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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
I really liked this book. Sometimes I felt as if the reader was just thrown into the middle of the story without ever getting any xplanation and it left me confused at times, but all in all I really enjoyed the ride.
My only real problem with this was the constant change of POV. We are being told this story from Yara, Treygan and Rownan. Usually I like POV story telling but the constant switching really put me off at times. I would have preferred to have only one POV or a third person narrator instead of the constant switching back and forth.
My only real problem with this was the constant change of POV. We are being told this story from Yara, Treygan and Rownan. Usually I like POV story telling but the constant switching really put me off at times. I would have preferred to have only one POV or a third person narrator instead of the constant switching back and forth.
I wasn't really into the cover of the mermaid in some sort of misty ecstasy with pastel water splashes and a thunderstorm in the background, so it took me awhile to actually read this book, which is sad because Tangled Tides is my favorite mermaid book so far. It combines romance, suspense and mythology to entice the reader to go on the journey with Yara.
This is the first mermaid book that I've read that actually delves into the history of mermaids, talks about how there are more than one type of mer-creature and doesn't have a heroine that cries and whines all the time. Sure, Yara doesn't want to be a mermaid, but she also doesn't understand how much her family and friends are involved with these ancient creatures either.
While Yara is truly the star of the show, Hooper compels us to get to know each of the characters in this universe she's created. There are two warring half-brothers, this creates a love triangle sort of (another part I like about the book a new twist on the triangle of love), who happen to be on the opposite ends of the same side, an adorable old guardian uncle, a bewitching siren and so many beautiful and colorful mermaids that I couldn't pick a favorite secondary character. I like how the story gets told through the voices of three characters, not just one. At first I thought this was going to be annoying, but then realized the story moved forward with each interpretation of the tale and the three very different voices kept me intrigued.
And, if you want action there's that too. The gorgons want their cursed prize, there's a deadly sickness that mermaids get if they stay in our world too long and they're running out of the cure and time, there's a shark attack that I didn't breath through as I read and there are some sexy scenes and kisses that left me quite breathless, and wishing I had fins and a tail and my own blue-haired tattooed man friend.
This is definitely a book for those people who love their water creatures (as there are mermaids, selkies, water sprites, sirens and gorgons), but it also for people who love mythology (I never really thought about where mermaids came from, until I read this book), or just want a good suspenseful romance.
Oh, and I got this book for free, when it was free, it's now $4.99 on your Kindle and I couldn't find an ebook version on Barnes and Noble.
This is the first mermaid book that I've read that actually delves into the history of mermaids, talks about how there are more than one type of mer-creature and doesn't have a heroine that cries and whines all the time. Sure, Yara doesn't want to be a mermaid, but she also doesn't understand how much her family and friends are involved with these ancient creatures either.
While Yara is truly the star of the show, Hooper compels us to get to know each of the characters in this universe she's created. There are two warring half-brothers, this creates a love triangle sort of (another part I like about the book a new twist on the triangle of love), who happen to be on the opposite ends of the same side, an adorable old guardian uncle, a bewitching siren and so many beautiful and colorful mermaids that I couldn't pick a favorite secondary character. I like how the story gets told through the voices of three characters, not just one. At first I thought this was going to be annoying, but then realized the story moved forward with each interpretation of the tale and the three very different voices kept me intrigued.
And, if you want action there's that too. The gorgons want their cursed prize, there's a deadly sickness that mermaids get if they stay in our world too long and they're running out of the cure and time, there's a shark attack that I didn't breath through as I read and there are some sexy scenes and kisses that left me quite breathless, and wishing I had fins and a tail and my own blue-haired tattooed man friend.
This is definitely a book for those people who love their water creatures (as there are mermaids, selkies, water sprites, sirens and gorgons), but it also for people who love mythology (I never really thought about where mermaids came from, until I read this book), or just want a good suspenseful romance.
Oh, and I got this book for free, when it was free, it's now $4.99 on your Kindle and I couldn't find an ebook version on Barnes and Noble.
I fell in love; therefore, "...love until it kills you, because there's nothing better worth dying for.”
More reviews can be seen on my shared blog Boricuan Bookworms
Dear Karen Amanda Hooper:
Please.
Please please please please please stop creating stories that I love!
You don’t understand how much it pains me to wait for the next book in the series. Or how much it hurts to know that the love interests in this series will never compare to anyone I’ll ever meet. Ever.
-Sincerely, Marianne.
Okay okay, I should start my review:
I’m always very hesitant to read books about sea creatures, because many of them are never well developed. I’m happy to say that Karen has restored my faith in reading mermaid books!
Tangled Tides was an amazing mermaid story. Karen took everything I love about mermaids, and intensified it. She added new facts to the myth and pleasantly surprised me.
This book perfectly combines mermaid folklore, fiction, action, fantasy, and a whole lot of romance!
This story is about Yara, an ordinary girl who gets kidnapped days before her 18th birthday by a sexy merman. To Yara’s surprise, she’s told she’s a mermaid! Yara didn’t believe in any of those things, but now that she’s seeing it happen right before her eyes, how can she not? To make matters worse, she’s the one who holds the key to lift a curse off of her people; she can open the gateway between the worlds. There’s also a small problem: not all sea creatures are good, some want Yara dead. Add in falling for the stormy-eyed Treygan, and Yara’s life will be much more difficult. Why couldn’t she just be human?
This story is told in three POV’s: Yara’s, Treygan’s and Rownan’s. At first I couldn’t really connect with Yara. I mean, she’s a mermaid! How can she possibly see anything bad with that! I would’ve stated jumping in joy and whatnot! But Yara was a whole different story. Initially she was so stubborn! She didn’t want anything to do with mermaids and that just made me want to slap some sense into her!
Anyways, after my initial Yara annoyance, I could honestly say I really loved her character development. By the end of the book, I was totally on board the Yara train! I actually wanted to be Yara (this may or may not have to do with having a love interest like Treygan…).
Treygan was just… swoon central.
Other than being DROP DEAD GORGEOUS, he was sweet, protective, loyal, loving and overall amazing. Treygan’s POV was one of the most entertaining to read, because other than having an in-depth understanding of the mermaid-verse, we also understand his thoughts and motivations, things that Yara sometimes never understood. Although… his and Yara’s banter was very amusing.
The only POV I really couldn’t stand was Rownan’s. He was so insufferable for me at first. He was the “villain” of the story, and I’ve got to say, he played his part very well. He redeemed himself at the end, but I really can’t bring myself to love him yet.
Now, other than these main characters, it was nice to see many secondary characters that actually give something to the story! I loved seeing Delmar and Kimber’s stories, for example. I hope to see much more of it in the next book.
I never have an issue with Karen’s writing, because it always has a beautiful and captivating prose. This one was no different.
The ending for me was beautiful. I liked how everything was wrapped up nicely, but at the same time, there’s still space to introduce a second book. I can’t wait to see what else Karen can do!
Rating: 4.5 stars!
Ebook provided by Publisher via Netgalley
Dear Karen Amanda Hooper:
Please.
Please please please please please stop creating stories that I love!
You don’t understand how much it pains me to wait for the next book in the series. Or how much it hurts to know that the love interests in this series will never compare to anyone I’ll ever meet. Ever.
-Sincerely, Marianne.
Okay okay, I should start my review:
I’m always very hesitant to read books about sea creatures, because many of them are never well developed. I’m happy to say that Karen has restored my faith in reading mermaid books!
Tangled Tides was an amazing mermaid story. Karen took everything I love about mermaids, and intensified it. She added new facts to the myth and pleasantly surprised me.
This book perfectly combines mermaid folklore, fiction, action, fantasy, and a whole lot of romance!
This story is about Yara, an ordinary girl who gets kidnapped days before her 18th birthday by a sexy merman. To Yara’s surprise, she’s told she’s a mermaid! Yara didn’t believe in any of those things, but now that she’s seeing it happen right before her eyes, how can she not? To make matters worse, she’s the one who holds the key to lift a curse off of her people; she can open the gateway between the worlds. There’s also a small problem: not all sea creatures are good, some want Yara dead. Add in falling for the stormy-eyed Treygan, and Yara’s life will be much more difficult. Why couldn’t she just be human?
This story is told in three POV’s: Yara’s, Treygan’s and Rownan’s. At first I couldn’t really connect with Yara. I mean, she’s a mermaid! How can she possibly see anything bad with that! I would’ve stated jumping in joy and whatnot! But Yara was a whole different story. Initially she was so stubborn! She didn’t want anything to do with mermaids and that just made me want to slap some sense into her!
Anyways, after my initial Yara annoyance, I could honestly say I really loved her character development. By the end of the book, I was totally on board the Yara train! I actually wanted to be Yara (this may or may not have to do with having a love interest like Treygan…).
Treygan was just… swoon central.
Other than being DROP DEAD GORGEOUS, he was sweet, protective, loyal, loving and overall amazing. Treygan’s POV was one of the most entertaining to read, because other than having an in-depth understanding of the mermaid-verse, we also understand his thoughts and motivations, things that Yara sometimes never understood. Although… his and Yara’s banter was very amusing.
“You have a wide nose,” I mumbled.
“You have a narrow mind,” he shot back.
“Well, you could really use a haircut.”
Another eyes-closed nose pinch. “If you tame your attitude, I’ll cut my hair.”
“Why are you so concerned with my personality?”
“Why are you so concerned with my appearance?”
-Tangled Tides by Karen Amanda Hooper
The only POV I really couldn’t stand was Rownan’s. He was so insufferable for me at first. He was the “villain” of the story, and I’ve got to say, he played his part very well. He redeemed himself at the end, but I really can’t bring myself to love him yet.
Now, other than these main characters, it was nice to see many secondary characters that actually give something to the story! I loved seeing Delmar and Kimber’s stories, for example. I hope to see much more of it in the next book.
I never have an issue with Karen’s writing, because it always has a beautiful and captivating prose. This one was no different.
The ending for me was beautiful. I liked how everything was wrapped up nicely, but at the same time, there’s still space to introduce a second book. I can’t wait to see what else Karen can do!
Rating: 4.5 stars!
Ebook provided by Publisher via Netgalley
Tangled Tides takes Greek mythology (Medusa, Poseidon, gorgons, sirens) and a bit more (merfolk, selkies), adds a dash of some extra supernatural for flavor, and a portal to a whole other world. Oh, and of course, we can’t forget the power of True Love and Soul Mates in that mix, because that’s fairly integral to anything inspired by Greek mythology.
The world Hooper creates is full of magic and myth, love and jealousy, tenderness and heartbreak, and we discover it through the eyes of three different characters: Yara, a human-turned-mermaid, Treygan, a merman, and Rownan, a selkie. Each has their own side of the story to tell, and the lines of who is right and who is wrong are not readily clear from the beginning, though they become so. Oh, and the mermen Pango and Merrick make an adorable couple, can't forget them! They're also full of surprises, those two.
I found the first half the strongest, with the world-building and getting to know the mer especially. It was also full of wonder, like the ceremony for Koraline (I love underwater beauty!), and discovering how mer abilities work.
Of course, what would a good reinterpretation of mythology be without a love interest, and a forbidden one at that? To keep it vague, I appreciated how it started out, but around two-thirds of the way through or so, there was a clear turning point after a second kidnapping, and the acceptance of two people involved in the Soul Mates bit in regards to their love suddenly came on very strong. Too strong for my taste, and a bit too reliant on the soul mate-destiny style of (insta-) love. Coincidentally, around that same time is when the plot and the schemes exploded into insanity, and maybe it was just because of reading too fast, but it seemed a little fuzzy at the same time, a little unclear as to what exactly was going on and what the plans were. Then the final result reminded me of the theme I really don’ t like regarding Super Special Main Characters, namely.
While there is some opening at the end for a continuation, this book also stands quite solidly on its own, with a full story that comes to a solid resolution, even if we do ask just what was the deal that was made. I assume that will be addressed in the sequel(s), so it could be worth checking out. It was certainly an interesting world that would be worth revisiting sometime.
Favorite quotes:
“Love knows no rank. I love you and Kimber differently, but I would lay down my life for either of you in a heartbeat.” – page 133/327
“Fear is natural. It’s what you do with that fear that changes your fate. You can save all of them. You’re strong enough. Stay true to your heart, even if your darkest hour.” – page 289/327
Typos:
If I tell you, do you promise to take me back to Eden’s Hammock? He’s probably there, worried to death. – page 11/327 – All of this should be italicized.
…felt like it had had been sliced with… -- page 287/327 – remove extra ‘had’
The world Hooper creates is full of magic and myth, love and jealousy, tenderness and heartbreak, and we discover it through the eyes of three different characters: Yara, a human-turned-mermaid, Treygan, a merman, and Rownan, a selkie. Each has their own side of the story to tell, and the lines of who is right and who is wrong are not readily clear from the beginning, though they become so. Oh, and the mermen Pango and Merrick make an adorable couple, can't forget them! They're also full of surprises, those two.
I found the first half the strongest, with the world-building and getting to know the mer especially. It was also full of wonder, like the ceremony for Koraline (I love underwater beauty!), and discovering how mer abilities work.
Of course, what would a good reinterpretation of mythology be without a love interest, and a forbidden one at that? To keep it vague, I appreciated how it started out, but around two-thirds of the way through or so, there was a clear turning point after a second kidnapping, and the acceptance of two people involved in the Soul Mates bit in regards to their love suddenly came on very strong. Too strong for my taste, and a bit too reliant on the soul mate-destiny style of (insta-) love. Coincidentally, around that same time is when the plot and the schemes exploded into insanity, and maybe it was just because of reading too fast, but it seemed a little fuzzy at the same time, a little unclear as to what exactly was going on and what the plans were. Then the final result reminded me of the theme I really don’ t like regarding Super Special Main Characters, namely
Spoiler
that they get super-powered with All The Abilities and everything is hunky-dory despite all the hardship that got them to that pointWhile there is some opening at the end for a continuation, this book also stands quite solidly on its own, with a full story that comes to a solid resolution, even if we do ask just what was the deal that was made. I assume that will be addressed in the sequel(s), so it could be worth checking out. It was certainly an interesting world that would be worth revisiting sometime.
Favorite quotes:
“Love knows no rank. I love you and Kimber differently, but I would lay down my life for either of you in a heartbeat.” – page 133/327
“Fear is natural. It’s what you do with that fear that changes your fate. You can save all of them. You’re strong enough. Stay true to your heart, even if your darkest hour.” – page 289/327
Typos:
If I tell you, do you promise to take me back to Eden’s Hammock? He’s probably there, worried to death. – page 11/327 – All of this should be italicized.
…felt like it had had been sliced with… -- page 287/327 – remove extra ‘had’
I bought the Kindle edition of this book off of Amazon for free. For a free book, it was very good. I started it last night when I couldn't go to sleep and I finished it by early evening the next day!
Yara's story quickly sucked me in from the very beginning. One page she is a human trying to get her house ready for the storm, and the next page she is a mermaid. From there the action just keeps on going. Some of the aspects of why the mermaids and the selkies wanted Yara could have been explained a bit better or even a little bit earlier in the book, but for the most part it didn't bother me too much. The only time it bothered me was when it was mentioned, but never explained because Yara wasn't "ready". By the end of the novel, Yara becomes a very strong and independent main character. I was rooting for her and Treygan to somehow find their happily ever after, and I was worried that we wouldn't find out their fate until the second novel.
"Someone told me that after the clouds clear, the sky is a blank page waiting to be filled with sunbeam songs, moonlit poetry, and stories written in the stars."
I liked how all of the different mythological beings all fit into the story. Sometimes when you have multiple aspects going on, a few of the groups don't get entirely flushed out. In Tangled Tides, the mermaids, gorgons, selkies, and sirens all had a backstory and they all fit in perfectly together. With so many different groups, it definitely kept the storyline interesting with which side will "win" and which groups were sided together.
Yara's story quickly sucked me in from the very beginning. One page she is a human trying to get her house ready for the storm, and the next page she is a mermaid. From there the action just keeps on going. Some of the aspects of why the mermaids and the selkies wanted Yara could have been explained a bit better or even a little bit earlier in the book, but for the most part it didn't bother me too much. The only time it bothered me was when it was mentioned, but never explained because Yara wasn't "ready". By the end of the novel, Yara becomes a very strong and independent main character. I was rooting for her and Treygan to somehow find their happily ever after, and I was worried that we wouldn't find out their fate until the second novel.
"Someone told me that after the clouds clear, the sky is a blank page waiting to be filled with sunbeam songs, moonlit poetry, and stories written in the stars."
I liked how all of the different mythological beings all fit into the story. Sometimes when you have multiple aspects going on, a few of the groups don't get entirely flushed out. In Tangled Tides, the mermaids, gorgons, selkies, and sirens all had a backstory and they all fit in perfectly together. With so many different groups, it definitely kept the storyline interesting with which side will "win" and which groups were sided together.
I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down I was so attached to the characters and loved this authors writing style. This is a book I'll treasure forever and one of my all time favourite books.
It took me a little while to really get into this book, but once I did I loved it. I want to pick it apart but I can't because I just loved the story. Mermaids and selkies are my weakness and this book had them both. Throw in sirens, Poseidon, Medusa, and angels and I loved it. It was kind of confusing with everything that was going on in the end, but that's part of the reason I loved it. I didn't know what was going to happen and I was kept on the very edge of my seat. Why oh why don't have the next book ready?!
I had NEVER read a mermaid story before, and I was a little apprehensive at first. I like a story where I can relate to the main character and really just get lost in everything that's going on. I was worried that with this story, that wouldn't be able to happen. I was so wrong! This book has taught me to keep a more open mind when it comes to books, because I could be missing some really great stories.
Yara and Treygan start off in the common "I-Can't-Stand-You-But-I'm-Drawn-To-You", complex relationship snarl. Although, given how Yara can be a little irritating in the beginning this is perfectly understandable. This was one of those situations where I could totally see why both people would be put off by the other.
Yara, who just found out her life would never be the same again was, understandably, a little panicked, and therefore, a little grating at times. And Treygan, who seems to not want to answer any of Yara's questions, has a little bit of an attitude at the beginning.
But, once I got through about half of the book, I realized that this was just setting us up for the rest of the story. There's a reason that not all of our questions are answered. There's a reason the Selkies freak me out, and there's a reason why Treygan treats Yara the way he does. And once I got to the real "meat" of the story, I could appreciate why Ms. Hooper took us there the way she did.
I appreciated the lore and mythology that was incorporated into the story. I really hope Ms. Hooper uses these, again, in her next Sea Monster Memoirs installment.
I definitely suggest reading this book. And I also suggest picking up the In His Eyes Anthology, which is free right now on Amazon. Ms. Hooper added a story from Treygan's POV, and it totally made me appreciate his character all the more!
I give this book 4.5/5 stars!
Christy @ Captivated Reading
Yara and Treygan start off in the common "I-Can't-Stand-You-But-I'm-Drawn-To-You", complex relationship snarl. Although, given how Yara can be a little irritating in the beginning this is perfectly understandable. This was one of those situations where I could totally see why both people would be put off by the other.
Yara, who just found out her life would never be the same again was, understandably, a little panicked, and therefore, a little grating at times. And Treygan, who seems to not want to answer any of Yara's questions, has a little bit of an attitude at the beginning.
But, once I got through about half of the book, I realized that this was just setting us up for the rest of the story. There's a reason that not all of our questions are answered. There's a reason the Selkies freak me out, and there's a reason why Treygan treats Yara the way he does. And once I got to the real "meat" of the story, I could appreciate why Ms. Hooper took us there the way she did.
I appreciated the lore and mythology that was incorporated into the story. I really hope Ms. Hooper uses these, again, in her next Sea Monster Memoirs installment.
I definitely suggest reading this book. And I also suggest picking up the In His Eyes Anthology, which is free right now on Amazon. Ms. Hooper added a story from Treygan's POV, and it totally made me appreciate his character all the more!
I give this book 4.5/5 stars!
Christy @ Captivated Reading
This was amazing! It was my first mermaid book, but it was so much more! It had mermaids, sirens, selkies, gorgons, water sprites, and even a Greek god. But there was also so much to the story, with so much mythology and history, action, and romance! If you love fiery and passionate romances with lots of pledges of undying love and self-sacrifice, this is for you. Even though they were unable to have a relationship until near the end, there was never any doubt about their love.
And I was really impressed with the story. It was my first mermaid book, as I said earlier, but I was expecting a simple forbidden romance between a mermaid/merman and a human, and a sacrifice having to be made to be together. But their decisions would affect worlds. How much are they willing to sacrifice to be together? And neither of them were straightforward merfolk or humans. They had very complicated heritages and very complicated roles in the larger conflict. I never knew what was going to happen next and I was really happy with how things were handled in the end.
I also loved the world this book created. I dont know if it was entirely based on mythology, but I would guess some of it was created by [a:Karen Amanda Hooper|5044405|Karen Amanda Hooper|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1332872615p2/5044405.jpg]. I loved how everything fit together, all the different roles the water creatures played, and the ranking colours of the mermaids sounded so gorgeous. I wish I could have seen them. Treygan, Yara, Karoline, Nixie, they all sounded beautiful. They were all great characters too. And I loved Pango, he was hilarious. I am a little confused by Rownan though. At first he seemed like a really horrible guy, even after spending time with Yara for months. But then he seemed to change his stance so quickly. Not that I am complaining. I am glad he came around.
With the extremely unique situation Yara and Treygan find themselves in at the end, I am anxious to find out how it works for them in the future. The few glimpses of their uninterrupted happiness that we got to witness was amazing, and I cant wait to see more, but I know it cant be that easy. I cannot wait to see them fight for each other and their people again in [b:Dangerous Depths|13412960|Dangerous Depths (The Sea Monster Memoirs #2)|Karen Amanda Hooper|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1379583109l/13412960._SY75_.jpg|18688494] and to see their incredible strength, loyalty and love in action.
And I was really impressed with the story. It was my first mermaid book, as I said earlier, but I was expecting a simple forbidden romance between a mermaid/merman and a human, and a sacrifice having to be made to be together. But their decisions would affect worlds. How much are they willing to sacrifice to be together? And neither of them were straightforward merfolk or humans. They had very complicated heritages and very complicated roles in the larger conflict. I never knew what was going to happen next and I was really happy with how things were handled in the end.
I also loved the world this book created. I dont know if it was entirely based on mythology, but I would guess some of it was created by [a:Karen Amanda Hooper|5044405|Karen Amanda Hooper|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1332872615p2/5044405.jpg]. I loved how everything fit together, all the different roles the water creatures played, and the ranking colours of the mermaids sounded so gorgeous. I wish I could have seen them. Treygan, Yara, Karoline, Nixie, they all sounded beautiful. They were all great characters too. And I loved Pango, he was hilarious. I am a little confused by Rownan though. At first he seemed like a really horrible guy, even after spending time with Yara for months. But then he seemed to change his stance so quickly. Not that I am complaining. I am glad he came around.
With the extremely unique situation Yara and Treygan find themselves in at the end, I am anxious to find out how it works for them in the future. The few glimpses of their uninterrupted happiness that we got to witness was amazing, and I cant wait to see more, but I know it cant be that easy. I cannot wait to see them fight for each other and their people again in [b:Dangerous Depths|13412960|Dangerous Depths (The Sea Monster Memoirs #2)|Karen Amanda Hooper|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1379583109l/13412960._SY75_.jpg|18688494] and to see their incredible strength, loyalty and love in action.