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Son of a Mermaid #2
Defiance
Shea MacNamara sank to the bottom of the ocean and survived. As the son of a mermaid, saltwater is in his blood. He discovered a whole new world under the sea, one more beautiful and complicated than he ever imagined.
But shadows and dark secrets also lurk beneath the waves.
When his girlfriend Kae is kidnapped by a powerful young sorcerer named Zan, Shea learns having royal blood means difficult choices.
All three face life and death decisions, balanced precariously between doing what they are told… and defying authority to do what is right.
But shadows and dark secrets also lurk beneath the waves.
When his girlfriend Kae is kidnapped by a powerful young sorcerer named Zan, Shea learns having royal blood means difficult choices.
All three face life and death decisions, balanced precariously between doing what they are told… and defying authority to do what is right.
- GenresMermaids
342 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 11, 2014
5 people are currently reading
482 people want to read
About the author
Katie O'Sullivan
35 books167 followersKatie O’Sullivan is an award winning author with more than a dozen books contemporary romance and young adult books to her name, available online and in stores.
A voracious reader, she loves to read and write second chance stories with strong female characters and hot alpha males. A recovering English major, she earned her degree at Colgate University and now lives on Cape Cod with her family and big dogs, drinking way too much coffee and finding new uses for all the sea glass she obsessively collects from the beach. She writes YA and romantic suspense novels, as well as working full time for a high tech company. Which explains all the coffee.
Find Katie online:
Follow her Blog – http://katieosullivan.blogspot.com
Friend her on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/kt.osullivan
Find her on Twitter - https://twitter.com/OkatieO
Check out her website at http://www.katie-osullivan.com
A voracious reader, she loves to read and write second chance stories with strong female characters and hot alpha males. A recovering English major, she earned her degree at Colgate University and now lives on Cape Cod with her family and big dogs, drinking way too much coffee and finding new uses for all the sea glass she obsessively collects from the beach. She writes YA and romantic suspense novels, as well as working full time for a high tech company. Which explains all the coffee.
Find Katie online:
Follow her Blog – http://katieosullivan.blogspot.com
Friend her on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/kt.osullivan
Find her on Twitter - https://twitter.com/OkatieO
Check out her website at http://www.katie-osullivan.com
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 29, 2016
For Full Review and giveaway, http://seeingdoubleinneverland.blogsp...
5 out of 5 stars
I loved this book just as much as the first! It was fun, romantic, action packed and full of new revelations!
5 out of 5 stars
I loved this book just as much as the first! It was fun, romantic, action packed and full of new revelations!
to-read-or-not-to-read
December 20, 2017*Review of book 1 in series: Descent
June 9, 2014
This review was originally posted on Mermaid With A Book.
4.5 stars (am totally saving the five-star rating for the third book. Don't blame me).
Just when you think this series couldn't get any better, Katie O'Sullivan proves you completely and utterly wrong (and here I thought the first book, Son of a Mermaid, was fintabulous enough already). In Blood of a Mermaid, the evil Prince Demyan from the Adluo clan is back with a plan for total domination of the oceans. Expect new characters, plot twists, plus more romance and action. I found it pleasantly surprising how easily I settled into the story even though I'd read the first book months ago. I guess some stories never really leave you no matter how long ago you've read them.
From the first chapter, Katie introduces a 'new' main character's third-person-POV – Zan (aka Xander). Zan appeared in the first book, but his name was mentioned only twice. We already know how evil and ruthless Demyan is, but less is known about Zan, hisright-hand-man right-fin-merman and sorcerer, so I totally appreciate how Zan's character is expanded in this novel. Katie ensures that a small part of your heart doesn't have a choice but to root for Zan. He's a character who's torn between his loyalty to Demyan, wanting to protect Kae and answering his conscience. There were times when I wanted to slap Zan, yet there were moments which called for a need to hug him.
Which brings me to the topic of how amazingly brilliant Katie manages to tackle the issue of trust and conflicting feelings in romantic relationships. Zan is drawn to Kae, and Kae can't help but care for Zan. With her safety compromised and Zan being the only one she can trust in her situation, will her affections for Shea waver? I was probably more torn than Kae while reading this book. To put it figuratively, it was like I had this meter and throughout the story the arrow would teeter towards either guy:
It's not one of those horrifyingly annoying love triangles – you just want to keep reading on and on to see how the characters and events play out, which is, to me, the mark of a great author.
As for Shea, he's grown more in this book. In the beginning, it seems like everyone is leaving him alone in Cape Cod – Kae's leaving for the Southern Ocean, Hailey's leaving for Greece. Even though he seems to be throwing a childish tantrum about being stuck at Cape Cod, I don't dislike that because Katie fully shows how lonely Shea will be for me to understand his frustration. As the story progresses, his feelings towards Kae are surer and he's able to think quicker on his feet (and fins).
Kae's rivalry with Hailey is evident. Hailey vies for Shea's attention, especially given how Kae is kidnapped and far away from Shea. However, Katie finds a heartwarming way to bring the two girls together in the most unusual situation towards the end of the novel.
Kae's father, Lybio, plays a larger role too, whereas Brynneliana doesn't appear anymore after the start of the novel. And then there's Martha, Shea's grandmother. I am soooooo glad that we get to know more about her past! I won't spoil anything, but there was a point when I did a fist-pump and mentally did the Futterwacken while yelling, You go, Gramma!
Every choice that Shea makes is crucial to stopping Demyan, and things aren't easy as they seem to be. There is much at stake and this involves more than just him and Kae, such as the five oceans and the different clans like the Nerine merfolk from the Arctic, who add diversity to the story world with their culture and icy domain. The city of Atlantis is structured like an ancient Greek city, complete with marble structures and dolphin wagons carrying goods. There's even an element of Greek mythology added. Most of the merfolks' disdain towards humans – drylanders – is portrayed through the Lord Magistrate of Atlantis. The merfolk aren't just wholly 'good' or 'bad'; they have a complexity to them, showing how Katie is able to create three-dimensional characters to complement her action-filled plot.
The humour in Blood of a Mermaid remains just as cute. I never realised how we humans go to such lengths to wrap presents ;) Other such moments of lightheartedness are present amidst the tension in some scenarios, which makes for great comic relief.
Filled with adventure, humour and magick, this stunning sequel to Son of a Mermaid is a must-read. I can't wait to see what Katie will dish out in the third book!
4.5 stars (am totally saving the five-star rating for the third book. Don't blame me).
Just when you think this series couldn't get any better, Katie O'Sullivan proves you completely and utterly wrong (and here I thought the first book, Son of a Mermaid, was fintabulous enough already). In Blood of a Mermaid, the evil Prince Demyan from the Adluo clan is back with a plan for total domination of the oceans. Expect new characters, plot twists, plus more romance and action. I found it pleasantly surprising how easily I settled into the story even though I'd read the first book months ago. I guess some stories never really leave you no matter how long ago you've read them.
From the first chapter, Katie introduces a 'new' main character's third-person-POV – Zan (aka Xander). Zan appeared in the first book, but his name was mentioned only twice. We already know how evil and ruthless Demyan is, but less is known about Zan, his
Which brings me to the topic of how amazingly brilliant Katie manages to tackle the issue of trust and conflicting feelings in romantic relationships. Zan is drawn to Kae, and Kae can't help but care for Zan. With her safety compromised and Zan being the only one she can trust in her situation, will her affections for Shea waver? I was probably more torn than Kae while reading this book. To put it figuratively, it was like I had this meter and throughout the story the arrow would teeter towards either guy:
It's not one of those horrifyingly annoying love triangles – you just want to keep reading on and on to see how the characters and events play out, which is, to me, the mark of a great author.
As for Shea, he's grown more in this book. In the beginning, it seems like everyone is leaving him alone in Cape Cod – Kae's leaving for the Southern Ocean, Hailey's leaving for Greece. Even though he seems to be throwing a childish tantrum about being stuck at Cape Cod, I don't dislike that because Katie fully shows how lonely Shea will be for me to understand his frustration. As the story progresses, his feelings towards Kae are surer and he's able to think quicker on his feet (and fins).
Kae's rivalry with Hailey is evident. Hailey vies for Shea's attention, especially given how Kae is kidnapped and far away from Shea. However, Katie finds a heartwarming way to bring the two girls together in the most unusual situation towards the end of the novel.
Kae's father, Lybio, plays a larger role too, whereas Brynneliana doesn't appear anymore after the start of the novel. And then there's Martha, Shea's grandmother. I am soooooo glad that we get to know more about her past! I won't spoil anything, but there was a point when I did a fist-pump and mentally did the Futterwacken while yelling, You go, Gramma!
Every choice that Shea makes is crucial to stopping Demyan, and things aren't easy as they seem to be. There is much at stake and this involves more than just him and Kae, such as the five oceans and the different clans like the Nerine merfolk from the Arctic, who add diversity to the story world with their culture and icy domain. The city of Atlantis is structured like an ancient Greek city, complete with marble structures and dolphin wagons carrying goods. There's even an element of Greek mythology added. Most of the merfolks' disdain towards humans – drylanders – is portrayed through the Lord Magistrate of Atlantis. The merfolk aren't just wholly 'good' or 'bad'; they have a complexity to them, showing how Katie is able to create three-dimensional characters to complement her action-filled plot.
The humour in Blood of a Mermaid remains just as cute. I never realised how we humans go to such lengths to wrap presents ;) Other such moments of lightheartedness are present amidst the tension in some scenarios, which makes for great comic relief.
Filled with adventure, humour and magick, this stunning sequel to Son of a Mermaid is a must-read. I can't wait to see what Katie will dish out in the third book!
June 23, 2014
Within the span of a few months, Shea MacNamara’s life has changed dramatically.
He lost his father, moved from the Great Plains to Cape Cod, found his mother, found his grandfather, found a girlfriend and found out that he was Royalty. Oh yeah … one other thing … he found out he was a merman. A lot of changes for a fifteen year-old boy. However, finding things can be short-lived. Earlier that summer, Shea had a ringside seat to an attempted coup d'état which he and his girlfriend, Kae, helped to foil. His mother was being strong-armed into a dynastic marriage with a king young enough to be her son and Shea’s brother, but the coup has changed all that. Young King Theo was a casualty of the plot and Shea’s mother has departed to take over the sea throne of the Southern Ocean and his girlfriend is due to follow her once she goes to Atlantis to give testimony against the evil – you can ‘Boo’ if you want – Prince Demyan. Regent to the late King Theo, the not-so-bonny Prince was the power behind the coup and was last seen hot-footing it – or is it hot-finning it? – out of town.
On the morning of Kae’s departure, Shea is standing at the water’s edge, fulminating at the unfairness of life and perhaps secretly hoping for one final assignation with the love of his young life. She doesn’t show up. Her father, however, does. Kae is missing and what is more, she was last seen in the palace gardens the previous afternoon, holding hands with a young merman – a young merman whose name was not Shea. We will learn that Kae has been abducted and rather than joining the search for the missing mermaid, Shea is charged with the task of giving testimony before the high court of Atlantis in her stead. What is a young merman to do?
Katie O’ Sullivan has followed up on her 2013 success of Son of a Mermaid with the equally exciting Blood of a Mermaid . Katie writes in a fun and captivating style that should enthrall both young and older adults. Targeted at the younger end of the YA spectrum, her latest novel is suitable for middle schoolers and perhaps younger readers when enjoyed in the context of a library reading circle. This reviewer is pleased to find a novel in the YA sub-genre of Merfolk stories that is equally appealing to both boys and girls.
Shea has his own set of problems. Aside from discovering that he’s not human – at least in the conventional sense – and not your ordinary sort of merboy, he has been told to stay out of the water lest he becomes too easy a target for abduction or worse. And … there’s one other thing. It seems that his choice of Kae as a girlfriend isn’t going over well with some people – especially her father, Lybio. It would appear that sub-surface royalty marry much more often for alliances and connections than for actual love.
Like any good father, Lybio does not want to see his daughter drawn into a hopeless relationship, no matter how nice the boy may be. For his part, Shea isn’t too keen on this Prince business, either. It helps to explain his birthmark but has not brought much in the way of tangible benefits. While he may have a brilliant career as a merman awaiting him, living in Oklahoma did have at least some benefits. For one thing, no one called him ‘My Prince’ there. It goes without saying that Shea’s struggle to have a relationship with the one he chooses rather than the one who may be chosen for him will be a continuing theme through the rest of this series.
As Shea makes his way to Atlantis, he will have to rely on his wits to save both himself and those who are traveling with him. Katie O’Sullivan’s story of intestinal fortitude is a fine example of her values in writing for this particular target audience. Both Shea and Kae demonstrate examples of courage and determination in this series where – so far – the good guys are really good and the bad guys are truly wicked. Even the mage who plays such a pivotal role in Kae’s abduction demonstrates remorse and redemption by the story’s end. Ms. O’Sullivan has penned a truly good and exciting story for young readers; one that parents, et al. should not worry about those in their charge reading. For those of us who are – ahem – somewhat older, Blood of a Mermaid is a fun and exciting story from a time that recedes in the rear-view mirror with each passing day.
If you – and by that, this reviewer means readers who are young and/or young at heart – enjoy fantasy, adventure, young love and all those intangibles that make our lives what they are, Blood of a Mermaid by Katie O’Sullivan is a fun and very worthwhile read. One need not be fascinated with those living beneath the waves who swap their fins for feet to enjoy this story but the reader may very well find the world of merfolk to be a rapture of the deep.
To anyone watching him, he looked like a normal teenager, out walking his dog on the beach in the early morning. He wore a plain white t-shirt that clung snugly to his muscular frame, along with cut-off jeans and sandals. His long hair was the color of golden wheat and his tanned skin set off his bright green eyes. He looked like so many other local kids who spent a lot of time along the shorelines of Cape Cod. An ordinary boy. Except Shea no longer fit into that category.
He lost his father, moved from the Great Plains to Cape Cod, found his mother, found his grandfather, found a girlfriend and found out that he was Royalty. Oh yeah … one other thing … he found out he was a merman. A lot of changes for a fifteen year-old boy. However, finding things can be short-lived. Earlier that summer, Shea had a ringside seat to an attempted coup d'état which he and his girlfriend, Kae, helped to foil. His mother was being strong-armed into a dynastic marriage with a king young enough to be her son and Shea’s brother, but the coup has changed all that. Young King Theo was a casualty of the plot and Shea’s mother has departed to take over the sea throne of the Southern Ocean and his girlfriend is due to follow her once she goes to Atlantis to give testimony against the evil – you can ‘Boo’ if you want – Prince Demyan. Regent to the late King Theo, the not-so-bonny Prince was the power behind the coup and was last seen hot-footing it – or is it hot-finning it? – out of town.
On the morning of Kae’s departure, Shea is standing at the water’s edge, fulminating at the unfairness of life and perhaps secretly hoping for one final assignation with the love of his young life. She doesn’t show up. Her father, however, does. Kae is missing and what is more, she was last seen in the palace gardens the previous afternoon, holding hands with a young merman – a young merman whose name was not Shea. We will learn that Kae has been abducted and rather than joining the search for the missing mermaid, Shea is charged with the task of giving testimony before the high court of Atlantis in her stead. What is a young merman to do?
Katie O’ Sullivan has followed up on her 2013 success of Son of a Mermaid with the equally exciting Blood of a Mermaid . Katie writes in a fun and captivating style that should enthrall both young and older adults. Targeted at the younger end of the YA spectrum, her latest novel is suitable for middle schoolers and perhaps younger readers when enjoyed in the context of a library reading circle. This reviewer is pleased to find a novel in the YA sub-genre of Merfolk stories that is equally appealing to both boys and girls.
Shea has his own set of problems. Aside from discovering that he’s not human – at least in the conventional sense – and not your ordinary sort of merboy, he has been told to stay out of the water lest he becomes too easy a target for abduction or worse. And … there’s one other thing. It seems that his choice of Kae as a girlfriend isn’t going over well with some people – especially her father, Lybio. It would appear that sub-surface royalty marry much more often for alliances and connections than for actual love.
Lybio let out a long sigh, cursing under his breath. He turned his head to look at Shea. “It may not be your choice, my Prince. Royals are never free to marry whom they choose.” He let his words sink in for a few moments before adding, “In the end, you, my Prince, will always need to do what’s best for the clan.” Shea thought of his own mother, having to leave her husband and child behind. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He would never let that happen to him. Royal or not, he wouldn’t abandon the people he loved, not in a million years.
Like any good father, Lybio does not want to see his daughter drawn into a hopeless relationship, no matter how nice the boy may be. For his part, Shea isn’t too keen on this Prince business, either. It helps to explain his birthmark but has not brought much in the way of tangible benefits. While he may have a brilliant career as a merman awaiting him, living in Oklahoma did have at least some benefits. For one thing, no one called him ‘My Prince’ there. It goes without saying that Shea’s struggle to have a relationship with the one he chooses rather than the one who may be chosen for him will be a continuing theme through the rest of this series.
As Shea makes his way to Atlantis, he will have to rely on his wits to save both himself and those who are traveling with him. Katie O’Sullivan’s story of intestinal fortitude is a fine example of her values in writing for this particular target audience. Both Shea and Kae demonstrate examples of courage and determination in this series where – so far – the good guys are really good and the bad guys are truly wicked. Even the mage who plays such a pivotal role in Kae’s abduction demonstrates remorse and redemption by the story’s end. Ms. O’Sullivan has penned a truly good and exciting story for young readers; one that parents, et al. should not worry about those in their charge reading. For those of us who are – ahem – somewhat older, Blood of a Mermaid is a fun and exciting story from a time that recedes in the rear-view mirror with each passing day.
If you – and by that, this reviewer means readers who are young and/or young at heart – enjoy fantasy, adventure, young love and all those intangibles that make our lives what they are, Blood of a Mermaid by Katie O’Sullivan is a fun and very worthwhile read. One need not be fascinated with those living beneath the waves who swap their fins for feet to enjoy this story but the reader may very well find the world of merfolk to be a rapture of the deep.
June 8, 2014
This sequel picks up a couple of weeks after the first book ends. Shea is still adjusting to the knowledge that mermaids really exist, and that he's a part of that underwater world. The future is looking bright for him, though. The villain Demyan is on the run, making the contentions between merfolk clans easier to heal. His relationship with Kae continues to blossom, and he looks forward to attending University (the merfolk school) with her in the fall. However, Shea's role in the underwater world's political struggle continues to be a problem. Kae is kidnapped as leverage against Shea, and the teenage boy is launched into yet another adventure where he must try to balance his drylander upbringing with his new life as a merman.
As I have said in the review of "Son of a Mermaid," I am not normally a fan of paranormal fiction. But again, I quite enjoyed reading this book. This sequel is able to delve deeper into the world that the author has created, and I liked learning more about the different mermaid clans and the nuances of underwater life. I liked the overall story of "Blood of a Mermaid" better than the first book, mostly because the story has already been set up and the author can jump right into the meat of the story. The author's storytelling continues to be easily engaging and descriptive in a manner that includes all of the senses. Some of her descriptions made me smile because of how simple and funny and true they were. Sharing in Shea's personal struggles was like remembering some of my own at that age--trying to figure out who you are (and who you want to be), trying to understand relationships (both romantic and otherwise), coping with change, and so forth. The author finds ways to make the reader understand how the characters feel, even though the situations (like being a mermaid) are very different. I appreciate a writer that can do that. There is only one criticism that comes to mind as I think about the story, and it's a very small one. The author makes a point of stating that mermaids speak a bit more formally and do not understand some of the slang that Shea uses. Then a subsequent conversation between two merfolk is filled with several bits of modern slang--terms like "buddies" and "hanging out"and so forth. It's a small thing, and it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book, but it is something that seemed out of place in my mind. Setting such nit-picking aside, I would say that this is a fun book to read and I look forward to seeing where the rest of the story goes.
As I have said in the review of "Son of a Mermaid," I am not normally a fan of paranormal fiction. But again, I quite enjoyed reading this book. This sequel is able to delve deeper into the world that the author has created, and I liked learning more about the different mermaid clans and the nuances of underwater life. I liked the overall story of "Blood of a Mermaid" better than the first book, mostly because the story has already been set up and the author can jump right into the meat of the story. The author's storytelling continues to be easily engaging and descriptive in a manner that includes all of the senses. Some of her descriptions made me smile because of how simple and funny and true they were. Sharing in Shea's personal struggles was like remembering some of my own at that age--trying to figure out who you are (and who you want to be), trying to understand relationships (both romantic and otherwise), coping with change, and so forth. The author finds ways to make the reader understand how the characters feel, even though the situations (like being a mermaid) are very different. I appreciate a writer that can do that. There is only one criticism that comes to mind as I think about the story, and it's a very small one. The author makes a point of stating that mermaids speak a bit more formally and do not understand some of the slang that Shea uses. Then a subsequent conversation between two merfolk is filled with several bits of modern slang--terms like "buddies" and "hanging out"and so forth. It's a small thing, and it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book, but it is something that seemed out of place in my mind. Setting such nit-picking aside, I would say that this is a fun book to read and I look forward to seeing where the rest of the story goes.
June 3, 2014
I was happy when I found out that Blood of a Mermaid was out and that the story would continue. I loved this book just as much as the first. It was fun, romantic, action packed and full of new revelations!
Demyan's is still out there and still a threat, he seeks world domination. He enlists the help of Zan a powerful magician that he has had a hand in guiding, and feels a sense of loyalty to him and scared of betraying him.
Shea is left to deal with everyone he loves leaving him behind as they go on their own adventures. He feels very alone, all over again having no friends, his mother gone and and Kae the young mermaid he believes he is in love with. Shea is feeling frustrated over the trial and the fact that he is being told that he needs to stay on dry land away from the hearing, he is next in line to the throne and it is to dangerous with the accused Demyan on the loose.
With revelations coming to light about Shea's grandmothers past (which I had been wondering about since the first book). Shea's whole world is seeming different, and he will have to get the answers to the questions he has been seeking and draw strength for what lies ahead. Kae is having an attraction towards a new merman, will Shea's time away allow for her heart to drift to another? Will someone be able to stop the plans of Kae being kidnapped, or will they be able to rescue her?
Kae's father Lybio comes to Shea seeking his help to find his daughter. Shea is jealous and concerned and promises to get to the bottom of where Kae is.
I loved the mythology that Katie tied into this book, and I loved the different clans. I really liked the Northern mermaid clan and how she described them in the book. This book was really great and I tried not to giveaway any spoiler! I hope she continues with this story and that they grow and age too, I think it would be amazing to see where Shea ends up in the future along with others.
Demyan's is still out there and still a threat, he seeks world domination. He enlists the help of Zan a powerful magician that he has had a hand in guiding, and feels a sense of loyalty to him and scared of betraying him.
Shea is left to deal with everyone he loves leaving him behind as they go on their own adventures. He feels very alone, all over again having no friends, his mother gone and and Kae the young mermaid he believes he is in love with. Shea is feeling frustrated over the trial and the fact that he is being told that he needs to stay on dry land away from the hearing, he is next in line to the throne and it is to dangerous with the accused Demyan on the loose.
With revelations coming to light about Shea's grandmothers past (which I had been wondering about since the first book). Shea's whole world is seeming different, and he will have to get the answers to the questions he has been seeking and draw strength for what lies ahead. Kae is having an attraction towards a new merman, will Shea's time away allow for her heart to drift to another? Will someone be able to stop the plans of Kae being kidnapped, or will they be able to rescue her?
Kae's father Lybio comes to Shea seeking his help to find his daughter. Shea is jealous and concerned and promises to get to the bottom of where Kae is.
I loved the mythology that Katie tied into this book, and I loved the different clans. I really liked the Northern mermaid clan and how she described them in the book. This book was really great and I tried not to giveaway any spoiler! I hope she continues with this story and that they grow and age too, I think it would be amazing to see where Shea ends up in the future along with others.
June 1, 2014
Blood of a Mermaid by Katie O'Sullivan is yet another wonderful book by this author. O'Sullivan has a way with her prose that seems to embody happiness.
The love story between Shame and Kae is fraught with angst and danger as the mermaid world changes beyond what they are ready for.
Her villains are dark and interesting. Her love story seems just right. I can't recommend this read highly enough.
The love story between Shame and Kae is fraught with angst and danger as the mermaid world changes beyond what they are ready for.
Her villains are dark and interesting. Her love story seems just right. I can't recommend this read highly enough.
April 9, 2018
Another fantastic addition to the series. This book is a bit darker than I expected, but the events that unfold are necessary for the characters to develope and grow. Cant wait until that nasty prince gets it!
January 19, 2016
The events of this book take not too long after the end of the first book. Shea McNamara had moved to his grandmother’s house on Cape Cod from Oklahoma after his father died in a tornado. There, he met (and fell in love with) the mysterious and beautiful Kae. He also learned that he’s part mermaid—and not just any mermaid, but the son of mermaid royalty, perhaps even a descendent of Poseidon himself! He met the mother he never knew and saved the King from an assassination attempt by bad guy Demyan.
In the start of the book, Shea’s a little frustrated at what’s been going on. While his mother and Kae are in the ocean, Shea stays on land where it’s safer. Now that it’s known that Poseidon’s drylander (and half-human) heir exists, being in the sea where there’s some unrest among the mermaid clans could prove dangerous. Also, Kae isn’t royalty—her father is a trusted guard of the King, and ultimately of Shea—so it may be difficult or even impossible for them to stay together despite their emotions for each other.
But before the reader learns about Shea’s situation, author O’Sullivan introduces us to a new major player in the series: Zan. He was part of the plot to poison the king, and now he’s on the run. If he’s caught as a traitor, there’ll be punishment, so he doesn’t have much choice other than to continue serving Demyan. Zan has impressive magical abilities, and Demyan wants to exploit them to help start a war. Immediately, the reader feels the conflict bubbling within this intriguing character, enough to want to continue reading and see both the external havoc he wreaks and the internal havoc wreaking him.
His task is to kidnap Kae and use her as a bargaining chip to get to Shea. She was going to be headed off to Atlantis to study soon anyway, but her premature disappearance concerns Shea. Later in the book, Shea heads there by plane instead of via his merman tail to avoid being seen in the ocean, but unexpected and gripping consequences ensue that I don’t wish to spoil here.
But first, Zan—under the alias Xander—has used his magic to lure Kae with him to the Arctic. Along the way, he’s enchanted by Kae, so there’s a little bit of a love triangle typically found in YA going on. Before too many sparks can fly between them, Demyan’s trying to forge an alliance with the Nerine clan of the Arctic Ocean. The description of the Nerine is starkly haunting, and I like their inclusion as a different style of mermaids, but the physics teacher in me can’t help nit-picking the travel itinerary. Granted, mermaids are fictional, so there’s some leeway in how fast they’re able to swim, but they get around—from Nantucket Sound to the Arctic Ocean and to the Mediterranean Sea—a little too quickly. The target audience of YA readers probably won’t be bothered by this, but it’s the only quibble I have that briefly pulled me out of the story.
However, I was most impressed with the complexity of the main characters Kae, Shea, and especially Zan. All of them face difficult situations and difficult choices, and though I won’t state whether the decisions they make are always the best, I will say that I always felt they came from places of true character motivations. Each of them step up in their own ways and some (no spoilers as to which of them) do some heroic things.
Where I found the first book to be delightful, I found this one to be tense in a very good way. The characters have matured, and I really like their growth and look forward to their continued journey when the third part comes out. I gave the first book a five-star review, and this one is just as good, though for different reasons. Thus, it would be an act of defiance to give Defiance anything other than FIVE STARS.
I finished this book back in the spring, and it's soon to be re-released as "Defiance," the second book in this "Son of a Mermaid" series.
In the start of the book, Shea’s a little frustrated at what’s been going on. While his mother and Kae are in the ocean, Shea stays on land where it’s safer. Now that it’s known that Poseidon’s drylander (and half-human) heir exists, being in the sea where there’s some unrest among the mermaid clans could prove dangerous. Also, Kae isn’t royalty—her father is a trusted guard of the King, and ultimately of Shea—so it may be difficult or even impossible for them to stay together despite their emotions for each other.
But before the reader learns about Shea’s situation, author O’Sullivan introduces us to a new major player in the series: Zan. He was part of the plot to poison the king, and now he’s on the run. If he’s caught as a traitor, there’ll be punishment, so he doesn’t have much choice other than to continue serving Demyan. Zan has impressive magical abilities, and Demyan wants to exploit them to help start a war. Immediately, the reader feels the conflict bubbling within this intriguing character, enough to want to continue reading and see both the external havoc he wreaks and the internal havoc wreaking him.
His task is to kidnap Kae and use her as a bargaining chip to get to Shea. She was going to be headed off to Atlantis to study soon anyway, but her premature disappearance concerns Shea. Later in the book, Shea heads there by plane instead of via his merman tail to avoid being seen in the ocean, but unexpected and gripping consequences ensue that I don’t wish to spoil here.
But first, Zan—under the alias Xander—has used his magic to lure Kae with him to the Arctic. Along the way, he’s enchanted by Kae, so there’s a little bit of a love triangle typically found in YA going on. Before too many sparks can fly between them, Demyan’s trying to forge an alliance with the Nerine clan of the Arctic Ocean. The description of the Nerine is starkly haunting, and I like their inclusion as a different style of mermaids, but the physics teacher in me can’t help nit-picking the travel itinerary. Granted, mermaids are fictional, so there’s some leeway in how fast they’re able to swim, but they get around—from Nantucket Sound to the Arctic Ocean and to the Mediterranean Sea—a little too quickly. The target audience of YA readers probably won’t be bothered by this, but it’s the only quibble I have that briefly pulled me out of the story.
However, I was most impressed with the complexity of the main characters Kae, Shea, and especially Zan. All of them face difficult situations and difficult choices, and though I won’t state whether the decisions they make are always the best, I will say that I always felt they came from places of true character motivations. Each of them step up in their own ways and some (no spoilers as to which of them) do some heroic things.
Where I found the first book to be delightful, I found this one to be tense in a very good way. The characters have matured, and I really like their growth and look forward to their continued journey when the third part comes out. I gave the first book a five-star review, and this one is just as good, though for different reasons. Thus, it would be an act of defiance to give Defiance anything other than FIVE STARS.
I finished this book back in the spring, and it's soon to be re-released as "Defiance," the second book in this "Son of a Mermaid" series.
June 29, 2016
The events of this book take not too long after the end of the first book. Shea McNamara had moved to his grandmother’s house on Cape Cod from Oklahoma after his father died in a tornado. There, he met (and fell in love with) the mysterious and beautiful Kae. He also learned that he’s part mermaid—and not just any mermaid, but the son of mermaid royalty, perhaps even a descendent of Poseidon himself! He met the mother he never knew and saved the King from an assassination attempt by bad guy Demyan.
In the start of the book, Shea’s a little frustrated at what’s been going on. While his mother and Kae are in the ocean, Shea stays on land where it’s safer. Now that it’s known that Poseidon’s drylander (and half-human) heir exists, being in the sea where there’s some unrest among the mermaid clans could prove dangerous. Also, Kae isn’t royalty—her father is a trusted guard of the King, and ultimately of Shea—so it may be difficult or even impossible for them to stay together despite their emotions for each other.
But before the reader learns about Shea’s situation, author O’Sullivan introduces us to a new major player in the series: Zan. He was part of the plot to poison the king, and now he’s on the run. If he’s caught as a traitor, there’ll be punishment, so he doesn’t have much choice other than to continue serving Demyan. Zan has impressive magical abilities, and Demyan wants to exploit them to help start a war. Immediately, the reader feels the conflict bubbling within this intriguing character, enough to want to continue reading and see both the external havoc he wreaks and the internal havoc wreaking him.
His task is to kidnap Kae and use her as a bargaining chip to get to Shea. She was going to be headed off to Atlantis to study soon anyway, but her premature disappearance concerns Shea. Later in the book, Shea heads there by plane instead of via his merman tail to avoid being seen in the ocean, but unexpected and gripping consequences ensue that I don’t wish to spoil here.
But first, Zan—under the alias Xander—has used his magic to lure Kae with him to the Arctic. Along the way, he’s enchanted by Kae, so there’s a little bit of a love triangle typically found in YA going on. Before too many sparks can fly between them, Demyan’s trying to forge an alliance with the Nerine clan of the Arctic Ocean. The description of the Nerine is starkly haunting, and I like their inclusion as a different style of mermaids, but the physics teacher in me can’t help nit-picking the travel itinerary. Granted, mermaids are fictional, so there’s some leeway in how fast they’re able to swim, but they get around—from Nantucket Sound to the Arctic Ocean and to the Mediterranean Sea—a little too quickly. The target audience of YA readers probably won’t be bothered by this, but it’s the only quibble I have that briefly pulled me out of the story.
However, I was most impressed with the complexity of the main characters Kae, Shea, and especially Zan. All of them face difficult situations and difficult choices, and though I won’t state whether the decisions they make are always the best, I will say that I always felt they came from places of true character motivations. Each of them step up in their own ways and some (no spoilers as to which of them) do some heroic things.
Where I found the first book to be delightful, I found this one to be tense in a very good way. The characters have matured, and I really like their growth and look forward to their continued journey when the third part comes out. I gave the first book a five-star review, and this one is just as good, though for different reasons. Thus, it would be an act of defiance to give Defiance anything other than FIVE STARS.
In the start of the book, Shea’s a little frustrated at what’s been going on. While his mother and Kae are in the ocean, Shea stays on land where it’s safer. Now that it’s known that Poseidon’s drylander (and half-human) heir exists, being in the sea where there’s some unrest among the mermaid clans could prove dangerous. Also, Kae isn’t royalty—her father is a trusted guard of the King, and ultimately of Shea—so it may be difficult or even impossible for them to stay together despite their emotions for each other.
But before the reader learns about Shea’s situation, author O’Sullivan introduces us to a new major player in the series: Zan. He was part of the plot to poison the king, and now he’s on the run. If he’s caught as a traitor, there’ll be punishment, so he doesn’t have much choice other than to continue serving Demyan. Zan has impressive magical abilities, and Demyan wants to exploit them to help start a war. Immediately, the reader feels the conflict bubbling within this intriguing character, enough to want to continue reading and see both the external havoc he wreaks and the internal havoc wreaking him.
His task is to kidnap Kae and use her as a bargaining chip to get to Shea. She was going to be headed off to Atlantis to study soon anyway, but her premature disappearance concerns Shea. Later in the book, Shea heads there by plane instead of via his merman tail to avoid being seen in the ocean, but unexpected and gripping consequences ensue that I don’t wish to spoil here.
But first, Zan—under the alias Xander—has used his magic to lure Kae with him to the Arctic. Along the way, he’s enchanted by Kae, so there’s a little bit of a love triangle typically found in YA going on. Before too many sparks can fly between them, Demyan’s trying to forge an alliance with the Nerine clan of the Arctic Ocean. The description of the Nerine is starkly haunting, and I like their inclusion as a different style of mermaids, but the physics teacher in me can’t help nit-picking the travel itinerary. Granted, mermaids are fictional, so there’s some leeway in how fast they’re able to swim, but they get around—from Nantucket Sound to the Arctic Ocean and to the Mediterranean Sea—a little too quickly. The target audience of YA readers probably won’t be bothered by this, but it’s the only quibble I have that briefly pulled me out of the story.
However, I was most impressed with the complexity of the main characters Kae, Shea, and especially Zan. All of them face difficult situations and difficult choices, and though I won’t state whether the decisions they make are always the best, I will say that I always felt they came from places of true character motivations. Each of them step up in their own ways and some (no spoilers as to which of them) do some heroic things.
Where I found the first book to be delightful, I found this one to be tense in a very good way. The characters have matured, and I really like their growth and look forward to their continued journey when the third part comes out. I gave the first book a five-star review, and this one is just as good, though for different reasons. Thus, it would be an act of defiance to give Defiance anything other than FIVE STARS.
August 4, 2016
Fun, well written, young adult fantasy and so much more!
A truly enjoyable young adult adventure and a great follow up to Descent (book 1)!
Shea MacNamara – son of King Koios - becomes entangled in an undersea (and drylander) tale of revenge, kidnapping, romance, and plenty of magic.
I was up late into the night turning pages to find out what happens with this enjoyable cast of characters. I really liked reading about Shea in both mermaid books written by Katie O’Sullivan, but I was particularly drawn to Kae’s character (Shea’s mermaid girlfriend). Zan/Xander is an intriguing character as well. He’s a powerful sorcerer and his magic plays a large part in this tale. He’s the type of guy you want to hate, but just can’t.
Ms. O’Sullivan keeps the action moving and created plenty of tension in this novel. The romance is sweet and heartfelt, and Zan’s feelings toward Kae throw a nice twist into the story that keeps the reader guessing.
I recommend this novel to anyone that likes a well crafted YA novel, and or enjoys a good beach read!
A truly enjoyable young adult adventure and a great follow up to Descent (book 1)!
Shea MacNamara – son of King Koios - becomes entangled in an undersea (and drylander) tale of revenge, kidnapping, romance, and plenty of magic.
I was up late into the night turning pages to find out what happens with this enjoyable cast of characters. I really liked reading about Shea in both mermaid books written by Katie O’Sullivan, but I was particularly drawn to Kae’s character (Shea’s mermaid girlfriend). Zan/Xander is an intriguing character as well. He’s a powerful sorcerer and his magic plays a large part in this tale. He’s the type of guy you want to hate, but just can’t.
Ms. O’Sullivan keeps the action moving and created plenty of tension in this novel. The romance is sweet and heartfelt, and Zan’s feelings toward Kae throw a nice twist into the story that keeps the reader guessing.
I recommend this novel to anyone that likes a well crafted YA novel, and or enjoys a good beach read!
August 4, 2016
Fun, well written, young adult fantasy and so much more!
A truly enjoyable young adult adventure and a great follow up to Son of a Mermaid(aka-Descent)!
Shea MacNamara – son of King Koios - becomes entangled in an undersea (and drylander) tale of revenge, kidnapping, romance, and plenty of magic.
I was up late into the night turning pages to find out what happens with this enjoyable cast of characters. I really liked reading about Shea in both mermaid books written by Katie O’Sullivan, but I was particularly drawn to Kae’s character (Shea’s mermaid girlfriend). Zan/Xander is an intriguing character as well. He’s a powerful sorcerer and his magic plays a large part in this tale. He’s the type of guy you want to hate, but just can’t.
Ms. O’Sullivan keeps the action moving and created plenty of tension in this novel. The romance is sweet and heartfelt, and Zan’s feelings toward Kae throw a nice twist into the story that keeps the reader guessing.
I recommend this novel to anyone that likes a well crafted YA novel, and or enjoys a good beach read!
A truly enjoyable young adult adventure and a great follow up to Son of a Mermaid(aka-Descent)!
Shea MacNamara – son of King Koios - becomes entangled in an undersea (and drylander) tale of revenge, kidnapping, romance, and plenty of magic.
I was up late into the night turning pages to find out what happens with this enjoyable cast of characters. I really liked reading about Shea in both mermaid books written by Katie O’Sullivan, but I was particularly drawn to Kae’s character (Shea’s mermaid girlfriend). Zan/Xander is an intriguing character as well. He’s a powerful sorcerer and his magic plays a large part in this tale. He’s the type of guy you want to hate, but just can’t.
Ms. O’Sullivan keeps the action moving and created plenty of tension in this novel. The romance is sweet and heartfelt, and Zan’s feelings toward Kae throw a nice twist into the story that keeps the reader guessing.
I recommend this novel to anyone that likes a well crafted YA novel, and or enjoys a good beach read!
August 8, 2014
I have been waiting to read this book since I reached the end of O’Sullivan’s Son of a Mermaid. I knew there was so much more to be told in Shea’s tale, and I wasn’t disappointed in what was delivered in this follow up.
Blood of a Mermaid picks up shortly after the last book ended, and we learn the main characters lives are still reeling from the events of the last book. Shea is still trying to adjust to all the changes, and adapt to his royal merman blood.
Blood which sets the stage for a new adventure with different twists and turns for the characters we grew to love in book one.
In Blood of a Mermaid, O’Sullivan reminds us that life is not about hard and fast rules or black and white, there are plenty of shades of gray.
I highly recommend this book for fans of romance, intrigue and (of course) mermaids. It is the second book of a series, but can be read as a stand alone.
Blood of a Mermaid picks up shortly after the last book ended, and we learn the main characters lives are still reeling from the events of the last book. Shea is still trying to adjust to all the changes, and adapt to his royal merman blood.
Blood which sets the stage for a new adventure with different twists and turns for the characters we grew to love in book one.
In Blood of a Mermaid, O’Sullivan reminds us that life is not about hard and fast rules or black and white, there are plenty of shades of gray.
I highly recommend this book for fans of romance, intrigue and (of course) mermaids. It is the second book of a series, but can be read as a stand alone.
September 28, 2014
I enjoyed Son of a Mermaid, so I was excited to read the sequel. In Blood of a Mermaid, Shea must journey out to find Kae, who is believed to be kidnapped. This book is definitely packed with action. Every chapter held an obstacle for the protagonists to overcome. It also introduces a new character, Zan, who at first I wanted to root against. But as the reader gets to know him, his true personality and character is revealed, and you can't help but feel for him. I'm still Team Shea, though.
O'Sullivan weaves a great tale with her descriptive pose and ability to get the reader excited with thrilling scenes. Definitely check this book out after reading the first installment. I look forward to the next book!
O'Sullivan weaves a great tale with her descriptive pose and ability to get the reader excited with thrilling scenes. Definitely check this book out after reading the first installment. I look forward to the next book!
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