The Mermaid's Madness



The Mermaid's Madness
Jim C. Hines, 2009

Premise: The sequel to The Stepsister Scheme, this is the continuing adventures of kick-ass princesses Snow, Talia and Danielle. The Kingdom of Whiteshore had a friendly relationship with the local tribe of undine (mermaids) that included mutual respect and trade. Or they did until this year. The mermaid princess Lirea has returned to take command of her tribe, and she is determined to go to war with humanity. Danielle and the others need to find out Lirea's true history and how to stop her, before more people die.

I liked this quite a bit, even though it risks being more of the same. I still like all the characters, I like the world, I like the way the story plays with fairy tale conventions.

I really like the twist on The Little Mermaid that is central to this one. It's dark and twisted and awesome. Lirea is a sadly broken person, and as such is fairly sympathetic, despite everything. The culture of the undine was fascinating, too.

Danielle has learned some since the last book, although this time she has to convince her prince that it's okay for her to go off on adventures. Talia and Snow are adjusting to the trio-team dynamic, and there's some growth in all their relationships.

I wish I had more to say than that these books are really fun action-packed romps starring a great team of women, and I approve of them. I suppose that's enough, though. I really enjoy reading them, and I fully intend to read more of these “Charlie's Angels” style Princess stories.

4 Stars – A Very Good Book


Comments

  1. DTOctober 10, 2011 at 2:42 PM

    Sounds like a fun series! I have never heard of it before so I will have to look into it for sure! Great review!

    http://deadtreesandsilverscreens.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousOctober 10, 2011 at 10:34 PM

    Great review! I have to admit I didn't really like the first book in this series, but I do want to check the rest of it out.

    Also I love the picture at the top! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. LindsayOctober 12, 2011 at 4:07 PM

    Thanks, folks! The fourth book in this series just came out a month or so ago, but I haven't gotten to it yet. (There's a review of Book three sitting in queue...)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

FYI: Most comments are moderated, and will not appear immediately.

Popular posts from this blog

If the Fates Allow (crosspost)

Image
If the Fates Allow Edited by Annie Harper, 2017 New Release! I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for the purpose of review. Premise: Five stories of love, hope, and forgiveness at the holidays. Do you need some warm and fuzzy holiday cheer? Do you love love? This new collection features five LGBTQ holiday romances that make your heart feel full of sugarplums. I smiled and sighed and giggled. It's seriously sweet, without being too sweet. Read the full review on Mainlining Christmas
Read more

The Silence of the Elves (crosspost)

Image
The Silence of the Elves Meg Muldoon, 2016 Premise: Holly's been demoted right out of the North Pole through no fault of her own, but she'll need more than hope to get her life back on track. You may recall that I kind of liked another one of Meg Muldoon's holiday-themed cozy mysteries , so when I saw she had a new series that was explicitly about Christmas elves, I had to try it. Read the full review on Mainlining Christmas
Read more

The Santa Claus Man (crosspost)

Image
The Santa Claus Man: The Rise and Fall of a Jazz Age Con Man and the Invention of Christmas in New York Alex Palmer, 2015 Premise: In the early 1900s, more children began to write letters to Santa, and the Post Office asked for help. Enter John Duval Gluck Jr. and his creation: The Santa Claus Association. This was an interesting book overall, although the payoff is smaller than I would have preferred. The book paints a complex and intriguing picture of New York in the first few decades of the twentieth century, particularly around Christmas. The specific story of Gluck and his various "charities" is only the largest thread; the book also explores early influences on the image of Santa, how various staples of Christmas (public tree-lightings, parades, etc.) started or became notable in New York City. Read the full review on Mainlining Christmas
Read more