This one is getting bogged down in some places, but I am still excited to read the third and final to see how this all ends. ( )

The author has done an amazing job with the continuation of the trilogy...
this time, she dives right into the plot of Tristan's journey without skipping any details and continuing with the fast-paced storyline with non-stop action...

In the first book, Tristan has a lot to go through in this part of his journey - he learns all about his mermaid heritage, what being a champion is all about, history lessons galore and has made new friends, meets new family members, has made more allies and, of course, has made a handful of enemies too!
It was so interesting to see more unique characters and to get to know them and learn their histories - first we learn that everyone that lives in the sea has stories and hardly ever tells the whole truth, every answer is lyrical or vague, which makes it difficult for Tristan to trust and get the answers he needs to find the other two pieces to the trident. We meet four oracles, sisters who each have their own gifts and will only help if you help them first. We learn more about the crazy princesses and their magic, the landlocked (those that have been banished by the courts) and other mythical creatures - if mermaids exist, why can't vampires, werewolves and other unworldly creatures too? Tristan is hardly ever surprised anymore.
Tristan continues to entertain us with his sarcastic attitude, quick wit and determination. He did not ask for any of this to happen to him, or to anyone involved. But he knows that its something that he must do, and finish, whether he likes to or not. Even when those close to him betray him and he is left alone to his own devices. He steps up and does the best that he can, keeps true to himself and remains loyal to those who continue to support him. The relationships in this trilogy are strong and are major key points to the story. Without support, Tristan would have died many deaths a long time ago. And Tristan knows this, and will do whatever it takes to continue to do what is right for them and is never selfish nor does he ever back down to continue his, and their, fight.

Now, I have a confession - I am loving Nieve! Nieve, the silver mermaid, is beyond wicked and will go to great lengths to become the Queen of the Sea. She is ruthless and mean and knows exactly how to play with Tristan's mind and heart. However, in the beginning of the book, we get a glimpse to a much younger Nieve and my heart went out to her. The cruelty that was brought down on her did help in creating the crazed mermaid that we see now. There was no stopping what she would become and what she would do. However, I do hope that she doesn't succeed.

There's definitely a twist that I did not see coming! And a cliffhanger that left me on the edge of my seat... I need to get to book 3 asap! ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: This was a good sequel filled with action, betrayal and adventure. I felt that the romance was a little lacking and I was a little disappointed with some of the characters.

Opening Sentence: For a merman, I’ve done very little deep-sea exploration.

The Review:

Tristan is in a race to find all the pieces of the trident so he can become the next Sea King, but he is running out of time. He just recently found out that he is a merman and the grandson to the current Sea King. There have been champions picked from each region of the ocean to go on a quest to collect the 3 pieces of the trident and whoever collects them first will become the next king. Tristan has one piece of the trident but he needs the other two before time runs out. As he searches for the Oracles that possess the pieces that he needs, he is hunted by the evil Sea Witch — Nieve and her savage sea creatures. She will stop at nothing to take over the ocean and the throne. Tristan will need all the help he can get, but betrayal and secrets put everyone he cares about in danger.

I really liked Tristan in the first book but I felt a little bit of a disconnect with him in this one. In the first book he had so much confidence that he was border line cocky, but it made him a unique character and it made him feel like a real teenage boy. In this book he was so unsure of himself and I felt like he really aged to fast. He had a little bit of a downer attitude at times and he seemed confused a lot. He still had his funny and snarky attitude most the time which I loved, and he is a really sweet, loyal guy. He cares a lot about his friends and family and he always tries to do what is right. Overall, I still liked Tristan, but I hope that in the next book his confident side returns.

Layla has been Tristan’s best friend pretty much his whole life. They grew up doing everything together and they haven’t ever been more than just friends. But the last year or so Tristan has secretly been totally in love with Layla. I loved Layla, she is very independent with lots of spunk and attitude. In the first book she and Tristan exchanged a lot of fun banter back and forth, but Layla was more of a minor character in this installment and that made me really sad. Their relationship didn’t really develop like I hoped it would, and the romance was just so-so for me. I really loved the tension and chemistry they had in the first book but it was missing in this one. I hope that the last book improves in the romance department.

Even though this book has some flaws it was actually a pretty good read overall. The action and adventure really make up for some of the lack of romance and character development. The plot was very intriguing and there were some twists that I really wasn’t expecting. The world that Cordova created is fun and magical. There were a few times that the writing got a little confusing and I wasn’t sure who was talking, but hopefully in the final installment this is fixed. Overall, I really did enjoy this book and there is quite a cliffhanger at the end so I am eagerly waiting for the last book to come out. I would recommend this series to anyone that enjoys a good mermaid book and like male protagonists.

Notable Scene:

The thing—the makara—is undulating in wide arcs, eating. It shakes its head back and forth with a twelve-foot-long shark in its mandible.

“I think I just peed myself,” I say. “How can you tell down here?”

Kurt shakes his head, gripping his sword even tighter. “If we live through this, I’ll point it out to you.”

As it swallows the shark like it’s munching on an Oreo, the makara is unaware of us watching. It’s curled up on a jagged black rock. Its head could belong to a crocodile—the long snout, the raised bumps that start on its nose and continue all the way down to the sharp tip of the tail. Crooked claws grip the bits of shark meat that fall from its mouth. It reminds me of a T. Rex, arms short and close to the mouth. Chomp by chomp, the great white shark disappears inside the makara. There’s a dorsal fin off to the side, but nothing else.

Then the demon’s head snaps up. Maybe it can smell us. Maybe it caught the glint off our weapons. Whatever it was, two yellow eyes lock on us.

“No matter what,” Kurt tells me, “I will get you to the cove.”

“Don’t talk that way now,” I say, wracking my mind for something—anything. The makara is twice as long as our ship. Its body retracts, watching us carefully before it lurches forward. “You go left. I go right. On my go.”

“What?”

“Just do it!”

The demon drops the rest of its meal, blood billowing around it.

The makara snaps its mouth once, twice. The sound of the crunch is so hard that the shock vibrates all the way to us.

“Now!” I dive to the right, up, and arc around.

But the demon isn’t following me.

It’s following Kurt.

FTC Advisory: Sourcebooks Fire provided me with a copy of The Savage Blue. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )

Even though I didn't read the 1st book.... I could manage to find my way in the 2nd one ( and now I really like to go back and to read the 1st). Andddd... I really love the: mer world, the stings of the cruel reality along the plot, the ability of the author to speak in male voice, the idea that the sea used to have 3 kings, the idea of trading longevity with magic (elfs and mer),the idea of a world beneath the ocean floor, the Cony island mood, and of course the sticking to Hans Christian Andersen idea mermaids of turning to foam when they die.
I really liked Tristan with his dry humor and his refreshing honesty.

I was immediately hooked into plot and was spinning helplessly in its vortex...actually I enjoy this spinning very much.
There were also surprising turns and I don’t know what to assume will happen in the next novel, all I know is that I am very, very excited to find out what happens next book. ( )