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Waterfire Saga #3
Mørke Vande
Serafina er nu ikke længere en fortabt og forvirret prinsesse, men i stedet den selvsikre leder af modstandsgruppen De Sorte Finner.
Mens hun kæmper for at sabotere sin fjende og samle allierede til kampen, står hendes veninder over for deres egne udfordringer.
Ling er fanget i Rafe Mfemes gigantiske trawler, som fragter hende til et fængsel.
Becca mødes med Astrid og finder ud af, hvorfor den ondalianske havfrue altid er så vred: Hun gemmer på en pinefuld hemmelighed.
Ava kan ikke vende hjem, fordi dødsrytterne venter på hende der.
Og det bliver mere og mere vanskeligt for Mahdi – Serafinas forlovede – at opretholde løgnen om, at han er forelsket i Lucia Volerno. Hvis Lucias forældre fatter mistanke til ham, vil hans liv og alle Serafinas håb for fremtiden blive slukket.
Politiske intriger, farlige forbindelser og hårrejsende spænding hvirvler som en malstrøm gennem denne næstsidste bog i Vandflammes saga.
TREDJE BOG I VANDFLAMMENS SAGA.
Fordobl farerne, de fængslende karakterer, kreativiteten ogkærligheden fra de to første bøger – så får du Mørke vande.– AMAZON
Denne serie er så god! Pigerne oplever så meget action, politik,intriger, forræderi og endda romantik. Det bliver nok endnu vildere i den sidste bog, og jeg kan ikke vente med at læse den!– EATER OF BOOKS
Mens hun kæmper for at sabotere sin fjende og samle allierede til kampen, står hendes veninder over for deres egne udfordringer.
Ling er fanget i Rafe Mfemes gigantiske trawler, som fragter hende til et fængsel.
Becca mødes med Astrid og finder ud af, hvorfor den ondalianske havfrue altid er så vred: Hun gemmer på en pinefuld hemmelighed.
Ava kan ikke vende hjem, fordi dødsrytterne venter på hende der.
Og det bliver mere og mere vanskeligt for Mahdi – Serafinas forlovede – at opretholde løgnen om, at han er forelsket i Lucia Volerno. Hvis Lucias forældre fatter mistanke til ham, vil hans liv og alle Serafinas håb for fremtiden blive slukket.
Politiske intriger, farlige forbindelser og hårrejsende spænding hvirvler som en malstrøm gennem denne næstsidste bog i Vandflammes saga.
TREDJE BOG I VANDFLAMMENS SAGA.
Fordobl farerne, de fængslende karakterer, kreativiteten ogkærligheden fra de to første bøger – så får du Mørke vande.– AMAZON
Denne serie er så god! Pigerne oplever så meget action, politik,intriger, forræderi og endda romantik. Det bliver nok endnu vildere i den sidste bog, og jeg kan ikke vente med at læse den!– EATER OF BOOKS
416 pages, Hardcover
First published October 13, 2015
283 people are currently reading
10420 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Donnelly
29 books8,252 followersJennifer Donnelly is the author of fourteen novels - Beastly Beauty, Poisoned, Stepsister, Lost in a Book, These Shallow Graves, Sea Spell, Dark Tide, Rogue Wave, Deep Blue, Revolution, A Northern Light, The Tea Rose, The Winter Rose and The Wild Rose - and Humble Pie, a picture book for children. She is a co-author of Fatal Throne, which explores the lives of King Henry VIII's six wives, for which she wrote the part of Anna of Cleves, Henry's fourth wife.
In 2023, she published Molly's Letter, the first in a series of novella-length stories called Rose Petals set in the world of her three-volume Tea Rose series -- followed by Where Roses Fall in August, 2024.
Jennifer grew up in New York State, in Lewis and Westchester counties, and attended the University of Rochester where she majored in English Literature and European History.
See Jennifer's full bio on Wikipedia.
In 2023, she published Molly's Letter, the first in a series of novella-length stories called Rose Petals set in the world of her three-volume Tea Rose series -- followed by Where Roses Fall in August, 2024.
Jennifer grew up in New York State, in Lewis and Westchester counties, and attended the University of Rochester where she majored in English Literature and European History.
See Jennifer's full bio on Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 537 reviews
April 27, 2017
I have love books based on mermaids/sirens since I was a young girl. Mermaids/sirens is what got me interested in fantasy as a little girl so still to this day I will read any book about them. This series I will finish. Its a pretty good fantasy but it is more aimed towards the younger YA age group (which I am a "tad" (lol) older than so I honestly lose interests sometimes while reading this series. However, it is a good series that is worth reading if you like mermaids/sirens literature and don't mind reading YA novels of the younger variety.
September 16, 2021
ok but THIS SERIES IS SO UNDERRATED.
i feel that there are not enough people who know about it :(
started it when i was 13 and just finished it last year (17 lol, i know, sad) but came back here TO SAY THAT IT DESERVES MORE HYPE and because Dark Tide is one of my babies :)
i feel that there are not enough people who know about it :(
started it when i was 13 and just finished it last year (17 lol, i know, sad) but came back here TO SAY THAT IT DESERVES MORE HYPE and because Dark Tide is one of my babies :)
October 2, 2015
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Dark Tide by Jennifer Donnelly
Book Three of the Waterfire Saga
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: October 13, 2015
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Review copy sent by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
Once a lost and confused princess, Serafina is now a confident leader of the Black Fin Resistance (BFR). While she works on sabotaging her enemy and enlisting allies for battle, her friends face challenges of their own. Ling is in the hold of Rafe Mfeme's giant trawler, on her way to a prison camp. Becca meets up with Astrid and learns why the Ondalinian mermaid is always so angry: she is hiding a shameful secret. Ava can't return home, because death riders await her arrival. And it is getting more and more difficult for Mahdi, Serafina's betrothed, to keep up the ruse that he is in love with Lucia Volerno. If Lucia's parents become suspicious, his life--and all of Sera's hopes--will be extinguished. Political intrigue, dangerous liaisons, and spine-tingling suspense swirl like a maelstrom in this penultimate book in the WaterFire saga.
What I Liked:
Ahh, this series is so great! It's pretty rare that I'll invest myself willingly in a series longer than three books (even trilogies are such a commitment), but I'm glad I took the leap with this one. There are a decent number of YA books dealing with mermaids, but this series is probably my favorite! Deep Blue and Rogue Wave were fantastic, and this novel is as well.
The six mermaids have been split up - Serafina is leading the Black Finn Resistance, and Neela is with her. Astrid has long left the group behind, but Becca finds her, and the two of them travel together. Ling has been captured and is on a trawler, where she faces imprisonment and something far worse. Ava is MIA, but safe for the moment. The six girls must work together, despite being apart, to try and claim the last four talismans before Vallerio, Rafe, and darker powers destroy the ocean and unleash Abbadon.
What gets me about this series is the setting! The books take place undersea, in the deep oceans. Ling is on a trawler boat for most of this book, but the other girls are in deep waters, fighting to stay alive. It's so great how Donnelly comes up with such rich scenery and imagery, to write this series in the ocean! I absolutely love the setting of the book, and how well Donnelly constructs and details it, novel after novel, sea after sea.
Serafina is still my favorite of the six girls. She has grown the most, becoming very strong and very willful. She is more of a leader than she ever was, and has really stepped up in becoming the leader of a resistance force, finding allies, trying to communicate with the other girls. Sera has so much to lose - including Mahdi - but she never gives up. I like how fearless she has become, even though we can see her fears and insecurities.
Neela isn't as present in this book. She's with Sera for the duration of the book, helping with the resistance. She's there, but I often forgot about her. Same with Ava - she is there, and she is looking for a specific talisman, but her role in this particular book is not huge.
Ling, Astrid, and Becca are highly important in this novel, like Sera. Those four are the leading four protagonists, and we get to read from each of their perspectives from time to time. You'd think it would get confusing or annoying, but Donnelly does a really great job of keeping things organized, and moving the story along with whichever perspective was next. We got to experience each of the girls' stories from when they were apart, as well as when they get back together.
Ling goes through horrible obstacles on the trawler boat, and it broke my heart to see her suffer so much! But she learns some important information about one of the talismans, as well as about something in her past that she'd let go of.
Astrid has a terrible secret that Becca finds out while they are together. When Becca and Astrid separate, Astrid goes back to her home up North, and Becca starts to look for another talisman. Becca meets some important friends, and Astrid frees someone that will change her life.
The story is so intriguing, and very engaging! It's not slow at all, even with so many perspectives. There is so much action, politics, scheming, betrayal, even romance for the ladies! There is so much going on, and so many great secondary characters too.
Sera and Mahdi performed a Binding earlier in the series, but Mahdi has to pretend that he is in love with Lucia, who has taken over as regina (Lucia is Sera's cousin). Becca meets someone unexpected along the way, as does Astrid. Astrid is prickly and a grouch, but she meets someone that is perfect for her. I want to see where Becca's romance goes especially!
I'm trying to be as vague as possible with this book, as it is a third book of four. But the mermaids are concerned with finding the talisman before Rafe Mfeme does, so that he will not be able to unleash Abbadon. There is another book in the series, so I won't say anything really about the ending. It ends on an okay but eye-opening note (not quite a cliffhanger), and I can't wait to read book four!
What I Did Not Like:
There were a few things that struck me as cliche and/or overused. I can't say specifically about some things because that would be spoiler-y! But one example would be a very similar aspect that appeared in Harry Potter - how Voldemort's name and Tom Riddle's name were anagrams of each other. Yeah, something like that is in this book, and it's too bad, because the first thing I thought of was Harry Potter. There were others but again, no spoilers! Overall, I'm very pleased with this book.
Would I Recommend It:
If you've read Deep Blue and Rogue Wave (or even just Deep Blue), keep going with the series! It's four books total, so there is one more (Sea Spell). This is great fantasy, a gorgeous and high-action spin on mermaids and magic and life deep in the ocean. People who love political intrigue and court life and kings/queens/hot emperors/strong princesses and girl power and awesome fantasy will love this series!
Rating:
4 stars. I've equally enjoyed every novel in this series so far! The covers are stunning, and the story from book to book is lovely as well. Things are going to get even crazier in the final novel, and I can't wait to read it!
Dark Tide by Jennifer Donnelly
Book Three of the Waterfire Saga
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: October 13, 2015
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Review copy sent by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
Once a lost and confused princess, Serafina is now a confident leader of the Black Fin Resistance (BFR). While she works on sabotaging her enemy and enlisting allies for battle, her friends face challenges of their own. Ling is in the hold of Rafe Mfeme's giant trawler, on her way to a prison camp. Becca meets up with Astrid and learns why the Ondalinian mermaid is always so angry: she is hiding a shameful secret. Ava can't return home, because death riders await her arrival. And it is getting more and more difficult for Mahdi, Serafina's betrothed, to keep up the ruse that he is in love with Lucia Volerno. If Lucia's parents become suspicious, his life--and all of Sera's hopes--will be extinguished. Political intrigue, dangerous liaisons, and spine-tingling suspense swirl like a maelstrom in this penultimate book in the WaterFire saga.
What I Liked:
Ahh, this series is so great! It's pretty rare that I'll invest myself willingly in a series longer than three books (even trilogies are such a commitment), but I'm glad I took the leap with this one. There are a decent number of YA books dealing with mermaids, but this series is probably my favorite! Deep Blue and Rogue Wave were fantastic, and this novel is as well.
The six mermaids have been split up - Serafina is leading the Black Finn Resistance, and Neela is with her. Astrid has long left the group behind, but Becca finds her, and the two of them travel together. Ling has been captured and is on a trawler, where she faces imprisonment and something far worse. Ava is MIA, but safe for the moment. The six girls must work together, despite being apart, to try and claim the last four talismans before Vallerio, Rafe, and darker powers destroy the ocean and unleash Abbadon.
What gets me about this series is the setting! The books take place undersea, in the deep oceans. Ling is on a trawler boat for most of this book, but the other girls are in deep waters, fighting to stay alive. It's so great how Donnelly comes up with such rich scenery and imagery, to write this series in the ocean! I absolutely love the setting of the book, and how well Donnelly constructs and details it, novel after novel, sea after sea.
Serafina is still my favorite of the six girls. She has grown the most, becoming very strong and very willful. She is more of a leader than she ever was, and has really stepped up in becoming the leader of a resistance force, finding allies, trying to communicate with the other girls. Sera has so much to lose - including Mahdi - but she never gives up. I like how fearless she has become, even though we can see her fears and insecurities.
Neela isn't as present in this book. She's with Sera for the duration of the book, helping with the resistance. She's there, but I often forgot about her. Same with Ava - she is there, and she is looking for a specific talisman, but her role in this particular book is not huge.
Ling, Astrid, and Becca are highly important in this novel, like Sera. Those four are the leading four protagonists, and we get to read from each of their perspectives from time to time. You'd think it would get confusing or annoying, but Donnelly does a really great job of keeping things organized, and moving the story along with whichever perspective was next. We got to experience each of the girls' stories from when they were apart, as well as when they get back together.
Ling goes through horrible obstacles on the trawler boat, and it broke my heart to see her suffer so much! But she learns some important information about one of the talismans, as well as about something in her past that she'd let go of.
Astrid has a terrible secret that Becca finds out while they are together. When Becca and Astrid separate, Astrid goes back to her home up North, and Becca starts to look for another talisman. Becca meets some important friends, and Astrid frees someone that will change her life.
The story is so intriguing, and very engaging! It's not slow at all, even with so many perspectives. There is so much action, politics, scheming, betrayal, even romance for the ladies! There is so much going on, and so many great secondary characters too.
Sera and Mahdi performed a Binding earlier in the series, but Mahdi has to pretend that he is in love with Lucia, who has taken over as regina (Lucia is Sera's cousin). Becca meets someone unexpected along the way, as does Astrid. Astrid is prickly and a grouch, but she meets someone that is perfect for her. I want to see where Becca's romance goes especially!
I'm trying to be as vague as possible with this book, as it is a third book of four. But the mermaids are concerned with finding the talisman before Rafe Mfeme does, so that he will not be able to unleash Abbadon. There is another book in the series, so I won't say anything really about the ending. It ends on an okay but eye-opening note (not quite a cliffhanger), and I can't wait to read book four!
What I Did Not Like:
There were a few things that struck me as cliche and/or overused. I can't say specifically about some things because that would be spoiler-y! But one example would be a very similar aspect that appeared in Harry Potter - how Voldemort's name and Tom Riddle's name were anagrams of each other. Yeah, something like that is in this book, and it's too bad, because the first thing I thought of was Harry Potter. There were others but again, no spoilers! Overall, I'm very pleased with this book.
Would I Recommend It:
If you've read Deep Blue and Rogue Wave (or even just Deep Blue), keep going with the series! It's four books total, so there is one more (Sea Spell). This is great fantasy, a gorgeous and high-action spin on mermaids and magic and life deep in the ocean. People who love political intrigue and court life and kings/queens/hot emperors/strong princesses and girl power and awesome fantasy will love this series!
Rating:
4 stars. I've equally enjoyed every novel in this series so far! The covers are stunning, and the story from book to book is lovely as well. Things are going to get even crazier in the final novel, and I can't wait to read it!
April 30, 2016
Review posted on Fafa's Book Corner !
Beware spoilers ahead!
This book series was recommended to me by my dear GR friend Alyssa ! Click on her name to read her review.
After finishing Rogue Wave I needed to read Dark Tide! That ending was very cruel. I have no idea how people managed to wait until October 2015 to read this book. I am happy to say that I enjoyed this!
The book begins with a prologue in Astrid's point of view. Astrid is on her way home. It's been quite the journey and she's nearly there. So far she's managed to dodge the Death Riders. She stays in a hotel to rest for the night. As she gets ready to sleep the man with fully black eyes appears in the mirror. He knows Astrid's secret and reaches out to her. Astrid feels drawn to him and does the same. Right before he can pull her through the mirror she sees that he has no iris. She jumps back and runs.
We are then taken to the first chapter in Sera's point of view. It's been two months since the events of Rogue Wave and she is now in charge of the Black Fins Resistance. With the help of Madhi they plan to steal some gold from her uncle Vallerio.
Neela and Yaz are apart of the Black Fins as well. Yaz is Sera's second in command. Once they have their plan set they make their way to the palace. Mahdi pretending to love Lucia holds a party for her as a distraction while the Black Fins steal the gold. The plan goes a bit wrong and they are discovered. Still managing to make it out with the gold Sera and Sophia run.
While trying to outrun the Death Riders they come across a secret room. The two decide to rest for a bit because Sera's tail is severely injured. As Sera takes in her surroundings she realizes that the room has statues of the Six the girls are descended from. And in the statues are their talisman's. Sera makes a mental take and contacts the girls.
Dark Tide was much better than Rogue Wave! There are multiple point of views in this book. The author did a good job balancing all of them along with the plot. There is a larger focus on politics and new allegiances are made.
Sera now in charge of the Black Fin's has become an inspiring leader. Throughout the book she continues to address issues such as food and shelter, without losing hope. Her relationship with Yaz was really sweet! Madhi doesn't really come in but their still going strong.
Ling finds herself in a terrible situation. After finding out that Orfeo is alive she has been sent to a work camp to look for one of the talisman's. Throughout her journey she fights for her survival. She realizes that not every strong person is going to remain strong forever, and that her mother was never weak. While at the camp she also meets someone from her past.
Becca run into Astrid while searching for the talisman. The two of them become friends. Becca's past is revealed in this book. It was quite sad. Once the two of them separate Becca searches for her talisman. Along the way she realizes that not everything goes according to plan.
Astrid is hiding a secret. While I didn't find it that bad it really brought Astrid's self esteem down. When she meets Becca she finds herself becoming friends with Becca. This goes against all her raising as she's not supposed to be emotional. Once they separate Astrid returns home to terrible news. She meets someone very important and sets off with said person. Astrid realizes she has nothing to fear about her secret. She decides to do things her way and let people into her life.
Neela is present in the book but she doesn't come in. Ava and Lucia's point of views do come in. Surprisingly Lucia comes in more than Ava and Neela. As usual the female friendship was amazing! Becca and Astrid get love interests. I am looking forward to see where that goes. I also love the sibling relationship in this book! I liked Dark Tide way more than Rogue Wave!
I didn't have any issues with Dark Tide. But if I had to think of something I would say that I would've liked to read more about Ava. I feel like I don't even know Ava. I'm sure she'll become a bigger character in Sea Spell as she is still looking for her talisman.
Overall this was a great book! I recommend this series to anyone looking for a good mermaid series. I can't wait to read Sea Spell which is the last book!
Beware spoilers ahead!
This book series was recommended to me by my dear GR friend Alyssa ! Click on her name to read her review.
After finishing Rogue Wave I needed to read Dark Tide! That ending was very cruel. I have no idea how people managed to wait until October 2015 to read this book. I am happy to say that I enjoyed this!
The book begins with a prologue in Astrid's point of view. Astrid is on her way home. It's been quite the journey and she's nearly there. So far she's managed to dodge the Death Riders. She stays in a hotel to rest for the night. As she gets ready to sleep the man with fully black eyes appears in the mirror. He knows Astrid's secret and reaches out to her. Astrid feels drawn to him and does the same. Right before he can pull her through the mirror she sees that he has no iris. She jumps back and runs.
We are then taken to the first chapter in Sera's point of view. It's been two months since the events of Rogue Wave and she is now in charge of the Black Fins Resistance. With the help of Madhi they plan to steal some gold from her uncle Vallerio.
Neela and Yaz are apart of the Black Fins as well. Yaz is Sera's second in command. Once they have their plan set they make their way to the palace. Mahdi pretending to love Lucia holds a party for her as a distraction while the Black Fins steal the gold. The plan goes a bit wrong and they are discovered. Still managing to make it out with the gold Sera and Sophia run.
While trying to outrun the Death Riders they come across a secret room. The two decide to rest for a bit because Sera's tail is severely injured. As Sera takes in her surroundings she realizes that the room has statues of the Six the girls are descended from. And in the statues are their talisman's. Sera makes a mental take and contacts the girls.
Dark Tide was much better than Rogue Wave! There are multiple point of views in this book. The author did a good job balancing all of them along with the plot. There is a larger focus on politics and new allegiances are made.
Sera now in charge of the Black Fin's has become an inspiring leader. Throughout the book she continues to address issues such as food and shelter, without losing hope. Her relationship with Yaz was really sweet! Madhi doesn't really come in but their still going strong.
Ling finds herself in a terrible situation. After finding out that Orfeo is alive she has been sent to a work camp to look for one of the talisman's. Throughout her journey she fights for her survival. She realizes that not every strong person is going to remain strong forever, and that her mother was never weak. While at the camp she also meets someone from her past.
Becca run into Astrid while searching for the talisman. The two of them become friends. Becca's past is revealed in this book. It was quite sad. Once the two of them separate Becca searches for her talisman. Along the way she realizes that not everything goes according to plan.
Astrid is hiding a secret. While I didn't find it that bad it really brought Astrid's self esteem down. When she meets Becca she finds herself becoming friends with Becca. This goes against all her raising as she's not supposed to be emotional. Once they separate Astrid returns home to terrible news. She meets someone very important and sets off with said person. Astrid realizes she has nothing to fear about her secret. She decides to do things her way and let people into her life.
Neela is present in the book but she doesn't come in. Ava and Lucia's point of views do come in. Surprisingly Lucia comes in more than Ava and Neela. As usual the female friendship was amazing! Becca and Astrid get love interests. I am looking forward to see where that goes. I also love the sibling relationship in this book! I liked Dark Tide way more than Rogue Wave!
I didn't have any issues with Dark Tide. But if I had to think of something I would say that I would've liked to read more about Ava. I feel like I don't even know Ava. I'm sure she'll become a bigger character in Sea Spell as she is still looking for her talisman.
Overall this was a great book! I recommend this series to anyone looking for a good mermaid series. I can't wait to read Sea Spell which is the last book!
November 28, 2017
This book was a lot better than the first two.
The girls have transformed from annoying little shitheads to people that I could tolerate. Sera isn't annoying. I honestly started to feel really bad for Astrid because her family (aka her father) basically sucks ass. And everyone else was amazing.
Now Dark Tide still left me asking so many questions while reading this book and I'm kind of creeped out with the food that they eat/buy. I don't like how this book ended because I have a feeling that one day a cliffhanger is going to be the death of me. I just hope the next book will be less confusing and not leave me so many god damn questions. I want answers people!
I just want a happy ending for everyone and I can't wait to read the last book! I'm also happy that I'm almost done with this series.
The girls have transformed from annoying little shitheads to people that I could tolerate. Sera isn't annoying. I honestly started to feel really bad for Astrid because her family (aka her father) basically sucks ass. And everyone else was amazing.
Now Dark Tide still left me asking so many questions while reading this book and I'm kind of creeped out with the food that they eat/buy. I don't like how this book ended because I have a feeling that one day a cliffhanger is going to be the death of me. I just hope the next book will be less confusing and not leave me so many god damn questions. I want answers people!
I just want a happy ending for everyone and I can't wait to read the last book! I'm also happy that I'm almost done with this series.
May 18, 2019
A marked improvement from the first two books in the series.
I've been pretty open about it, I did not love the first two books in this series. The author relies too heavily on bad sea-puns (what, catfish got your tongue?) and her world-building centers on made-up words with no context and truly baffling feats of physics (see example: mermaids drinking hot tea.)
But, for what it is worth, I actually really enjoyed Dark Tide. The author significantly tones down the made-up words. And when she does use one, she does a better job at providing context and repeating that context when the words come up again. The pacing also felt dramatically improved as the plot continues to center on the search for the missing talismans but doesn't just wrap everything up with a bow when it wants the talismans found. The consequences of locating and finding the talismans felt dangerous and action-packed and not sidelined by random inconveniences.
The book feels somewhat darker and the shift in tone creates more impact. Actual consequences come from the characters' actions. Dark, murderous consequences, sometimes. The first two books did involve the deaths of quite a few people, but the consequences of their death somehow never felt impactful. They were things that happened to the characters, not things that happened because of the characters. That changes here.
There are quite a few POVs here but I was impressed with how easy it was to tell them apart. Each girl possesses a fairly distinct voice and motivation. The author jumps from story to story, often leaving one story in the middle of a cliff hanger, but it flowed really well and never felt clunky or awkward.
Unlike Book 2, this one actually follows all six mermaids so the story provides a welcome break from its former almost exclusive focus on Sera. Her angst remains an undercurrent, but other voices drown it out. (No puns intended.)
Obviously, I still have some frustrations with the book. The author does a thorough job with world building but sometimes not thorough enough...or, at least, not explained enough, because characters say things like: "Why doesn't he have a lawyer? He has a right to a fair trial and an attorney!"
Which just left me wondering about the state of the justice system in the 7 Seas and how they have lawyers and "justice of the seas" and why we haven't heard about this justice system before. The point about a right to a lawyer gets completely ignored. Do mermaids have international mermaid rights conventions? Constitutional monarchs? Mer-anda warnings? Organized crime?
Further, the author tends to introduce new characters in a somewhat obscure manner and bring them into super-relevance for, like, two chapters before quickly disposing of them. But because of their super-relevance for that short amount of time, I kept thinking I was forgetting them from earlier books. But, no. They're new.
A few of the girls get love interests of the predictable, YA variety where they meet and two days later declare eternal devotion. Besides Sera and her annoying fiance [she should have dumped his tail], the romances play a fairly innocuous role so far so I am not too annoyed. But I rolled my eyes.
Finally...the villain. I just cannot take him seriously. Even with his awesome, brooding background and the way the author weaves myth around him. It is too...well, another reviewer described it as Harry Potter. So we'll go with that. Too Voldemort. I cannot take him seriously.
I appreciate the way this book improved both the underwater world and upped the danger for the six heroines. I think I actually look forward to picking up the final book.
I've been pretty open about it, I did not love the first two books in this series. The author relies too heavily on bad sea-puns (what, catfish got your tongue?) and her world-building centers on made-up words with no context and truly baffling feats of physics (see example: mermaids drinking hot tea.)
But, for what it is worth, I actually really enjoyed Dark Tide. The author significantly tones down the made-up words. And when she does use one, she does a better job at providing context and repeating that context when the words come up again. The pacing also felt dramatically improved as the plot continues to center on the search for the missing talismans but doesn't just wrap everything up with a bow when it wants the talismans found. The consequences of locating and finding the talismans felt dangerous and action-packed and not sidelined by random inconveniences.
The book feels somewhat darker and the shift in tone creates more impact. Actual consequences come from the characters' actions. Dark, murderous consequences, sometimes. The first two books did involve the deaths of quite a few people, but the consequences of their death somehow never felt impactful. They were things that happened to the characters, not things that happened because of the characters. That changes here.
There are quite a few POVs here but I was impressed with how easy it was to tell them apart. Each girl possesses a fairly distinct voice and motivation. The author jumps from story to story, often leaving one story in the middle of a cliff hanger, but it flowed really well and never felt clunky or awkward.
Unlike Book 2, this one actually follows all six mermaids so the story provides a welcome break from its former almost exclusive focus on Sera. Her angst remains an undercurrent, but other voices drown it out. (No puns intended.)
Obviously, I still have some frustrations with the book. The author does a thorough job with world building but sometimes not thorough enough...or, at least, not explained enough, because characters say things like: "Why doesn't he have a lawyer? He has a right to a fair trial and an attorney!"
Which just left me wondering about the state of the justice system in the 7 Seas and how they have lawyers and "justice of the seas" and why we haven't heard about this justice system before. The point about a right to a lawyer gets completely ignored. Do mermaids have international mermaid rights conventions? Constitutional monarchs? Mer-anda warnings? Organized crime?
Further, the author tends to introduce new characters in a somewhat obscure manner and bring them into super-relevance for, like, two chapters before quickly disposing of them. But because of their super-relevance for that short amount of time, I kept thinking I was forgetting them from earlier books. But, no. They're new.
A few of the girls get love interests of the predictable, YA variety where they meet and two days later declare eternal devotion. Besides Sera and her annoying fiance [she should have dumped his tail], the romances play a fairly innocuous role so far so I am not too annoyed. But I rolled my eyes.
Finally...the villain. I just cannot take him seriously. Even with his awesome, brooding background and the way the author weaves myth around him. It is too...well, another reviewer described it as Harry Potter. So we'll go with that. Too Voldemort. I cannot take him seriously.
I appreciate the way this book improved both the underwater world and upped the danger for the six heroines. I think I actually look forward to picking up the final book.
June 15, 2024
im a desiderio and astrid truther
December 15, 2015
The books keep on getting better and better!!!
I just want to unleash all those Razormouth Dragons all over Lucia. She would make an awesome snack for them. Anyone agree?
I just want to unleash all those Razormouth Dragons all over Lucia. She would make an awesome snack for them. Anyone agree?
June 25, 2021
Das Buch war wieder sehr unterhaltsam, durch die vielen charaktere die unterschiedliche Abenteuer erleben wird es so schnell nicht langweilig. Der fokus liegt auch eher auf Freundschaft , denn auf Liebesgeschichten was ich sehr erfrischend finde.
October 13, 2015
Dark Tide is the 3rd book in the Deep Blue Series.
Again, Jennifer Donnelly has failed to disappoint us.
This book has some good adventures that was a great read. It kept you the edge of your seat & kept you wanting more.
In this book, everything finally starts to come together & they make sense of things.
Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was that you were able to read about different characters adventures.
Unlike the first book, Dark Tide swaps characters POV. This makes it more interesting because each character is facing their own threat on their own journey.
The storyline follows through the first 2 books & although Dark Tide doesn't have the biggest cliff hanger ending like Rogue Wave, your still left wanting to read Sea Spell immediately so you can find out what happens with previous twists that have been left at a cliff hanger.
Again, Jennifer Donnelly has failed to disappoint us.
This book has some good adventures that was a great read. It kept you the edge of your seat & kept you wanting more.
In this book, everything finally starts to come together & they make sense of things.
Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was that you were able to read about different characters adventures.
Unlike the first book, Dark Tide swaps characters POV. This makes it more interesting because each character is facing their own threat on their own journey.
The storyline follows through the first 2 books & although Dark Tide doesn't have the biggest cliff hanger ending like Rogue Wave, your still left wanting to read Sea Spell immediately so you can find out what happens with previous twists that have been left at a cliff hanger.
May 2, 2021
This book was a roller coaster of situations and emotions aahh!!
Serafina is back as a great leader: she makes the plans and decides the strategies to assault Miromara, the place where she used to live: her kingdom is in charge of her evil relative and a flint-hearted mermaid that Serafina clearly knows.
Becca helped Astrid to believe in herself and gave her good advices (Astrid has a big secret, which turned out to be the true reason of her reluctance to fight against Abbadon, Traho and someone else...).
Astrid discovered an impressive betraying and rescued a guy from the prison of her kingdom, the same person who allowes her to have a chance in love (I loved this couple very much!!!!)
Ling was very brave in this book, she ran into people very important for her again (and let them go for second time T.T) and she had to speak with frightening marine creatures in the dark deepness.
Becca met a couple of "terragones" (humans) that saved her from a giant and intimidating creature that has a form of tornado.
I would've like to have more chapters about Ava and Neela, they barely had participating, but I guess in the next and last book, the things will be different (If you are from México, the Waterife Saga #4 is not available in Spanish nor phisycal format, you have to get in epub)
Serafina is back as a great leader: she makes the plans and decides the strategies to assault Miromara, the place where she used to live: her kingdom is in charge of her evil relative and a flint-hearted mermaid that Serafina clearly knows.
Becca helped Astrid to believe in herself and gave her good advices (Astrid has a big secret, which turned out to be the true reason of her reluctance to fight against Abbadon, Traho and someone else...).
Astrid discovered an impressive betraying and rescued a guy from the prison of her kingdom, the same person who allowes her to have a chance in love (I loved this couple very much!!!!)
Ling was very brave in this book, she ran into people very important for her again (and let them go for second time T.T) and she had to speak with frightening marine creatures in the dark deepness.
Becca met a couple of "terragones" (humans) that saved her from a giant and intimidating creature that has a form of tornado.
I would've like to have more chapters about Ava and Neela, they barely had participating, but I guess in the next and last book, the things will be different (If you are from México, the Waterife Saga #4 is not available in Spanish nor phisycal format, you have to get in epub)
January 6, 2018
5 Stars
I really love the series. This is the third book of the series. I have read the other books before and I love them all. I love the style and the way Jennifer Donnelly writes. This book I have to say is different from the other books in the series because this book is kind of like a mystery. I was kind of surprise that Jennifer wrote this book like she did, but I still like it. I was not excepting that it would be like a mystery like of book. I loved this book and I would read the rest of the series over again. I hope that she adds more books to the series because I love the series and I would love to read what she has next for the series. I would recommend this book to anyone.
I really love the series. This is the third book of the series. I have read the other books before and I love them all. I love the style and the way Jennifer Donnelly writes. This book I have to say is different from the other books in the series because this book is kind of like a mystery. I was kind of surprise that Jennifer wrote this book like she did, but I still like it. I was not excepting that it would be like a mystery like of book. I loved this book and I would read the rest of the series over again. I hope that she adds more books to the series because I love the series and I would love to read what she has next for the series. I would recommend this book to anyone.
December 24, 2025
"You're here with us, Astrid. We're the Six now, just like we were meant to be. And that means the world to me."
Na een beetje een slabakkend tweede boek gaat Donnelly er hier weer helemaal voor, dat is duidelijk.
Alle zes de meerminnen zijn terug van de partij, en in Dark Tide gaat er speciale aandacht uit naar Astrid. Als grote fan van haar ben ik dus ook helemaal weg van dit deel, dat mag wel duidelijk zijn. Haar ontwikkeling en achtergrond worden erg uitgediept, en ook op een goede manier. Dat geldt trouwens ook voor de vijf andere meerminnen. In tegenstelling tot Boek 2, waar ik vond dat dat wat miste, is in dit derde boek heel wat personageontwikkeling aanwezig en, zoals bijvoorbeeld Sera en Astrid op het einde tegen elkaar zeggen, is het erg duidelijk waar we vandaan komen, een kleine duizend bladzijdes geleden. Een knappe ontplooiing van hun wezens.
Er zitten weer een paar knappe plotwendingen en verrassingen in - waar ik natuurlijk niks over ga zeggen, maar het zijn een paar pareltjes.
Over parels gesproken, elke keer als ik lees over 'the black pearl' moet ik denken aan een bepaalde film met een bepaald personage dat wel in deze setting thuishoort, ook... Dat is wel grappig soms. (Ik lees de Engelse versies, voor alle duidelijkheid.)
Eens te meer wil ik even aandacht besteden aan de taal ook. Hier zit zoveel origineels in, zowel in het Engels als in de niet-Engelse woorden en namen. Veel talen kennen is zeker een pluspunt voor deze reeks, want dan ga je een hoop meer meekrijgen. Echt een lust voor het oog!
Het enige waar ik minder van overtuigd was, was een bepaalde beslissing die Lucia maakt. Wat er gebeurt is echt gruwelijk. Al is Lucia natuurlijk een schurk, zelfs voor haar lijkt dit me te wreed en te ver gaan. Meer zelfs, het past niet helemaal in het algemene gevoel dat deze reeks op mij overbrengt. Dat is wel wat zonde.
Maar al bij al is dit tot nu toe het beste boek van de drie, absoluut een knapperd!
8,5/10
Na een beetje een slabakkend tweede boek gaat Donnelly er hier weer helemaal voor, dat is duidelijk.
Alle zes de meerminnen zijn terug van de partij, en in Dark Tide gaat er speciale aandacht uit naar Astrid. Als grote fan van haar ben ik dus ook helemaal weg van dit deel, dat mag wel duidelijk zijn. Haar ontwikkeling en achtergrond worden erg uitgediept, en ook op een goede manier. Dat geldt trouwens ook voor de vijf andere meerminnen. In tegenstelling tot Boek 2, waar ik vond dat dat wat miste, is in dit derde boek heel wat personageontwikkeling aanwezig en, zoals bijvoorbeeld Sera en Astrid op het einde tegen elkaar zeggen, is het erg duidelijk waar we vandaan komen, een kleine duizend bladzijdes geleden. Een knappe ontplooiing van hun wezens.
Er zitten weer een paar knappe plotwendingen en verrassingen in - waar ik natuurlijk niks over ga zeggen, maar het zijn een paar pareltjes.
Over parels gesproken, elke keer als ik lees over 'the black pearl' moet ik denken aan een bepaalde film met een bepaald personage dat wel in deze setting thuishoort, ook... Dat is wel grappig soms. (Ik lees de Engelse versies, voor alle duidelijkheid.)
Eens te meer wil ik even aandacht besteden aan de taal ook. Hier zit zoveel origineels in, zowel in het Engels als in de niet-Engelse woorden en namen. Veel talen kennen is zeker een pluspunt voor deze reeks, want dan ga je een hoop meer meekrijgen. Echt een lust voor het oog!
Het enige waar ik minder van overtuigd was, was een bepaalde beslissing die Lucia maakt. Wat er gebeurt is echt gruwelijk. Al is Lucia natuurlijk een schurk, zelfs voor haar lijkt dit me te wreed en te ver gaan. Meer zelfs, het past niet helemaal in het algemene gevoel dat deze reeks op mij overbrengt. Dat is wel wat zonde.
Maar al bij al is dit tot nu toe het beste boek van de drie, absoluut een knapperd!
8,5/10
December 29, 2015
My biggest complaint with this series has to do with the story construction: there are too many characters, and the world is really overwhelming - I'm three books in and I still haven't truly connected with anything.
February 6, 2017
The tension within this series just keeps building. I'm not sure my heart can handle another near death escape. These female water warriors have no limits to their courage.
I'm such a fan of the multiple perspectives in this series. Dark Tide follows Ling, Becca, and Astrid more closely, and they're all wonderfully daring. Astrid, who was insignificant to me before, is now my favourite of the six. Each character encompasses an entirely different weakness. But where there is weakness, there is strength. Their journey continues to find the six talismans, but the individual dangers along the way are anything but similar. With ghost ships, goblins, dragons, and humans, to name a few, I love the horrible circumstances these mermaids get themselves into.
There's also two new romances. One had too much of a hopeless romantic vibe, for my taste, but the other was everything I hoped for.
Sea Spell will surely kill me.
I'm such a fan of the multiple perspectives in this series. Dark Tide follows Ling, Becca, and Astrid more closely, and they're all wonderfully daring. Astrid, who was insignificant to me before, is now my favourite of the six. Each character encompasses an entirely different weakness. But where there is weakness, there is strength. Their journey continues to find the six talismans, but the individual dangers along the way are anything but similar. With ghost ships, goblins, dragons, and humans, to name a few, I love the horrible circumstances these mermaids get themselves into.
There's also two new romances. One had too much of a hopeless romantic vibe, for my taste, but the other was everything I hoped for.
Sea Spell will surely kill me.
April 1, 2016
I am so impressed! (I know I said that for my review of the last book as well, but really wow, each installment just blows me away!) Sera is fiercer, the plot is more complex, there's more romance, the friendships and bonds are stronger, the stakes are higher, the list goes on. (: will definitely be continuing this series.
October 19, 2017
4 out of 5 stars!
the Magical Mermaid Menagerie™ is back with lots more Dangerous Underwater Exploits™ in another solid mermaid book! the tension is amping up, the characters are developing, and the adventure is calling.
what i liked: these books are just such fun, quick reads and i'm continuously impressed with how solid the world building is. more kingdoms are revealed in this book, including astrid's home kingdom of ondalina - carved from an iceberg, which is the most badass thing ever. the twists and turns continue to come, and the stakes continue to get higher and higher.
not so much: i thought the insta-love was real in the last book in this series, but this book took it to a whole new level. yall know who i'm talking about. !!!!!! they love each other after, what, like 2 days??? day 1 - meet. day 2 - say i love you. errm okay then?? *shakes head in confusion*
RECAP: MERMIADS! UNDERWATER KINGDOMS! MERMAIDS WHO CAN CAST SPELLS WITH SONGS! FRIENDSHIP! ADVENTURE!
the Magical Mermaid Menagerie™ is back with lots more Dangerous Underwater Exploits™ in another solid mermaid book! the tension is amping up, the characters are developing, and the adventure is calling.
what i liked: these books are just such fun, quick reads and i'm continuously impressed with how solid the world building is. more kingdoms are revealed in this book, including astrid's home kingdom of ondalina - carved from an iceberg, which is the most badass thing ever. the twists and turns continue to come, and the stakes continue to get higher and higher.
not so much: i thought the insta-love was real in the last book in this series, but this book took it to a whole new level. yall know who i'm talking about. !!!!!! they love each other after, what, like 2 days??? day 1 - meet. day 2 - say i love you. errm okay then?? *shakes head in confusion*
RECAP: MERMIADS! UNDERWATER KINGDOMS! MERMAIDS WHO CAN CAST SPELLS WITH SONGS! FRIENDSHIP! ADVENTURE!
November 28, 2023
when you bring a book on a week long trip but you finish it on the plane…😭
February 12, 2017
Плясъкът на книжните криле се слива с този на лъскавите опашки! Дойде ред и на третата книга от епичната „Сага за вода и огън”! Русалките отново са тук, по-силни от всякога, но и изправени пред още по-големи предизвикателства в „Тъмен прилив”! Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле":
https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...
https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...
October 11, 2016
To add to the other pet peeves about this series:
We have mermaids who are royal and we have mermaids who are average or poor citizens. Why is it that the royal mermaids manage to get the royal mermen? Why couldn't one of the everyday girls hooked a royal merman, made a true fairy tale out of it? It's very elitist.
We have mermaids who are royal and we have mermaids who are average or poor citizens. Why is it that the royal mermaids manage to get the royal mermen? Why couldn't one of the everyday girls hooked a royal merman, made a true fairy tale out of it? It's very elitist.
December 23, 2020
Oh my gosh the suspense is kinda killing me and I have to figure out what happens. This is super good and the writing is really descriptive. Have I ever told you how much I want to be a mermaid?? Also all these new love interests are killing me and the friendships are beautiful.
Want to read
March 10, 2015Expected publication: October 13th 2015 by Disney-Hyperion
May 31, 2020
This world-building is so amazing! I love it! *.*
I really liked how Donnelly focused more on other characters in this book. Definitely have high hopes for the final book!
I really liked how Donnelly focused more on other characters in this book. Definitely have high hopes for the final book!
September 3, 2017
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Dark Tide is the longest book in the Waterfire Saga, which I think is both a blessing and a curse. While a lot of action was packed into its 400 pages, there were also moments that felt a lot like filler. The narrative jumps between a lot of different characters and sometimes the gap between each character's point of view was so long that I forgot what was going on with that character. While Deep Blue and Rogue Wave gave a lot of time to explore and get to know Serafina and Neela's characters, what we saw of Ling, Astrid, and Becca in Dark Tide was too choppy to feel like I was getting a real insight into their characters. It's a very good book if you prefer plot-driven stories over character-driven stories, but unfortunately I'm the latter. This is the reason I wasn't able to give Dark Tide a solid 4 or 5 stars.
Dark Tide has one of the most gripping openings of the series so far, jumping immediately into the action. It's wonderful to see Sera going from the anxious, self-conscious girl she was in Deep Blue to the strong leader she is in Dark Tide. She's not always perfect, which is pretty obvious in most of her interactions with Astrid. It's like she gets so caught up in trying to be a good leader that she tries too hard and ends up becoming a little too domineering. But it's these flaws that make her such a likable character. She's trying hard but she makes mistakes.
There was a lot of pairing up of characters in this book which...is fine, I guess. But considering most of them only knew each other for a couple of days and were mostly fighting for their lives during that time and then suddenly started professing their love for each other it was a bit weird. There's a time and place.
But characters aside, the plot really begins to unfold in Dark Tide. There are a lot of revelations and plot twists, and there's enough action to make up for the moments that felt slightly unnecessary. It was good to finally see Ondalina and meet Kolfinn after reading so much about them in the first two books, especially considering how much speculation there was about Ondalina's loyalties. I'm hoping there'll be a lot more character development in Sea Spell and I can't wait to see how this all ends.
Dark Tide is the longest book in the Waterfire Saga, which I think is both a blessing and a curse. While a lot of action was packed into its 400 pages, there were also moments that felt a lot like filler. The narrative jumps between a lot of different characters and sometimes the gap between each character's point of view was so long that I forgot what was going on with that character. While Deep Blue and Rogue Wave gave a lot of time to explore and get to know Serafina and Neela's characters, what we saw of Ling, Astrid, and Becca in Dark Tide was too choppy to feel like I was getting a real insight into their characters. It's a very good book if you prefer plot-driven stories over character-driven stories, but unfortunately I'm the latter. This is the reason I wasn't able to give Dark Tide a solid 4 or 5 stars.
Dark Tide has one of the most gripping openings of the series so far, jumping immediately into the action. It's wonderful to see Sera going from the anxious, self-conscious girl she was in Deep Blue to the strong leader she is in Dark Tide. She's not always perfect, which is pretty obvious in most of her interactions with Astrid. It's like she gets so caught up in trying to be a good leader that she tries too hard and ends up becoming a little too domineering. But it's these flaws that make her such a likable character. She's trying hard but she makes mistakes.
There was a lot of pairing up of characters in this book which...is fine, I guess. But considering most of them only knew each other for a couple of days and were mostly fighting for their lives during that time and then suddenly started professing their love for each other it was a bit weird. There's a time and place.
But characters aside, the plot really begins to unfold in Dark Tide. There are a lot of revelations and plot twists, and there's enough action to make up for the moments that felt slightly unnecessary. It was good to finally see Ondalina and meet Kolfinn after reading so much about them in the first two books, especially considering how much speculation there was about Ondalina's loyalties. I'm hoping there'll be a lot more character development in Sea Spell and I can't wait to see how this all ends.
August 16, 2020
This book was kind of confusing in the beginning but after awhile I go used to all the changes. But overall this book is wonderful and kept me in different moods constantly. It is weird books influence my moods at the moment. What would we call that? Mood-reading? No clue. Whatever here's the regular.
PARENT NOTE: Lovely story but look at age and think about how much violence you are willing to have in a book your child is reading. There is lots of violence.
AGE RECOMMENDATION: 13 and up!
SWEARING: Some. But mostly words that Ms. Donnelly made up such as "silt".
VIOLENCE: A lot. People dying, coughing up blood. Getting whacked with a crop, and just abuse toward commoners. Blood songs are used.
ROMANCE: Clean!
PARENT NOTE: Lovely story but look at age and think about how much violence you are willing to have in a book your child is reading. There is lots of violence.
AGE RECOMMENDATION: 13 and up!
SWEARING: Some. But mostly words that Ms. Donnelly made up such as "silt".
VIOLENCE: A lot. People dying, coughing up blood. Getting whacked with a crop, and just abuse toward commoners. Blood songs are used.
ROMANCE: Clean!
May 8, 2018
This was an okay book and I didn't love it but I am determined with my willpower to read the last book in the series.
August 26, 2018
Het blijven zeer leuke en verrassende boeken, maar ik zat er ditmaal niet zo in... Dus daarom “maar” een drietje.
October 26, 2018
3.5/5 ⭐️
So this one didn’t hold my interest as much as the other two, and I was really getting annoyed by Sera at this point in the series.
So this one didn’t hold my interest as much as the other two, and I was really getting annoyed by Sera at this point in the series.
August 23, 2021
Review to come!
March 4, 2016
Review can also be seen on my blog: http://ageekwithbooks.blogspot.com
FINAL THOUGHTS:
1. Life or death situations, but mostly hot guys.
2. So man dumb romances I actually noticed the lack of gay characters.
3. FINALLY IT'S OVER.
Things I liked:
I actually really like Jennifer Donnelly's writing, so much so that I might actually continue reading her books even if this series doesn't go too well. And the mermaid puns continue...(see things I didn't like)
I like the world. Well...that doesn't actually take much, but the magic and the kingdoms are pretty cool to learn about.
And Lucia's point of view! That was both a terrible edition to the too many POV already and a nice touch. Lucia is basically on the opposite team, fighting against our main six (SIX) characters. I do like some alternate points of view when it comes to the whole good vs. evil thing.
Things I didn't like:
(Warning: depending on what you count as a spoiler, this might contain spoilers. Not to the actual plot, though, just the romances.)
Well that was quick.
During the first two books, the mermaid/ocean puns ("Oh, silt.") were quite enjoyable, but now they've just gotten old and boring. Especially because they're used more than once, so they're just no
longer funny. At all. Stop it. You're just annoying me now.
And while I liked the world, I feel like I still don't get it. There is a glossary in the back, but if I have to use a glossary, you are doing something wrong. Your world-building skills are iffy.
There are so many characters. I can't keep so many characters in my head! There are SIX MAIN CHARACTERS guys. That's just too many, okay? The switched points of view kind of felt like the Heroes of Olympus series (but without telling you whose POV before the start of the chapter), with a couple chapters following one character and then another and another, switching around like there's no tomorrow, and CONFUSING THE HELL OUT OF ME. I think, after three books, that I might be finally remembering who these characters are.
Can I name them?
Sera
Neela
Becca
Astrid
Ava
I checked. I forgot Ling. See? Do you see what I mean? THREE BOOKS IN!!! Maybe it could be done, as I thought the Heroes of Olympus series was okay doing that (meh, really), but it's just not working here.
THE "ROMANCE"
There were quite a few romances introduced in this book, some of them better than others.
Sera and Mahdi have always been a thing since the series began. They're alright. I mean, I don't care if they end up together or not, which is probably not the best thing.
Astrid and Des. They were actually okay! Out of all of these romances, it was the one that made the most amount of sense. I think they're kind of cute.
Becca and Marco. NO. OH HELLS NO. I thought people would have learned about how terrible insta-love is, but no, this book just decided to go all fairy tale with the we-met-two-days-ago-but-omg-i-love-you shit. Of all the things in this book, this particular "romance" ruined it the most.
They literally met, blushed for awhile, and then I love yous were being thrown around. In a matter of days, but it really felt like 30 minutes. It was less than 30 pages! WTF.
Also, because of all these millions of romances, I actually noticed the lack of gay characters. The series is actually doing okay in the other-kinds-of-diversity department, but I NOTICED. It's entirely possible that I've been really noticing things like that in general lately, but it's 2016. These are young adult books. INCLUDE SOME EFFING GAY CHARACTERS.
Speaking of relationships, when did these people become friends? I feel like they had some secret get-to-know-you slumber party. They just became BFFs automatically. Like, sure, alrighty then.
And lastly, this just took me forever to read. Occasionally it was pretty engaging, but overall I put it down a lot. So much that it caused a reading slump, and it took me two months to finish.
On the bright side, that means I took a lot of time to write down my thoughts so I could write this review. I mean, I wasn't a good review, and I'm sure they would have liked to have done without it, but I haven't written a review in so long. I should write more reviews. I might have to read more books in order to write more reviews, though... Dammit.
Recommended?
Only if you like insta-love, puns that get old really quickly, and being endlessly confused throughout an entire series. So, um, probably not, no.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
1. Life or death situations, but mostly hot guys.
2. So man dumb romances I actually noticed the lack of gay characters.
3. FINALLY IT'S OVER.
Things I liked:
I actually really like Jennifer Donnelly's writing, so much so that I might actually continue reading her books even if this series doesn't go too well. And the mermaid puns continue...(see things I didn't like)
I like the world. Well...that doesn't actually take much, but the magic and the kingdoms are pretty cool to learn about.
And Lucia's point of view! That was both a terrible edition to the too many POV already and a nice touch. Lucia is basically on the opposite team, fighting against our main six (SIX) characters. I do like some alternate points of view when it comes to the whole good vs. evil thing.
Things I didn't like:
(Warning: depending on what you count as a spoiler, this might contain spoilers. Not to the actual plot, though, just the romances.)
Well that was quick.
During the first two books, the mermaid/ocean puns ("Oh, silt.") were quite enjoyable, but now they've just gotten old and boring. Especially because they're used more than once, so they're just no
longer funny. At all. Stop it. You're just annoying me now.
And while I liked the world, I feel like I still don't get it. There is a glossary in the back, but if I have to use a glossary, you are doing something wrong. Your world-building skills are iffy.
There are so many characters. I can't keep so many characters in my head! There are SIX MAIN CHARACTERS guys. That's just too many, okay? The switched points of view kind of felt like the Heroes of Olympus series (but without telling you whose POV before the start of the chapter), with a couple chapters following one character and then another and another, switching around like there's no tomorrow, and CONFUSING THE HELL OUT OF ME. I think, after three books, that I might be finally remembering who these characters are.
Can I name them?
Sera
Neela
Becca
Astrid
Ava
I checked. I forgot Ling. See? Do you see what I mean? THREE BOOKS IN!!! Maybe it could be done, as I thought the Heroes of Olympus series was okay doing that (meh, really), but it's just not working here.
THE "ROMANCE"
There were quite a few romances introduced in this book, some of them better than others.
Sera and Mahdi have always been a thing since the series began. They're alright. I mean, I don't care if they end up together or not, which is probably not the best thing.
Astrid and Des. They were actually okay! Out of all of these romances, it was the one that made the most amount of sense. I think they're kind of cute.
Becca and Marco. NO. OH HELLS NO. I thought people would have learned about how terrible insta-love is, but no, this book just decided to go all fairy tale with the we-met-two-days-ago-but-omg-i-love-you shit. Of all the things in this book, this particular "romance" ruined it the most.
They literally met, blushed for awhile, and then I love yous were being thrown around. In a matter of days, but it really felt like 30 minutes. It was less than 30 pages! WTF.
Also, because of all these millions of romances, I actually noticed the lack of gay characters. The series is actually doing okay in the other-kinds-of-diversity department, but I NOTICED. It's entirely possible that I've been really noticing things like that in general lately, but it's 2016. These are young adult books. INCLUDE SOME EFFING GAY CHARACTERS.
Speaking of relationships, when did these people become friends? I feel like they had some secret get-to-know-you slumber party. They just became BFFs automatically. Like, sure, alrighty then.
And lastly, this just took me forever to read. Occasionally it was pretty engaging, but overall I put it down a lot. So much that it caused a reading slump, and it took me two months to finish.
On the bright side, that means I took a lot of time to write down my thoughts so I could write this review. I mean, I wasn't a good review, and I'm sure they would have liked to have done without it, but I haven't written a review in so long. I should write more reviews. I might have to read more books in order to write more reviews, though... Dammit.
Recommended?
Only if you like insta-love, puns that get old really quickly, and being endlessly confused throughout an entire series. So, um, probably not, no.
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