REVIEW: FINS ARE FOREVER

Author: Tera Lynn Childs
Series: Yes, #2
UK Publisher: Templar
UK Release date: April 2012
Genre: YA
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

Having decided to stay on land with Quince, Lily’s life now revolves around SATs and thinking about college. But when Doe turns up unexpectedly, exiled from the underwater kingdom of Thalassinia, Lily is duty bound to look after her and help change her hatred for humans. With her 18th birthday approaching will Lily cope with also giving up her right as Princess Waterlily to the throne forever?

As the second in the series, Fins are Forever doesn’t disappoint. It’s cute, bubbly and a very quick read. It was also really easy to pick up from the last story without trying to trawl my memory to recall what had happened. Lily and Quince are still together, although their relationship is tested more in this story. For me this is a big bonus, as I hate shallow relationships that focus purely on superficial elements - I want to see how couples deal with real problems. Quince is very sweet, especially when jealous, but he certainly needs a reminder about how good he really is.

Lily is also facing a lot more pressure: the renunciation, SAT’s, deciding what to do about college, and dealing with Doe and Tellin. She’s still funny and personable, but there is so much going on that develops her character as well the plot. I wish I could have seen more of Quince though, as they are such a cute couple and yes, I may have a little fan-crush on Quince.

Like Lily I absolutely didn’t trust Doe. She’s sneaky, conniving and manipulative, and I would not be pleased if I had to look after her. Whilst as a character she is untrustworthy and frustrating, she adds plenty of drama and suspicion to the plot. A little like Prince Tellin – who caused plenty of trouble between Lily and Quince. There were also plenty of twists in the story to keep me thinking and guessing.

As most of the book takes place on land, we only get s few small glimpses at life in Thalassinia. It’s such a magical and colourful setting and so different from the other parts of the story (or other stories) that I want to see more of it. Particularly when certain land dwellers were underwater, I wanted to see how they coped with the change and the new experience. Please give me more of the shimmering rainbow-like land of Thalassinia!

Fins are Forever is a delightfully fun read that will have you wishing you could swim off to the magical underwater land of Thalassinia.

Rating: 4*

REVIEW: FORGIVE MY FINS

Forgive my Fins

Author: Tera Lynn-Childs

Series: Yes, #1

UK Publisher: Templar Publishing

UK Release date: July 2011

Genre: Paranormal

Half mermaid and half human, 17 year old Lily has come to live on land with her aunt. With the pressing urgency of finding and bonding with a mate before her 18th birthday, Lily tries to confront Brody, the boy she has fantasised over for 3 years. But when there is a mix up of identity, Lily must decide whether she could bond with anyone else. 

Review: My favourite aspect of Forgive my Fins is the underwater mer-world, with its sea plants and food, own way of life and the beautiful colours. The underwater magical kingdom Thalassinia is set up perfectly and adds a brilliant contrast to Lily’s life on land. Lily’s narrative is infused with sea terminology and euphemisms, which I thought was endearing and reinforces that her natural environment and home is the sea. Despite being a mer-princess and having a tendency to be oblivious to others around her Lily isn’t stuck-up, as on land she has to tackle her fly-away frizzy hair and clumsiness, making her so much more personable. 

I automatically liked Quince. Sure he's your typical bad boy who rides a motorbike and is really the nice guy. But there is something instantly appealing about him. Perhaps its because he isn't perfect. In one particular scene he rescues Lily by hiding in a toilet cubicle with her, and it has such intimacy, thoughtfulness and that spark of sexual tension that I wish was in there with him!

I was a little uncomfortable about the idea that Lily would be happy to kiss Brody without even telling him about the bonding and being a mermaid, as it would have such a huge impact on his life. Without giving any 'spoilery' bits away, it seems a little cruel to inflict something so big on someone without their permission, even if you do think they might love you.

A big plus for me is that Forgive my Fins could be a standalone. Sure, there is a very short Epilogue which leaves a huge cliff-hanger for the next book but other than that loose ends are tied up so you could just read it on its own and be satisfied.

The mermaid theme is an interesting take on the paranormal and Forgive my Fins is a charming, fun and quirky summer read. 

Rating: 4*