous job that will help her investigate: she becomes personal bodyguard to the crown prince.

Saoirse should hate Prince Hayes. After all, his father is the one who enforces the kingdom's brutal creature segregation laws. But when Hayes turns out to be kind, thoughtful, and charming, Saoirse finds herself increasingly drawn to him-especially when they're forced to work together to stop a deadly killer who's plaguing the city. There's only one problem: Saoirse is that deadly killer.”

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

Pretty much all the fantasy people I trust on Booktok and Bookstagram have loved this book. It IS a chonky boi, so that’s why I haven’t gotten to it yet, but I’m incredibly excited to read about a female pirate captain and her crew!

Synopsis from the publisher: “Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, she’s survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.

But when she’s tracked down by the obscenely wealthy mother of a former crewman, she’s offered a job no bandit could refuse: retrieve her comrade’s kidnapped daughter for a kingly sum. The chance to have one last adventure with her crew, do right by an old friend, and win a fortune that will secure her family’s future forever? It seems like such an obvious choice that it must be God’s will.

Yet the deeper Amina dives, the more it becomes alarmingly clear there’s more to this job, and the girl’s disappearance, than she was led to believe. For there’s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savor just a bit more power…and the price might be your very soul.”

I love a very specific book rec, and the call of the sea can be very alluring–although the sharks will always scare me. There are so many more books that could make this list. Are there any favorites you would add? Drop them in the comments. Happy reading fellow adventurers, and may your literary journeys be as deep and boundless as the ocean itself!

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