leahegood's review
3.0
I read this book after entering a giveaway for it. A friend of mine likes mermaids, and I wanted to see if it would make a good gift for her. The story itself was pretty solid. A young, royal mermaid chaffs under the seemingly oppressive restrictions of living in the public eye. There are many lessons for her to learn as her mother prepares her to rule the kingdom. Seeming distant from Serafina's immediate problems, their are whispered threats of war. Whispers that burst from the ocean's surface and roar to horrifying reality. Driven from the familiar life she once despised, all Sera has to guide her is a nightmare she shares with her closest friend.
I found the writing style in this book fully adequate but not astounding. What made me most uncomfortable was the witch's of Seraphina's nightmare. They remind me of the witches in Shakespeare's Macbeth (and they always creeped me out too). The songspells Sera and her friends use weave into the story world as naturally as the magic in any other fantasy tale world, but for whatever reason, the witches didn't (and never do) sit well with me.
There was also some stirrings of a love story--maybe even a love triangle--but the mermen in question weren't around enough in this book for it to be a big part of the story.
Beware. If you decide to read this book, it leaves off on a cliffhanger. I, personally, probably won't continue anyway.
I found the writing style in this book fully adequate but not astounding. What made me most uncomfortable was the witch's of Seraphina's nightmare. They remind me of the witches in Shakespeare's Macbeth (and they always creeped me out too). The songspells Sera and her friends use weave into the story world as naturally as the magic in any other fantasy tale world, but for whatever reason, the witches didn't (and never do) sit well with me.
There was also some stirrings of a love story--maybe even a love triangle--but the mermen in question weren't around enough in this book for it to be a big part of the story.
Beware. If you decide to read this book, it leaves off on a cliffhanger. I, personally, probably won't continue anyway.
oobluroo's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
jazzyjan94's review
4.0
This review appears on my blog: https://confessionsofabookwormweb.wordpress.com/2017/07/26/book-review-deep-blue-the-waterfire-saga-1/
This summer I have really been in the mood for mermaid books, and when I saw this at my public library I immediately picked this up because I've had my eye on it for a couple of years. I didn't really know what to expect from this book, but I loved it!
Deep Blue tells the story of Serafina who is a princess of Miromara and is next in line to take the throne. The night before the ceremony in which it will be proven whether she will be the next queen and betrothed to a prince, she has a nightmare. However, she shakes it off and the ceremony goes well, until her kingdom is attacked by a group assassins and Serafina and her friend Neela go on the run and on a quest to find out who attacked Miromara and what it means to the seven seas as a whole.
This book is a middle-grade/YA fantasy series about mermaids and Jennifer Donnelly does a good job at the world-building, which was kind of complex - a whole world under the sea. However, it wasn't an info-dump which often tends to happen in fantasy books. There was also a magic system that all the merfolk use that was very interesting and definitely made the plot more interesting.
I loved the plot because even though it was somewhat straightforward, there were several different things that happened that I wasn't really expecting to happen until it happened. I enjoyed the mythology surrounding how the merfolk came into existence (spoiler: it has something to do with Atlantis), and how that whole origin story has an effect on the plot of the novel and the rest of the series. I also think that the mythology was made up by the author, if that is true that makes this book even more awesome.
I really enjoyed the characters, even though for most of the novel we only really get to know Serafina and Neela a lot. I also liked all the different side characters that were introduced throughout this book. I loved all the characters in this book and I can't wait to find out more about them.
I am giving this book 4/5 stars because I felt like this was a great introduction to the rest of the series, which I will definitely be reading in the near future.
This summer I have really been in the mood for mermaid books, and when I saw this at my public library I immediately picked this up because I've had my eye on it for a couple of years. I didn't really know what to expect from this book, but I loved it!
Deep Blue tells the story of Serafina who is a princess of Miromara and is next in line to take the throne. The night before the ceremony in which it will be proven whether she will be the next queen and betrothed to a prince, she has a nightmare. However, she shakes it off and the ceremony goes well, until her kingdom is attacked by a group assassins and Serafina and her friend Neela go on the run and on a quest to find out who attacked Miromara and what it means to the seven seas as a whole.
This book is a middle-grade/YA fantasy series about mermaids and Jennifer Donnelly does a good job at the world-building, which was kind of complex - a whole world under the sea. However, it wasn't an info-dump which often tends to happen in fantasy books. There was also a magic system that all the merfolk use that was very interesting and definitely made the plot more interesting.
I loved the plot because even though it was somewhat straightforward, there were several different things that happened that I wasn't really expecting to happen until it happened. I enjoyed the mythology surrounding how the merfolk came into existence (spoiler: it has something to do with Atlantis), and how that whole origin story has an effect on the plot of the novel and the rest of the series. I also think that the mythology was made up by the author, if that is true that makes this book even more awesome.
I really enjoyed the characters, even though for most of the novel we only really get to know Serafina and Neela a lot. I also liked all the different side characters that were introduced throughout this book. I loved all the characters in this book and I can't wait to find out more about them.
I am giving this book 4/5 stars because I felt like this was a great introduction to the rest of the series, which I will definitely be reading in the near future.
diaryofthebookdragon's review
3.0
Even before Little Mermiad, Splash got me dreaming about being a mermaid and having fun.
Sadly, good novels about mermaids are hard to find. They tend to place the mermaids on the land with occasional swimming scenes. Boring!
Deep Blue is nothing like that. It has:
✸ Complex deep world-building.
✸ Fully developed mermaid culture and customs.
✸ Fun sea-related metaphors. For example: idle as a sponge. :D
✸ The whole novel happens underwater.
✸ The romance is not center of the plot.
Sadly, there were some things I disliked...
✸ My problem with fantasy authors who feel like they need to invent new words for everything could be best described in a veeery long rant. So let's just say that there was too much of words invented to describe perfectly ordinary things. (I know there is a dictionary at the end of the book, but I simply refuse to use them. Jumping to the end every paragraph or so kills the mood).
✸ Small plot holes. For example: mermaids can swim in sea water, river water and be above ground without difficulty.
✸ It felt very ya.
✸ Cliffhanger ending.
Even that cliffhanger at the end can't tempt me to continue with Waterfire Saga series. I admire what Jennifer Donnelly did, but her writing style didn't suit me.
Sadly, good novels about mermaids are hard to find. They tend to place the mermaids on the land with occasional swimming scenes. Boring!
Deep Blue is nothing like that. It has:
✸ Complex deep world-building.
✸ Fully developed mermaid culture and customs.
✸ Fun sea-related metaphors. For example: idle as a sponge. :D
✸ The whole novel happens underwater.
✸ The romance is not center of the plot.
Sadly, there were some things I disliked...
✸ My problem with fantasy authors who feel like they need to invent new words for everything could be best described in a veeery long rant. So let's just say that there was too much of words invented to describe perfectly ordinary things. (I know there is a dictionary at the end of the book, but I simply refuse to use them. Jumping to the end every paragraph or so kills the mood).
✸ Small plot holes. For example: mermaids can swim in sea water, river water and be above ground without difficulty.
✸ It felt very ya.
✸ Cliffhanger ending.
Even that cliffhanger at the end can't tempt me to continue with Waterfire Saga series. I admire what Jennifer Donnelly did, but her writing style didn't suit me.
solarcii's review
5.0
Really Good
This is one of the most well thought out books I have read in a long time. I couldn't put it down.
This is one of the most well thought out books I have read in a long time. I couldn't put it down.
pinkhydroflask's review
4.0
RATING: 7.3/10
This was actually a really good book! I thoroughly enjoyed the whole reading process, I thought the plot was so intricate and complex, it was simply spellbinding (pun intended)!!!
Unfortunately, it was WAY TOO CONFUSING. There were like 200 different terminologies for mermaids, cities, food, spells, positions, animals, EVERYTHING. A human was referred to as a terragogg!!! It was so utterly disorienting and bizarre to me and it did result in a rocky start to the book.
I will have to say it took approx 100~ pages before I could really understand what the author was trying to say, and then I began to enjoy the book. It was disappointing that there was so much time wasted on trying to get the gist of the new words instead of simply letting the story flow seamlessly.
However, I do want to say that the plot had a very pleasant rhythm to it. It was smooth at times, rocky at others, which provided a nice contrast at times.
I do hope for more character development, especially since there are 6 main characters, and only Sera had some semblance of depth to her characters. I want to know more about the rest - their childhood, their powers, their family, their lives etc. I really hope they're done well.
Overall I loved how the book ended, a cliffhanger that wasn't too meek, yet wasn't too dramatic and otherworldly. It was adequate given the context, and I am really excited to find out more in the next book.
This was actually a really good book! I thoroughly enjoyed the whole reading process, I thought the plot was so intricate and complex, it was simply spellbinding (pun intended)!!!
Unfortunately, it was WAY TOO CONFUSING. There were like 200 different terminologies for mermaids, cities, food, spells, positions, animals, EVERYTHING. A human was referred to as a terragogg!!! It was so utterly disorienting and bizarre to me and it did result in a rocky start to the book.
I will have to say it took approx 100~ pages before I could really understand what the author was trying to say, and then I began to enjoy the book. It was disappointing that there was so much time wasted on trying to get the gist of the new words instead of simply letting the story flow seamlessly.
However, I do want to say that the plot had a very pleasant rhythm to it. It was smooth at times, rocky at others, which provided a nice contrast at times.
I do hope for more character development, especially since there are 6 main characters, and only Sera had some semblance of depth to her characters. I want to know more about the rest - their childhood, their powers, their family, their lives etc. I really hope they're done well.
Overall I loved how the book ended, a cliffhanger that wasn't too meek, yet wasn't too dramatic and otherworldly. It was adequate given the context, and I am really excited to find out more in the next book.
leann_ange's review
The inconsistent physics got to me, the characters seemed silly, and I got tired of new characters getting introduced by way of having the heroes get into trouble and then get rescued by the newest member of their team.
nata_sa_b's review against another edition
3.0
Veľmi slabé 3*
Táto kniha má toľko vecí, ktoré ma rozčuľovali: postavy, dialógy, opisy...
A aj keď som bola rozhodnutá pre 2,5*, tak ten koniec ma presvedčil, že tie slabé 3* si zaslúži. Okrem toho nebol tu ľúbostný trojuholník, čo je plus....
Táto kniha má toľko vecí, ktoré ma rozčuľovali: postavy, dialógy, opisy...
A aj keď som bola rozhodnutá pre 2,5*, tak ten koniec ma presvedčil, že tie slabé 3* si zaslúži. Okrem toho nebol tu ľúbostný trojuholník, čo je plus....
sterrenbergs1's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
meliantree's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0