The mermaid's madness
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Average rating3.7
"There is an old story--you might have heard it--about a young mermaid, the daughter of a king, who saved the life of a human prince and fell in love. So innocent was her love, so pure her devotion, that she would pay any price for the chance to be with her prince. She gave up her voice, her family, and the sea, and became human. But the prince fell in love with another woman. The tales say the little mermaid sacrificed her own life so that her beloved prince could find happiness with his bride. The tales lie. If you want to know the real story, a tale not of unrequited love and noble sacrifice but one of madness, murder, and magic gone awry, Daniella, Talia, and Snow--a.k.a. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White--are the three princesses who can tell you what really happened. They were there when everything fell apart, and unthinkable tragedy struck the kingdom of Lorindar. And they were the only ones who stood a chance of setting things right, not only for Queen Bea and Lorindar, but for the merfolk as well...."--p. [4] of cover.
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Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid is a horribly depressing story. Jim Hines takes that story and makes it even more horrifying. So yet another princess missed out on her ‘happily ever after'. Only this time the princess strikes back. Against those who hurt her and those who want to help her.
The Mermaid's Madness begins with the Lorindar nobles welcoming the return of the undine (merfolk) from their annual hybernation. Only this time the undine aren't happy to see the humans. The subsequent attack lands one noble greviously wounded and embroils Danielle, Talia and Snow in an adventure with consequences none of them are ready for.
The novel is fast paced, with well defined characters. Readers who haven't read The Stepsister Scheme will be confused by one or two points left unexplained from the first book, but won't otherwise have any trouble reading this book on its own. The true joy of this series is figuring out how Mr. Hines has twisted otherwise familiar (or not, depending on the version you read as a child) fairy tales. And this one is twisted indeed.
