Brenda Pandos
Obsidian Mountain Publishing
Published March 22, 2012
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When Ashlynn’s best friend disappears with her family, she worries that it has something to do with a family secret. And it does. Only, Ash thinks the family secret is that Tatchi’s dad is an alcoholic… the real secret is: she’s a mermaid, one of the Mer people. So is her hot twin brother, Fin, whom Ash can’t help drooling over.
Just when he has a chance to connect with the beautiful and forbidden Ashlynn, Fin is forced to return to Natatoria, the home of the Mer people, with his family. What at first seems like a quick meeting quickly explodes into house arrest and disfavor with the king’s bratty son. Just great.
But even beneath the sea, Ashlynn’s cries for help reach Fin and nothing will stop him from saving her. If he saves her, he will creates a bond that only death can break.
In a refreshingly chaste but passionate romance, Pandos introduces a mermaid story with a sort of role-reversal: this time, the Mer man is hopelessly in love with a human girl. Some elements of the Mer world were clever – the fact that the Mer people transformed at night and could only be human during the day, for instance; the sealing of a lifelong commitment by a single kiss.
Some elements of the plot seemed a bit more contrived: the romance between Ash and Fin is a given from page one and doesn’t really deepen in a relationship sense. Why does she like him? Because he’s hot. Why does he like her? Because she’s innocent and forbidden. That’s as true at the beginning as it is at the end. There’s not a lot of growth there.
Fans of tales of mermaids will probably still enjoy this story for its exploration of undersea lore. New readers to this vein of fantasy may also be interested in the series The Syrena Legacy by Anna Banks.
None.
Sexual Content
Ashlynn worries about going to a dance with a boy from school and what he’ll expect from her that night. He is a perfect gentleman.
Spiritual Content
Ashlynn’s family are church-going people and her mother prays with her when she’s upset.
Violence
Battles between Mer people. There’s very little description of injuries.
Drug Content
None.
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