3.75 HEARTS--Back again for L.M. Brown's mermen!



(You know if I return to a series more than once, I've been hooked)

The last 2016 review on the blog is all about the fantasy. (Hey, this is me we're talking about-it's a fave genre)

L.M. Brown has created quite the world in the Merman & Magic series--readers visit the sunken island of Atlantis, inhabited with merfolk and sea creatures. Plus there's mythology thrown in with an interesting cast of god/goddess side characters that add a sense of magical instability in the tales. The gods are awakening from their stasis...the world doesn't know what it's in for.

In the third installment, Dangerous Waves, the prophetic Oracle mer family are the focus as well as Dax was the ex-lover from book #1. The Oracles are a group of three merfolk who are blind due to their psychic-like abilities. They are blinded once their get their powers at puberty, meaning they are virgins and must remain untouched. Kai, the Oracle of the present and protagonist, longs for a love to call his own, even though it's forbidden. He calls for help from the meddling goddess of love, Medina.

If you've been following along in the series (and I strongly suggest reading in order), then you know mer people are highly sexual. The Oracles aren't allowed any freedoms, basically prisoners in the kingdom of Atlantis. Enter the highly sexual Dax, the former lover of book #1's Kyle. Dax starts the book as the third in a temporary menage, a loner among yet another nomadic tribe that wants to move to Atlantis for stability.

Medina sense Dax's and Kai's fate and meddles in the only way she knows how.

It's hyper sexual vs. virginity, Dax and Kai couldn't be more different experience wise. But their chemistry is electric.



I like the route the author took with these two. It wasn't automatic jumping of bones, no sexy times happen until the last quarter of the book. The men get to know each other through a ocean road trip. Kai finally gets to experience life while traveling to England to help Dax check in on his former lover.

On the road, the two start opening up and learning about a common theme they seem to share, loners. But Dax thinks with his cock (that hasn't changed since book 1) and any time I fins myself liking him, he'd remember to be the jerk from book #1. He viewed sex as sex, Kai was a romantic. warning there is a sex scene with a MC and another person. That didn't piss me off. It wasn't cheating, but usually that's first third behavior of a novel, not so late in the game as the MC's start to get closer. I liked it. It remained true to his character.

It didn't read like insta-love, though the romantic aspect read short when coming to the romantic aspect. It took one of the men a little longer to realize his feelings. I felt it could have been played up just a little more for him.

Why this isn't 5 Hearts The goddess Medina seemed to be a main player in the beginning and them quiets (when hinted to being super powerful) and then shows up to not make much of an impact. The gods awakening is another larger series ARC but compared to the last two books, Dangerous Waves was weaker. We get to meet 2 new gods, add to Medina and series mainstays, Cari & Caspian, it's starting to get crowded. There are hints of conflicts to come, but it'd be nice if they were a little more defined. And the big conflict in the end? It was solved by a different being instead off the one who went to help. Something about the entire thing read anticlimactic.

Overall, a fun read.

There's opposites attract, mythology and magical hijinks. Plus, I'm enjoying the characters. I can't wait to read about Delwyn (Oracle of the past) in the future.

Not my fave pairing of the partnerships...but close.

If you're looking for a lighter urban fantasy series to try, I recommend giving the Mermen & Magic series a try.






A copy provided for an honest review.

FOUR HEARTS--Strong mermen sequel from L.M. Brown!



Tempestuous Tides is book #2 in L.M. Brown's Mermen & Magic series. I don't think it's necessary to read the series in order to follow along BUT I'd suggest reading in order. Either book could be standalone.

New mermen! More mythology! More magic! And a race against a ticking clock to save the one you love.



The story is an entertaining read: easy to read and follow nearly all plot twists. The story starts with dual timelines - Lucas, a junior adviser to the Atlantean king Nereus is closeted and can't let anyone find out about his homosexuality. He has to stave off the pesky mating heat by either abstaining which causes pain or be used by whoever will set off his mating trigger. While Justin is an merman orphan raised by immortals and wants nothing to do with his merman heritage in present day Britain. The two men meet up thanks to a decree from king Nereus, Justin's dad. Before they meet, the interfering Atlantean gods push their nose in Justin's business, invoking a curse that could make or break them before they begin.



I really enjoyed reading the follow up on the Atlantean gods, Caspian and his sister Cari. Finally we get to learn about Caspian's powers. And we get more of meddling Medina,the goddess of love and lust. For this book, neither merman seemed as awed by the gods as in the first book. I think I liked that aspect. The story uses a couple of themes - being raised in paranormal vs. normal worlds, closeted vs. out of the closet (and not trying to go back in) and a commitment-phobe falling in love. There was a decent amount of lightness and some humor to help move the story along, even with the ominous curse looming like a grey cloud over Justina nd Lucas' heads and making their relationship seem based on magic only.

It's not.

Reading Lucas first meet Justin and how they get together was fun. They didn't jump right into the sack on first meeting (despite magic trying to get one up on them). This story is sexy. But there definitely is plot too. No PWP here. I liked the couple in England slightly more then in Atlantis.

Let's talk about the sex because a few scenes hit my buttons. All of the erotic delights were even more fun to read. Can we say exhibition? Or voyeurism? Or aquarium sex?



The book kept the sex interesting. Neither man has any issues in the bedroom department when it comes to chemistry (though toward the end, a certain mer's constant begging of the same thing was starting to become one note)

There were a couple of quibbles for me: there were a few parts that could have been shaved - it read slight stretched in parts. I think the length of the novel was good, just wished a few areas were developed more:

Otus and his outcome - it seemed it was building steam once remembered in Atlantis and then we get this anticlimactic scene. He read vindictive...I expected more.

Jake, Finn and Kyle - our starring trio from Forbidden Waters, book #1. Now they are the secondary characters in this book. I think they weren't used to their advantage. Some parts were missed (ex. Finn grew up in Atlantis - he never remarked on Justin's face the way Lucas did first time meeting him), Finn and Kyle felt like they barely touched the surface in Lucas' acclimation. It was such a big part in book #1 and endeared me to the characters. It got glossed over here with Lucas.

The last 15% or so - the ending was good. There is a HEA. But...the main character's had a tendency to say they weren't going to do A)...then once confronted, they'd give in. I guess it can boil down to lovers' spats but, it either was a little too much or could have been developed more.

Overall, I was happy with the outcome. I was a little surprised that was all it took...but I really enjoyed reading Lucas and Justin. I do think they're a forever couple. I wasn't left with as much questions as with book #1. I'm definitely reading the rest of this series, hope for more merman tales and maybe some books starring Atlantean gods. Can't wait to see which other gods are waking from their slumber.




Recommended for mermen fans, those who don't mind reading the beginning and journey of falling in love and mythology tinged fantasy romances!


P.S. Job well done on getting the cover to match a main character's description. It's pretty much how imagined Lucas!



A copy provided for an honest review.