Title: The Fate of the Muse (Marina’s Tales #3)
Author: Derrolyn Anderson
Format: Kindle
Earlier this year, I gushed about the first two books in the Marina’s Tales series by Derrolyn Anderson, and have been anxiously awaiting the third book in the series ever since. If you need to catch up, read my review for Between the Land and The Sea as well as my review and an interview with Derrolyn Anderson for The Moon and the Tide. I suggest reading the books in order, as you will miss a lot if you don’t. The first two books set up the entire mythology of the mermaids and the hybrids as well as introduce all the key players.
Fate of the Muse takes place shortly after the end of The Moon and the Tide, right around graduation time. Marina is still reeling from her abduction and daring escape in which another, less than savory hybrid was killed. She has an impending council meeting hanging over her head and knows that her fate is in the hand of the other hybrids. On the personal front, her boyfriend, Ethan, is working round the clock and hides the fact that he’s been talking to his ex-girlfriend. Don’t worry, there are no crazy love-triangles in any of Marina’s Tales so far. The relationship between Marina and Ethan is growing and changing though. Sometimes he seems a little too controlling for such a free spirit like Marina, but there is a scene towards the end of this book that makes me start liking him a lot more.
Marina is also learning more about her muse powers and the consequences they can have in the wrong hands. Although she managed to defeat one enemy at the end of The Moon and the Tide, the mastermind behind the plot to kidnap the mermaids is still out there, and still looking for a way to use Marina. So much for a quiet post-graduation summer of surfing and hanging out with Ethan!
As with the first two books, Derrolyn Anderson has once again created an amazing mind’s eye visual experience with descriptions so vivid, you can practically hear the ocean and feel the textures of the clothes she describes (one of the characters is a fashion designer). There are a lot of changes in Marina’s life, as her cousin moves on, her best friend moves up in the world of fashion, and her other best friend rises to fame as a singer. It almost feels like Marina is being left behind without a support system, and while this could be a bad thing (it’s hard to see main characters start to fade into the background), Anderson uses it as a way to strengthen Marina’s overall character. I can only imagine it’s going to keep getting better as we get closer to Marina’s deadline for deciding between the land and the sea.
Note- I received a free copy of this book from the author. My opinions are my own.
