When Oceans Rise

Gods, monsters, and a curse that will take you to another world

Submerged in a toxic relationship and disconnected from everyone, she turns to the sea to decide her fate. Its decision? Toss her to the sea witch.

Seventeen-year-old Malaya is cursed. In her family, every girl’s first love ends in death after falling for someone evil. Good thing Malaya’s dream guy isn’t monstrous.

Except the curse is real and preventing Malaya from noticing how much he has gaslit and isolated her until she can’t be saved. With no other options, the sea witch is the only one to help her.

Bartering her voice for a new life where she and her abusive boyfriend never met, Malaya accidentally swaps places with an alternate timeline version of herself who never made her mistakes. As she tries to undo the switch, the sea witch uses Malaya’s voice to unleash Filipino mythological creatures into the worlds.

Can a champion, an alternate timeline sister, and Malaya fight these beasts and stop the sea witch before she destroys both timelines?

★★★★★
I loved how the storyline took unexpected turns, especially after such intense moments. The alternate realities aspect of the story was really interesting and kept me engaged. This was a truly a retelling unlike any I’ve read before and it was amazing!

Amazon review

★★★★★
When Oceans Rise” by Robin Alvarez is a captivating and emotionally charged debut novel that weaves together elements of Filipino culture, mythology, and the harsh realities of toxic relationships.

Amazon review

★★★★★
Yes, this tale has echoes of The Little Mermaid—more than enough to make fans of both the Anderson fairy tale and the Disney movie happy—but the relevant themes, original characters, and strong basis in Filipino folklore wove a unique enough tapestry to place this book in a category of its own.

Amazon review