Betrayal (The Syrenka Series #2) by Amber Garr
Paperback, 255 pages
Published February 20th 2012 by CreateSpace
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My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ❥
Life as a mermaid can be suffocating.
Eviana Dumahl has returned home as a clan leader, an orphan, and a heartbroken teenage girl. Her parents are dead and her boyfriend, Brendan, has decided that he needs some time away. While battling her inner turmoil, Eviana is forced into the war that Lucian Sutherland has incited amongst her own kind. With the help of Kain, her friend and formally betrothed, the two work together to prove that they deserve their birthrights as young merfolk leaders.
When the Council requests a demonstration of Eviana’s mermaid powers, she finds herself with an opportunity to win back Brendan’s heart. But her orders to train with a repulsive merman and the presence of an attractive new suitor challenges Eviana to embrace her leadership and resist temptation. Lucian is after her, and no one seems to understand why. Loyalties are tested as the casualties increase, showing Eviana that sometimes it is impossible to delineate between friends and enemies.
Betrayal is the second book of The Syrenka Series trilogy following Eviana and her friends as they navigate through the challenges of existing in a secret world.
If you haven't read book one there's no way around spoilers in my review. So read book one first! Betrayal is a transitional book in this series of mermaids and other paranormal creatures of the aqueous persuasion . The first book introduced the hidden society with a big bang. In the mist of the war brewing, we are introduced to the infrastructure of the mer political dictators. We see the strategies of building of armies while perfecting powers of the royal duo in the aftermath of Eviana returning home and living the leadership role she was destined to entitle.
You can feel a much larger scheme brewing and this is only the quiet before that storm. Another leading heartthrob enters the story named Graham. This playboy and leads me to believe Eviana will forever be attracted to men who smell like “trouble”. Brendan comes back into the picture with forgiveness in his heart. Kain comes around also. While he hasn't forgiven her he sends mix messages that would imply an impending reconciliation. There is confusion among all the love interests. It's fun how the the interations between each suitor toys with the reader so much that's it's hard to know which way the tide will turn.
The characters continue to grow in this book and even Eviana seems to have aged far beyond the impulsive teen from book one. I continue to marvel at the ingenious plot of this series. I admit a little disappointed that a few parts were a bit predictable. The way things played out weren't however, while a tad heartless. True to the title, Eviana is betrayed and boy is it BAD on so many different levels! The ending is shocking! I seriously sat, for an uncalculated amount of time, blind eyed facing the white walls with a million fins running trough my head.
One thing that I can say after reading two books by Amber Garr is her writing grabs your addition from the very first paragraph and you will not stop reading until you are done. Even if you are forced to pause, you feel guilty.....and simply compelled to pick the book back up until you're finished. it is absolutely addicting. I am a junkie for the next book.
Fashion in The Syrenka Series
When asked to discuss fashion in relation to the characters in my series, I first thought “Hmmm, what an interesting topic.” But then my second thought was “Wait, they spend a lot of time naked!”
It is true that as shape shifters, running around in their birthday suit is just as common as dressing up for a big event. In fact, most of them really enjoy the chance to “be free” in their natural form.
Let’s start with the mermaids. Being as discretely powerful and inherently wealthy as the clans tend to be, there are many formal events requiring special attire. Each clan has a representative color scheme that is often reflected in their wardrobe. For example, when Kain has his appointment ceremony in Promises, he is wearing a very formal suit that resembles something that modern day royalty will wear (see below).
Otherwise, he is fortunate enough to enjoy fashion as much as any typical teenage guy would: which translates into jeans and a shirt.
Eviana is also required to dress the part of a clan leader and representative of her people during certain events. Although I have zero ability as a designer, it was a lot of fun to create her dresses in my head. The one I like the best is the blue dress she wears at Kain’s appointment ceremony. I haven’t been able to find a picture that completely encompasses what I envisioned, but a combination of these two dresses might be a fair representation. I thought it was important for her to have some type of connection to the water in the way the gown flowed around her.
Now let’s talk selkies. Their fashion sense, as well as their lifestyle, is quite different than the merfolk. In their everyday, normal life, most of them are independent and do very little to socialize at political events like merfolk. And then of course, there is their skin. The pelts are a part of who they are and what they become, and not worn as an accessory.
And finally, the water sprites. They have the most flexibility with their fashion - as they can create whatever their heart desires. Abhainn prefers the bowler hat and old school suits, where Isabel prefers her natural form much more.
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