The Siren Sea [Hardcover]
- Low stock - 2 items left
- Backordered, shipping soon
- Homeschool Family Favorite
- Sibling Loyalty + Found Family
- Moral Integrity and Courage
- Print copies ships to US - eBooks & audiobooks delivered Worldwide
📚 The Siren Sea • Young Adult Epic Fantasy
Enchanting Slavic‑inspired tropes: dragons, sirens, forbidden magic, and folklore-meets-fairy-tale feels (think Narnia meets Baba Yaga). This epic fantasy debut weaves enchanting world‑building and multi‑POV storytelling around a quest teeming with danger, loyalty, and self‑discovery.
🌟 What readers will experience:
- A courageous orphaned scholar, her fiercely loyal younger brother, a haunted woodsman, and a secretive young tsarina—four teens from opposite worlds bound together as they face a wicked adversary, dangerous magic, and a perilous journey home.
- Enchanting prose and vivid scenes: shimmering sirens, an original magic system, lore-filled libraries, and perilous sea crossings.
- Emotional themes perfect for teen homeschoolers: resilience in the face of betrayal, sibling loyalty, and the cost of choosing what’s right over what’s easy.
Praised by Kirkus Reviews—the premier review source trusted by librarians and educators—this magical debut delivers both heart and high-stakes adventure.
⭐ Critical Acclaim:
“A charming tale brimming with magic, beauty, action, and memorable characters … Intriguing and lyrical” — Kirkus Reviews
✅ Why Homeschooling Families Love It:
- Rich, multilayered storytelling encourages thoughtful discussion
- Myth-inspired worldbuilding blends culture and lessons seamlessly
- Strong, relatable teen characters foster emotional connection and growth
Perfect For:
Readers aged 12–17 who love multi-POV quests, epic fantasy, stories with unexpected twists and turns, and relatable, courageous characters. Also ideal for parents and teachers looking for a read-aloud or independent study option that captivates and inspires.
Order The Siren Sea today—a sweeping, spellbound journey filled with danger, loyalty, and hope.
Adults love it too! What adult reviewers are saying:
"Before the end of the first page, I knew I was in safe hands. It was just like slipping into a favourite dressing gown with a steaming mug of hot chocolate."
-Kevin C, Monty's Book Reviews
"What a truly joyous read!"
-James W, Amazon review
"Excellent characters and engaging writing style. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!"
-Michelle C
"This new book from Cidney Swanson is stunning"
-Persephone
"A charming tale brimming with magic, beauty, action, and memorable characters."
-Kirkus Reviews on The Siren Sea (under the title TSARINA SCHOLAR WOODSMAN THIEF)
Genre: Historical fantasy, action & adventure, coming of age, mythological creatures and folklore
Audience: Middle schoolers, teens, young adults, adults
Recommended Reader Age: 12+
Explicit Language: None
Explicit Content: None. Later books in series contain sweet romance.
Violence: Action-packed battles that may include death, but without gore or graphic violence
"This fairy-tale-like story follows a pair of down-on-their-luck siblings as they try to outsmart a villainous duke.
In this book set in the fantasy world of Talisfarne (which sometimes resembles a bygone Russia), Katrin and her younger brother, Cyril, live by themselves on a small island. They were orphaned after their mother died of an illness, and their father was murdered by marauders who broke the government’s peace treaty not long after. Magic, or “magia,” abounds—alongside plenty of enchanted creatures like fey and even sirens: “Her silver tail [splashed] a shower of dazzling brightness so that Cyril felt he’d been sprinkled with the shards of fallen stars.” After losing their house (and everything in it) in a contest, Cyril makes a deal with Ilya, the contest’s winner: Deliver a mysterious package to Ilya’s father, and Ilya will return the property to Katrin. This seemingly simple task leads to wild twists and turns. Cyril winds up in jail, and Katrin discovers the power behind her exceptionally beautiful singing voice. Along the way, readers meet a colorful cast, including the Princess Astrid, Diogenes the woodsman, and an evil duke. Stuffed with traditional fairy-tale references, such as clever disguises and an old woman with mysterious gifts, the novel tackles multiple storylines and characters. Swanson ably juggles everything and everyone, delivering both an intriguing plot and lyrical prose that may remind some readers of Erin Morgenstern’s The Starless Sea, from 2019. (“Cyril huffed and grumbled and shrugged into his cloak. His gait looked stiffer than usual as he departed the cottage for tutors or prayers or whatever it was he did these days between sun-up and midnight.”) The author conjures a vivid world where her characters discover themselves in endlessly surprising ways, melding ancient folklore with politics and enchantment.
A charming tale brimming with magic, beauty, action, and memorable characters."
OUR VERDICT: GET IT
(Publishers note: this book was originally published as TSARINA SCHOLAR WOODSMAN THIEF)
Print books ship in 2-3 days and typically arrives in 3-6 business days after shipping.
EBooks and audiobooks typically deliver within an hour or less.
