Tangled Tides - Karen Amanda Hooper

Tangled Tides by Karen Amanda Hooper

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


On her eighteenth birthday, Treygan turns Yara into a mermaid against her will… and that's just the beginning. Tangled up in an underwater world of mysterious merfolk and secretive selkies, Yara discovers both sides want her for her ability to fulfil a broken a promise and open the sealed gateway to their realm, but they are battling over how it should be done. The selkies want to take her life, but the merfolk want something far more precious...

I'm stingy with my 5 stars, I admit it, but this book certainly comes close. If I could award half stars, I would. As it is, I've got to settle on 4, but I do believe it deserves more.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It starts fast, with just enough time to introduce the main characters, before Yara is whisked away. As a new mermaid, we learn about her world along with her, the author adding information as it is pertinent to the story. I never felt as though I was being given a history lesson. The author's attention to detail, while never overstepping into the realms of the description detracting from the story, paints a stunning underwater world, with a hierarchy and a history - all the details needed to believe a place is real, including the mythology behind its creation.

Yara was very easy to like. A stubborn, compassionate girl, who wouldn't just take Treygan's word for anything in the beginning, she ultimately grew into a character who had the strength and courage to help everyone, if only she could summon it.

I loved watching Treygan change from being exasperated by Yara to letting his feelings for her grow, despite the side of her she didn't know - the side that would keep them apart.

I was also intrigued by Rownan. I think part of me expects a clean-cut villain, but I can't even describe Rownan as a villain. The author created a very rounded character, with strong motivations, that helped me understand why he acted the way he did… even when I didn't like it.

The plot kept up the pace, with moments of action interspersed with moments of learning and character development. I got to halfway and didn't want to put the book down. By the final third, the story hurtled on to a conclusion the author cleverly kept hidden from the reader, despite the first person POV.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy, some romance, and has a love for all things under the sea, real or mythological.

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Gods and Goddesses in Norse Mythology

In celebration of Coral Moore's book, "Broods of Fenrir", and the fact that I recently finished Ali Cross's book, "Become", here are a few gods from Norse mythology. (In case you're wondering about my choice, Norse mythology features in both books :).)

1. Odin - Chief god, and the most powerful in Asgard. The world was created by Odin and his two brothers. You can tell him in pictures, because he only has one eye (he traded the other for infinite wisdom - think I'd rather have the eye and a steep learning curve ;)).
2. Frigg - Wife of Odin and queen of Asgard. Goddess of marriage and fertility. Her name means "beloved one".
3. Thor - Thunder god, the god of storms. Son of Odin and Fjorgyn (Earth). Strongest of all the gods, and known to be ill-tempered. He owns a hammer, called Mjolnir, which can hit any target, and always returns to him.
4. Freyja (also known as Freya) - Goddess of love, lust, beauty, sorcery, and death (busy girl!). Daughter of the sea god, Njord, and twin sister of Freyr.
5. Loki - Trickster god. He was not an Aesir, but Odin took him in and made him his blood brother. Hence, why he lives on Asgard. Not to be trusted. Full of mischief, and heads towards evil as time goes on.

So, there you have it, and here endeth today's lesson in world mythology ;). What myths do you like reading about?