Obedience has always been a matter of survival for sixteen-year-old mermaid princess Pauline. Her mother is the tyrannical Queen Calypso, who rules the kingdom of Atargatis with an iron trident. To utter one word against her would mean banishment — or worse — so Pauline bites her tongue and minds her manners. But on the eve of her sister’s merling-shower, all of that is about to change. Confronted with the truth about what happens to the human men who are betrothed to the mermaids of Atargatis, Pauline realizes she can stay silent no more.
Determined to end the queen’s dark tradition, Pauline goes along on a search for shipwreck survivors, secretly planning to free them. But things get complicated when she finds herself inexplicably drawn to one of the men. Before she realizes what’s happening, she has kissed him — and a kiss from a mermaid is not without consequences. Now Pauline will have to risk everything if she is to save the young man and thwart the queen’s dark plans.
ME Rhines a southwest Florida native currently living in North Port with her two beautiful children and a third, much larger child whom she affectionately calls husband. She writes young adult paranormal romance to feed her belief that fairy tales are real and nonsense is necessary.
She also writes adult romances under her edgier alter-ego, Mary Bernsen
*This book is free on Amazon at the moment and I couldn't resist.
Sink is about a mermaid called Pauline (I'll be honest, her name was a little off-putting. I would have preferred something sea creative). The story is creative and unique. Sink is just the start of the series. Book 3 has just come out. I haven't decided if I will read the next one... we will see, but I'm ready for something else for now.
Pauline is a princess and has just turned 16. The younger mermaids are kept in the dark of how the kingdom is run. Now she is 16 new doors are opening but the truth is unbearable. The kingdom has been only females for a long time. Humans are used to help populate the waters, but their fate is anything but gratitude. As this tale unfolds Pauline sees the monster her mother has become. She wants the best for the people but nobody goes against the queen. In fact, the last mermaid that did was banished. She was the queen's sister.
A shipwreck is approaching and Pauline is told to do her part. The ocean has spoken and she cannot help but sing to her soul mate. Now she has a bigger secret than before. She now has reason to defy her mother. What will happen to her human and can the queen be stopped? This is a full-length story which has a good ending, however, leaves a door open for more.
The author has created a magical world different from the human one. The story is engaging and the twists make an interesting read. I liked this book. The romance could have been more intense and mesmerising but all in all a good story.
This book was magical from page one until the end. I adore mermaid stories and the author's mythology surrounding them was enchanting.
Pauline grows from a frightened girl, cowering before her mother, Queen Calypso, into one kick-butt mermaid. I cheered for her from the beginning. Her human love, Eddie is charming, funny and all you could want in a hero.
The underwater scenes and world-building were superb. Who hasn't fantasized about the gold-paved streets of Atlantis? And there were dolphin rides!
The book left me hungry for more undersea adventures. There were so many intriguing side characters such as Pauline's BFF Jewell, her two sisters, and the sea witch named Myrtle.
I read this entire book in one sitting, something I haven't done with a novel in a long time. It's a clean read YA story that teens and adults alike will enjoy.
I love this book! I was hooked from the beginning and it just got better as the story progressed. If you like/love the little mermaid then you'll love this story! The plot for me was predictable however I did not care because I found the style of writing pulled me in. The characters, I thought, are great. They all have there own personality. The only negative I have about this book is that I found Calypso isn't evil enough. I didn't hate her like you would a villain, I felt more sorry for her. But then again that could be part of her character that she tries to portray to people. If this is what the author is trying to achieve, then she has done it! I would recommend to all ages. There is some mild violence at the beginning of the book. There is no language/sexual content except for kissing.
I am a big fan of underwater fantasy stories, so I was very excited to read Sink. Overall, a good read. The author certainly has a talent for writing, and I was never confused or distracted by grammatical mistakes of any kind. The plot was excellent, and she was pretty descriptive. Some things irked me though. Some phrases used to describe the mermaid’s movements, which made no sense given the fact that she has no legs, but they were forgivable. Also some of the scenery for our main character’s home was a little odd. Like having cabinets and counters and whatnot. Nothing bad, just not what I would expect for an underwater mermaid home I guess. That being said, my only REAL beef was the lack of depth with the characters, specifically the main two. I don’t want to give too much away, but for two people who are supposedly in love, it was just hard to believe. There was no growth, it simply just happened. And if that’s the way she wanted it to be, she could have used better descriptions for it. I honestly would rather give it 3.5 stars, but alas, it is not a 4 star novel.
It was a cute quick read. But did anyone else notice at times she was writing like the mermaids had actual legs, saying stepped and mentioning their knees and at least once mentioned Paulines legs "As my legs wobbled..." before the end where she gets actual legs. Also is Jewel and Jasmine the same mermaid???
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was the first book I have read by M.E. Rhines and I absolutely loved it. I will definitely be reading the two more books that will be coming out from this series, and will also be checking out the other books by her. For me, this book was a short one, but I couldn't have enjoyed it more. I loved how the author was able to weave so many characters and storylines into one book without getting the page count into the 400's or beyond. If it was longer I wouldn't have cared, because that just means more time with the characters for me, but I honestly think it was the perfect length. I loved the romance, the action, and all the darkness that was in this book. Throw a book my way will fantasy/paranormal creatures, romance, and some dark and disturbing plot lines and I will fall in love. You have GOT to read this one!
This book was so fun to read! Lots of family twist and turns, love, and action. I really can't wait to read book two of this series. If you love mermaids, then this is a must read!
Sink takes us to Atargatis, a world of mermaids which is full of mysteries. The queen rules by inducing fear. She has a dark heart and practices dark magic. Going against her, results in severe punishments.
Pauline is the youngest daughter of Queen Calypso. She is very compliant and basically does as she is told. On her sixteenth birthday, she is initiated in the adult world and witnesses the most disturbing occurrence. Her whole life has been a lie. The history fed to them has been manufactured by her mother. She is disheartened when she finds out what happens to the humans once they have served their purpose. She doesn’t want any part in that regime and plans on at least giving them a warning, before they are lured into their cruel world.
She is forced to go on a hunt to capture human males and her plan is to lead them away from danger, but her gift materialises without any warnings. This results in Eddie, a teenage boy following her! Without her kiss, he would drown. There are other consequences! She swears that she will save him, especially now that she knows more about her real history. Even though there is an instant bond between them, she is determined to save him from his impending fate.
She puts her plan in motion and they set out on the journey that might be his salvation. At this point, she is not worried about her mother's wrath. Together Eddie and Pauline face various dangerous situations and what they uncover is the complete opposite of what she has always been led to believe. She is now even more intent on sacrificing her own happiness!
Pauline is pure of heart, courageous, loving and selfless. Eddie is fun, lovable and adapts easily. The supportive characters are well developed. The plot is strong with a good flow. The romance is heartfelt. The build up to the conclusion is full of suspense. The end is a complete and beautiful surprise. This first installment has definitely piqued my interest about what's to come next. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this young adult novel and would recommend to readers to all ages.
I was kindly issued with an eARC from the author and the views expressed are my personal opinion.
I think tweens may enjoy this book. The story was fine if you don't look at it in any depth and the writing style was good.
My issues with the story are: The two-dimensional and chauvinistic love interest. There was absolutely no chemistry between the two characters supposedly in love although it's hard to connect with a guy whose masculinity is so fragile that he thinks he has to do everything for the girl even when he is literally a human with gills who can't swim and she is a much stronger mermaid. The best friend's mane changed throughout the story. At least I'm assuming Jewel and Jasmine are the same person. We were never introduced to a Jasmine. The main character would promise to do something and then get distracted by something else. She said she'd bring food to a mother and child, but after collecting the food, she promptly got distracted by the love interest and food was never delivered. She also promised to do whatever she could to save her sister's merling but then promptly got distracted by the love interest and went and did something else. She also appeared to take some of the credit for the merling after other people rescued the little boy. She made no attempt to find the child despite her promise. The rules of physics don't apply to this story. The merfolk sweat and cry underwater, they also spend a lot of time using their sense of smell. Paper maps miraculously survive underwater. Merfolk pour liquids into cauldrons all while underwater. All the shipwrecks are timber. For a brief moment, one vessel was rusty but then pieces of timber were ripped from it. This story appeared to be set in modern times, so why are all the vessels made from timber? A hundred years ago, sure, but these days timber vessels are extremely rare.
If you can overlook all these issues, you may enjoy the story, but I won't be reading the rest of the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I read the synopsis and was intrigued, and the beautiful cover sealed the deal for me and let me tell you... OMG!! Once you pick this book up, you won't want to put it down until you reach the very last page which is exactly what happened. I started reading it right before bedtime and stayed up reading it until I was done.
First, the author has a creative and magical way of weaving the perfect story line, so I was immediately captured in her net. The world building was amazing, and the characters were simply beautiful and that even includes the very despicable Queen Calypso and Prawn. I must say that I was completely caught off guard when the truth about what happens to the human males was revealed as I did not see it coming. This story contains a little bit of everything from love conquering obstacles to seething hatred. I cannot wait to see how things go for Pauline and Eddie and I HIGHLY recommend this to one and all. Enter this aquatic world and be prepared for a riveting tale.... No pun intended.
{I received an E-ARC and made no guarantee of a favorable review. The opinions expressed here are unbiased and my own.}
Sink takes us to Atargatis, a world of mermaids which is full of mysteries. The queen rules by inducing fear. She has a dark heart and practices dark magic. Going against her, results in severe punishments.
Pauline is the youngest daughter of Queen Calypso. She is very compliant and basically does as she is told. On her sixteenth birthday, she is initiated in the adult world and witnesses the most disturbing occurrence. Her whole life has been a lie. The history fed to them has been manufactured by her mother. She is disheartened when she finds out what happens to the humans once they have served their purpose. She doesn’t want any part in that regime and plans on at least giving them a warning, before they are lured into their cruel world.
She is forced to go on a hunt to capture human males and her plan is to lead them away from danger, but her gift materialises without any warnings. This results in Eddie, a teenage boy following her! Without her kiss, he would drown. There are other consequences! She swears that she will save him, especially now that she knows more about her real history. Even though there is an instant bond between them, she is determined to save him from his impending fate.
She puts her plan in motion and they set out on the journey that might be his salvation. At this point, she is not worried about her mother's wrath. Together Eddie and Pauline face various dangerous situations and what they uncover is the complete opposite of what she has always been led to believe. She is now even more intent on sacrificing her own happiness!
Pauline is pure of heart, courageous, loving and selfless. Eddie is fun, lovable and adapts easily. The supportive characters are well developed. The plot is strong with a good flow. The romance is heartfelt. The build up to the conclusion is full of suspense. The end is a complete and beautiful surprise. This first installment has definitely piqued my interest about what's to come next. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this young adult novel and would recommend to readers to all ages.
I was kindly issued with an eARC from the author and the views expressed are my personal opinion.
It's a unique telling of The Little Mermaid. It has a few inconsistencies or small details that show that the author needed a better editor or at least one more once-over. But the twist on the story and the rest of the writing were strong enough for me to overlook them.
[I don't really give any particular spoilers here, but I do talk about a few things that happen, including the end. So if you like being completely surprised, stop here. Of course, if you're that kind of person, you probably shouldn't be reading reviews. ;) ]
Things such as losing their breath from kissing so long when they have gills. And when gills are such an important detail of the story, I would think that if they have gills, they should be able to kiss indefinitely.
Other issues such as tears from their eyes... Tears in liquid/ocean? A cauldron containing liquid in the ocean? I've never understood how that works. But I chalk it up to magic. Feeling someone's breath... can that happen under water? And can you really fall hard in the ocean? Wouldn't you just sink slowly? I mean, yes, something very heavy could, but a mermaid?
Little things like that would crop up regularly and make me roll my eyes and want to correct it. But I still enjoyed the story and kept reading to the end. The story was changed enough to compell me to finish it.
Although, to be honest, I do think the end fight was wrapped up a little too neatly and quickly. It was not as "big" as I think it could/should have been.
But if you're a stickler for a perfectly edited story, then this one might irritate you. But if you can forgive/ignore small inconsistencies or questionable mechanics (I mean, trying to write an underwater world can't be easy!) then this is a fun retelling of a fun classic.
I would consider it a fun casual read, not something to take on seriously. But something to just be enjoyed for the twist on the story itself.
I enjoyed it and I think anyone who likes mermaids will too.
Sink is a mermaid fantasy with a somewhat romantic subplot. I wouldn't call this a romance, because the relationship itself between the love interest (Eddie) and Pauline (the protagonist) was underdeveloped and largely unexplored. The two characters didn't get to spend any time together outside of chasing the main plot, meaning their chemistry was never established. Eddie—a fisherman who evidently cannot swim—was not particularly likeable character, either, expressing some chauvinistic traits, which didn't help me feel any better for Pauline's apparently intense attraction to him.
The main plot line sees Pauline seeking out a way to dethrone her evil mother, Queen Calypso. The story began with a distressing scene, establishing Pauline's motivation for change. When Eddie is thrown into the mix, things only become more tense and difficult. Unfortunately, as soon as the couple embark on their journey out of the kingdom, the story begins to deflate. Any tension developed is soon lost when obstacles are overcome with enormous ease. This trend continued into the climax, where I found myself thinking "That's all they had to do this whole time?"
Rhines's style was her saving grace. Her words flow smoothly, her style is engaging, and she has a talent for balancing introspection with vivid, grounding scenes. Her writing was easy to read, though lacked some attention to detail in areas (for example, the mermaid's legs or knees were referred to a few times, and some of the underwater physics didn't make much sense).
This book may appeal to readers who just want an innocent, easy fantasy read with simple world building and a taste of surface-level romance.
Oh my goodness SINK was so good! I didn't want to put it down, I was drawn in right from the start. This was one of those books that kept me up late at night reading.
Pauline is a teenage mermaid who pretty much does what she is told. Her mother is Calypso, the Queen of Atargatis and basically everyone is frightened of her. She is so ruthless in her evil doings within the kingdom. But that all changes when she learns what happens to the human men once they are done with them. Now that Pauline is sixteen she is allowed to go on a hunt for a sunken shipwreck. What she doesn't except is to be drawn to a human teenage boy, Eddie. That is when everything changes. She must do whatever she can to keep him safe and not let anyone find out he is now in Atargatis. Pauline also wants to take down her mother and end her rule of terror.
I really liked the story line and the characters. The author did a great job with the story building and I just loved the whole underwater world. We also get introduced to another part of the ocean, Atlantis. It was so cool and unique I would love for that to be real and be able to visit. How cool would that be! I loved Pauline, Eddie and the sea witch Myrtle. Eddie was such a fun, romantic interest and Pauline is just a kick but chick. I loved the ending, it was not what I was expecting at all. Overall great book that I recommend reading!
I liked this book more than I thought I would. It was cute, clean, and short. I liked Eddie and Pauline's relationship, but I wish there was a bit more development. It was pretty much insta-love, but it was still cute how they interacted with each other. The magic and fantasy part about it was fun and I loved the atmosphere. There wasn't too much world building, but a lot of it was left to the imagination, which I liked. The Queen was so evil! I wanted to rip her hair out every time I saw her! Her character was developed nicely. Good, fun, read!
I really enjoyed this book and am eager to continue the series! It was really nice to read a book about a young "girl" that actually felt believably young. The dynamics between her and her mother, her sisters, and the world around her were captivating and pulled on my heart strings every step of the literary journey. I loved the twists and turns, and that when all the secrets were revealed the plot still made sense from start to finish. YAY MERMAIDS! Thank you M.E. Rhines for writing great quality YA! Please don't ever stop.
Good for a light, escapist read - I finished it in a couple of hours at a languid pace.
The plot was alright and engaging enough, but the character development is lacking: authors jumps too quickly from one scene to the next without much expansion.
The story allowed me to exercise my imagination and this is one of the few plus points of the book. On the other hand, the language was average and far from splendid.
Family leaves a lot to be desired in this complex tale of an underwater realm atrophied in its former glory. With Mermen suspiciously out of the picture, the headstrong Princess Pauline bucks tradition and saves a drowning victim- not merely as a sperm donor, but simply as a good deed (although gills and true love DO ensue). Atlantis, the Switzerland of the Sea, is found; the evil Queen pays for her sins; and Merfolk Society is restored... I look forward to the next installment, wherein the new couple adjust to life both above AND below Sea level!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was a really fun ya fantasy story about a mermaid finding her place in her kingdom and falling in love with a human. Two things that stood out to me were how well paced the storytelling was, with one piece of action occurring after another. Too many times stories get stuck world-building, and this story flowed really nicely, with the world-building interwoven in the descriptions of feeling and uses of phrases in dialogue, etc. Nicely done!
I really enjoy under water stories, specifically mermaid tales. Sink is a cute and adventurous story that's centered around family and true love. It was a little cheesy in some scenes but overall enjoyable and a story that I would recommend, especially for young readers. However, I do look forward to reading the stories of Pauline's sisters.
PS. As a huge Disney fan, I loved the nod to The Little Mermaid!
An interesting read about Mermaids and their world under the sea. Pauline is a young mermaid princess. The youngest. Her Mother, the queen is a tyrant. But as young and naive as Pauline is, she finds the strength to go against her mother and all that she knows. Book 2 and 3 are a continuance of book 1, so I would not recommend going out of sequence. Further, the latter books are about her other sisters. I am not much interested in either. I wanted more about Pauline.
What a fun read! Snappy dialogue, cute and clever humor, lively characters, and a perfect pace. I appreciated the author skipping the potentially boring parts where traveling and interim-type stuff were happening. She cut straight to the next scene where the action was taking place. Entertaining and enchanting. I smiled a lot while reading this. I like how Atlantis was woven into this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this underwater adventure! the author immediately captivated my attention with the action and the merfolk's way of life. This was a fun read partly due to the fact that it was fast paced while still including valuable information. Fantasy is almost always an enthralling genre and this book provided that to satisfaction. I am looking forward to finishing this trilogy! :)
Maybe a fun read for tweens to young adult, but it was just an ok book for this grandma. I usually enjoy reading young adult books but the writing on this one wasn't great. I didn't fully engage with any of the characters and only finished the book because I always try to finish any book I start. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't bother. But most tweens would probably love it.
This is an awesome book was good from the start, I felt pulled right into the under sea world, could not put it down, had me on the edge of my seat, the tale ,the drama, it all played out beautifully cannot wait to read book two ,this is another good book for book lovers, to get the book you will be happy you did i know I am.