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Mer #1

Mer: The Captain's Secret

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In a land where the sea grows restless, the summer breeze turns to ice and sleet, and Mother Nature has plans of another sort, dark and supernatural forces begin to unfold, fighting to unite the broken prophecy. In the midst of a tangled web lie the Castlecrays, a family with deep tragedy and mysterious secrets, who are torn apart and forced on a treacherous journey. Coming from a time when kings rule the realm, knights fight for honor, and eminence is power, the children of Castlecray are thrown into an unknown magical ambiance where nothing is as it seems, and bedtime stories come alive right before their eyes. Sweeping from a land of severe and savage seas to the sparkling underwater spires of a magical unknown world, this is a tale of lords and ladies, knights and nobility, traitors and trolls, who are all intertwined in a weaving maze of conspiracy and deception. Amidst gallantry and guilt, love and loss, the Castlecrays find their fate to be in the hands of their enemies, of each other, and of their new mysterious allies, the Wavekeepers—all vying to keep the balance between good and evil, land and sea, in a fight for the ultimate desire; the power of MER.

Note: This is an alternate edition for ISBN 0615742017/9780615742014.

Paperback

First published December 31, 2012

6 people are currently reading
579 people want to read

About the author

Jade M. Phillips

13 books112 followers
Jade M. Phillips, aside from being an author, can play guitar, do a frighteningly accurate portrayal of a spider monkey, and has the unique ability to vanquish entire armies of magical creatures with a flick of her pen.
When she is not writing about daring journeys and lovable characters, she’s having nightly dance parties with her kids, blogging about whatever tickles her fancy at the moment, and testing new recipes on the stove (which coincidentally, usually ends up testing her smoke detectors as well.)
Jade M. Phillips resides in Arizona with her husband, two children, and her crazy cat, William Wallace Braveheart Fuzzy McFarland the Third.

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5 stars
34 (43%)
4 stars
17 (21%)
3 stars
22 (27%)
2 stars
5 (6%)
1 star
1 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Kelsey.
307 reviews74 followers
January 13, 2016
Great story! I wasn't sure if I liked how the story jumped from character to character, but I ended up enjoying that and I felt myself anxiously waiting to read the next part of my favorite characters stories. Great writing, great flow. I've started reading the second book and I'm just as excited about that one as I am the first one. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves anything mermaid related!
Profile Image for Ronda  Tutt.
863 reviews54 followers
January 17, 2016
Wow, very intriguing story. I loved the fairytale like characteristics with the magic and the power of the Mers. This is basically a young adult read but as an adult I really enjoyed this fantasy.

My only complaint is there is no ending as it leaves you hanging and wanting more. Now for the 2nd book in series.

Great Fantasy Read. This was free on Amazon so I grabbed it.
Profile Image for April.
20 reviews7 followers
March 12, 2013
Looking forward to the sequel!
Profile Image for Heidi.
Author 2 books20 followers
June 1, 2013
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

MER, by Jade M. Phillips is a book like any other. I've never seen, heard of, or read anything like it. The story line has many intricate lines that keeps you guessing with the turn of every page, and you'll certainly find it difficult to stop anywhere along the way. There's a magic that comes with this book that I can't quite put my finger on, but it is absolutely wonderful.

Though the story line is absolutely fantastic, there are a couple things I'd like to give you a "heads up"
on before you jump into your own copy:

At first I wasn't able to keep the characters straight. Each of the many characters have a name that was not familiar to me, so I really had to work to remember who was who. HOWEVER, that may be simply because when I first started reading I could only read here and there, sometimes only a few pages, then a week of no reading, then a few more, etc. So, don't let that stop you.

I also want to forewarn you that there is a some graphic violence in this book. This may be fine for you, but I just wanted to throw that out there. I normally cannot handle violence very well, and I was alarmed in more than a few places, but the occurrences are spread out enough, and the story is amazing enough that I still couldn't put the book down.

MER tells the story of a land and sea that is caught in a fantastical turmoil, with royalty, magnificent creatures, webs of allies, creatures uniting and rising in rebellion, and plot twists that are sure to knock your socks off. Or, as in my case, make you throw the book across the room because you are so furious. And I mean that in the best possible way. Sometimes I just can't stand the awesome-ness of an author, and this book is one of those cases.

All-around HUGE FIVE STARS for both the book and the author. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves mystery, intrigue, and fantasy that doesn't fall into the "cookie-cutter" sort of fantasy novel. As long as you are okay with some violent bits here and there, you will absolutely love this story!
Author 33 books9 followers
March 15, 2013
MER: The Captain's Secret is the first book of the MER series. MER is authored by Jade M. Phillips and just by picking up the book and looking at the cover you feel inspired to read it. Who doesn't like big ships on an ocean with a mysterious fin gliding into the water. The art work in the cowasn't the only thing that caught my attention right away though, the opening of the book was written with such an attention grabbing quality, I didn't want to put the book down!

Jade was able to lay out details in the book that really allowed you to visualize the experience as they rolled out. The story of MER is one of magic, adventure, and fabled creatures. The Castlecray family consists of Lord Emry and his second wife, and his three children, Aaric, Aleen, and Quinn.

Quin is only ten years old but full of life, adventure, and mischief. She doesn't act like a young lady of the castle and befriends the staff, particularly a kitchen boy named Noam. When her grandfather comes to visit her, Noam and she leaves with him, unknowing to him or anyone else, and finds herself on adventure that will change the lives of herself and the kitchen boy, Noam, forever.

When Aaric, Aleen, and Tolan (Aleen's newly betrothed and prince of Mer) find Quin missing, the use their father's ship and set sail to find her. Little did they know that their ship would not find what they were looking for, but find a secret that was supposed to be extinct.

The family must over come the secrets of the past in order to prevent a prophecy from getting in the wrong hands, and when one of them become part of the prophecy it becomes much more dangerous.

My Rating: 9.5/10.0

My Review Notes: MER was a fantastic and easy read. Jade was kind enough to provide us a copy to review and I'll be the first to say, I'm cheap. However, this book is something that I'm going to buy a hard copy of to put on my shelf. Jade is a new author but writes like she's been doing this for ages. Kudos to her and I literally can't wait for the next book to come out!
Profile Image for Suzanna Williams.
Author 9 books63 followers
February 12, 2013
My first thought about Mer was it has a beautiful cover. It also has a very professional video trailer. Could the book could live up to them?

I needn't have worried.

Mer is the kind of tale I would have read to my children at bedtime and every member of the family would have enjoyed. Ms Phillips gives the reader a fantasy land every bit as complex and real as Harry Potter as we follow the adventures of the children of Castlecray Keep.

There's Aaric, sixteen years old and trying to be grown-up but full of doubts, Aleena, reluctantly betrothed at fourteen to the stuttering Prince Tolan and ten-year old Quinlan, whose inquisitive nature leads her find the mysterious glowing rock and to stow-away on her Grandfather's boat with her friend Noam, the kitchen boy.

Mer is a book filled with murderous Crag Trolls, magical Lightning Bugs, funny songs, wonderful insults (my favourite was `pig-snouted nanny nagger'), Kings with dubious intentions and would be equally suitable for boys or girls. It has murder, intrigue, romance and an ancient prophesy in a plot too complex for this brief review.

That's not to say that there isn't some lyrical writing in Mer,
`Snakewood village had been torn limb from limb, bleeding red blood and crying raindrops,'
and the characters have fantastic names, like Nimbus Nooney, which children are bound to love.

The only thing I didn't like about Mer was reaching the end and finding out I have to wait until Dec 2013 to find out what happens next. Mer is well written and masterfully plotted. I will definitely be looking out for more work by Jade M Phillips.
Profile Image for Tricia Drammeh.
Author 28 books90 followers
January 20, 2014
In the land of Merenia, trouble is brewing. It all begins with unseasonably cold weather and a slain merman. Kidnapping, treachery, and magic combine to make this book a fantastic start to an epic fantasy.

This book has several storylines branching out and re-converging as the author takes us on an epic journey. In a land where trolls attack travelers, where warring factions of mermaids battle to take control of a ancient prophecy, and where treacherous noblemen seek to overthrow the King, three siblings are faced with dangers they never knew existed. Rich folklore in this fantasy world comes to life as stories become reality for the three Castlecray children.

This first book in the MER series was immediately captivating and very easy to read. I was swept away by the author's rich imagination, and this story was as imaginative as they come. I loved the characters in this story, particularly the Castlecray children, their old sea-faring grandfather, Noam, and both the King's sons. There is a beautiful, magical quality to this tale and I'll definitely read the next book in the series.

I'd give this book 4.5 stars out of 5 because there are parts where it could have been edited better. Some of the descriptions are excessive, and this sometimes slowed the pacing. Overall, I thought this was a marvelously inventive book that I would recommend to fantasy lovers ages twelve and older.
Profile Image for The Glassed And The Furious.
1,061 reviews47 followers
July 31, 2016
I'm surprised this book hasn't more ratings/reviews on here. Of all the mermaid themed book, this is definitely one of the better ones.
There are several POVs in this book, all giving you a little insight into the world of this character but never enough to connect it all together with the other characters. It's not until the end that the light is shed and the entire puzzle comes together only to have you more intrigued about the continuation of the story.

The characters are overall likeable. The main character Quinlan is delightfully unlady-like and prefers adventures and mischief to sitting in the castle. My only problem was that even though she was supposed to be only ten years old she often talks and acts way beyond her years - it made it a bit unrealistic. But nonetheless enjoyable!

The other characters are also very well written and even though the story is told from several different characters at completely different places it has a nice reading flow.

If I would criticize one thing, it would be the entire rebellion around Silvana and the conflict between Kalaya and Kai. For me personally there wasn't enough information on this - it just happened without enough background to it. I felt as if there should have been more hints/explanations concerning this. But maybe we will hear more of this in the sequel
Profile Image for The Glassed And The Furious.
1,061 reviews47 followers
August 6, 2016
I'm surprised this book hasn't more ratings/reviews on here. Of all the mermaid themed book, this is definitely one of the better ones.
There are several POVs in this book, all giving you a little insight into the world of this character but never enough to connect it all together with the other characters. It's not until the end that the light is shed and the entire puzzle comes together only to have you more intrigued about the continuation of the story.

The characters are overall likeable. The main character Quinlan is delightfully unlady-like and prefers adventures and mischief to sitting in the castle. My only problem was that even though she was supposed to be only ten years old she often talks and acts way beyond her years - it made it a bit unrealistic. But nonetheless enjoyable!

The other characters are also very well written and even though the story is told from several different characters at completely different places it has a nice reading flow.

If I would criticize one thing, it would be the entire rebellion around Silvana and the conflict between Kalaya and Kai. For me personally there wasn't enough information on this - it just happened without enough background to it. I felt as if there should have been more hints/explanations concerning this. But maybe we will hear more of this in the sequel
Profile Image for John Carter.
Author 5 books2 followers
May 4, 2013
Magic, monsters and mystery! Mer: The Captain's Secret is a well written fantasy that resonates with readers of all ages. From the cover, to the first, to the very end, Mer delivers on a high level. Phillips keeps the action flowing with enough twists and turns to make your mind into a pretzel.

Her characters are well-developed. I could almost see my own daughter as 10 year old Quin sneaking away to go on this fantastic adventure!

I'm a big fan of description. Often, indie authors can be a little skimpy in this department. Not so here. Phillips has created a complex world filled with magic and mystery. I grew up on the Dragon Lance fantasy series and the world of Krynn. I was not disappointed with the lands the author created here!

I rarely give five stars in a review. Typically that's not because of the writing but for the editing (or lack thereof). Phillips has earned this 5 star review! I read with a critical eye and found nothing that needed correcting! Well-done!

I have already passed this book on to my daughter. She's 14 and I know she will love it. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone! Do yourselves a favor and check it out.

5 well-deserved stars! Bring on Volume 2!
10 reviews
January 17, 2014
Kept me on the edge of my seat!

If you love to get lost in the world of a story, MER: THE CAPTAIN’S SECRET delivers big time. I loved the colorful characters, jam packed with strong motives; and I loved the rich, fully developed world, palpable and filled with magic. Jade Phillips has created an imaginative tale filled with frightening monsters, world-shattering events, loyalty, betrayal, and tests of courage. The tale sweeps you along, with cliffhanger chapter endings that will have you rushing through the pages to see what happens next. Children will love the monsters and the magic, and the fact that two children, Quinlan and Noam, are key players in the events that unfold, and get to show they are trustworthy and important. Adults will enjoy the depth and complexity of the world and the characters’ motives. Phillips’s prose is evocative, putting you on ships, in the ocean, or in the midst of battles with vibrant realism. There’s plenty here for both girls and boys: love and romance for the girls; swordplay and skulduggery for the boys. A must read fantasy adventure worthy of five glowing stars!
Profile Image for Anna.
56 reviews14 followers
August 5, 2013
If someone asked me to describe this book in one sentence, this would be it:
Every chapter of MER is like a puzzle piece and at the end of the book all the pieces fit perfectly together.

I find it hard to write a summary of this book because every chapter of the book is written from the point of view of different characters. This was not something that bothered me. On the contrary, that made the book very special.

I thought that this book was a nice read. Besides, it was something different from the books with all the vampires and werewolves. Instead of those, the author introduces you to trolls and other creatures.

I am definately looking forward to the next part of this series!!
Profile Image for Bethany Aan.
Author 2 books124 followers
April 4, 2013
Mer is one of those books that kinda seeps into your mind and lingers there long after you've read the book.

The characters are engaging and mysterious, even to themselves, which is always a plus for me. I love it when people don't know they're special until the adventure begins!

I especially enjoy the main character being younger, because I love watching them grow up, grow into the responsibility they think they aren't ready for.

Ms. Philips has created one of those worlds I long to visit, a world of hidden magic and mysterious creatures, questions without clear answers (yet!), and characters that you can immediately empathize with.

I can't wait for the next book, to see where all of this goes!
Profile Image for Ashley.
197 reviews2 followers
March 13, 2013
Ok so I'm not gonna rehash what this book was about, the synopsis did a good job of that so i don't need to. I will say that this was a very well written book, the characters were well crafted and acted in ways that you could relate to and actually see a real person reacting. I would have liked a little more discription of the world and scenes, but it was much better than the way a lot of authors will describe EVERYTHING in excruiating detail so I can deal with the minimal details,at least it'll give my imagingation a workout! About the only thing I disliked about this book was it ended too soon.. I was so caught up in the authors story that I REALLY did not want to stop reading!
Profile Image for Jade Phillips.
Author 13 books112 followers
January 24, 2013
Here is a review from a reader on Amazon. :) "An excellent young adult fantasy by a very talented new author. As a fan of all things fantasy, I found this book to be suspenseful, engaging, and an all around page-turner. The author paints a vivid picture of a land full of secrets. The battles are epic and the love contagious. I find this book to have a wide appeal from its target of young adults to men and women who love a good fantasy novel. Definitely recommend to anyone who likes to get lost in world they could only have imagined."
Profile Image for Mandy White.
Author 47 books47 followers
April 9, 2013
Enchanting and well-written!

Not since the Harry Potter series have I been so captivated by a Young Adult fantasy. Magic, myth and mermaids make up this well-written and riveting adventure. The intricately woven tale flows seamlessly through the points of view of several different characters, with all story lines joining cleanly together at the end. It’s clear that this adventure has just begun and I am eagerly anticipating the next volume of this exciting new series. Jade M. Phillips is a rising star from whom I expect we will be seeing great things in the near future.
Profile Image for Mark.
190 reviews13 followers
April 7, 2013
MER is an engaging fantasy story set on land and sea. It seems to begin so simply, but layers of mysteries are introduced. As one piece of the puzzle is revealed it seems another mystery takes its place. The reader thinks he knows what to expect next, but the story takes a different turn.

I read through the book in nearly one sitting over the course of several hours. It's been a while since I've done that. I must commend the author for moving the story along, enticing the reader along through every page.
435 reviews8 followers
April 28, 2013
The author brings to life a story about people who must challenge themselves to learn the differences in their own lives and heart to conquer that which stand in their way. excellent read for anyone won on librarything.com for review
Profile Image for mirba.
880 reviews25 followers
September 29, 2014
If you like cliff hangers or you can find the entire serie this is a really nice book. It is a very nice fantasy with nice characters and settings.
The world, while still in the classic fantasy, has a quite unusual settings.
Profile Image for Jessica Cowgill.
201 reviews3 followers
July 11, 2023
Great read

Such a fascinating tale with such a wide range of different and unique characters. I like the merpeople the best. Can't wait to read the second book.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews

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