Mermaid stories are not usually my thing. Well, not since I was obsessed with “The Little Mermaid” as a kid. That being my only point of reference, I can’t really compare “Merminia” to other mermaid books, but I do know that I was very pleasantly surprised. This world under the sea is much more complex than I expected, and I really liked the use of different clans of mermaids to create a tense, almost political atmosphere. The characters are all completely believable, and the main character of Selinne is someone I could identify with and root for. I also liked that, on both sides of the conflict, there were characters you cared about – not just the good guys’ team. Even the commonly used love triangle aspect was fresh, not overdone, and fit well into the bigger plot points and overarching story.
The writing itself is extremely descriptive and gives you a rich picture of what this world and characters look like. There was a bit too much description at times, I thought, so that it was a little distracting from the action going on, but it still works because there’s something new to “see” at every turn. The backstory is thrown in without distracting from the main story, and you quickly get a feel for the myths this story is working with. The plot never feels sluggish, and the pacing brings all the elements together so that, by the end, I was satisfied and yet still wanted to read the sequel.
Definitely worth a read, even if you aren’t a mermaid fan.
See it on Amazon!
Sunshine Somerville 