Review: The Savage Blue (The Vicious Deep #2) by Zoraida Córdova

 

Source: Received an arc from Raincoast books for an honest review.

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: Already Released.
Number of Pages: 416 (Hardcover)

Blurb from Goodreads:

A storm is coming...

The ocean is a vicious place. Deeper and darker than Tristan could have imagined. Beneath its calm blue surface, an ancient battle is churning —and no one is safe.

In the quest for the Sea Throne, Tristan has already watched one good friend die. Now he must lead the rest on a dangerous voyage in search of the trident that will make him king. But while Tristan chases his destiny, the dark forces racing against him are getting stronger, and the sea witch of his nightmares is getting closer.

Battling sea dragons and savage creatures of the deep, Tristan needs his friends' support. But they each have their secrets, and a betrayal will force Tristan to choose between his crown and his best friend Layla — the only girl he's ever loved.

I've had this review also completely written for quite a while now, but have been procrastinating in finishing it all up, so I figured that with the final book in the trilogy releasing shortly, now was the perfect time to post it! I read The Savage Blue when I was in Mexico last year, and it was actually my first time being so close to the ocean and the first time I ever swam in it! My new experience gave me an entirely different feeling when I was reading the book, and it made it mean even more to me. I could picture everything more fully, and the story just completely enraptured me, and I didn't want the book to end...and instead I prolonged reading it for as long as I could during my vacation. 

The Savage Blue was an amazing sequel to The Vicious Deep! It took right off where the first book ended, and kept going at the fast pace that its predecessor had established! Along with the action, Tristan provided the constant humour and goodwill that encompasses this trilogy, and I had so much fun reading it! 

I absolutely loved the first book, but I loved this one, The Savage Blue, just as much, if not more! It was hilarious and had me constantly smiling and chuckling. It had me shocked, and heartbroken for the characters, and it had me completely riveted to every single thing that was happening on the page. I really do love this trilogy! The characters are fantastic, it's full of action, and it's hilarious! I also love Tristan as the protagonist. You don't read too many YA books with male leads, and I'm sure this is the only one where the male lead happens to be a merman...and I find that extremely refreshing! ;D

As soon as I finished reading The Savage Blue, I couldn't wait to read the next book, The Vast and Brutal Sea, and thankfully, the wait is almost over! :D It's a bit bittersweet because I love this trilogy and would love to have more of it to read, but at the same time, I really CANNOT wait to find out what happens next! :D 

What do you think of The Vicious Deep trilogy?

Have you started it yet?

 If you haven't, do you like the sound of a trilogy about mermaids, where the main character is a guy?

The Vast and Brutal Sea Blog Tour: Q&A with Zoraida Córdova

Today, I've got an extra special post for you! With the release date of Zoraida Córdova's The Vast and Brutal Sea approaching, I was lucky enough to be a part of the blog tour, and today she's let me ask her some questions...and her answers are pretty great if I do say so myself! ;D

Without further ado, here's my Q&A with Zoraida Córdova! My questions are in BLACK, and Zoraida's answers are in BLUE. :)

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Welcome, Zoraida! Thank you so much for answering my questions, and for stopping by my blog!

I just have to say that I am a huge fan of your Vicious Deep trilogy, and I absolutely love Tristan. I also find it extremely refreshing that you have a male narrator in your trilogy! Why did you choose to have a male main character? And did you have any inspiration for the epicness that is Tristan? ;)

When I decided I wanted to write the mer-story that I wanted to read, I knew I wanted to reverse the roles and have a merman. I was at Coney Island, tanning and reading, as you do. I remember checking out the lifeguard on duty who was young and beautiful and had these crazy blue eyes. He was totally a merdude ;) But really, I started to form Tristan’s backstory. Lifeguard. Coney Island (mermaid central). Urban setting with magical creatures. The return of the sea court. A wave. It all clicked.


Along with a fantastic main character, you’ve created an elaborate world for the mermaids embedded within our own. How did you craft such a unique world, and if you had any inspiration, where did it come from?

I had a friend tell me to write the mermaid story I wanted to read. I wanted to have a monarchy structure, and I wanted there to be a quest. These are tropes that are very familiar. Plus, I grew up on Disney. Other than that, I came up with my own mythology for the creation of merpeople. Why are there so many “sightings” and stories of merfolk ALL OVER THE WORLD? Because they travel on the Sea Court’s Toliss Island, duh. When the island arrives, only the members of the sea court who are granted the ability to shift back and forth between fins and feet can go inland. The Sea King’s trident is basically what keeps merpeople from going crazy and murdering ALL THE HUMANS.
 

With The Vast and Brutal Sea releasing shortly, how does it feel to be finished your Vicious Deep Trilogy?

Equal parts relieved, sad, and terrified. Relived because Tristan’s journey needs to come to an end. Sad because I really do love these characters. I want to write more about them. Terrified because I want people to love the ending. I hope I did these storylines justice.


What is your writing process like? Do you listen to music, brainstorm, etc.?

I sit on my couch. Type for a long time. Go on Twitter and Facebook. Then I move down to the floor (my poor back). When I feel stuck I do listen to music. It’s a great auditory bidet. Sorry, that’s a little gross. I’d like to think that I set goals. I’m all, YEAH 5K WORDS OR BUST! And then I have a measly 400 words. 


Now that we’ve learned a bit about your process, do you have any tips for other aspiring authors?

 It’s okay to write a measly 400 words. Write any words. Get them down on paper. And by paper, I mean your word document because chances are you won’t be able to read your own handwriting later on.

Read everything, and write always.


As a huge booklover, I am always looking for more books to read, so do you have any recommendations?

If you haven’t read Holly Black’s Urban Fairy Tale series (Tithe, Valiant, Ironside), then do. Amerlia Atwater-Rhode’s Kiesha’ra series is great if you love shapeshifter and high fantasy.

Gretchen McNeil’s Get Even Trilogy is on my HURRY UP AND RELEASE Goodreads list for fans of horror.


Finally, now that your trilogy is finished, what do you have planned next?

Right now I’m working on an NA contemporary romance about a college drop-out and a celebrity chef set in Boston. It’s called Luck on the Line and it’ll be published by Diversion Books on 11/10/14.

As for YA, I’m dabbling in the same magical Brooklyn as The Vicious Deep, but from other magical creatures.

About the Author:

Zoraida Córdova was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, where she learned to speak English by watching Disney’s The Little Mermaid and Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker on repeat. Her favorite things are sparkly like merdudes, Christmas, and New York City at night.


Links:  Twitter | Author Facebook | Series Facebook | Website | Tumblr | Series Tumblr | YouTube | Goodreads

THE VAST AND BRUTAL SEA,

 the final book in The Vicious Deep Trilogy, 

comes out July 1st!!!

Buy links: Indie Bound | B&N | Kobo | Books of Wonder

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Also, check out Zoraida's pre-order giveaway for The Vast and Brutal Sea!! :D

How the giveaway works: 

All you have to do it pre-order The Vast & Brutal Sea OR order a paperback copy of The Savage Blue any time until July 8th and you’re entered into the contest! After that everything else are BONUS points. Just remember to save your receipt to claim your prize! (INTERNATIONAL).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Is anyone else super duper excited for The Vast and Brutal Sea?

Did you enjoy the Q&A with Zoraida?

And if you haven't started The Vicious Deep Trilogy yet,
did the Q&A make you want to?

The Savage Blue Blog Tour: Tristan Hart's Bucket List!

TRISTAN HART’S BUCKET LIST
10. Eat an entire Junior’s cheesecake by myself. Merpeople don’t believe in dairy, apparently. And I don’t care how open minded I can be, I’m not going near whale milk.

9. Take my mom swimming. She hasn’t been to the ocean in 20 years.

8. Graduate high school. I know, kings don’t need to graduate high school. But it’s a right of passage... right?

7. Take a ride on Toliss Island around the world. It’s a good thing merpeople live a very long time.

6. Help the Landlocked. They’ve been on their own for so long.

5. Climb the parachute tower, all the way to the top, and scream, I’m the king of the seas.

4. But first, I’ve got to be king of the seas.

3. Put an end to Nieve, the sea witch. Family or not, she’s nothing but trouble.

2. I’m thinking about another tattoo. The first one was necessary to help me control my shifting. I want one on my own.

1. Tell Layla...

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About the books:

The Vicious Deep (The Vicious Deep #1)

For Tristan Hart, everything changes with one crashing wave.
He was gone for three days. Sucked out to sea in a tidal wave and spit back ashore at Coney Island with no memory of what happened. Now his dreams are haunted by a terrifying silver mermaid with razor-sharp teeth.
His best friend Layla is convinced something is wrong. But how can he explain he can sense emotion like never before? How can he explain he's heir to a kingdom he never knew existed? That he's suddenly a pawn in a battle as ancient as the gods.

Something happened to him in those three days. He was claimed by the sea...and now it wants him back.

The Savage Blue (The Vicious Deep #2)

A storm is coming...

The ocean is a vicious place. Deeper and darker than Tristan could have imagined. Beneath its calm blue surface, an ancient battle is churning —and no one is safe.

In the quest for the Sea Throne, Tristan has already watched one good friend die. Now he must lead the rest on a dangerous voyage in search of the trident that will make him king. But while Tristan chases his destiny, the dark forces racing against him are getting stronger, and the sea witch of his nightmares is getting closer.

Battling sea dragons and savage creatures of the deep, Tristan needs his friends' support. But they each have their secrets, and a betrayal will force Tristan to choose between his crown and his best friend Layla — the only girl he's ever loved.

About Zoraida Córdova:

Zoraida Córdova was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, where she learned to speak English by watching Disney’s The Little Mermaid and Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker on repeat. Her favorite things are sparkly like merdudes, Christmas, and New York City at night. 

(Description from the author's website, here.)

Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

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You can find the rest of the blog tour schedule, here, on Zoraida's blog.

 haha Tristan's Bucket List is definitely infused with his token sense of humour, and I think it tells you a lot about him even if you haven't already read The Vicious Deep or started on its sequel, The Savage Blue.

What do you think of Tristan's Bucket List?

 Have you started this series yet?

Any other thoughts to share? :)

Review: Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama

Source: Received an egalley on Netgalley for an honest review.

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (BYR)

Release Date: September 4, 2012
Number of Pages: 295 (hardcover)

(Goodreads Link.)

Blurb from Goodreads:

Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences.

Almost one hundred forty years later, seventeen-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger named Ezra and feels overwhelmingly, inexplicably drawn to him. For generations, love has resulted in death for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect . . . or a curse? With Ezra’s help, Hester investigates her family’s strange, sad history. The answers she seeks are waiting in the graveyard, the crypt, and at the bottom of the ocean—but powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of so long ago.

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Being someone who loves the Disney movie, The Little Mermaid, I was a little ashamed of myself for only having one mermaid story before this one. That's right, this was only my second mermaid book. And I really enjoyed it. One of the things that I love most about books that have different paranormals or creatures or anything, is the fact that the author has so much room for creative license. They can choose to go with something more traditional, or they can totally mix it up. I know some people are traditionalists when it comes to supernaturals, but I personally like it when author's do things their own. It makes everything more interesting. :D

In Monstrous Beauty, Elizabeth Fama takes mermaid folklore to a dark place. She weaves in curses, and dark secrets of mermaids. These mermaids are seductive, and very similar to Syren's in that way, which made me chuckle when I first read Syrenka's name. :P Along with being seductive, they live long lives, and are not supposed to be seen by humans...the latter being a similar trait among mermaids and tends to explain away why we never see them in real life...you know, if we were to try and claim that they were real and all. :P

Another thing that made Monstrous Beauty so interesting was the main narrator, Hester. She wasn't very easy to connect with...but the story itself was still completely compelling. Parts of the story are also narrated by Ezra...which gave the reader a bit of an inside view on things that Hester hadn't quite figured out yet. Both Hester and Ezra weren't really characters that you clicked with. I liked them well enough, but I just didn't "connect" with them. They're extremely detached, but somehow their story still manages to keep you hooked. I think that in a way it has to do with the way that Elizabeth Fama has crafted the story. She has some detached characters who are mysteriously linked, and are not only detached from the reader, but are detached from every day life. While reading, it's like you're trying to make a connection between Hester and Ezra, and you're hoping that whatever it is will finally help Hester open up to other people in her life (most notably Peter...who I loved :D). I found this form of storytelling really addictive, quick, and I also found it extremely easy to get caught up in the story.

I read this one with my friend, Zoë, and I absolutely loved it! :D I didn't want to put it down, and it made me want to check out some of the other mermaid books that I've heard of, but haven't gotten around to yet! I'd recommend this one to mermaid fans who like it when author's create a unique twist on supernaturals, and for people who like to be wrapped up in a story. I will caution that if you absolutely can't stand stories that have narrators who you don't connect with, then you might not like this one, but then again, I usually only read stories with main characters I click with...yet I loved this one, so you might wanna give it a shot. ;D

Any mermaid fans out there?
Have you read this one?
If you have, what did you think?
If you haven't, does it sound like something you want to read?

Review: The Vicious Deep (The Vicious Deep #1) by Zoraida Córdova

Source: Received an egalley from Raincoast, Sourcebooks and Netgalley for an honest review.

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: Already Released.
Number of Pages: 384 (Hardcover)

(Goodreads Link.)

Blurb from Goodreads:

For Tristan Hart, everything changes with one crashing wave.

He was gone for three days. Sucked out to sea in a tidal wave and spit back ashore at Coney Island with no memory of what happened. Now his dreams are haunted by a terrifying silver mermaid with razor-sharp teeth.

His best friend Layla is convinced something is wrong. But how can he explain he can sense emotion like never before? How can he explain he’s heir to a kingdom he never knew existed? That he’s suddenly a pawn in a battle as ancient as the gods.

Something happened to him in those three days. He was claimed by the sea…and now it wants him back.

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I'm of The Little Mermaid generation...meaning I watched the movie at least once a month (in some cases a week :P) throughout my childhood, and ever since I have absolutely loved mermaids. The Vicious Deep takes it to a whole new level though, and the male narrator is certainly one of the reasons for that. :)

In most stories about mermaids...or rather merfolk, the mermaid is a girl and she's the narrator, but this one is totally different. I loved that, and I really enjoyed Tristan. He was pretty cocky and a jerk at times, but I actually really liked him. He was straightforward and he knew he could be a prick...which was kind of refreshing. It also helped that he was hilarious, and that most of the other characters were really funny too. :D I'm a sucker for great chemistry between characters, and for lots of jokes and The Vicious Deep had tonnes of both of those! I also really loved Tristan's best friend, Layla. I'm gonna keep mum about my feelings towards Tristan and Layla, but I totally loved the two of them together. Read into that however you like. :P

I also really loved the descriptions, and the way that the different species of creatures: mermaids, fairies, vampires, and an abundance of others were incorporated into our world. When Zoraida Córdova described things, I almost felt like everything was in technicolor and super vibrant. I think that finding theperfect balance with how you describe something is an art, and Córdova is excellent at it! :D There are so many times where you read something and it's so descriptive that you almost get bored with all the adjectives, but not with The Vicious Deep. Instead, you feel as if you've been submerged in the same world as Tristan, and you're just as mesmerized and overwhelmed with it as he is. I also love that Tristan's reactions are realistic. He's so confused, and he acts like a snarky and sarcastic teenager, which I found pretty amusing.

Along with the awesome descriptions, and characters, I loved the whole story in general. It was such an interesting plot, and while the story was very character-driven, it was also full of action. There was always something going on, or something to be figured out, and because of that, The Vicious Deep constantly keeps you on your toes! :D

Overall, I loved this one! So much! It's definitely on the top of my favourite reads this year, and I'm counting down the days until I can read the next book, The Savage Blue! :D I would recommend this to someone who loves mermaids, or even someone who isn't a mermaid fan. This book is so versatile with its male narrator and the action throughout, I think it would appeal to a lot of readers. It would also be great if you're a YA fan and are looking for an awesome story with a male lead. I know I personally like to mix it up and read a story with a male narrator every once in a while and there aren't too many YAs out there with them. :D

Have you read The Vicious Deep yet?
Are you a mermaid fan?
Does this sound like a book that you'd enjoy?

Purchase Links:
Book Depository: UK / US
Amazon: UK / US / Canada
Barnes and Noble