Song of the Mer by Marsha Hinds
Finnian is a centuries years old merman. He has a wonderful life undersea: he is a prince, the son of the king, he has a beautiful mate, a merman like him named Anifiel, and one day he will spawn some beautiful offspring with Muriel, a mermaid.
But Finnian is sad, he is fascinated by John, a widow he sees every year on the beach. John come on his summer house every year for the birthday of his beloved lost wife. He still mourning the death of his wife and his daughter, and wants nothing from the life. Then one day a siren, a vicious creature, try to kill him and Finnian rescues him.
But the punishment of Finnian is the exile from his companions and Thetis, the siren, makes a pact with him: if Finnian will give his beautiful voice to Thetis, Thetis will give the humanity to Finnian. And Finnian accepts. He wants to try to love and live with John.
But John is scared: Finnian like a human his a young boy with the look of a teenager and easily mistaken with a girl. John isn't gay and can't absolutely love a boy who has, maybe, less than half his years.
Finnian is a naive character; he can't understand why John can't love him, and everything his new for him; he doesn't understand the difference between man and woman, and why someone can love one and not love another. John is a supporting character: he doesn't have a strong hold in the story; I like him, but I don't have many chance to "know" him.
An interesting story, maybe a little too short. I'd like to read a little more about the life of Finnian like a man.
Amazon: Song of the Mer (YAOI) (Juxtapose Fantasy Presents)
Paperback: 106 pages
Publisher: Juxtapose Fantasy (2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0977927121
ISBN-13: 978-0977927128
Cover Art by Adorna