Hey everyone and happy new years! Today, for my first blog post of 2018, I'll be reviewing, By Water's Edge, the newest novel written by USA TODAY Bestselling Author, Kelly Anne Blount. I've reviewed all of her published, and interviewed her (if you haven't read those, go now :) )
By Water's Edge tells the story of Princess Aria. She lives in the merworld, and merfolk are forbidden to go to the surface. The world is divided by mermaids and dragons, and basically none of them can go to the surface. Mermaids have the ocean, and dragons have the mountains and the sky.
Aria's dad is protective and has banished quite... well, a lot of merfolk from the kingdom. Aria secretly helps them, and has a friend named Dyna (whose family has been banished) who helps her.
REVIEW
By Water's Edge tells the story of Princess Aria. She lives in the merworld, and merfolk are forbidden to go to the surface. The world is divided by mermaids and dragons, and basically none of them can go to the surface. Mermaids have the ocean, and dragons have the mountains and the sky.
I've never, ever thought of this combination in my life. It hooked me right away. What I liked about it was, Blount went into detail of the world's 'history' and her world was truly believable.
Aria's mother died (wink, to the Little Mermaid) and she lives with her father, the King and her sister whom I hate so much.
I seriously wanted to punch, Gemma, so bad!
Aria's dad is protective and has banished quite... well, a lot of merfolk from the kingdom. Aria secretly helps them, and has a friend named Dyna (whose family has been banished) who helps her.
One night after Aria has sneaked away from the kingdom, Dyna convinces Aria, to go the surface and see a dragon. Once they do, the two go to the beach and Aria finds out she can become a 'landwalker' by being on dry land.
Sadly, the two are kidnapped by the dragon and are taken to the dragon's habitat...
NO MORE DETAILS :)
I don't want to spoil the story. But if you are still intrigued here's the blurb:
Going to the surface is forbidden. Casting your gaze on dragons is forbidden. Princess Aria knows the rules, but the chance at seeing one of the winged beasts soaring through the air proves to be too tempting.
She should have listened to the warnings. She should have stayed below the water.
Plucked from the sea, Aria and her young friend Dyna are thrown into a large tank in the Dragon King’s castle.
Imprisoned under false pretenses, Aria must find a way out of the tank holding her captive and back to the sea, where she can warn her father about the dragons’ true intentions.
Will Aria escape? What is the real reason the dragons are kidnapping mermaids and holding them hostage?
What I loved about this novel is, it was fast-paced. Blount developed her characters and I was surprised by that. The main character Aria I liked, to an extent. I loved how she was so selfless, but to risk your life for your friend!? And, at times, I felt like she was a different person.
Let's just say she's a badass version of Ariel, who instead of fighting for herself, fights for others.
I still don't understand how the book is well-written but the words are simple!? I've always loved that about Kelly Anne Blount, her writing style is very enjoyable for all ages. It doesn't feel like a YA novel, because you are hooked and you don't care about the words.
And I did feel a sort of, thriller aspect. It was almost liked The Little Mermaid meets Captured. The relationship between Aria and Dyna felt like the friendship in the 2009 horror film, The Last House On The Left.
To me, Aria resembled Sara Paxton's character, and Dyna was like her friend in the movie (maybe that's just me) but I fell in love with them as the novel progressed.
Lastly, the ending is something I didn't expect. I've read all of Blount's novels, and her endings are always cliffhangers, with a twist. I didn't get that out of this book, and was kind of bummed out. Maybe it's because I'm used to her novels, or I just love twist endings.
Overall, I'd give it a 4.5/5 and I recommend it if you're looking for something new.
AND GUESS WHAT!? It's part of a boxed-set! 99 cents only in the Sirens and Scales collection. A set with ROMANCE, ACTION, ADVENTURE, ETC!
YOU CAN GET IT ON AMAZON, IBOOKS, NOOK, KOBO AND EVEN GOOGLE PLAY!
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2gflg3D
iBooks: http://apple.co/2xmnNPv
Nook: http://bit.ly/2yu3bKb
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2yCvqX8
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2yciCps
GIVEAWAY
I am giving away two eBook copies of Sirens and Scales
(NOTE: ALL EBOOKS FOR THIS GIVEAWAY WILL BE PURCHASED SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS GIVEAWAY)
Just subscribe to this blog, and I'll pick two winners at random. Winners will be emailed!
Good luck :)
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