Pitched as Attack on Titan with mermaids, this savage gender-swapped retelling of “The Little Mermaid” is perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout, Alexandra Christo, and Holly Black.
Trapped on a walled island with her people, Kestra aches for vengeance against the swarms of ravenous mermaids that ate her father fifteen years ago. The swarms threaten her town’s last supply ship--and the life of the brave young captain who smiles so charmingly at her whenever he makes port. With the help of her scientist cousin and the handsome captain, Kestra takes her future and her people's fate into her hands, determined to find a way to destroy all the mermaids for good.
Abused and miserable, Rake serves in the harem of the three mermaid Queens. When he is given one of his spawn to raise, Rake resolves that his little son will have a better life. With the help of a monstrous creature that deals in memories, he discovers an ancient secret—one that could lead to freedom.
This fantasy novel blends a dark, brutal setting with romance and humor. New Adult.
Plot/Idea: 8 out of 10
Originality: 8 out of 10
Prose: 9 out of 10
Character/Execution: 8 out of 10
Overall: 8.25 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot: Kenney offers an adventurous, touching, and emotionally complex narrative replete with vivid characters and succulent prose, for an engaging ride that readers will find hard to put down.
Prose/Style: Kenney brings the world and characters of The Teeth in the Tide to roaring life with a colorful, evocative prose that binds the reader to each and every page with all the beauty and charm of the oceans themselves.
Originality: The Teeth in the Tide reinvigorates and re-contextualizes mermaids in a poignantly topical and terribly entertaining tale of adventure and intrigue.
Character Development/Execution: The cast crashes upon the breakers of readership fully-formed and vivid with life, and an emotional complexity that is sometimes rare in the genre.
Date Submitted: July 23, 2021
