I like Waterfell. 
 Amalie Howard's lore on sea creatures was fascinating. The plot was easy to follow, but I had trouble engaging with Nerissa's human life (except for Jenna). Riss' sometimes-abrasive romantic relationship with Lo raised my eyebrows a bunch of times. No goosebumps from me, for the swoon intended to please readers only managed to irked me with its ineffectual dialogue. 
 Nerissa is living with humans as part of her training as the royal heir to Waterfell. But she wants it to be permanent, because she's coward enough to run from the responsibility. Because she's scared enough of Ehmora to want to live a normal human life. Let Ehmora rule Waterfell since she never wanted to be a princess/queen in the first place. 
 When Riss learned the truth about her mother, the rules of the game changed. Suddenly, Riss wants to accepts Ehmora's challenge for the throne. and Riss is more determined than ever to know his dead father's secrets. 
 The story left the paranormal theme when the origin of Riss' people, the Aquarathi, was revealed. The twists were also surprising, and well handled. The last three chapters were the most interesting. It gave the viciousness that I was looking for in sea creatures. 
 Scenes between Riss and Lo were.. frustrating. The banter came across as corny for me. It did not help the Riss' attitude is unbearable at times. Her best friend's Jenna's observations about her character was exactly what I have in mind. 
 Waterfell and the Aquarathi people captured my imagination. A little more developed characters, and more underwater action scenes might make the following installments better. 
 3.5/5