Yes, I’m a bit late reviewing this book, but I’m trying to get caught up!
Mary Mecham wrote an interesting gender-swapped retelling! Although it is the second book in the Legends of Neverland series, it is the first book in the series I have read, and I really enjoyed it!!!
Book Blurb
She was destined to hunt sirens to extinction… but can she complete her mission before one of them captures her heart?
Trapped on an island nation and surrounded by bloodthirsty sirens, the starving people of Haven Harbor are losing hope. Treva, a Deaf blacksmith immune to the tempting call of the sirens lurking in the deep, steps into the perilous role of Siren Hunter. If she can rid the waters of enough sirens, her people could be free at last.
Unbeknownst to her, another creature dwells in the sea, even more ferocious than the dreaded sirens. When Treva faces the monster and loses, her life is saved by a handsome siren who has no voice. Can mortal enemies set their differences aside long enough to unite their nations? Or will Treva ignore her growing feelings and finish what she started?
Treva is certain of one thing—that the famed Siren Hunter of Haven Harbor would never fall for one of her prey.
Characters
I enjoyed how Treva was determined to find a solution to the problems facing her community. She didn’t let her supposed limitations get in the way of her reaching her goals or doing what she thought was best to help those around her. Treva is definitely reminiscent of the strong female character trope, which is not my favorite.
I LOVED Bayne!!! He was so sweet! I loved seeing how he dealt with his complex internal conflict. It was interesting watching him decide what in his life was most important to him as he got to know Treva.
What I enjoyed
This was one of the most interesting and original retellings of the Little Mermaid that I’ve ever read! The premise was intriguing; I loved how the book starts out with Treva trying to kill Bayne and the other sirens! It made the plot especially engaging.
I loved seeing Treva’s interactions with her family. Her siblings seemed to support each other so well. I especially enjoyed the scene were Treva’s family met Bayne! It was such a fun scene.
Dislikes
Story time! This will probably be long and rambling, so feel free to skip this section.
As someone who has learned a second language, I didn’t love Treva’s attitude toward people attempting to learn sign language.
It felt like Treva’s expectations for people learning sign language were a bit contradictory. On the one hand, she seemed to think if someone didn’t want to learn sign language, they didn’t really care about her (probably a valid argument), but she seemed a bit too critical of anyone trying to learn sign language.
While I don’t know sign language, I have spent thirteen years of my life studying Spanish. I began learning Spanish in kindergarten, through my elementary school’s bilingual program, and continued with it through my senior year of high school.
Learning Spanish was not the most fun experience of my life. While many people were supportive of my efforts to learn a new language, a lot of native Spanish speakers were downright cruel to me. They would mock my inability to remember the various conjugation rules and my slower speech cadence.
Treva’s opinion toward people attempting to learn sign language seemed very familiar; it felt like the opinion of those native speakers who never thought my attempts to learn Spanish were good enough.
Overall
While I found Treva a bit haughty, I did really enjoy this book! The premise was captivating, and I enjoyed getting to enter this world and meet some more of Mary Mecham’s amazing characters! If you enjoy fairy tale retellings with strong-willed protagonists and complicated character dynamics, I would definitely recommend giving this book a try!
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book. My opinions are my own. A positive review was not required.
Pens Pages & Pulses 