Review: Florence by Ciye Cho

Florence

By: Ciye Cho

Pub. Date: July 1, 2012

Publisher: Studio Amazepop

Pages: 203

Source: Author

Seventeen-year-old Florence Waverley is out of her depth. Literally. Kidnapped and taken below the waves to the mer world of Niemela, she is the ultimate gift for merman Prince Kiren: a human familiar tied to his side. But nothing is what it seems amid the beauty and danger of a dark ocean.

Every Niemelan has a role to play, from the mermaids who weave towers out of kelp to the warriors who fight sea monsters. But in trying to survive, Florence will end up in the middle of a war between the mer and the Darkness. A conflict that will push her between two brothers: Kiren, the charmer inexplicably drawn to both her and the monsters; and Rolan, the loner who has been pushing her away since the day they met. But in order to take a stand--and find out where she belongs--Florence will have to risk it all: her life, her heart... and her very soul.

I am a very big fan of mermaid stories, which is why I accepted this book for review. Florence had an intriguing synopsis and a beautiful cover. What I found within the pages of it was an original and captivating read!

Florence is a very sad character. She has no friends and she strives to be invisible. When on a field trip to a nearby island, Florence is kidnapped and brought to the bottom of the ocean to the mermaid world of Niemela. If that wasn't strange enough to her, she realizes that she can speak the language of the mer people. I thought the descriptions of Niemela were beautiful. Ciye Cho can really produce a beautiful and imaginative world through his writing!

I really liked the two princes, Kiren and Rolan. They each had different and descriptive personalities and I was able to relate to them. I even related to Florence, even though I never experienced the kind of life that she had.

I thought the ending was well done and I am interested to see where the story is going to go from here.

Overall, Florence is a nice, neat story that I would definitely recommend to fantasy and/or mermaid lovers.