Review: The Savage Blue

Book two of The Vicious Deep
By Zoraida Córdova
Available now from Sourcebooks Fire
Review copy
Read my review of THE VICIOUS DEEP

Last year was the year of the mermaid books, and THE VICIOUS DEEP was my favorite.  THE SAVAGE BLUE lives up to its predecessor and then some.  Tristan is one of several contestants for the throne of the Sea King.  He's in the lead, with one of three pieces of the trident, but that's far from enough to win the crown.

However, Tristan's fellow competitors aren't his main antagonists.  In fact, they tend to be pretty alright guys.  Tristan, by the end of THE SAVAGE BLUE, still strikes me as the best choice for king, but his opponents aren't mustache twirling villains.  Perhaps the worst thing Tristan faces are secrets.  The merfolk are excellent at keeping secrets and many of them are coming home to roost.  (Down to the fact that if Tristan had known he was half merman he might be better prepared for a deadly competition for the crown.)  Then there's Nieve, the leader of the merrows, who makes it clear she has designs for Tristan.  Deliciously creepy designs.

I love the relationships in THE SAVAGE BLUE.  Tristan's relationship with his parents is strained by his quest, but they're still present in his life.  He's growing ever closer with his entourage and Layla, his best-friend-almost-girlfriend.  The book could've used even more Layla, but maybe that's just me.  But as people grow together, they can also grow apart.  I am very curious as to how Zoraida Córdova will play everything out in the final novel, THE VAST AND BRUTAL SEA.  (I suspect one of those adjectives will disappear between now and publication in summer 2014.)

Honestly, THE SAVAGE BLUE combines so many things I love.  Quest narratives, politics, alluring villains, friends who become family, dragons . . . how could I not like this book?  Sourcebooks invited me to be a part of the blog tour, and I really regret that I was moving and couldn't take part.  Because I love this book and this series.

If you're skeptical about mermaid books, pick up THE VICIOUS DEEP and THE SAVAGE BLUE.  If you're already a fan, you should definitely be reading these.  They're dark and funny and romantic and just the absolute best.