Evergreen (Mer Tales, #2)

by Brenda Pandos

A kingdom on the brink of war. A king on the fringes of insanity. A family running for their lives.

Ash and Fin's only desire is to be together and dive into their happily ever after, though their conflicting worlds work to pull them apart. Neither is ready to convert to the other's life: become a human or a mer. Little do they know that somewhere in Natatoria a secret holds the fine fabric of everyone's lives together. If the truth is discovered, Ash and Fin will no longer have the luxury of waiting. They'll be forced to choose. But will it be for loyalty or love? Or will someone else make the choice for them if they can't decide?

Enter the watery world of treachery, greed, and the binding mer kiss as the story continues with Evergreen, book two of Mer Tales.

• ISBN10: 098498352X
• ISBN13: 9780984983520
• Publish Date: 1 July 2012 (first published 27 June 2012)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Obsidian Mountain Publishing
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 286
• Language: English

Reviews

[Kim Deister]

I loved Evergreen even more than the first book in the series, Everblue!

The story line was more intense in this book, with a bit more action and conflict. There were some unexpected surprises along the way, taking the story in directions that I hadn't anticipated. We learn a lot more about the mer culture that the author has created and I love the uniqueness of that.

One of the things I loved most about these characters is that they act, for the most part, true to age. There new characters in Evergreen, too, and they fell on both sides of the good vs. bad scale. The bad guys are just as interesting as the good and elicit just as much passion from the reader, even if it is frustration and annoyance!

Things to love about Evergreen...

--The more intense plot. This book had more bit to it, more conflict, more action.
--The emotions. There was a lot more depth to the characters and their feelings and that really brings a reader in.

My recommendation: This series is proving to be an engrossing and fun read. If you like mermaid fiction, give this series a try!

[Raven]

Originally posted at arielavalon.com

Ash and Fin are already being separated right after they have bonded. Fin and his family are on the run from their kingdom and heading off to the safe house in Florida. The separation is painful to the both of them, but that is the least of their problems. Between Fin's cousin Colin hanging around Ash and the princess Galadriel hanging around Fin, and the secrets and lies being passed around, their problems are only beginning.

I liked the characters less in this book. The bond was made out to be this horribly painful thing in the first book, and yet here it was made out to be this annoying pest of a thing. It made the characters start to feel whiny. Fin and Galariel's interactions with each other got to me. For Fin's bond to be pestering him so hard, I don't really understand why she kept drawing him in. It made for a plot point that I felt could've been avoided. I know it was testing Fin's commitment, but it felt insulting that it needed to be there at all. Ash lying to Fin about Colin seemed more natural. She thought she could handle it and didn't want him to worry. Was it stupid? Yes, she should've told him, but I at least understand why she didn't whereas his "baby betrayals" weren't explained and didn't need to be there.

I was not a fan of Galariel or Jax, not at all. I know you don't see much of Jax, but there is something about both of their characters that really irks me. There are more secrets there that we aren't seeing. If there isn't then their characters just have annoying personalities.

The story became very very obvious shortly after Fin and his family arrived at the safe house, and even more obvious when Callahan slugged Colin. I know it was a bridge, setting things up for the return to the kingdom, but it was disappointing to have no eyes in the kingdom the entire novel and for it to almost drag along the way it did. The truth about Azor that came out felt a bit sudden. I feel like it should've been built up and hinted upon in the first book, even slightly and I don't recall that being the case.

Or will someone else make the choice for them if they can’t decide?
This was the worst part of the summary. As soon as I read it I knew it would be true. The novel took a nosedive for me after that. Things started feeling anti-climatic. Ash and Fin's little heart-to-heart in the enclave didn't help either. She was so depressed and doubting about things and her emotions just didn't feel genuine. Sure, they made sense, but they didn't feel real enough. Fin's reassurance felt about the same. Afterwards Fin starts talking about the bond and how he feels its more of a mind over matter thing, a way to strengthen real feelings, not a forced feeling like it had seemed to be in the beginning of the book and in the first novel.

As much as all that sounds like I didn't like the book, or that it wasn't well written, I really did like it. I can't help but love the story and the characters and want to see what will happen. I do recommend the series still.