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Fins Trilogy #1
Fins
Morgan James is visiting sunny Florida for two weeks before the school year begins. Right from the start, she realizes there's something strangely odd about the opulent world in which her mother and her new husband live and suddenly she is swept into another world - a world she could never have dreamed of. Follow Morgan's unbelievable journey in this magical tale of people who are something other than what they seem - OR, are they really people at all?
172 pages, Paperback
First published September 23, 2010
13 people are currently reading
3947 people want to read
About the author
Ashley L. Knight
7 books60 followersTwo events of significance occurred during of the birth of Ashley Lorenzi Knight in 1977. One was the VC10 jet flight time record from London to Bahrain was smashed by her father in his determination to be by her side and the appearance of brilliant meteor showers over the desert island that was witnessed by her godmother.
Moving away from the gathering war storms of the Middle East conflict, her family settled in mountainous Idaho, USA, to the seasonal rhythms of ranch life. Ashley's love of horses and her strong riding skills made her an elegant Rodeo Queen and spokesperson.
By 15 years Ashley was already enrolled in university where she majored in English/ Writing Emphasis, with a minor in Biology. Her English language skills resulted in a coaching job from her professor for new writers at university. College summers were spent with her younger sister at the ranch riding by the Little Salmon River or at Disney World as an intern in their summer program. Talented in poetry and lyric writing, Ashley began to compose and perform her own songs at an early age, taking formal voice training at college and competing in singing talent shows. A change meeting in downtown Boise brought love's destiny to her life. Greg and Ashley were married in McCall by the glacial blue waters of the lake. Inseparable, they now have two small children of their own.
When she isn't writing, she is attending events as The Mermaid Lady!
Go to www.ashleylknight.com to learn more
Moving away from the gathering war storms of the Middle East conflict, her family settled in mountainous Idaho, USA, to the seasonal rhythms of ranch life. Ashley's love of horses and her strong riding skills made her an elegant Rodeo Queen and spokesperson.
By 15 years Ashley was already enrolled in university where she majored in English/ Writing Emphasis, with a minor in Biology. Her English language skills resulted in a coaching job from her professor for new writers at university. College summers were spent with her younger sister at the ranch riding by the Little Salmon River or at Disney World as an intern in their summer program. Talented in poetry and lyric writing, Ashley began to compose and perform her own songs at an early age, taking formal voice training at college and competing in singing talent shows. A change meeting in downtown Boise brought love's destiny to her life. Greg and Ashley were married in McCall by the glacial blue waters of the lake. Inseparable, they now have two small children of their own.
When she isn't writing, she is attending events as The Mermaid Lady!
Go to www.ashleylknight.com to learn more
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
May 17, 2013
Okay let's start off with a strong tomboy character with a rural upbringing, an estranged relationship with her flighty mom and.....
1) Kill off her dad--dont need that guy
2) Make her magically and conventionally pretty with long shiny hair because of mer-puberty instantaneously.
3)Make her spontaneously fall in love with her magical boyfriend fish. RIGHT AFTER HER DAD DIES. No relationship development needed. Instant love bond! <3 Our dear protagonist gets the awesome pleasure of planning the rest of her life around this guy because, after all, her parents already know they'll be married and their bond is unbreakable. (Just ask Morgan's dad! No need to take his feelings into account though, they killed him off immediately to make room for Morgans magical new mermaid life).
4) To top the whole thing off she's now the most powerful mer-person in the entire ocean. Just because. Or maybe there was another reason but it was so irrational and unlikely I dont even remember the details.
To say I despised this book would be an understatement.
Who in their right mind would take a strong female lead with unconventional beauty and an independent attitude and replace it with a stereotypically pretty mermaid entirely too dependent on her insta-soul-mate-fish? What happened to her spunk? Her obvious inborn BS detector?
Gone. Just flushed down the expensive marble toilet of their Floridian mansion.
Morgan threw away her ENTIRE PERSONALITY and lifelong grudge against the mother who abandoned her because she got a boyfriend and mermaid powers??? Is it justified because the man who raised her wasn't her biological father and he's now dead? She just seamlessly fits into her ridiculous mermaid family without retaining any of her individuality and traits learned over a lifetime in Idaho with her dad???
WTF?!?!?!?
Erasing the foundation of the entire character and replacing it with a vague, weak and cliche one is not character development.
This may have seriously ruined mermaids for me.
1) Kill off her dad--dont need that guy
2) Make her magically and conventionally pretty with long shiny hair because of mer-puberty instantaneously.
3)Make her spontaneously fall in love with her magical boyfriend fish. RIGHT AFTER HER DAD DIES. No relationship development needed. Instant love bond! <3 Our dear protagonist gets the awesome pleasure of planning the rest of her life around this guy because, after all, her parents already know they'll be married and their bond is unbreakable. (Just ask Morgan's dad! No need to take his feelings into account though, they killed him off immediately to make room for Morgans magical new mermaid life).
4) To top the whole thing off she's now the most powerful mer-person in the entire ocean. Just because. Or maybe there was another reason but it was so irrational and unlikely I dont even remember the details.
To say I despised this book would be an understatement.
Who in their right mind would take a strong female lead with unconventional beauty and an independent attitude and replace it with a stereotypically pretty mermaid entirely too dependent on her insta-soul-mate-fish? What happened to her spunk? Her obvious inborn BS detector?
Gone. Just flushed down the expensive marble toilet of their Floridian mansion.
Morgan threw away her ENTIRE PERSONALITY and lifelong grudge against the mother who abandoned her because she got a boyfriend and mermaid powers??? Is it justified because the man who raised her wasn't her biological father and he's now dead? She just seamlessly fits into her ridiculous mermaid family without retaining any of her individuality and traits learned over a lifetime in Idaho with her dad???
WTF?!?!?!?
Erasing the foundation of the entire character and replacing it with a vague, weak and cliche one is not character development.
This may have seriously ruined mermaids for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2012
Mermaids have been objects of fascination to mankind since the first legends appeared in Assyria about three thousand years ago. Folklore has it that the goddess Atargatis loved a mortal shepherd and unintentionally killed him. Embarrassed, she dove into a lake to take the form of a fish, but the waters could not conceal her beauty, and thereafter, she took the form of a mermaid: human above the waist and fish below.
This fascination has continued in so many forms over the ages since then, so it's no wonder that author Ashley Knight's debut novel, Fins , is gaining some attention among readers. This fast-paced book for young adults is about Morgan, a young woman in her late teens who goes to spend the summer with her mother in Central Florida's Treasure Coast. We shortly find out that her mother is actually a mermaid, as is her new husband. And as things like this go, Morgan begins her own biological transformation into a mermaid as well, but one with some very unique qualities.
As she evolves into her newly found status as quite a unique mermaid, she revels in each new discovery of herself, along with a budding then growing love affair with a young merman named Thayde. But all is not finny frivolity, as Morgan shortly finds herself in the midst of a frequently aquatic family feud that has been going on since before her birth. And it looks like it's up to Morgan to find a solution to this aquatic vendetta before it has some very dire results.
Ms. Knight's book is fast paced and obviously written for young adult female fantasy readers, so it was a new experience for this reviewer. Recommended by a friend who knew that I had enjoyed the parts that both mythology and folklore had played throughout history, I mentally raised an eyebrow at first, but trying to be open minded I bought the Kindle edition. Early into it, I quickly found that here was an author who could captivate with some well crafter words, as can be seen here:
Ms. Knight has a way of wording her sentences that for the most part keep the reader moving right along from one page to another, without sidetracking too much into frivolous detail. At times the book had some fairly weak parts where this reader began to think that sections of the overall plot was being stretched a bit thin, but as can often be found in classical folklore and mythology, there can be some surprising twists and turns that kick the interest level back into high gear again.
There were paragraphs with descriptions that made this reader smile, both from the author's subtle sense of humor and the way that she has of creating visual images, such as this:
Ashley Knight's Fins is just one of a plethora of mermaid fantasy books aimed at young adults, and though this reviewer generally shuns such in favorer of other genre, this one comes off quite good in terms of uniqueness and originality. Her character descriptions are not flat or vapid, and though there are some dips and valleys occasionally in the plot, the author manages to pull it all together in an interesting fashion.
For those who look the topic of mermaids as being just parts of mythology, ancient folklore, or half-nude paintings in museums, the Animal planet television channel is currently showing 'Mermaids: The Body Found,' an admitted science docufiction built on a few strands of fact and made to look like an actual documentary. This just adds to the mermaids-are-real hypothesis that has appeared in abundance in cultural references over the centuries, and makes Ms. Knight's novel an even more interesting read.
Some have compared this fantasy to the Twilight Saga, but since I've not read that one, this reviewer cannot comment on a qualified basis. I would prefer to look at Fins as a standalone novel, and as such would rate it as a 3-star read. But considering that this is the author's debut book, this often picky reviewer will call it a solid 4-star read, which is better than some of the current bestsellers on the market today, especially those that deal with various shades of grey and such.
And this one is good enough that this reader has already purchased Fathom , Ashley Knight's sequel, the next one in this trilogy. Though this story is not my normal genre of choice, I must admit to being fascinated with where she's taking this story.
6/10/2012
This fascination has continued in so many forms over the ages since then, so it's no wonder that author Ashley Knight's debut novel, Fins , is gaining some attention among readers. This fast-paced book for young adults is about Morgan, a young woman in her late teens who goes to spend the summer with her mother in Central Florida's Treasure Coast. We shortly find out that her mother is actually a mermaid, as is her new husband. And as things like this go, Morgan begins her own biological transformation into a mermaid as well, but one with some very unique qualities.
As she evolves into her newly found status as quite a unique mermaid, she revels in each new discovery of herself, along with a budding then growing love affair with a young merman named Thayde. But all is not finny frivolity, as Morgan shortly finds herself in the midst of a frequently aquatic family feud that has been going on since before her birth. And it looks like it's up to Morgan to find a solution to this aquatic vendetta before it has some very dire results.
Ms. Knight's book is fast paced and obviously written for young adult female fantasy readers, so it was a new experience for this reviewer. Recommended by a friend who knew that I had enjoyed the parts that both mythology and folklore had played throughout history, I mentally raised an eyebrow at first, but trying to be open minded I bought the Kindle edition. Early into it, I quickly found that here was an author who could captivate with some well crafter words, as can be seen here:
"I arched my back out of the coach class airline seat and stretched. It had been a long flight. Almost four hours from Denver and before that, one from Boise. Florida. Two things came to mind when I thought of Florida: Mickey Mouse and the Orlando Magic. And that it was hot. I wasn't a huge fan of the heat, but imagining lying on a white beach with a nice blue ocean for two weeks seemed ok."
Ms. Knight has a way of wording her sentences that for the most part keep the reader moving right along from one page to another, without sidetracking too much into frivolous detail. At times the book had some fairly weak parts where this reader began to think that sections of the overall plot was being stretched a bit thin, but as can often be found in classical folklore and mythology, there can be some surprising twists and turns that kick the interest level back into high gear again.
There were paragraphs with descriptions that made this reader smile, both from the author's subtle sense of humor and the way that she has of creating visual images, such as this:
"When he surfaced next to me, I felt as if I was staring at Father Time. His long, gray hair matched his scraggly beard. Wringing the water out of it, he smiled and the lines about his face wrinkled even more. He reminded me of a character from one of the old movies my dad had collected. Chong from Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke. I instantly liked this old man."
Ashley Knight's Fins is just one of a plethora of mermaid fantasy books aimed at young adults, and though this reviewer generally shuns such in favorer of other genre, this one comes off quite good in terms of uniqueness and originality. Her character descriptions are not flat or vapid, and though there are some dips and valleys occasionally in the plot, the author manages to pull it all together in an interesting fashion.
For those who look the topic of mermaids as being just parts of mythology, ancient folklore, or half-nude paintings in museums, the Animal planet television channel is currently showing 'Mermaids: The Body Found,' an admitted science docufiction built on a few strands of fact and made to look like an actual documentary. This just adds to the mermaids-are-real hypothesis that has appeared in abundance in cultural references over the centuries, and makes Ms. Knight's novel an even more interesting read.
Some have compared this fantasy to the Twilight Saga, but since I've not read that one, this reviewer cannot comment on a qualified basis. I would prefer to look at Fins as a standalone novel, and as such would rate it as a 3-star read. But considering that this is the author's debut book, this often picky reviewer will call it a solid 4-star read, which is better than some of the current bestsellers on the market today, especially those that deal with various shades of grey and such.
And this one is good enough that this reader has already purchased Fathom , Ashley Knight's sequel, the next one in this trilogy. Though this story is not my normal genre of choice, I must admit to being fascinated with where she's taking this story.
6/10/2012
March 23, 2011
FINS was a magical story filled with mermaids, magic, and romance. The main character, Morgan, was a refreshing read because unlike other heroines of YA paranormal romance (Bella Swan comes to mind), she doesn't sit around and let her true love save her. She goes to whatever risk she must take to save those she cares about.
The descriptions in this book were lush and vivid, so much that I wanted to visit Tammer's house in Florida and not just visit, but I wanted to live there! The descriptions of the mermaids are beautiful, too.
And the TWISTS! Oh, my gosh! This book had a lot of twists I never even saw coming. It was definitely unpredictable, I'll say that.
A lot of people might read the book and think Morgan and Thayde fell in love too fast, but it wasn't overtly sappy or mushy. And Morgan didn't all of a sudden become a damsel in distress. In fact, she insisted on fighting back against the villains and helping her friends and family.
I definitely found FINS a quick, cozy read, one you want to curl up inside and live within its pages. It's a beautiful book, and Ashley Knight really knows how to keep you on your toes with all the twists and turns.
Oh, and on a side note, I loved the names. Thayde, Naira, Tiesa, Ezen...
So, FINS was definitely a quick, fun read, and I will be eagery anticipating Book 2: FATHOM and Book 3: FOREVER.
The descriptions in this book were lush and vivid, so much that I wanted to visit Tammer's house in Florida and not just visit, but I wanted to live there! The descriptions of the mermaids are beautiful, too.
And the TWISTS! Oh, my gosh! This book had a lot of twists I never even saw coming. It was definitely unpredictable, I'll say that.
A lot of people might read the book and think Morgan and Thayde fell in love too fast, but it wasn't overtly sappy or mushy. And Morgan didn't all of a sudden become a damsel in distress. In fact, she insisted on fighting back against the villains and helping her friends and family.
I definitely found FINS a quick, cozy read, one you want to curl up inside and live within its pages. It's a beautiful book, and Ashley Knight really knows how to keep you on your toes with all the twists and turns.
Oh, and on a side note, I loved the names. Thayde, Naira, Tiesa, Ezen...
So, FINS was definitely a quick, fun read, and I will be eagery anticipating Book 2: FATHOM and Book 3: FOREVER.
January 5, 2011
I hope that readers who love the ocean and mermaids will read FINS as I wrote it purely out of my love for both. FATHOM (the sequel) will be released in the Spring of 2011 and I hope you'll pick it up if you enjoyed FINS. All the best to you and yours - Ashley Knight
October 6, 2013
Original Review Here:
"I felt safe and warm, as if the water wasn't there, but we were instead floating in the air. He placed his other arm on the small of my back and pulled me in close to him. My heart racing, I held onto his arms, feeling the strength in them. Intense energy and power radiated from him, enveloping me. He held me close and time seemed to stop."
Why did I pick up this book? One word – Mermaids… After reading Of Poseidon, I gained what I like to call my “mermaid obsession.” I scoured goodreads for all the mermaid books, and ended up finding this one. Unfortunately, it didn't quite meet my expectations.
The description for this book sounded really interesting and is one of the reasons why I gave this book a shot. After a visit with her mother and her new husband Tammer, Morgan’s whole world changes. She finds out that mermaids are real and that she is one of them. Her visit turns into a more permanent situation than she originally plans. She also continues to have dreams about a boy and discovers that she has a greater purpose in life than a normal teenage girl.
Probably one of my favorite parts of this book was that each mermaid had a unique set of powers or abilities. Some could control the weather, swim incredibly fast, or heal people. The section where she learned that she was a mermaid and that she could breathe under water was also a favorite of mine. The part that I did not enjoy was the family drama. After saving Morgan, Thayde is punished and has to endure “The Judgment.” Which is basically a punishment where all of the family members beat the crap out of the one that did something wrong. I was very confused to as why the author felt the need to add this random act of violence into the book.
Insta-love books… Also commonly referred to as, the books where the author was too lazy to develop the romance. Whenever I see them I think:
In case it was not already obvious, I do not like insta-love. I have not read a great book in a while, and these mediocre books are just killing me. Morgan has been dreaming about her love since she was little. She first meets him after being sexually attacked by Akin. Wow, isn't that romantic… After returning to Morgan’s house together, the insta-love begins.
“He sat down next to me and I knew I could have died and been completely happy I’d known him just for that short amount of time. That was how physically attracted I was to him.”
No one is that attracted to someone after less than one day! It was kind of cute that Thayde (weird name by the way) wanted to protect Morgan and risked his life for her, but the insta- love kind of ruined it for me. At the beginning of the book they are meeting for the first time and by the end of the book he is asking her to marry him. I'd say that's pretty fast considering the book was about the width of my pinkie finger.
In the end I did manage to finish this book. For such a short book it took me a while to read it. Parts of this book were just boring or weird, which caused me to put the book down and do something else. Now I’m not saying I completely hated this book, because I didn't. There were some nice parts, such as the final fight scene. There was action, intensity, and Morgan figured out her powers. The problem with this book is the bad out weighed the good. I wanted to like this book. I really did, but this book just wasn't for me.
"I felt safe and warm, as if the water wasn't there, but we were instead floating in the air. He placed his other arm on the small of my back and pulled me in close to him. My heart racing, I held onto his arms, feeling the strength in them. Intense energy and power radiated from him, enveloping me. He held me close and time seemed to stop."
Why did I pick up this book? One word – Mermaids… After reading Of Poseidon, I gained what I like to call my “mermaid obsession.” I scoured goodreads for all the mermaid books, and ended up finding this one. Unfortunately, it didn't quite meet my expectations.
The description for this book sounded really interesting and is one of the reasons why I gave this book a shot. After a visit with her mother and her new husband Tammer, Morgan’s whole world changes. She finds out that mermaids are real and that she is one of them. Her visit turns into a more permanent situation than she originally plans. She also continues to have dreams about a boy and discovers that she has a greater purpose in life than a normal teenage girl.
Probably one of my favorite parts of this book was that each mermaid had a unique set of powers or abilities. Some could control the weather, swim incredibly fast, or heal people. The section where she learned that she was a mermaid and that she could breathe under water was also a favorite of mine. The part that I did not enjoy was the family drama. After saving Morgan, Thayde is punished and has to endure “The Judgment.” Which is basically a punishment where all of the family members beat the crap out of the one that did something wrong. I was very confused to as why the author felt the need to add this random act of violence into the book.
Insta-love books… Also commonly referred to as, the books where the author was too lazy to develop the romance. Whenever I see them I think:
In case it was not already obvious, I do not like insta-love. I have not read a great book in a while, and these mediocre books are just killing me. Morgan has been dreaming about her love since she was little. She first meets him after being sexually attacked by Akin. Wow, isn't that romantic… After returning to Morgan’s house together, the insta-love begins.
“He sat down next to me and I knew I could have died and been completely happy I’d known him just for that short amount of time. That was how physically attracted I was to him.”
No one is that attracted to someone after less than one day! It was kind of cute that Thayde (weird name by the way) wanted to protect Morgan and risked his life for her, but the insta- love kind of ruined it for me. At the beginning of the book they are meeting for the first time and by the end of the book he is asking her to marry him. I'd say that's pretty fast considering the book was about the width of my pinkie finger.
In the end I did manage to finish this book. For such a short book it took me a while to read it. Parts of this book were just boring or weird, which caused me to put the book down and do something else. Now I’m not saying I completely hated this book, because I didn't. There were some nice parts, such as the final fight scene. There was action, intensity, and Morgan figured out her powers. The problem with this book is the bad out weighed the good. I wanted to like this book. I really did, but this book just wasn't for me.
August 8, 2013
Fins is a fast-paced, fun, easy read about a 17-year-old girl named Morgan who goes to spend the summer with her mother. Turns out though, her mother is a mermaid and so is she. Morgan soon finds herself in the middle of a deadly family feud that’s been going on since before she was born. She’d better find a way to end it soon or someone she loves is going to die.
I always feel terrible comparing something to Twilight, but it’s almost impossible nowadays when dealing with paranormal romance. I’ll only say that if you enjoyed anything at all about Twilight you’ll like this book. However, Fins is tighter, has less gag-y romance and a strong female lead. Morgan doesn’t just sit around waiting for things to happen; she’s not going to rest until she’s sure her family’s safe.
The only criticism I would have is that I’d like more development. The story could be fleshed out a bit more, as seen in moments of exposition. There’s a lot of mystery and prophecy and it seems like you get told one fact only to find out ten pages later the opposite is true. A little more breathing room would solve this.
At the same time I don’t think the book’s target audience, teenagers, is going to mind that much. In fact I think this is a great book for reluctant readers.
My mother read the book before I did and she gives it two thumbs up. Quotes from my mother:
“A great book.” “I loved it.” “Do you have any more books like that one?”
She was also very pleased to know there’d be two more books after this one. The book mentioned that vampires also exist, so here’s hoping Morgan gets to stick it to some bloodsuckers.
I always feel terrible comparing something to Twilight, but it’s almost impossible nowadays when dealing with paranormal romance. I’ll only say that if you enjoyed anything at all about Twilight you’ll like this book. However, Fins is tighter, has less gag-y romance and a strong female lead. Morgan doesn’t just sit around waiting for things to happen; she’s not going to rest until she’s sure her family’s safe.
The only criticism I would have is that I’d like more development. The story could be fleshed out a bit more, as seen in moments of exposition. There’s a lot of mystery and prophecy and it seems like you get told one fact only to find out ten pages later the opposite is true. A little more breathing room would solve this.
At the same time I don’t think the book’s target audience, teenagers, is going to mind that much. In fact I think this is a great book for reluctant readers.
My mother read the book before I did and she gives it two thumbs up. Quotes from my mother:
“A great book.” “I loved it.” “Do you have any more books like that one?”
She was also very pleased to know there’d be two more books after this one. The book mentioned that vampires also exist, so here’s hoping Morgan gets to stick it to some bloodsuckers.
May 10, 2013
This book was absolutely wonderful!!! Better than what I had expected! Young romance at its best!!! Fantasy of Mermaids and mermen with special powers, under water cities and true loves!! Almost like Romeo and Juliet!! Amazing, I couldn't put it down!
July 26, 2012
In its first few pages, Fins seems like your archetypal YA holiday romance story. Teenage Morgan is on her way to spend some time in Florida with her mother, whom she hasn’t seen for a couple of years. Mom sounds like your typical hippie mother – more interested in travelling around having a good time than worrying about her daughter. Yet there’s much more here than meets the eye.
Soon, Morgan learns the life-changing and seemingly incredible fact that she comes from a line of mermaids. Her Mom is a mermaid, Mom’s husband Tammer is a merman, and Morgan has a half-sister, Naira, who is also a mermaid. And just as this impossible news starts to freak Morgan out, guess what? Her body begins its own transformation, forcing her to face some of the toughest moments of her life.
Fins is a wonderful coming-of-age story, a tale of developing relationships. Yet it’s also a story of courage, of digging deep, of defending what you love. A spiraling family feud threatens Morgan’s new-found life before she’s even had a chance to accept it, and the man of her dreams, her true soul mate, also stands to lose his life. Morgan will have to do much more than embrace her heritage in order to protect them.
Ashley Knight’s prose runs strongly like the tide, and Morgan’s voice flows clear as tropical waters. Highly recommended YA fantasy.
Soon, Morgan learns the life-changing and seemingly incredible fact that she comes from a line of mermaids. Her Mom is a mermaid, Mom’s husband Tammer is a merman, and Morgan has a half-sister, Naira, who is also a mermaid. And just as this impossible news starts to freak Morgan out, guess what? Her body begins its own transformation, forcing her to face some of the toughest moments of her life.
Fins is a wonderful coming-of-age story, a tale of developing relationships. Yet it’s also a story of courage, of digging deep, of defending what you love. A spiraling family feud threatens Morgan’s new-found life before she’s even had a chance to accept it, and the man of her dreams, her true soul mate, also stands to lose his life. Morgan will have to do much more than embrace her heritage in order to protect them.
Ashley Knight’s prose runs strongly like the tide, and Morgan’s voice flows clear as tropical waters. Highly recommended YA fantasy.
July 13, 2011
Fins is one of the many mermaid books out, and even though I've only read a few this one is high up on my list.
There are many things going for this book:
The characters: All of them were really great with their own purposes and uniqueness for the story. I loved the main character Morgan, you could feel what she was going through and see her flaws and mistakes and how she deals with them, she also doesn't hold back which I like in a protagonist.
The setting: I love Florida so this book was great for me, with Vero Beach and the ocean. I think one of my favorite parts in the book was when Morgan goes to Jamaica; it just really captured the beach feel.
The plot: I loved how Morgan found out she was a mermaid and how she dealt with it. It was also a nice surprise to see how the story unfolded and she slowly realized more about her world.
The mermaids: I love how the mermaids each have their own unique powers, and how they phase, really magical!
Overall this book is a light easy read, my only complaint is that it's way too short! So I'm really excited to read the sequel Fathom.
There are many things going for this book:
The characters: All of them were really great with their own purposes and uniqueness for the story. I loved the main character Morgan, you could feel what she was going through and see her flaws and mistakes and how she deals with them, she also doesn't hold back which I like in a protagonist.
The setting: I love Florida so this book was great for me, with Vero Beach and the ocean. I think one of my favorite parts in the book was when Morgan goes to Jamaica; it just really captured the beach feel.
The plot: I loved how Morgan found out she was a mermaid and how she dealt with it. It was also a nice surprise to see how the story unfolded and she slowly realized more about her world.
The mermaids: I love how the mermaids each have their own unique powers, and how they phase, really magical!
Overall this book is a light easy read, my only complaint is that it's way too short! So I'm really excited to read the sequel Fathom.
May 6, 2013
Morgandy was on her way to visit her Mother. It should be quite a change from her Idaho ranch home with her dad to sunny Florida! She knew nothing about Vero Beach except the warning the senile old lady on the plane gave her to watch out for the "Merpeople" there. Right, merpeople. Her Mom meets her at the airport and the surprises start immediately..her Mom is remarried! The surprises keep coming when they arrive at her mom's home. They are RICH, really rich! Huge house, on the water, huge pool, amazing amenities.
Then she finds our she is a "halfling" half merperson herself! She meets a man she has been dreaming of for years and is plunged into a world of danger and unknown power. Little does she know, what lies in sore for her and the merpeople she is just beginning to know. Prejudice and Politics will bring her to a place she could have never imagined! I won't spoil the story, but suffice it to say this is a richly detailed world you will not want to leave! I can't wait to read the other books in the trilogy.
Then she finds our she is a "halfling" half merperson herself! She meets a man she has been dreaming of for years and is plunged into a world of danger and unknown power. Little does she know, what lies in sore for her and the merpeople she is just beginning to know. Prejudice and Politics will bring her to a place she could have never imagined! I won't spoil the story, but suffice it to say this is a richly detailed world you will not want to leave! I can't wait to read the other books in the trilogy.
May 3, 2012
Fins follows Morgan James as she’s visiting her mother in Florida for two weeks before school starts. She thinks something’s fishy about the world her mother and her new husband seem to live in. Morgan finds herself swept up into that world, a world she never could have dreamed of. A world where people are more than what they seem, if they’re even people at all.
Set aside a good chunk of time in which you can start and finish this book! You will NOT want to put it down. I started reading it while my computer was starting and before I knew it, the laptop battery had died and all my friends on Facebook wondered what happened to me! This book totally sucks you in. The underwater scenes are great, the battle scene is awesome! This was a great introduction to the newest trend in contemporary literature. It’ll leave you wanting more, which is a good thing considering Fathom should be out soon!
Thank you to Ashley for the review copy. It in no way influenced my review.
Set aside a good chunk of time in which you can start and finish this book! You will NOT want to put it down. I started reading it while my computer was starting and before I knew it, the laptop battery had died and all my friends on Facebook wondered what happened to me! This book totally sucks you in. The underwater scenes are great, the battle scene is awesome! This was a great introduction to the newest trend in contemporary literature. It’ll leave you wanting more, which is a good thing considering Fathom should be out soon!
Thank you to Ashley for the review copy. It in no way influenced my review.
July 2, 2011
I will admit, it took me a few chapters to really get into this book, but in the end I really did enjoy it. I wish the book itself had been a little longer; I would have loved for it to have kept going, and also things seemed to happen very quickly and I would have enjoyed things taking their time to come about. The characters were fun, and I really came to like Morgan (her take on the new situations were believable, though as I said above with drawing things out, I would have prefered her relationship with Thayde to have progressed a bit more slowly-I still did love them both together). And I loved little Naida, and wish she had been able to be around more, perhaps in the sequel? I'm looking forward to picking up book two in the series.
July 14, 2011
I wish I could give this book 3.5 stars. I loved aspects of it, and it showed great promise throughout most of the story.. but it got a little hokey and "Twilighty" at the end. I felt that there were a couple of rather large emotional themes of this particular story that were glossed over.. I won't say what as I don't want to give anything away.
I am reading "Fathom" right now, and it does seem to be a lot more well-rounded and the characters are acting a little (and I stress the "little") more realistically. So far, I'm giving that one a solid 4 stars and I hope it stays that way until the end.
Overall, it was a fantastic idea that just hit slightly short of the mark.... but hey, I couldn't write a book to save my life, so who am I to judge! : )
I am reading "Fathom" right now, and it does seem to be a lot more well-rounded and the characters are acting a little (and I stress the "little") more realistically. So far, I'm giving that one a solid 4 stars and I hope it stays that way until the end.
Overall, it was a fantastic idea that just hit slightly short of the mark.... but hey, I couldn't write a book to save my life, so who am I to judge! : )
April 21, 2011
I finished reading the first books in the Fins trilogy by Ashley Knight and I enjoyed it more than any other book I've read about merpeople lately.I enjoyed it so much because of the author's different take of the mythological mermaid.She was able to make each character come across as having their own flaws when previous books about mermaids portray them as being almost perfect creatures.The only other books that featured mermaids that I've read that portrayed them the same way Ashley Knight did was Forbidden Sea by Sheila A. Nelson. I give Fins 5 stars and I am very much looking forward to reading the second book in the trilogy when it's released in May.
February 6, 2017
For a short book it dragged on too long
I picked up this freebie quite some time ago and just now got around to reading it.
Good storyline but I cringed every time I read, "We have more to tell you" or "I have to tell you something" or "You haven't told her yet?". Heck, at the very end I was still reading this kind of line. I typically enjoy guessing the "Who done it" but this was way too easy. To be fair, this is a book for a younger age group. With that in mind, I would have enjoyed this book if I was still in 6th grade. I don't mean this as an insult as I would have loved this book in my younger days. I would recommend this book to kids in middle school.
I picked up this freebie quite some time ago and just now got around to reading it.
Good storyline but I cringed every time I read, "We have more to tell you" or "I have to tell you something" or "You haven't told her yet?". Heck, at the very end I was still reading this kind of line. I typically enjoy guessing the "Who done it" but this was way too easy. To be fair, this is a book for a younger age group. With that in mind, I would have enjoyed this book if I was still in 6th grade. I don't mean this as an insult as I would have loved this book in my younger days. I would recommend this book to kids in middle school.
January 29, 2012
I really, really, really don't want to do a bad review. I just couldn't make it past chapter four. I was just...bored. But that is just me - I like action to draw me into the book. There was way too much description before anything remotely interesting happened. I found myself skipping over pages of prose, probably missing something important. Please don't take my word for it - this may be a really good YA read. Just not my cup of tea.
April 19, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. It was a typical YA book, but it had a great unique twist to it. I enjoyed the different side characters that show up throughout the story. It was super easy to read, and ended too quickly. I wish I could have kept reading longer. I would definitely recommend this one to anyone that enjoys a fun YA read.
May 8, 2011
I really enjoyed this (and I don't normally read a lot of YA). Ashley Knight's 'Fins' reads like a mesmerizing synthesis of Walt Disney and JK Rowling. A coming-of-age tale complete with dueling factions, magical underwater battles, compelling prophecies and forbidden love. A transformative adventure for young adults – and the young at heart!
June 26, 2017
This was a cute mermaid story. It had enough to keep me reading, even though a few times it felt like something was missing, which was why I gave a 3. I really liked Thayne and Morgan. It didn't get too much into their relationship, but I am hoping the next book will have more. And I did not like Akin like I thought I would. He is a butthead.
September 5, 2012
This book is nice and out of the normal mermaids tale. It was relaxing to read and I just like the story line. Fins can used a little work with details and the grammar. All in all I really enjoy this book. If you want a nice story for a sunny day. Give this a try and you might be surprise that you will be hungry for more.
October 19, 2012
There are several things I liked about this trilogy. I probably would give it a 3.75..... It seemed very abbreviated, not fully developed. Then, I chose it trying to branch out from vampires and angels. Well, by the end of the series you don't just have Mermaids but angels and vampires too! It was a bit of a stretch....
April 21, 2011
Fins is a fascinating story with unique characters and I would recommend it to the young adult crowd. Action adventure, mystery, romance, magic, this book has it all. I found the subject matter refreshing and would love to see how it transfers to film.
June 19, 2012
Didnt much like this book tbh She writes like her readers are idiots who need every little plot point spelled out and like they will lose interest and run away if the story doesnt move faster. It all just felt really rushed.
March 30, 2011
I loved it! Check out my upcoming review on http://danasyabookpile.blogspot.com/.
Want to read
March 2, 2011This looks so good!
March 7, 2011
Kind of like Twilight, only with mermaids instead of vampires. Fun read.
December 26, 2012
Read Mecheles review here:
http://readforyourfuture.blogspot.com...
http://readforyourfuture.blogspot.com...
January 3, 2013
good book, if a little predictable at times.
May 7, 2013
Olivia breezed through this book in a few hours, she said it was her favorite book to date.
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