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Tempest
Love can change a soul. But can it save one life?
Colm Weathercliff is a simple fisherman with an uncanny some might say preternatural knack for his trade. He thought leaving his small village to take his father s ashes to the capital city of Caithmor for a proper burial would be the grandest adventure of his life.
At first, all his hopes seem to be fulfilled. He finds a home where he s accepted without question, the freedom to use his talent to its fullest effect, and love with Nichol, a man with a longing for the sea as powerful as Colm s.
But Caithmor holds as many dangers as it does attractions. Colm s greatest secret turns out to be a dark revelation that gets him and his family shunned and changes everything he thought he knew about himself.
The truth about his parentage, his gift, even his physical form could poison his chance for love. And doom both him and Nichol to a gruesome, inescapable fate.
Warning: Contains graphic violence, explicit sex, and scenes of torture that may not be for the faint of heart. These mermen bear no resemblance to those you might have seen in a certain animated film.
Colm Weathercliff is a simple fisherman with an uncanny some might say preternatural knack for his trade. He thought leaving his small village to take his father s ashes to the capital city of Caithmor for a proper burial would be the grandest adventure of his life.
At first, all his hopes seem to be fulfilled. He finds a home where he s accepted without question, the freedom to use his talent to its fullest effect, and love with Nichol, a man with a longing for the sea as powerful as Colm s.
But Caithmor holds as many dangers as it does attractions. Colm s greatest secret turns out to be a dark revelation that gets him and his family shunned and changes everything he thought he knew about himself.
The truth about his parentage, his gift, even his physical form could poison his chance for love. And doom both him and Nichol to a gruesome, inescapable fate.
Warning: Contains graphic violence, explicit sex, and scenes of torture that may not be for the faint of heart. These mermen bear no resemblance to those you might have seen in a certain animated film.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 5, 2016
17 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
Cari Z.
135 books528 followersCari Z. is a Colorado girl who loves snow and sunshine. She has a wonderful relationship with her husband, a complex relationship with the characters in her head and a sadomasochistic relationship with her exercise routine. She feels like Halloween should happen every month, which is why you get this picture of her, and hopes that you enjoy reading what she's put out there as much as she enjoyed writing it in the first place.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
February 13, 2016
pantsy, but compulsively readable.
the beginning was pretty difficult for me to get into. the story tended to focus on details that meant nothing to me at that particular time (i just met your sisters, why should i give a shit about them or their unique quirks and temperaments?) or things that meant everything to me but which were instantly abandoned as the story moved on (basically every section of the book).
and i guess that's probably my biggest gripe; cari z. can write, and whatever she chooses to write about is engrossing and pacey and funny and sexy and emotional.
just.
the second you get all into a time and place—zoot! fuck that jazz, the story's going somewhere else and so are you.
this wouldn't be a problem for me personally if i had any sense of an overall scheme to the thing, but the story didn't feel that way at all. it felt quite distinctly like a pantser's field day: will the spoiler make it to the spoiler? who cares! the spoiler has taken it upon himself to spoiler the spoiler. and never mind his beloved spoiler; she's left to fend for herself as the spoilers grow ever closer to spoilering the spoiler as the spoiler spoils. but what happened to the spoiler who—nope, no time, the spoilers have to spoiler the spoiler before the magic spoiler fucks up half the spoilers in the spoiler. hang on, now it's time for world-building that will never have anything to do with anything in the course of this adventure!
[spoiler.]
details get dropped along the way. things that should matter do not matter. things that should not matter end up with tons of page time.
*grumps further, thankfully somewhere else*
but it was still good, goddammit.
i didn't like the deus ex ending, i didn't like all the dropped threads and half-baked plot points discarded along the way, and i didn't like the gruesome and gratuitous-feeling (spoilers).
but it was good writing, all the same.
gripping, and action-packed, and studded with the occasional tender scene fit to make me snivel a bit.
good stuff.
even when it hurt muh feelz with an unfortunate correlation to events in my personal life.
it appears i shouldn't have read a book about a basically.
too soon.
...apparently.
the beginning was pretty difficult for me to get into. the story tended to focus on details that meant nothing to me at that particular time (i just met your sisters, why should i give a shit about them or their unique quirks and temperaments?) or things that meant everything to me but which were instantly abandoned as the story moved on (basically every section of the book).
and i guess that's probably my biggest gripe; cari z. can write, and whatever she chooses to write about is engrossing and pacey and funny and sexy and emotional.
just.
the second you get all into a time and place—zoot! fuck that jazz, the story's going somewhere else and so are you.
this wouldn't be a problem for me personally if i had any sense of an overall scheme to the thing, but the story didn't feel that way at all. it felt quite distinctly like a pantser's field day: will the spoiler make it to the spoiler? who cares! the spoiler has taken it upon himself to spoiler the spoiler. and never mind his beloved spoiler; she's left to fend for herself as the spoilers grow ever closer to spoilering the spoiler as the spoiler spoils. but what happened to the spoiler who—nope, no time, the spoilers have to spoiler the spoiler before the magic spoiler fucks up half the spoilers in the spoiler. hang on, now it's time for world-building that will never have anything to do with anything in the course of this adventure!
[spoiler.]
details get dropped along the way. things that should matter do not matter. things that should not matter end up with tons of page time.
*grumps further, thankfully somewhere else*
but it was still good, goddammit.
i didn't like the deus ex ending, i didn't like all the dropped threads and half-baked plot points discarded along the way, and i didn't like the gruesome and gratuitous-feeling (spoilers).
but it was good writing, all the same.
gripping, and action-packed, and studded with the occasional tender scene fit to make me snivel a bit.
good stuff.
even when it hurt muh feelz with an unfortunate correlation to events in my personal life.
it appears i shouldn't have read a book about a basically.
too soon.
...apparently.
February 9, 2016
Manticores, selkies, and mer... Oh my!
This is a journey story. Colm Weathercliff is a fisherman with a knack for finding a good catch. Colm, alone for all intense purposes after the death of his father, Ger, wanders to find a life more suited to him. In a small town of farmers he doesn't fit, a landlubber he's not. Actually, it's more than that.
This was not what I was expecting. I guess I imagined something more martial, but having read the Z's stories I have, I should have known better. Once I readjusted my preconception, or threw them out, I really enjoyed the story. It revolves around Colm's discovery of himself. Who he is as a man, a friend, his father's son, and a lover. And, much of it comes as a surprise.
After leaving the safety of his farming village, Anneslea, Colm begins to confront life and make choices. Who should he trust? How will he survive? In an intolerant society sometimes the choices we make, what we want are overshadowed by other needs. In the seaside town of Caithmore, Colm makes decisions that alter his path in life.
Having been welcomed by distant relations in Caithmore he soon realizes that he is not as alone as he believed, even in his darkest moments, even after transformative events. His heart is bound by love and friendship, each giving him strength and opportunity that he needs. And with the challenges Colm faces, they are crucial.
I found the secondary characters almost stole the show. When they appear, bigger than life, they suck all the attention away. It seemed as if times Colm and Nichol were the backdrop for fantastical characters and their stories. Like Frodo and Sam wandering to destroy the ring while everyone around them has these epic tales to tell, and they carry on. Except, here Frodo and Sam, or Colm and Nichol fall in love. And all we want as the readers is for them to find their way to home.
Overall, a transformative fantasy adventure where the hero learns that things will never be the same again.
Favorite quote:
||==||==||==||==||==||==||==||==||==||==||
Mer. Do I need to say more? Violence. Can't help if I'm predictable.
~~ARC provided by Netgalley~~
This is a journey story. Colm Weathercliff is a fisherman with a knack for finding a good catch. Colm, alone for all intense purposes after the death of his father, Ger, wanders to find a life more suited to him. In a small town of farmers he doesn't fit, a landlubber he's not. Actually, it's more than that.
"This is your opportunity to live the life you want to, instead of the life you would be resigned to.”
This was not what I was expecting. I guess I imagined something more martial, but having read the Z's stories I have, I should have known better. Once I readjusted my preconception, or threw them out, I really enjoyed the story. It revolves around Colm's discovery of himself. Who he is as a man, a friend, his father's son, and a lover. And, much of it comes as a surprise.
After leaving the safety of his farming village, Anneslea, Colm begins to confront life and make choices. Who should he trust? How will he survive? In an intolerant society sometimes the choices we make, what we want are overshadowed by other needs. In the seaside town of Caithmore, Colm makes decisions that alter his path in life.
Having been welcomed by distant relations in Caithmore he soon realizes that he is not as alone as he believed, even in his darkest moments, even after transformative events. His heart is bound by love and friendship, each giving him strength and opportunity that he needs. And with the challenges Colm faces, they are crucial.
I found the secondary characters almost stole the show. When they appear, bigger than life, they suck all the attention away. It seemed as if times Colm and Nichol were the backdrop for fantastical characters and their stories. Like Frodo and Sam wandering to destroy the ring while everyone around them has these epic tales to tell, and they carry on. Except, here Frodo and Sam, or Colm and Nichol fall in love. And all we want as the readers is for them to find their way to home.
Overall, a transformative fantasy adventure where the hero learns that things will never be the same again.
Favorite quote:
“I never thought I would get the chance to both ruin and save the same person…"
||==||==||==||==||==||==||==||==||==||==||
Mer. Do I need to say more?
~~ARC provided by Netgalley~~
February 19, 2016
These days, when it comes to authors whose works I recognize (and usually enjoy), I'm trying a new approach by going blind without even reading the blurb to influence me. I want to know whether I could savor the story better. This is one of the examples. I know of Cari Z's previous works and when I saw her title being released by Samhain (I believe this is her first title with said publisher), I just clicked the ARC request without even knowing what the story was going to be.
... and I was pleasantly surprised with what I read.
Tempest is a well-told fantasy with a touch of 'coming-of-age', at least for me. Because even though Colm, the main narrator of this story, was in his 20 years of age, the story has that personal journey into adulthood feel to it.
In the beginning, Colm starts as an odd one out, a fisherman in a town full of farmers, who feels more at ease with the rhythm of the water. After his father passed away, Colm is told by his stepmother to go to the city because otherwise he will not be happy at his old hometown, especially since he will be expected to marry. And in his journey into the city of Caithmor and settle down there, Colm discovers friendship, a new family, his true heritage, and also love.
I always adore this kind of fairy tale and I thought Tempest did a good job keeping the pace throughout. I was pretty immersed with Cole's day-to-day life. I found myself guessing about Colm's heritage and what would happen when people found out. Although I have to admit that sometimes the secondary characters stole the show from Colm and his younger lover, Nichol. But maybe it was also because Colm and Nichol are still trying to find their place in the world, compared to the more experienced secondary characters.
All in all, I loved it. I actually sacrificed my sleeping time very early in the morning to finish reading it. I realize that this might not be everyone's cup of tea because it is definitely not heavy on the romantic or steamy elements; but if you enjoy a fantasy with characters journey then you might give this one a try.
The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
... and I was pleasantly surprised with what I read.
Tempest is a well-told fantasy with a touch of 'coming-of-age', at least for me. Because even though Colm, the main narrator of this story, was in his 20 years of age, the story has that personal journey into adulthood feel to it.
In the beginning, Colm starts as an odd one out, a fisherman in a town full of farmers, who feels more at ease with the rhythm of the water. After his father passed away, Colm is told by his stepmother to go to the city because otherwise he will not be happy at his old hometown, especially since he will be expected to marry. And in his journey into the city of Caithmor and settle down there, Colm discovers friendship, a new family, his true heritage, and also love.
I always adore this kind of fairy tale and I thought Tempest did a good job keeping the pace throughout. I was pretty immersed with Cole's day-to-day life. I found myself guessing about Colm's heritage and what would happen when people found out. Although I have to admit that sometimes the secondary characters stole the show from Colm and his younger lover, Nichol. But maybe it was also because Colm and Nichol are still trying to find their place in the world, compared to the more experienced secondary characters.
All in all, I loved it. I actually sacrificed my sleeping time very early in the morning to finish reading it. I realize that this might not be everyone's cup of tea because it is definitely not heavy on the romantic or steamy elements; but if you enjoy a fantasy with characters journey then you might give this one a try.
The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
August 27, 2023
Two days after finishing the book, I have to accept that a “real” review isn’t going to happen anytime soon, which isn’t a surprise for me lately, but it still sucks because this book deserves one.
You get some random thoughts instead, sorry.
Good writing, with one or two small occurrences of unclear passages regarding the progression of the scene, but nothing too bad, they just stood out because the rest of the narrative flew well.
The worldbuilding was interesting and just enough to give a sense of the setting without overwhelming the reader with info-dump.
The MCs were endearing and realistic and I liked how the author handled the relationship development, even if (or maybe because) at first I was a little taken aback by some of it. I was a little surprised by the almost complete lack of in the relationship part of the story, despite
I wouldn’t describe this as a romance, a coming of age story or a fantasy/adventure one, maybe a mix of all of the above is the closest I can come to an accurate description. It might sound confusing, but it worked and it was a nice surprise to read a not-so-recent story that didn’t follow the usual structure and relationship patterns.
Content warning for:
You get some random thoughts instead, sorry.
Good writing, with one or two small occurrences of unclear passages regarding the progression of the scene, but nothing too bad, they just stood out because the rest of the narrative flew well.
The worldbuilding was interesting and just enough to give a sense of the setting without overwhelming the reader with info-dump.
The MCs were endearing and realistic and I liked how the author handled the relationship development, even if (or maybe because) at first I was a little taken aback by some of it. I was a little surprised by the almost complete lack of in the relationship part of the story, despite
I wouldn’t describe this as a romance, a coming of age story or a fantasy/adventure one, maybe a mix of all of the above is the closest I can come to an accurate description. It might sound confusing, but it worked and it was a nice surprise to read a not-so-recent story that didn’t follow the usual structure and relationship patterns.
Content warning for:
April 11, 2016
4.25
If you're reading this review chances are you're familiar with the romance algorithm-person A meets person B, they fall in lurve at varying speeds, something bad happens that they must work through/survive on their way to an HFN/HEA. I like this algorithm. It's predictable, yes, but so many emotions, personality traits, adventures and conflicts can be packed into that algorithm to make it unique. My point being when an author can make me question the algorithm it always impresses me.
That coupled with Cari Z.'s range from fantasy to post apocalyptic dystopia to contemporary make it clear that she is the quintessential storyteller. I can't tell you how many times while I was reading this I thought how great it would be to sit around a campfire listening to her tell this tale. It's filed with adventure, villainous secondary characters, romance, violence, tragedy and triumph, creepy creatures, mythical creatures and a sprinkling of sexy times, though they are definitely in the side car of this story.
Tempest is a slow burn with and a bit of a love triangle. Colm with the help of his stepmother flees his tiny mountain village after his father's death for fear he will be forced to marry. He has no desire to marry. He wants to live a quiet life as a fisherman, the thing he enjoys most in the world. He joins up with Fergus, who is a jolly lothario with an unknown number of wives (even he gets them mixed up), who sees him safely to Caithmor. Once there he meets aunt Megg and Nichol.
Megg is a tough old bird who isn't gonna take any guff of anyone. She strong arms the town drunk into hiring Colm and he quickly makes a name for himself and along the way garners some unwanted attention. Colm has always had a knack for fishing, a knack which some people say is magic. Magic in all its permutations is illegal thus he is arrested and taken to Honored Strain, inquisitor. All of this wreaks of hypocrisy in that the priests can use magic while laypeople are tortured and jailed for doing so. Nice subtext.
In Colm's case he's prohibited from fishing and becomes an outcast. Colm being Colm he makes the best of a bad situation, spends more time with Nichol and his friends until tragedy strikes. No sooner has Colm helped Nichol through that crisis before another obstacle gets thrown in their way. This is when the doubts started to creep in.
I shouldn't have doubted because Nichol never does even when things seem hopeless. Colm and Nichol are opposites. Nichol is a classic extrovert with many friends, a passion for life that permeates his every interaction and a thrill seeker. His optimism bolsters Colm and they keep working and fighting to find solutions even if they have to trust some unsavory characters. Besides being with Colm is the adventure Nichol's been waiting a lifetime for.
There are many things that I enjoyed about this story but what made me coo was how tactile they are. Nichol pretty much uses Colm as a body pillow. Always snuggling, oftentimes snoring, sometimes drooling and always on Colm.
The other can be summed up as Cari Z.'s writing style. She paid attention to the details and skillfully wove this story together. As a visual person that matters to me especially when you're building an alternate universe. The more I can visualize it the greater my enjoyment will be. She accomplished it without info dumping.
There are loose ends and I still have some questions mainly about secondary characters, so I'm crossing all the things that a follow up or two are planned.
Recommend to high fantasy fans.
An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you're reading this review chances are you're familiar with the romance algorithm-person A meets person B, they fall in lurve at varying speeds, something bad happens that they must work through/survive on their way to an HFN/HEA. I like this algorithm. It's predictable, yes, but so many emotions, personality traits, adventures and conflicts can be packed into that algorithm to make it unique. My point being when an author can make me question the algorithm it always impresses me.
That coupled with Cari Z.'s range from fantasy to post apocalyptic dystopia to contemporary make it clear that she is the quintessential storyteller. I can't tell you how many times while I was reading this I thought how great it would be to sit around a campfire listening to her tell this tale. It's filed with adventure, villainous secondary characters, romance, violence, tragedy and triumph, creepy creatures, mythical creatures and a sprinkling of sexy times, though they are definitely in the side car of this story.
Tempest is a slow burn with and a bit of a love triangle. Colm with the help of his stepmother flees his tiny mountain village after his father's death for fear he will be forced to marry. He has no desire to marry. He wants to live a quiet life as a fisherman, the thing he enjoys most in the world. He joins up with Fergus, who is a jolly lothario with an unknown number of wives (even he gets them mixed up), who sees him safely to Caithmor. Once there he meets aunt Megg and Nichol.
Megg is a tough old bird who isn't gonna take any guff of anyone. She strong arms the town drunk into hiring Colm and he quickly makes a name for himself and along the way garners some unwanted attention. Colm has always had a knack for fishing, a knack which some people say is magic. Magic in all its permutations is illegal thus he is arrested and taken to Honored Strain, inquisitor. All of this wreaks of hypocrisy in that the priests can use magic while laypeople are tortured and jailed for doing so. Nice subtext.
"Living means you get jostled about a bit."
In Colm's case he's prohibited from fishing and becomes an outcast. Colm being Colm he makes the best of a bad situation, spends more time with Nichol and his friends until tragedy strikes. No sooner has Colm helped Nichol through that crisis before another obstacle gets thrown in their way. This is when the doubts started to creep in.
"Sometimes there's no perfect solution. Sometimes you have to live out something bad in order to get to something better."
I shouldn't have doubted because Nichol never does even when things seem hopeless. Colm and Nichol are opposites. Nichol is a classic extrovert with many friends, a passion for life that permeates his every interaction and a thrill seeker. His optimism bolsters Colm and they keep working and fighting to find solutions even if they have to trust some unsavory characters. Besides being with Colm is the adventure Nichol's been waiting a lifetime for.
There are many things that I enjoyed about this story but what made me coo was how tactile they are. Nichol pretty much uses Colm as a body pillow. Always snuggling, oftentimes snoring, sometimes drooling and always on Colm.
The other can be summed up as Cari Z.'s writing style. She paid attention to the details and skillfully wove this story together. As a visual person that matters to me especially when you're building an alternate universe. The more I can visualize it the greater my enjoyment will be. She accomplished it without info dumping.
There are loose ends and I still have some questions mainly about secondary characters, so I'm crossing all the things that a follow up or two are planned.
Recommend to high fantasy fans.
An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 26, 2024
I loved this one! Cari Z gets me every time! I absolutely love her writing, her worlds, her characters *happy sigh* I was completely enchanted and entranced from page one all the way until the conclusion. I have always loved folk tales, fairy tails and the supernatural and as far as I’m concerned, there aren’t enough queer fairy tales, so it’s no wonder I gravitate to Cari’s stories, she writes these kinds of stories beautifully.
My favorite aspect of Tempest: the evolution of Colm and Nichol’s relationship. Stories where the MCs relationship slowly and steadily builds from friendship to love are my favorite. Their devotion felt real and made so much sense to me *contented sighs* Their love was believable. Their pain, deliciously palpable.
The only thing keeping this from being a 5 star review is that the conclusion felt a bit rushed to me. I had been so intrigued by the secondary characters that I wanted to know more about what became of them. Those conclusions are somewhat inferred but it felt like it was left more to the reader’s imaginations. Maybe it’s just that I loved the world and all the characters so much that I wanted more and wasn’t ready for the story to end... maybe... yeah, probably.
Edited to add Sunday, May 26, 2024:
Free today through Tuesday
My favorite aspect of Tempest: the evolution of Colm and Nichol’s relationship. Stories where the MCs relationship slowly and steadily builds from friendship to love are my favorite. Their devotion felt real and made so much sense to me *contented sighs* Their love was believable. Their pain, deliciously palpable.
The only thing keeping this from being a 5 star review is that the conclusion felt a bit rushed to me. I had been so intrigued by the secondary characters that I wanted to know more about what became of them. Those conclusions are somewhat inferred but it felt like it was left more to the reader’s imaginations. Maybe it’s just that I loved the world and all the characters so much that I wanted more and wasn’t ready for the story to end... maybe... yeah, probably.
Edited to add Sunday, May 26, 2024:
Free today through Tuesday
November 27, 2015
Tempest is a heartfelt story about Colm, a young man of 20, who experiences more tragedy in his life than many others ever will. He has just lost his father, who is his best friend, as the story opens. He's never known his mother, but his stepmother has always been a kind woman. She senses he doesn't want to marry a young lady as would be expected of him in this historic-like setting and encourages him to travel to a faraway village along the sea where she has family. Colm has never seen the water before, and he is as drawn to the village because of that as he is because of not wanting to marry a local girl.
After traveling for many weeks via camel and coach, Colm reaches the new village that will be his home, Caithmor. It is here that he meets Megg, his stepmother's family, and Megg's grandson, Nichol, who will become his love interest. Once Colm arrives in Caithmor, we begin to understand his "gift" as it pertains to the open waters. He becomes a fisherman's helper, and when he places his fingers in the water, Colm can "sense" where the wildlife are by their movements. But magic is strictly forbidden against the church's laws, and rumors begin to run about Colm's abilities to catch more fish than anyone else in the village.
There is a LOT thrown into this novel. Details would be spoilery, but there is a mer element - that's in the blurb. So I knew going in that this was a fantasy genre novel. However, the fantasy aspect also takes place in an entirely fictional historical-like setting, which wasn't exactly my cup of tea. Throw in the NA aspect, and I was completely out of my element. At 20 and 18, Colm and Nichol have some very immature moments, particularly Nichol. Lashing out with words aimed to hurt. Egos leading stupid actions. And these things always leading to exceptional tragedy. My head began to hurt.
Sometimes others were at fault, sometimes things "just happened." But either way, there was so much tragedy in this book, it could've been a Shakespearean play. Death, beatings, public shunnings and ridicule, separation from each other, constant physical injury.....I could go on.
And then this didn't read as a romance, but more like a love story. They do get a HEA, but I was so emotionally drained by the end. I just wanted to be done. It was very well-written. No doubt about that. But this isn't the type of book that I want to read in m/m romance. I don't mind fantasy - enjoy it actually. And I really like a lot of what I read from this author. But I feel the blurb wasn't nearly specific enough in the description of what the readers are getting into with this one. If you are ok with all that I have described, you will enjoy this book.
After traveling for many weeks via camel and coach, Colm reaches the new village that will be his home, Caithmor. It is here that he meets Megg, his stepmother's family, and Megg's grandson, Nichol, who will become his love interest. Once Colm arrives in Caithmor, we begin to understand his "gift" as it pertains to the open waters. He becomes a fisherman's helper, and when he places his fingers in the water, Colm can "sense" where the wildlife are by their movements. But magic is strictly forbidden against the church's laws, and rumors begin to run about Colm's abilities to catch more fish than anyone else in the village.
There is a LOT thrown into this novel. Details would be spoilery, but there is a mer element - that's in the blurb. So I knew going in that this was a fantasy genre novel. However, the fantasy aspect also takes place in an entirely fictional historical-like setting, which wasn't exactly my cup of tea. Throw in the NA aspect, and I was completely out of my element. At 20 and 18, Colm and Nichol have some very immature moments, particularly Nichol. Lashing out with words aimed to hurt. Egos leading stupid actions. And these things always leading to exceptional tragedy. My head began to hurt.
Sometimes others were at fault, sometimes things "just happened." But either way, there was so much tragedy in this book, it could've been a Shakespearean play. Death, beatings, public shunnings and ridicule, separation from each other, constant physical injury.....I could go on.
And then this didn't read as a romance, but more like a love story. They do get a HEA, but I was so emotionally drained by the end. I just wanted to be done. It was very well-written. No doubt about that. But this isn't the type of book that I want to read in m/m romance. I don't mind fantasy - enjoy it actually. And I really like a lot of what I read from this author. But I feel the blurb wasn't nearly specific enough in the description of what the readers are getting into with this one. If you are ok with all that I have described, you will enjoy this book.
July 3, 2020
I don't think Cari has written a book I don't like, and this one was just amazing...even though I was holding out to use it for mer-folk/shifter challenge category, I'm glad I read it.
VERY slow burn, but the build-up was so worth it. Loved the world-building and while it had a solid HEA, I wouldn't mind a follow-up given the on-going war. Also, could that mystery prisoner locked up next to Colm have been Kiaran's relative?
VERY slow burn, but the build-up was so worth it. Loved the world-building and while it had a solid HEA, I wouldn't mind a follow-up given the on-going war. Also, could that mystery prisoner locked up next to Colm have been Kiaran's relative?
April 5, 2016
A Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
really loved how this book tied all the plot lines tight. Characters that seemed inconsequential became indispensible. There is actually more to the plot than I’ve outlined, but I can’t reveal more of the tapestry without taking all the joy from it. This is a fantasy and adventure with a romance that grows naturally. I liked how they had been friends first and became close as the weeks and months wore on. I was so intrigued throughout, because the world building is excellent. The elements of magic are considerable, with selkies and mer and curses and priestly charms. I think everyone will know the secret of Colm’s magic from the blurb, but the reveal is so different from my expectations that I was completely blindsided by the next several plot turns. I found the juxtaposition of religion and magic to be unique, with the priests and royalty full practitioners of magic, while even innate magic was forbidden to the regular folk.
The end is squarely in the HEA category, but it’s a hard won ending. Like Colm, readers will be on the edge of despair until the last chapter, or two. I was captivated and pleased, both with the story and it’s pacing, especially given the length. The book is nearly 500 pages, and I honestly didn’t feel as if any of them were wasted. If you like fantasy, magic, and are willing to suffer the amazing turns of Colm’s fortune, I really think you’ll like this one.
Read Veronica’s review in its entirety here.
5 stars
really loved how this book tied all the plot lines tight. Characters that seemed inconsequential became indispensible. There is actually more to the plot than I’ve outlined, but I can’t reveal more of the tapestry without taking all the joy from it. This is a fantasy and adventure with a romance that grows naturally. I liked how they had been friends first and became close as the weeks and months wore on. I was so intrigued throughout, because the world building is excellent. The elements of magic are considerable, with selkies and mer and curses and priestly charms. I think everyone will know the secret of Colm’s magic from the blurb, but the reveal is so different from my expectations that I was completely blindsided by the next several plot turns. I found the juxtaposition of religion and magic to be unique, with the priests and royalty full practitioners of magic, while even innate magic was forbidden to the regular folk.
The end is squarely in the HEA category, but it’s a hard won ending. Like Colm, readers will be on the edge of despair until the last chapter, or two. I was captivated and pleased, both with the story and it’s pacing, especially given the length. The book is nearly 500 pages, and I honestly didn’t feel as if any of them were wasted. If you like fantasy, magic, and are willing to suffer the amazing turns of Colm’s fortune, I really think you’ll like this one.
Read Veronica’s review in its entirety here.
December 29, 2018
There is so much I have to say about this book I truly don't know where to start. This book was AMAZING, the arc of it, Colm's story was heart breaking heart warming, difficult to read at times, hopeless! hopeful! but also at the very end peaceful. Life certainly took a lot from both Colm and Nichol but they DID manage to find their own kind of Happily Ever After. Perfect is a relative concept really.
When Colm Weathercliff's father dies he realizes it's time to leave the only place he has called home. Though he is reluctant he knows that's the best time and hopefully he can find and build a new place with his stepmothers' family in the big city of Caithmor. After a colorful and interesting journey to get there he is happy to find friendship and love in a new home - The Cove - the Inn Megg (his stepmother's aunt) runs with a bit of help from her grandson Nichol Searunner.
Nichol is a wonder for Colm. His feelings for him are complicated, he knows he wants far more than he should, especially with Nichol's big dreams of joining the navy (more now with an upcoming war). But especially when things are going great with himself, Megg and Nichol that's when his luck changes. His special "gift" of finding fish is found as "magical" and he is sentenced for it. While magic and magical creatures seem to be surrounding them, the king doesn't allow the use of magic unless it's worked by the priests of their gods. It was heart breaking what Colm had to go through but in the end he somehow accepted his current situation especially when those somehow brought him more than just friendship from Nichol.
Working at the The Cove for Megg, spending time with Nichol was all he could really ask for and as they spend more time together Colm could finally feel happy. Yet not very long after getting a strange reading of his fate at a festival his life turns upside down (to say it mildly). Everything he has known about himself is changing and with it the possibility of a life and future with the one he holds dearest - Nichol.
While Nichol can be childish and mischievous he has grown up enough since Colm first came to The Cove to realize some things are better fought for and he is willing to do his best for the person who he can't envision his life without. Nichol wanted an adventure and he gets one even if not the one he had in mind.
There's so much going on in this book, so many wonderful and awful characters. Some fully human while others not so much and truth been told neither Colm not Nichol are FULLY human though they can't begin to imagine what Colm's secret part of him really is.
I enjoyed my journey through this wonderful world Cari has build for us in this book. I would have gladly spend more time there, with Colm and Nichol or other characters as well. This book had the perfect blend of a personal journey, romance and action woven into a dark and not very compromising world. I truly couldn't have asked for more, just PERFECT.
Naturally - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
I was kindly gifted this book by Cari. Thank you!
More Reviews HERE
When Colm Weathercliff's father dies he realizes it's time to leave the only place he has called home. Though he is reluctant he knows that's the best time and hopefully he can find and build a new place with his stepmothers' family in the big city of Caithmor. After a colorful and interesting journey to get there he is happy to find friendship and love in a new home - The Cove - the Inn Megg (his stepmother's aunt) runs with a bit of help from her grandson Nichol Searunner.
Nichol is a wonder for Colm. His feelings for him are complicated, he knows he wants far more than he should, especially with Nichol's big dreams of joining the navy (more now with an upcoming war). But especially when things are going great with himself, Megg and Nichol that's when his luck changes. His special "gift" of finding fish is found as "magical" and he is sentenced for it. While magic and magical creatures seem to be surrounding them, the king doesn't allow the use of magic unless it's worked by the priests of their gods. It was heart breaking what Colm had to go through but in the end he somehow accepted his current situation especially when those somehow brought him more than just friendship from Nichol.
Working at the The Cove for Megg, spending time with Nichol was all he could really ask for and as they spend more time together Colm could finally feel happy. Yet not very long after getting a strange reading of his fate at a festival his life turns upside down (to say it mildly). Everything he has known about himself is changing and with it the possibility of a life and future with the one he holds dearest - Nichol.
While Nichol can be childish and mischievous he has grown up enough since Colm first came to The Cove to realize some things are better fought for and he is willing to do his best for the person who he can't envision his life without. Nichol wanted an adventure and he gets one even if not the one he had in mind.
There's so much going on in this book, so many wonderful and awful characters. Some fully human while others not so much and truth been told neither Colm not Nichol are FULLY human though they can't begin to imagine what Colm's secret part of him really is.
I enjoyed my journey through this wonderful world Cari has build for us in this book. I would have gladly spend more time there, with Colm and Nichol or other characters as well. This book had the perfect blend of a personal journey, romance and action woven into a dark and not very compromising world. I truly couldn't have asked for more, just PERFECT.
Naturally - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
I was kindly gifted this book by Cari. Thank you!
More Reviews HERE
February 28, 2016
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Also, this review originally appeared on Hot Stuff for Cool People.
I adored this book. Just… completely adored it. It wasn’t what I expected at all. To be… perfectly honest, I don’t read book blurbs- I skim them. I have yet to find a blurb that isn’t unbearably boring and kind of like DunDunDun! which is a big turn off for me. (I get that you have to do this to get readers interested. It just doesn’t interest me.) So I skimmed this blurb and I for some reason twisted it around in my mind that it was going to be… action-y and, like, lots of misunderstandings and stuff, and more paranormal than fantasy. Which... I’m not a big fan of that stuff, so I don’t know why I thought I’d be interested. Because it was a fantasy with mermaids, maybe. And maybe because I thought the cover was amazing.
Anyway, the book’s not really like that at all. It’s about Colm, our main character, who grows up in a tiny farming village. When his father dies, his stepmother urges Colm to leave home for a bigger city, where he can make a better life for himself, and maybe find love- she knows that his interests don’t lie with the girls in the village. Or any girls at all. So off he goes, and he starts to build a life for himself with his stepmother’s aunt and her grandson, Nichol, in the city. And he starts to fall in love with Nichol. But there are secrets about Colm that even Colm doesn’t know, and when they emerge… things start happening.
So… this book is pretty slow. Not in that it’s boring- not at all. I was never, never bored. It just… meanders a bit. Colm’s journey is kind of long and interesting, and then, his settling into his new life takes a while, and then he has some other, rather tame in the grand scheme of things, adventures, and for people who are looking for a fast-paced romance, this might not be their thing. But I’m a fantasy reader first, and this was definitely my thing. I loved the slow build of the story and the romance. I loved how absolutely absorbed I was by the world-building, the fantasy elements, the relationships Colm builds with his new family. It was slow and gentle and not packed with action- and this is my favorite kind of book. The plot doesn’t even really start until the book’s almost over, but it worked perfectly for me.
I also loved how realistic the characters were. Right from the beginning, I felt like I not only knew Colm- who’s quiet and a bit awkward but so smart, and talented, and kind- but his sister, and his stepmother, and his little brother. Even his father, who’s dead before the book even starts, felt like a real person. I read for characters, so this was important to me. And I loved how all the ties between the characters were not necessarily typical, but how they felt honest. In one of the very first scenes, Colm comforts his stepmother, thinking of her almost before himself, and I just loved that scene so much because it told me so much about them and also their bonds.
Since the characters are so great, it’s easy to see that the romance is also going to be really interesting, and it was. I loved Nichol. He was complicated where Colm was, on the surface, more simple. And the romance between them takes a long time to bloom. But when it does, it felt very real to me. I liked that it was obvious that they cared for each other, but that there wasn’t any kind of instant love. They had problems that still needed sorting out, right up until the end of the book- and I wasn’t left feeling as if their romance was perfect, even then. They had a lot of room to grow together, and I loved that.
The sex was also super interesting- not that it was, like, especially creative or filthy or anything like that. There are some books where a lot of really steamy sex works best, but here, the sex was… not tame, but kind of elegant? It was still steamy, for sure, but it was lovely and tender. Some books are lovely and sweet and then, bang! Really raunchy sex! This never quite feels realistic to me. You need the sex to match the book and the characters. And here it did, and it was just really delightful to read.
So, I don’t think there was anything I disliked about this. I thought some of the magical critters and the naming was a bit over the top- like you could see where the author almost got carried away with world-building- but it was never really annoying. Not all questions get answered about everything, and I bet this will annoy some people, but I actually really liked it. It left room for either more books, or for the imagination to take over, and that was fun. This is well worth a read. I actually think I might just turn around and start this over again, because it was so delightful.
I adored this book. Just… completely adored it. It wasn’t what I expected at all. To be… perfectly honest, I don’t read book blurbs- I skim them. I have yet to find a blurb that isn’t unbearably boring and kind of like DunDunDun! which is a big turn off for me. (I get that you have to do this to get readers interested. It just doesn’t interest me.) So I skimmed this blurb and I for some reason twisted it around in my mind that it was going to be… action-y and, like, lots of misunderstandings and stuff, and more paranormal than fantasy. Which... I’m not a big fan of that stuff, so I don’t know why I thought I’d be interested. Because it was a fantasy with mermaids, maybe. And maybe because I thought the cover was amazing.
Anyway, the book’s not really like that at all. It’s about Colm, our main character, who grows up in a tiny farming village. When his father dies, his stepmother urges Colm to leave home for a bigger city, where he can make a better life for himself, and maybe find love- she knows that his interests don’t lie with the girls in the village. Or any girls at all. So off he goes, and he starts to build a life for himself with his stepmother’s aunt and her grandson, Nichol, in the city. And he starts to fall in love with Nichol. But there are secrets about Colm that even Colm doesn’t know, and when they emerge… things start happening.
So… this book is pretty slow. Not in that it’s boring- not at all. I was never, never bored. It just… meanders a bit. Colm’s journey is kind of long and interesting, and then, his settling into his new life takes a while, and then he has some other, rather tame in the grand scheme of things, adventures, and for people who are looking for a fast-paced romance, this might not be their thing. But I’m a fantasy reader first, and this was definitely my thing. I loved the slow build of the story and the romance. I loved how absolutely absorbed I was by the world-building, the fantasy elements, the relationships Colm builds with his new family. It was slow and gentle and not packed with action- and this is my favorite kind of book. The plot doesn’t even really start until the book’s almost over, but it worked perfectly for me.
I also loved how realistic the characters were. Right from the beginning, I felt like I not only knew Colm- who’s quiet and a bit awkward but so smart, and talented, and kind- but his sister, and his stepmother, and his little brother. Even his father, who’s dead before the book even starts, felt like a real person. I read for characters, so this was important to me. And I loved how all the ties between the characters were not necessarily typical, but how they felt honest. In one of the very first scenes, Colm comforts his stepmother, thinking of her almost before himself, and I just loved that scene so much because it told me so much about them and also their bonds.
Since the characters are so great, it’s easy to see that the romance is also going to be really interesting, and it was. I loved Nichol. He was complicated where Colm was, on the surface, more simple. And the romance between them takes a long time to bloom. But when it does, it felt very real to me. I liked that it was obvious that they cared for each other, but that there wasn’t any kind of instant love. They had problems that still needed sorting out, right up until the end of the book- and I wasn’t left feeling as if their romance was perfect, even then. They had a lot of room to grow together, and I loved that.
The sex was also super interesting- not that it was, like, especially creative or filthy or anything like that. There are some books where a lot of really steamy sex works best, but here, the sex was… not tame, but kind of elegant? It was still steamy, for sure, but it was lovely and tender. Some books are lovely and sweet and then, bang! Really raunchy sex! This never quite feels realistic to me. You need the sex to match the book and the characters. And here it did, and it was just really delightful to read.
So, I don’t think there was anything I disliked about this. I thought some of the magical critters and the naming was a bit over the top- like you could see where the author almost got carried away with world-building- but it was never really annoying. Not all questions get answered about everything, and I bet this will annoy some people, but I actually really liked it. It left room for either more books, or for the imagination to take over, and that was fun. This is well worth a read. I actually think I might just turn around and start this over again, because it was so delightful.
September 25, 2024
4 Stars
Full Review:
*I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
This book was definitely not your typical paranormal romance. I would actually call it a paranormal love story. And you know what? As much as I enjoy paranormal romance, I think love stories might be even more my thing. The former tend to be lighter and fluffier. The latter, like this book, tend to be a little darker and heavier, but still usually with a happy ending, and I think it's inspiring to see characters struggle only to come out better for it. And struggle these characters did. Colm and Nichol went through some serious hardships, and their story was not a perfect one, but it sure was a beautiful one.
This book was also not your typical mer story, as the blurb states. It was a surprising but interesting take on the creature, especially for a romance.
The best part about this book though was how ADORABLE the relationships were. Colm and Nichol weren't even dating yet at 30% in, but already they had me awww-ing and swooning. And the way they never gave up on each other throughout the story was what made it so beautiful. *SPOILER ALERT* *END SPOILER ALERT*
The family relationships were equally as adorable. The way Colm's sister spent the whole night with him before he left because she was going to miss him had me all mushy inside, the good-natured fun between Nichol and his grandmother always put a smile on my face, the way Nichol's grandmother took Colm in as one of her own made me love her even more, and the way Nichol's grandfather was there when Colm was at his lowest and needed help the most was just about the sweetest thing I've ever read. *SPOILER ALERT* *END SPOILER ALERT*
There were a few things in the story that seemed a little bit unnecessary or never really got explained or given closure *SPOILER ALERT* *END SPOILER ALERT*, but it didn't ruin my enjoyment, and the important part of the story still had a satisfying conclusion.
So, to sum this up, this was a book I really didn't want to put down once I started, and I'm really glad I read it!
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes adorable romantic and family relationship and M-M paranormal love stories.
Original Review on Blog
Full Review:
*I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
This book was definitely not your typical paranormal romance. I would actually call it a paranormal love story. And you know what? As much as I enjoy paranormal romance, I think love stories might be even more my thing. The former tend to be lighter and fluffier. The latter, like this book, tend to be a little darker and heavier, but still usually with a happy ending, and I think it's inspiring to see characters struggle only to come out better for it. And struggle these characters did. Colm and Nichol went through some serious hardships, and their story was not a perfect one, but it sure was a beautiful one.
This book was also not your typical mer story, as the blurb states. It was a surprising but interesting take on the creature, especially for a romance.
The best part about this book though was how ADORABLE the relationships were. Colm and Nichol weren't even dating yet at 30% in, but already they had me awww-ing and swooning. And the way they never gave up on each other throughout the story was what made it so beautiful. *SPOILER ALERT* *END SPOILER ALERT*
The family relationships were equally as adorable. The way Colm's sister spent the whole night with him before he left because she was going to miss him had me all mushy inside, the good-natured fun between Nichol and his grandmother always put a smile on my face, the way Nichol's grandmother took Colm in as one of her own made me love her even more, and the way Nichol's grandfather was there when Colm was at his lowest and needed help the most was just about the sweetest thing I've ever read. *SPOILER ALERT* *END SPOILER ALERT*
There were a few things in the story that seemed a little bit unnecessary or never really got explained or given closure *SPOILER ALERT* *END SPOILER ALERT*, but it didn't ruin my enjoyment, and the important part of the story still had a satisfying conclusion.
So, to sum this up, this was a book I really didn't want to put down once I started, and I'm really glad I read it!
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes adorable romantic and family relationship and M-M paranormal love stories.
Original Review on Blog
March 6, 2016
Colm is a lad from a mountain village that wants to be a fisherman. I really enjoyed this book even if it wasn’t as fast paced as I hoped before starting.There were a couple points where something felt a little drawn out and I noticed.Mostly I liked the pace, though.It worked well for the story.
There is a good amount settling in for the main character Colm. Things keep changing for him. First as he travels away from his home. Then as he settles into a new town.There are steadily more changes he has to settle into as the story goes along. Changes in his relations with the people in the town, with his new family, changes in what he knows and believes in himself, and finally, a really big physical change that he isn’t ready for.
Nichol is his love interest in the story.I felt at first that he was an impulsive prat. He still might be, but I grew to love his character.I really cared about what would happen to him. Also some of the funnier dialogue in the book comes from his interactions with others like his grandmother or some of the townsfolk who know his mischievous ways.Nichol really does go through some major character growth over the course of this book. Some of it brought on by tragedy.
This book has a really interesting world. Magic is outlawed by the religion, but also used by the priest. There is a sort of religious war on magic in the book and it makes some places scary for anyone with even a little something magical in their blood line. I really liked the way the political/religious/magical world was layered in. I feel like we get some idea of how bad things are from what Colm goes through, but also from letters to his sister who lives in a completely different part of the world.It wasn’t laid on too thick. It was the right way to world build for this story.
Really happy my request for this story from NetGalley was accepted because it really was great. I’d been looking for a good queer story with some kind of merpeople in it. This is the first one that I’ve really liked.The last one I tried ending up being a book i could not even finish so I really appreciated this book.
I received this eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.The book’s release date is April 5th, 2016.
There is a good amount settling in for the main character Colm. Things keep changing for him. First as he travels away from his home. Then as he settles into a new town.There are steadily more changes he has to settle into as the story goes along. Changes in his relations with the people in the town, with his new family, changes in what he knows and believes in himself, and finally, a really big physical change that he isn’t ready for.
Nichol is his love interest in the story.I felt at first that he was an impulsive prat. He still might be, but I grew to love his character.I really cared about what would happen to him. Also some of the funnier dialogue in the book comes from his interactions with others like his grandmother or some of the townsfolk who know his mischievous ways.Nichol really does go through some major character growth over the course of this book. Some of it brought on by tragedy.
This book has a really interesting world. Magic is outlawed by the religion, but also used by the priest. There is a sort of religious war on magic in the book and it makes some places scary for anyone with even a little something magical in their blood line. I really liked the way the political/religious/magical world was layered in. I feel like we get some idea of how bad things are from what Colm goes through, but also from letters to his sister who lives in a completely different part of the world.It wasn’t laid on too thick. It was the right way to world build for this story.
Really happy my request for this story from NetGalley was accepted because it really was great. I’d been looking for a good queer story with some kind of merpeople in it. This is the first one that I’ve really liked.The last one I tried ending up being a book i could not even finish so I really appreciated this book.
I received this eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.The book’s release date is April 5th, 2016.
January 25, 2017
Merman romance!
Good fantasy is so hard to do. Not only do you have to create a whole world, with creatures and religions, but you have to create characters and a narrative too. Holding it together in a book of this length is difficult!
But this author manages it. This is a romantic fantasy and the narrative focuses on the efforts of Colm and Nichol to overcome various crises and stay together. The crises range from mundane to heartbreaking.
The sex scenes are a little m/m romance cliche, but the characters and dialog are great. I'm not sure if this is a one off or meant to be part of a series, but some of the issues brought up in world development were never resolved. There's definitely room for more books in this world.
Added: It seems that a lot of people are approaching this as a romance and getting frustrated by all of the interruptions. The romance doesn't even really start until 50% - I don't think this shines as a genre romance. I'd definitely place it firmly in romantic fantasy.
In fact, I think if she either substantially changed or removed the sex scenes it could work for a SFF publishing house. But maybe she tried that and then added the sex scenes to publish with a romance/erotica house, who knows? Either way, this is more for the crossover SFF/ Romance readers than the strict romance/erotica readers.
She's developed an entire political system with religious leaders, power struggles, hypocrisy, and torture. The characters are all developed, even supporting characters. Those are all elements of SFF that apparently romance readers sometimes don't appreciate.
Good fantasy is so hard to do. Not only do you have to create a whole world, with creatures and religions, but you have to create characters and a narrative too. Holding it together in a book of this length is difficult!
But this author manages it. This is a romantic fantasy and the narrative focuses on the efforts of Colm and Nichol to overcome various crises and stay together. The crises range from mundane to heartbreaking.
The sex scenes are a little m/m romance cliche, but the characters and dialog are great. I'm not sure if this is a one off or meant to be part of a series, but some of the issues brought up in world development were never resolved. There's definitely room for more books in this world.
Added: It seems that a lot of people are approaching this as a romance and getting frustrated by all of the interruptions. The romance doesn't even really start until 50% - I don't think this shines as a genre romance. I'd definitely place it firmly in romantic fantasy.
In fact, I think if she either substantially changed or removed the sex scenes it could work for a SFF publishing house. But maybe she tried that and then added the sex scenes to publish with a romance/erotica house, who knows? Either way, this is more for the crossover SFF/ Romance readers than the strict romance/erotica readers.
She's developed an entire political system with religious leaders, power struggles, hypocrisy, and torture. The characters are all developed, even supporting characters. Those are all elements of SFF that apparently romance readers sometimes don't appreciate.
d-n-f
May 3, 2016DNF @ 50%
That's a shame...I just can't get through this. I think this seems to be "it's me not you", as I can definitely see a lot to like in the story and the writing. But I just felt it was dragging and so many other books are calling to me. I think I was expecting this to be darker, grittier, more exciting - there were elements I was really interested in, but something would be described just enough to be interesting and then I didn't get any more about it and that part was dropped.
Instead, so far it seems a sweet, simple/gentle kind of story and building of relationships, our main characters finding themselves, day-to-day life being described...there are a few tragic things that happen, but they didn't feel like they had the impact that was intended, which perhaps is my own issue.
I think maybe from the description and the warnings I was expecting something different? I would very likely have enjoyed this more if I had been in a different mood or had different expectations when picking this up. I really would like to know how this continues, so I'm disappointed to be bailing out now, but I'm really struggling and I keep watching the % of the book left, which is never a good sign. It's currently hovering somewhere between a 2 and 3 stars for me at the moment.
Maybe I will finish this one day. Shame.
That's a shame...I just can't get through this. I think this seems to be "it's me not you", as I can definitely see a lot to like in the story and the writing. But I just felt it was dragging and so many other books are calling to me. I think I was expecting this to be darker, grittier, more exciting - there were elements I was really interested in, but something would be described just enough to be interesting and then I didn't get any more about it and that part was dropped.
Instead, so far it seems a sweet, simple/gentle kind of story and building of relationships, our main characters finding themselves, day-to-day life being described...there are a few tragic things that happen, but they didn't feel like they had the impact that was intended, which perhaps is my own issue.
I think maybe from the description and the warnings I was expecting something different? I would very likely have enjoyed this more if I had been in a different mood or had different expectations when picking this up. I really would like to know how this continues, so I'm disappointed to be bailing out now, but I'm really struggling and I keep watching the % of the book left, which is never a good sign. It's currently hovering somewhere between a 2 and 3 stars for me at the moment.
Maybe I will finish this one day. Shame.
September 10, 2016
The first book by Cari Z. I've read, and I loved it and want to read more of hers. While I don't think there should be a warning about every unhappy event in the book (it seems too fanfiction-like to me; okay, I admit, I was prejudiced, the author's name sounded fanfiction-like to me, too, that's why I put off reading her books for so long... my mistake!), I loved the story itself, there was nothing amateurish about it, or about the world building. I hope there will be more books set in this universe, certainly one about Kiaran and the one he searches for.
It was really a beautiful story, dark and sweet - just the way I love them - and I will remember it. It was easy to love Colm because it's mostly *his* book for quite a long time - but at some moment I felt I loved Nichol equally, and I'm really fond of (or intrigued by) all the other characters, I actually want to know what happened to those we don't know about.
It was really a beautiful story, dark and sweet - just the way I love them - and I will remember it. It was easy to love Colm because it's mostly *his* book for quite a long time - but at some moment I felt I loved Nichol equally, and I'm really fond of (or intrigued by) all the other characters, I actually want to know what happened to those we don't know about.
July 12, 2023
Gorgeous start, with Colm washing the ash of his fathers funeral in the loch, feeling the rain and the tiny vibrations of the fish. While I think the book was strongest in the first quarter, with some of Cari Z’s best writing, I still appreciate how the story both kept us guessing, but was anchored in clues and foreshadowing from the first pages, so felt somehow inevitable. She also resisted the temptation to over explain, instead letting us discover the world with Colm page by page.
Overall more of a 3.5 for me, but rounded up for that beginning scene!
Overall more of a 3.5 for me, but rounded up for that beginning scene!
April 6, 2016
This review was written fro Joyfully Jay Reviews and can be accessed here: http://joyfullyjay.com/2016/04/review...
5 Stars!
Colm Weathercliff lives in a world built on magic, superstition and fear. His mountainous village of Anneslea is no longer a safe haven, now that his father has died. The clerics will soon press him in to farming and marriage, although he has no inclination toward either. Colm has a “knack”—don’t call it magic!—for locating fish, and has been a steady fisherman at his home lake since his childhood. Fearing for Colm’s well-being now that his charismatic father has passed, his stepmother encourages Colm to take his father’s ashes to the ocean for burial. She has an aunt in the capital city of Caithmor who will take Colm in, but the trip is long and Colm has little resources.
He joins a trader’s caravan, with the agreement that he gather fish for Fergus, the head trader, each night, a small issue for a man of Colm’s nature. He and Fergus bond, sharing the adventure and a few secrets, and a month later Colm is finally in Caithmor. There he meets his stepmother’s relations, Aunt Megg and cousin Nichol, who take him in readily. They know all of Colm’s talent from years of family correspondence, and help him to find a job as a fisher’s mate. Unfortunately the fisher is a drunk, and his big mouth and bigger catches raise the ire of the other fishermen. They alert the clergy, the only legal practitioners of magic. Colm is subjected to torturous questioning and his livelihood ruined, but he’s not without resources. He works in Megg’s inn and enjoys spending time with Nichol. Nichol is a young man, like Colm, who finds attraction to other men. He is besotted with his childhood friend, and they are a tight pair until Colm’s disgrace causes a rift. Soon Nichol is on the outs, and Colm must help him get over his heartache. And the love is strong between them. I liked how they had been friends first and became close as the weeks and months wore on.
It looks as if life is picking up for both Colm and Nichol when the unthinkable happens and Colm is transfigured. This isn’t the worst part, though. Nope. Nichol is gravely injured, Colm is distraught and bereft, and then kidnapped and tortured, and well, it does better. A lot better, actually. But first, Nichol and Colm must endure a big upheaval in their lives, and risk everything to escape and find safe harbor.
I really loved how this book tied all the plot lines tight. Characters that seemed inconsequential became indispensible. There is actually more to the plot than I’ve outlined, but I can’t reveal more of the tapestry without taking all the joy from it. This is a fantasy and adventure with a romance that grows naturally. I was so intrigued throughout, because the world building is excellent. The elements of magic are considerable, with selkies and mer and curses and priestly charms. I think everyone will know the secret of Colm’s magic from the blurb, but the reveal is so different from my expectations that I was completely blindsided by the next several plot turns. I found the juxtaposition of religion and magic to be unique, with the priests and royalty full practitioners of magic, while even innate magic was forbidden to the regular folk.
The end is squarely in the HEA category, but it’s a hard won ending. Like Colm, readers will be on the edge of despair until the last chapter, or two. I was captivated, and pleased both with the story and it’s pacing, especially given the length. The book is nearly 500 pages, and I honestly didn’t feel as if any of them were wasted. If you like fantasy, magic, and are willing to suffer the amazing turns of Colm’s fortune, I really think you’ll like this one.
I also suspect there might be another book in this world, as there were a few characters I could “see” getting their own stories—quotes here because one of them is an intriguing blind soothsayer.
5 Stars!
Colm Weathercliff lives in a world built on magic, superstition and fear. His mountainous village of Anneslea is no longer a safe haven, now that his father has died. The clerics will soon press him in to farming and marriage, although he has no inclination toward either. Colm has a “knack”—don’t call it magic!—for locating fish, and has been a steady fisherman at his home lake since his childhood. Fearing for Colm’s well-being now that his charismatic father has passed, his stepmother encourages Colm to take his father’s ashes to the ocean for burial. She has an aunt in the capital city of Caithmor who will take Colm in, but the trip is long and Colm has little resources.
He joins a trader’s caravan, with the agreement that he gather fish for Fergus, the head trader, each night, a small issue for a man of Colm’s nature. He and Fergus bond, sharing the adventure and a few secrets, and a month later Colm is finally in Caithmor. There he meets his stepmother’s relations, Aunt Megg and cousin Nichol, who take him in readily. They know all of Colm’s talent from years of family correspondence, and help him to find a job as a fisher’s mate. Unfortunately the fisher is a drunk, and his big mouth and bigger catches raise the ire of the other fishermen. They alert the clergy, the only legal practitioners of magic. Colm is subjected to torturous questioning and his livelihood ruined, but he’s not without resources. He works in Megg’s inn and enjoys spending time with Nichol. Nichol is a young man, like Colm, who finds attraction to other men. He is besotted with his childhood friend, and they are a tight pair until Colm’s disgrace causes a rift. Soon Nichol is on the outs, and Colm must help him get over his heartache. And the love is strong between them. I liked how they had been friends first and became close as the weeks and months wore on.
It looks as if life is picking up for both Colm and Nichol when the unthinkable happens and Colm is transfigured. This isn’t the worst part, though. Nope. Nichol is gravely injured, Colm is distraught and bereft, and then kidnapped and tortured, and well, it does better. A lot better, actually. But first, Nichol and Colm must endure a big upheaval in their lives, and risk everything to escape and find safe harbor.
I really loved how this book tied all the plot lines tight. Characters that seemed inconsequential became indispensible. There is actually more to the plot than I’ve outlined, but I can’t reveal more of the tapestry without taking all the joy from it. This is a fantasy and adventure with a romance that grows naturally. I was so intrigued throughout, because the world building is excellent. The elements of magic are considerable, with selkies and mer and curses and priestly charms. I think everyone will know the secret of Colm’s magic from the blurb, but the reveal is so different from my expectations that I was completely blindsided by the next several plot turns. I found the juxtaposition of religion and magic to be unique, with the priests and royalty full practitioners of magic, while even innate magic was forbidden to the regular folk.
The end is squarely in the HEA category, but it’s a hard won ending. Like Colm, readers will be on the edge of despair until the last chapter, or two. I was captivated, and pleased both with the story and it’s pacing, especially given the length. The book is nearly 500 pages, and I honestly didn’t feel as if any of them were wasted. If you like fantasy, magic, and are willing to suffer the amazing turns of Colm’s fortune, I really think you’ll like this one.
I also suspect there might be another book in this world, as there were a few characters I could “see” getting their own stories—quotes here because one of them is an intriguing blind soothsayer.
April 7, 2016
(Originally reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews with a copy provided by the author / publisher for an honest review.)
This was my first foray into a book by Cari Z, but it probably won’t be my last! I liked the characters and world building on this one.
We meet Colm Weathercliff shortly after his father has died in the remote mountain village they resided in for most of Colm’s life. Colm is different though. He came with his father when his father moved to the village. He is loved by his step-mother, and half siblings, but the local priest has it in for him because he doesn’t fit in within the guidelines of the farming community that he lives in. He has an affinity for water of all things, something that the people in his remote town avoid. When the priest refuses to allow Colm’s father’s ashes to be spread in the custom of the farming community, Colm is forced to leave his village and travel across the country to the capital city to seek help from relatives there in spreading the ashes at sea.
Along the way, Colm will undergo trials and tribulations on the journey, but once he gets to the city of Caithmor, life should be great. Colm will meet his relatives, including his hot “cousin” Nichol. It is a good thing they are actually his stepmother’s family or there might have been some incest going on! No spoilers on that though!
Things happen and life heads downhill fast when a certain drunk fisherman starts running his mouth in the wrong places. What will happen when Colm discovers that there are dark reasons why he doesn’t know either his father’s or his mother’s people? Who is he, or maybe the questions is…what is he?
Overall, I would say that I really liked the characters, but there was an annoying thing which happened more than once that kind of put me off, slightly. I read the book quite rapidly, so maybe it stood out to me more than if I had read it slowly, but there was an issue with some of the characters continuity. The issue was they disappeared and were never heard from again when Colm moved on to the next part of his story. I really wanted to know what happened to one of the characters from the traveling carnival for example, and I’m still wondering if it was who were led to guess it was in the cell below the cathedral!
I liked this story, but wish there had been more answers on some of the background characters. Even after the mention of Colm’s family history, for another example, it was just dropped. I think the author is a good writer, but I was left wishing for more. Even though I really enjoyed it, I’m going to have to call this one good/average. I think it could have been so much more…maybe as a couple of books with a lot more detail and follow-up, rather than one book with what, in my opinion, were missing pieces. I’m not sure if there will be a sequel, but if there were, I’d definitely read it!
This was my first foray into a book by Cari Z, but it probably won’t be my last! I liked the characters and world building on this one.
We meet Colm Weathercliff shortly after his father has died in the remote mountain village they resided in for most of Colm’s life. Colm is different though. He came with his father when his father moved to the village. He is loved by his step-mother, and half siblings, but the local priest has it in for him because he doesn’t fit in within the guidelines of the farming community that he lives in. He has an affinity for water of all things, something that the people in his remote town avoid. When the priest refuses to allow Colm’s father’s ashes to be spread in the custom of the farming community, Colm is forced to leave his village and travel across the country to the capital city to seek help from relatives there in spreading the ashes at sea.
Along the way, Colm will undergo trials and tribulations on the journey, but once he gets to the city of Caithmor, life should be great. Colm will meet his relatives, including his hot “cousin” Nichol. It is a good thing they are actually his stepmother’s family or there might have been some incest going on! No spoilers on that though!
Things happen and life heads downhill fast when a certain drunk fisherman starts running his mouth in the wrong places. What will happen when Colm discovers that there are dark reasons why he doesn’t know either his father’s or his mother’s people? Who is he, or maybe the questions is…what is he?
Overall, I would say that I really liked the characters, but there was an annoying thing which happened more than once that kind of put me off, slightly. I read the book quite rapidly, so maybe it stood out to me more than if I had read it slowly, but there was an issue with some of the characters continuity. The issue was they disappeared and were never heard from again when Colm moved on to the next part of his story. I really wanted to know what happened to one of the characters from the traveling carnival for example, and I’m still wondering if it was who were led to guess it was in the cell below the cathedral!
I liked this story, but wish there had been more answers on some of the background characters. Even after the mention of Colm’s family history, for another example, it was just dropped. I think the author is a good writer, but I was left wishing for more. Even though I really enjoyed it, I’m going to have to call this one good/average. I think it could have been so much more…maybe as a couple of books with a lot more detail and follow-up, rather than one book with what, in my opinion, were missing pieces. I’m not sure if there will be a sequel, but if there were, I’d definitely read it!
May 13, 2016
Previously reviewed on The Good, The Bad, and The Unread:
I’m no great fan of shifter stories, although I’m prepared to make an exception where merfolk or selkies are the main attraction. This book provides not just the merman advertised in the blurb, but also a selkie in an important supporting role. Plus the background to the story features some fabulous world-building that the author has obviously given a lot of thought to planning out.
Colm is a fisherman, whose father moved inland from the coast with him when he was a baby. Now, however, Colm’s father has died, and while his stepfamily care very much for him, other locals are more hostile to what they see as Colm’s heretical ways – especially his ability to ‘read’ the waters by touch and predict where fish are most likely to be found. So Colm sets out to find his father’s original home in the hope of a friendlier reception. Along the way, he is befriended by a group of travelling merchants, some of whom hide equally strange magical blessings or curses, and on arrival at the home of his stepmother’s relatives it seems that Colm has found a place where he’ll be accepted.
Colm becomes particularly friendly with a lad of his own age – Nichol, who is anxious to join the navy along with his longer-standing friends – and also meets Nichol’s grandfather: a half-selkie who returned to the sea and his seal form when his human form began to grow old and weak. Colm becomes popular for the fish he can catch, but then the secret behind his abilities is revealed and the locals once more turn against him.
Colm and Nichol face a range of threats as they try to escape those who want to enforce their country’s laws and religion, but also find a few more friends as they search for a new place that will accept them.
I enjoyed a lot of aspects of this story, although I did find Colm and Nichol a little exasperating at times – fairly understandable given their youth and impetuousness, but perhaps a more mature pairing within the same setting would have been more to my tastes. Having said that, I’d love it if we got to see more of this world – featuring either some of the same characters or a new group with new challenges to face.
I’m no great fan of shifter stories, although I’m prepared to make an exception where merfolk or selkies are the main attraction. This book provides not just the merman advertised in the blurb, but also a selkie in an important supporting role. Plus the background to the story features some fabulous world-building that the author has obviously given a lot of thought to planning out.
Colm is a fisherman, whose father moved inland from the coast with him when he was a baby. Now, however, Colm’s father has died, and while his stepfamily care very much for him, other locals are more hostile to what they see as Colm’s heretical ways – especially his ability to ‘read’ the waters by touch and predict where fish are most likely to be found. So Colm sets out to find his father’s original home in the hope of a friendlier reception. Along the way, he is befriended by a group of travelling merchants, some of whom hide equally strange magical blessings or curses, and on arrival at the home of his stepmother’s relatives it seems that Colm has found a place where he’ll be accepted.
Colm becomes particularly friendly with a lad of his own age – Nichol, who is anxious to join the navy along with his longer-standing friends – and also meets Nichol’s grandfather: a half-selkie who returned to the sea and his seal form when his human form began to grow old and weak. Colm becomes popular for the fish he can catch, but then the secret behind his abilities is revealed and the locals once more turn against him.
Colm and Nichol face a range of threats as they try to escape those who want to enforce their country’s laws and religion, but also find a few more friends as they search for a new place that will accept them.
I enjoyed a lot of aspects of this story, although I did find Colm and Nichol a little exasperating at times – fairly understandable given their youth and impetuousness, but perhaps a more mature pairing within the same setting would have been more to my tastes. Having said that, I’d love it if we got to see more of this world – featuring either some of the same characters or a new group with new challenges to face.
March 31, 2016
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Tempest is a gorgeous, sweeping fantasy novel packed full of intrigue, mystery, and magic! Cari Z is an author that I know and trust to write compelling characters, and I adored Colm and his story as he discovers more about his life and who (and what) he is.
Colm was a magnificent character! He's exactly the type of character I enjoy reading: strong, reliable, but imperfect. He's very good at what he does, but struggles to connect easily with people, and his selflessness is at times his downfall.
The relationship was excellent, the kind of friends-to-lovers story that unfolds organically. Absolutely lovely! I do think the romance was secondary to Colm's journey, but I was okay with that because it was so well done. And I really enjoyed reading the scenes with Nichol, because he was so much fun.
Read the full review on Just Love Romance
October 4, 2016
2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Tempest by Cari Z.
1) A compelling, well-crafted, well-written book. The author has a true gift for story-telling, making the most seemingly everyday occurrences into this smooth flow you don't want to get out of - and you notice only in hindsight that what seemed mundane was actually the author sneakily weaving her plot. And when the occurrences are not everyday? It's breathtaking, literally, and you have to applaud a writer you can do action and urgency just as well as despair and despondency. And on top of that: beautiful, complex, multi-faceted characters, each carrying his or her own story and secrets, some of which are revealed, some of which are only hinted at. Marvelous and fascinating and utterly brilliant. You could say I enjoyed this book - despite the warnings it came with - and you would not be wrong. (It really was that good).
2) I found my self totally immersed in this very different story of the sea and the creatures that live in the deep. Intense at times, bizarre yet imaginative beyond anything I have read recently.
1) A compelling, well-crafted, well-written book. The author has a true gift for story-telling, making the most seemingly everyday occurrences into this smooth flow you don't want to get out of - and you notice only in hindsight that what seemed mundane was actually the author sneakily weaving her plot. And when the occurrences are not everyday? It's breathtaking, literally, and you have to applaud a writer you can do action and urgency just as well as despair and despondency. And on top of that: beautiful, complex, multi-faceted characters, each carrying his or her own story and secrets, some of which are revealed, some of which are only hinted at. Marvelous and fascinating and utterly brilliant. You could say I enjoyed this book - despite the warnings it came with - and you would not be wrong. (It really was that good).
2) I found my self totally immersed in this very different story of the sea and the creatures that live in the deep. Intense at times, bizarre yet imaginative beyond anything I have read recently.
February 6, 2021
Oh wow!! This book!! What can I say about it? There's so much I liked. This for me was one of those books that really draws you into the story. You forget you're reading a book and you just get lost in it and time just flies by.
The world building was top notch. You get a really good feel for the complexities of the world and its magic system and peoples without huge info dumping. Some things remain mysterious and ambiguous but it worked for this book and made its world seem more intriguing and interesting. The characters were also so very well written. You get a sense that the author thought up winding backstories for each side character and really fleshed them out and brought them to life here. These supporting characters have that feel like they could be the protagonist of a book of their own.
This is also one of those rare mm romance novels where the romance takes a backseat for plot (at least it did for me). Normally when I read mm, the romance is my main interest and everything else is just background noise that sets it up. Not so for this book. I felt so invested in the story I just couldn't stop myself from reading and finding out what happens next.
This wasn't really a problem for me as I was so caught up in the story but if you're the type of reader that needs a lot of action and suspense in their fantasy books, this may not be your cup of tea. Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of action and the romance was definitely hot and sweet but there's a bit of mundane stuff between the more suspenseful parts. The story (at least for this book, please let there be a book 2) was also not as grand of an adventure as some fantasy books. There's no great evil all-powerful being that the protags need to beat down in order to save the world or some such.
This book is definitely one of my top favorite reads as of this point in my life. Loved it. Loved everything about it. It was an appropriate length but, as someone who loses interest in books quickly if they're over 300 pages, I would not have minded one bit if this book was longer. I recommend this book if you are a fan of mm fantasy, if you enjoy reading about interesting fantasy worlds, and if you don't mind main characters and story lines that are (compared to other fantasy books) a little understated (but still very captivating!).
The world building was top notch. You get a really good feel for the complexities of the world and its magic system and peoples without huge info dumping. Some things remain mysterious and ambiguous but it worked for this book and made its world seem more intriguing and interesting. The characters were also so very well written. You get a sense that the author thought up winding backstories for each side character and really fleshed them out and brought them to life here. These supporting characters have that feel like they could be the protagonist of a book of their own.
This is also one of those rare mm romance novels where the romance takes a backseat for plot (at least it did for me). Normally when I read mm, the romance is my main interest and everything else is just background noise that sets it up. Not so for this book. I felt so invested in the story I just couldn't stop myself from reading and finding out what happens next.
This wasn't really a problem for me as I was so caught up in the story but if you're the type of reader that needs a lot of action and suspense in their fantasy books, this may not be your cup of tea. Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of action and the romance was definitely hot and sweet but there's a bit of mundane stuff between the more suspenseful parts. The story (at least for this book, please let there be a book 2) was also not as grand of an adventure as some fantasy books. There's no great evil all-powerful being that the protags need to beat down in order to save the world or some such.
This book is definitely one of my top favorite reads as of this point in my life. Loved it. Loved everything about it. It was an appropriate length but, as someone who loses interest in books quickly if they're over 300 pages, I would not have minded one bit if this book was longer. I recommend this book if you are a fan of mm fantasy, if you enjoy reading about interesting fantasy worlds, and if you don't mind main characters and story lines that are (compared to other fantasy books) a little understated (but still very captivating!).
August 25, 2023
Very mixed feelings here, so let me explain:
For the first half of the book, I was just bored a lot. I almost DNF'd a few times, but there are so few well-written mer stories in MM romance (and this is indeed well written). I just think there's lot that maybe didn't need to be there, in the end. There's some time spent on Colm's sister, and while it rounds out Colm as a character, she wasn't all that necessary. It takes a while to even get to the love interest or the mer part of the story. Regardless, it's an interesting story, and it picks up at the halfway point.
Where it falls short for me is the actual romance. I never really got the impression that Nichol (or Pickle, if you're Fergus), cared for Colm as more than a lover. He seemed to be far more passionate about Jaime, and even after he got together with Colm, it seemed like he was still hung up on Jaime at times. Colm definitely seemed to have fallen harder. I don't think I truly believed Nichol loved Colm until 90% in.
I guess I'd also love an explanation as to what happened with the blood. I didn't understand that at all. I thought they'd have to work to find a solution or find a way to be together that worked around Colm's physical state, so that really threw me. I just wasn't satisfied with the ending. And Megg deserved an explanation.
For the first half of the book, I was just bored a lot. I almost DNF'd a few times, but there are so few well-written mer stories in MM romance (and this is indeed well written). I just think there's lot that maybe didn't need to be there, in the end. There's some time spent on Colm's sister, and while it rounds out Colm as a character, she wasn't all that necessary. It takes a while to even get to the love interest or the mer part of the story. Regardless, it's an interesting story, and it picks up at the halfway point.
Where it falls short for me is the actual romance. I never really got the impression that Nichol (or Pickle, if you're Fergus), cared for Colm as more than a lover. He seemed to be far more passionate about Jaime, and even after he got together with Colm, it seemed like he was still hung up on Jaime at times. Colm definitely seemed to have fallen harder. I don't think I truly believed Nichol loved Colm until 90% in.
I guess I'd also love an explanation as to what happened with the blood. I didn't understand that at all. I thought they'd have to work to find a solution or find a way to be together that worked around Colm's physical state, so that really threw me. I just wasn't satisfied with the ending. And Megg deserved an explanation.
January 12, 2020
Interesting story, but very little romance
January 20, 2020
Surprisingly fantastic!
June 1, 2020
★★★☆☆ ~ 3 Stars
Interesting take on mermen. Kinda dragged in places.
Interesting take on mermen. Kinda dragged in places.
September 1, 2020
Great fantasy story. There was a lot of world building and character development and a little less romance which made a great read for me.
Only the new cover is so bad that I fear that it will not attract the people who would enjoy a story like this. The new cover looks like a tacky romance novel, which I could design in like 15 minutes.
The original cover from Samhain was better, it captured the story not just the title. I understand republishing on your own is a challenge for an author but you should not lessen your work by a mediocre cover.
Only the new cover is so bad that I fear that it will not attract the people who would enjoy a story like this. The new cover looks like a tacky romance novel, which I could design in like 15 minutes.
The original cover from Samhain was better, it captured the story not just the title. I understand republishing on your own is a challenge for an author but you should not lessen your work by a mediocre cover.
April 17, 2016
From Magnolia Reviews: Five Petals
This book was well written with an amazing amount of depth and feeling. I enjoyed every moment of it and really hope there will be a sequel soon. I highly recommend it.
Read the full review on Maggie's website: http://magnoliareviews.weebly.com/rev...
This book was well written with an amazing amount of depth and feeling. I enjoyed every moment of it and really hope there will be a sequel soon. I highly recommend it.
Read the full review on Maggie's website: http://magnoliareviews.weebly.com/rev...
April 11, 2016
The romance started slooooow. I don't mind though, because the story is still interesting to read.
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