We were right to hate the humans.
Our Bloody Pearl is a 2018 novel written by D. N. Bryn.Set in a light steampunk universe, Our Bloody Pearl follows Perle, a bloodthirsty siren who has been held captive by a ruthless pirate captain named Kian. This changes, however, when Kian's ship is taken over by a far gentler and kinder pirate captain named Dejean. Dejean frees Perle from their prison, but they aren't without their scars — their tail is paralyzed, and the ocean that used to be welcoming and kind to them now seems frightening and far too vast.
With the help of Dejean, his spunky sister Murielle, and his sarcastic first mate Simone, Perle tries their best to learn to live life after Kian — although she's still out there, and the threat of capture hangs heavy over their head ...
Our Bloody Pearl contains examples of:
- Action Girl: A few, but special mention goes to Simone and Kian.
- Colour-Coded for Your Convenience: Sirens are generally referred to by color, at least upon first meeting.
- Bathtub Mermaid: Played for Drama, as Perle is kept in one of these and abused by Kian for a year. By the time we meet them at the start of the book, the physical and mental toll of being held captive in such a small space is significant. Later, they get a much nicer and larger bathtub in Dejean's house.
- Mind-Control Music: Sirens can produce this.
- Pronoun Trouble: Sirens don't really have a concept of gender. When Dejean asks Perle what they'd like to be referred to as, they accept they/them pronouns.
- Hand Signals: Dejean and Perle develop these in order to communicate, as their spoken languages are so vastly different. Perle understands Dejean when he speaks, but not the other way around.
- Our Sirens Are Different: The songs sirens create are impossible to resist. Kian figures out a technology to block their songs before the events of the book.
- Wrench Wench: Murielle. She regularly has tools stuck in her hair.
