Deep Betrayal by Anne Greenwood Brown

Series: Lies Beneath (bk. 2)

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: supernatural, Lake Superior, Wisconsin, mermaids, mermen, merfolk, love, murder

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 303pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Random House: Delacorte Press

Summary/ product description: “It's been thirty days, two hours, and seventeen minutes since Calder left Lily standing on the shores of Lake Superior. Not that she's counting. And when Calder does return, it's not quite the reunion Lily hoped for. Especially after she lets her father in on a huge secret: he, like Calder, is a merman. Obsessed with his new identity, Lily's dad monopolizes Calder's time as the two of them spend every day in the water, leaving Lily behind.
Then dead bodies start washing ashore. Calder blames his mermaid sisters, but Lily fears her father has embraced the merman's natural need to kill. As the body count grows, everyone is pointing fingers. Lily doesn't know what to believe—only that whoever's responsible is sure to strike again. . . "

 

My Review: Awesome sequel! I read Lies Beneath and Deep Betrayal back-to-back, so I’m happy I got to read Calder’s perspective, and in this book, Lily’s perspective. I think I like Lily’s perspective the best. I wonder who’s perspective the third book, Promise Bound, will be in. My bet is on both based off the description.

Lily’s personality is fun and quirky at times. She’s really into poetry and geeky about it. She dresses in her own unique way. And she has a merman for a boyfriend. And she’s a strong, female heroine who in no way is similar to Bella from Twilight. Calder’s no Edward either. And there’s no love triangle, thank goodness, because we want Calder to be happy so he doesn’t have to kill people to survive. Lily’s feeding him love.

Lily’s also developing some abilities beyond her resistance to cold water. And her father, who transformed at the end of the last book, is learning to be a merman. And while that’s going on, there’s also almost-drownings that authorities are calling rip-currents, but based on what witnesses say, Lily and Calder believe it’s possibly Maris or Pavati’s doing. So, a lot is happening and the other possibly suspect is Lily’s dad, because he hasn’t been home much.

Still, my favorite part of this book is the setting. I went to Superior last year, and the Porcupine Mountains. I didn’t visit Bayfield (we stopped in Ashland though) or the Apostle Islands, but I did accumulate a lot of travel guides and maps and post cards, so picturing the setting is very easy. I love the Great Lakes, and Lake Michigan is the closest to Chicago obviously, but Lake Superior is so much more natural and clear. And has better rocks to find on the beach. See some of my photos below:

 

 

 

Of course, parts of this book did take place in Minnesota. In the beginning and near the end. There is no Copper Falls in any Minnesota State parks. I looked it up. Copper Falls State Park I’ve been to twice and its south of Ashland, WI. So some places in the book are made up, but essentially based off of real places. The author did a lot of renaming and rearranging for creativity’s sake.

 Bond Falls, MI:

 

Pattison State Park, WI

 

Below: Copper Fall State Park, Brownstone Falls.

 

 PHOTO BELOW ARE NOT MINE

 

 

We also get a bigger taste of the mermaid mythology and legends. I’m not sure if they are based off of real Native American legends, or if the author made them up, but I’m sure Google has the answer. There’re probably Lake Monster legends (I only know of the Loch Ness Monster, and Lake Champlain legend). I didn’t pay attention to that stuff last year on vacation because I was too busy asking where the best places to collect copper were. (I found a very small nugget).

And then the ending of this book was pretty epic. I didn’t think it would happen, but it did. Wow. And who’s the killer? You’ll just have to read the book to find out. I never suspected.

I recommend this series to fans of the Siren trilogy by Tricia Rayburn, Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs, or other mermaid books or books about lakeshore/seaside towns and natural areas. Seriously, if you love watery setting or nature in general, take a virtual vacation on this series. Go on Google Earth or Google Maps and look up Bayfield and look at the photos. Imagine you’re there. This sequel is the perfect summer read.

Also, I want Promise Bound ASAP!!! Anyone have an ARC handy?

Cover Art Review: I like the photo. I know the girl is supposed to be Lily because the hair color. I love the lighting of the photo. Looks awesome with the metallic stock paper. The stones remind me of the lake bottom. I still don’t like the san-serif typeface they chose for the title.

 

 

Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

Series: Lies Beneath (bk. 1)

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: supernatural, Lake Superior, Wisconsin, mermaids, mermen, merfolk, love, revenge

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 303pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Random House: Delacorte Press

Summary/ product description: “Fans of Amanda Hocking's novel, Wake, will dive into this paranormal romance featuring mermaids--the killer kind--and won't come up for air!
Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans and absorb their positive energy. Usually, they select their victims at random, but this time around, the underwater clan chooses its target for a reason: revenge. They want to kill Jason Hancock, the man they blame for their mother's death.
It's going to take a concerted effort to lure the aquaphobic Hancock onto the water. Calder's job is to gain Hancock's trust by getting close to his family. Relying on his irresistible good looks and charm, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter Lily. Easy enough, but Calder screws everything up by falling in love--just as Lily starts to suspect there's more to the monster-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined, and just as the mermaids threaten to take matters into their own hands, forcing Calder to choose between them and the girl he loves.

One thing's for sure: whatever Calder decides, the outcome won't be pretty.
"Riveting! A cold-blooded tale of secrets, revenge, and forbidden love that will leave you terrified to go in the water."--Gretchen McNeil, author of Possess
"Scary and spooky . . . I really enjoyed reading this."--USA Today
“A haunting tale of revenge and romance.”--Justine Magazine

 

My Review: This book makes me mad that we didn’t visit Bayfield last summer. I drove through Ashland, WI on our way to Superior, and Pattison State Park, but I never got to go up on the Bayfield/Apostle Island Peninsula. That goodness for Google Earth, because it has photos and street view.
I absolutely LOVE the setting of this book. I love the North Woods region, and I’ve been there twice. I've been to Lake Superior 3 times, but only last year was I old enough to really enjoy it. And I of course took a million photos, some of which are below. Sadley I'm not part of the whole YA Roadtrip tour. The 1st photo was taken in Superior, WI. Notice the red waves. They rest were in Pocupine Mountains State Park in Michigan. All  the photos are of Lake Superior.

 

 

Lake Superior is way cooler than Lake Michigan. It has better rocks (I found copper, prenite, thompsomnite, greenstone, agate and various other rocks, some fossils) and reddish to clear water. It has the most amazing lake shores and some dunes too. If I could move the UP or someplace near the lake shore, I would. But I hate biting flies.

 Here's some of the travel stuff I have on Bayfield and Lake Superior. I got the post cards from the Ashland visitor's center.

 

That said, I loved more than just the setting. The characters, dialogue and paranormal elements were also interesting. Calder and his 3 sisters were all different in personality and all had their own motivations. Tallulah was the nicest one, Pavati liked to manipulate and memorize people, and Maris was the tough-love leader, the one in charge. In part of the book, Calder stalked Lily a lot. I found it funny. And Calder’s narration reminded me of other books I read with guy narrators. The voice felt right-on.

Lily, the love interest of Calder, was very unique. She liked poetry and dressed in crazy outfits. Lily had a sister, Sophie and her mom and dad. There were also side characters, like Jack, who also liked Lily, and Jack’s sister, Gabby. There was fun dialogue and bickering between Calder and his sisters. And Calder and Lily.

The mermaids in this book were like energy-vampires. They can see aura, absorb energy when they drown someone and emit electrical shocks, like an eel. And they had tails, like the mermaid of fairy tales. But they’re killer mermaids. At least they don’t eat the people they kill. They also have a silver ring around they’re neck when submerged, and I wasn’t sure what that would look like.

I recommend this book to people who enjoyed the Siren series by Tricia Rayburn, other mermaid books, or the Beautiful Creatures series.

Cover Art Review: Love the photo. Looks like one of Calder’s sisters, probably Tallulah or Maris. The pink on the water’s surface looks like blood. I love how the light shines through the ripples. I don’t like the san-serif typeface they chose for the title.

 

Night School by C.J. Daugherty

Series: Night School (bk. 1)

Genera: Mystery/Romance

Subjects Boarding schools, secret societies, conspiracies, England

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 424 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen: Katherine Tegen Books

Summary/ product description: “Allie Sheridan’s world is falling apart. Her brother’s run away from home. Her parents ignore her. And she’s just been arrested.
Again.
This time her parents have had enough. They cut her off from her friends and send her away to boarding school, far from her London friends.
But at Cimmeria Academy, Allie is soon caught up in the strange activities of a secret group of elite students.
When she’s attacked late one night the incident sets off a chain of increasingly violent events. As the school begins to seem like a very dangerous place, she finds out that nothing at Cimmeria is what it seems to be.
And that she is not who she thought she was.”

 

My Review: For some reason I was led to believe that this was another vampire boarding school book. There are no vampires in this book and there’s not really anything supernatural, which is disappointing. I’m not saying this book was bad.  I enjoyed it, I guess. The stuff I liked about this book: humorous dialogue, and interesting characters. Also, there’s definitely a mystery behind this school and what it’s about. A secret society, which is still interesting. So to all of you people out there, this is NOT A PARANORMAL ROMANCE. There is romance, of course, but it’s not paranormal. So why does it say Supernatural Fiction on the copyright page? Maybe in book 2, I will find out.

The 1^st half was all the cliché boarding school book stuff. Friend and mean girls and drama. Traditions, school dances and creepy stuff. It was set in England, and not actually in London, but someplace else. And they don’t have computers or TV there. But seriously, too many clichés.

The main character, Allie, seemed to have a lot of depth in her character. She’s been arrested 3 times, but over a year ago, before her brother disappeared, she was a good girl.

He first love interest is a French guy named Sylvain. He’s a bit of a charmer, but I didn’t like him. He’s not Vincent or Jules (the guys in Die For Me). The other guy, Carter, I like a lot better. He’s less of a jerk and more trustworthy and honest and caring.

There’s really not much I have to say about this book. It was okay, but unimpressive. I recommend it if you like boarding school books and don’t mind clichés. But if you’re looking for paranormal, I don’t recommend this.

Cover Art Review: Very cool and creepy looking. I like the building and the moon, and the title type.

 

Transparent by Natalie Whipple

Series: Standalone

Genera: Paranormal Romance/Alternate-world Sci-fi

Subjects: supernatural, invisibility, super-powers, psychic ability, abilities, organized crime, Arizona, runaways

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 350 pgs.

HC/PB: Paperback

List Price: $9.99

Publisher: HarperTeen

Summary/ product description: “Plenty of teenagers feel invisible. Fiona McClean actually is.
An invisible girl is a priceless weapon. Fiona’s own father has been forcing her to do his dirty work for years—everything from spying on people to stealing cars to breaking into bank vaults.
After sixteen years, Fiona’s had enough. She and her mother flee to a small town, and for the first time in her life, Fiona feels like a normal life is within reach. But Fiona’s father isn’t giving up that easily.
Of course, he should know better than anyone: never underestimate an invisible girl.”

 

My Review: I loved this book. I don’t care if people think the writing was too simple. It was clean and clear, in my opinion. It was fast and funny and exciting. I wouldn’t say it was action packed. It was more about an invisible girl excepting herself, and relationships. Finding love and friendship, and dealing with family issues. It was heartwarming. The dialogue was funny. So many great quotes. And it was also an alternate-world, sci-fi romance. It’s set in contemporary time, but back in the 50’s, people started taking a drug that cause mutations.

The main character is very unique. Her superpower/mutation is invisibility. She invisible ALL THE TIME, even to HERSELF. Which really sucks. And she was born that way, an invisible baby. Sure, there were a few recent books about invisibility, like Andrea Cremer and David Levithan’s Invisibility, and Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Both of those are very different, of course. Fiona has to wear clothes to define her shape. Kind of like the Invisible Man, except she can’t use make-up because when stuff is absorbed into her skin, it becomes invisible.

The supporting characters are very awesome and funny. They all have their own abilities, but I’m not gonna tell you for the sake of finding out for yourself. Bea and her family are very funny and do a lot of fun stuff together. Bea has a brother that hits on Fiona even though he can’t see her. It’s hilarious. Bea’s a great friend.

And there’s Brady, Bea best guy-friend, who likes Fiona sort of. And Seth, the math-loving guy who tutors Fiona. There’s no love triangle or insta-love. Fiona thinks she likes Brady, but she’s really falling for Seth. Seth is kind of a jerk at first, but he’s a jerk that really cares for Fiona.

Then there’s Fiona family. Her mom takes her to Arizona to get away from her dad, who runs a crime organization. Fiona’s dad used her as a spy and thief. Fiona has two older brothers, Graham and Miles. One’s a jerk and one’s really nice and cool.

I loved the setting because I always wanted to go to Arizona and see the desert. This is a great summer read, even if it takes place in the school year.  

I recommend this book if you liked the Curse Workers series by Holly Black, the Big Time series (adult series, Karma Girl, ect.) by Jennifer Estep, Shatter Me series, or X-Men, even.

Cover Art Review: Very colorful. I like the title type. The transparent girl is okay.

 

Feral Nights by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Series: Feral Nights (?) or Tantalize Spin-Off Series (bk. 1)

Genera: Paranormal Romance/Semi-Dystopian

Subjects: supernatural, shape-shifters, islands, survival

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 290 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Summary/ product description: “Fans of the Tantalize quartet will thrill to see werepossum Clyde and other favorite secondary characters — plus all-new ones — take to the fore in book one of an all-new series.
When sexy, free-spirited werecat Yoshi tracks his sister, Ruby, to Austin, he discovers that she is not only MIA, but also the key suspect in a murder investigation. Meanwhile, werepossum Clyde and human Aimee have set out to do a little detective work of their own, sworn to avenge the brutal killing of werearmadillo pal Travis. When all three seekers are snared in an underground kidnapping ring, they end up on a remote island inhabited by an unusual (even by shifter standards) species and its cult of worshippers. Their hosts harbor a grim secret: staging high-profile safaris for wealthy patrons with evil pedigrees, which means that at least one newcomer to the island is about to be hunted. As both wereprey and werepredator fight to stay alive, it’s up to mild-mannered Clyde — a perennial sidekick — to summon the hero within. Can he surprise even himself?”

 

My Review: The first in a spin-off series of one of my favorite vampire/shape-shifter/angel and demons series. It doesn’t feel like a brand new series because it takes place during the event of the final Tantalize book, Diabolical. I just read Diabolical before this and I’m glad I did. Clyde was one of my favorite side characters, and Aimee I forgot about, but I’m glad she was in this book. And Ruby brother Yoshi is an awesome new edition to this set of characters.

I loved Clyde and Aimee’s geekiness about super heroes and comic books. I liked getting to know Yoshi and finding out he wasn’t just a player, but a decent guy. I really hope he’s in the next book too. It may have felt like it took forever for them to end up on the island, but the familiar setting of Austin and Sanguini’s was awesome.

When the got to the island, I felt like the story became a dystopian/survival story. Kind of like The Hunger Games, The Hunt (Andrew Fukada) or Forsaken (Lisa M. Stasse). Or even Lord of the Flies, but with shifters being hunted, not kids. It was a really interesting setting, and made it very different from the previous books. The shifters worked together to fend off hunters. And Aimee was stuck as a maid/kitchen help because she’s human. I liked that we got to find out about different shape-shifters. There were new creatures too.

This book was humorous, full of action and some romance. There was this awesome twist that relates to Clyde. I never saw it coming. There  were tons of funny quotes and fun dialog. I enjoyed it so much. This is exactly the kind of paranormal book I love. Fun, creative, and made of awesomeness. It’s really hard for me to review it without spoiling too much. I can’t wait to see what the next spin-off book will have.

Cover Art Review: Doesn’t seem very unique or YA looking. I like the island landscape below, and panther relates to the book, but it’s just all glossy. If it was metallic I’d like it better.

 

 

I'm in the PW Daily Picture of The Day (sorta)

I'm the person hold up three books with out their dust jacket, showing the spine. I'm pretty sure someone put a book in front of me in this picture, but you can see my hand. ~Haley G

Diabolical by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Series: Tantalize (bk. 4)

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: supernatural, vampires, angels, demons, shape-shifters, werewolves, boarding schools, Texas, Vermont, good vs. evil, love, afterlife, death

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 349 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Summary/ product description: “Prepare for a hell of a ride as Cynthia Leitich Smith calls on characters from her previous novels - and conjures up new ones - for a climactic showdown.
When "slipped" angel Zachary and his werewolf pal, Kieren, arrive under suspicious circumstances to a mysterious New England boarding school, they quickly find themselves in a hellish lockdown with an intriguing assortment of secretive, hand-picked students. Plagued by demon dogs, hallucinatory wall décor, a sadistic instructor, and a legendary fire-breathing monster, will they somehow manage to escape? Or will the devil have his due? Best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith unites heroes from the previous three novels in the Tantalize Series - including Zachary's girl, Miranda, and Kieren's love, Quincie - along with a fascinating cast of all-new characters for a suspenseful, action-packed clash between the forces of heaven and hell.”

 

My Review: Even if Quincie wasn’t a narrator in this final book, it was still awesome. I love Zachary and Kieran. Miranda is okay. I feel like you should end with the character you started with, seeing as Quincie was the soul narrator of Tantalize, she should have been a narrator. 4 narrators seem like too much, but it could have worked here.

Miranda was a vampire princess in Chicago for about 2 years. She first appeared in Eternal, the 2^nd book in the series. She gave us insight into the afterlife while the other two were down on earth and then in hell. She had this device the let her view what was going on. She also got to meet the soul of some of the people she killed as a vamp and make amends.

Zachary is the guardian angel who’s not so good at his job. He’s not ancient, or even 100 years old. He’s still learning. And he’s now Quincie’s GA. He can’t become invisible or incorporeal, but he got his wings back in the previous book.

Kieran’s the brainiac human-werewolf hybrid and Quincie’s boyfriend. He’s a great guy and truly loves Quincie even if she became a vampire.

They end up going to a demonic school because Miranda’s best friend in life, Lucy, is there. They are going to try to make her leave. They become enrolled and then trapped after they get there. A few students die out of the 10 enrolled. It’s basically a horror story of a school. Remote, connected to Hell, and ran by an evil spirit who doesn’t mind killing.

It was an entertaining, fast read. Short chapters and good pacing. The climax is hellishly awesome. And Zachary get an unexpected reward at the end. And of course Miranda in reunited with him too.

Cover Art Review: WINGS!!!!! Very symmetrical and minimal, love the typeface.

 

In My Mail Box 6-17-2013/Book Signing

 1. These are the books I got in the last week. I preordered Rush. I order Fragments. I bought Another Little Piece at B&N and got Defy The Dark at Anderson's.
2. Erin Bowman, Susan Dannard, Sara J. Maas and Kat Zhang at the Yound Authors Give Back tour at Anderson's in Naperville.
3. Erin's autograph.
4. Susan's autograph.
5. Kat's autograph.
6. The swag I got. Lots of book marks and stickers. And my own book plates they signed.

~Haley G

The End Games by T. Michael Martin

Series: Standalone?

Genera: Post-Apocalyptic Sci-fi Thriller/Dystopian

Subjects: zombies, survival, brothers, West Virginia

Age/Grade Level: Teens 13+

Length: 369 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperCollinsChildrens: Balzer & Bray

Summary/ product description: “It happened on Halloween.
The world ended.
And a dangerous Game brought it back to life.
Seventeen-year-old Michael and his five-year-old brother, Patrick, have been battling monsters in The Game for weeks.
In the rural mountains of West Virginia, armed with only their rifle and their love for each other, the brothers follow Instructions from the mysterious Game Master. They spend their days searching for survivors, their nights fighting endless hordes of “Bellows”—creatures that roam the dark, roaring for flesh. And at this Game, Michael and Patrick are very good.
But The Game is changing.
The Bellows are evolving.
The Game Master is leading Michael and Patrick to other survivors—survivors who don’t play by the rules.
And the brothers will never be the same.
T. Michael Martin’s debut novel is a transcendent thriller filled with electrifying action, searing emotional insight, and unexpected romance.”

My Rating: êêê1/2

My Review: This book, despite the strange and confusing writing style, was good. Maybe it’s because the character’s from West Virginia, or maybe because the author just wanted to write different. I just didn’t like the 3^rd person narration that much.

What I did like was the relationship between the characters and the dialogue. And of course the zombies they call Bellows. It made for a fun, action packed story. And in the whole “Game” that Michael made up to keep Patrick from freaking out, you got yourself a really interesting, unique story. Some things could have been done better, but it was okay, good overall.

I really enjoyed the setting. I’ve been to West Virginia, but only the northern parts. This story was set mostly in the capitol, and in some coal mining towns (like District 12 of the Hunger Games). There the Appalachian Mountains out there. It’s beautiful and roughed. I love picturing it.

Much of this book made me think of my brothers. They’re obsessed with video games, Modern Warfare and Call of Duty, and all kinds of 1^st person shooter stuff, X-box live and everything. A lot of what Michael says or think, I hear my brothers say. There was a lot of slang that was over-done, and thankfully not as much swearing as I hear. This book is totally for video gamers and zombie fans. I like zombie movies and book, but I’m not a gamer.

There was a theme of lies and betrayal throughout the books. Being the game master and being manipulated. Michael lied a lot, but he did it to protect Patrick. Other characters lied for power. There’s this character, Jopeck, who lied for his own gain and fan. I did not like that guy. He seemed like a psychopath. And then characters that lied to themselves and others, like the Priest who though sacrifice could bring his son back. Games of deception and betrayal, that’s what this book is about. I’m glad I understood the deeper meaning in the story.

After reading this book, I’m kind of hoping I can get my little brother to read it. He doesn’t like reading, but if he liked reading, he’d like this. So, I recommend this to people who like video games about shooting zombies, or video games and zombies in general. And also if you like Rot & Ruin, the Forest of Hands and Teeth or Enclave by Ann Arguirre.

Cover Art Review: I love the cover. Jon Smith must be an awesome illustrator because it looks very graphic-novel-ish. It reminds me of the Walking Dead, except with 2 brothers. I love the tree with Bellow rising out of them. The red sky it creepy. It’s so cool. And the cover has a rough texture!

 

~Haley G

The Savage Blue by Zoraida Cordova

Series: The Vicious Deep (bk. 2)

Genera: Paranormal Romance/Fantasy adventure

Subjects: supernatural, mythology, mermaids, merfolk, ocean, magic, New York, adventure

Age/Grade Level: Teen 13+ (okay for 11-12)

Length: 405 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $16.99

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Summary/ product description: “A storm is coming...
The ocean is a vicious place. Deeper and darker than Tristan could have imagined. Beneath its calm blue surface, an ancient battle is churning —and no one is safe.
In the quest for the Sea Throne, Tristan has already watched one good friend die. Now he must lead the rest on a dangerous voyage in search of the trident that will make him king. But while Tristan chases his destiny, the dark forces racing against him are getting stronger, and the sea witch of his nightmares is getting closer.
Battling sea dragons and savage creatures of the deep, Tristan needs his friends' support. But they each have their secrets, and a betrayal will force Tristan to choose between his crown and his best friend Layla — the only girl he's ever loved.”

My Rating: êêê

My Review: I think I would have enjoyed this more if I didn’t read the last book in one of my favorite series before this. After that book, it’s hard to compete. I remember that I liked the 1^st book. I gave it four stars. Here’s a bit of my review of The Vicious Deep:

“This book was very entertaining. It reminded me a bit of the Percy Jackson series, only no camp and no demi-gods. Merfolk, and various other creatures. It’s really cool to read a mermaid book from a guy’s perspective when the guy just so happens to be half merman. There was lots of humor in Tristan’s voice, tons of amazing quotes.”

In this book, there is a demi-god named Rachel, and some oracles, a vampire, a shapeshifter and whole lot of different magical creatures. The author really created a diverse magical world. Somehow I became confused and couldn’t remember who some people were in the beginning. I hardly could remember what happened in the previous book, but after a while I could remember some stuff. It’s just the author did not do a good job of recapping what happened previously. I felt a bit lost. And the plot was all over the place too. I had no clue what was going on in some part.

The reason why I still gave it three stars is because I love the main character and his narration. I love the humor and the Percy Jackson similarities, and merman stuff. I love the side characters, Layla, and Kurt. Some of the characters are well developed, but not all of them. But still they don’t seem to develop any further. Tristan becomes very unsure of himself rather than the cocky guy in the first book. A lot of the book was just pure fun, and that’s why I got through it. The confusion was definitely a bad set back though.

There was still a lot of action and a few major twists. I loved the twist in part three, about the true heir. There was adventure and the Championship to become the Sea King, and looking for the other trident pieces. There wasn’t much romance. There was a little swearing, but I think it’s still okay for younger teens. Overall, it’s a fun read. I suggest reading/re-reading the Vicious Deep right before starting this so you don’t feel lost. I recommend this to anyone who like mermaid/man books or mythology YA like Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Cover Art Review: Just as cool as the 1^st book’s cover. I like the colors and title treatment. The crown is pretty awesome and all the waves, lightning and clouds.

 

~Haley G