Review: The Vast and Brutal Sea

Book three of The Vicious Deep
By Zoraida Córdova
Available now from Sourcebooks Fire
Review copy
Read my reviews of THE VICIOUS DEEP and of THE SAVAGE BLUE

Tristan Hart has been through a lot since he learned that he was a merman and a candidate for the throne.  But now his girlfriend Layla has been kidnapped and he's been betrayed by two of his closest allies.  Shortly after THE VAST AND BRUTAL SEA begins, things get even worse for Tristan and his companions.  But he's still determined to defeat his aunt Nieve, save the sea, and keep his promises.

I love this trilogy so very much.  I think it is the best of the many mermaid books and series that have come out in the last several years.  Much of that rests on Tristan's shoulders.  He's come a long way from the shallow teen boy he was before the series began.  He's humble, overmatched, and still determined to do his best by his people.

The diverse supporting cast (in nationality and sexuality) is terrific too, including the new additions to the cast.  I'm sorry that the ongoing war means some of them must die. The Vicious Deep series might have a male protagonist, but it has never shied away from including a variety of well-rounded female characters.  THE VAST AND BRUTAL SEA also fills out antagonist Nieve's painful past.  She needs to be defeated, but one can understand how she came to make her choices.

THE VAST AND BRUTAL SEA is a stunning conclusion to a series that ranges through the wild ocean, abandoned magic isles, and Coney Island.  It's also the story of choice for anyone who wants to see a melee involving vampires, giant turtles, merrows, and demigods.  It is a final battle to be remembered.  I am sad to part ways with these characters, but I look forward to whatever Zoraida Cordóva writes next.

Be sure to come back later today for a guest blog by Zoraida.