What do you think?
Rate this book
Waterfire Saga #4
Sea Spell
At the end of Dark Tide, Book 3 in the Waterfire Saga, Astrid leaves her mermaid friends to confront her ancestor, Orfeo, the evil force behind the rise of the monster Abbadon. Orfeo possesses one of the six talismans that the merls need in order to keep the monster locked up forever. But without the ability to songcast, how will Astrid be able to defeat the most powerful mage in history? Meanwhile, Serafina and her Black Fins train goblin troops for battle against her uncle Vallerio's death riders. Will Sera ever see her beloved home--and her beloved Mahdi--again, or will the Volneros take over the mer realms while Orfeo takes on the gods themselves? Nothing less than the fate of the underwater world is at stake in this breathtaking finale.
357 pages, Hardcover
First published June 14, 2016
About the author
Jennifer Donnelly
30 books7,984 followersJennifer Donnelly is the author of fourteen novels - Beastly Beauty, Poisoned, Stepsister, Lost in a Book, These Shallow Graves, Sea Spell, Dark Tide, Rogue Wave, Deep Blue, Revolution, A Northern Light, The Tea Rose, The Winter Rose and The Wild Rose - and Humble Pie, a picture book for children. She is a co-author of Fatal Throne, which explores the lives of King Henry VIII's six wives, for which she wrote the part of Anna of Cleves, Henry's fourth wife.
In 2023, she published Molly's Letter, the first in a series of novella-length stories called Rose Petals set in the world of her three-volume Tea Rose series -- followed by Where Roses Fall in August, 2024.
Jennifer grew up in New York State, in Lewis and Westchester counties, and attended the University of Rochester where she majored in English Literature and European History.
See Jennifer's full bio on Wikipedia.
In 2023, she published Molly's Letter, the first in a series of novella-length stories called Rose Petals set in the world of her three-volume Tea Rose series -- followed by Where Roses Fall in August, 2024.
Jennifer grew up in New York State, in Lewis and Westchester counties, and attended the University of Rochester where she majored in English Literature and European History.
See Jennifer's full bio on Wikipedia.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 488 reviews
Want to read
November 14, 2015THESE COVERS THOUGH
October 18, 2022
An almost perfect finale to the series. If only the final battle could have been less anticlimactic.
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph
May 8, 2017
Mini review:
This was the best book in the whole series! Everything was tied up nicely. The characters were amazing as was the romance. Astrid and Becca's growth was fantastic. Seriously hoping there will be more books based on that ending.
Highly recommend.
This was the best book in the whole series! Everything was tied up nicely. The characters were amazing as was the romance. Astrid and Becca's growth was fantastic. Seriously hoping there will be more books based on that ending.
Highly recommend.
July 8, 2018
"Just because you failed today doesn't mean you've failed forever. Falling down doesn't mean anything. It's staying down that does you in."
Sea Spell was a great finale to a series that I ended up liking way more than I thought I would. It was a conclusion that was satisfying, but still left a few unanswered questions. Which, surprisingly, I am okay with.
"A little while ago, I lost faith in myself. It nearly did me in. You helped me swim back from the brink. Now it's my turn to help Becca. Because if the six of us lose faith in one another, we've lost everything."
My favorite aspect of this series will always be the relationships. Not necessarily the romantic ones, those I found a bit rushed and wasn't really attached to, but the relationship between friends.
Sera, Neela, Ling, Becca, Ava, and Astrid, I loved their friendship, their sisterhood so, so much. Each girl grows up to become strong, independent women. They all had to make many tough decisions, but in the end I am so proud of each and every one of them.
"Because it's time, Des," she finally said.
"Time for what?"
"Time to play my uncle's game like a queen, not a pawn."
Serafina especially, she gets most of the development since she is the main, main character. She started off the series confused and afraid. My heart was breaking for her, but she pushes past all her insecurity and in the end becomes such a strong person, a strong leader. A real queen, and gosh I am so happy for her.
"Was love enough? Was it stronger than her uncle's brutality, his just for power, his hatred? Was it stronger than fear? Stronger than death?"
The theme of love has always been so prominent in this series. It's a story about love in all different shapes and sizes. A story with love between friends, allies, and family. And what it means to really risk it all for those you love.
The battle for Cerulea and the one against Abbandon were so much fun to read about! It was heart pounding and had me at the edge of my seat. I couldn't flipping pages. Absolutely epic and so thrilling.
Oh and don't worry, the pun game is still going strong. For example, *clears throat* "Holy silt!"
Ahhh, a book looking to catch my pun loving heart.
The epilogue leaves room for spin offs and I'm super excited to see if Jennifer Donnelly decides to expand on this world.
Overall, a really great conclusion! I ended up liking this series way more than I expected and I'm kind of sad to see it go. If you're looking for a fun, quick, magical, fantasea read with great friendships I definitely recommend giving this series a chance!
"Where there life, there's hope."
October 24, 2017
4 out of 5 stars!
best part of this entire book: any and every time the mermaids say, "OH, SILT!" hahahahaha yassss mermaid cussing i love it.
what i liked: the pacing of and action in these books is just so good. so! much! underwater! adventure! the characters are solid and now, in the last book, they've all developed and grown from the scared mermaids they were in deep blue. can i get a hell yeah for character growth! also, the ending both ties everything together but also leaves a little open for possible spin offs/sequels.
not so much: i just wish the mermaids got equal book time. by the end of the series i felt like we still didn't know AS MUCH about ava or becca, when i totally wanted to. but there's not much to dislike about a fun, fast paced mermaid book!
RECAP: MAGIC. SIEGES ON PALACES. BATTLE PLANNING. FRIENDSHIP. BETRAYAL. ROMANCE.
best part of this entire book: any and every time the mermaids say, "OH, SILT!" hahahahaha yassss mermaid cussing i love it.
what i liked: the pacing of and action in these books is just so good. so! much! underwater! adventure! the characters are solid and now, in the last book, they've all developed and grown from the scared mermaids they were in deep blue. can i get a hell yeah for character growth! also, the ending both ties everything together but also leaves a little open for possible spin offs/sequels.
not so much: i just wish the mermaids got equal book time. by the end of the series i felt like we still didn't know AS MUCH about ava or becca, when i totally wanted to. but there's not much to dislike about a fun, fast paced mermaid book!
RECAP: MAGIC. SIEGES ON PALACES. BATTLE PLANNING. FRIENDSHIP. BETRAYAL. ROMANCE.
June 24, 2020
Diese Reihe ist ein Inbegriff von Kreativität und jungen Meerjungfrauen, die jungen Mädchen einen Mut und Tapferkeit vorlegen. Ich habe diese Reihe geliebt und liebe sie weiterhin. Jennifer Donelly hat hier etwas ganz tolles geschaffen und dieser vierte Band ist nochmal der Höhepunkt. Das Ende appelliert sogar an uns, sich für den Schutz der Meere und sich auch generell für den Umweltschutz einzusetzen. Mehr muss ich, glaube ich, gar nicht mehr sagen, außer, dass unsere Welt schön ist und wir sie schützen müssen, sowie Serafina und ihre Freundinnen in diesen Buch die Meerreiche beschützen.
December 19, 2021
This has been a WILD RIDE of a series and I suppose to give it credit for consistency, the ending was just as bewildering as the rest of it. But it does somehow wrap everything up satisfactorily.
Though I still want to know how mermaids drink tea.
Though I still want to know how mermaids drink tea.
January 18, 2017
Honestly? It was a disappointment at best. The ending was terribly anticlimactic, and the entire book was overall very predictable. I found myself groaning in frustration at the sheer annoyance of the character/cliches.
I think the biggest issue for me was Mahdi. Killing him off would've created the emotional depth that this book really needed, and even though I did screech when he was injured, the realization that he was alive (gasp) was worse for me than the actual "death" itself. The death would've given Serafina another motive for taking care of her kingdom, along with something close to a three dimensional character.
Now my heart may be cold and broken, but yes, I can appreciate a good romance when I want to. This was not the case. The relationships seemed forced, with almost EVERY male character close to the age of the girls being a love interest of some sort.
I had genuinely enjoyed the previous books. There was a solid story and plot, and the characters intrigued me. Unlike in this book, they each had several motives for their actions. Ahh, I'm getting frustrated again.
Finally, the characters didn't really LOSE anything at all. As stated earlier, this definitely would've given more character depth. Grief is great motivation. Unlike my will to read this book again (oh snap).
I think the biggest issue for me was Mahdi. Killing him off would've created the emotional depth that this book really needed, and even though I did screech when he was injured, the realization that he was alive (gasp) was worse for me than the actual "death" itself. The death would've given Serafina another motive for taking care of her kingdom, along with something close to a three dimensional character.
Now my heart may be cold and broken, but yes, I can appreciate a good romance when I want to. This was not the case. The relationships seemed forced, with almost EVERY male character close to the age of the girls being a love interest of some sort.
I had genuinely enjoyed the previous books. There was a solid story and plot, and the characters intrigued me. Unlike in this book, they each had several motives for their actions. Ahh, I'm getting frustrated again.
Finally, the characters didn't really LOSE anything at all. As stated earlier, this definitely would've given more character depth. Grief is great motivation. Unlike my will to read this book again (oh snap).
July 16, 2016
I started this series wanting to read something different. I have never read any books about mermaids. I loved this series! It was kind of slow in the 2nd and 3rd books at times, but the ending makes it all worth it. I suggest this series to anyone who likes fantasy and heroines. A perfect combination of the two!
July 4, 2016
"In this realm, evil has vanquished love."Sea Spell was an exhilarating finale to Jennifer Donnelly’s Waterfire Saga. I loved experiencing everything come full circle, with memorable characters from throughout the series once again making an appearance for the mers final battle against Orfeo and Abbadon.
This series has just been an utter delight to read. After a teeny slow start with the first book, I haven’t been able to put these books down. Jennifer Donnelly always brings it with her novels, and The Waterfire Saga is no different. Everything has been exquisitely crafted; from the clothing to the kingdoms, the races and the dialect. I simply cannot sing this series praises enough!
Sea Spell ties everything up nicely. Sure, there are a few things that are left hanging on the wind, but it’s nothing that you’ll be ripping your eyes out over after the last page is turned. I found that for once I was pleased with how things had ended, and that all my questions had been answered.
We finally get more of Ava in this book – the mermaid that has been quite distant for the other three books. While her quest for her talisman wasn’t as thrilling as the others, her journey and relationship with the freshwater queen still made it a highlight of Sea Spell. I became increasingly affectionate toward her piranha, Baby, as well as the myth and lore surrounding the freshwaters Ava had to navigate. There really was some great material here.
Astrid is once again a major player in Sea Spell. While I had my worries for her in Dark Tide regarding her loyalty, Sea Spell brought them to the forefront. I was never sure if Astrid was going to succumb to Orfeo’s promises or not, which made everything so suspenseful. I would have liked to see more of her relationship with Des in this book, but other than that, I have no complaints.
It’s no surprise that Sera, once again, also has the majority of page time in this final instalment. With an army behind her, and the help of her friends, she’s ready to either reclaim Cerulea or head south to Abbadon. I loved the dynamics of the group, as well as the goblin allies, and found that there was never a dull moment. The characters in this series have really grown and I think that’s what it was all about.
The battle for Cerulea was epic. It was thrilling, suspenseful and I was never sure what was going to happen. Old allies returned, and old enemies became friends. I became wistful and nostalgic at many points in the book when someone from Deep Blue or Rogue Wave made a re-appearance in order to fight the good fight. There were some happy reunions, too! I loved seeing everyone come together, particularly Lena the Catfish Lady with her army of kitties, and even Alitheia, the bronze spider used to declare a mer of Merrow’s blood.
I was worried that the ending would be rushed or anti-climactic, but it was satisfying. The effort to destroy Orfeo and Abbadon was a long-winded one, but worthwhile. There was another fantastic battle scene here in where the goblin’s kraken was summoned in ‘a great time of need’. Jennifer Donnelly really utilised the cast of characters she had been busily crafting and even hinting at since book one.
The epilogue was just ‘okay’, but as everything else had gotten such a stellar ending, I didn’t seem to mind. I wish Becca, Ling and Ava had stayed on in Miromara, at least for a final scene of the girls all together. I was a bit let down that their fates were glossed over after spending so much time with them.
This isn’t a series where the romances are a highlight. I’ve said that before, and Sea Spell reaffirms it. There was never a relationship within The Waterfire Saga that I completely got behind, or felt was developed enough. That’s okay though, because there is so much more to this series to keep you occupied. The main theme of The Waterfire Saga is ‘love’ – but ‘love’ that comes in all forms – be it sisters, friends, allies, brothers…
What a wonderful reading journey this has been for me! I have been apprehensive about mermaid stories for a while now, struggling to find one I can really love (I love mermaids, I really do – but most YA seems to do them such injustice) and I’m so happy to finally say that I’ve found one I can firmly place on my ‘favourites’ shelf. I urge you to pick up The Waterfire Saga and give it a go.
I just wish I had more to read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2022
Seated atop the creature was a mermaid. She carried a crossbow. A sword hung from her hip. Her coppery hair, cut short, was angled over her forehead and cheekbones. Her green eyes blazed with fury.
'Go, Sera!' Becca shouted. 'Take back your throne!
Het niveau van het derde boek halen we hier, in dit laatste deel, niet meer, maar Boek 4 is nog steeds een ontzettend stevig verhaal en een lust voor het brein. Er zitten een paar momenten in waar je hart bijna stilstaat, of uit je lijf gerukt wordt, of een steen wordt. De gebeurtenissen volgen elkaar supersnel op en je verveelt je geen moment. Erg knap hoe alles opgelost wordt, zeker als je bedenkt dat er in één boek toch een paar verschillende verhaallijnen (van kleiner en groter belang) ontrafeld en afgerond moeten worden. Het achtste seizoen van Game of Thrones laat zien hoe het niet moet, Sea Spell laat zien hoe het wel moet.
De personages komen hier helemaal tot hun recht en ontplooien zich prachtig - álle personages, natuurlijk, maar met nadruk Sera, Neela, Astrid, Becca, Ava en Ling. Een prachtig staaltje van character development, en eveneens iets waar GoT S8 nog iets van kan leren...
(Side note: Ja, ik ben lichtelijk getraumatiseerd, net zoals de meesten onder ons.)
Er zitten, zoals gewoonlijk, een paar momenten in dit boek die ik niet zag aankomen, en verdomme, het is weer goed gevonden. Zeker een meerminreeks die de moeite waard is.
8,3/10
Gemiddelde rating voor de reeks: 8,15/10
'Go, Sera!' Becca shouted. 'Take back your throne!
Het niveau van het derde boek halen we hier, in dit laatste deel, niet meer, maar Boek 4 is nog steeds een ontzettend stevig verhaal en een lust voor het brein. Er zitten een paar momenten in waar je hart bijna stilstaat, of uit je lijf gerukt wordt, of een steen wordt. De gebeurtenissen volgen elkaar supersnel op en je verveelt je geen moment. Erg knap hoe alles opgelost wordt, zeker als je bedenkt dat er in één boek toch een paar verschillende verhaallijnen (van kleiner en groter belang) ontrafeld en afgerond moeten worden. Het achtste seizoen van Game of Thrones laat zien hoe het niet moet, Sea Spell laat zien hoe het wel moet.
De personages komen hier helemaal tot hun recht en ontplooien zich prachtig - álle personages, natuurlijk, maar met nadruk Sera, Neela, Astrid, Becca, Ava en Ling. Een prachtig staaltje van character development, en eveneens iets waar GoT S8 nog iets van kan leren...
(Side note: Ja, ik ben lichtelijk getraumatiseerd, net zoals de meesten onder ons.)
Er zitten, zoals gewoonlijk, een paar momenten in dit boek die ik niet zag aankomen, en verdomme, het is weer goed gevonden. Zeker een meerminreeks die de moeite waard is.
8,3/10
Gemiddelde rating voor de reeks: 8,15/10
March 30, 2017
„Сага за вода и огън” се сдобива със своята епична развръзка в „Морска магия”! Дженифър Донъли и Егмонт България определено няма да ви оставят да скучаете! Преди още да сте попитали – да, историята е цялостна и финалът някак си успява да е едновременно изненадващ, но и всичко, за което феновете на поредицата са могли да се надяват. И ще ви накара да погледнете на събитията от предните части от съвсем друг ъгъл! Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле":
https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...
https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...
July 8, 2016
this book was just too good. every chapter had me on edge. I had tears in my eyes alot of the time, I'm sad to see this story be over but glad it ended so well.
September 28, 2020
And the power of friendship saves the day! Huzzah! Anyways, incoming unpopular opinions, rambling and potential spoilers ahead.
When I first read Deep Blue, I was into it. When I read Rogue Wave, I was into it. Dark Tide was kind of boring at times, but still enjoyable. Sea Spell? Sea Spell was a whole lot of stupid. That's it. That's what it was. It made this entire series seem as if you took a running start to race your toboggan down a big hill only for you to crash head first into a tree, break your toboggan, have to go get stitches and have your parents ban you from ever tobogganing again.
Let's start with the characters. The whole stupid lot of them. There isn't a shred of intelligence in any of them. There used to be. Their dialogue was always written like they were a Saturday morning cartoon (special shout out to Yazeed saying he would be worried about his sister but he's tough and cool so he doesn't worry; reminder that this guy's like at least eighteen) but they used to make good decisions and didn't act like complete buffoons. That is no longer true in this book. Every single one of the main characters is incapable of making a smart decision and the only reason none of them are dead is because of plot armor. Hell, Sera, our beloved main character, stupidly sneaks off to meet Mahdi after receiving a conch from him with no more than a note of "I'm going to go meet a friend" to her other friends and army. This girl is in charge of thousands of people. She's the princess and is the leader of the resistance and is wanted dead by so many people. And, she just frolics off into the night straight into a trap because she thinks her pretty boy is possibly in trouble. And we're supposed to believe she's capable of leading an army and then a country? Nah. It isn't happening.
Sera isn't the only flaw because the book is full of bad characterization and development overall. There's literally moments where the book goes "here's a problem but so-and-so is good at the thing to solve the problem". I don't mean it has them demonstrating any skill. You're just told they're good at the thing. That's it. That's how most of their character traits are presented. They're just word vomited at you and you're supposed to take at face value that this character is smart or brave or whatever, without their actions proving it so. This lack of any good characterization makes a grand total of none of them likeable. Ava's probably the closest but she gets so little page time (as another series flaw is how disproportionate the time each girl has on page is) that it's difficult for you to really care.
The bad guys were just as bad. Sera's evil family members were probably the most interesting of the lot but they still fumble their way through their schemes. Lucia doesn't get her comeuppance at all but we do get a song at the end about how she's still out there, so I guess that's an opening for a sequel series where she seeks revenge. I don't know. Orfeo continues to be the least threatening all powerful mage I've ever had the shame to witness. He meets his end by falling for the dumbest and least convincing ruse to ever happen. Seriously. I laughed out loud over it because it might have been one of the worst, if not the worst, ways a major villain had died and not in narrative but for the reader to have to read and pretend it was satisfying in some way. It wasn't satisfying. Not. At. All.
Don't even ask about the deus ex machina way of dealing with the big evil monster. It could have been a great way to go if it was planned ahead but it was just thrown out there in the heat of the moment during the final battle and it worked out perfectly for them. Wham. Bam. Thank you, ma'am. That's how the evil was defeated - with as little fanfare as possible. The actual plot was the one thing that was really saving the series in this book for me and it all had to end on such a ho hum note like this. Not everything needs to end in fireworks and extravagance, but this was just so underwhelming. It was disappointing.
This book finally lets the girls spend some extended time together (or, most of them anyways as Astrid and Ava spend the entire book away from the others) so we finally get some justification for them screaming about their sisterhood constantly. It sadly gets bogged down with unfortunate romances. I'm kind of disappointed that Astrid and Desderio got no page time together as they were the only pairing with any chemistry. Mahdi continued to have the charisma of a toothpick, which leads to the question as to why multiple girls want him. His and Sera's relationship was something you're force fed. It doesn't feel natural or organic in any way.Should have just done everyone, including Sera, a favor and let him make his heroic sacrifice but nooo, we couldn't even have that much. Don't even get me started on the insta-love of Becca and Marco. It's as stupid now as it was when they were in love after Marco being in series for 4-6 pages.
Everything ends on a silly "where are they now?" chapter where we dedicate a paragraph to everyone's exploits after the big bad is defeated and the aforementioned epilogue where you know Lucia is still lurking out there somewhere, setting up a sequel for her revenge time.
Guys. I tried sooooo hard with this. I wanted it to turn out well so badly. I had liked the first two books and had hoped that the third was only a slight slump. But, it wasn't. It's unfortunate. I don't think I went from enjoying a series to wanting to fling it into the sun since I read Allegiant. This isn't as bad as Allegiant but it's pretty up there.
When I first read Deep Blue, I was into it. When I read Rogue Wave, I was into it. Dark Tide was kind of boring at times, but still enjoyable. Sea Spell? Sea Spell was a whole lot of stupid. That's it. That's what it was. It made this entire series seem as if you took a running start to race your toboggan down a big hill only for you to crash head first into a tree, break your toboggan, have to go get stitches and have your parents ban you from ever tobogganing again.
Let's start with the characters. The whole stupid lot of them. There isn't a shred of intelligence in any of them. There used to be. Their dialogue was always written like they were a Saturday morning cartoon (special shout out to Yazeed saying he would be worried about his sister but he's tough and cool so he doesn't worry; reminder that this guy's like at least eighteen) but they used to make good decisions and didn't act like complete buffoons. That is no longer true in this book. Every single one of the main characters is incapable of making a smart decision and the only reason none of them are dead is because of plot armor. Hell, Sera, our beloved main character, stupidly sneaks off to meet Mahdi after receiving a conch from him with no more than a note of "I'm going to go meet a friend" to her other friends and army. This girl is in charge of thousands of people. She's the princess and is the leader of the resistance and is wanted dead by so many people. And, she just frolics off into the night straight into a trap because she thinks her pretty boy is possibly in trouble. And we're supposed to believe she's capable of leading an army and then a country? Nah. It isn't happening.
Sera isn't the only flaw because the book is full of bad characterization and development overall. There's literally moments where the book goes "here's a problem but so-and-so is good at the thing to solve the problem". I don't mean it has them demonstrating any skill. You're just told they're good at the thing. That's it. That's how most of their character traits are presented. They're just word vomited at you and you're supposed to take at face value that this character is smart or brave or whatever, without their actions proving it so. This lack of any good characterization makes a grand total of none of them likeable. Ava's probably the closest but she gets so little page time (as another series flaw is how disproportionate the time each girl has on page is) that it's difficult for you to really care.
The bad guys were just as bad. Sera's evil family members were probably the most interesting of the lot but they still fumble their way through their schemes. Lucia doesn't get her comeuppance at all but we do get a song at the end about how she's still out there, so I guess that's an opening for a sequel series where she seeks revenge. I don't know. Orfeo continues to be the least threatening all powerful mage I've ever had the shame to witness. He meets his end by falling for the dumbest and least convincing ruse to ever happen. Seriously. I laughed out loud over it because it might have been one of the worst, if not the worst, ways a major villain had died and not in narrative but for the reader to have to read and pretend it was satisfying in some way. It wasn't satisfying. Not. At. All.
Don't even ask about the deus ex machina way of dealing with the big evil monster. It could have been a great way to go if it was planned ahead but it was just thrown out there in the heat of the moment during the final battle and it worked out perfectly for them. Wham. Bam. Thank you, ma'am. That's how the evil was defeated - with as little fanfare as possible. The actual plot was the one thing that was really saving the series in this book for me and it all had to end on such a ho hum note like this. Not everything needs to end in fireworks and extravagance, but this was just so underwhelming. It was disappointing.
This book finally lets the girls spend some extended time together (or, most of them anyways as Astrid and Ava spend the entire book away from the others) so we finally get some justification for them screaming about their sisterhood constantly. It sadly gets bogged down with unfortunate romances. I'm kind of disappointed that Astrid and Desderio got no page time together as they were the only pairing with any chemistry. Mahdi continued to have the charisma of a toothpick, which leads to the question as to why multiple girls want him. His and Sera's relationship was something you're force fed. It doesn't feel natural or organic in any way.
Everything ends on a silly "where are they now?" chapter where we dedicate a paragraph to everyone's exploits after the big bad is defeated and the aforementioned epilogue where you know Lucia is still lurking out there somewhere, setting up a sequel for her revenge time.
Guys. I tried sooooo hard with this. I wanted it to turn out well so badly. I had liked the first two books and had hoped that the third was only a slight slump. But, it wasn't. It's unfortunate. I don't think I went from enjoying a series to wanting to fling it into the sun since I read Allegiant. This isn't as bad as Allegiant but it's pretty up there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2020
Actual rating: 3.5/5
This was a well rounded and fun closure to the Waterfire Saga. I enjoyed seeing how the prophecy, battles, and over arching plot carried out.
I really appreciate that the author hasn't gone with the stereotype of having a female character "sleep with the enemy" so to speak as time and time again that trope just bothers me. It annoys me full stop, but at least it's slightly a different tactic and not near as bad a strategy as others have made it.
After what I presumed was to be the final battle, I realised I had forgotten about Astrid and Ava's quests and the bigger battle still to come. I got a bit worried because at this point there was only about 50 pages left and I couldn't see how it would all wrap up. And then those loose strands came together a little too conveniently.
Nevertheless, this was enjoyable and I'm glad I managed to wrap up this series after coming back to it this year, after a hiatus from these books! Most definitely a fun, action packed, adventure story about friendship, love and trying to conquer a great evil. One I will recommend, specially if you enjoy Percy Jackson kind of vibes.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
This was a well rounded and fun closure to the Waterfire Saga. I enjoyed seeing how the prophecy, battles, and over arching plot carried out.
I really appreciate that the author hasn't gone with the stereotype of having a female character "sleep with the enemy" so to speak as time and time again that trope just bothers me. It annoys me full stop, but at least it's slightly a different tactic and not near as bad a strategy as others have made it.
After what I presumed was to be the final battle, I realised I had forgotten about Astrid and Ava's quests and the bigger battle still to come. I got a bit worried because at this point there was only about 50 pages left and I couldn't see how it would all wrap up. And then those loose strands came together a little too conveniently.
Nevertheless, this was enjoyable and I'm glad I managed to wrap up this series after coming back to it this year, after a hiatus from these books! Most definitely a fun, action packed, adventure story about friendship, love and trying to conquer a great evil. One I will recommend, specially if you enjoy Percy Jackson kind of vibes.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
November 3, 2019
Very close to a four star rating (3,75?) so I rounded it up to four. I really liked how everything was tied together in the end here even though the final battle was kind of lame.
My main problem with this series was the friendship and love between our main six merls. I didn’t feel the love between them. At first they were strangers and suddenly they were bestfriends. So I had a hard time believing the fondness between them.
I still enjoyed this series very much! So I’m glad I read this.
My main problem with this series was the friendship and love between our main six merls. I didn’t feel the love between them. At first they were strangers and suddenly they were bestfriends. So I had a hard time believing the fondness between them.
I still enjoyed this series very much! So I’m glad I read this.
August 25, 2017
Actual rating 4.5 stars
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
Check out my series review here: https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/...
Critically
Plot – 4 out of 5 stars
After the slow third book, this one definitely picked up again. It’s action packed though not as entertaining as the glory that was the second book. There are quite a few slow sections and some more romance which is just not what I read these books for. It deals with deth, grief, friendship, family, hope and faith. Yet I felt like the ending was lackluster for such a fun series though the epilogue kind of made up for it.
Writing Style – 3 out of 5 stars
I’m running out of things to say about the writing style haha. It’s simple, full of tension and descriptive. It’s fast paced which makes reading go by really fast though the books are thick and with a lot of chapters. It’s imaginative though on the younger side of the YA genre. And there’s lots of POV’s that show you everything that is happening all the time.
Characters – 4 out of 5 stars
This book finally has the entire group of six mermaids together and it was really great to see their dynamic again.
Sera is in such a vulnerable place. She’s basically the leader of the fight which comes at a high price and a lot of pressure on her shoulders. She’s determined to get her kingdom back and while she’s brave and strong, she’s also weighed down a lot by everything going on around her. I’m glad she finally started to trust her partners in this book because she needed it.
Astrid is also one of the ones with the biggest character development. She deals with a lot alone, and she’s nervous and discouraged really easily. However, she manages to push past those tough feelings and is determined to save her world. She learns to take the encouragement from her friends and to trust them to keep her secrets and truths safe.
Honestly, this series has some amazing depictions not only of female friendships and the different kinds they can be but also of character development and how people and your experiences can change you for the better. I’m a fan.
Emotionally
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
Check out my series review here: https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/...
Critically
Plot – 4 out of 5 stars
After the slow third book, this one definitely picked up again. It’s action packed though not as entertaining as the glory that was the second book. There are quite a few slow sections and some more romance which is just not what I read these books for. It deals with deth, grief, friendship, family, hope and faith. Yet I felt like the ending was lackluster for such a fun series though the epilogue kind of made up for it.
Writing Style – 3 out of 5 stars
I’m running out of things to say about the writing style haha. It’s simple, full of tension and descriptive. It’s fast paced which makes reading go by really fast though the books are thick and with a lot of chapters. It’s imaginative though on the younger side of the YA genre. And there’s lots of POV’s that show you everything that is happening all the time.
Characters – 4 out of 5 stars
This book finally has the entire group of six mermaids together and it was really great to see their dynamic again.
Sera is in such a vulnerable place. She’s basically the leader of the fight which comes at a high price and a lot of pressure on her shoulders. She’s determined to get her kingdom back and while she’s brave and strong, she’s also weighed down a lot by everything going on around her. I’m glad she finally started to trust her partners in this book because she needed it.
Astrid is also one of the ones with the biggest character development. She deals with a lot alone, and she’s nervous and discouraged really easily. However, she manages to push past those tough feelings and is determined to save her world. She learns to take the encouragement from her friends and to trust them to keep her secrets and truths safe.
Honestly, this series has some amazing depictions not only of female friendships and the different kinds they can be but also of character development and how people and your experiences can change you for the better. I’m a fan.
Emotionally
May 8, 2018
Overall this series was okay and I'm not telling you it's bad, I'm just saying it won't stick with me forever.
December 1, 2023
ya know, I'm strangely kind of sad it's over. I didn't expect that. huh.
June 18, 2019
Finally finished this series!
July 14, 2023
2023 REREAD
interestingly this is actually my first time rereading this book. I never intended to reread the whole series but there is something so addictive about these books. To be sure, now I'm older I see the flaws in them all too well, but at the end of the day there is just something so heartwarming about them that I can't help but cling to my nostalgic love for this series. Ultimately, a story about the strength of female friendship can only be appreciated, and I really love this series for actually bringing me books that focus properly on mermaids (please publishing I'm begging for more). I would still absolutely recommend these to younger YA readers, they are just the best.
interestingly this is actually my first time rereading this book. I never intended to reread the whole series but there is something so addictive about these books. To be sure, now I'm older I see the flaws in them all too well, but at the end of the day there is just something so heartwarming about them that I can't help but cling to my nostalgic love for this series. Ultimately, a story about the strength of female friendship can only be appreciated, and I really love this series for actually bringing me books that focus properly on mermaids (please publishing I'm begging for more). I would still absolutely recommend these to younger YA readers, they are just the best.
July 10, 2016
The epilogue. Like, what????? Is there going to be another series??? I mean, they basically said that Lucia going to come back to get them and take over the world. So that pretty much tells us there's going to be more. Right? RIGHT??
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2016
Awesome possum
Lucia Volnero? Is there gon be more coming from Jennifer Donnelly?..
Lucia Volnero? Is there gon be more coming from Jennifer Donnelly?..
June 4, 2020
I kind of want a fifth book because of that ending?!
August 17, 2020
Wow! This stunning conclusion to this series wasn't a cliff-hanger! It ended so well that I had no regrets and I am reading my next book! The way that this book just tugged me along as if I was another character in the story was amazing. But let me say this book was pretty violent and had a lot of things that might put some people on edge. Does anyone have any other books/serieses like this? Please comment them! Thanks!
AGE RECOMMENDATION: 13 and up for violence.
LANGUAGE: 1 or 2 words at max. They have the word "Slit" which is their word they use constantly but I am not sure it is bad and i think that it wouldn't matter to anyone.
PARENT NOTE: People die in this book, get shot with arrows that put them into a coma. As well as a giant monster made of souls, bloodsongs, a giant spider that tries to eat Sera. As well as threats on a child if something is received. See Violence for more.
VIOLENCE: Yes. See "Parent note" and my main paragraph at the top as well as, people's fingers being cut off and/or broken, murder to get things as well as cages. Work camps that whip the people in them if they don't work. Venom that hurts two of the mermaids in different times. (One in this one indefinitely but one is possibly in the last book). There is more. Getting a coin out of Astrid's vocal cord causing her to cough up blood. Poison, and getting metal off someone's neck. Not all are necessarily "Violence" but making people aware is important.
CLEAN ROMANCE: Yes!
I have a clean romance group that could help you find anything romance! Please join! https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
AGE RECOMMENDATION: 13 and up for violence.
LANGUAGE: 1 or 2 words at max. They have the word "Slit" which is their word they use constantly but I am not sure it is bad and i think that it wouldn't matter to anyone.
PARENT NOTE: People die in this book, get shot with arrows that put them into a coma. As well as a giant monster made of souls, bloodsongs, a giant spider that tries to eat Sera. As well as threats on a child if something is received. See Violence for more.
VIOLENCE: Yes. See "Parent note" and my main paragraph at the top as well as, people's fingers being cut off and/or broken, murder to get things as well as cages. Work camps that whip the people in them if they don't work. Venom that hurts two of the mermaids in different times. (One in this one indefinitely but one is possibly in the last book). There is more. Getting a coin out of Astrid's vocal cord causing her to cough up blood. Poison, and getting metal off someone's neck. Not all are necessarily "Violence" but making people aware is important.
CLEAN ROMANCE: Yes!
I have a clean romance group that could help you find anything romance! Please join! https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
November 29, 2017
omg! It's over. It's really over. And I cared about absolutely none of it.
This book was a huge disappointment. It started off okay.. then got bad.. then really bad... and then I just gave up on this book because it was complete shit.
Sea Spell was quiet boring but honestly... not the most boring book in this entire series. It was terrible - like, completely one hundred percent terrible. I didn't care about anyone or their part in this super long and never ending boring book. I just wanted it to end. I kept hoping that it would just magically end half way through this book and just have pictures for the other half. It didn't happen at all. I was very disappointed.
Besides that, the characters were back to being annoying twatwaffles.
I pretty much hated everyone and everything they did. This book, and series, probably would have been a lot different if it wasn't about these characters or in this setting. Maybe.
The ending was meh. The middle was meh. The beginning I actually liked because it was about Ava. Overall, I didn't like this book one bit. I'm happy it's over. I'll never think about this book ever again. I will never ever EVER read this series again.
October 19, 2020
What an exhilarating conclusion to the Waterfire series. I was on the edge of my seat as I read about the Merls last attempt at saving their seas. There were times when I thought the ending was going to be sorrowful, but the author had me tricked!
I love how, above all else, this story is about friendship and strength. You can find strength in your relationships, but first you have to find it in yourself. This series taught that over and over again with each of the mermaids who were trying to find their way and their purpose. I also love how saving the oceans is paramount and I hope that more people read these books and realize that while they are fictional, the danger to our oceans is real.
Although I didn't like her much at first, I think Astrid became one of my favorites as she proved herself not only strong but loyal. I think that was one of the best moments in this book for me.
I recommend this series to anyone who loves mermaid lore, and anyone who loves a good YA Fantasy with strong friendship themes and strong female characters!
I love how, above all else, this story is about friendship and strength. You can find strength in your relationships, but first you have to find it in yourself. This series taught that over and over again with each of the mermaids who were trying to find their way and their purpose. I also love how saving the oceans is paramount and I hope that more people read these books and realize that while they are fictional, the danger to our oceans is real.
Although I didn't like her much at first, I think Astrid became one of my favorites as she proved herself not only strong but loyal. I think that was one of the best moments in this book for me.
I recommend this series to anyone who loves mermaid lore, and anyone who loves a good YA Fantasy with strong friendship themes and strong female characters!
June 11, 2023
Ava's development and page-time really got shafted in this whole series. Overall not a bad ending to the adventure. Wouldn't mind seeing more from the realm especially Ava's region and the mers that live near the mouth of the Mississippi.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2017
a great finale to this series :)
December 24, 2020
Oh my gosh that ending was amazing and beautiful. I wish there was more. I could spend my whole life in that world, it's so well written and described and full of life and friendship and love and family...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 488 reviews