New Q&A with Zoraida Cordova!

Zoriada Crodova, author of the Vicious Deep, a favorite here on the blog, has posted a new Q&A on their youtube account. She talks about the mythology in her books, being published, life's deep questions, etc.

Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7meg2YsVejI&feature=plcp

AND THE SAVAGE BLUE HAS A COVER BY THE WAY! New post for that later.

Anyway, I absolutely loved The Vicious Deep and I'm excited to see a sequel already in the works.

Thoughts?

-Randi 

The Handy-Dandy Reference Guide For All Things Mermaid

Today in Barnes & Noble, I was looking through the Mythology section and, almost hidden away among huge, thick books of fairy tales and myths, was a small, bright blue book with the word MERMAIDS stamped across the spine. Naturally, I picked it up, sat down, and started flipping pages. Here's the synopsis courtesy of Goodreads: The allure and mystery of mermaids has taken hold of our psyche for ages. From the Irish merrows who come on land to search for human husbands to the fake Fiji Mermaid made popular by P.T Barnum, these sea maidens (and sometimes men) can be found in folklore and mythology from every tradition in the world. Inside this captivating collection, complete with beautiful illustrations throughout, you'll discover the myths surrounding these enigmatic beings, explore the common symbols associated with them, and learn tales of merfolk from around the world. Dive into Mermaids and get swept away! Mermaids by Skye Alexander is a wonderful reference guide for all things related to mermaids. Nearly every culture from every time period and the mermaid myths surrounding them is explored. Yeah, we get the Sirens and Selkies like we're used to, but we also get the Mami Wata, Finfolkeem, Rusalky, and Native American mermaids. From the very first mermaid, Atargatis, to the recent Disneyland ride Ariel's Undersea Adventure, mermaids in culture and legend are explored. The book is filled with old-fashioned artwork of mermaids, like the famous Waterhouse painting and similar designs. The book's also really cute, a small, compact shape that can easily be carried around. It's also a great tool for an author of mermaid books, as it provides myths and legends that most people don't know about. I'm definitely going to be buying it, and I think it's a perfect book for a mermaid fan. Amidst all those wonderful mermaid novels coming out, a book that allows you to actually look up the legends that inspired the merbooks we know and love is a welcome addition. Anyone interested in world mythology-specifically mermaids-will find this book a wonderful treasure. :) Will you guys be checking out Mermaids: The Myths, Legend, and Lore?

We're Here For You

I was looking back through the topics in the merbooks forum on goodreads, and found a rather old conversation about how some of the members had been bullied or looked down upon for loving mermaids.

I've heard similar stories throughout the year I've been involved in the mermaid community. And while mermaids are making a comeback in culture as of late, a lot of people still think that we're hanging on to the idea of Ariel longer than we should.

So if anyone who reads this blog feels alone, please know that we are always here for you. Just leave a comment on  post or e-mail me, or I'm sure Garrett would  be willing to talk as well. I think it's ridiculous the amount of incredulous stares and snippy comments I get about helping out with this blog, and nobody should ever feel alone or alienated by something they love.

You're always welcome to leave an e-mail address for us or join the group over on Goodreads so as to chat with us!

Seriously, we love you guys.

-Randi

Lies Beneath Review (WARNING: A few spoilers)

Lies Beneath is an fascinating look into the mermaid genre, something that is growing larger and larger as the year rolls on.

This one offers a respite from some of the more fluffier additions. It leans more towards Lost Voices, another excellent mer-novel.


One of the cool things about Lies Beneath is that it is one of the few mer-books to be narrated by a guy. It really works for the story. If it had been narrated by the main female protaganist, Lily, LB could have easily fallen into Twilight territory. Nice move, Ms. Brown.

I also enjoyed Calder's character development. I also enjoyed that even though the book is short, I personally still felt like there was enough time for his relationship with Lily to mature and his feelings and loyalties to change.

The middle passages of the book get a little tedious, but it's over pretty quick. I also would've liked a little more development to Calder's sisters and maybe even a little more on Lily. These are the only parts of the book that I felt were a little rushed.

I also enjoyed how the mer-side and human sides are dealt. For example, in some mer-books, transformation from human to sea creature is often painless. In Lies Beneath, it describes transformation as extremely physical and painful without being incredibly graphic or gory. I also thought the motives for murder and migration patterns were nice touch. Calder often faces the struggle of where the human side of him begins and ends, and the mythology of the mer-people in this book really aids that struggle to a fascinating conflict.

Perhaps the greatest feat of Lies Beneath is how some of the more disturbing content is handled so tastefully that you're able to stomach it. For example (And this is a spoiler so skip ahead to the next paragraph if you don't want to be spoiled), it's revealed later on in the book that one of Calder's adopted mermaid sisters is secretly in love with him. Calder handles it with class. Also, the sirens are all a little crazy anyway, so it softens the blow. And as I mentioned before, Calder is a serial killer, basically. And although he learns to let go of that part of him as the story draws to a close, he spends most of the book in that mindset.

If you like the darker side of mermaids, this one is definitely for you. I might even recommend it to those who are looking for an introduction to darker mermaids. Don't miss this one.

-Randi

H2O Spin-Off Given New Title/Cast Pictures

We reported earlier this year that a spin-off from the popular Australian mermaid show H20: Just Add Water, was going into production. Originally titled Mako: Island of Secrets, it's now been changed to Mako Mermaids.

Production started in early May, according to an Australian film site. However, a detail I didn't catch was that the show is mainly going to center around a trio of mermaids, Sirena, Nixie, and Lyla, while Zac, previously thought to be the male protagonist, looks to be taking more of a supporting role, but still crucial to the plot.


Actresses Lucy Fry, Ivy Latimer, and Amy Ruffle will be taking up the roles of Lyla, Nixie, and Sirena respectively with Chai Romruen playing Zac.

It's on contract for 22 episodes about 20 minutes each.

Here are pictures of Lyla, Nixie, Sirena, respectively (note that these aren't shots from the set, they're whatever picture I could find of the actor, so you'll at least know what you're in for).


Believe it or not, I couldn't find any legit picture of Chai floating around Google, but if anyone has any good souces, let me know and I'll edit the article to include them.
EDIT:
THIS JUST IN: Here is a shot from the set. No mermaid shots yet, but here you go:



What do you all think? I know there are massive amounts of H20 fans across the world, so this news is incredibly exciting. Comments are welcome!

-Randi

Is Ariel Out of Once Upon A Time?

Earlier this year we reported that the hit TV series, Once Upon A Time, was possibly working on a Little Mermaid reworking for the show. While the first season of the show has come and gone, the next season has just announced two other characters slated to air on the show.

The two characters announced, one Princess Anastasia and an original character named Magnolia, seem to have nothing to do with the Little Mermaid storyline we thought might happen. We literally only know the names of the characters, so we can't be sure. However, I personally am not holding my breath for an Ariel story-line.

Are you disappointed that the show isn't using the story? Thoughts are welcome in the comments.

-Randi

Randi's Vicious Deep Review!

I admittedly didn't think Garrett and I's Vicious Deep reviews would be so close together, but I actually got around to reading the book faster than I thought, so I hope you all don't mind!




It's been about a year since I found out about the Vicious Deep and it's finally here! I loved this book so much and really loved the unique take on the mermaid mythology and the cool location on land. Also, it's completely hilarious. I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard reading a book.

Tristian reminds me a lot of Tony Stark, all that wit and erm, good looks if you will. It may just be because the Avengers opened the weekend I read this and it was totally awesome but they struck me as similar characters.

The secondary characters are also funny, real, and have their own quirks. The only one I thought was a little lacking was Layla, but there was nothing too bad going on there.

The setting on Coney Island is really vivid and becomes a character itself in the story. You can really visualize it as you read. It fits the themes and really adds a lot to the story. It's been a while since I read a book where the location was so central to the story.

The mer mythology is unique, as is the narrator. I've never read a mer-book with a male narrator, and it's a nice change of pace. The mer-world is fascinating, borrowing equally from Greek mythology and of course The Little Mermaid.

I got a bit bored with all of the stuff on land, but the boredom never lasted very long. There's always something new coming in the Vicious Deep, and I think it will be even more fun to re-read later.

Altogether, four and a half stars and a looooooooooong wait until the sequel. Two thumbs up Zoraida!

-Randi