In this series opener that was originally self-published in 2020, mermaids, who are described as light-skinned, start learning mer-magic in middle school. Lavender-haired sixth grader Brynn Finley can hardly wait to join the ranks of the sea guardians. But her new school presents challenges Brynn hadn’t anticipated: traveling by speed-current without her parents, getting lost in the halls between classes, and not being able to conjure as quickly as her peers. Luckily, Brynn has a community that’s there to support her—if only she could bring herself to ask for help. A series of poorly thought-out decisions leads Brynn to showdowns with classic underwater villains—a sea witch with lustrous skin (“like the inside of an abalone shell”), selkies (who have “dark faces”), and an evil, green-scaled dagon, or fish person—during which she finally learns the importance of honest communication. Nothing about the treatment of Brynn’s life lessons is subtle. Troubling incidents, such as Brynn’s trading her pet turtle for a dark magic talisman, unfold against a backdrop of familiar imagery, like kelp forests and friendly, helpful dolphins, and the dialogue often feels flat. The book works hard to reinforce widely accepted values, such as the importance of effective collaboration and being good environmental stewards.