Of Triton

Of Triton was not totally what I expected.  I expected more of what was happening in the beginning with Emma and her mother. I expected Nalia to be involved in something more nefarious. Instead, I think something nefarious happened to Nalia and Grom, but we don't know what. I'm also saddened by what Emma learned about her parents. I thought this whole drama was going to be a larger part of the book, but it was set-up, I think. Not in a bad way. We learn through this adventure at the start of the novel, more about Nalia, Grom and their relationship. We see Emma have doubts and what she does with them. She loves her mother, though she wants to believe in Galen. Anna Banks definitely surprised me with where the story went after the car ride.

The meat of the story, that was an adventure. Life under the ocean is more complicated than the Royals even thought. I liked that there was less moody romance and more active adventure; there were things the characters had to figure out. Though Emma and Rayna got left behind for a while, we got to spend more time in the water and learn about the Syrena people. The display of the gifts at the end though, that was nice. It's not just about Emma. I also thought I'd get to see a little more ass-kicking from Nalia. Galen did supply her with something she could have used, though maybe she didn't want to hurt one of her subjects. I'm wondering what the future holds not just for Galen and Emma, but for the undersea kingdoms. I also feel like there's more to the mystery of what happened in the mine field with Nalia and Grom. Though Of Triton felt like a complete story, I'm eager to find out what happens in Of Neptune.

Hard To Get, by Anna Banks

I’ve been feeling the urge to read Of Triton, the second book in Anna Banks’ Syrena Legacy, when I realized I hadn’t yet read Hard To Get. Hard to Get is one of the several short stories Anna Banks has written as companion pieces to her Syrena novels.  I’ve read Legacy Lost, which is tragic and the reason I started with the series. Hard To Get tells the story of what happened between Toraf and Rayna, after Toraf used a kiss with the series’ protagonist, Emma, to make Rayna jealous.

When I read Of Poseidon back in September, I was not sold on this storyline. Though I liked Toraf, I could not reconcile what he did. He was forcing Rayna to be with him.  Then he hurt her for rejecting him. The two sides of him weren’t sitting well with me.  Reading this story makes me understand his actions, though they were impulsive.  It also makes me like Grom a little less, even though I was sympathetic with him previously.  Maybe he is actually an ass and it makes perfect sense why his mate did what she did.  I’m sure to read about it soon in Of Triton. Hard To Get was a quick, fun story, with insight into some of the Syrena characters.

Of Poseidon

I totally predicted the ending.  Not quite everything, of course....and in the middle of the book, I had a bit of a question about the parentage.  But the big reveal.  I knew it.  There were some things thrown out there to make me doubt myself, but I knew it.

I really enjoyed Of Poseidon.  It was fast-paced with a good story. What really hooked me was the beginning. Anna Banks wrote a scene that I did not expect.  It was so sad and violent and changed the way you thought the story was going to go.  It was traumatic for Emma and coloured the way she thought of her first meeting with Galen.

I liked Emma.  She talked about being "that girl". The girl who gives up everything for a boy, who moons over him and changes all her life plans.  She wants to go to college and have the future she has been planning.  Then she calls herself on it when she does become "that girl".  I like Galen too.  He had a struggle, but he was also able to leave Emma when necessary, he didn't feel the need to drag her around everywhere because he had to be with her all the time.

Toraf and Rayna are fun, but I don't know if I liked what Toraf did.  In the end, it was okay, but what if it wasn't.  Would Rayna have been freed, could she have made her own decision?  I don't know, so I'm not totally sold on this storyline.

I also don't know if I like the ending.  It was too cliffhanger-y.  I like novels, including first ones in a series, to feel finished.  I'd rather the cliffhanger be left for book two. There are so many questions left, even though I knew what was going to happen. The questions all have to do with the future of the characters. I want to know what will happen to everyone, where are they going to go, what will the fate of the kingdoms be? I feel unsatisfied with the ending, though I'm not sure what the author could have done differently.  Continue the story?  End it sooner?  It is not going to stop me from reading Of Triton and Of Neptune. 

One of the reasons I read Of Poseidon was because I had already read Anna Banks' short story, Legacy Lost, which I re-read after finishing Of Poseidon.  I really enjoyed it, so I felt like I would enjoy the novel too. I've always liked reading a short story to try out a new author, before committing time and money to a full novel. I am looking forward to Of Triton and reading more of Banks' work.

Undead and Underwater

Undead and Underwater is a collection of three novellas by MaryJanice Davidson.  In it, Davidson has included a crossover story with Queen Betsy and Fred the Mermaid, a grown-up Lara Wyndham, and a character I've never read about before, Hailey Derry.  While I love Queen Betsy and the Undead books, I've been interested in reading something different by Davidson and more about the world of the Wyndham werewolves and Fred the Mermaid.

Super, Girl

Hailey is great (aka It Girl - a name she hates) and has an unusual power. She doesn't wear a cape or have a crafted persona. She just does what's right, what needs to be done.  I love where Hailey works; her office has its own personality. If Davidson ever writes more about Hailey, I feel like she'll need to flush out that company and its CEO a little more. Even with the unanswered questions, I really enjoyed the story.  I felt like we were getting a peak into Hailey's life. I appreciated that Hailey wasn't just a copy of Betsy.  She talked "a mile a minute", but before Linus, she felt like she had no one to talk to.  Unlike Betsy, from the beginning, she puts others first. She has no life except for her Human Resources job and saving people.  She owns her gifts.  She makes excuses at work, but the end is no surprise.  I wish I could know more about Hailey's minions, who love her and want her to be happy.  For a novella, it was good, with just enough mystery that will make readers want more.

Undead and Underwater

Will there be more Betsy and Fred crossover? Because I think I would enjoy that. Betsy has changed the way Fred thinks about the world. With both of these characters, having them change in any way affects how they deal with the problems that come up in their stories. It is Betsy that has kept me reading the Undead series and who influenced me to pick up a trilogy about mermaids. I think Fred is seeing Betsy the way her friends and other strangers don't, maybe because of her unique perspective.

In Undead and Underwater, Betsy and Fred accidentally come together because they were asked to help the same person. At first Fred can't stand Betsy, which is understandable for anyone who's read any of the Undead books, but she sees the way that Betsy is willing to help Madeline, a human and someone she doesn't know. Fred reluctantly gets to know Betsy. You can feel a lot of different things towards the reluctant vampire Queen, she's ditzy but likable, self-centered but fierce. Betsy is often perfectly put together, but in a flash, she can also be covered with someone else's blood. Fred knows that Betsy is someone she never wants to piss off and never wants to lose track of. Those final lines of the Undead and Underwater novella make me think that Fred and Betsy will come together again. There are Undead novels I have yet to read and one or two more yet to be published and I am excited to see what Davidson has in store for them.

Incomer

I really enjoyed Incomer it might be my favorite of the three stories. Incomer is about Lara the daughter of Michael Wyndham and new Pack leader. The story takes place in near the future, when Lara assumes leadership of the Pack. Incomer is about her first day, her first challenge and becoming an adult. I loved her brother, Sean and I loved Jack. It was nice to know what happened to Derik and Sara after Derik's Bane. I appreciate that there wasn't the typical werewolf fight to the death.  Laura, after taking on her father's mantle, is also continuing Michael's new tradition of excepting change. When Lara addresses the challenge in an unusual way, the result is unexpected.  I appreciate the unexpected, especially when using familiar stories, like werewolf fight to the death or challenge for leadership.

I also really liked Davidson's vision of technology in the future.  It's only about 20 years, but foldable iPads sound awesome, though even if our homes get wired to the Cloud, I think some of the young folk will know what iPhones are, because their parents had one. I loved the glimpses of future Queen Betsy and future Fred.  They're the same, but older. They might give Lara a hard time, but they are loyal and seem to have genuine concern for her well-being.  Betsy seems to be at home, still with Sinclair, living life, trying not to turn evil.  Fred is in the Caspian Sea, the seat of power for the Undersea Folk, with kids. How did she end up in the Caspian Sea when she loved Boston?  I think more than Betsy, I have questions about Fred.

I enjoyed getting to be in the Pack and experiencing it through their perspective.  There have only been two Wyndam Werewolves novels, the rest have been short stories, most of which I don't think I've read.  Neither of the novels took place in Cape Cod, where the Wyndhams live.  What is it like there, what has Michael Wyndham had to deal with? What were his children like as teenagers?  How did humans fit into their world?  What was the fallout after Queen Betsy's visit?  Incomer gave me some of that, some of what I've been wanting to read.  But I'd like more.

In the end...

It was a great threesome of novellas.  I enjoyed each story, each character accepting their positions of power, their responsibilities.  It has reminded me how much I enjoy Davidson's writing and I look forward to the next book of hers I pluck off the shelf.

Fish Out Of Water

I couldn't wait to finish the final book in MaryJanice Davidson's Fred the Mermaid trilogy.  Fish Out Of Water was everything I wanted it to be.  I loved the ending.  Finally!  An ending I was satisfied with.  It wasn't a super happily-ever-after type ending, which I like, but happy enough. Some of the story was a bit predictable, but it was so entertaining, that it doesn't matter.  I wouldn't have expected anything else.

I read the first two books, Sleeping With The Fishes and Swimming Without A Net in the last couple weeks.  I've already talked about how I enjoy the grumpy mermaid and how much I like Davidson's writing.  So here are a few quick, but hopefully not spoilery things I liked about Fish Out Of Water.

- Fred's Dad. Sad, but good... and violent.

- Bad behaviour can make even the most beautiful person ugly.

- Be yourself, not who others want you to be, you'll be happier that way.

- Thomas always saw the real Fred.

- I still love Tennian.

Fish Out Of Water ended the series so well.... but wait!  Here's the main reason I picked up this trilogy in the first place.  The next book I plan on reading in Davidson's Undead series has a crossover story with Fred!  Undead and Underwater is on my to-read list.  I'm glad that Fish Out Of Water isn't the last I'm going to see of Fred.

Swimming Without A Net

Oh, Fred.  How did this happen? How did you end up there? Were you too aloof?  Too nice?  Well, maybe not nice, but she has a conscience.  Fred, the Grumpy Mermaid is trying to help Prince Artur and his dad, King Mekkan with a problem.  A solution is found, but is it the right one for the Undersea Folk?  Fred grows in Swimming Without A Net.  In the first Fred The Mermaid book, I feel like Fred spent a lot of time reacting to the situations around her.  In Swimming Without A Net, Fred is actively participating in mer-people's lives.  She makes decisions that are not entirely selfish.  She grows as a person and the end of this second novel I find a bit bittersweet.

Vague Spoilers....

I really enjoyed the new characters introduced in Swimming Without A Net.  I thought the scenes with Thomas and the King were hilarious.  I loved Tennian.  I thought she was funny.  At first she comes off as the more typical mermaid, but then you see she is stubborn and more like Fred than either of them may admit.  I also liked that Fred had a girlfriend, someone she could relate to, not just because she was also a mermaid.  I liked that Fred cared about her happiness.

I am eager to see how the trilogy ends.  I want to know what happens to the Undersea Folk.  I also want to know about Fred.  Where do her choices lead her?  Will she be happy?  Will she ever meet her father?  I have a feeling yes, but I could be wrong.  I was thoroughly captivated by MaryJanice Davidson's writing.  I read the short novel easily in two days.  Davidson gave me exactly what I wanted from Fred's second book and I am full of expectation for the third.

Sleeping With The Fishes

With a title like Sleeping With The Fishes, you wonder if the mob is going to be involved.  You'll have to read the book to find out....

I loved Fred. The tone of the writing very much reminded me of MaryJanice Davidson's Undead series, but Fred is not Betsy. Fred doesn't care about clothes or men. Fred is a scientist, a marine biologist. She is tough, assertive, and blunt. There are a lot of similarities between her and Betsy too.  She is self-centred. She's also very tall. Fred lacks compassion; it's a decision she has to make rather than instinct. I like that she's not a damsel. She does not fall all over herself for the water fellow or the handsome prince. 

I like that in the novel, the issue of how we "bipeds" treat the environment is the centre of their investigation. People dump into the water, they are more concerned with money. The novel makes it seem as though there are only a few people like Thomas who really care. I hope that's not true. I like that a fun, mermaid novel has a bit of a serious thread running through it. 

 

I read recently that Davidson will only be writing two more Undead books and then the series will be over.  It's a sad thought for me, since I've been reading about Queen Betsy for years and years.  It's nice to know that when I want something light and fun to read, Davidson will provide with one of her other books.

 

So, my copy of Sleeping With The Fishes is part of an omnibus with all three Fred the Mermaid books.  Do I read all three since they're in the same "book"? Or do I put other novels in between series books, like I usually do?  I think the latter, but maybe not.  Let's see what I do when I take a bit of time to read tonight.

Dead Over Heels

I decided to continue reading MaryJanice Davidson's Undead series; I've been wanting lighter fair recently. Dead Over Heels is another collection of novellas.  If I had read things in the right order (oops!), I wouldn't have been reading two collections back to back.  Oh well, I enjoyed it. Again, I'll be commenting as I read each story.

Undead and Wed

Undead and Wed is the story of Queen Betsy's honeymoon. It's also a great play on the title of Davidson's first Undead book, Undead and Unwed.  You know what you probably DON'T want on your honeymoon?  You're friend tagging along.  Not just your friend, but your friend and her boyfriend who hates you (and all vampire kind).  It's not really what I expected from the story of Betsy's honeymoon.

Unlike the first story in her last collection, though their was some sex, it wasn't all sexed up.  There was a real story.  There was a plot and a mystery to solve. I really enjoyed the story, the characters.  It's what I was looking for in the last collection. Undead and Wed reminded me why I started following Betsy in the first place.

Survivor

Survivor is a mermaid tale.  It takes place after the second Fred the Mermaid book.  I've never read this series of Davidson's, but now I think I want to.  This story doesn't involve Fred, but more reflects the results of her actions.  Survivor is about Ree and Con, a mermaid and a human man.  I really enjoyed them.  They were in a situation that I have not seen with Davidson's vampire and werewolf characters.  If a vampire was in Con's situation, he probably would have died no matter what Ree did.  What Survivor did more than anything was make me interested in Davidson's Mermaid world.  It is different from the Undead world.  I want to know what led Ree to the point where she made the decision to help Con.

I've also noticed that Davidson is a fan of the antagonistic love/hate relationships.  Her fictional couples bicker a lot.  Some more than others, but there's always some kind of argument happening.  Do couples in real life bicker/argue as much as her characters?  Sometimes, it's friendly couple bantering, oftentimes it's real arguments.  It's making me think, which if a paranormal romance story can make me think, I guess it's a good one.

Speed Dating, Werewolf Style; Or Ow, I Think You Broke The Bone

Werewolves are weird. Mating is a weird werewolf compulsion. Cain has to find a mate before her thirtieth birthday or... what? She'll be shunned? Go crazy? Drive Saul crazy? What? It's not a male/female thing either. They're all crazy about mating/marrying. Bur maybe that's how Davidson likes them. 

I thought for a minute that my assessment after reading Survivor was wrong.  For half the story, the couple were being so nice to each other.  There were kind words and meals shared. It was really sweet.  Then Blam! Antique end tables are being thrown across the room. I have come to the conclusion that Davidson writes antagonistic couples. But that's cool. I still really enjoyed this story. I can't really say much more about it without giving the plot away. 

In Conclusion...

I really enjoyed Dead Over Heels, though there were only dead people in the first story. It was a fun collection. I definitely liked it better than Dead And Loving It, I think because there was more plot in the novellas. There was character development, which made me invested in their outcome. Though I was quite happy with Undead and Wed, I think Survivor was my favourite out of the three. I might end up reading Fred the Mermaid one day. Dead Over Heels is a must for any Davidson fan. I'm glad I decided to read all these entertaining stories.  

The Fierce Reads Anthology

The Fierce Reads Anthology is a free ebook from Tor books.  It contains five short stories and the first chapter or two of the authors’ respective novels.  Do these free short stories entice readers to buy the novels?  For the most part, I think so.  I’m going to say a bit on each story (which I'm going to write before starting then next story).  It’s going to be longer than my last few short story reviews because, there are only five stories/authors.  Plus, there are more than just five short stories in this anthology.

Legacy Lost, by Anna Banks

I reviewed Legacy Lost a few weeks ago as part of Short Story Monday.  See review here.  In sum, I liked it and the sample of Banks' novel, Of Poseidon

The Witch of Duva, by Leigh Bardugo

Poor Karina. She was trying so hard to save the girls.  I wonder if Nadya's mother knew... Or her brother. I wonder if he’ll turn out like his father... Because there are supernatural elements to the story, you think it's about a monster, when the monster of the story is more real than we like to think.  It was a fantastic story.  I already wanted to read Shadow And Bone, but now I want to read it even more.

Prophet, by Jennifer Bosworth

Maybe it’s because I don’t like overly religious stories, or people who proclaim themselves to be a prophet (cult leader), but Prophet didn’t appeal to me.  It also felt entirely too short*, like a set up or a flashback in a novel, instead of a story on its own.  The writing itself wasn’t bad, but the story didn’t grab me the way the first two did.  I’m sure Bosworth’s fans would enjoy it, but it’s not for me.  I also don’t really have an interest in reading Struck, Bosworth’s novel.  Prophet seems more like a prologue to the novel.  I suppose all the stories in this collection are, but at least the others had more defined beginnings middles and end.

Dress Your Marines In White, by Emmy Laybourne

Crazy!  Do people not know they’re creating the end of the world when they’re creating the end of the world?  I guess not.  Otherwise, we would have so many post-apocalyptic stories.  Dress Your Marines In White kept me tense all the way through to the end.  I knew the ending was going be bad.  The narrator, one of the lab assistants, is drinking and clearly traumatized by the events that are the subject of the report he has to write.  I want it to work out, but the looks on his bosses face make sure you know it won’t.  Emmy Layborne is the author of Monument 14, which I’ve heard lots of good things about.  Before reading the story and the excerpt from the beginning of the book, I had already decided that I didn’t want to read it.  Not because I thought it would be bad, but because of the subject matter.  The idea of those kids trapped in the grocery store had me thinking about Under the Dome and Lord of the Flies.  I haven’t even read Lord of the Flies, but I’ve heard so much about it, that the idea of the children trapped together gave me way too many creeps.  Now, I’m on the fence about Monument 14  The beginning seems really good and I thoroughly enjoyed the short story, but I don’t know if I could handle the novel.  They’re children.  If it was just teens, maybe, but there are little kids there too….**

Glitches, by Marissa Meyer

I want to give Cinder a hug!  Glitches is Marissa Meyer’s prequel short story to Cinder.  I already wanted to read Cinder.  I enjoyed the story, but I don’t know if it stands well enough on its own.  I felt that in order to appreciate the story fully, I would have to read the novel.  The story felt like part of a series.  Also, Meyer was the only author not to have the first chapter or two of her novel available to read.  That was disappointing.  I was confused when I reached the end of the ebook, that there was no more book (if it was a physical book, I might have noticed this sooner and maybe been less disappointed).  It seemed odd or maybe because Cinder is already popular Tor didn’t feel the need to include a bit of Meyer’s novel.

In Conclusion:

I think the Fierce Reads Anthology was very enjoyable.  It’s nice to get fun, entertaining short stories for free!  If you’re a fan of short stories, fantasy, sci-fi and young adult, I’d definitely download the Fierce Reads Anthology or read it online on the publisher’s website, Tor.com.  There’s a second installment of Fierce Reads that I’ve already downloaded, (though I’ve read a lot of short stories lately and I’m in the mood for something else.)  If you’re a fan of Anna Banks, Leigh Bardugo, Jennifer Bosworth, Emmy Laybourne or Marissa Meyer, I would definitely get this ebook.

*Odd to say for a story I didn’t really like, I know.

**Definitely longer than I intended.

Legacy Lost, by Anna Banks

What just happened?  That was not the ending I expected….  I downloaded Legacy Lost as part of the The Fierce Reads Anthology (available to read online here).  It is a collection of free short stories from “up and coming” Young Adult authors.  The short story collection is likely designed to lure in new readers by giving us a sample of the authors’ work.  So far, it’s worked.  I now find myself really wanting to read Of Poseidon.  The first story in the anthology is Legacy Lost, by Anna Banks.  The story takes place in the world of Banks’ novel Of Poseidon.  Legacy Lost began to build a world of mermaids (the Syrena).  It weaves in the details of their underwater life, while creating a tragic love story.  Even in a short story, Banks let me see the underwater world where the Syrena live.  She built a mythology and a history for these people.  Legacy Lost is a short adventure tale.  It has love, loss, tension and violence.  I look forward to reading more by Banks.

Short Story Monday is hosted by John Mutford at The Book Mine Set.