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Ocean's Gift #2
Ocean's Infiltrator
Could you kill the man you love to protect your people?
Capsize his boat. Lure him into the water. Summon sharks...
How long will Sirena let Joe live, now he knows her secret?
A story about seduction and sharks, parenthood and penguins, with plenty of beer and boobs to keep it interesting, at some coral islands off the coast of Western Australia, plus a few other places, too.
Sexy mermaids surface once more, to sing up chaos on ship and submarine, sea and shore.
Trouble, take two. This is Demelza's second contemporary fantasy book in the Ocean's Gift series, with more mermaids and mayhem than ever.
You'll never look at mermaids the same way again.
A tiny taste of what's in store:
For the first time, she looked nervous. "No human has ever seen me change before," she admitted.
"It's the first time for me, too," I replied hoarsely.
She touched her heels together and gave a flick with her feet. The movement rippled up her body, before she did it again. It looked like her skin was darkening, or was it just the waves washing over her? Another flick, her feet rising out of the water this time, and I saw the blue wasn't just the water. It was like the skin of her legs had grown together, extending over her feet into curved flukes, as blue as the water. It blended seamlessly up her body, though her torso remained pale.
She turned on her side, her eyes curious. In the skin along her ribs, I saw dark lines that looked like gills. I couldn't take my eyes off her. She'd never looked less human, but I'd never wanted to touch her more. My mouth hung open and I couldn't seem to close it.
"Are you coming in, or not?" She twisted, arched and dived down.
I plunged into the water after her.
Ocean's Gift series
This is the second book in Demelza Carlton's Ocean's Gift series, which currently includes:
Ocean's Gift (Book 1)
Ocean's Infiltrator (Book 2)
Water and Fire
Capsize his boat. Lure him into the water. Summon sharks...
How long will Sirena let Joe live, now he knows her secret?
A story about seduction and sharks, parenthood and penguins, with plenty of beer and boobs to keep it interesting, at some coral islands off the coast of Western Australia, plus a few other places, too.
Sexy mermaids surface once more, to sing up chaos on ship and submarine, sea and shore.
Trouble, take two. This is Demelza's second contemporary fantasy book in the Ocean's Gift series, with more mermaids and mayhem than ever.
You'll never look at mermaids the same way again.
A tiny taste of what's in store:
For the first time, she looked nervous. "No human has ever seen me change before," she admitted.
"It's the first time for me, too," I replied hoarsely.
She touched her heels together and gave a flick with her feet. The movement rippled up her body, before she did it again. It looked like her skin was darkening, or was it just the waves washing over her? Another flick, her feet rising out of the water this time, and I saw the blue wasn't just the water. It was like the skin of her legs had grown together, extending over her feet into curved flukes, as blue as the water. It blended seamlessly up her body, though her torso remained pale.
She turned on her side, her eyes curious. In the skin along her ribs, I saw dark lines that looked like gills. I couldn't take my eyes off her. She'd never looked less human, but I'd never wanted to touch her more. My mouth hung open and I couldn't seem to close it.
"Are you coming in, or not?" She twisted, arched and dived down.
I plunged into the water after her.
Ocean's Gift series
This is the second book in Demelza Carlton's Ocean's Gift series, which currently includes:
Ocean's Gift (Book 1)
Ocean's Infiltrator (Book 2)
Water and Fire
468 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 27, 2013
3 people are currently reading
246 people want to read
About the author
Demelza Carlton
936 books3,880 followersUSA Today Bestselling Author Demelza Carlton has always loved the ocean, but on her first snorkelling trip she found she was afraid of fish.
She has since swum with sea lions, sharks and sea cucumbers and stood on spray-drenched cliffs over a seething sea as a seven-metre cyclonic swell surged in, shattering a shipwreck below.
Sensationalist spin? No - Demelza tends to take a camera with her so she can capture and share the moment later; shipwrecks, sharks and all.
Demelza now lives in Perth, Western Australia, the shark attack capital of the world.
The Ocean's Gift series was her first foray into fiction, followed by the Nightmares trilogy. She swears the Mel Goes to Hell series ambushed her on a crowded train and wouldn't leave her alone.
She has since swum with sea lions, sharks and sea cucumbers and stood on spray-drenched cliffs over a seething sea as a seven-metre cyclonic swell surged in, shattering a shipwreck below.
Sensationalist spin? No - Demelza tends to take a camera with her so she can capture and share the moment later; shipwrecks, sharks and all.
Demelza now lives in Perth, Western Australia, the shark attack capital of the world.
The Ocean's Gift series was her first foray into fiction, followed by the Nightmares trilogy. She swears the Mel Goes to Hell series ambushed her on a crowded train and wouldn't leave her alone.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 4, 2013
As someone who rarely downloads anything other than free books (on account of the fact they're read in two hours), the sequel to Ocean's Gift proved to be worth every penny.
Ocean's Infiltrator does a marvellous job of expanding the roles of MC's Vanessa and Joe - On the outside, it seems as though all of Joe's dreams have come true - a sexy wife, a cute kid and a sexy pair of mermaids trying to have their way with him as he sleeps - but there are bigger fish to fry (or lobsters to catch).
Ocean's Infiltrator further explores the reasons for the mermaid's exploration upon land-legs with a sinister undertone of things to come. The epic cliffanger it finishes on has me on tenterhooks for the next installment.
Ocean's Infiltrator does a marvellous job of expanding the roles of MC's Vanessa and Joe - On the outside, it seems as though all of Joe's dreams have come true - a sexy wife, a cute kid and a sexy pair of mermaids trying to have their way with him as he sleeps - but there are bigger fish to fry (or lobsters to catch).
Ocean's Infiltrator further explores the reasons for the mermaid's exploration upon land-legs with a sinister undertone of things to come. The epic cliffanger it finishes on has me on tenterhooks for the next installment.
June 20, 2013
I don't know about looking at mermaids the same way again, I do know that I'll never look at a raspberry the same way!
July 29, 2016
Water Dragons
At a young age, Sirena learned the breadth and depth of power. Even as a child, her power exceeded that of full-grown mermaids. Eager to follow in her mother's path as a leader on the Council, Sirena had to learn to enslave humans before she could kill them. After all, "duty before pleasure."
Now a dangerous adult water dragon, Sirena holds her position of power on the Council. Although her heart is at sea with her friends and family, Serena is an Infiltrator. She lives as a human, hiding her true nature and using the name Vanessa. As part of her mission, her sweet young daughter Marina will join her in her human life.
It's been three long years since Joe saw Sirena. Time has honed rather than dulled his interest and curiosity about the woman of the sea and her mysterious nature. Joe, a human deckhand, and his boat's captain, are working together to build a tourist resort on Rat Island. When Sirena appears on Rat Island, Joe asks her to begin a new life with him.
Sirena is faced with a difficult decision. Joe's knowledge of her true form puts not only Sirena at risk, but all of her people. Will she kill Joe to keep her secret? Or will she open her heart to a human? And even if she decides not to kill him, will her people decide to take matters into their own hands?
In Ocean's Infiltrator, Demelza Carlton has created a rich, underwater society of mermaids, with a glittering history and infrastructure. With clashes between the human world and the secret mermaid world and the love story between Sirena and Joe, Ms. Carlton presents a wonderful story. I can't wait for her next installment in the series!
At a young age, Sirena learned the breadth and depth of power. Even as a child, her power exceeded that of full-grown mermaids. Eager to follow in her mother's path as a leader on the Council, Sirena had to learn to enslave humans before she could kill them. After all, "duty before pleasure."
Now a dangerous adult water dragon, Sirena holds her position of power on the Council. Although her heart is at sea with her friends and family, Serena is an Infiltrator. She lives as a human, hiding her true nature and using the name Vanessa. As part of her mission, her sweet young daughter Marina will join her in her human life.
It's been three long years since Joe saw Sirena. Time has honed rather than dulled his interest and curiosity about the woman of the sea and her mysterious nature. Joe, a human deckhand, and his boat's captain, are working together to build a tourist resort on Rat Island. When Sirena appears on Rat Island, Joe asks her to begin a new life with him.
Sirena is faced with a difficult decision. Joe's knowledge of her true form puts not only Sirena at risk, but all of her people. Will she kill Joe to keep her secret? Or will she open her heart to a human? And even if she decides not to kill him, will her people decide to take matters into their own hands?
In Ocean's Infiltrator, Demelza Carlton has created a rich, underwater society of mermaids, with a glittering history and infrastructure. With clashes between the human world and the secret mermaid world and the love story between Sirena and Joe, Ms. Carlton presents a wonderful story. I can't wait for her next installment in the series!
August 18, 2013
If you enjoyed Ocean's Gift, you'll love Ocean's Infiltrator. More mermaids and even more sexy encounters! And a hint of dragons threads its way through the story.
My one complaint? Not enough whisky in this one!
The fate of oblivious humanity depends on what the mermaids decide. Loved it!
My one complaint? Not enough whisky in this one!
The fate of oblivious humanity depends on what the mermaids decide. Loved it!
March 31, 2014
Three years have come and gone since we've last seen Sirena (Vanessa) and Joe in Ocean's Gift.
Their story continues as Sirena heads back to Rat Island only to discover that Joe has never left the island after his fateful vacation. She has a bit of extra baggage and he has knowledge that can pose a thread to Sirena and her people if it ever came to light.
Enamored with the siren from three years past, Joe pledges his undying love, despite Sirena's differences in being and the two marry. Suffice to say that this romance buds and the two, along with their daughter Marina, come to live together as a family while Sirena continues her research which could mean the destruction or saving of both humans and the people of the ocean's gift.
All the while, another story brews with two very young, very impressionable ladies of the flipper kind: Laila and Estella. Best friends, Laila is forced to separate due to duty and head over to the ruins of Atlantis and meet more of her kind. She is forced to learn how to seduce and procreate and beholds how cruel their nature could be to humans. Then again, it was all for self-preservation, right?
Ms. Carlton also introduces to a component of the story that contains dragons. Nope, nothing like Loch Ness or your typical fire-breathing gigantic lizard-like being but what was a male of the mermaid species that is extinct and to be quite frank, even the mermaid population believes might have always been a myth. We come to find out a bit more about Sirena and her offsprings' (Maria, Belinda & Marina) ancestry which leads to this fantastic series's development.
In the end, Joe and Sirena's life is as normal as a relationship between a mermaid and human can be which I must say is relatively normal aside from the fact that she's nearly a hundred years older than her husband, she's pregnant with her fourth child (hers and Joe's 2nd), and her mermaid sisters aren't of the same opinion that Joe should remain alive, knowing of their secret, but being an Elder and one of the most powerful ones at that does have its advantages.
Ms. Carlton leaves us on another cliffhanger with Ocean's Infiltrator. Boy can I not wait for the next book in this series! I would love to share the ending on here but I think I'll just hold back and let you discover it for yourself. As for the raspberries and the sex on the beach, that's another hint as to some of the humor and subtle sexiness this story will bring to light. One thing's for sure thought, I will definitely be reading the next installment in this series! I give Ocean's Infiltrator a wonderful 5-stars!
Their story continues as Sirena heads back to Rat Island only to discover that Joe has never left the island after his fateful vacation. She has a bit of extra baggage and he has knowledge that can pose a thread to Sirena and her people if it ever came to light.
Enamored with the siren from three years past, Joe pledges his undying love, despite Sirena's differences in being and the two marry. Suffice to say that this romance buds and the two, along with their daughter Marina, come to live together as a family while Sirena continues her research which could mean the destruction or saving of both humans and the people of the ocean's gift.
All the while, another story brews with two very young, very impressionable ladies of the flipper kind: Laila and Estella. Best friends, Laila is forced to separate due to duty and head over to the ruins of Atlantis and meet more of her kind. She is forced to learn how to seduce and procreate and beholds how cruel their nature could be to humans. Then again, it was all for self-preservation, right?
Ms. Carlton also introduces to a component of the story that contains dragons. Nope, nothing like Loch Ness or your typical fire-breathing gigantic lizard-like being but what was a male of the mermaid species that is extinct and to be quite frank, even the mermaid population believes might have always been a myth. We come to find out a bit more about Sirena and her offsprings' (Maria, Belinda & Marina) ancestry which leads to this fantastic series's development.
In the end, Joe and Sirena's life is as normal as a relationship between a mermaid and human can be which I must say is relatively normal aside from the fact that she's nearly a hundred years older than her husband, she's pregnant with her fourth child (hers and Joe's 2nd), and her mermaid sisters aren't of the same opinion that Joe should remain alive, knowing of their secret, but being an Elder and one of the most powerful ones at that does have its advantages.
Ms. Carlton leaves us on another cliffhanger with Ocean's Infiltrator. Boy can I not wait for the next book in this series! I would love to share the ending on here but I think I'll just hold back and let you discover it for yourself. As for the raspberries and the sex on the beach, that's another hint as to some of the humor and subtle sexiness this story will bring to light. One thing's for sure thought, I will definitely be reading the next installment in this series! I give Ocean's Infiltrator a wonderful 5-stars!
March 30, 2016
Recommended for Adults. Lots of hot and steamy sex scenes.
Ocean’s Gift, Book I, made me teary eyed as I was left with the most awful cliffhanger imaginable for a mermaid story. Alone…in the sea…watching her human sail away.
Ocean’s Infiltrator by Demelza Carlton is Book II of the Ocean’s Gift series and I am so happy to find out if Sirena (Vanessa is her human name) will have a happy ever after or kill her human. What would she do…send a Hitfish to take him out? I couldn’t help but laugh!
The Ocean’s Gift series carries a message along with the fantasy. Sirena (Vanessa) is the Ocean’s Infiltrator, doing her best to warn humankind of the damage being done to the oceans and seas. Now the question – continue to help the humans or let them die?
She travels between the ocean and land, making the transition easily. On land she is a Harley riding badass. She is very much her own “woman” – funny, a tease, a lover, a mommy, a leader, and a mermaid – the complete fantasy package.
Joe and Vanessa cannot keep their hands off each other. They are soulmates, fins and all.
Do you want to know how mermaids have sex? Well, you will learn more than you ever thought to ask, in Ocean’s Infiltrator. The sexual tension between Vanessa and Joe steam up my Kindle, love and romance oozing off the “pages”, making it too hot to handle. My only complaint is sometimes I thought the sex was there, just for sex’s sake, but maybe mermaids have to grab it when they can. LOL
The characters, mermaid and human alike, are complex and I am sure you will find your favorite, just like I did.
Politics and a world beneath the waves to rival our own. Atlantis…I was there!
I love the hints and warnings of the damage being done to the oceans and seas. They fit right in and leave me thinking, what can I do? Who is our Ambassador of the deep? After all, I don’t want to be the one that contributes to the extinction of the mermaids. Do you?
Demelza Carlton’s writing brings the Ocean’s Infiltrator world to life. I was entranced and enchanted, letting the story wrap around me like a warm, wonderful cocoon, leaving me with a dreamy smile on my face and a wandering gleam in my eyes.
I hated to see the Ocean’s Gift series end and it will stick with me for a long, long time. I look forward to reading more of Demelza Carlton’s work!
Ocean’s Gift, Book I, made me teary eyed as I was left with the most awful cliffhanger imaginable for a mermaid story. Alone…in the sea…watching her human sail away.
Ocean’s Infiltrator by Demelza Carlton is Book II of the Ocean’s Gift series and I am so happy to find out if Sirena (Vanessa is her human name) will have a happy ever after or kill her human. What would she do…send a Hitfish to take him out? I couldn’t help but laugh!
The Ocean’s Gift series carries a message along with the fantasy. Sirena (Vanessa) is the Ocean’s Infiltrator, doing her best to warn humankind of the damage being done to the oceans and seas. Now the question – continue to help the humans or let them die?
She travels between the ocean and land, making the transition easily. On land she is a Harley riding badass. She is very much her own “woman” – funny, a tease, a lover, a mommy, a leader, and a mermaid – the complete fantasy package.
Joe and Vanessa cannot keep their hands off each other. They are soulmates, fins and all.
Do you want to know how mermaids have sex? Well, you will learn more than you ever thought to ask, in Ocean’s Infiltrator. The sexual tension between Vanessa and Joe steam up my Kindle, love and romance oozing off the “pages”, making it too hot to handle. My only complaint is sometimes I thought the sex was there, just for sex’s sake, but maybe mermaids have to grab it when they can. LOL
The characters, mermaid and human alike, are complex and I am sure you will find your favorite, just like I did.
Politics and a world beneath the waves to rival our own. Atlantis…I was there!
I love the hints and warnings of the damage being done to the oceans and seas. They fit right in and leave me thinking, what can I do? Who is our Ambassador of the deep? After all, I don’t want to be the one that contributes to the extinction of the mermaids. Do you?
Demelza Carlton’s writing brings the Ocean’s Infiltrator world to life. I was entranced and enchanted, letting the story wrap around me like a warm, wonderful cocoon, leaving me with a dreamy smile on my face and a wandering gleam in my eyes.
I hated to see the Ocean’s Gift series end and it will stick with me for a long, long time. I look forward to reading more of Demelza Carlton’s work!
May 24, 2014
I love the world-building in this novel, and the complex rules and internal logic of the mermaid society, complete with their own legends of male mermaid/dragons and laws about remaining hidden and how to interact with humans (and other sects/nations of mermaids in other parts of the ocean!). Vanessa/Sirena is a great character, and I really liked her relationship with the human fisherman, Joe, and the family they build with their mutual daughter, Marina.
The alternating storylines with her and Joe and Laila and other mermaids really works...and even the inclusion of lesser characters really worked the way the author did it, giving us a peek into the main characters from the outside (Darma's views of Joe were pretty awesome, for example, since up until then we hadn't really "seen" Joe from an outsider's perspective, or how his relationship with Vanessa/Sirena seemed to the other mermaids).
The whole storyline with the Atlantic mermaids and Laila's "doing her duty" with the humans was really fascinating too...
What a cool world, is all I can say! I haven't read the first book in the series yet, but picked this one up first, so I might have to go back now and read the front end of the story, too....and see how Joe and Vanessa first met. : )
The alternating storylines with her and Joe and Laila and other mermaids really works...and even the inclusion of lesser characters really worked the way the author did it, giving us a peek into the main characters from the outside (Darma's views of Joe were pretty awesome, for example, since up until then we hadn't really "seen" Joe from an outsider's perspective, or how his relationship with Vanessa/Sirena seemed to the other mermaids).
The whole storyline with the Atlantic mermaids and Laila's "doing her duty" with the humans was really fascinating too...
What a cool world, is all I can say! I haven't read the first book in the series yet, but picked this one up first, so I might have to go back now and read the front end of the story, too....and see how Joe and Vanessa first met. : )
August 6, 2016
"Ocean's Infiltrator (Ocean's Gift)" by Demelza Carlton is another wonderful Siren novel in her amazing and creative Ocean's Gift series.
Beginning with a dramatic scene involving a German battleship in WW1 and a death in her family the book re-introduces Sirena and forecasts her mighty powers as a Siren.
She also works as infiltrator of the human world, where she is called Vanessa and has a human love interest, Joe, a fisherman.
The love story is only part of the book though. Told in alternating narratives we see not only their individual perspectives but we also follow other, less kind, sirens in a different plot that teach us a lot about the Siren world and habits.
I must admire Carlton for her powers of imagination and the wonderful and fascinating world she has managed to create. I was totally immersed into the story and the idea of Sirens and swept away by the easy flow of Carlton's wonderful prose.
The story is very enjoyable and original and if you fancy a change from werewolves and vampires then this is the perfect fantasy book for you. Very well done.
Beginning with a dramatic scene involving a German battleship in WW1 and a death in her family the book re-introduces Sirena and forecasts her mighty powers as a Siren.
She also works as infiltrator of the human world, where she is called Vanessa and has a human love interest, Joe, a fisherman.
The love story is only part of the book though. Told in alternating narratives we see not only their individual perspectives but we also follow other, less kind, sirens in a different plot that teach us a lot about the Siren world and habits.
I must admire Carlton for her powers of imagination and the wonderful and fascinating world she has managed to create. I was totally immersed into the story and the idea of Sirens and swept away by the easy flow of Carlton's wonderful prose.
The story is very enjoyable and original and if you fancy a change from werewolves and vampires then this is the perfect fantasy book for you. Very well done.
June 14, 2014
The second book in Carlton's Ocean's Gift series is a brilliant page-turner of a read with many surprising developments. There are a few different viewpoints and this keeps the story moving along at a fast pace. I liked learning more about the mermaids way of life and found this quite chilling in parts! There was plenty of humour also, as well as thoroughly steamy romance of course, and I very much enjoyed this story from start to finish. The ending was a shocker and I look forward to seeing where the story goes next. Highly recommended to PNR fans!
June 3, 2014
More mermaid politics, more drama, lots more sex, and lobsters. This book was even better than Ocean's Gift, and opened up many new mysteries, that I'm waiting to see resolved. What exactly is going on, on the ocean floor, that has the mermaids so worried? Are there really no more dragons left? I can't wait to read the next installment.
July 27, 2013
If you enjoyed Ocean's Gift, you'll love Ocean's Infiltrator. More mermaids and even more sexy encounters! And a hint of dragons threads its way through the story.
My one complaint? Not enough whisky in this one!
The fate of oblivious humanity depends on what the mermaids decide. Loved it!
My one complaint? Not enough whisky in this one!
The fate of oblivious humanity depends on what the mermaids decide. Loved it!
January 10, 2019
Well put together longer story, with strong provisos
Content warning: There is forced gang rape in the middle of this, with one of the viewpoint characters being forced to rape others, and then participate in their murder.
While the particular rape culture involved is denigrated by the main characters and their subgroup, they do accept that it's a traditional part of their broader community. This book makes clear that its mermaid society is based on the darker mythology, not just the child-friendly one.
Unusually for the broader series, this volume has at least four viewpoint characters, and does their different subplots some justice.
Content warning: There is forced gang rape in the middle of this, with one of the viewpoint characters being forced to rape others, and then participate in their murder.
While the particular rape culture involved is denigrated by the main characters and their subgroup, they do accept that it's a traditional part of their broader community. This book makes clear that its mermaid society is based on the darker mythology, not just the child-friendly one.
Unusually for the broader series, this volume has at least four viewpoint characters, and does their different subplots some justice.
June 18, 2018
Enjoyable
I have read both the Ocean series straight off and enjoyed them all. I hope Demelza carries on writing more adventures of Joe, Vanessa and Marina.
The imaginative situations and characterisation are fascinating and the ecological worries of the mermaids about the sea are very topical.
I also love the flashes of humour and I must admit the writing about sex is interesting! They certainly have stamina!
I have read both the Ocean series straight off and enjoyed them all. I hope Demelza carries on writing more adventures of Joe, Vanessa and Marina.
The imaginative situations and characterisation are fascinating and the ecological worries of the mermaids about the sea are very topical.
I also love the flashes of humour and I must admit the writing about sex is interesting! They certainly have stamina!
April 17, 2020
Loved it
i read both series and I hope it doesn’t end here. I did feel the the books in the first series were to short. They could have been combined int there books. I was so hooked I did by all of them and then this set of three. I hope she will expand the series with a story about having the first baby boy.
i read both series and I hope it doesn’t end here. I did feel the the books in the first series were to short. They could have been combined int there books. I was so hooked I did by all of them and then this set of three. I hope she will expand the series with a story about having the first baby boy.
January 11, 2018
Loved this! I was on the edge of my seat reading! I can’t wait for the next installment!
September 21, 2017
Great read now going to read book 3.
November 1, 2014
A fun, lighthearted, lusty read and I really enjoyed it!
This is a wonderful sequel in which we learn what happens to Joe and we get to share in his very happy life. That happiness, of course, is all thanks to his Vanessa allowing him to live (in spite of his knowing mermaids are real) and then allowing him to live with her (which, of course, SHE also really enjoys) and live with their daughter. Fun, fun! Vanessa (who actually is a mermaid “elder”) has experienced many things in her long life but she finds Joe to be a lover she loves to make love with. Very sexy fun, indeed!
Then we learn lots more about all the “other” mermaids, some of whom have yet to experience very much in their life and we get to see things from their points of view as well. The contrast between these young mermaids coping with humans and with their responsibilities as mermaids versus Joe’s point of view is just one of the things that makes this story really delightful. His reactions to them and their reactions to him are hilarious.
While poor Laila must learn to “do her duty” in order to procreate, never actually finding much pleasure in sex with men (due partly to the poor preparation she received), her best friend Estelle was properly, thoroughly “prepared” and greatly enjoys sex. Yes, she enjoys sex in many ways, which really adds to the delicious fun for the reader.
The plotting is great, with lots of interesting and dramatic events, plus history and background for all these wonderful mermaid characters which the author has created. While the ending is indeed complete and very satisfactory, there are several plot threads which will certainly continue on in future books about this fabulous ocean world. I can’t wait to read them!
This is a wonderful sequel in which we learn what happens to Joe and we get to share in his very happy life. That happiness, of course, is all thanks to his Vanessa allowing him to live (in spite of his knowing mermaids are real) and then allowing him to live with her (which, of course, SHE also really enjoys) and live with their daughter. Fun, fun! Vanessa (who actually is a mermaid “elder”) has experienced many things in her long life but she finds Joe to be a lover she loves to make love with. Very sexy fun, indeed!
Then we learn lots more about all the “other” mermaids, some of whom have yet to experience very much in their life and we get to see things from their points of view as well. The contrast between these young mermaids coping with humans and with their responsibilities as mermaids versus Joe’s point of view is just one of the things that makes this story really delightful. His reactions to them and their reactions to him are hilarious.
While poor Laila must learn to “do her duty” in order to procreate, never actually finding much pleasure in sex with men (due partly to the poor preparation she received), her best friend Estelle was properly, thoroughly “prepared” and greatly enjoys sex. Yes, she enjoys sex in many ways, which really adds to the delicious fun for the reader.
The plotting is great, with lots of interesting and dramatic events, plus history and background for all these wonderful mermaid characters which the author has created. While the ending is indeed complete and very satisfactory, there are several plot threads which will certainly continue on in future books about this fabulous ocean world. I can’t wait to read them!
July 3, 2014
Even more gripping, suspenseful, and heartfelt than the first book – and it was a corker! – OCEAN'S INFILTRATOR by Demelza Carlton is another wild ride from the ocean depths to the coral islands of Western Australia. The lovers in the first novel, Joe and Vanessa (who is really Sirena, a powerful and influential elder in mermaid society), are reunited. Though it rends her heart, Sirena/Vanessa knows she must now kill Joe, as he knows the secret of the mermaids' existence. But when the time comes, will she be able to do it?
Sirena's dilemma is only the first of the many challenges these two lovers face, for life holds many an unforeseen curve, not the least of which is parenthood. Joe and Sirena's domestic adventure is wonderfully written, turning from humorous to anxious to ominous when least expected.
Their story is not the only one in OCEAN'S INFILTRATOR, for there is a rumor that the last of the male water dragons still exists, and the hunt is on to find him. While some mermaids are determined to destroy any humans that encroach upon their ocean world, others fear human help will be needed to stem the rapid tide of climate and environment change that threatens life in the sea as much as it does life on the land.
Fast-paced and addictive, beautifully written, evoking love in many forms – steamy and sexy, touching, protective, willing to sacrifice – Demelza Carlton's wonderful series chalks up another winning fantasy with OCEAN'S INFILTRATOR!
Sirena's dilemma is only the first of the many challenges these two lovers face, for life holds many an unforeseen curve, not the least of which is parenthood. Joe and Sirena's domestic adventure is wonderfully written, turning from humorous to anxious to ominous when least expected.
Their story is not the only one in OCEAN'S INFILTRATOR, for there is a rumor that the last of the male water dragons still exists, and the hunt is on to find him. While some mermaids are determined to destroy any humans that encroach upon their ocean world, others fear human help will be needed to stem the rapid tide of climate and environment change that threatens life in the sea as much as it does life on the land.
Fast-paced and addictive, beautifully written, evoking love in many forms – steamy and sexy, touching, protective, willing to sacrifice – Demelza Carlton's wonderful series chalks up another winning fantasy with OCEAN'S INFILTRATOR!
August 6, 2014
Ocean’s Infiltrator is the second part of the urban fantasy series, Ocean’s Gift, and is no less gripping than its predecessor.
The reader rejoins Sirena – a mermaid – as she wrestles with decision of what to do about her human lover, Joe, who has discovered her watery secret. Her species demand his death, and yet Sirena is conflicted by what she is told to do, and what she feels she must do.
The mythology begins to expand with hint of other fantastical creatures beneath the waves, as well as portents of doom on the ocean floor. In that regard the atmosphere of suspense reminded of the brilliant The Abyss.
An unexpected pregnancy adds further tension to the relationship as it weaves in legendary laws and is a counterpoint to the self righteous of some of the characters; in particular it provides a gripping commentary on what we consider to be “civilized behavior”.
Concepts of duty, honor and being a patriot all come into play, and there are strong messages for contemporary culture shown through allegory with Atlantis and the breeding/spawning cycles of the underwater creatures.
The reader rejoins Sirena – a mermaid – as she wrestles with decision of what to do about her human lover, Joe, who has discovered her watery secret. Her species demand his death, and yet Sirena is conflicted by what she is told to do, and what she feels she must do.
The mythology begins to expand with hint of other fantastical creatures beneath the waves, as well as portents of doom on the ocean floor. In that regard the atmosphere of suspense reminded of the brilliant The Abyss.
An unexpected pregnancy adds further tension to the relationship as it weaves in legendary laws and is a counterpoint to the self righteous of some of the characters; in particular it provides a gripping commentary on what we consider to be “civilized behavior”.
Concepts of duty, honor and being a patriot all come into play, and there are strong messages for contemporary culture shown through allegory with Atlantis and the breeding/spawning cycles of the underwater creatures.
July 5, 2014
This novel, the second in the Ocean’s Gift series is yet another page turner. It demands to be read in one sitting, to the exclusion of all other calls on the reader’s life including eating or sleeping.
I still love Joe. I love his bumbling humanness and his worship of Sirena and I spent the entire book in as much agony as Joe, believing that she would leave him high and dry and return to her people. The ending is incredible and I should have seen it coming, but didn’t. I won’t spoil it, even though I badly want to tell. Demelza Carlton spins an incredible yarn, which wraps around the reader and pulls tight, too tight to escape from easily. She is obviously an immense researcher, who understands the oceans and their peculiarities in depth. Her books have made me wonder about many recent nautical disasters and their perilous origins and if the stories of old, about fantastical sirens who sang from rocks and lured ships to their deaths may in fact be true.
This novel is awesome and I devoured it. It is as much a study of behaviour and relationships as a book about mermaids.
I still love Joe. I love his bumbling humanness and his worship of Sirena and I spent the entire book in as much agony as Joe, believing that she would leave him high and dry and return to her people. The ending is incredible and I should have seen it coming, but didn’t. I won’t spoil it, even though I badly want to tell. Demelza Carlton spins an incredible yarn, which wraps around the reader and pulls tight, too tight to escape from easily. She is obviously an immense researcher, who understands the oceans and their peculiarities in depth. Her books have made me wonder about many recent nautical disasters and their perilous origins and if the stories of old, about fantastical sirens who sang from rocks and lured ships to their deaths may in fact be true.
This novel is awesome and I devoured it. It is as much a study of behaviour and relationships as a book about mermaids.
November 11, 2014
Ocean's Infiltrator takes place three years after Ocean's Gift. Vanessa returns to human society and meets up with Joe again. The only problem is that he's discovered she's a mermaid, and now she must kill him in order to keep their society a secret. Though she tries, she can't carry out the deed. Instead, they get married, and Vanessa becomes Joe's protector.
A secondary mermaid story includes the tale of Laila, who faces her mermaid duty of mating with humans in order for their species to continue. This was a darker tale but it was a fascinating read to dig into the depths of mermaid society.
A fast-paced, erotic tale. Looking forward to the next installment.
A secondary mermaid story includes the tale of Laila, who faces her mermaid duty of mating with humans in order for their species to continue. This was a darker tale but it was a fascinating read to dig into the depths of mermaid society.
A fast-paced, erotic tale. Looking forward to the next installment.
December 27, 2016
Enjoyed book though I am not into romance
Enjoyed actual story could have done with out as much sex! Disappointed that at end states next book Ocean's Depth due out in 2014 and in a couple of days it will be 2017 and I can Not find it.
Enjoyed actual story could have done with out as much sex! Disappointed that at end states next book Ocean's Depth due out in 2014 and in a couple of days it will be 2017 and I can Not find it.
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