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dunder_mifflin's review against another edition
5.0
This. Book. Is. EVERYTHING.
There were a lot of things I loved:
- Meela is a poc! Confirmed! I love me some representation!
- And not just that in the way of rep: bi mermaid meets lesbian human! (At least that's what I'm assuming, since Lysi had a serious relationship with a dude & Meela is like 'Tanuu whom???'
- Meela was an awesome main character and I loved reading about her friendships with the girls, her relationship with Lysi, and her rivalry with Dani! Also I loved just reading about her; she's smart, strategic, caring, loyal, but she has her flaws too.
- The fact that Lysi and Meela used their combined gay powers to find a way to stop the fighting???? Iconic.
There were a couple of things that bugged me:
- When they lost a couple bolts playing Morbles(?), the Captain went apeshit, but when Meela is like 'oh no! I'm low on ammo and there's mermaids everywhere!' she like.... forgets she can just pull bolts outta dead mermaids and I just kinda wanted to shake her, the rest of the crew, and the author - but then it was rectified later on, there was like /one/ mention of them harvesting the ammo from the bodies and I was like hm okay that's good enough but still kinda annoying? Because I had this thing bugging me for like half the book?
- There were two seperate moments in the book with Meela becoming cornered/desperate and weaponless, and BOTH times just as she's about to die or get hurt 'something bumps into her hand' and alas it's the bolt she lost! Or something glints at her from just next to her and yay! it's the knife! This thing bothered me a little because it was just like... idk, too convenient? Once, I don't mind, once it's like eh, whatever, but twice? @ Tiana this is one of my fave reads of the year but you can't rely on the same get-your-mc-out-of-trouble device multiple times, especially in just the first book of a series idk?
But overall, I loved it SO MUCH and the good was INCREDIBLE and the bad is just me nit-picking!
There were a lot of things I loved:
- Meela is a poc! Confirmed! I love me some representation!
- And not just that in the way of rep: bi mermaid meets lesbian human! (At least that's what I'm assuming, since Lysi had a serious relationship with a dude & Meela is like 'Tanuu whom???'
- Meela was an awesome main character and I loved reading about her friendships with the girls, her relationship with Lysi, and her rivalry with Dani! Also I loved just reading about her; she's smart, strategic, caring, loyal, but she has her flaws too.
- The fact that Lysi and Meela used their combined gay powers to find a way to stop the fighting???? Iconic.
There were a couple of things that bugged me:
- When they lost a couple bolts playing Morbles(?), the Captain went apeshit, but when Meela is like 'oh no! I'm low on ammo and there's mermaids everywhere!' she like.... forgets she can just pull bolts outta dead mermaids and I just kinda wanted to shake her, the rest of the crew, and the author - but then it was rectified later on, there was like /one/ mention of them harvesting the ammo from the bodies and I was like hm okay that's good enough but still kinda annoying? Because I had this thing bugging me for like half the book?
- There were two seperate moments in the book with Meela becoming cornered/desperate and weaponless, and BOTH times just as she's about to die or get hurt 'something bumps into her hand' and alas it's the bolt she lost! Or something glints at her from just next to her and yay! it's the knife! This thing bothered me a little because it was just like... idk, too convenient? Once, I don't mind, once it's like eh, whatever, but twice? @ Tiana this is one of my fave reads of the year but you can't rely on the same get-your-mc-out-of-trouble device multiple times, especially in just the first book of a series idk?
But overall, I loved it SO MUCH and the good was INCREDIBLE and the bad is just me nit-picking!
freadomlibrary's review
4.0
Actual rating 4.5 stars
I NEED MORE!!
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
Critically
Plot – 4.5 out of 5 stars
This book is so good! The plot is intense and exciting. This is not the usual mermaid tale that you’re used to. These are man eating, gruesome, violent mermaids and the plot definitely shows that. It’s bloody and harsh and all about survival of the fittest. It’s about how you can lose yourself in something you believe in, and not in a good way. There’s also an LGBTQ+ aspect that I wasn’t expecting but really enjoyed.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
The writing style definitely lent well to the kind of story the author was telling. It was dark and intense. Strong and gripping with great descriptions and lots of details. It’s extremely graphic so if you get squeamish easily, I wouldn’t recommend it but I loved it because it was real and powerful. It caught me completely and made me devour this book.
Characters – 4 out of 5 stars
There’s a few characters in this book though only one narrator which is Meela, a girl from Eriana Kwai who is preparing for the first Massacre with only female fighters. I really liked her. She’s strong, brave and smart. She’s conscious of what she’s doing and isn’t emotionally closed off to being affected to the act of war and of killing which I really appreciated. She’s determined to get through the Massacre and is looking out for the rest of the crew. Not only do we get to meet Meela’s crew but we also encounter a mermaid up close and personal. The side characters are all very interesting and complex. I definitely like some more than others as Meela did. Some let the environment get the best of them and others were just plain crazy pants. I really liked how the author showed those differences, how these extreme situations affect different people and what this thought process makes you do. This book focused a lot on friendships and what makes someone else an enemy to you.
Emotionally
The plot is graphic. We follow the story of the small island Eriana Kwai that has been at war with an underwater colony of man eating mermaids and our main character, Meela, is one of the the nineteen 18 year old girls who are sent on a mission to battle the mermaids in the water for control of the sea. First things first, the prologue automatically discards any preconceived ideas you may have about these mermaids. They are not the ones you would find in a Disney movies. These mermaids are straight up vicious savages with the power to lure men their deaths. Almost like a mix between sirens and mermaids, except without the singing but with a powerful compulsion. The plot revolves around two things: the battles between the girls and the mermaids as well as the overall war as well as the girls spending time on a boat together for a really long time. The first was intense and powerful and freaking violent. Neither group of females mess around whatsoever. The mermaids are caught off guard so they need new tactics and the girls prepared as much as they could but it doesn’t compare to the real thing. There were so many powerful scenes that I was affected emotionally like the main character. As for the later, it surprised me how intense that was too. The girls spend months in the middle of the ocean on a boat with each other as their only company. Not everyone got along with each other and as their number dwindle, so does their sanity and their trust with each other. It was psychologically intense to see their lives unravel and their minds as well. The whole thing was gritty, gruesome and unlike anything I’ve ever read which means it was FREAKING AWESOME.
Meela was a great narrator in my opinion. She’s strong and fierce but she’s also disturbed by what she’s doing. War is ugly guys and I was glad that the author didn’t give us a main character that just killed without remorse or without guilt, no matter who the enemy is. That didn’t earn her a lot of favor with the other girls but I appreciated the honesty and realness that came with her mental battle. But at the same time, she has a secret that could alter the fate of her entire island which is not cool at all. There’s a lot of things warring inside of her, choices and opinions and feelings. It’s so honest and realistic and I really loved reading all of this from her point of view.
I mentioned the LGBTQ+ aspect briefly in the above section and while I don’t want to give away any spoilers (even if this is the spoiler section) I did want to mention what I think of it. I thought that aspect in particular was very well done. I can’t even call it a romance because it’s like a thread of one, a possibility of one and I like how that was handled.
Overall, this book was awesome! The plot was intense, violent and gruesome. It depicted the reality of war even when it is one fought with paranormal creatures. Also how isolation affects the mind of an individual and how that affects the group setting. The characters are all very complex and intriguing, some even go so far as being a bit unhinged but I loved seeing how they interact with each other. I can’t wait to continue the series.
I NEED MORE!!
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
Critically
Plot – 4.5 out of 5 stars
This book is so good! The plot is intense and exciting. This is not the usual mermaid tale that you’re used to. These are man eating, gruesome, violent mermaids and the plot definitely shows that. It’s bloody and harsh and all about survival of the fittest. It’s about how you can lose yourself in something you believe in, and not in a good way. There’s also an LGBTQ+ aspect that I wasn’t expecting but really enjoyed.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
The writing style definitely lent well to the kind of story the author was telling. It was dark and intense. Strong and gripping with great descriptions and lots of details. It’s extremely graphic so if you get squeamish easily, I wouldn’t recommend it but I loved it because it was real and powerful. It caught me completely and made me devour this book.
Characters – 4 out of 5 stars
There’s a few characters in this book though only one narrator which is Meela, a girl from Eriana Kwai who is preparing for the first Massacre with only female fighters. I really liked her. She’s strong, brave and smart. She’s conscious of what she’s doing and isn’t emotionally closed off to being affected to the act of war and of killing which I really appreciated. She’s determined to get through the Massacre and is looking out for the rest of the crew. Not only do we get to meet Meela’s crew but we also encounter a mermaid up close and personal. The side characters are all very interesting and complex. I definitely like some more than others as Meela did. Some let the environment get the best of them and others were just plain crazy pants. I really liked how the author showed those differences, how these extreme situations affect different people and what this thought process makes you do. This book focused a lot on friendships and what makes someone else an enemy to you.
Emotionally
Spoiler
Considering how I got this book as a free Kindle ebook, I wasn’t really expecting anything good to come out of it but it really blew me away.The plot is graphic. We follow the story of the small island Eriana Kwai that has been at war with an underwater colony of man eating mermaids and our main character, Meela, is one of the the nineteen 18 year old girls who are sent on a mission to battle the mermaids in the water for control of the sea. First things first, the prologue automatically discards any preconceived ideas you may have about these mermaids. They are not the ones you would find in a Disney movies. These mermaids are straight up vicious savages with the power to lure men their deaths. Almost like a mix between sirens and mermaids, except without the singing but with a powerful compulsion. The plot revolves around two things: the battles between the girls and the mermaids as well as the overall war as well as the girls spending time on a boat together for a really long time. The first was intense and powerful and freaking violent. Neither group of females mess around whatsoever. The mermaids are caught off guard so they need new tactics and the girls prepared as much as they could but it doesn’t compare to the real thing. There were so many powerful scenes that I was affected emotionally like the main character. As for the later, it surprised me how intense that was too. The girls spend months in the middle of the ocean on a boat with each other as their only company. Not everyone got along with each other and as their number dwindle, so does their sanity and their trust with each other. It was psychologically intense to see their lives unravel and their minds as well. The whole thing was gritty, gruesome and unlike anything I’ve ever read which means it was FREAKING AWESOME.
Meela was a great narrator in my opinion. She’s strong and fierce but she’s also disturbed by what she’s doing. War is ugly guys and I was glad that the author didn’t give us a main character that just killed without remorse or without guilt, no matter who the enemy is. That didn’t earn her a lot of favor with the other girls but I appreciated the honesty and realness that came with her mental battle. But at the same time, she has a secret that could alter the fate of her entire island which is not cool at all. There’s a lot of things warring inside of her, choices and opinions and feelings. It’s so honest and realistic and I really loved reading all of this from her point of view.
I mentioned the LGBTQ+ aspect briefly in the above section and while I don’t want to give away any spoilers (even if this is the spoiler section) I did want to mention what I think of it. I thought that aspect in particular was very well done. I can’t even call it a romance because it’s like a thread of one, a possibility of one and I like how that was handled.
Overall, this book was awesome! The plot was intense, violent and gruesome. It depicted the reality of war even when it is one fought with paranormal creatures. Also how isolation affects the mind of an individual and how that affects the group setting. The characters are all very complex and intriguing, some even go so far as being a bit unhinged but I loved seeing how they interact with each other. I can’t wait to continue the series.
marieintheraw's review against another edition
3.0
These are the mermaids I was looking for.
full spoiler-free review: https://amberinoface.wordpress.com/2016/07/20/ice-massacre-by-tiana-warner/
I received an ecopy in exchange for an honest review through Netgalley
full spoiler-free review: https://amberinoface.wordpress.com/2016/07/20/ice-massacre-by-tiana-warner/
I received an ecopy in exchange for an honest review through Netgalley
chocolatemilo9's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
polarbear2023's review against another edition
No ant of lesbians can bypas the bad writing
malimaan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rowan_24's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
lunaballz's review against another edition
5.0
This was a really captivating read that I couldn't put down. A female human warrior who's trained to kill mermaids falls in love with one of them? Yes please! This book is eerie, action-packed, and full of kickass women going off to war. This first one doesn't have much in the way of romance though, it's very much a slow burn while Meela comes to term with her feelings.
The only real problem I had with this book was that a few scenes were written kind of oddly, and I couldn't figure out what was going on. Even when I reread the scene, and when the characters commented on it later I had trouble figuring out what exactly had happened.
This is a very engaging, polished story, and probably the best mermaid tale I've read yet. I really recommend it and am looking forward to the sequel.
The only real problem I had with this book was that a few scenes were written kind of oddly, and I couldn't figure out what was going on. Even when I reread the scene, and when the characters commented on it later I had trouble figuring out what exactly had happened.
This is a very engaging, polished story, and probably the best mermaid tale I've read yet. I really recommend it and am looking forward to the sequel.
ekunes's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25