Waiting on Wednesday (#158): Sea Spell by Jennifer Donnelly

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm featuring:

Sea Spell by Jennifer Donnelly

Book Four of the Waterfire Saga

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: June 14, 2015

Summary (from Goodreads):

At the end of Dark Tide, Book 3 in the Waterfire Saga, Astrid leaves her mermaid friends to confront her ancestor, Orfeo, the evil force behind the rise of the monster Abbadon. Orfeo possesses one of the six talismans that the merls need in order to keep the monster locked up forever. But without the ability to songcast, how will Astrid be able to defeat the most powerful mage in history? Meanwhile, Serafina and her Black Fins train goblin troops for battle against her uncle Vallerio's death riders. Will Sera ever see her beloved home--and her beloved Mahdi--again, or will the Volneros take over the mer realms while Orfeo takes on the gods themselves? Nothing less than the fate of the underwater world is at stake in this breathtaking finale.

Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Deep Blue | Rogue Wave | Dark Tide

I can't wait to see how this series wraps up!

Science in Fiction (#9): Dark Tide by Jennifer Donnelly

Welcome to this month's Science in Fiction feature! Science in Fiction is a meme I created to showcase the wonderful aspects of science in Young Adult fiction novels. For more information and previous feature, check out the "Science in Fiction" tag!

This month, I'm featuring Dark Tide by Jennifer Donnelly!

Deep Blue | Rogue Wave | Dark Tide

Dark Tide is book three of the Waterfire saga, set completely undersea. Donnelly's spin on mermaids is completely unique and refreshing! Serafina and five other mermaids are tied together by a magical connection, and they must find six ancient amulets to stop the threat of destruction, both in the deep ocean, and top-world. In this series, Donnelly makes references to the state of the ocean, in terms of trash and waste and lost shipments.

So today, I'm going to talk about a very specific area in the ocean that is filled with trash -  the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?

Map from Project Oceanus. 

You can see the "garbage patch" within the red circle. It's unclear exactly how large the Patch is, but it is massive, and very scary. The entire Patch isn't exactly what it sounds like - it isn't simply this island of water bottles and bags and junk. While there are water bottles and plastic (and even fleece jackets?!), the Patch is compromised of a whole bunch of microplastics debris, smack dab in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Picture from Bodhi Surf.

The Patch is, in a way, held and maintained where it is, because of ocean currents. There is a Western Garbage Patch and an Eastern Garbage Patch (see National Geographic's pictures), and both are where they are because of wind and waves. According to NOAA, it is entirely possible to ravel through the areas of the Patch and not see any garbage, or feel any debris. But that does not mean the Patch does not exist, or that we shouldn't be concerned about it.

The Western Garbage Patch was formed largely by the debris from the coast of Japan. The Eastern one was formed from the coast of the West Coast of the United States. The waters in these two areas are fairly stationary, and the wave currents keep the debris where they are. Debris can come from ships, docks, storm drains, harbors, etc.

Picture from National Geographic.

Marine life is heavily affected by the Garbage Patch. Birds choke and die on plastics; organic pollutants clog the water and ecosystems, and these pollutants can kill native species. Invasive species are likely to be introduced in these areas, because of the debris.

Picture from National Geographic.

It's sad and disheartening and infuriating, to see how human waste is accumulated and dumped. There is no easy solution when it comes to waste, but dumping in the ocean is not one of them. Too much is unbalanced - marine life, bacterial and microbial life, and even human life. 


So, now that I've introduced you to this thoroughly depressing subject: did you know about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Thoughts?

Review: Dark Tide by Jennifer Donnelly

Dark Tide by Jennifer Donnelly

Book Three of the Waterfire Saga

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: October 13, 2015

Rating: 4 stars

Source: Review copy sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

Once a lost and confused princess, Serafina is now a confident leader of the Black Fin Resistance (BFR). While she works on sabotaging her enemy and enlisting allies for battle, her friends face challenges of their own. Ling is in the hold of Rafe Mfeme's giant trawler, on her way to a prison camp. Becca meets up with Astrid and learns why the Ondalinian mermaid is always so angry: she is hiding a shameful secret. Ava can't return home, because death riders await her arrival. And it is getting more and more difficult for Mahdi, Serafina's betrothed, to keep up the ruse that he is in love with Lucia Volerno. If Lucia's parents become suspicious, his life--and all of Sera's hopes--will be extinguished. Political intrigue, dangerous liaisons, and spine-tingling suspense swirl like a maelstrom in this penultimate book in the WaterFire saga.

What I Liked:

Ahh, this series is so great! It's pretty rare that I'll invest myself willingly in a series longer than three books (even trilogies are such a commitment), but I'm glad I took the leap with this one. There are a decent number of YA books dealing with mermaids, but this series is probably my favorite! Deep Blue and Rogue Wave were fantastic, and this novel is as well.

The six mermaids have been split up - Serafina is leading the Black Finn Resistance, and Neela is with her. Astrid has long left the group behind, but Becca finds her, and the two of them travel together. Ling has been captured and is on a trawler, where she faces imprisonment and something far worse. Ava is MIA, but safe for the moment. The six girls must work together, despite being apart, to try and claim the last four talismans before Vallerio, Rafe, and darker powers destroy the ocean and unleash Abbadon.

What gets me about this series is the setting! The books take place undersea, in the deep oceans. Ling is on a trawler boat for most of this book, but the other girls are in deep waters, fighting to stay alive. It's so great how Donnelly comes up with such rich scenery and imagery, to write this series in the ocean! I absolutely love the setting of the book, and how well Donnelly constructs and details it, novel after novel, sea after sea.

Serafina is still my favorite of the six girls. She has grown the most, becoming very strong and very willful. She is more of a leader than she ever was, and has really stepped up in becoming the leader of a resistance force, finding allies, trying to communicate with the other girls. Sera has so much to lose - including Mahdi - but she never gives up. I like how fearless she has become, even though we can see her fears and insecurities.

Neela isn't as present in this book. She's with Sera for the duration of the book, helping with the resistance. She's there, but I often forgot about her. Same with Ava - she is there, and she is looking for a specific talisman, but her role in this particular book is not huge.

Ling, Astrid, and Becca are highly important in this novel, like Sera. Those four are the leading four protagonists, and we get to read from each of their perspectives from time to time. You'd think it would get confusing or annoying, but Donnelly does a really great job of keeping things organized, and moving the story along with whichever perspective was next. We got to experience each of the girls' stories from when they were apart, as well as when they get back together. 

Ling goes through horrible obstacles on the trawler boat, and it broke my heart to see her suffer so much! But she learns some important information about one of the talismans, as well as about something in her past that she'd let go of.

Astrid has a terrible secret that Becca finds out while they are together. When Becca and Astrid separate, Astrid goes back to her home up North, and Becca starts to look for another talisman. Becca meets some important friends, and Astrid frees someone that will change her life.

The story is so intriguing, and very engaging! It's not slow at all, even with so many perspectives. There is so much action, politics, scheming, betrayal, even romance for the ladies! There is so much going on, and so many great secondary characters too.

Sera and Mahdi performed a Binding earlier in the series, but Mahdi has to pretend that he is in love with Lucia, who has taken over as regina (Lucia is Sera's cousin). Becca meets someone unexpected along the way, as does Astrid. Astrid is prickly and a grouch, but she meets someone that is perfect for her. I want to see where Becca's romance goes especially!

I'm trying to be as vague as possible with this book, as it is a third book of four. But the mermaids are concerned with finding the talisman before Rafe Mfeme does, so that he will not be able to unleash Abbadon. There is another book in the series, so I won't say anything really about the ending. It ends on an okay but eye-opening note (not quite a cliffhanger), and I can't wait to read book four!

What I Did Not Like:

There were a few things that struck me as cliche and/or overused. I can't say specifically about some things because that would be spoiler-y! But one example would be a very similar aspect that appeared in Harry Potter - how Voldemort's name and Tom Riddle's name were anagrams of each other. Yeah, something like that is in this book, and it's too bad, because the first thing I thought of was Harry Potter. There were others but again, no spoilers! Overall, I'm very pleased with this book.

Would I Recommend It:

If you've read Deep Blue and Rogue Wave (or even just Deep Blue), keep going with the series! It's four books total, so there is one more (Sea Spell). This is great fantasy, a gorgeous and high-action spin on mermaids and magic and life deep in the ocean. People who love political intrigue and court life and kings/queens/hot emperors/strong princesses and girl power and awesome fantasy will love this series!

Rating:

4 stars. I've equally enjoyed every novel in this series so far! The covers are stunning, and the story from book to book is lovely as well. Things are going to get even crazier in the final novel, and I can't wait to read it!

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Review: Rogue Wave by Jennifer Donnelly

Rogue Wave by Jennifer Donnelly

Book Two of the Waterfire Saga

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Publication Date: January 6, 2015

Rating: 4 stars

Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

In this exciting sequel to DEEP BLUE, Serafina uncovers more clues about the talismans, Neela ventures into a sea dragon's nest, and Ling learns the identity of their foe.

Serafina, Neela, Ling, Ava, Becca, and Astrid, six mermaids from realms scattered throughout the seas and freshwaters, were summoned by the leader of the river witches to learn an incredible truth: the mermaids are direct descendants of the Six Who Ruled-powerful mages who once governed the lost empire of Atlantis. The ancient evil that destroyed Atlantis is stirring again, and only the mermaids can defeat it. To do so, they need to find magical talismans that belonged to the Six.

Serafina believes her talisman was buried with an old shipwreck. While researching its location, she is almost discovered by a death rider patrol led by someone familiar. . . . The pain of seeing him turned traitor is devastating.

Neela travels to Matali to warn her parents of the grave threat facing their world. But they find her story outlandish; a sign that she needs to be confined to her chamber for rest and recovery. She escapes and travels to Kandina, where her talisman is in the possession of fearsome razormouth dragons.

As they hunt for their talismans, both Serafina and Neela find reserves of courage and cunning they didn't know they possessed. They face down danger and death, only to endure a game-changing betrayal, as shocking as a rogue wave.

What I Liked:

This was such a quick read, which is fantastic! I had a blast reading this one, because it went by so quickly, and I wasn't bored at all. On the contrary, I was quite engrossed, and read it in one sitting. That's always a good sign! Also, I didn't have too much trouble getting into the sequel novel. It shouldn't be too hard for readers to remember important events from book one (Deep Blue), or to jump into book two after not reading book one for a while.

This book focuses on the mermaids finding the talismans of their ancestors, so that they will have the power to defeat an ancient, unknown evil. In this book, Serafina discovers where her talisman is... along with other secrets that she didn't expect. Neela's concerns and cries for help are ignored by her parents and clan, so she takes matters into her own hands. Ling has problems of her own... the girls are scattered in the ocean, but they must work for each end in order to band together and destroy what is haunting the ocean.

Like I said, this book goes by quickly. I feel like compared to book one, not much happens in this book, but what happens is really critical and important, Serafina succeeds in finding her talisman, but she also learns the truth about some things, in the process. For example, she sees Mahdi. In his death riders uniform, with other death riders.

Eventually, Serafina and Mahdi clash. Serafina is sure that he is a traitor, but readers know that this is not so. Serafina finally learns the truth - that Mahdi is acting as a turncoat, but he is trying to stay on the "good side" of the death riders and Portia. This means swimming with the death riders... and pretending to date Lucia (Portia's daughter)... which infuriates Serafina. Rightfully so.

Nevertheless, I'm really glad that Serafina finds out the truth. We all knew this was going to happen, so I don't consider this a spoiler. What happens after she finds out would be a spoiler... trust me, it's some craziness. I NEED book three, if only to know what happens to Mahdi and Serafina's relationship.

Neela is prominent in this book as well. She returns home, only to be called deranged and crazy, because she has been through a lot. Nobody believes what she says about the dark evil in the ocean, about Abbadon, about anything. So she goes back out, taking matters into her own hands, and runs into a familiar face...

In terms of plot, things are moving right along, in both this book, and in the series in general. Serafina has her talisman, and something huge is revealed at the very end of the book, about the evil that the girls must defeat...

I must say, I really liked Serafina in this book - and Neela. Both of them show their character growth, wear it proudly. Serafina especially though. She is thinking not only about herself and the other five girls, but about her kingdom. I approve!

I mentioned the romance a bit - well, the romance in this book (and series, it seems) is between the Principessa Serafina and the Crown Prince Mahdi - I ship them so hard! They were arranged to be married in the beginning of the series, before everything got crazy and everyone went to war or ruins. Mahdi and Serafina love each other and totally belong together... we'll see where Donnelly takes their relationship, in the next book. It should be interesting. NO love triangle, don't worry about that at all. 

Let me repeat that - there is NO love triangle, in neither book one nor book two. The romance is solely between two people!

Overall, I'm quite pleased with this sequel! I can't wait to read book three - I wonder if this is a trilogy, or not? Goodreads says there will be four books in the series. Either way, I'm excited to read next chapter in Serafina and the other girls' journey.

What I Did Not Like:

I'm disappointed that Serafina and Neela are the only two mermaids that we really get to follow - Ling is present, and Ava's voice is around (in Serafina's head, through their awesome telecommunication thing), but the other girls aren't really present. I especially wanted to see more from Astrid, but oh well. On the other hand, it would have gotten confusing, to follow each of the girls. And book one really focused on Serafina. So, pros and cons.

Would I Recommend It:

If you read book one, Deep Blue, then I would highly recommend you continue with the series. It only gets better! I'm not the biggest fan of mermaid-related books (I've had bad luck in the past with many series), but I really like this series. I would recommend the series to anyone who hasn't started it, as well!

Rating:

4 stars. No sequel slump for this series! The second book is as amazing as the first book - and check out the covers! They seem to get prettier and prettier, in my opinion.

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Waiting on Wednesday (#84): Rogue Wave by Jennifer Donnelly

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm featuring:

Rogue Wave by Jennifer Donnelly

Book Two of the Waterfire series

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: January 6, 2015

Summary (from Goodreads):

Serafina, Neela, Ling, Ava, Becca, and Astrid, six mermaids from realms scattered throughout the seas and freshwaters, were summoned by the leader of the river witches to learn an incredible truth: the mermaids are direct descendants of the Six Who Ruled-powerful mages who once governed the lost empire of Atlantis. The ancient evil that destroyed Atlantis is stirring again, and only the mermaids can defeat it. To do so, they need to find magical talismans that belonged to the Six.

Serafina believes her talisman was buried with an old shipwreck. While researching its location, she is almost discovered by a death rider patrol led by someone familiar. . . . The pain of seeing him turned traitor is devastating.

Neela travels to Matali to warn her parents of the grave threat facing their world. But they find her story outlandish; a sign that she needs to be confined to her chamber for rest and recovery. She escapes and travels to Kandina, where her talisman is in the possession of fearsome razormouth dragons.

As they hunt for their talismans, both Serafina and Neela find reserves of courage and cunning they didn't know they possessed. They face down danger and death, only to endure a game-changing betrayal, as shocking as a rogue wave.

Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

I really enjoyed the first book, Deep Blue!

Review: Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly

Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly

Book One of the Waterfire series

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Publication Date: May 6, 2014

Rating: 4 stars

Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

The first in a series of four epic tales set in the depths of the ocean, where six mermaids seek to protect and save their hidden world.

Deep in the ocean, in a world not so different from our own, live the merpeople. Their communities are spread throughout the oceans, seas, and freshwaters all over the globe.

When Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea, awakens on the morning of her betrothal, her biggest worry should be winning the love of handsome Prince Mahdi. And yet Sera finds herself haunted by strange dreams that foretell the return of an ancient evil. Her dark premonitions are confirmed when an assassin's arrow poisons Sera's mother. Now, Serafina must embark on a quest to find the assassin's master and prevent a war between the Mer nations. Led only by her shadowy dreams, Sera searches for five other mermaid heroines who are scattered across the six seas. Together, they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood and uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world's very existence.

What I Liked:

I have never read any books by Jennifer Donnelly, so this book was an experiment of a sort. Disney-Hyperion surprised me with a copy of this book, and I almost decided not to read it, since it was an unsolicited copy. I have a ton of May review books (especially May 6th releases), and the ones I requested get priority. However, I couldn’t resist the siren’s call of fantasy, even if it isn’t the usual type of fantasy I love (epic fantasy).

I am pleased to say that overall, I enjoyed this book. It was relatively short, and there was a lot of action and revelations and things occurring. Okay, so I found the plot a little bit generic. The uniqueness of the characters and world-building (for the most part) sort of made up for the cliché plot. 

The thing I really liked about this book is that it focused more on friendship than romance. At first, it seems like the romance will be more important than anything else. Serafina is preparing herself to be shown as the next heir of Miromara, and to exchange marital vows with the crown prince of the kingdom’s choosing – Prince Mahdi. The prince and Serafina were always arranged to be married, but they fell in love after a visit or two years ago. Years later, Mahdi has changed, and is now a player and a jerk.

So, you would think that the romance was at the forefront. Serafina is still very much in love with Mahdi, he’s in love with her, and they’re getting married, no matter what. But terrible things have happened, are happening, and will happen to the mer kingdoms. Someone is taking merpeople, and a monster has been unleashed. Sera, her friend Neela, and four other girls must are called via dream to come together to fight and take back the sea.

Friendship is key in this book. The bond between Sera and Neela is unshakable, and I love that this is an important aspect of the book. I know that we will see more of the six girls together in the next four books – they only come together in one place at the end of this book.

I love how well-characterized the girls are. Each girl is different, and fits their respective “gifts”. We get to know Sera the most – she is selfless and responsible, cautious and brave. Neela is fiery and hilarious – I LOVED reading the parts of the book that involved her actions and dialogue.

I’m hoping to see more from the romance in the next few books. It wasn't huge in this book, but it is still important. I have a feeling that someone in actually someone else in disguise… ahhh, I want to say more but that would be spoiling things! I shan't give anything away! Now, onto the plot, and what I didn't like.

What I Did Not Like:

As I mentioned before, I found the overall plot of the book and series to be cliche. People are murdered or taken for the greed of another, a giant monster exists and is out for blood. Several teenagers must save the world. It’s very overdone and cliche, but especially in certain types of fantasy. The paranormal type of fantasy (like this book) always seems to follow this plot, to the T. Especially with the monster part. And the fact that each teenager has a unique skill or power. 

You might say that every book or plot is a bit of a variation of another, but I find that this type of plot is highly power in paranormal and fantasy novels, and one after the other after another isn't always smart. 

Would I Recommend It:

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of fantasy novels. It’s not the typical type of fantasy that I read and love, but then, I love most types of fantasy. Mermaid books aren't really my thing – I kind of liked Anna Banks’ series (here’s hoping Of Neptune is really good, to redeem the series), and I wasn't a huge fan of Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown. But this one was pretty great! So fantasy lovers, paranormal lovers, this is one for you! If you have a copy, or were already planning on reading it, definitely do not hesitate to do so!

Rating:

3.5 stars -> rounded up to 4 stars. This was a pretty great start to a new series! I will definitely be catching the sequel, and most likely the two books after them. I cannot wait to see what the imprint of Disney-Hyperion will be! This is the first book to be published by the imprint, so that’s exciting.

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