ARC REVIEW: DEEP BLUE

Title: Deep Blue
Series: Waterfire Sage
Author: Jennifer Donnelly
Genre: YA/ Fantasy (MERMAIDS!)

Summary 

The first in a series of four epic tales set in the depths of the ocean, where six mermaids seek to protect and save their hidden world.

Deep in the ocean, in a world not so different from our own, live the merpeople. Their communities are spread throughout the oceans, seas, and freshwaters all over the globe.

When Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea, awakens on the morning of her betrothal, her biggest worry should be winning the love of handsome Prince Mahdi. And yet Sera finds herself haunted by strange dreams that foretell the return of an ancient evil. Her dark premonitions are confirmed when an assassin's arrow poisons Sera's mother. Now, Serafina must embark on a quest to find the assassin's master and prevent a war between the Mer nations. Led only by her shadowy dreams, Sera searches for five other mermaid heroines who are scattered across the six seas. Together, they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood and uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world's very existence

Review. 

Two Stars. 

An ARC was provided by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

When i received an ARC of Deep Blue i was ecstatic. I've never really had all that much luck with mermaid books but from the premise this one sounded right up my street and i hoped this one would be the one to give me a good experience with the merfolk. Alas, it was not to be. The first few pages caught my attention with their creepiness and had me intrigued. This how ever did not last once the info dump started, i was rapidly loosing interest between the mer- language that had me baffled and the continuous info dumping i was not all that impressed, until Prince Mahdi arrived! I really thought the Prince's arrival was going to bring me the excitement i craved and it did.. for a few pages but then it was back to the text book.

Now i totally understand that this is the first book in a four book saga so Donnelly has a lot of info to cram in for this complex and intriguing world she's created under the sea. So i know that she needs to set the grounding for the next three books and for people who love mermaids and complex world building this book would be fantastic, however it just didn't work out for me.  To me mermaid books always seem to be compared to The Little Mermaid, i do it without even realizing and maybe that's why i can never really enjoy one.

One thing that has to be said about this book is how it's presented. Although i received an ARC copy i saw the hardback version for a fiver and i just couldn't resist and although i didn't enjoy reading the book i sure do enjoy staring at it! Deep Blue has to be one of the most beautifully presented books on my shelf, from the page layout to the cover to the stunning maps on the inside, it is flawless in it's presentation.  Designer.. i applaud you! 

Deep Blue, is not an action packed, creepy mermaid story with romance. It's very much all about the world building but is very much a girl power story filled with many puns! I'm disappointed that i didn't enjoy it, but i suppose you can't like everything! 

So i should admit i stopped reading this book around half way through, iv'e tried for WEEKS to get through it and i just wasn't making any progress so i just decided to cut my losses and quit. Now i did this with a heavy heart, i HATE not finishing a book, it goes against the grain and i try my very best to never do it, it leaves me feeling guilty and cheated and rather disappointed in myself. So i have come to the decision that if the second book in the series Rouge Wave gets a whole bunch of amazing reviews i will come back to Deep Blue and once more dive back into it's pages, for now how ever it can just sit and look pretty on my shelf.