#32 The Mermaid's Madness by Jim C. Hines
It seemed innocent enough. Danielle, Talia and Snow (also know as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White), were
given the task of joining Queen Beatrice to a ritual meeting with the local merfolk population. Then everything went horribly wrong, leading the young mermaid Queen Lirea to attack Queen Beatrice. Now, Beatrice's life is on the line, and Danielle, Talia and Snow must save her by unraveling the real tale behind the story of The Little Mermaid.
Following The Stepsister Scheme, The Mermaid's Madness is the second of Jim Hines's Princess books, which reexamine the darker roots of well known fairy tales. I'm happy to report that The Mermaid's Madness is just as satisfying as it's predecessor. Like The Stepsister Scheme, this novel proves that you can tell a fun, action and humor filled story, while still retaining an intelligent edge. You can provide fairy tales that are entertaining without scrubbing them clean of their darker moments. Unlike the first book in the series where the story was primarily focused around Danielle, The Mermaid's Madness is equally focused on all three princess characters. I actually liked this decision, as it allowed some really satisfying characters development with all three characters, my favorite being the magical development of Snow.
I enjoyed this re-examination of The Little Mermaid story. I grew up loving the Disney cartoon and only came to learn the story behind it when I was older. Hines takes this original tale and provides his own twists. We're given a story about a young and innocent girl, and what can happen when that innocence is taken advantage of. Although The Mermaid's Madness doesn't have much of a romantic focus, I did find the parallels between Danielle's and Lirea's stories to be very interesting. Both of them fell in love with a man after only knowing them for a single night, but the results couldn't be more different. There are also parallels between Lirea and Talia's stories, as both focus on the cruel things that men can do. I like the fact that Hines was able to tell this story without making it look like he was demonizing all men, as the book is filled with a wide variety of male characters.
If you enjoyed The Stepsister Scheme, then The Mermaid's Madness is a must read. Filled with action, suspense, and humor, The Mermaid's Madness is mainly successful due to it's three likable and complex female leads. I do plan on continuing the series with Red Hood's Revenge.
Rating: four and a half stars
Length: 339 pages
Source: paperbackswap
Similar Books: This book should appeal to fans of female fronted fantasy, such as the works of Tamora Pierce, Kristin Cashore, and Dawn Cook.
Other books I've read by this author: The Stepsister Scheme ( my review)
Next I will be reviewing Dr. Horrible and other Horrible Stories by Zack Whedon and Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison.
xposted to temporaryworlds , bookish , and goodreads
given the task of joining Queen Beatrice to a ritual meeting with the local merfolk population. Then everything went horribly wrong, leading the young mermaid Queen Lirea to attack Queen Beatrice. Now, Beatrice's life is on the line, and Danielle, Talia and Snow must save her by unraveling the real tale behind the story of The Little Mermaid.
Following The Stepsister Scheme, The Mermaid's Madness is the second of Jim Hines's Princess books, which reexamine the darker roots of well known fairy tales. I'm happy to report that The Mermaid's Madness is just as satisfying as it's predecessor. Like The Stepsister Scheme, this novel proves that you can tell a fun, action and humor filled story, while still retaining an intelligent edge. You can provide fairy tales that are entertaining without scrubbing them clean of their darker moments. Unlike the first book in the series where the story was primarily focused around Danielle, The Mermaid's Madness is equally focused on all three princess characters. I actually liked this decision, as it allowed some really satisfying characters development with all three characters, my favorite being the magical development of Snow.
I enjoyed this re-examination of The Little Mermaid story. I grew up loving the Disney cartoon and only came to learn the story behind it when I was older. Hines takes this original tale and provides his own twists. We're given a story about a young and innocent girl, and what can happen when that innocence is taken advantage of. Although The Mermaid's Madness doesn't have much of a romantic focus, I did find the parallels between Danielle's and Lirea's stories to be very interesting. Both of them fell in love with a man after only knowing them for a single night, but the results couldn't be more different. There are also parallels between Lirea and Talia's stories, as both focus on the cruel things that men can do. I like the fact that Hines was able to tell this story without making it look like he was demonizing all men, as the book is filled with a wide variety of male characters.
If you enjoyed The Stepsister Scheme, then The Mermaid's Madness is a must read. Filled with action, suspense, and humor, The Mermaid's Madness is mainly successful due to it's three likable and complex female leads. I do plan on continuing the series with Red Hood's Revenge.
Rating: four and a half stars
Length: 339 pages
Source: paperbackswap
Similar Books: This book should appeal to fans of female fronted fantasy, such as the works of Tamora Pierce, Kristin Cashore, and Dawn Cook.
Other books I've read by this author: The Stepsister Scheme ( my review)
Next I will be reviewing Dr. Horrible and other Horrible Stories by Zack Whedon and Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison.
xposted to temporaryworlds , bookish , and goodreads