Having long wondered what lives beyond the ice shelf, nineteen-year-old mermaid Ersel learns of the life she wants when she rescues and befriends Ragna, a shield-maiden stranded on the merfolk's fortress. But when Ersel's childhood friend and suitor catches them together, he gives Ersel a choice: say goodbye to Ragna or face justice at the hands of the glacier's brutal king. Determined to forge a different fate, Ersel seeks help from the divine Loki. But such deals are never straightforward, and the outcome sees her exiled from the only home and protection she's known. To save herself from perishing in the barren, underwater wasteland and be reunited with the human she's come to love, Ersel must try to outsmart the God of Lies.
Going into this book I had a feeling I was going to really like it. There's not enough mermaid books but I tend to really love them when I read them. This book did not disappoint! My only possible complaint would be that I could have used a little more romance but that's just my personal preference.
I think there's a lot in this book that would appeal to a lot of people. There's a young girl that doesn't want to fall into the expectations of society. She thinks she deserves more than just to make babies for their population (and rightfully so!). She also falls in love with someone outside her race, which is completely illegal in this book. She also thinks that something has to be done about the tyrant in power. There's a lot going on but it all works together into one great plot.
We also see the main character grow throughout the story. She starts off knowing what she wants but she's not sure how to get it. Eventually she goes against her society and gets kicked out but that's when she starts to figure out that things are wrong even if she's the only one that think that. It's a message to us all to speak up when we know something is wrong.
The short: this is a must read for any fans of YA fantasy!
