Quirky Cat
Written on Dec 1, 2019
Till the Human Voices Wake Us is the first novel in C.S. Johnson's latest series. Though there is a prequel novella to check out for the completionists out there! This time around C.S. Johnson is giving us her take on mermaids, and that leads for a fantastical tale.
Deep in the heart of the sea, there resides a town made up entirely of mermaids. This is Rasulka, the community of mermaids. Even tucked away from humanity, the mermaids are never safe from the dangers humans bring with them.
Milo grew up listening to the tales from his Uncle Jay, stories about mermaids and other tales that he believed to be made up. But thanks to a series of advents that put his life at risk, he's now forced to acknowledge that these stories might actually be a bit more than legend.
“I turned back to the sea. The saltwater on my bloody mental wounds was a breath of heaven by comparison.”
Warnings: Early on in Till Human Voices Wake Us you'll find a mention of suicidal thoughts.
Till Human Voices Wake Us was a brilliant and exciting fantasy. Though I might be slightly biased, thanks to my love of mermaids and all that. If you're looking for a new mermaid series to dive into – or if you're a fan of C.S. Johnson's work, then this is going to be something for you to check out.
One of the things I loved the most about Till Human Voices Wake Us is that these are not friendly little mermaids. These are the brutal and dangerous type – and thus they're my favorite. There's nothing better than reading about bloody mermaids. And that's exactly what you get here. C.S. Johnson's mermaids are not ones you want to accidentally encounter if you can help it.
Another highlight of this novel is the fact that it's extremely character-driven. In fact, this is arguably Johnson's best work in that regards. Milo is an interesting character – one who still has a lot of room for personal growth. And yet that's exactly what we get to witness during Till Human Voices Wake Us, and that made it so perfect.
It seems like the last few novels I've read by C.S. Johnson had more to them than first glance would indicate. There are some overarching plots and themes. In this case, there's a repetition about love, loss, and grief. It's both beautiful and heartbreaking all in one.
I'll confess that I skipping right ahead to Till Human Voices Wake Us, and thus haven't actually read the prequel novella (Across the Floors of Silent Seas). I think I'm going to have to go back and read that soon – ideally before any future novel comes out for this series (which I really hope happens sooner rather than later!).
For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks