Hello everyone!
Which is where, naturally, I picked up tonight's choice.
Okay, I'll admit, it was initially the cover that got me, making me stick long enough to read the premise for the story, and once I did - and got some technical issues out of the way - there was nothing stopping me from devouring this book in two sittings.
Two sittings, one day, give or take. That's pretty good, right?
ANYWAY, this one is for Greek mythology lovers. So brush up on those skillz and polish that knowledge, because there's definitely going to be stuff in here that will tickle your fancy.
Plus on top of that, it's a bit of a mix-and-match with The Little Mermaid, so I mean, what's not to like?!?
Mermaids, princes, curses, Greek gods ... sounds like a regular ole Thursday.
Cate Rowan's The Ocean Between Us makes a splash!
I seem to remember having some similar books here on the blog so I'll try and find them to link them below - but by nature, Rick Riordan's Heroes of Olympus is a good starting point to then jump right into this mythological mess!
Now, to this particular book.
Mareisa is an ex-mermaid - well, alright, she still has her tail and can transform at will so long as it's in a sweet water pool because, get this, the sea is toxic to her at the moment. Why?
She's been cursed.
Initially the most beautiful mermaid and generally inhabitant under the sea, she was promised to Poseidon when the gods dethroned the Titans and threw them into Tartarus, but her scheming sister Phi seduced Poseidon, ending up his wife, and the pair cursed Mareisa to a lonely, immortal existence on a small island where she's doomed to sing anytime a ship sails close, luring them to their deaths.
So, that would be siren to you lot now.
Which is how we meet Kyros, our male protagonist, a prince in exile whose father pulled a Randyll Tarly and kicked his eldest son out so his younger brother could take the throne when the time came, but now he's returning in answer to a desperate plea as his brother's gone missing.
Listen, these Greek dads ... either they can't have sons, or they have too many.
What Kyros doesn't know is that Aphrodite owes Mareisa, and disguised herself to sell him some beeswax which he then plugs his ears with, and only wakes up when the ship's already going under - having been lured by Mareisa, of course.
Kyros has no clue about it, and washes up ashore on her island, making the siren initially think Aphrodite sent him to be her plaything so that she won't be so bored and lonely anymore.
This might have even worked out but, Kyros has different ideas.
He's also got an honour code and backbone stronger than steel, so he rejects Mareisa despite the fact they're both a) naked b) drop dead gorgeous and c) all alone.
Miffed, this initially angers Mareisa - because who IS this puny mortal to deny HER, a daughter of the sea?!? - but the great part of this story is how they overcome the initial 'let's do it like bunny rabbits just because' and develop more than just lust between them.
Kyros cooks and tells Mareisa about himself; Mareisa weaves him a covering for the sensitive bits that are getting burned by the sun, and tells him about herself, though she conveniently leaves out the siren bit for the time being.
Slowly but surely they draw closer to one another, even if Aphrodite thinks it's still too slow, so she sends them some wine (because she can), which results in first Mareisa, then Kyros getting drunk, on separate nights.
They ALMOST do it when Kyros is a goner, but he's not too far gone to have no more honour, and when Mareisa reveals she's a virgin, he balks and stops them both.
For which he gets the reward of a pomegranate to the head but, c'est la vie!
Through all this back and forth, however, they realize a few things: Kyros will never accept he's stuck on this island forever, Mareisa is too frightened to try given that the sea is literally poisonous to her now, and they've fallen in love.
Of course the wrench in this heart-stopping story is when a ship sails near and Mareisa's curse activates, forcing her to sing, though at least she makes Kyros stopper his ears again, but now he knows just what caused his own shipwreck, and the full span of his beloved's curse.
The aftermath of this is probably my favourite part of the whole book, because unlike most romance dramas, this doesn't spiral into a pointless argument, but Kyros and Mareisa both actually make sound observations and emerge stronger for it, if broken-hearted: because Mareisa realizes he's not here for HER, and he needs to leave.
So she helps him with the little boat he salvaged from the shipwreck, and they finally consummate their love before he actually leaves ...
and she realizes the sea is no longer a threat to her, but cures the burn scars on her arm from before, after which she shifts and swims like a sea current after her lover and love.
See, the exact curse that Poseidon and Phi placed on Mareisa went like this: men would hear her voice and want her, but never have her (hence, the drownings). Kyros, however, never heard her voice and denied his want, but eventually had her, which directly contradicts and finally breaks her curse in its entirety!
So now, together, the pair of them take off for Kyros' homeland, because Mareisa would rather follow him even if his search takes years than spend any more time alone.
And if you're lucky enough to read a preview of the second book, The Spell Between Us, which is about Kyros' brother, Phi, and the woman who will probably end up saving him in the end, then you'll know it'll be a lot of close calls before this is over!
But what about Poseidon and Phi themselves? Mareisa was apparently threat enough that she needed total banishment and exile, never to return, which suggests Phi isn't as sure of Poseidon not wanting her sister anymore, but more importantly, Poseidon is preparing for war against his brother Zeus, though whether this is Barnacle Beard's own idea or Phi's (who, by the way, is now an actual goddess rather than a mermaid) remains to be seen. It could swing either way.
All in all though, we leave Kyros and Mareisa on the sea, making their way together, in a happily ever after with some ... continuations!
It took me an EMBARRASSINGLY long time to figure out who was supposed to be who in this, and it's doubly embarrassing because Greek mythology is like, my favourite thing in the world (or among the favourites).
But I mean: mythology, the Greek gods, mermaids, and hints of The Little Mermaid all rolled into one? Sign me up, please!
The story in itself was, to me, a mix of The Odyssey and The Little Mermaid, and honestly I loved it. It was simple down to its bare bones, but it's the simplicity that brings it to its heights.
There's very little trappings - it's just the story of a man shipwrecked on an island with a woman he has no clue about, and she turns out to be a former mermaid - current siren, also inspired by Calypso.
Yep, there be a distinction here, mateys.
I loved Mareisa because she's got so much heart and passion and spark, and you can understand why she might feel a bit down on her luck and afraid of angering the gods further.
I loved Kyros because he's got morals, honour, he isn't just going to be someone's plaything, and he firmly believes in making things happen rather than having things happen to him.
Together, these two embark on a journey that is basically a tale as old as time. And the best part? There's a book two, baby! (I'm not as much of a fan of the MC from the preview at the moment but, I don't plan on letting that stop me because it IS just a preview, and I fully expect the book to be awesome).
The writing in The Ocean Between Us is gripping and the topics the author addresses may seem like they've been done before, but I'm telling you, there's way more reason and logic in the altercations than you'd think. Combined with the occasional sprinkle from other players in this divine game, and the knowledge that Poseidon is preparing for war and there's bound to be more trouble on the horizon.
But at it's heart this is a love story, and as such it is breathtaking. Mareisa and Kyros steal your heart, and nothing steamy even happens until the very end of the book.
But I mean: mythology, the Greek gods, mermaids, and hints of The Little Mermaid all rolled into one? Sign me up, please!
The story in itself was, to me, a mix of The Odyssey and The Little Mermaid, and honestly I loved it. It was simple down to its bare bones, but it's the simplicity that brings it to its heights.
There's very little trappings - it's just the story of a man shipwrecked on an island with a woman he has no clue about, and she turns out to be a former mermaid - current siren, also inspired by Calypso.
Yep, there be a distinction here, mateys.
I loved Mareisa because she's got so much heart and passion and spark, and you can understand why she might feel a bit down on her luck and afraid of angering the gods further.
I loved Kyros because he's got morals, honour, he isn't just going to be someone's plaything, and he firmly believes in making things happen rather than having things happen to him.
Together, these two embark on a journey that is basically a tale as old as time. And the best part? There's a book two, baby! (I'm not as much of a fan of the MC from the preview at the moment but, I don't plan on letting that stop me because it IS just a preview, and I fully expect the book to be awesome).
The writing in The Ocean Between Us is gripping and the topics the author addresses may seem like they've been done before, but I'm telling you, there's way more reason and logic in the altercations than you'd think. Combined with the occasional sprinkle from other players in this divine game, and the knowledge that Poseidon is preparing for war and there's bound to be more trouble on the horizon.
But at it's heart this is a love story, and as such it is breathtaking. Mareisa and Kyros steal your heart, and nothing steamy even happens until the very end of the book.
Also, the author's awesome. 100/10 recommend when this releases September 30!
xx
*image not mine
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