Book Review: Everlost

All she ever dreamt of was to be human.

With one kiss, Tatiana has discovered a love for a man she’d hated—the prince of Natatoria. Through the botched rescue attempt by her father against this union, an army of rebels has revealed their identity and intentions—treason. When the King is fatally injured, Azor takes things into his own hands and he will stop at nothing to get what he wants: to be king. Including killing Tatiana’s father.

Jacob had always been loyal to the crown, that was until his brother‘s banishment to die on Bone Island without an explanation. Invited to help on a mission with Jack, leader of the underground army, Jacob learns the truth about the kingdom and of Jack’s daughter, a girl with beautiful blue eyes and a heart of gold. Falling for her—a promised princess—wasn’t supposed to happen.

Caught between the bond and her family, Tatiana, the future Queen, must overcome the promise to fight for what’s right and uncover the truths of the past or all will become Everlost.

I've been finishing a lot of series lately, and most recently that was Everlost by Brenda Pandos. It's book three in her mermaid trilogy. The first was Everblue, followed by Evergreen.

Everlost continued on the story that the first two set up. However, it almost felt like a companion novel. The first two books switched between Fin and Ash, alternating points of view. This book followed Tatiana while she was stuck in the mermaid's homeland, Natatoria. Despite that, I had no trouble diving right back into this world.

I really enjoyed Tatiana's story. While some of what happened was predictable, the world, rules, and customs that Brenda created were interesting. And there were some twists and turns that surprised me. I love that Tatiana was a strong character, a feminist while still having a girly side. Her struggle to overcome a bond that was forced on her was inspiring, showing that had control of her life, not some guy. Even if he was a prince.

I thought she wrapped the story up nicely, but that's not going to stop me from wishing that another novel (or even a short story) set in this world will pop up. I don't want to leave these characters. If you haven't read this series, now is the perfect time to check it out. Everblue is free for your Kindle, so get it today!

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Anthology Review: The Dark Woods

THE DARK WOODS is a bewitching collection of young adult short stories, ranging from science fiction and fantasy to paranormal, all featuring a lesbian heroine. This collection is part of Project Unicorn, a fiction project that seeks to address the near nonexistence of lesbian main characters in young adult fiction by giving them their own stories.

Stories by Sarah Diemer

Witch Girls (Dark Fantasy): The wild witch girls lurk at the edge of the woods, waiting to snatch away any girl who’s less than good. Gran’s warnings are the same every day: be good, or the witch girls will take you. But what if you want to be taken? Witch Girls is my favorite of Sarah’s contributions. The warning about the witch girls only made me want to be one of them.

Surfacing (Fantasy): When Alice’s brother John takes a mermaid out of the sea and drags her into the woods to die, Alice must find the courage to stand up to the worst bully she’s ever known in order to save a life. This was a sad but wonderful story. I’m always drawn to mermaids. So I thought this was a wonderful story.

Curse Cabin Confession (Paranormal): When Robin invites her girlfriend, Malinda, up to her family cabin for the weekend, it’s not just for a romantic time. Robin has a confession to make: she’s not exactly human. This was a fun short, but it’s not as memorable as most of the others.

Wolves of Leaving (Paranormal): After challenging the Alpha–and losing–Cadie begs the girl she loves to forsake all they’ve ever known and escape the tyranny of the pack. I really liked the ending to this one. It was a great story.

Devil May Care (Paranormal): When Corrine is forced to summon a demon to find a missing loved one, the afternoon turns stranger than expected. My other favorite of Sarah’s. This is one of the stories you won’t find online. It stood out, being more unique than the others.

Stories by Jennifer Diemer

A Craving (Fantasy): Snow knows little of the world, having spent most of her life within the safe confines of the cottage she shares with seven little men, her protectors. But every day, a young girl comes to the door, offering her an apple, and every day brings Snow one step closer to taking a bite. I love anything and everything based on fairy tales. Snow White is not one of my favorites, but the twist here was fantastic!

Natural (Paranormal): Terra feels confused and alone–until she meets a mysterious girl in the forest, standing next to her favorite tree… Possibly the most beautiful story in the group. As a pagan girl, I really enjoyed the magic here.

Haunt (Paranormal): Every moonrise, Tam and Ailsa defy the laws of time and space to meet in the forest and kiss beneath the stars. Haunt brought tears to my eyes. Another beautiful story by Jenn. But also sad. *sniff*

Dreaming Green (Science Fiction): Mirelle catches a mysterious seed during a spacewalk, and, though it is forbidden, she dares to plant it, nurture it, and let it grow. This was probably the most unique story in the entire group. It’s listed as science fiction, but it’s also very magical. A lovely story.

Mirrors (Fantasy): Bewitched by an old compact in an antique store window, Maisy is startled to realize that the reflection in the mirror is not her own. This is the other story not available to read for free on the site. This was my favorite of Jenn’s contributions. But, then again, I love anything with faeries.

You can download The Dark Woods from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Smashwords. Or, if you’d like a print copy of the first three months of Project Unicorn, you can get one signed from Sarah and Jennifer at Sappho’s Boutique.

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Book Review: Forsaken

Mara's mother is missing, her little brother is sick, may be dying, her father is grieving. It all seems hopeless - until Mara sets out on a life or death journey to bring her mother home.

I am a huge fan of Katherine Langrish, so when I found out she had a mermaid book, I had to get my hands on it. Forsaken was an extremely short book. I could have read the entire thing in less than 20 minutes, but I drew out the reading experience and made sure I broke it down into two sittings.

Mara's father is a merman. Mara and all of her siblings are merchildren. But Mara's mother is human. She left her world for the man she fell in love with. But she grew tired of living in the ocean and longed for her home. So she leaves her children and husband behind.

This is the story of Mara's journey, venturing on land to find her mother. While very short, it's a wonderful story. I highly recommend it!

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Book Review: Evergreen

A kingdom on the brink of war.

A king on the fringes of insanity.

A family running for their lives.

Ash and Fin’s only desire is to be together and dive into their happily ever after, though their conflicting worlds work to pull them apart. Neither is ready to convert to the other’s life: become a human or a mer. Little do they know that somewhere in Natatoria a secret holds the fine fabric of everyone’s lives together. If the truth is discovered, Ash and Fin will no longer have the luxury of waiting. They’ll be forced to choose. But will it be for loyalty or love? Or will someone else make the choice for them if they can’t decide?

Enter the watery world of treachery, greed, and the binding mer kiss as the story continues with Evergreen, book two of Mer Tales.

Evergreen is the second book in Brenda Pandos' Mer Tales trilogy. The first is Everblue, and the third, coming out next February, is Everlost. I read and loved Everblue a few months ago, and each day that passed between then and the release of Evergreen was torture, relieved only by other great books. I was so excited to hear about what was going to happen with Fin and Ash next.

Fin and Ash were torn apart, when Fin's family left. Both have to survive apart through the pull of the promise, a mermaid bond. Neither are pleased with the situation, and every day apart grows harder. Fin's family moves into Fin's old house, which happens to me next door to Ash's, and she is in danger. They think she's someone that she's not. With Fin on the other side of the country, how can he protect his promised?

Evergreen was a quick, fun read, full of mermaid fun and romance. But it was so much more than that. There was mystery and danger, longing and romance, and deling with high school in between all of that. So much happened that it's left me anxious for the conclusion. If you're interested in reading a fun, fantasy romance, this is definitely one to look up. And with Everblue costing only 99c as an ebook, what do you have to lose?

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Book Review: Everblue

She wanted her life to change... he wanted his to stay the same.

Best friends share everything with each other. Or do they? Seventeen-year-old Ashlyn Frances Lanski is tired of her boring, single life. Spending time with her best friend Tatiana, dreaming about kissing Tatiana's twin brother Fin, and swimming competitively are her only sanctuary. The girls plan to leave their drab lakeside town far behind for college. But when Tatchi fails to return home after a family emergency, and no one knows where the family has gone, Ash chooses to do something drastic to find them.

Ashlyn is about to discover what she'd thought to be true her whole life, wasn't, and the truth, too fantastical to imagine. Secrets lurk beneath the deep blue waters of Lake Tahoe, secrets that will change Ashlyn's life forever.

Everblueis the first book I've read by Brenda Pandos, and it won't be the last. And that's not just because the sequel, Evergreen, comes out this summer. I'm definitely going to check out her vampire series. Everblue tells the story of Ashlyn, a high school senior and champion of her swim team, and Finley, the smexy merman next door. While Ash has a crush on Fin, it's awkward, because Fin's twin sister (Tatiana) is Ashlyn's best friend.

Ashlyn doesn't know her bff's biggest secret: that her and her family are merpeople. And one night, they disappear. They travel to their homeland of Natatoria, per the king's request. This story switches points of view. Ashlyn is just a normal teen girl, struggling through school and worrying about Tatiana's family, and their mysterious disappearance. And then there's Finley, who is trying to deal with being underwater 24/7 and missing Ash.

This story started off a bit slow, but it was wonderfully told. I think it would be amazing to live the life of a mermaid, and Natatoria is the first place I'd visit. The visuals Brenda Pandos created were wonderful. I liked many of the characters and hated the ones I was supposed to. Ash and Fin were adorable together, and I can't wait to read book two. Be sure to check out this light-hearted, fun mermaid romance. And with an ebook price of $2.99 how can you pass that up? Get a copy of Everbluefor your Kindle.

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Book Review: The Selchie's Seed

I just finished The Selchie's Seed by Shulamith Levey Oppenheim. A mysterious white whale shows up near the shore one evening during a storm. The whale's flipper is torn. Fifteen-year-old Marian finds him, and along with her brother Graeme, they beg their mother to heal him. With just a bit of salve, she heals the white whale.

Marian is drawn to the whale. She can't stop thinking about him. One evening she comes home with a necklace of pearls and a shell, a gift from the white whale. Why is she so drawn to him? He brings Marian's magical heritage to light, much to her father's dismay. For they are a good Christian family. Not pagan.

I love books with faeries, especially selchies. They are a favorite of mine. This novella was amazing. It was beautifully written, and the story itself gorgeous. I fell in love with it so much I had to force myself to put it down and read it in two sittings. It's short, a bit over 80 pages, and it has lovely illustrations by Diane Goode.

It is currently out of print, and I've not been able to find it new. So if you happen to find a copy, pick it up.

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