Descending

Kyros is forced to do two of the most dreadful things he could ever imagine: protect a mermaid, and live on land. The mermaid who needs protecting is Sara, the wife of his best friend Xanthus. Kyros and Xanthus are both Dagonians, and they usually don’t get along well with mermaids. Although living on land might have its benefits when he meets Gretchen. She’s a gorgeous, spunky woman not afraid to speak her mind, and he can’t help but feel attracted to her. When her life is in danger, he will do whatever it takes to protect her, even if he might put himself at risk while doing so. 

The best part about the book is, hands down, the mythology. The author does an amazing job of crafting a whole world of mermaid mythology, mixing the familiar with new, original elements. The romance itself wasn’t that engaging, though. Kyros is often two-dimensional, the Dagonians are extremely old-fashioned up to the point that it gets annoying, and Gretchen practically invented the word “stubborn”. The characters aren’t particularly compelling, and neither is the romance. The chemistry between both characters is almost non-existent. The plot itself is intriguing, and fast-paced. The book features some gore, although most of it happens offstage, and the romance is pretty clean too. An enjoyable read, but the lack of compelling characters and chemistry accounts for the lower rating. 

Majanka Verstraete