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A review by breedawnwriter
The Mermaid's Tale: Volume 1 by L. E. Richmond
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Go read this book. Richmond creates a rich, beautiful, and timeless tale of love, friendship, loyalty, greed, and honor all within a masterfully crafted underwater world.
What I Loved:
- The worldbuilding. I adore this book as a reader, but I love it even more as a writer. Reading this book felt like taking a masterclass in atmospheric worldbuilding. When you write, you're setting the tone and mood of the world, and Richmond does this flawlessly.
- The love triangle that, for the first time in my life, wasn't toxic. I was a little hesitant when I noticed the book moving into "love triangle" territory. But my mind was immediately put at ease. Both of the love interests are complicated, nuanced, and could be very healthy choices for Locklyn.
- Locklyn as a strong, female protagonist. I love that she's girly, but she's not afraid to get grungy and fight for what she believes in. She's not just a boss girl--she's a caretaker who loves deeply.
- The way the author approached really dark topics. This book has some really dark undertones. It approaches ideas like sexual predators, bullying, and even kidnapping. But I never felt violated as a reader, and I think there's a lot we can learn from Richmond about this.
What I Didn't Love:
- It didn't quite feel long enough. I wanted more. I know this is the first in a duology, but I still think this one could've been longer. For the record, though, this is a personal preference--it's not a sign of a pacing problem.
Content Warnings: Abandonment, animal cruelty, animal death, blood, bullying, death, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, murder, sexual assault (implied, but not shown on page), sexual harassment (implied, but not graphic), and violence.
I won an ARC in a giveaway by the author. All opinions are my own.
What I Loved:
- The worldbuilding. I adore this book as a reader, but I love it even more as a writer. Reading this book felt like taking a masterclass in atmospheric worldbuilding. When you write, you're setting the tone and mood of the world, and Richmond does this flawlessly.
- The love triangle that, for the first time in my life, wasn't toxic. I was a little hesitant when I noticed the book moving into "love triangle" territory. But my mind was immediately put at ease. Both of the love interests are complicated, nuanced, and could be very healthy choices for Locklyn.
- Locklyn as a strong, female protagonist. I love that she's girly, but she's not afraid to get grungy and fight for what she believes in. She's not just a boss girl--she's a caretaker who loves deeply.
- The way the author approached really dark topics. This book has some really dark undertones. It approaches ideas like sexual predators, bullying, and even kidnapping. But I never felt violated as a reader, and I think there's a lot we can learn from Richmond about this.
What I Didn't Love:
- It didn't quite feel long enough. I wanted more. I know this is the first in a duology, but I still think this one could've been longer. For the record, though, this is a personal preference--it's not a sign of a pacing problem.
Content Warnings: Abandonment, animal cruelty, animal death, blood, bullying, death, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, murder, sexual assault (implied, but not shown on page), sexual harassment (implied, but not graphic), and violence.
I won an ARC in a giveaway by the author. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Bullying, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, and Blood
Minor: Sexual assault, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment