Book Type: Novels/SeriesAuthor: Tracey Deebs
Pages: book 1): 368 book 2) 416
Summary of first book(goodreads.com):
Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her-and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance.
My Review:
Book 1)
When I first began this series, I was skeptical. The beginning didn't seem very mermaid-ish, and it was a bit slow. That all changed when Tempest begins changing into a mermaid on her seventeenth birthday along with getting new mermaid tattoos and superpowers. This is when the story really picked up.
The first book was full of twists, and romance as well. I think girls of all ages will appreciate Kona, who is a selkie that is very attracted to Tempest. The romance between the couple is beautiful and heartbreaking at times. I think the only thing that annoyed me with Tempest is that she knows what she wants deep down in her mermaid self, but she refuses to accept her gift, and the cute guy that chases her!
Book 2)
The second book disappointed me.
Tempest... Please make up your mind!
Tempest continues to prove that she is a character that still does not know what she wants. The second book starts off with her visiting her family, but then she sees Mark, and well, I wont ruin what happens.
What annoyed me is how could she be so focused on which guy she wants, when there is an evil sea witch out to get her and take over the world? The second book really seemed to focus on which guy she is willing to choose, but not the bigger issues, such as people dying at the hands of Tiamat, the crazy witch after Tempest.
Still Love Her Bravery:
Even though there were a lot of things that bothered me about the second book, I have to say she is very brave and definitely comes off as the female-warrior type. I also enjoyed the scattering of dramatic scenes. They were very realistic. I know that there is a third book, but it has been hard to get from my local library, but I will update this as soon as I get the next book! So far, I give this series (***-****) 3-4 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie
Book 3)
Well, this last book really was a disappointing end to the series.
First, I noticed the cover. Why does Tempest look so young? The girl on this cover looks nothing like the first two. Other goodreads.com users complained of this as well.
Here Is What I Loved:
There is minimal recap in this third book, and wastes no time in getting into the action sequences. Tempest's powers are so awesome! I wish I had cool zappy-electric powers like her :)
Tempest Still Has Not Matured:
What annoys me the most is Tempest still shows no sign of maturity throughout the series. She's very, and I mean, VERY stubborn and has way too much pride. Sometimes even the hero can accept help!
Without revealing too much, I found it overly dramatic that she severs all ties to land in order to keep people safe from Tiamat. If Tiamat wants to kill them Tempest, she will, with or without you on land!
Speaking of Tiamat: Highlight for spoiler:
Her death was very anti-climatic! Deebs spent three books making this mer-monster out to be the most dangerous being in the world, but she dies within 5 minutes of fighting? Really??
Lastly, this part of the story annoyed me so much that I had to tell my Merfolk readers about it (again, highlight for spoiler):
Kona marries Mahina.
Yes, I am just as heartbroken about this as you are. It literally came out of nowhere, with no mention of feelings for each other at all. I feel like this part was rushed and I was left unsatisfied.
Sadly, I don't feel that this series is worth investing time in. The characters don't mature, and the main character is very annoyingly childish, and doesn't really have her priorities straight. I give this series (***) 3 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie
