Promises by Amber Garr (Syrenka Series #1)

Finally a self-aware heroine! I mean, she still has the "most powerful" thing going on, but at least she knows that she's been selfish.

Ok, let me back-up and explain. Eviana is the oldest daughter (and thus next-in-line) to one of the most powerful merfolk clans. That means that she's betrothed to Kain, this pretty nice guy that's in love with her. Unfortunately, she loves another - the Selkie Brendan, and to escape her marriage, they elope.

Unfortunately, she can't run away so easily. Although she was shunned by her mother (shunned = has never existed), her powers are way to strong to ignore. So someone is sent to attack Brendan and steal his seal-skin from him. Without the skin, he's doomed to a long and painful death. In desperation, she has to call the fiancee that she ran away from - Kain (and their friends).

I think it's a pretty powerful testament to how nice Kain is that he actually comes to help her. And I'm glad that by the end of the book, she realises how selfish she has been. (And even got a "shape-up" lecture) The character growth is my favourite part of the novel!

Apart from Kain, Eviana and Brendan, there are a bunch of other characters. There's her younger sister Marisol, who seems like she might turn to the dark side in the later books (rather than just being whinny), there's Carissa, a pretty Japanese mermaid who might have a thing for Brendan and so many more. These are just the good guys mind you. There are also those on the other side, and those that are in-between. In short, there are many many characters.

Because of the introduction of all these characters, the plot was quite short. It's very obviously the first book in a series, because I felt like the character introduction took slightly more precedence than the plot (but here is plot!).

If you like merfolk, forbidden love, and a love-triangle that doesn't quite exist (everyone knows how Eviana feels. Even Kain) you have to pick up this book. I'm so glad that there are more books that don't feel the need for the requisite love triangle - that alone is enough to entice me into reading the other books.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book as part of the Enchanted Blog Tours blog stop. I was not obliged to give a positive review in any way.

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