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Every once in a while, a story swims up from the depths and splashes cold water on my suspicion that there’s nothing new left in storytelling. (Dear reader, brace yourself for a flood of water puns!)
I picked up Song of the Selkies by Sarah Pennington because it won “Book of the Year” in the 2024 Realm Awards. I deeply respect Realm Makers—one of the most encouraging spaces out there for Christian speculative fiction—so my hopes were high. And this story didn’t disappoint… though it did surprise me.
This isn’t your typical YA fantasy, especially when it comes to the love story. There’s no swoony “romantasy” here. The romance seeps in so… very… slowly, I began to wonder if it would happen at all. At its heart, this is a story about duty, sacrifice, and the courage it takes to walk—or swim—into the unknown for the good of your people.
Shall we dive into the plot?
Ceana is the youngest of seven princesses. Her older sisters all made political marriages to strengthen their kingdom, and Ceana wants to do the same. But when her parents tell her she can marry whomever she wishes, she’s… devastated.
Yep. You read that right.
In a world of stories where princesses fight to escape arranged marriages, Ceana’s longing to serve her people in this way is refreshingly different. That one twist sets the tone for a story that gently flips familiar tropes on their heads.
Now, let’s talk selkies—mythical seal-people with enchanted cloaks that transform them into seals when they enter the sea. Ceana infiltrates their hidden world, determined to understand the conflict between selkies and humans. Much of the story’s tension comes from the risk of her being discovered.
Another thing that sets this book apart? It’s unapologetically Christian… but never preachy. The faith elements are like the ocean’s salt—present in every current, quietly shaping the story without overpowering it. There’s a bit of battle violence, but the tone stays true to its gentle, hopeful heart.
Song of the Selkies is a rare find—a book that feels like it swam in from another world and left sea-glass in its wake.
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