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Tempest #1
Tempest Rising
On land...
Tempest Maguire loves her California coastline home. Surfing the killer waves. Taking care of her brothers and dad. Loving her longtime boyfriend, Mark. But the weight of her secret is pulling her under, toward the ocean's ever-growing call.
Among the waves...
Tempest's secret? She is half mermaid, a legacy left by her absent mother, who returned to the ocean many years ago. And now Tempest has her own choice to make. Complicating matters is Kona, an enigmatic newcomer whose otherworldly abilities hint at a shared passion and common secrets.
Beyond the sea...
But there is more at stake besides Tempest's heart and her identity - her life may be in danger too. Because the waters hide a mysterious and dark secret world of their own, one full of sweeping romance and thrilling adventure - but one where nobody, least of all Tempest, is safe.
Tempest Maguire loves her California coastline home. Surfing the killer waves. Taking care of her brothers and dad. Loving her longtime boyfriend, Mark. But the weight of her secret is pulling her under, toward the ocean's ever-growing call.
Among the waves...
Tempest's secret? She is half mermaid, a legacy left by her absent mother, who returned to the ocean many years ago. And now Tempest has her own choice to make. Complicating matters is Kona, an enigmatic newcomer whose otherworldly abilities hint at a shared passion and common secrets.
Beyond the sea...
But there is more at stake besides Tempest's heart and her identity - her life may be in danger too. Because the waters hide a mysterious and dark secret world of their own, one full of sweeping romance and thrilling adventure - but one where nobody, least of all Tempest, is safe.
341 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2011
103 people are currently reading
16866 people want to read
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October 6, 2011
**** Review contains some spoilers ****
"Why can't you just tell me?" It was my turn to reach out for him, to grab his hand. "Because you're not ready for the answers yet."
Does it sound familiar? It doesn't? Then this is certainly the right pararnormal teen romance for you. For me it is like a multi-echo-déjà-vu and therefore impossible to bear. I think it is probably not the author's fault or the book's. Perhaps I have just consumed too many stories of its "kind" in too quick succession and now this sort of brain-candy is not tasting juicy and exotic anymore, but sticky-sweet and artificial on the verge of causing nausea. The undeniable fact is: I am 65% in and I just cannot take it anmore. Some of you may rightfully tsk now and say "Could have told you so." My excuse for preordering the book with rather high expectations is that I have been adoring and unsuccessfully craving mermaid-themed stories since reading Evelyn Kolnberger's Der Sommer als Nixe kam for the first time as a kid - or even earlier, since delving into Ottfried Preussler's Der kleine Wassermann, and nowadays Urban Fantasy books featuring mermaids and other merfolk heroines flood the market and beckon my burried mermaid-obsessed inner child with supposedly unique settings, unforseen twists and unparalleled emotions. Plus, I have to stress that - although it might seem to be so, I am not yet fed up by the complete paranormal romance genre. Even now I occasionally encounter a story that boldly leaves the path of the mandatory plot-formula (yes, it is possible), or - though following it - plants a character set in front of us that is too life-like and too likable to be off the rack und thus saves the day. Alas, balancing matters of the mentioned sort or others are sadly missing in "Tempest Rising". What is mentionable are the accute descriptions of the weather - thunder storms, churning oceanic water and so on. The rest is "business as usual" clad in a sparkling - oh, pardon me, I meant fluorescent - skin of not-so-new mermaid lore:
- There is a girl - with hidden powers and open affinities. Her mom, a mermaid, left her family for the ocean, puzzling her daughter with a cryptic good-bye letter that promised changes and explanations in abundance to come.
- There is a boyfriend of the harmlessly cute and jealous variety. The reader is expected to like him but to let him drop with a sad, but short, sigh when the worthier - aka superhuman - angle of the paranormal love-triangle makes his glow-in-the-dark-tattooed-and-silver-eyed entrance and captivates heart and soul of the heroine with the forming of in instant connection/attraction/recognition/lust/tugging/whatever:
“I couldn’t help the way I responded to Kona, though – every inch of my body (and most of my concentration) was tuned toward him like he was a lightning rod. There didn’t seem to be anything I could do about it.“
- Said supernatural love-interest is not immortal, but very old with an even longer life expectancy and thus very mature - opposed to the heroine - and very experienced in the pleasure-giving department. Certainly the heroine is not really mortal, too.
- Said experienced, fluorescent instant-lover turns out to be filthily rich and - this comes as a shock (or not) - heir to a throne (how could he not, good looking as he is). By the way, there was one thing that bugged me: The heroine had to swim through a very, very tight dark tunnel to reach his not-on-human-maps castle and is told that it was the only way to get there, but then his room is full of old books, DVD and state-of-the-art entertainment-systems and everybody is clad in hip designer clothes.
- The heroine herself is the long awaited daughter of a very influential person, and - because of an ancient prophecy that mentions her very name - the only hope to restore the peace to the merfolk-world. Her probable royal future inlaws therefore fall around her pearly, tattooed neck and declare she was worth the wait. Oh, yeah.
- There is an evil, evil opponent with evil, evil minions who will be quieted or fought or converted by the heroine somehow. I don't care, but I can imagine perfectly well.
- And finally there is the not to be missed page-consuming dance of secrecy around the difficult and dangerous and uncomprehensive questions of what-kind-of-creature-the-supernatural-guy-is and of what-the-hell-is-the-problem-down-here. Both questions are answered - after a lot of screaming and trust-me-pleading and it's-too-early-too-tell-repetitions - right according the lines every half-experienced reader had already guessed chapters before.
This will not be the last mermaid story I have tried to enjoy. And I believe it might be perfect for a lot of those paranormal romance fans, who do not expect diversity, but long for slightly different versions of what they already know and like.
One of my straying thoughts, which amused me a bit, was: "Poor Stephenie Meyer. You said you wanted to hop on the mermaid-band-waggon. But your fluorescent mer-prince-story has already been told. Now what? Talking budgies or a Persephone retelling? It doesn't matter. But you have to be quick. Trends shift as quickly as the incoming tides these days."
"Why can't you just tell me?" It was my turn to reach out for him, to grab his hand. "Because you're not ready for the answers yet."
Does it sound familiar? It doesn't? Then this is certainly the right pararnormal teen romance for you. For me it is like a multi-echo-déjà-vu and therefore impossible to bear. I think it is probably not the author's fault or the book's. Perhaps I have just consumed too many stories of its "kind" in too quick succession and now this sort of brain-candy is not tasting juicy and exotic anymore, but sticky-sweet and artificial on the verge of causing nausea. The undeniable fact is: I am 65% in and I just cannot take it anmore. Some of you may rightfully tsk now and say "Could have told you so." My excuse for preordering the book with rather high expectations is that I have been adoring and unsuccessfully craving mermaid-themed stories since reading Evelyn Kolnberger's Der Sommer als Nixe kam for the first time as a kid - or even earlier, since delving into Ottfried Preussler's Der kleine Wassermann, and nowadays Urban Fantasy books featuring mermaids and other merfolk heroines flood the market and beckon my burried mermaid-obsessed inner child with supposedly unique settings, unforseen twists and unparalleled emotions. Plus, I have to stress that - although it might seem to be so, I am not yet fed up by the complete paranormal romance genre. Even now I occasionally encounter a story that boldly leaves the path of the mandatory plot-formula (yes, it is possible), or - though following it - plants a character set in front of us that is too life-like and too likable to be off the rack und thus saves the day. Alas, balancing matters of the mentioned sort or others are sadly missing in "Tempest Rising". What is mentionable are the accute descriptions of the weather - thunder storms, churning oceanic water and so on. The rest is "business as usual" clad in a sparkling - oh, pardon me, I meant fluorescent - skin of not-so-new mermaid lore:
- There is a girl - with hidden powers and open affinities. Her mom, a mermaid, left her family for the ocean, puzzling her daughter with a cryptic good-bye letter that promised changes and explanations in abundance to come.
- There is a boyfriend of the harmlessly cute and jealous variety. The reader is expected to like him but to let him drop with a sad, but short, sigh when the worthier - aka superhuman - angle of the paranormal love-triangle makes his glow-in-the-dark-tattooed-and-silver-eyed entrance and captivates heart and soul of the heroine with the forming of in instant connection/attraction/recognition/lust/tugging/whatever:
“I couldn’t help the way I responded to Kona, though – every inch of my body (and most of my concentration) was tuned toward him like he was a lightning rod. There didn’t seem to be anything I could do about it.“
- Said supernatural love-interest is not immortal, but very old with an even longer life expectancy and thus very mature - opposed to the heroine - and very experienced in the pleasure-giving department. Certainly the heroine is not really mortal, too.
- Said experienced, fluorescent instant-lover turns out to be filthily rich and - this comes as a shock (or not) - heir to a throne (how could he not, good looking as he is). By the way, there was one thing that bugged me: The heroine had to swim through a very, very tight dark tunnel to reach his not-on-human-maps castle and is told that it was the only way to get there, but then his room is full of old books, DVD and state-of-the-art entertainment-systems and everybody is clad in hip designer clothes.
- The heroine herself is the long awaited daughter of a very influential person, and - because of an ancient prophecy that mentions her very name - the only hope to restore the peace to the merfolk-world. Her probable royal future inlaws therefore fall around her pearly, tattooed neck and declare she was worth the wait. Oh, yeah.
- There is an evil, evil opponent with evil, evil minions who will be quieted or fought or converted by the heroine somehow. I don't care, but I can imagine perfectly well.
- And finally there is the not to be missed page-consuming dance of secrecy around the difficult and dangerous and uncomprehensive questions of what-kind-of-creature-the-supernatural-guy-is and of what-the-hell-is-the-problem-down-here. Both questions are answered - after a lot of screaming and trust-me-pleading and it's-too-early-too-tell-repetitions - right according the lines every half-experienced reader had already guessed chapters before.
This will not be the last mermaid story I have tried to enjoy. And I believe it might be perfect for a lot of those paranormal romance fans, who do not expect diversity, but long for slightly different versions of what they already know and like.
One of my straying thoughts, which amused me a bit, was: "Poor Stephenie Meyer. You said you wanted to hop on the mermaid-band-waggon. But your fluorescent mer-prince-story has already been told. Now what? Talking budgies or a Persephone retelling? It doesn't matter. But you have to be quick. Trends shift as quickly as the incoming tides these days."
May 15, 2011
Tempest Rising is the story of a teenage girl who discovers she is destined to become a great and powerful mermaid. Being obsessed with all things Mer-related for all my life, I'm picky when it comes to books about the merfolk. But I can now strongly attest that Tempest Rising is my favorite mermaid book of all time!
I really loved the main character of Tempest. She felt very human, despite being half mermaid. She knows from the book's opening that she is a mermaid and destined to become one. However, Tempest doesn't want to be a mermaid. She's got her younger brothers to look after, aspirations to become an artist, and, well, she's also got surfing, a boyfriend, and good friends she doesn't want to leave behind. All this made Tempest complex and meaningful, not just another cardboard cut-out of a character. Her dreams and aspirations were known, and the reader can't help but feel sorry for her.
Something else I loved about the novel was Tempest's refusal to become like her mother. She doesn't want to make the same choices her parent did, and for most of the book Tempest resents her mother for those choices. Watching Tempest grow and develop made the reader develop along with her.
Another thing about this book that was a refreshing change: in a world where paranormal romances
usually feature half-naked heroines slaying evil creatures without blinking an eye, Tempest actually feels guilt when she has to kill someone in self-defense. And she doesn't just get over that guilt; it still plagues her even after the book comes to a close.
As for the writing, Deebs has a lyrical, almost poetic, style. Some passages were lyrical, like they were part of a song, which is only fitting, being that the novel is about mermaids, the "sirens" of song.
I also loved the villain - or should I say villains - in the novel. Tempest has one bad Big Bad to fight off, and from the evil sea witch to her sea monster minions, there was just so much Tempest has yet to conquer, and I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of those beasties.
Mermaids, selkies, sea witches, and various other fantastical sea life swim through the pages of the book, creating a rich mythology that I couldn't get enough of. In fact, most of the mythology is rooted in actual folklore, such as Tiamat and the Lusca, and so I actually looked up myths and legends surrounding these creatures and was surprised at some of the stuff I found. Thumbs up to Ms. Deebs for her myth-weaving!
All in all, I loved this book, as you can probably tell, and as much as I knew I needed to at times, I couldn't stop reading it no matter what. Deebs's writing was flawless, Tempest was refreshingly human, and the mermaid mythology was intriguing and mesmerizing. I've heard this is supposed to be a trilogy, presuming sales are good, and I really hope so! There is so much left to be explored, and I hope to immerse myself in the depths of Tempest's mermaid world again someday soon!
I really loved the main character of Tempest. She felt very human, despite being half mermaid. She knows from the book's opening that she is a mermaid and destined to become one. However, Tempest doesn't want to be a mermaid. She's got her younger brothers to look after, aspirations to become an artist, and, well, she's also got surfing, a boyfriend, and good friends she doesn't want to leave behind. All this made Tempest complex and meaningful, not just another cardboard cut-out of a character. Her dreams and aspirations were known, and the reader can't help but feel sorry for her.
Something else I loved about the novel was Tempest's refusal to become like her mother. She doesn't want to make the same choices her parent did, and for most of the book Tempest resents her mother for those choices. Watching Tempest grow and develop made the reader develop along with her.
Another thing about this book that was a refreshing change: in a world where paranormal romances
usually feature half-naked heroines slaying evil creatures without blinking an eye, Tempest actually feels guilt when she has to kill someone in self-defense. And she doesn't just get over that guilt; it still plagues her even after the book comes to a close.
As for the writing, Deebs has a lyrical, almost poetic, style. Some passages were lyrical, like they were part of a song, which is only fitting, being that the novel is about mermaids, the "sirens" of song.
I also loved the villain - or should I say villains - in the novel. Tempest has one bad Big Bad to fight off, and from the evil sea witch to her sea monster minions, there was just so much Tempest has yet to conquer, and I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of those beasties.
Mermaids, selkies, sea witches, and various other fantastical sea life swim through the pages of the book, creating a rich mythology that I couldn't get enough of. In fact, most of the mythology is rooted in actual folklore, such as Tiamat and the Lusca, and so I actually looked up myths and legends surrounding these creatures and was surprised at some of the stuff I found. Thumbs up to Ms. Deebs for her myth-weaving!
All in all, I loved this book, as you can probably tell, and as much as I knew I needed to at times, I couldn't stop reading it no matter what. Deebs's writing was flawless, Tempest was refreshingly human, and the mermaid mythology was intriguing and mesmerizing. I've heard this is supposed to be a trilogy, presuming sales are good, and I really hope so! There is so much left to be explored, and I hope to immerse myself in the depths of Tempest's mermaid world again someday soon!
December 18, 2012
Dearest Tempest,
I think you're... sigh, how do I begin?
Let's say you're quite a contradiction, considering how you say you are not going to symphatize with yourself yet end up wallowing in self-pity just about all the time.
Please, don't forget you've got a boyfriend. Regardless of how on-off he is, rules of a lady- you do not go around making out with other boys, no matter how hot they are and no matter how you attracted you are to them. Repeat, YOU-DO-NOT.
Oh, and I don't get how you say you care about your family and friends, but the second you go under the pool you hardly think about them. The only time you seem to consider attempting swimming out of the ocean to answer to your friends is when Kana or Kio or whatever refuses to answer your questions.
Ugh, Tempest!
-
I don't understand the point of Tempest and Mark's relationship at all. And it's so disappointing to me that Tempest's mother died so quickly, considering how the Tempest is consistently talking about her.
How'd this book get a 4.02 rating?
I think you're... sigh, how do I begin?
Let's say you're quite a contradiction, considering how you say you are not going to symphatize with yourself yet end up wallowing in self-pity just about all the time.
Please, don't forget you've got a boyfriend. Regardless of how on-off he is, rules of a lady- you do not go around making out with other boys, no matter how hot they are and no matter how you attracted you are to them. Repeat, YOU-DO-NOT.
Oh, and I don't get how you say you care about your family and friends, but the second you go under the pool you hardly think about them. The only time you seem to consider attempting swimming out of the ocean to answer to your friends is when Kana or Kio or whatever refuses to answer your questions.
Ugh, Tempest!
-
I don't understand the point of Tempest and Mark's relationship at all. And it's so disappointing to me that Tempest's mother died so quickly, considering how the Tempest is consistently talking about her.
How'd this book get a 4.02 rating?
August 8, 2011
I have always loved loved loved the idea of mermaids, but yet to find a book that I could just sink into. I'm so happy to say that I finally found it in this book. It may not be an absolute favorite, but I have to admit, this book came pretty dame close.
Tempest Rising is a very compelling story about a girl named Tempest who fears the loom of her seventeenth birthday. Her mom left her for the ocean when she was just ten years old, but left a note saying that Tempest had a choice. But does she really?
For the most part, I really just loved this book. It's intriguing with solid characters to get lost in the drama of it all, the writing really pulls the reader in and the pace is adventurous and mysterious, keeping me guessing all the way through.
Tempest is a very...erratic and conflicting character. Her pain, confusion and inner-turmoil is on one hand completely justified and realistic (or as realistic can be in paranorm) but on the other hand, she's very hard to keep up with. It seems like she wants everything and nothing at the exact same time and then dwells on the fact that she can't have this...but she wants that. Then blames her absent mother for everything she has to deal with. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy her character and liked that she can be very strong-minded when she wants to be, but the pull and push of her thought process got me a bit dizzy and more then frustrated. But that's the only real thing that bothered me about this book.
As for the love interest(s), it was pretty tough to pick a side. I like Mark, a lot, but I think it was because he was already hers, loving Tempest, supporting her and I liked that he didn't take her crap and saw through her bullshit, plus I like a guy that would fight for you. But then there's Kona, with his long dark hair and killer words to melt a sappy gushing heart like mine in a pile of goo and like Tempest I'm all -- Mark who? Both guys are amazing and while I wouldn't normally like what Tempest did...I was hooked on every moment none the less. The chemistry was sizzling and intense for both of the guys in her life, but in the end I'm happy with who she picked.
As for the plot of this story, I loved it. It's part self-discovery (whether she liked it or not) parts adventure, magic and love set to the rumble of the ocean. Kona's world is simply gorgeous, I felt transported under the sea. Tracy Deebs writes with haunting passion, really pulling the reader in the thick of things.
All in all, this is the best mermaid book I've read so far and I only hope that it's not the end of this world. I like the way it ended, but still think there is a lot that can still be explored. So I'm crossing my fingers for more.
Dark, deep and emotionally breathtaking, this is one mermaid book that I'm definitively gonna have to add to my shelf.
Well done!
Tempest Rising is a very compelling story about a girl named Tempest who fears the loom of her seventeenth birthday. Her mom left her for the ocean when she was just ten years old, but left a note saying that Tempest had a choice. But does she really?
For the most part, I really just loved this book. It's intriguing with solid characters to get lost in the drama of it all, the writing really pulls the reader in and the pace is adventurous and mysterious, keeping me guessing all the way through.
Tempest is a very...erratic and conflicting character. Her pain, confusion and inner-turmoil is on one hand completely justified and realistic (or as realistic can be in paranorm) but on the other hand, she's very hard to keep up with. It seems like she wants everything and nothing at the exact same time and then dwells on the fact that she can't have this...but she wants that. Then blames her absent mother for everything she has to deal with. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy her character and liked that she can be very strong-minded when she wants to be, but the pull and push of her thought process got me a bit dizzy and more then frustrated. But that's the only real thing that bothered me about this book.
As for the love interest(s), it was pretty tough to pick a side. I like Mark, a lot, but I think it was because he was already hers, loving Tempest, supporting her and I liked that he didn't take her crap and saw through her bullshit, plus I like a guy that would fight for you. But then there's Kona, with his long dark hair and killer words to melt a sappy gushing heart like mine in a pile of goo and like Tempest I'm all -- Mark who? Both guys are amazing and while I wouldn't normally like what Tempest did...I was hooked on every moment none the less. The chemistry was sizzling and intense for both of the guys in her life, but in the end I'm happy with who she picked.
As for the plot of this story, I loved it. It's part self-discovery (whether she liked it or not) parts adventure, magic and love set to the rumble of the ocean. Kona's world is simply gorgeous, I felt transported under the sea. Tracy Deebs writes with haunting passion, really pulling the reader in the thick of things.
All in all, this is the best mermaid book I've read so far and I only hope that it's not the end of this world. I like the way it ended, but still think there is a lot that can still be explored. So I'm crossing my fingers for more.
Dark, deep and emotionally breathtaking, this is one mermaid book that I'm definitively gonna have to add to my shelf.
Well done!
May 20, 2011
I have found the perfect mermaid book for me. Tempest Rising is the most incredible mermaid book I’ve read to date. There are a few upcoming mermaid books that I’m anxiously waiting for, that I’m sure I’ll love, hopefully as much as this book, but so far, Tempest Rising tops every mermaid book I’ve read. It was just amazingly perfect, it had everything I could have asked for in a mermaid book. Mythical water creatures, magic, adventure, excitement, romance, surfing. I was extremely excited to read this book (as I love anything mermaid), but I was in for an unexpected roller coaster ride with this breathless, exciting, swooning inducing adventure, that, I have to admit, made me shed a couple tears in some parts.
I loved all the characters. I loved Tempest’s Dad, and her little brothers, and Mark, her handsome beach blond surfer boyfriend. The relationship between Tempest and her father was beautiful and strong. And Tempest was one strong girl. A half mermaid, abandoned by her mermaid mother years ago, who has to choose whether to be human or mermaid. She wants to be human, being a mermaid does not appeal to her in any shape or form, but when she is soon faced with danger, she is forced to reconsider what she truly wants.
And then there’s Kona, whew, Kona! Let me tell you, he is one hot, hunky, tall dark and handsome, uh, not merman, but he is something, something that you’ll find out when you read the novel, that was really quite interesting. And I just love Kona, he made it into my top list of swoon worthy book crushes. The romance between him and Tempest was so perfect and butterfly inducing. I need more! I feel like I’m drowning in anticipation of what comes next in their story, and the need to watch their romance develop further into something truly stalwart and beautiful and unbreakable.
As of now, I don‘t see any mention of a sequel, but it was planned as a trilogy, I think, (I hope) but I guess getting a sequel out depends on how well Tempest Rising sells. But can I just say that I NEED A SEQUEL!! Very badly, I loved this world Deebs created too much to just have it end this way, I want to see more of Kona and Tempest, and more of mermaids and the fantastic world under the sea . Then there’s the sea witch that they have to defeat, and a mermaid clan her mother lived in, that needs her help. So please please PLEASE write a sequel!
This book was magical, and dark, but oh so beautiful and incredible, with a fantastical plot and stark emotions and real characters that I loved and could understand. It was breathtaking and incredibly engaging, I couldn’t read fast enough, it caught me up in its tempestuous waves, pulling deep down under the ocean where Tempest discovers a whole world she could have never dreamed of. I'm just so completely in love with this book. Thank you Tracy Deebs, for writing an incredible story! :D
I loved all the characters. I loved Tempest’s Dad, and her little brothers, and Mark, her handsome beach blond surfer boyfriend. The relationship between Tempest and her father was beautiful and strong. And Tempest was one strong girl. A half mermaid, abandoned by her mermaid mother years ago, who has to choose whether to be human or mermaid. She wants to be human, being a mermaid does not appeal to her in any shape or form, but when she is soon faced with danger, she is forced to reconsider what she truly wants.
And then there’s Kona, whew, Kona! Let me tell you, he is one hot, hunky, tall dark and handsome, uh, not merman, but he is something, something that you’ll find out when you read the novel, that was really quite interesting. And I just love Kona, he made it into my top list of swoon worthy book crushes. The romance between him and Tempest was so perfect and butterfly inducing. I need more! I feel like I’m drowning in anticipation of what comes next in their story, and the need to watch their romance develop further into something truly stalwart and beautiful and unbreakable.
As of now, I don‘t see any mention of a sequel, but it was planned as a trilogy, I think, (I hope) but I guess getting a sequel out depends on how well Tempest Rising sells. But can I just say that I NEED A SEQUEL!! Very badly, I loved this world Deebs created too much to just have it end this way, I want to see more of Kona and Tempest, and more of mermaids and the fantastic world under the sea . Then there’s the sea witch that they have to defeat, and a mermaid clan her mother lived in, that needs her help. So please please PLEASE write a sequel!
This book was magical, and dark, but oh so beautiful and incredible, with a fantastical plot and stark emotions and real characters that I loved and could understand. It was breathtaking and incredibly engaging, I couldn’t read fast enough, it caught me up in its tempestuous waves, pulling deep down under the ocean where Tempest discovers a whole world she could have never dreamed of. I'm just so completely in love with this book. Thank you Tracy Deebs, for writing an incredible story! :D
December 22, 2013
Initial reaction: Cliched, but not terrible. There were times when I followed the narrative well enough, but it's something of a predictable story. Nonetheless, I think I'm going to follow this series through to the end.
Full review:
Tracy Deebs's "Tempest" series has been on my reading list for a long, long time, probably ever since the first book was released, but I just never had the opportunity to peruse it until now. I definitely have a love for stories set on the water and even mythos surrounding(which include mermaids). So I can only give myself a smack on the forehead for how long I've waited to pick up "Tempest Rising." For what it offered - it was entertaining. Very cliche, but entertaining.
I'll probably be in the minority for saying that I liked Tempest's sharp narrative voice and tone, even if I didn't always align with her perspective on things. Tempest is a young woman who is faced with turning into a mermaid as she approaches her seventeenth year. She's bitter about the change, notably she hates her mermaid lineage because she blames it for pulling her family apart. Her mother's been missing for six years, leaving behind a father who struggles to care for his three kids, including Tempest.
Tempest starts changing into her mermaid roots more with each passing day. The sea provides an irresistible call to her, she starts growing gills and webbed feet. Much of this is territory that I've already seen in other mermaid media in the YA spectrum (like the Disney movie "The Thirteenth Year"), but I'm probably more forgiving of it because while I know where it's going, the narrative kept my attention.
Tempest is a female surfer, so that was another bonus in this story, but lo and behold, she meets a mysterious guy who she feels incredibly drawn to and feel an "electric" charge with him. Never mind that Tempest already has a boyfriend with a relationship on the rocks because of what she can't tell him. I suspected that it would go in a love triangle route after a time. I couldn't help but throw up my hands after a point and say "Oh dear, here we go. I've read this story plenty of times in YA."
I think Deebs actually does a decent job with the relationships (apart from several repetitive turns of phrase, and probably more dramatic than they needed to be - "more power than I'd ever known" and things like that. There was also the love triangle, which I really think stunted this book from being more than it was). It is cliche, but it's definitely not the most painful that I've personally come across in this genre or age group.
In the end, I was actually fine with the way the relationships and revelations were handled. I did feel for Tempest when certain measures revolving around her mother's identity and such were revealed. I also really enjoyed the worldbuilding/establishment and the tensions created with respect to the world. But the love triangle/handling felt all too familiar and not done as well for the character development. It felt like it forced its hand more often than not. And not just Mark's character was shortchanged, so was Kona's. I wanted to like Kona more but he felt like a formula. The "mysterious" aide that comes out of nowhere, tells Tempest her life belongs with the sea, and he came across as too 2-D. Mark wasn't much better either, but I understood that Tempest's relationship with him was on again/off again.
I think the story had enough pull for me to see what happens in future installments, what with liking the narrative voice and world enough to continue. It's enjoyable if you are okay with knowing what to expect, but I'll admit I wasn't always okay with the familiarity, and I think it could've dialed back on the cliches.
Overall score: 3/5 stars
Full review:
Tracy Deebs's "Tempest" series has been on my reading list for a long, long time, probably ever since the first book was released, but I just never had the opportunity to peruse it until now. I definitely have a love for stories set on the water and even mythos surrounding(which include mermaids). So I can only give myself a smack on the forehead for how long I've waited to pick up "Tempest Rising." For what it offered - it was entertaining. Very cliche, but entertaining.
I'll probably be in the minority for saying that I liked Tempest's sharp narrative voice and tone, even if I didn't always align with her perspective on things. Tempest is a young woman who is faced with turning into a mermaid as she approaches her seventeenth year. She's bitter about the change, notably she hates her mermaid lineage because she blames it for pulling her family apart. Her mother's been missing for six years, leaving behind a father who struggles to care for his three kids, including Tempest.
Tempest starts changing into her mermaid roots more with each passing day. The sea provides an irresistible call to her, she starts growing gills and webbed feet. Much of this is territory that I've already seen in other mermaid media in the YA spectrum (like the Disney movie "The Thirteenth Year"), but I'm probably more forgiving of it because while I know where it's going, the narrative kept my attention.
Tempest is a female surfer, so that was another bonus in this story, but lo and behold, she meets a mysterious guy who she feels incredibly drawn to and feel an "electric" charge with him. Never mind that Tempest already has a boyfriend with a relationship on the rocks because of what she can't tell him. I suspected that it would go in a love triangle route after a time. I couldn't help but throw up my hands after a point and say "Oh dear, here we go. I've read this story plenty of times in YA."
I think Deebs actually does a decent job with the relationships (apart from several repetitive turns of phrase, and probably more dramatic than they needed to be - "more power than I'd ever known" and things like that. There was also the love triangle, which I really think stunted this book from being more than it was). It is cliche, but it's definitely not the most painful that I've personally come across in this genre or age group.
In the end, I was actually fine with the way the relationships and revelations were handled. I did feel for Tempest when certain measures revolving around her mother's identity and such were revealed. I also really enjoyed the worldbuilding/establishment and the tensions created with respect to the world. But the love triangle/handling felt all too familiar and not done as well for the character development. It felt like it forced its hand more often than not. And not just Mark's character was shortchanged, so was Kona's. I wanted to like Kona more but he felt like a formula. The "mysterious" aide that comes out of nowhere, tells Tempest her life belongs with the sea, and he came across as too 2-D. Mark wasn't much better either, but I understood that Tempest's relationship with him was on again/off again.
I think the story had enough pull for me to see what happens in future installments, what with liking the narrative voice and world enough to continue. It's enjoyable if you are okay with knowing what to expect, but I'll admit I wasn't always okay with the familiarity, and I think it could've dialed back on the cliches.
Overall score: 3/5 stars
June 3, 2011
Tempest Rising is FINtastic!! Sorry I couldn’t resist! But seriously it was awesome.
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of mermaids. I mean if my blog name didn’t tip you off, well it should have. Not that sirens are technically mermaids, but “the story mermaid” didn’t quite have the same ring to it as “the story siren” but anyway back to the review. I might be a little biased when it comes to this book because I do love mermaids, but it was actually a really spectacular story.
I loved the characters and the setting. The evil sea witch (totally not as “little mermaid” as it sounds) and her minions. The fresh spin on the mythology was really quite refreshing. I really enjoyed reading this one and getting lost in Tempest’s world.... er worlds. If only I knew how to surf I would love to catch a wave with Tempest and her friends.
The only thing that I was a little iffy on was the situation with Tempest’s mom, or rather what happened when they met. It was so abrupt. I guess perhaps I was looking for a little more closure for Tempest, I felt like she deserved that and then she ended up getting cheated out of it.
I think one thing that paranormal fans will like is the steamy love triangle in this one! Both guys have their qualities that make them a good match for Tempest, it was hard to decide who I preferred, but in the end I think she made the right decision.
I would love to read more about Tempest and her adventures and watch her to come figure out her “powers” and of course I’d like to see a little bit more Kai!
Great story, great characters and a beautiful cover!!
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of mermaids. I mean if my blog name didn’t tip you off, well it should have. Not that sirens are technically mermaids, but “the story mermaid” didn’t quite have the same ring to it as “the story siren” but anyway back to the review. I might be a little biased when it comes to this book because I do love mermaids, but it was actually a really spectacular story.
I loved the characters and the setting. The evil sea witch (totally not as “little mermaid” as it sounds) and her minions. The fresh spin on the mythology was really quite refreshing. I really enjoyed reading this one and getting lost in Tempest’s world.... er worlds. If only I knew how to surf I would love to catch a wave with Tempest and her friends.
The only thing that I was a little iffy on was the situation with Tempest’s mom, or rather what happened when they met. It was so abrupt. I guess perhaps I was looking for a little more closure for Tempest, I felt like she deserved that and then she ended up getting cheated out of it.
I think one thing that paranormal fans will like is the steamy love triangle in this one! Both guys have their qualities that make them a good match for Tempest, it was hard to decide who I preferred, but in the end I think she made the right decision.
I would love to read more about Tempest and her adventures and watch her to come figure out her “powers” and of course I’d like to see a little bit more Kai!
Great story, great characters and a beautiful cover!!
October 22, 2015
Tempest Rising is a very deceptive book. What started out like a cookie-cutter pressed mermaid story went in this whole other… well no, it went in the same direction as all of the cookie cutter mermaid stories go, but to be fair, it's old enough for me to think that A) it did it first and many that have come out since have been loose imitations and B) it had just enough of a twist to set it apart from others. Either way- it ended up dark and so did my mood.
From the very beginning, you know and I know and she knows that we know that she's going to become a mermaid and for me, this is a little bit disappointing. Not that I mind the upfront nature because not every PNR has to be a mystery, but because the back story is SO important to the tone of the novel, that it really seems as though the author should have started from the beginning.
But we start a few years after Tempest's mother has abandoned her human husband and three half-breed children, and now Tempest is looking down the barrel of her seventeenth birthday when 'something' (becoming a mermaid instead of just a wannabe mermaid) is imminent. Once again, this would have been cool, but the problem is, aside from knowing that her seventeenth birthday is some sort of mermaid milestone, and despite the fact that her mother left her a letter and her father knows what she was (as do her little brothers, potential future mermen) no one seems to know anything else except that she'll have a choice to make and the humans and mermaids each want her to choose them as badly as she wants to choose both.
This facet of the novel is beyond frustrating- because it's not even cleared up by the end of it. Okay yeah it's a series but Tempest, once she ends up in the underwater world, is literally surrounded by people who are crucial to her life and pretty much know everything- only they don't tell her anything: about why her mother left (exactly) what she's been up to since (vague details are given) or what's expected of her- at all. Nada- nil- squat. 'You're important' they tell her, 'It's complicated' they tell her, which frustrates the heroine and the reader alike. I can take a bit of teasing but this was like having 95% of the pages ripped out of a book, but being expected to make a connection to it all the same.
There's also a love triangle (Yay for me, don't hate) and the guys are great- each totally book boyfriend material. But I don't like the way this plays out either. * Spoiler alert*
There's infidelity all over the shop. Insta-Love, cheating, pissing off and leaving a boyfriend behind for weeks, and then boom- one's passionately in love with her and the other falls out of it in a nano-second. I don't blame the latter gentleman, because I personally cannot stand Tempest, but it's very abruptly done. One minute he's waiting patiently for a kiss, and an hour later, he's doing the break-up throat-clear and it just falls flat. I guess teenage relationships can be like that and worse, but I read to escape the norm, and if a heroine dumps a guy, I want him begging- simple as that, lol. Besides, she's a gorgeous mermaid surfer girl who's gone through a rough time and is ingrained in his life- the fact that he could get over her so easily to chase down a cheerleader seems a little bit strange. But I distress… teens will be teens, and horny boys who aren't getting any play will be horny boys, I guess.
It's a good thing that the one she runs off with is so damn likeable, because there was a bit of a tug of war there too- could have so easily upset a lot of readers, because Mark was great. I think my main issue with it was, well… it cheapens all of the characters. How seriously can we take any of Tempest's feelings for Kona, if she was able to get over her 'crazy love' for Mark in a heartbeat? There weren't even any tears to learn that he'd been sniffing around someone else!
To be really honest, I don't like this book beyond the fact that it scratches my ever-present mermaid itch. It's got everything a YA mermaid needs- cute guys, beautiful heroine with a backbone and a conscience, cool parties, surfing beach summer cray-cray fun, beautiful underwater imagery and ancient lore… all good stuff. It's well written too- the author made especially good use of dialogue tags and creative imagery so it's definitely worth the read- and the covers are to die for pretty, as are the titles.
But for me, the spine of a story is the protagonist, and when it's a mermaid I want to adore her- to have somewhere to put my Ariel girl crush and Tempest just doesn't do it for me. She's too wishy-washy and cranky, hates her mother solo much for abandoning her, and yet doesn't even say good-bye to her own family after she does the same? No. And don't even get me started on how everyone just accepted all of the odd goings-on in her life without giving her the third degree about them. Oh, so you went off for 2 weeks? huh. Want a piece of pizza?'
And as for the 'darker' element to the story, it was probably too dark to be supported by how shallow the rest of it was. As an example, Emm Cole has written a very dark mermaid series,
and though it can get borderline depressing at times, that author has a knack for combining all of the elements to make the story whip like a whirlpool from the bottom up so that the entire structure supports itself with all sorts of beautiful imagery and language packaging it all just perfectly. You can have pretty mermaids and darken the water- but the characters holding it together have to have a certain x-factor in order to pull it off and unfortunately in this particular novel, it's all about the guys.
So, if you're looking for something to scratch that Mermaid/YA itch by all means, you will probably love this. but if you're after something a little deeper or with edges, you might want to look in other directions.
From the very beginning, you know and I know and she knows that we know that she's going to become a mermaid and for me, this is a little bit disappointing. Not that I mind the upfront nature because not every PNR has to be a mystery, but because the back story is SO important to the tone of the novel, that it really seems as though the author should have started from the beginning.
But we start a few years after Tempest's mother has abandoned her human husband and three half-breed children, and now Tempest is looking down the barrel of her seventeenth birthday when 'something' (becoming a mermaid instead of just a wannabe mermaid) is imminent. Once again, this would have been cool, but the problem is, aside from knowing that her seventeenth birthday is some sort of mermaid milestone, and despite the fact that her mother left her a letter and her father knows what she was (as do her little brothers, potential future mermen) no one seems to know anything else except that she'll have a choice to make and the humans and mermaids each want her to choose them as badly as she wants to choose both.
This facet of the novel is beyond frustrating- because it's not even cleared up by the end of it. Okay yeah it's a series but Tempest, once she ends up in the underwater world, is literally surrounded by people who are crucial to her life and pretty much know everything- only they don't tell her anything: about why her mother left (exactly) what she's been up to since (vague details are given) or what's expected of her- at all. Nada- nil- squat. 'You're important' they tell her, 'It's complicated' they tell her, which frustrates the heroine and the reader alike. I can take a bit of teasing but this was like having 95% of the pages ripped out of a book, but being expected to make a connection to it all the same.
There's also a love triangle (Yay for me, don't hate) and the guys are great- each totally book boyfriend material. But I don't like the way this plays out either. * Spoiler alert*
There's infidelity all over the shop. Insta-Love, cheating, pissing off and leaving a boyfriend behind for weeks, and then boom- one's passionately in love with her and the other falls out of it in a nano-second. I don't blame the latter gentleman, because I personally cannot stand Tempest, but it's very abruptly done. One minute he's waiting patiently for a kiss, and an hour later, he's doing the break-up throat-clear and it just falls flat. I guess teenage relationships can be like that and worse, but I read to escape the norm, and if a heroine dumps a guy, I want him begging- simple as that, lol. Besides, she's a gorgeous mermaid surfer girl who's gone through a rough time and is ingrained in his life- the fact that he could get over her so easily to chase down a cheerleader seems a little bit strange. But I distress… teens will be teens, and horny boys who aren't getting any play will be horny boys, I guess.
It's a good thing that the one she runs off with is so damn likeable, because there was a bit of a tug of war there too- could have so easily upset a lot of readers, because Mark was great. I think my main issue with it was, well… it cheapens all of the characters. How seriously can we take any of Tempest's feelings for Kona, if she was able to get over her 'crazy love' for Mark in a heartbeat? There weren't even any tears to learn that he'd been sniffing around someone else!
To be really honest, I don't like this book beyond the fact that it scratches my ever-present mermaid itch. It's got everything a YA mermaid needs- cute guys, beautiful heroine with a backbone and a conscience, cool parties, surfing beach summer cray-cray fun, beautiful underwater imagery and ancient lore… all good stuff. It's well written too- the author made especially good use of dialogue tags and creative imagery so it's definitely worth the read- and the covers are to die for pretty, as are the titles.
But for me, the spine of a story is the protagonist, and when it's a mermaid I want to adore her- to have somewhere to put my Ariel girl crush and Tempest just doesn't do it for me. She's too wishy-washy and cranky, hates her mother solo much for abandoning her, and yet doesn't even say good-bye to her own family after she does the same? No. And don't even get me started on how everyone just accepted all of the odd goings-on in her life without giving her the third degree about them. Oh, so you went off for 2 weeks? huh. Want a piece of pizza?'
And as for the 'darker' element to the story, it was probably too dark to be supported by how shallow the rest of it was. As an example, Emm Cole has written a very dark mermaid series,
and though it can get borderline depressing at times, that author has a knack for combining all of the elements to make the story whip like a whirlpool from the bottom up so that the entire structure supports itself with all sorts of beautiful imagery and language packaging it all just perfectly. You can have pretty mermaids and darken the water- but the characters holding it together have to have a certain x-factor in order to pull it off and unfortunately in this particular novel, it's all about the guys.So, if you're looking for something to scratch that Mermaid/YA itch by all means, you will probably love this. but if you're after something a little deeper or with edges, you might want to look in other directions.
Read
December 29, 2015Finished this one while stuck all day in the Tampa airport. So glad I thought to buy a couple books for the plane trip home. I learned so much about surfing from this book I think I'm ready to try it...nope still too scared of sharks. Love the magenta tattoo, the gills, and the sea witch. Oh, and Kona is pretty nice too. Ready for book two.
May 4, 2014
The first 40 pages of Tempest Rising were everything I had hoped this title could be. Tempest being a surfer is part of her character and it was so wonderful to finally read a book that had surfing in it, doing it right. Her character was so fun and I was enjoying getting to know her. Already I knew she wouldn't be one of my favorites, but I enjoyed her company. The world was starting to flesh out. The mystery of the red haired sea witch was tickling my brain. So when Tempest is on the beach in a crazy storm and she spotted something red in the water my thoughts were, “Heck yes, the bitch be scaring.” Then right after the next paragraph my thoughts were, “No. Please no. Not some hunk to muck up this whole book with a horrid love triangle.” The feared hunk rose from the water, from there this book descended into crap.
Tempest Rising was my first pick for finally reading a YA Urban Fantasy about mermaids. The vast majority of my Goodreads friends had given this a glowing review, even the ones who are normally really picky. My peeps led me astray, so astray. A lesson to why no matter the rating you must venture to see if you actually like it. As mentioned there is a love triangle here. Tempest has this amazing human boyfriend, Mark.. He's a gentleman and when he does get a little possessive—nothing like other YA book—I felt he was totally justified. Because Tempest had insta-hormones for Kona right upon him rolling up out of the ocean. The book didn't do enough to flesh out either love interests, but I definitely liked Mark.
Ah, Tempest. Tempest. It's amazing that at page 40 I thought she was a good companion. Then within maybe 20 to 30 pages later I knew I had no respect for the girl. First off she just confesses to her long time boyfriend, and best friend, that she loves him. Ah, so sweet. Then she goes and makes out with Kona. The hunk she doesn't know. Then she goes and kisses Mark again. Then she's back to kissing Kona and beyond the few mentions of Mark we all know the girl could care less about him. No matter how hot authors need to develop the love triangle enough that it's justified for the girl to be cheating on her man. And that she has the guts to tell him up front and to make a decision before making out with the other guy. Trust me I can go on about how horrible a girlfriend Tempest is. Not to mention that Kona is 900 years old, but is the worst fleshed out teenage-not-really guy I've ever read. If he had been Tempest’s age I could have lived with that. Oh, the way the author tries to make Mark look bad at the end was laughable. Just made him look like the better man. Go Mark, he dodged the bullet.
Tempest's other failing is that she has pretty much known from day one that she is going to turn into a mermaid on her seventeenth birthday. She's horrifically afraid of this. So we're supposed to believe that a smart and intelligent girl is going to cling on to denial even with all of the damning proof. Even though with that denial she still knows and has clearly accepted it. Isn't going to do some kind of research. Or maybe I don't know, move away from the ocean? Do something to try and get the right king of knowledge. Because knowledge is power. You know forewarned is forearmed. Nope instead Tempest is going to obsess about her mom leaving her and talk about how she's not throwing a pity party for herself.
The characters and world are so underdeveloped. What happened after the first 40 pages?! The author actually talks about walking and crab-walking instead of swimming. Which totally took me out of the undersea moments. When Tempest gets to Kona's castle there's no question as to how this castle out in the middle of no where has gotten modern necessities. The underwater world was . . . ugh. The people and society is never explained, expanded on, it's just there. A lot of the plot and information is just there. As if readers shouldn't care about details like that. After all we're only here for the love triangle. A poorly crafted love triangle. If there's more then one book planned, please make an effort. Or better yet, love triangles—most of the time—do not make good books. Very few authors can, and have, pulled them off.
I'm exhausted. Tired of books that have so much potential but simply fall back on all the tropes that the paranormal young adult, and young adult genre as a whole, seems to love to fall back on. Mermaid books are still so rare. There's an opportunity to go outside of the box with the world, society, people, and so much more. By the end of this book I felt insulted as a reader. Readers want more then this cookie cutter crap! OK, I know there are a ton of readers who eat this crap up. I eat this crap up! However, not at the cost of originality and story/character development. This was another valuable lesson that even if the first 40 pages were wonderful, that you should stop when you start loathing the book and the death of a good story.
Sexual Content: Kissing, making out,and some sexual humor.
1/5- I couldn't finish it or wish I hadn't.
Originally reviewed at Book Whispers.
Tempest Rising was my first pick for finally reading a YA Urban Fantasy about mermaids. The vast majority of my Goodreads friends had given this a glowing review, even the ones who are normally really picky. My peeps led me astray, so astray. A lesson to why no matter the rating you must venture to see if you actually like it. As mentioned there is a love triangle here. Tempest has this amazing human boyfriend, Mark.. He's a gentleman and when he does get a little possessive—nothing like other YA book—I felt he was totally justified. Because Tempest had insta-hormones for Kona right upon him rolling up out of the ocean. The book didn't do enough to flesh out either love interests, but I definitely liked Mark.
Ah, Tempest. Tempest. It's amazing that at page 40 I thought she was a good companion. Then within maybe 20 to 30 pages later I knew I had no respect for the girl. First off she just confesses to her long time boyfriend, and best friend, that she loves him. Ah, so sweet. Then she goes and makes out with Kona. The hunk she doesn't know. Then she goes and kisses Mark again. Then she's back to kissing Kona and beyond the few mentions of Mark we all know the girl could care less about him. No matter how hot authors need to develop the love triangle enough that it's justified for the girl to be cheating on her man. And that she has the guts to tell him up front and to make a decision before making out with the other guy. Trust me I can go on about how horrible a girlfriend Tempest is. Not to mention that Kona is 900 years old, but is the worst fleshed out teenage-not-really guy I've ever read. If he had been Tempest’s age I could have lived with that. Oh, the way the author tries to make Mark look bad at the end was laughable. Just made him look like the better man. Go Mark, he dodged the bullet.
Tempest's other failing is that she has pretty much known from day one that she is going to turn into a mermaid on her seventeenth birthday. She's horrifically afraid of this. So we're supposed to believe that a smart and intelligent girl is going to cling on to denial even with all of the damning proof. Even though with that denial she still knows and has clearly accepted it. Isn't going to do some kind of research. Or maybe I don't know, move away from the ocean? Do something to try and get the right king of knowledge. Because knowledge is power. You know forewarned is forearmed. Nope instead Tempest is going to obsess about her mom leaving her and talk about how she's not throwing a pity party for herself.
“Was this what Mark felt like when I put him off without answering his questions? I hoped not, because it totally sucked.” - TempestNow let's get on that. Her mother makes it sound like Tempest can choose to be human or a mermaid. She didn't even bother to give her daughter some advice like, “Hey there's this evil sea witch out there who wants to kill you. I'm going out there to protect you. Ps-Stay away from the ocean at night or the sea witch will try to kill you. Love you, mommy.” This whole, tell-my-children-nothing-so-that-they-can-bumble-around-and-have-their-lives-put-in-danger-do-to-my-lack-of-sharing-knowledge is the worst plot device ever used. Sure some authors are smart enough to have the parents leave some information later on, or to get the kids armed up at some point. (Or the parents simply died and could share this information.) So when Tempest finally realizes she doesn't have a real choice in the matter, it's so tiring. Because even Kona—worst love interest ever—won't give her any thing. For most of the book this is how things go:
“Why can't you just tell me?” It was my turn to reach out for him, to grab his hand.OK, I'll give it to Kona when Tempest finally gets some answers she freaks. But who wouldn't? How is anyone expected to make an informed life altering decision on zero information? Which is an argument that Tempest waits to use until almost the end of the book.
“Because you're not ready for the answers yet.” -Tempest and Kona
The characters and world are so underdeveloped. What happened after the first 40 pages?! The author actually talks about walking and crab-walking instead of swimming. Which totally took me out of the undersea moments. When Tempest gets to Kona's castle there's no question as to how this castle out in the middle of no where has gotten modern necessities. The underwater world was . . . ugh. The people and society is never explained, expanded on, it's just there. A lot of the plot and information is just there. As if readers shouldn't care about details like that. After all we're only here for the love triangle. A poorly crafted love triangle. If there's more then one book planned, please make an effort. Or better yet, love triangles—most of the time—do not make good books. Very few authors can, and have, pulled them off.
I'm exhausted. Tired of books that have so much potential but simply fall back on all the tropes that the paranormal young adult, and young adult genre as a whole, seems to love to fall back on. Mermaid books are still so rare. There's an opportunity to go outside of the box with the world, society, people, and so much more. By the end of this book I felt insulted as a reader. Readers want more then this cookie cutter crap! OK, I know there are a ton of readers who eat this crap up. I eat this crap up! However, not at the cost of originality and story/character development. This was another valuable lesson that even if the first 40 pages were wonderful, that you should stop when you start loathing the book and the death of a good story.
Sexual Content: Kissing, making out,and some sexual humor.
1/5- I couldn't finish it or wish I hadn't.
Originally reviewed at Book Whispers.
March 10, 2011
Actual rating: 3.5 stars.
I actually liked this more than I thought I would. Sure, it includes all the paranormal romance tropes done in the usual ways, it lags in the middle, and it has a few annoying bits (for example, halfway through the book, I swore that if Tempest described her board-short-wearing surfer dad ONE MORE TIME as a surprisingly young-looking guy who dresses like her friends instead of a middle-aged dude, I was going to rip the book apart), but it's competently written and has an appealing protagonist with an actual hard choice to make. Okay, sure, she's a little typical of her genre, too, but she actually saves herself from being killed ON HER OWN, without using special powers, AND she also saves her (ridiculous, cliched) One True Love, Kai. (If you're reading this review and are mad because I just spoiled you about who she's going to end up with, I have this question for you: Have you ever read a paranormal romance before?) In fact, Tempest was just awesome enough that I even forgave her for being named Tempest. I even forgave her for being named Tempest in a book where it turns out she can control storms and is the subject of a prophecy that includes the words "Tempest rising".
That's a big deal, folks.
I actually liked this more than I thought I would. Sure, it includes all the paranormal romance tropes done in the usual ways, it lags in the middle, and it has a few annoying bits (for example, halfway through the book, I swore that if Tempest described her board-short-wearing surfer dad ONE MORE TIME as a surprisingly young-looking guy who dresses like her friends instead of a middle-aged dude, I was going to rip the book apart), but it's competently written and has an appealing protagonist with an actual hard choice to make. Okay, sure, she's a little typical of her genre, too, but she actually saves herself from being killed ON HER OWN, without using special powers, AND she also saves her (ridiculous, cliched) One True Love, Kai. (If you're reading this review and are mad because I just spoiled you about who she's going to end up with, I have this question for you: Have you ever read a paranormal romance before?) In fact, Tempest was just awesome enough that I even forgave her for being named Tempest. I even forgave her for being named Tempest in a book where it turns out she can control storms and is the subject of a prophecy that includes the words "Tempest rising".
That's a big deal, folks.
May 7, 2012
I would rate this two stars but that star says "it was OK" and actually, I'm goin' more like, "this is so stereotypical it's boring". The concept is cool, but seriously, I HATE FEMALE CHARACTERS WITH MOODSWINGS AND TONS OF HOT GUYS VYING FOR HER HAND!!
Don't you?
Scenario: girl, who is inherently mermaid, falls off surfboard. Is about to drown. Goes through this emotional cycle in a matter of 3 minutes: shocked. Calm. Panicked. Afraid. Steamin'-hot-boilin'-mad. Panicked and then devastated in the space of 2 sentences.
Then her boyfriend rescues her and her little platoon of hot surfer guys are all nice. You can guess what happens next: she has screaming/crying/freaking out/driving at high speeds (but not crashing because mermaids are inherently gifted with RX speeds or whatever) episodes, and then meets this super, super, SUPER hot mermaid guy when she's emotionally/illogically running to the ocean.
Even if the rest of the book wasn't a battle over which man to choose, I was too afraid to take the chance. Flip to end: yep, she chooses the mermaid guy (after kissing her boyfriend to tell him she's breaking up with him. Like, what??!). Got the story. That was a fun read, what, 65 pages and I get the drift of things. That's all and more you need to read, folks.
Don't you?
Scenario: girl, who is inherently mermaid, falls off surfboard. Is about to drown. Goes through this emotional cycle in a matter of 3 minutes: shocked. Calm. Panicked. Afraid. Steamin'-hot-boilin'-mad. Panicked and then devastated in the space of 2 sentences.
Then her boyfriend rescues her and her little platoon of hot surfer guys are all nice. You can guess what happens next: she has screaming/crying/freaking out/driving at high speeds (but not crashing because mermaids are inherently gifted with RX speeds or whatever) episodes, and then meets this super, super, SUPER hot mermaid guy when she's emotionally/illogically running to the ocean.
Even if the rest of the book wasn't a battle over which man to choose, I was too afraid to take the chance. Flip to end: yep, she chooses the mermaid guy (after kissing her boyfriend to tell him she's breaking up with him. Like, what??!). Got the story. That was a fun read, what, 65 pages and I get the drift of things. That's all and more you need to read, folks.
September 1, 2024
another tracy wolff read- dont be fooled by her penname here. it's crazy to see her writing before she hit it big with crave. the tone of voice is slightly different- slightly more tolerable, but she literally can only write one book. love triangle + prophecy + cool girl that's not like other girls but is quite dumb + tapestry + no plot until the last 50 pages. ive learned while reading this, also, that i just can't find mermaids cool. i'm sorry
April 30, 2011
Tempest Rising was a really sweet Y.A. read that I blew through.
Tempest Maguire is a bit of a tomboy; she’d rather be surfing with the guys and her on-again, off-again boyfriend Mark, then hanging out at the malls with her girlfriends. As her seventeenth birthday approaches though her body craves more then just riding the waves, it wants to be under them, despite how her mind and heart feels. After her mother walked away six years ago leaving her, her brothers and father behind, she swore that she would never choose her mermaid side. But when the sexy and mysterious Kai is drug under the waves the choice may be taken from her. Will Tempest survive the war brewing under the surface of the ocean? And will she choose to remain a mermaid, human or can she find a balance between the two?
Tempest Rising was a fascinating story written from Tempest's point of view. I really enjoyed the unique underwater world that Tracy Deebs has created with different mythical creatures; mermaids, selkies, sea witches. I also liked the how in the plot, Tempest knows her mermaid heritage but despite her prejudices, because of her mother’s abandonment, and being set against becoming a mermaid, you can tell that she was born to the water. I also loved her surfer lifestyle; it was entertaining and makes me want to head out to the beach right now.
The author kept Tempest true to her character throughout the novel, never wavering from her initial feelings, instead having some mature and grow along the way while others remained the same. I was able to dive into the characters without a problem, each one was unique and I found the side characters just as entertaining as the main ones. Tempest is strong, sensitive and loyal with a deep love and commitment to her family. She had a love triangle to deal with and it wasn’t as suspenseful as you usually find in Y.A.'s, but there was a lot of back and forth, should I choose him or him. I thought Kai was sexy and charming and right for Tempest, though I did feel that Mark got the short end of the stick; he really cared for Tempest and thought she was the one.
The setting was imaginative and I could picture the cali surfer life and the world of mermaids and selkies around me while reading.
The descriptions of characters where a bit redundant towards the middle but I flew through this novel within a day, turning the pages as fast as I could to see where Tempest’s destiny would take her.
The ending was nice but it felt like it was missing something, I can’t really say what without revealing a major spoiler but I would of like more closure. The story could end here and that’d be it, but the author left a few points open to continue the story with. Nothing to cause those hated throw-the-book-across-the-room cliffhangers, a lot of the story is wrapped up neatly, but it does leave you interested for more.
Full of action, drama, mystery, and angst, with a beautiful cover Tempest Rising was a great and refreshing read.
Tempest Maguire is a bit of a tomboy; she’d rather be surfing with the guys and her on-again, off-again boyfriend Mark, then hanging out at the malls with her girlfriends. As her seventeenth birthday approaches though her body craves more then just riding the waves, it wants to be under them, despite how her mind and heart feels. After her mother walked away six years ago leaving her, her brothers and father behind, she swore that she would never choose her mermaid side. But when the sexy and mysterious Kai is drug under the waves the choice may be taken from her. Will Tempest survive the war brewing under the surface of the ocean? And will she choose to remain a mermaid, human or can she find a balance between the two?
Tempest Rising was a fascinating story written from Tempest's point of view. I really enjoyed the unique underwater world that Tracy Deebs has created with different mythical creatures; mermaids, selkies, sea witches. I also liked the how in the plot, Tempest knows her mermaid heritage but despite her prejudices, because of her mother’s abandonment, and being set against becoming a mermaid, you can tell that she was born to the water. I also loved her surfer lifestyle; it was entertaining and makes me want to head out to the beach right now.
The author kept Tempest true to her character throughout the novel, never wavering from her initial feelings, instead having some mature and grow along the way while others remained the same. I was able to dive into the characters without a problem, each one was unique and I found the side characters just as entertaining as the main ones. Tempest is strong, sensitive and loyal with a deep love and commitment to her family. She had a love triangle to deal with and it wasn’t as suspenseful as you usually find in Y.A.'s, but there was a lot of back and forth, should I choose him or him. I thought Kai was sexy and charming and right for Tempest, though I did feel that Mark got the short end of the stick; he really cared for Tempest and thought she was the one.
The setting was imaginative and I could picture the cali surfer life and the world of mermaids and selkies around me while reading.
The descriptions of characters where a bit redundant towards the middle but I flew through this novel within a day, turning the pages as fast as I could to see where Tempest’s destiny would take her.
The ending was nice but it felt like it was missing something, I can’t really say what without revealing a major spoiler but I would of like more closure. The story could end here and that’d be it, but the author left a few points open to continue the story with. Nothing to cause those hated throw-the-book-across-the-room cliffhangers, a lot of the story is wrapped up neatly, but it does leave you interested for more.
Full of action, drama, mystery, and angst, with a beautiful cover Tempest Rising was a great and refreshing read.
March 22, 2017
Plot - The plot is straight forward. No secrets. No hiding things. I like it because it easy for me to understand.
Character - All of the character name are base on Hawaiian name. So I had not so much problem to remember it.
World Building - The world building was not liberate in such details. It's more for the evil force in this world. The sea witch was really scary...and I can't wait to found out what happen to her in the next book.
Writing Style - The writing style was simple and easy to understand just like the story flows itself.
Stars - 3.8 ★.
Character - All of the character name are base on Hawaiian name. So I had not so much problem to remember it.
World Building - The world building was not liberate in such details. It's more for the evil force in this world. The sea witch was really scary...and I can't wait to found out what happen to her in the next book.
Writing Style - The writing style was simple and easy to understand just like the story flows itself.
Stars - 3.8 ★.
May 16, 2011
I am in love with this book! It is such a well written, tight, clean book with a fabulous mythology, wonderful world building, and has a cast of characters I completely fell in love with. Tracy Deebs sucked me right into Tempest Rising.
Tempest herself is a fabulous character that I loved getting to know. She's athletic, down to earth, and is stuck between choosing between two worlds, the human one and the one she's drawn to but knows little about, the Sea. One of the things I loved the most about Tempest was how grounded she was. Though she's secure in her human skin, she fights becoming something she fears, a Mermaid. It wasn't hard to understand why, after all it's what made her mother leave her, her father and younger brothers behind six years ago.
Tempest not only has to pick between staying human or becoming a Mermaid, but she has to learn to control her abilities. She has a power within she knows little about. The fantastic love triangle is a breath of fresh air to me. I felt just as torn as Tempest was between two wonderful guys, Mark and Kia. Being from two totally different worlds puts these two guys at odds. Mark is Tempest's on/off again boyfriend from the last two and half years, and someone she's really close to, and Kia is the swoon worthy guy from the sea who helps her in understanding the world she feels drawn to. I really liked the differences and similarities with the two guys. There's an intense connection and a wonderful chemistry that Tempest has with both of them. I absolutely loved the direction the relationships took.
There are so many elements that I loved about this story. It's richly detailed mythology, the strong family dynamics, the friendships, the beautiful under sea world, as well as the stretch of coast Tempest lives on and of course the awesome romance. It's also a story about choices, heart ache, learning to let go, and following your heart. Tempest Rising is an amazing debut and one I highly recommend picking up. I am really looking forward to reading more about Tempest, Kia, Mark and the rest of the Tempest Rising characters.
Tempest herself is a fabulous character that I loved getting to know. She's athletic, down to earth, and is stuck between choosing between two worlds, the human one and the one she's drawn to but knows little about, the Sea. One of the things I loved the most about Tempest was how grounded she was. Though she's secure in her human skin, she fights becoming something she fears, a Mermaid. It wasn't hard to understand why, after all it's what made her mother leave her, her father and younger brothers behind six years ago.
Tempest not only has to pick between staying human or becoming a Mermaid, but she has to learn to control her abilities. She has a power within she knows little about. The fantastic love triangle is a breath of fresh air to me. I felt just as torn as Tempest was between two wonderful guys, Mark and Kia. Being from two totally different worlds puts these two guys at odds. Mark is Tempest's on/off again boyfriend from the last two and half years, and someone she's really close to, and Kia is the swoon worthy guy from the sea who helps her in understanding the world she feels drawn to. I really liked the differences and similarities with the two guys. There's an intense connection and a wonderful chemistry that Tempest has with both of them. I absolutely loved the direction the relationships took.
There are so many elements that I loved about this story. It's richly detailed mythology, the strong family dynamics, the friendships, the beautiful under sea world, as well as the stretch of coast Tempest lives on and of course the awesome romance. It's also a story about choices, heart ache, learning to let go, and following your heart. Tempest Rising is an amazing debut and one I highly recommend picking up. I am really looking forward to reading more about Tempest, Kia, Mark and the rest of the Tempest Rising characters.
May 27, 2012
4.5 stars!
I adored this book. This is the first and only mermaid novel I have read. I was curious about it because I had never read a novel about mermaids and I'm happy to say that this book was not a disappointment.
The plot was fabulous. You follow Tempest's life, beginning with her mother walking out on them because the ocean called to her and she could not resist. Now, at age 17, Tempest finds herself to be in the same situation. With each passing day, the ocean's pull is stronger and stronger, but she is determined to stay on land with her family, friends, and boyfriend, Mark. When she allows herself to see what the ocean is truly like, her world will forever by turned upside down.
But, the turning of her world began much earlier than her first steps into the ocean--the day she met a handsome surfer named Kona. I'm not going to tell you what Kona is, but the love triangle that ensues between him, Tempest, and Mark is absolutely delicious. It is equivalent to the plot. Kona is sexy and mysterious, just like the ocean's depth, while Mark is stubborn and real, just as her home on land is. Her war with where she belongs coincides with the love triangle. However, as the book went on, it's clear that even the author favors one boy much more than the other and you almost forget about the other entirely. The love triangle helped the book, but did hurt it slightly because at times, it seemed to be a bit odd, like how she treated Mark once she began exhibiting some of her mermaid traits. Mark was oblivious to what was causing her inner turmoil and like any good boyfriend, he wanted to help her, but she did not allow him to do so.
Aside from the few weird moments of the love triangle, I don't have many complaints about the book. For instance, how could you be craving someones kiss after talking to them for a few seconds, not even a full conversation where names have yet to have been exchanged? However, I will say this: when you read a novel, you almost become one with the character when reading from their point of view. You want to think what they think and feel what they feel and cry for them when they are hurt. While you could easily do that with Tempest, it seems as if Deebs took it a little too far at times. The entire novel has the back-plot of Tempest's identity crisis. Will she choose to be human and stay with her family or follow in her mother's footsteps and embrace her inner mermaid? Yes, that's a large part of the story, but we do not need to be reminded almost every chapter that Tempest doesn't want to be a mermaid. To me, that aspect the novel was incredibly redundant. And to make it a bit more strange, at times, Deebs didn't take it far enough. We could feel her pain and connect with her on an emotional level, but she's a frustrating character to connect with at times. Again, look at the above example with her identity crisis and Mark. If she's feeling so alone and out of place because of the way her body is changing, why should she not seek solace in the arms of someone who is there for her? She may not be able to tell him what is truly bothering her, but she could benefit from his comfort. Instead, she has to detach herself from everything, and you almost feel a little detached from her because of this. A majority of the novel was written with great character development, but I so greatly wish it flowed perfectly throughout so that this novel could have gotten the five that I thought it would get easily.
Deebs is absolutely brilliant for weaving mythology into the plot. It not only added to the story, but gave it a deeper meaning as well. It's not easy to accomplish such a feat and keep the tale original, so I applaud Deebs for her well-doings. Up to the final page of the novel, there was some sort of mythology underlying the plot.
With all of that being said, I am choosing to give this book a 4.5. Even with my small qualms with Tempest's character development and the introduction of the love-triangle, it weaved together perfectly to create a novel that I loved so much I read late into the night and went to school on barely any sleep the next day. While I wish that it could be a 5, it does lack little details that could have pulled it together in a way that would make one breathless. However, the story is so unique and capturing that the flaws don't really stand out until you take a step back and think, and even then, they are not that obvious unless you're sitting here like I am and analyzing the books for others. Either way, this will forever and always be a favorite of mine.
I adored this book. This is the first and only mermaid novel I have read. I was curious about it because I had never read a novel about mermaids and I'm happy to say that this book was not a disappointment.
The plot was fabulous. You follow Tempest's life, beginning with her mother walking out on them because the ocean called to her and she could not resist. Now, at age 17, Tempest finds herself to be in the same situation. With each passing day, the ocean's pull is stronger and stronger, but she is determined to stay on land with her family, friends, and boyfriend, Mark. When she allows herself to see what the ocean is truly like, her world will forever by turned upside down.
But, the turning of her world began much earlier than her first steps into the ocean--the day she met a handsome surfer named Kona. I'm not going to tell you what Kona is, but the love triangle that ensues between him, Tempest, and Mark is absolutely delicious. It is equivalent to the plot. Kona is sexy and mysterious, just like the ocean's depth, while Mark is stubborn and real, just as her home on land is. Her war with where she belongs coincides with the love triangle. However, as the book went on, it's clear that even the author favors one boy much more than the other and you almost forget about the other entirely. The love triangle helped the book, but did hurt it slightly because at times, it seemed to be a bit odd, like how she treated Mark once she began exhibiting some of her mermaid traits. Mark was oblivious to what was causing her inner turmoil and like any good boyfriend, he wanted to help her, but she did not allow him to do so.
Aside from the few weird moments of the love triangle, I don't have many complaints about the book. For instance, how could you be craving someones kiss after talking to them for a few seconds, not even a full conversation where names have yet to have been exchanged? However, I will say this: when you read a novel, you almost become one with the character when reading from their point of view. You want to think what they think and feel what they feel and cry for them when they are hurt. While you could easily do that with Tempest, it seems as if Deebs took it a little too far at times. The entire novel has the back-plot of Tempest's identity crisis. Will she choose to be human and stay with her family or follow in her mother's footsteps and embrace her inner mermaid? Yes, that's a large part of the story, but we do not need to be reminded almost every chapter that Tempest doesn't want to be a mermaid. To me, that aspect the novel was incredibly redundant. And to make it a bit more strange, at times, Deebs didn't take it far enough. We could feel her pain and connect with her on an emotional level, but she's a frustrating character to connect with at times. Again, look at the above example with her identity crisis and Mark. If she's feeling so alone and out of place because of the way her body is changing, why should she not seek solace in the arms of someone who is there for her? She may not be able to tell him what is truly bothering her, but she could benefit from his comfort. Instead, she has to detach herself from everything, and you almost feel a little detached from her because of this. A majority of the novel was written with great character development, but I so greatly wish it flowed perfectly throughout so that this novel could have gotten the five that I thought it would get easily.
Deebs is absolutely brilliant for weaving mythology into the plot. It not only added to the story, but gave it a deeper meaning as well. It's not easy to accomplish such a feat and keep the tale original, so I applaud Deebs for her well-doings. Up to the final page of the novel, there was some sort of mythology underlying the plot.
With all of that being said, I am choosing to give this book a 4.5. Even with my small qualms with Tempest's character development and the introduction of the love-triangle, it weaved together perfectly to create a novel that I loved so much I read late into the night and went to school on barely any sleep the next day. While I wish that it could be a 5, it does lack little details that could have pulled it together in a way that would make one breathless. However, the story is so unique and capturing that the flaws don't really stand out until you take a step back and think, and even then, they are not that obvious unless you're sitting here like I am and analyzing the books for others. Either way, this will forever and always be a favorite of mine.
July 17, 2016
All my reviews posted on Auntie Spinelli Reads
2.5/5
I had a lot of mixed feelings about this book. It got off to a great start with the letter from mother to daughter telling Tempest that she would have a life-altering decision to make: stay human or become a mermaid. The letter captured my attention immediately and piqued my interest. I was thinking, What will she do? How will she choose?? But, I'm afraid to say that after that it was a downward spiral for me.
I didn't like Tempest at all. She was melodramatic, selfish, and obtuse (after 2 bad experiences at the sea after dark - and a serious warning - she still goes back at night). For all of her power and hard-ass attitude, she was cowardly and weak-minded. Not to mention a hypocrite, condemning people (who will remain unnamed) for making decisions that she herself ends up making. Besides finding her irritating, she was way too fickle. She waffled between Kona and Mark the entire book. She was dating Mark and supposedly 'loved him,' yet enter tall dark and sexy stranger and she's instantly smitten (cliche much?). And kisses said stranger passionately - even though she barely knows him - while still dating boy number one. Ew. And all that without barely a regard for Mark's feelings, even though she knew it was wrong. Um hello, if you know what you're doing is wrong, STOP DOING IT.
And in case you didn't know by now, love triangles are one of my biggest pet peeves, topped only by instaluv romance. This book had both.
I didn't really get the 'connection' between Tempest and Kona. Sure, they're both from the sea and I get that, but I don't think it should have escalated to the extreme it did in such a short time. It felt forced and completely unrealistic, and that was where Deebs really started to lose me. Then this:
More like the fallen angel I had first compared him to than the mortal I had fallen half in love with over these last few days.
Now, this was where she totally lost me. Let's rewind that. Fallen in love with....over a few days? Really?? I wanted to throw the book at the wall. Whatever interest I had left at this point was lost. I stuck with it though, as I had already read 3/4 of the book. I was hoping it would have some redeeming quality I suppose, but the romance got cheesy after that and I found myself struggling.
His lips were soft and warm and they lit me up from the inside. I was glowing - I could feel it - but this time it had nothing to do with the water, with my so-called power, and everything to do with Kona. I closed my eyes and colors exploded against the darkness of my eyelids. It was like the finale at a Fourth of July celebration, like riding a roller coaster in the rain, like floating through meadows of beautiful, blooming things.
Ugh. Maybe that paragraph wouldn't have bothered me so much without the buzzkill of the love within days line, but I found the entire scene nauseating. Maybe it's just me.
I love books that I can really connect to, that I can feel every emotion of the protag as my own. This was not one of those books. There were really no shocking twists - the betrayer toward the end didn't have a big enough part so it didn't feel all that much like a betrayal. I think that part could have been played up a lot more. A major loss should have been shocking and a bit tear-jerking, but it wasn't. I felt nothing - and seriously, it was kind of a big deal so I should have felt something - but nope. Nothing.
I really liked the idea of this one, just not the delivery. I love mermaids and I think the plot would have been great if Tempest wasn't so disagreeable and I could make more of a connection to the characters. And if it were void of instaluv and a terrible love triangle. The setting was great and the idea of a prophecy and an evil sea witch were intriguing.
(Evil sea witch Tiamat, in my head. I just couldn't help it!)
I think this book could have had great potential with better character development. I may still give Tempest Unleashed a try, who knows.
ASSESSMENT
Plot: 3/5
Writing style: 2.5/5
Characters: 1/5
This was what really ruined the book for me.
World-building: 4/5
Pace: 3/5
Cover: 4/5
Overall rating: 2.5/5 starfish
2.5/5
I had a lot of mixed feelings about this book. It got off to a great start with the letter from mother to daughter telling Tempest that she would have a life-altering decision to make: stay human or become a mermaid. The letter captured my attention immediately and piqued my interest. I was thinking, What will she do? How will she choose?? But, I'm afraid to say that after that it was a downward spiral for me.
I didn't like Tempest at all. She was melodramatic, selfish, and obtuse (after 2 bad experiences at the sea after dark - and a serious warning - she still goes back at night). For all of her power and hard-ass attitude, she was cowardly and weak-minded. Not to mention a hypocrite, condemning people (who will remain unnamed) for making decisions that she herself ends up making. Besides finding her irritating, she was way too fickle. She waffled between Kona and Mark the entire book. She was dating Mark and supposedly 'loved him,' yet enter tall dark and sexy stranger and she's instantly smitten (cliche much?). And kisses said stranger passionately - even though she barely knows him - while still dating boy number one. Ew. And all that without barely a regard for Mark's feelings, even though she knew it was wrong. Um hello, if you know what you're doing is wrong, STOP DOING IT.
And in case you didn't know by now, love triangles are one of my biggest pet peeves, topped only by instaluv romance. This book had both.
I didn't really get the 'connection' between Tempest and Kona. Sure, they're both from the sea and I get that, but I don't think it should have escalated to the extreme it did in such a short time. It felt forced and completely unrealistic, and that was where Deebs really started to lose me. Then this:
More like the fallen angel I had first compared him to than the mortal I had fallen half in love with over these last few days.
Now, this was where she totally lost me. Let's rewind that. Fallen in love with....over a few days? Really?? I wanted to throw the book at the wall. Whatever interest I had left at this point was lost. I stuck with it though, as I had already read 3/4 of the book. I was hoping it would have some redeeming quality I suppose, but the romance got cheesy after that and I found myself struggling.
His lips were soft and warm and they lit me up from the inside. I was glowing - I could feel it - but this time it had nothing to do with the water, with my so-called power, and everything to do with Kona. I closed my eyes and colors exploded against the darkness of my eyelids. It was like the finale at a Fourth of July celebration, like riding a roller coaster in the rain, like floating through meadows of beautiful, blooming things.
Ugh. Maybe that paragraph wouldn't have bothered me so much without the buzzkill of the love within days line, but I found the entire scene nauseating. Maybe it's just me.
I love books that I can really connect to, that I can feel every emotion of the protag as my own. This was not one of those books. There were really no shocking twists - the betrayer toward the end didn't have a big enough part so it didn't feel all that much like a betrayal. I think that part could have been played up a lot more. A major loss should have been shocking and a bit tear-jerking, but it wasn't. I felt nothing - and seriously, it was kind of a big deal so I should have felt something - but nope. Nothing.
I really liked the idea of this one, just not the delivery. I love mermaids and I think the plot would have been great if Tempest wasn't so disagreeable and I could make more of a connection to the characters. And if it were void of instaluv and a terrible love triangle. The setting was great and the idea of a prophecy and an evil sea witch were intriguing.
(Evil sea witch Tiamat, in my head. I just couldn't help it!)
I think this book could have had great potential with better character development. I may still give Tempest Unleashed a try, who knows.
ASSESSMENT
Plot: 3/5
Writing style: 2.5/5
Characters: 1/5
This was what really ruined the book for me.
World-building: 4/5
Pace: 3/5
Cover: 4/5
Overall rating: 2.5/5 starfish
September 15, 2011
I love mermaids: I think about them, dream about them, and write about them. And I am just elated to see how many mermaid books are getting published today. A little horrified as well, but so far no one has written *my* mermaid novel. Well, not exactly, anyway.
As you can see, I started this book about a month ago, and I think this review is going to suffer just a bit because of that. I must have had way too many things going on at the time to undertake this book, which I read for fun rather than for an official Luxury Reading or Simply Stacie review. This one I bought, and couldn't wait to read--even if it meant review books would just have to wait.
TEMPEST RISING is fun in a lot of ways; it combines mermaids AND selkies, and that equals awesome...only I didn't feel that they were really all that well defined. So a selkie and a mermaid can apparently have a relationship with each other? If they have children together, then what species/breed does that make the little kiddies? And wouldn't the mermen be a little upset over the selkies taking their mermaids away from them? If mermaids can breed with humans, can mermen do this also? Sooo many questions, but like I said, I think about mermaids, dream about them, yadda yadda yadda. I wanted to know more about the relationship between mermaids, selkies, and mermen, but with a first person narrative and us knowing only what Tempest knows, there's a little left over to be desired.
When Tempest turns 17, she has to make a choice between the land and the sea. There's this whole prophecy thing that doesn't come into play until more than halfway into the book (reminded me a bit of Harry Potter...raised away from her own kind because the parents think it would be best), and Tempest is going to be some sort of savior to her mother's people. And her mother, by the way, is a super important priestess of her clan. She has been battling the evil sea witch for centuries.
So the evil sea witch is supposed to be scary and murderous and lurking everywhere, but she doesn't make an appearance toward the end when there's this huge battle. She made a few plays to capture Tempest, but we never actually get to see her until near the end. I wanted more of her. I was never really scared of her--and I definitely wasn't scared for Tempest.
I also really wanted to see more of Tempest's mother. I am completely disappointed in how everything with her turned out. For the majority of TEMPEST RISING, Tempest complains about her mother and how much she hates her, and then she has this teeny little appearance and it's not as epic as I thought it would be, considering what this woman is to her people.
Tempest is a bit hard to figure out. She's completely in to herself. It's all about her, and her feelings toward her mother for deserting her--but Tempest also has two little brothers. She doesn't even give them a thought until the last 10% of the novel. They are going to have it much worse than she is, because they are mermen. But again--why?
There's a bit of a love triangle, too. Tempest has a human boyfriend, Mark. She's supposedly totally in love with him, but I never really sensed that. She too easily gave in to temptation when Kona, the selkie prince, comes around. As many faults as Mark has, I think he deserved better treatment than she gave him. Truly I can't blame her, because Kona is pretty attractive, and he's all the things that Mark is not.
I feel like I'm straddling a scale right now (not a mermaid scale--ha ha!) and I'm undecided on whether or not to read the next Tempest book.
As you can see, I started this book about a month ago, and I think this review is going to suffer just a bit because of that. I must have had way too many things going on at the time to undertake this book, which I read for fun rather than for an official Luxury Reading or Simply Stacie review. This one I bought, and couldn't wait to read--even if it meant review books would just have to wait.
TEMPEST RISING is fun in a lot of ways; it combines mermaids AND selkies, and that equals awesome...only I didn't feel that they were really all that well defined. So a selkie and a mermaid can apparently have a relationship with each other? If they have children together, then what species/breed does that make the little kiddies? And wouldn't the mermen be a little upset over the selkies taking their mermaids away from them? If mermaids can breed with humans, can mermen do this also? Sooo many questions, but like I said, I think about mermaids, dream about them, yadda yadda yadda. I wanted to know more about the relationship between mermaids, selkies, and mermen, but with a first person narrative and us knowing only what Tempest knows, there's a little left over to be desired.
When Tempest turns 17, she has to make a choice between the land and the sea. There's this whole prophecy thing that doesn't come into play until more than halfway into the book (reminded me a bit of Harry Potter...raised away from her own kind because the parents think it would be best), and Tempest is going to be some sort of savior to her mother's people. And her mother, by the way, is a super important priestess of her clan. She has been battling the evil sea witch for centuries.
So the evil sea witch is supposed to be scary and murderous and lurking everywhere, but she doesn't make an appearance toward the end when there's this huge battle. She made a few plays to capture Tempest, but we never actually get to see her until near the end. I wanted more of her. I was never really scared of her--and I definitely wasn't scared for Tempest.
I also really wanted to see more of Tempest's mother. I am completely disappointed in how everything with her turned out. For the majority of TEMPEST RISING, Tempest complains about her mother and how much she hates her, and then she has this teeny little appearance and it's not as epic as I thought it would be, considering what this woman is to her people.
Tempest is a bit hard to figure out. She's completely in to herself. It's all about her, and her feelings toward her mother for deserting her--but Tempest also has two little brothers. She doesn't even give them a thought until the last 10% of the novel. They are going to have it much worse than she is, because they are mermen. But again--why?
There's a bit of a love triangle, too. Tempest has a human boyfriend, Mark. She's supposedly totally in love with him, but I never really sensed that. She too easily gave in to temptation when Kona, the selkie prince, comes around. As many faults as Mark has, I think he deserved better treatment than she gave him. Truly I can't blame her, because Kona is pretty attractive, and he's all the things that Mark is not.
I feel like I'm straddling a scale right now (not a mermaid scale--ha ha!) and I'm undecided on whether or not to read the next Tempest book.
July 15, 2011
My Thoughts: So I don't normally read too many mermaid books. I don't know why I don't because the few I do I tend to enjoy them quite a bit. We are introduced to Tempest who is getting ready to turn 17 years old. For as long as she can remember her mother always told her on her 17th birthday she would be faced with a huge decision to make. Tempest is a half mermaid. She has the decision to stay a human and continue on what she knows or to go to the water and become a mermaid where she will stay. The decision is ultimately hers.
Tempest's mother left years ago and she hasn't seen or heard from her since. She knows her mother had a higher calling; a job to do but Tempest still does not understand why she had to go and leave the family, including her two brothers and her father.
As her 17th birthday approaches Tempest life starts to change. Her relationship with Mark (her boyfriend) is starting to change. She doesn't feel as connected to him as she once did, partly because she can't tell him her secret. She is starting to feel cold all over and can't seem to get warm, she even grows gills!!! What in the world is she growing gills for? She's half scared she's going to wake up one day and have a tail. That would be hard to explain in school! Tempest even starts to feel weird while surfing (the girl lives to surf).
Enter a mysterious boy named Kona that Tempest meets on the beach. He's nothing like any boy she's ever met before. She feels drawn to him, he feels familiar.
Kona and Tempest get to know each other a bit better, and become friends. One day while on the beach, Kona gets into an accident (if we can call it that?) and gets thrown under water and Tempest goes after him without thinking. She ends up under the water into "their world". In other words, the mermaid (and other creatures) world. While she's there, she learns that time passes differently there, and she learns more about what her life could be like if she chooses this path. She learns that everyone in the water "knows" who she is and what she is capable of. She also learns about the evil sea witch who wants to kill her! She wants to use Tempest to her own advantage!
I'm going to stop there on the summary. I don't want to give away any major spoilers. I loved this book so much. I loved seeing Tempest in her life in the human world but I also liked seeing her life in the mermaid world. I liked learning the little facts she learned throughout the book about her family. The ending was kind of abrupt and I wish I knew what happened afterwards though. I'm still happy with the way things turned out. Tempest Rising was an awesome debut.
Overall: I loved the beauty of this book. The way it was told was pure beautiful. It was relaxing, yet exciting. It was very peaceful, yet I devoured it quickly. Tempest Rising was everything plus more that I was looking for in a mermaid book.
Cover: Isn't this one of the most beautiful covers you ever seen? I think so. I love everything about it. I love the way we can see the tattoo on her back. I love seeing the top of her tail. The colors are so pretty. I also like how we can see her hair and half of her face. They got this cover right.
What I'd Give It: 5/5 Cupcakes
_________________________________
Review Based On Hardcover Edition
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
Tempest's mother left years ago and she hasn't seen or heard from her since. She knows her mother had a higher calling; a job to do but Tempest still does not understand why she had to go and leave the family, including her two brothers and her father.
As her 17th birthday approaches Tempest life starts to change. Her relationship with Mark (her boyfriend) is starting to change. She doesn't feel as connected to him as she once did, partly because she can't tell him her secret. She is starting to feel cold all over and can't seem to get warm, she even grows gills!!! What in the world is she growing gills for? She's half scared she's going to wake up one day and have a tail. That would be hard to explain in school! Tempest even starts to feel weird while surfing (the girl lives to surf).
Enter a mysterious boy named Kona that Tempest meets on the beach. He's nothing like any boy she's ever met before. She feels drawn to him, he feels familiar.
Kona and Tempest get to know each other a bit better, and become friends. One day while on the beach, Kona gets into an accident (if we can call it that?) and gets thrown under water and Tempest goes after him without thinking. She ends up under the water into "their world". In other words, the mermaid (and other creatures) world. While she's there, she learns that time passes differently there, and she learns more about what her life could be like if she chooses this path. She learns that everyone in the water "knows" who she is and what she is capable of. She also learns about the evil sea witch who wants to kill her! She wants to use Tempest to her own advantage!
I'm going to stop there on the summary. I don't want to give away any major spoilers. I loved this book so much. I loved seeing Tempest in her life in the human world but I also liked seeing her life in the mermaid world. I liked learning the little facts she learned throughout the book about her family. The ending was kind of abrupt and I wish I knew what happened afterwards though. I'm still happy with the way things turned out. Tempest Rising was an awesome debut.
Overall: I loved the beauty of this book. The way it was told was pure beautiful. It was relaxing, yet exciting. It was very peaceful, yet I devoured it quickly. Tempest Rising was everything plus more that I was looking for in a mermaid book.
Cover: Isn't this one of the most beautiful covers you ever seen? I think so. I love everything about it. I love the way we can see the tattoo on her back. I love seeing the top of her tail. The colors are so pretty. I also like how we can see her hair and half of her face. They got this cover right.
What I'd Give It: 5/5 Cupcakes
_________________________________
Review Based On Hardcover Edition
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
July 26, 2011
Tempest is trying hard to fight her nature. Her mother always told her that she’ll always have a choice. But her transformation was happening way too fast to her liking. Little by little, the side of her that she inherited from her mother started manifesting physically and she can’t seem to stop the inevitable. To accept her true nature meant that she’ll give up being human. She’ll disappear just like her mother did six years ago. She had too much to lose; her broken-hearted father, her brothers, even her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Mark. Slowly, she’d become aware that to fight was futile; especially with the appearance of Kona—a boy more mysterious than her mother’s real reason for willingly disappearing from their lives all those years ago. And now not only was she fighting to remain human, she also had to fight to stay away from Kona.
I’m exhausted.
With every turn of the page, this book was filled with Tempest fighting the ocean. If she wasn’t fighting against the ocean, she was fighting with her boyfriend. And if she wasn’t fighting with anything or anyone, she was agonizing over how much she felt betrayed by her mother.
I had to force myself to finish this. I was looking forward to reading this book but I’m sad to say that it was a let down.
I had a hard time with the love triangle—like I always do with most YAs nowadays. On the one hand, Mark may be a bit on the jealous side, but it was obvious how much he really loved Tempest. I didn’t think he was pushy or borderline obsessive. On the other hand, there’s Kona. He’s the token mysterious boy in this story. He’s hot, sure. He’s intense, yep. Their connection induces lightning both figuratively and literally. I just felt indifferent about these two. If anything, I found Logan, the Aussie surfer hotter than these two. But that’s just me. I’m a sucker for boys with accents. ☺
Tempest. I’m so sorry to say this…but she whined too much. About every single thing. Mostly about her mother, right down to her metabolic-friendly figure. It was too bad because I thought she would’ve been such a kick-ass character. She’s beautiful and possesses a strong character and with her powers just starting to be uncovered, I would’ve liked her immensely. But she was just too…whiney.
There’s much to be said about being cryptic without being terminally cryptic. Let’s find a common ground. Let’s not annoy the readers with too much, I can’t tell you right now, or it’s complicated, or you’re not ready for the answers yet. For the love of God. Throw her a freaking bone!
To summarize, this book wasn’t for me. I’m beginning to realize that maybe mermaid stories aren’t my cup of tea. I haven’t found one that I can say owned me.
Tempest Rising is a book about fabled mermaids and magic. If this is your thing, grab a copy for yourself now. ☺
I’m exhausted.
With every turn of the page, this book was filled with Tempest fighting the ocean. If she wasn’t fighting against the ocean, she was fighting with her boyfriend. And if she wasn’t fighting with anything or anyone, she was agonizing over how much she felt betrayed by her mother.
I had to force myself to finish this. I was looking forward to reading this book but I’m sad to say that it was a let down.
I had a hard time with the love triangle—like I always do with most YAs nowadays. On the one hand, Mark may be a bit on the jealous side, but it was obvious how much he really loved Tempest. I didn’t think he was pushy or borderline obsessive. On the other hand, there’s Kona. He’s the token mysterious boy in this story. He’s hot, sure. He’s intense, yep. Their connection induces lightning both figuratively and literally. I just felt indifferent about these two. If anything, I found Logan, the Aussie surfer hotter than these two. But that’s just me. I’m a sucker for boys with accents. ☺
Tempest. I’m so sorry to say this…but she whined too much. About every single thing. Mostly about her mother, right down to her metabolic-friendly figure. It was too bad because I thought she would’ve been such a kick-ass character. She’s beautiful and possesses a strong character and with her powers just starting to be uncovered, I would’ve liked her immensely. But she was just too…whiney.
There’s much to be said about being cryptic without being terminally cryptic. Let’s find a common ground. Let’s not annoy the readers with too much, I can’t tell you right now, or it’s complicated, or you’re not ready for the answers yet. For the love of God. Throw her a freaking bone!
To summarize, this book wasn’t for me. I’m beginning to realize that maybe mermaid stories aren’t my cup of tea. I haven’t found one that I can say owned me.
Tempest Rising is a book about fabled mermaids and magic. If this is your thing, grab a copy for yourself now. ☺
April 17, 2011
It is no secret I have a love for all books mermaid related. Therefore, when Tempest Rising landed in my hands, I was nothing short of excited, and luckily, it managed to be everything I was expecting and even more, as this mermaid book is nothing short of marvelous!
For Tempest Maguire, she has always been a bit out of the ordinary, as not only did her mermaid mother walk out of her lives into the arms of the sea several years ago, but also Tempest herself is half mermaid. If this was not enough, with the arrival of Tempest’s seventeenth birthday comes the biggest decision Tempest will ever have to make- to stay on land with her family or friends or become one with the sea. To Tempest, this answer seems like a no brainer- stay with her family. However, in the next few weeks, arrives a dark, menacing force, a boy who makes her heart race in ways it has not before, and dire consequences. Will Tempest make it out alive? What will her final choice be- mermaid, human, or somewhere in between? Only time and more pages can tell in this seductive tale of mermaids, romance, and a girl like no other!
With Tempest Rising, came many wonderful aspects I could not help but love. However, my absolute favorite would have to be the main characters- Tempest and Kai. Lively, unique, and mystifying, the two of them quickly won my favor over from the start. Tempest, for example, was someone I adored from the start. Her character contained the perfect mixture of strong, weak, and loyalty that kept me rooting her from the first page to the very last. I thought her confusion over being a mermaid and the consequences that came with it where done wonderfully, as it was easy to feel her feelings across the pages. Better yet, I loved her relationship with Kai. Kai was a bread all is own. Smart, savvy, and sweet, he was adorable from start to finish. I loved his deduction to Tempest as well as how together they became quite the pair.
With any good book comes a great plot, as well, and with Tempest Rising, this was exactly the case. Filled with action, drama, and secrets, this book had no problem holding my attention throughout. In all seriousness, I loved every single moment of it…the characters, the swoon-worthy setting, and the twists and turns were nothing short of amazing. Lastly, when tied together with Tracy’s fabulous storytelling, this book is nearly unstoppable.
Romantic and mesmerizing, Tempest Rising is a promising debut. If this is any sign of what has to come with the mermaid trend, be sure to count me in, as I do not want to miss a minute of it.
Grade: A+
For Tempest Maguire, she has always been a bit out of the ordinary, as not only did her mermaid mother walk out of her lives into the arms of the sea several years ago, but also Tempest herself is half mermaid. If this was not enough, with the arrival of Tempest’s seventeenth birthday comes the biggest decision Tempest will ever have to make- to stay on land with her family or friends or become one with the sea. To Tempest, this answer seems like a no brainer- stay with her family. However, in the next few weeks, arrives a dark, menacing force, a boy who makes her heart race in ways it has not before, and dire consequences. Will Tempest make it out alive? What will her final choice be- mermaid, human, or somewhere in between? Only time and more pages can tell in this seductive tale of mermaids, romance, and a girl like no other!
With Tempest Rising, came many wonderful aspects I could not help but love. However, my absolute favorite would have to be the main characters- Tempest and Kai. Lively, unique, and mystifying, the two of them quickly won my favor over from the start. Tempest, for example, was someone I adored from the start. Her character contained the perfect mixture of strong, weak, and loyalty that kept me rooting her from the first page to the very last. I thought her confusion over being a mermaid and the consequences that came with it where done wonderfully, as it was easy to feel her feelings across the pages. Better yet, I loved her relationship with Kai. Kai was a bread all is own. Smart, savvy, and sweet, he was adorable from start to finish. I loved his deduction to Tempest as well as how together they became quite the pair.
With any good book comes a great plot, as well, and with Tempest Rising, this was exactly the case. Filled with action, drama, and secrets, this book had no problem holding my attention throughout. In all seriousness, I loved every single moment of it…the characters, the swoon-worthy setting, and the twists and turns were nothing short of amazing. Lastly, when tied together with Tracy’s fabulous storytelling, this book is nearly unstoppable.
Romantic and mesmerizing, Tempest Rising is a promising debut. If this is any sign of what has to come with the mermaid trend, be sure to count me in, as I do not want to miss a minute of it.
Grade: A+
May 3, 2011
Tempest Rising is a new novel by author Tracy Deebs focusing on the world of mermaids and sea creatures. When a friend sent me this book to read, I couldn't wait to read it! Just the cover alone -- with all of its purple glory-- captured my attention! I am a sucker for purple, beautiful covers and something to break the cycle of vampires and werewolves.
At first, I was having a hard time enjoying this book. It seemed to drag on for Part One. I didn't like Tempest that much because of the way she was treating her boyfriend Mark, acting like she didn't like a boy fawning over her. I thought Mark was at times a little protective, but I saw that he actually cared about Tempest. Then we are introduced to Kai. *swoon* Kai was sexy, secretive, funny and sweet. He isn't what he seems, but we find out what he is and go with the flow.
Tempest is dealing with a lot of things in this book. After her Mother left her family when Tempest was only eleven, she has practically help raise her brothers and taken care of her Father. Before her Mother left, she left a note for each one of her children explaining that when they turn 17, they will have to make a life decision. That decision involves staying as a human with her family on land, or becoming a mermaid in the sea. While Tempest was torn between staying with her family or leaving them behind, you could actually feel the struggle she was having in the decision. Her family always new about their heritage of being half human/ half mermaid, and her Father even holds out hope that Cecily, Tempests' Mother, will return to them some day. When Tempest tries to rescue Kai after an attack from the sea witch, she finds herself in the underwater kingdoms and trying to figure out her destiny.
I was thrilled when Tempest finally got to explore life under the sea and alongside Kai. I felt her to better suited with Kai than with Mark. After the slow dragging story in Part One, the book really picks up speed and takes you for a fantastical ride underwater! I loved learning about the supposed Prophecy, the different kingdoms under the sea, and I even enjoyed the sea witch as a villain. Yes, it was a little predictable in some parts, but the ending was a surprise. I couldn't believe Tempest made the decision she made after struggling so hard throughout the book with it.
I do hope there is more to this than just one book. I am anxious to see how Moku and Rio, Tempests' brothers, deals with their decision. I also want to see if the author will be able to tell a tale involving her Father and maybe some of the other creatures under the sea.
At first, I was having a hard time enjoying this book. It seemed to drag on for Part One. I didn't like Tempest that much because of the way she was treating her boyfriend Mark, acting like she didn't like a boy fawning over her. I thought Mark was at times a little protective, but I saw that he actually cared about Tempest. Then we are introduced to Kai. *swoon* Kai was sexy, secretive, funny and sweet. He isn't what he seems, but we find out what he is and go with the flow.
Tempest is dealing with a lot of things in this book. After her Mother left her family when Tempest was only eleven, she has practically help raise her brothers and taken care of her Father. Before her Mother left, she left a note for each one of her children explaining that when they turn 17, they will have to make a life decision. That decision involves staying as a human with her family on land, or becoming a mermaid in the sea. While Tempest was torn between staying with her family or leaving them behind, you could actually feel the struggle she was having in the decision. Her family always new about their heritage of being half human/ half mermaid, and her Father even holds out hope that Cecily, Tempests' Mother, will return to them some day. When Tempest tries to rescue Kai after an attack from the sea witch, she finds herself in the underwater kingdoms and trying to figure out her destiny.
I was thrilled when Tempest finally got to explore life under the sea and alongside Kai. I felt her to better suited with Kai than with Mark. After the slow dragging story in Part One, the book really picks up speed and takes you for a fantastical ride underwater! I loved learning about the supposed Prophecy, the different kingdoms under the sea, and I even enjoyed the sea witch as a villain. Yes, it was a little predictable in some parts, but the ending was a surprise. I couldn't believe Tempest made the decision she made after struggling so hard throughout the book with it.
I do hope there is more to this than just one book. I am anxious to see how Moku and Rio, Tempests' brothers, deals with their decision. I also want to see if the author will be able to tell a tale involving her Father and maybe some of the other creatures under the sea.
May 9, 2011
I don't know about you, but I'm a huge fan of mermaids! So when I heard that Tracy Deebs was going to be writing a young adult book about them I was super excited. Since I haven't really read any books about mermaids I didn't know what to expect and was unsure if it would live up to my high standards. Luckily Tempest Rising was an adventurous read that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.
At first I had trouble connecting with the main character, Tempest, but as the story progressed I grew to really admire her courageous and headstrong personality. The more I got to know about her, the more I realized that she really is going through a lot and has this amazingly huge decision she needs to make. I loved how just about anyone could relate to Tempest and how she had to make this life altering decision. I mean we may not all be mermaids, but we all of life changing choices that must be made.
Tempest's love interests were definitely oh so swoon worthy! Mark was the hot surfer boyfriend and Kai was the mysterious new guy with an indescribable connection with Tempest. Both boys were definitely unique, I've yet to read a book with boys like this in it. I liked how both boys were very likable and that I wasn't sure which one I was rooting for until about midway through the story.
Tracy Deebs did an amazing job of creating Tempest's world. I found if very easy to feel transported into the surroundings and feel the same confusion Tempest felt. I adored the new creatures that I was introduced to while reading and loved the battle with destiny many of the characters are forced to face.
I completely adored the ending! I was so happy with the way everything played out. It tied up most of the loose ends and left me absolutely craving a sequel!
Awesome Quote:
"That's an interesting complaint coming from you, Tempest. Besides, the truth is a nebulous thing. If you get too much too quickly, it feels like the top of your head is blowing off."
Characters: 5/5
Creativity: 5/5
Voice: 4/5
Plot: 5/5
Impact: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
Tempest Rising is a flat out amazing book. I loved the originality and adventure Tracy Deebs brought to the young adult genre. It left me wanting to see more of Tempest's life and continue to discover more of her world. I'm seriously going to spazz out waiting to get my hands on book two!
At first I had trouble connecting with the main character, Tempest, but as the story progressed I grew to really admire her courageous and headstrong personality. The more I got to know about her, the more I realized that she really is going through a lot and has this amazingly huge decision she needs to make. I loved how just about anyone could relate to Tempest and how she had to make this life altering decision. I mean we may not all be mermaids, but we all of life changing choices that must be made.
Tempest's love interests were definitely oh so swoon worthy! Mark was the hot surfer boyfriend and Kai was the mysterious new guy with an indescribable connection with Tempest. Both boys were definitely unique, I've yet to read a book with boys like this in it. I liked how both boys were very likable and that I wasn't sure which one I was rooting for until about midway through the story.
Tracy Deebs did an amazing job of creating Tempest's world. I found if very easy to feel transported into the surroundings and feel the same confusion Tempest felt. I adored the new creatures that I was introduced to while reading and loved the battle with destiny many of the characters are forced to face.
I completely adored the ending! I was so happy with the way everything played out. It tied up most of the loose ends and left me absolutely craving a sequel!
Awesome Quote:
"That's an interesting complaint coming from you, Tempest. Besides, the truth is a nebulous thing. If you get too much too quickly, it feels like the top of your head is blowing off."
Characters: 5/5
Creativity: 5/5
Voice: 4/5
Plot: 5/5
Impact: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
Tempest Rising is a flat out amazing book. I loved the originality and adventure Tracy Deebs brought to the young adult genre. It left me wanting to see more of Tempest's life and continue to discover more of her world. I'm seriously going to spazz out waiting to get my hands on book two!
July 18, 2012
It's no secret to Tempest that she's half-mermaid. Her mother was open about it, her father thinks it's a gift, but Tempest sees it as the thing that broke apart her family. So, when she begins to develop mermaid characteristic (i.e gills), she has a bit of a meltdown. It's justified, since the first time she begins to change she goes from surfing to almost drowning. She's attempting to live a normal human life, including a romance with Mark, despite knowing that she'll soon have to choose between her life on land, and a life in the water. When Kai shows up, it becomes clear who she's really meant to be with. There was a bit of a love triangle, but her relationship with Mark didn't really stand much of chance. She does try to cling to it, much like she does to her human life, but it was obvious that she shared something deeper with Kai. I won't spoil too much about who Kai really is, but I can say that it came as quite a surprise.
Tempest played the role of mother to her younger brothers, so that made her attraction to the sea bittersweet. She still deals with the abandonment that she felt when her mother returned to the sea, and refuses to do the same thing to her brothers. Avoiding the water is painful, too. Especially since every time she tries to resist, it seems like a certain sea witch shows up to try to lure her in. I thought that all of these struggles combined to make Tempest an extremely well-developed character.
The beginning of the book deals mostly with Tempest's human life, and relationships. Her relationships with her family, friends, and lingering resentment about her mother take center stage. While I really appreciated being able to get into her head, I think I was expecting more of her time to be spent in the water. The tension built up, but I was hoping that she would get to explore more of the undersea world.
I'm looking forward to seeing more of the world that Deebs has created, so I'm crossing my fingers in hopes of a sequel.
Tempest played the role of mother to her younger brothers, so that made her attraction to the sea bittersweet. She still deals with the abandonment that she felt when her mother returned to the sea, and refuses to do the same thing to her brothers. Avoiding the water is painful, too. Especially since every time she tries to resist, it seems like a certain sea witch shows up to try to lure her in. I thought that all of these struggles combined to make Tempest an extremely well-developed character.
The beginning of the book deals mostly with Tempest's human life, and relationships. Her relationships with her family, friends, and lingering resentment about her mother take center stage. While I really appreciated being able to get into her head, I think I was expecting more of her time to be spent in the water. The tension built up, but I was hoping that she would get to explore more of the undersea world.
I'm looking forward to seeing more of the world that Deebs has created, so I'm crossing my fingers in hopes of a sequel.
May 15, 2011
Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs is the best mermaid novel that I have had the pleasure of reading. Mermaid novels are a uniquely new addition to the genre. It seems that novels surrounding this species have proved to be difficult in creating a extraordinary read. The common perception of a fairy tale glittery world appears to conflict with many authors ability to invent a strong storyline. Deebs made this challenge appear effortless with her creation of this novel that is packed full of suspense, love, and mystery. With this shift of view the world was wide open for the intensity of this novel. Tempest was a very detailed and unique character that will capture the readers with her strong and quiet personality. Being a surf baby added an incredible shift to her character that many readers will enjoy as unique and inventive. The romance of this novel was yet another rare quality with the development of two wonderful characters that are not easily overlooked. Mark is the special and attentive boyfriend that readers will crave, but the emotion for Tempest is obviously lacking. Kai is the new mouth watering attraction that will quickly develop in the story. It is obvious why our main character will struggle with her decisions when it comes to her love. In the beginning it does appear that Tempest attraction to Kai will be a bit abrupt, but as the story progresses it becomes clear that this was intentionally in building the story. It is also refreshing that it does not go overlooked, as the author returns to build emotion and background as the journey continues. The story is not concluded, but set for a future that promises continuance. I look forward to seeing where this author will take the story in future novels.
March 13, 2011
The first thing that pulls me into a novel is voice, and let me tell you, this one has plenty of it! I could hear the characters in my head. Each one had their own quirks, actions and/or sayings. That really takes a story to the next level for me.
I loved the plot of this novel and how Tempest knew about her mermaid status instead of her just discovering it, like we typically get in YA paranormal/fantasy novels. Making her a kick-ass surfer, who is a natural in the water, drives home that she destine for the water. Tempest's loathing for her mermaid mother who abondoned her family is apparent and I love how she never wavers from that anger. It makes it very real, like in real life, it takes more than a soft smile and all is forgiven.
I loved Tempest's long-time boyfriend, Mark. He really cares for Tempest and you can see it in all of his actions, which it made it hard for me to accept Kai as the new love interest. (Which is the only reason I gave this one a 4/5) I know there is this unbeliable pull between Kai and Tempest, but I felt bad for Mark the whole time. I kept thinking, you're going to break Mark's heart! LOL Lame, I know, but also a sign of great writing. It's hard to make people care about ALL of your characters.
So As you can tell, I loved this one!! Add it to your to-be-read lists if you like saucy love triangles, great YA voice, mermaid stories and other world fantasies!
Looking forward to book two!!
More YA Book Reviews:
Reading, Writing and Waiting
I loved the plot of this novel and how Tempest knew about her mermaid status instead of her just discovering it, like we typically get in YA paranormal/fantasy novels. Making her a kick-ass surfer, who is a natural in the water, drives home that she destine for the water. Tempest's loathing for her mermaid mother who abondoned her family is apparent and I love how she never wavers from that anger. It makes it very real, like in real life, it takes more than a soft smile and all is forgiven.
I loved Tempest's long-time boyfriend, Mark. He really cares for Tempest and you can see it in all of his actions, which it made it hard for me to accept Kai as the new love interest. (Which is the only reason I gave this one a 4/5) I know there is this unbeliable pull between Kai and Tempest, but I felt bad for Mark the whole time. I kept thinking, you're going to break Mark's heart! LOL Lame, I know, but also a sign of great writing. It's hard to make people care about ALL of your characters.
So As you can tell, I loved this one!! Add it to your to-be-read lists if you like saucy love triangles, great YA voice, mermaid stories and other world fantasies!
Looking forward to book two!!
More YA Book Reviews:
Reading, Writing and Waiting
June 2, 2011
Reviewed by http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blo...
Its very rare that you come across a mermaid book so when I had a chance to read this wonderful sounding book I jumped right on board. I really enjoyed Tempest's story. Growing up she always knew on her seventeenth birthday she would change into a mermaid and have to choose the life she wanted to live, human or mermaid. All the struggles she went through were gripping and real. She has always said she would never choose to be mermaid that she would choose to be human 100% but she finds out there is so much more involved. BUT I really enjoyed TEMPEST RISING because the struggle wasn't only choosing between land and sea, she had to choose between so much more. The supporting characters were all interesting and there is an actual villain that kind of reminding me of the little mermaid. There is some great romance involving a fellow sea shifter that from the time Tempest lays eyes on him she cant get him out of her mind. They both feel right together, all of the situations they are in come off genuine and heartfelt. I really enjoyed TEMPEST RISING it was fun, entertaining, and refreshing. I really want to see this turn into a series if it isn't already planned as one.
Its very rare that you come across a mermaid book so when I had a chance to read this wonderful sounding book I jumped right on board. I really enjoyed Tempest's story. Growing up she always knew on her seventeenth birthday she would change into a mermaid and have to choose the life she wanted to live, human or mermaid. All the struggles she went through were gripping and real. She has always said she would never choose to be mermaid that she would choose to be human 100% but she finds out there is so much more involved. BUT I really enjoyed TEMPEST RISING because the struggle wasn't only choosing between land and sea, she had to choose between so much more. The supporting characters were all interesting and there is an actual villain that kind of reminding me of the little mermaid. There is some great romance involving a fellow sea shifter that from the time Tempest lays eyes on him she cant get him out of her mind. They both feel right together, all of the situations they are in come off genuine and heartfelt. I really enjoyed TEMPEST RISING it was fun, entertaining, and refreshing. I really want to see this turn into a series if it isn't already planned as one.
May 24, 2011
This story totally melted me and my heart! I loved everything about it. It was so engaging, and enjoyable I didn't want to put it down. When I did put it down I found Tempest, Mark, Kona, and her dad were in my head, I didn't want to leave them. Speaking of Tempest she was great, she was smart, fun loving, courageous, willing to sacrifice, and frustrated at life and some of the choices she would have to make. I liked the fact that she knew all along that she would be a mermaid it worked for this story. Her relationships touched my heart, they were beautiful at times and heart wrenching at other times. (keep tissues handy) Kona made me swoon! The author did an amazing job in making me feel part of the ocean, or part of dry land through her word imagery. The descriptions of the storms were so well done I could effortlessly picture the scenes. This was truly an amazing love story that will leave you wanting for more. I hope this is not the last that we hear of these characters. I hope there is more to their story! This is a story that I plan to revisit again soon. Soooo gooood! I would rank it as one of my all time favorite romances.
fair amount swearing, Clean romance
fair amount swearing, Clean romance
February 2, 2025
I first read Tempest Rising at the age of 12 and loved it with a passion. Rereading it many years later, I still love it for its nostalgic quality—and for the fun ride I experienced through Tempest. I realize now that this book may be responsible for my love of various tropes: prophecies, sacrifice, nonhuman creatures, near love-at-first-sight, etc. Tracy Deebs does a superb job at having the emotions seep through the pages and wildly succeeds at making me wish I could sink below the waves and experience the ocean like Tempest.
I have a rating system I try to stick too—but I broke a rule on this one.
I award a star for characters, world-building, prose, plot, and impact on society (for example, if a book strongly upholds values I wouldn’t want influencing children, I take away a star.)
However, I knocked off two stars for the predictable plot (but enjoyed the story nonetheless) and for the sometimes lacking prose. My main prose issue is with the villain. The villain lacks depth and has cliche dialogue.
But I realized that this is a story that I haven’t forgotten— that I still find myself thinking about on occasion. And so, for its lasting impact on me, I added a star to my rating.
Despite the aforementioned drawbacks, I know my mind will still think fondly on Tempest’s story—like it has for the past 11 years. This is a book that will remain close to my leather-bound, ink stained heart. Forever will it have a place on my shelf.
I have a rating system I try to stick too—but I broke a rule on this one.
I award a star for characters, world-building, prose, plot, and impact on society (for example, if a book strongly upholds values I wouldn’t want influencing children, I take away a star.)
However, I knocked off two stars for the predictable plot (but enjoyed the story nonetheless) and for the sometimes lacking prose. My main prose issue is with the villain. The villain lacks depth and has cliche dialogue.
But I realized that this is a story that I haven’t forgotten— that I still find myself thinking about on occasion. And so, for its lasting impact on me, I added a star to my rating.
Despite the aforementioned drawbacks, I know my mind will still think fondly on Tempest’s story—like it has for the past 11 years. This is a book that will remain close to my leather-bound, ink stained heart. Forever will it have a place on my shelf.
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