Audio Book Review: At the Heart of the Deep

At the Heart of the Deep

By:  Carrie L. Wells

Publish Date:  June 23, 2015, Audiobook Release November 6, 2015

Format:  Audiobook - 3 hrs 20 mins
Narrated By:  Kristin James

Genre:  Romance Fantasy

Series:  Novella in Falling In Deep Collection

First Impression:  Mer-people & humans share the ocean, can they work together to save it?

Synopsis:
Oceanographer Luke McAllister races to figure out why the ocean depth is changing off Florida's Treasure Coast. But before he and his crew discover what’s transforming the deep, he stumbles upon an even greater mystery. Leagues below the waves, he swear he sees…a mermaid?
Anya isn’t allowed to get close to humans. But when a golden-haired researcher gets too close to her island, she can’t afford to stay away.

Together, this unlikely pair will seek to discover what’s causing shifts in ocean floor. While their new alliance is forbidden, Anya will risk everything to save her beloved ocean. The only problem is, she’s not sure what’s really luring her in, her love of the sea or the tempest Luke has stirred in her heart. Either way, Anya knows that the dangers facing the sea are nothing compared to what will happen to her when her father learns she’s broken the merfolks’ most sacred law.

Can Anya and Luke discover what lurks at the heart of the deep before it's too late?

*Adult novel. Due to steamy scenes, this novel is best suited for mature readers.

First Sentence:
The small ship intrigued me.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:
*I requested to review a copy of this audiobook for an honest review from the author.

Anya watches the handsome blond dive and swim in the ocean near her family's island each day for the last five days. He's human, but comfortable in the water. Luke is surprised by what he saw so near to his boat. It couldn't be. But he knows what he saw. And maybe she has something to do with the changes of the ocean. He knows there is something with the ocean but doesn't know what. Anya's been studying the changes as well, and fears for her island and home with what she's found. Maybe Luke's research with Anya's will help them all.

Kristin's gentle voice easily transitions between the different people, male and female, with different tones and personalities. I love how she brings them to life for us. Kristin even voices an alarm when it sounds, a small sound affect for us.

This story has a mystery for us, with a purpose other than the romance that blooms between Anya and Luke. The ocean is changing. And more. There are light orbs that Luke's crew sees on their research boat. Then Anya knows where it's coming from, but she doesn't know what cased the energy source or why it's there. I'm really curious of the light orbs from the trench in the ocean!

We rotate chapters between Anya and Luke as they investigate the sea for the same reasons. The attraction between Anya and Luke seems to grow at a nice pace through the story, making it feel as they are connecting on more than a physical attraction level. We see each in their own lives and a growing attraction and connection between them as at first they see and think of each other then brought together with their concerns for the world. I found I was worried for the world and Anya's island because of the crack. The thought that Luke could help was wonderful. But then I worried that the truth of mer-people would get out and destroy the peace they have here.

Anya is a mermaid. There is a whole world and system to mer life we start to see unfold here. I really liked that at a moment of weakness Anya admits she had jumped the gun. People do that but she was able to stop before it went to far and pointed out the influences of it. I really liked her for this as she knows what she should do but what she wants too. And sees deeper than the physical separation of human and mer.

Okay. If you don't like cliffhanger endings, I suggest waiting for the next story to come out. This ends with a bang and I WANTED TO KNOW what happens.

I did enjoy the story and I'm curious as to what has happened in the sea and the light orbs. Is it in reference to the old stories Anya's people know or something else completely. I'll be waiting for the next tale, The Soul of the Sea, to come.

Audio Book Review: Ink

Ink: A Mermaid Romance: A Falling in Deep Collection Novella

By:  Melanie Karsak

Publish Date:  May 17, 2015, Audiobook July 13, 2015

Format:  Audiobook - 3 hrs 20 mins
Narrated By:  Kristin James

Genre:  Romance

Series:  stand alone

Impression:  Strong mermaid princess does as she will to protect her people, and bring a few sides together as one in doing so.

Synopsis:
A mermaid princess destined to wed a handsome king…

It sounds like a fairy tale, but the reality is far murkier.

Ink, Princess of the Florida Atlantic mers, is slated to wed the ancient enemy of her tribe, the King of the Gulfs. After years of war that led to countless mer deaths, as well as the genocide of aquatic shapeshifters and the freshwater mers of Florida, Ink’s marriage will bring lasting peace.

Or so it seems.

Mere hours before she’s supposed to leave the ocean for her customary year as a drywalker, Ink meets Hal, an alligator shifter who warns her that a storm is brewing. There is malicious intent behind Ink’s marriage—and worse, meeting Hal has also caused a storm to rage in Ink’s heart. Nevertheless, loyal to her tribe, Ink will put aside her feelings and journey to Miami to marry the decadent King Manx.

Ink soon learns that her only hope of surviving the crashing force swelling around her is to tap into a power deep inside—a forbidden power that might destroy them all.

First Sentence:
....

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles

Audible


My Thoughts and Summary:
*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com, at my request.

Even though other mer's who have done their drywalking say the humans are kind, Ink hates them for the death she's seen them bring to her world. She wishes she could let loose the banished siren song on the fisherman killing and harming her sea. But now, she must take her exiled year of drywalking, on human land. Hal a Nagual, a rare human-animal shifter, visits King Creon as he's breaking the accord that was put in place by Ink's deceased father. Creon is infuriated and sends Hal to the shallow waters. Ink knows the Shallow Waters will kill Hal, so she does what she believes her father would have wanted and she knows is right. In doing so she learns news of a new war coming to her people.

Kristin once again is an outstanding voice actress. The determined personality of Ink is solid in her voice. She does many male voice tones along with females in this vast world, again making it easy for us to listen and differentiate the characters. And I really like when Ink thinks something, Kristin makes it sound as though it's vibrating in her head, this way we know she's thinking it and not actually saying the words. Though the reaction would be strong if others heard what she thinks from time to time.

Melanie once again hits the ground running in the first chapter. It's packed full with feelings of Ink on humans, her ruling Uncle, father and mother, and implying her thoughts on her dry walking starting tonight. However, I think it might have been a bit to fast.

This is a short story and a tremendous amount of story and world packed into it. Melanie has done an amazing job of bringing a whole world to us. But at times I felt like the story was to short for the size of the world and characters created. I would have loved a few more moments with them in some parts of the story. And other moments there was so much happening at the same time, all the connections in one spot firing away. It might have been only a few words that connected outside things to this one event, but they were there.

Aaah, the characters... Ink is a strong woman. She does what she must for her people to survive. The waters of the world are poisoned by pollution and the mer-folk are affected by it. The mer-people are also at odds with others of their kind. To try and help her people and live in peace, she's agreed to marry a man she would rather hate. But! Before she is betrothed she meets a stunning man that she feels drawn to from the first moment their eyes meet. He's a Nagaul. Nagauls are other shifters that live on land. Hal's animal form is an alligator. Dangerous! Just the type of animal he is sends the shivers down my spine.

Hal has come to talk to the king of the Atlantic mers. He has a treaty with the previous king, Ink's father, but King Creon is not of the same standing as his brother was. Hal does get to warn Ink, in a quick moment, that a new war is coming. And in this moment Ink realizes she's drawn to him, as she's never been drawn to a man before, so she shares the deepest secret she has and has never shared with another. That she sings the siren song.

It seems there are those who have their own plans for Ink and how they are going to use her. But Ink has her own plans and placement of honor. She will do as she needs to for her people. Ink learns all the truths of her parents and the plans that some have for her.

Quick romance story to enjoy. I haven't read mermaids in a while and it was fun to read/listen to this one.