Ice Massacre is a Young Adult Fantasy novel with an ending that makes way for a sequel.
THE BLURB:
A mermaid’s supernatural beauty serves one purpose: to lure a sailor to his death.
The Massacre is supposed to bring peace to Eriana Kwai. Every year, the island sends its warriors to battle these hostile sea demons. Every year, the warriors fail to return. Desperate for survival, the island must decide on a new strategy. Now, the fate of Eriana Kwai lies in the hands of twenty battle-trained girls and their resistance to a mermaid’s allure.
Eighteen-year-old Meela has already lost her brother to the Massacre, and she has lived with a secret that’s haunted her since childhood. For any hope of survival, she must overcome the demons of her past and become a ruthless mermaid killer.
For the first time, Eriana Kwai’s Massacre warriors are female, and Meela must fight for her people’s freedom on the Pacific Ocean’s deadliest battleground.
MY THOUGHTS:
In many ways, Ice Massacre was like a breath of fresh air. I can't say I've read any other mermaid tales lately, and even then this book casts them in a new light. They can be beautiful creatures of seduction, or anger can transform them into someone you would not want to meet in a dark alley...er, stream. These mermaids are fearsome warriors who feast on human flesh when they're of the mind.
The story overall I found very interesting. The battle scenes particularly were well-written, exciting without becoming tiresome after repeated skirmishes.
There were some things I struggled with here. For one, the time period was not clear to me. Many aspects of life on Eriana Kwai made me think of older times, or the sort of story in a slightly altered reality where people live as if in this world's past. They fight with crossbows, sail wooden ships, and then all of sudden there are references to TV and such. I also had a hard time swallowing that the island was so utterly cut off from the rest of the world in a time where there apparently would be the internet and airplanes. I don't know, I got a bit confused about the exact circumstances here.
The team of girls sent for the massacre were a bit too...girlish for what I have preferred for this story. If the island wanted to send their most fit female warriors, I would think an older set would have been more appropriate, as women tend to be at their peak physical prowess at an older age than men. As it is, we have a ship full of 18 year olds who, despite their unusual and grave circumstances, still deal with a fair bit of teenage drama.
Despite these few issues, there were many things to praise here. And one really lovely aspect that was woven in so perfectly naturally, no big deal. Wonderful.
MY RATING:
3.5 booksies
Author's website: http://www.tianawarner.com/
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