Dark Tide

The search for the talismans continues! Dark Tide is the third book in Jennifer Donnelly's Waterfire saga. When I started the journey, I was wasn't sure I'd continue. I enjoyed the first book, but it didn't blow me away. By the time Rogue Wave came out, I was ready to give the series another shot. I loved it. It was a huge improvement on the first. Dark Tide is even better.

Dark Tide picks up where Rogue Wave left off. Sera and Neela are still on the run, Astrid is heading home, Ling is held captive, and Ava and Becca are still looking for their talismans. What I loved most was how many boundaries Ms. Donnelly crossed. Yes, on the surface the book is about mermaids, but it goes much deeper than that. The Waterfire saga is about finding inner strength and believing in yourself when everything seems hopeless. It's about friendship, and courage. The mermaids are off to save the day. They aren't relying on the mermen to rescue them. Miss Donnelly also lets her male characters show emotion! In the real world, there is still a stigma that men need to hide their emotions. I LOVE the Miss Donnelly let her characters show theirs!

I also loved the mermaid's courage. Without giving away too much, each of the mermaids must face nearly impossible odds. While Sera appears to be the sterotypical heroine, Astrid, Ava, Ling, Neela and Becca provide fresh “heroines”. Astrid, in a world of magic has lost hers. Ava, a blind mermaid must search the oceans for a talisman with death riders at every turn. Ling has a strained relationship with her mother, who has just about given up after the loss of Ling's father. Neela buries her problems in food and learns that eating does not make her problems disappear. Becca grows up an orphan, struggling often to make ends meet. That's what I love most about this story. It's not just about 6 beautiful mermaid princesses trying to save the world. Yes, Sera and Astrid are “princesses” of sorts, but Ling, Becca and Ava are ordinary mermaids that were chosen to help save their world. They aren't perfect. Heck, who would EVER put a BLIND mermaid as a heroine in her novel??

Dark Tide mostly focuses on Sera, Ling, and Astrid. We get a glimpse into what's happening in Miromara from Lucia's point of view, and we check in with Ava and Becca. While Sera's chapters become a little monotonous, Ling'd and Astrid's are filled with such beautiful imagery. Oondalina! AH! Astrid's ice palace was breathtaking! I wish I could erase the chapters from my mind so I could experience that awe all over again! Even now, my mind is back exploring her palace. Ling's chapters are darker. It's very similar to the concentration camps the Nazi's created during World War II. It was sad, and terrifying. The glimpses we were given of Ava's world were also impressive, but not as much as Oondalina. I suspect we'll see more of her world in the final book. I'm excited to see where Miss Donnelly heads next!