"Merminia" A Tale That's Fins Above the Rest

Title:  Merminia

Author:  Emm Cole

Format:  Print 

Length:  253 pages

In an underwater world that is as beautiful as it is ruthless, the mertribes are not about to make peace with each other. Selinne is a mermaid who is certain she can take care of herself. But when she is captured by the bloodthirsty Litiants, she finds unlikely help from Gabriel, a warrior who appears as indifferent as he is handsome. As Selinne struggles to make sense of the good and evil around her, she discovers that there is no escaping love or her place in the raging war of the sea. -Goodreads

 Emm Cole's "Merminia" is a welcome change from the "humanized" mer tales that seem to be all the rage at the moment.  This tale in no way involves those of us who live above the waves, and in that alone sets a precedent for the mer storyline. 

Selinne

In her we find a very realistic heroine.  She is a mermaid who is not about to cower or live in fear; mo matter the circumstance.  This is not to say that she is rash in her decisions.  That is very far from the case.  She is in fact the one who sacrifices herself to the enemy so that someone that she loves is not tortured and used against her.

Gabriel

He is what could be referred to as a reluctant bad boy.  He is only playing the role because that is the one that he was given.  It is apparent from his opening scenes however that he wants the "high road" so much more than the one that has been charted as his course.  This makes for quite a dilemma for the reader looking for that perfect good/evil or white/black situation, because Gabriel has definitely made a home for himself in the gray. 

Merconius

If you are looking for a character that you will love to hate; look no further than Merconius, ruthless leader of the Litiant mer-tribe and Gabriel's father.  This is a merman who will stop at nothing to achieve total domination over the seas.  Even if that means that he has to kill and or enslve every mer in it.

Aramis

He is second in command in the Merminian army, a trusted family friend and Selinne's shadow.  He is always there to play white knight to Selinne's wayward damsel.  The question is:  Is family loyalty the only reason that he sticks so close to the young princess.  Could there be something more than just his vow to "protect and serve" that drives him to risk life and fin for Selinne at every turn?

This book has everything:  war, magic, forbidden love, duty, and destiny.  It is hard to believe that this story's author manged to pack such a complete and interesting story into 253 pages.  The only negative to be found in this read is that the descriptions and dialog can be a little repetitive, but that is a flaw that is very easily forgiven.

Though this book reads very well as a stand alone.  There is a lot of room here for a series.  Here's hoping for more from Selinna and her undersea world.