Ariel leaned on her desk. Its whalebone was soft to the touch, and she couldn’t help admiring the beautiful detail the royal carpenter had carved into its legs. The desk was a gift from her father: a stately piece of furniture for her to do all her Protector business, which would include creating new territory guidelines, meeting with important figures in the community, hosting events, and a whole slew of other responsibilities to those in Carinae.

Along the thread of modernizing Ariel, Elle said that Ariel was "the most boxed-in piece" because she "felt like I needed to write the Ariel that we all know." However, Elle revealed that she was able to read the script as she wrote, giving her access to the version of The Little Mermaid her book would be following. Moreover, Against the Tide offered Elle a chance to explore more of Ariel's sisters, something the movie doesn't quite do. This was another of the "coolest part[s]" about writing the prequel for Elle. Ariel is coming up on her 15th Coral Moon celebration and this year is going to be really special, because it’s finally time for her to become Protector of her territory. But on the night of her ceremony, her sister Mala is kidnapped, leaving behind a note on seaweed leading her and her sisters across the seven seas to find clues to her whereabouts before it’s too late. Ballenger, Kit. "A Taste of Magic." Booklist. Vol. 118, no. 21. 2022-07-01. P. 79. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023. Via Gale Literature Resource Center. (subscription required) Ch. 15 - I can already tell this is just gonna be OK. It is nice to familiarize myself with the sisters before I see the movie today. My only goal now is to finish it before my showing; I don't like it much.Can we take a moment to realize that Disney dropped a ball. So, the guards in the kingdom are what they call "sea monsters" -- hot dudes with fins that are bad asses. I was like, "wait a minute! Why aren't they in the movie!" Because the book sets up that this was a big thing in the kingdom. Not only was there hot sea monsters but Ariel writes a law to give Julia is a Senior News and Resource writer for Collider who graduated from Hofstra University in 2018 with a BA in Film Studies and Production. Since joining the Collider team in 2022, Julia enjoys writing anything related to What We Do in the Shadows, Our Flag Means Death, Abbott Elementary, and even the epic highs and lows of Riverdale — among other topics. Original: Ariel • Flounder • Sebastian • Scuttle • Prince Eric • King Triton • Ursula • Flotsam and Jetsam • King Triton's Daughters • Max • Grimsby • Carlotta • Chef Louis • Ursula's Garden • Glut • The Seahorse Herald • Harold • Merpeople • Sea Creatures • Lagoon Residents

I also loved getting to see how Ariel and Flounder met! Flounder is just as cute in this book as he is in the movie, and so is their friendship!

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One year before the events of The Little Mermaid, Ariel was a 15-year-old rebel who went on magical adventures throughout Atlantica where she sang songs and supported other beings in the sea who were outcasts like herself. OR one year before the events of The Little Mermaid, Ariel was a 15-year-old dreamer who dared to restore music to a broken land that her father tainted through his mourning. OR one year before the events of The Little Mermaid, Ariel was a studious 15-year-old leader preparing to take on the role of Protector to her own kingdom while bringing together her estranged sisters from six different parts of the ocean. According to Disney, all three of these different takes on Ariel's past are correct. Each version also contains a completely different way that she met her best friend, Flounder. With each retelling of Ariel's history, the world around her gets darker, and her personality becomes less bubbly and carefree. The incarnation presented in Against the Tide, where she behaves as though she is 30 despite being written as 15, is the most serious one yet.

Nice to meet you. I’m . . .” She cleared her throat. Too high. She had to come across as serious. Her father always sounded so deliberate and authoritative when he spoke. She straightened herself, and the words came out stronger this time. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Ariel, Protector of Carinae. How can I be of help?” She dangled her hand in the water, imagining someone taking it in greeting.

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Songs from the Sea: The Sea Kingdom • What's It Like to Be a Mermaid? • The Scuttle Strut • There's Only One Ariel • He's a Friend • At the Mermaids' Ball • Party With Me • My Room in the Sea • Dreaming • H2O, What a Feeling! • We Share the Earth • Where Mermaids Dwell I really enjoy getting to know secondary characters that you don’t learn much about in the movie and honestly, I want more from each of the sisters. There is another book that was written by Eric Geron to do just that, as well as their seas and the inhabitants of them. I’ll be reading that really soon!