Customer Reviews

Ascension (Water)

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Water: Ascension" is the first in a trilogy concerning sixteen-year old Nia, a mermyd of a prominent clan in the undersea realm of Atlantis. The City is ruled by squid-like Farworlders, and their Avatars - mermyds that undergo a special bonding ritual that allows them to communicate with the Farworlders and govern Atlantis wisely. To be an Avatar is the highest honour a mermyd can achieve, and it is Nia's dream. She believes she has a good chance at winning the position against other young candidates from other clans, but is devastated when her family instead chooses her cousin Garun instead of her.

The mystery deepens when Cephan, the young mermyd she likes, shows her a prisoner mermyd and a Farworlder that are kept as secret prisoners deep in the core of Atlantis. Nia is shocked at this, believing her city to be a purely benevolent citadel where things like dungeons and punishments are non-existent. The mystery deepens when Nia begins to suspect that her family is using magic to help Garun win the Seven Trials that each competitor must go through - and even her beloved grandfather Dyonis seems in on the conspiracy.

"Ascension" is followed by two more books; "Reunion" and "Transformation" and this is a beginning worthy enough to track them down, even though I am not a fan of authors/publishers that needlessly split their books into more than one volume. It will appeal most to readers between ten and twelve, as it is quite a slender book but there is quite a lot of exposition put in concerning how the bond between Avatar and Farworlders works, how the city runs and the layout of the Trials.

At times all of this is badly presented to the reader, often being too complicated or too contemporary (and with mentions of cloth existing underwater). For instance, there are references to "turtle-taxis" and "kelpaper journals," as well as words such as "biochemical" and "having a crush (on someone)". This would not be so bad if the time-period was assumed to be contemporary, but as it turns out in later books, it's actually set in medieval times.

But Atlantis itself is vividly portrayed, from its homes and markets, its meeting places and engineering mechanism and the "dry rooms" where air still exists to preserve documents. Kara Dalkey also has a gift with names, as all of the mermyds have appropriately aquatic, and somewhat Grecian names: Thalassa, Pelagia, Maru, Pontus and Callimar are just a few examples.

Nia herself is a great heroine: smart, athletic, spunky, but not too good to be true - her faults make her a well-rounded person, err, mermyd. She's very easy to relate to, and her motivations are clear and understood. By the end of this particular phase in her life, most will be reaching for the next book. Also, in a completely unrelated statement, I think the cover art on this book (and the next two) are just beautiful. I know it's wrong to judge a book by its cover, but if you did, this one would be the winner.

The legend of Atlantis comes alive in the 3 part Water Trilogy. We again can read about the exotic, beautiful, and peaceful undersea world. 16 year-old Nia has dreamed of nothing more that to become an Avatar in her home, the city of Atlantis. Avanters and the ancestor alien race called the Farworlders rule alongside one another in the undersea world. Nia, a mermyd of the aristocratic Bluefin clan, finally has her chance when a member of the Council steps down. Nia feels that she would definitely be chosen to represent her clan in the trials. body. Nia's dream is shattered however when her grandfather passes over her and chooses a cousin, Garun, to represent their clan in the trials. Her world further falls apart when the object of her affection, Cephan, is picked to represent his clan in the trials. However Nia learns that Atlantis has dark secrets too when Cephan shows her a person who should not exist at all and Nia finally begins to piece together things about herself. . . Can she find out all of the truth in time to save her beloved Atlantis? Nia's struggle with feelings of betrayal, disappointment, and budding romance are realistically depicted. I can't wait to read the next book in this Trilogy.

If you like books about Atlantis and underwater creautres this is for you. Sixteen-year-old Nia is a mermyd of the bluefin clan who dreams of becoming and Avatar like her grandfather. She knows that even despite human-like features she is strong enough, fast enough, smart enough, and has enough magical ability to enter the trials, the Olympic games that will decide who will become the next Avatar. But when her cousin Garun who seems to be more boring and ordinary wins the place over her, Nia is crushed, and confused. After doing a bit of detective work she discovers that there's a force working behind Garun, a force that is going to make sure that he will win, not if Nia has anything to say about it. I really enjoyed this book. Nia is a likeable charecter who almost seems like a real person at time (outside of the fact that she's a mermyd). Like all 16 year old girls she has a crush (Cephan) and doesn't get along with her parents, but unlike most 16 year olds she's brave and willing to do what's right.

If you like supernatural series with a pinch of sci fi I reccomend this strongly.

Nia is a sixteen-year-old living in Atlantis. She loves her home and dreams of becoming one of the Avatars who help rule the city, alongside the Farworlders, an alien race. She also loves, although secretly, Cephan, who belongs to a lower clan. When Cephan shows Nia a shocking secret about Atlantis, it changes her world forever. This is a great book for preteens and teens who enjoy fantasy novels. I can't wait for the next two books in the trilogy.

It was a very good book with a very suprizing twist at the end. I was so hooked i read it in 3 days.

Althought this book was a little boring and the plot somewhat predictible, it was a good book and I liked it. It has wonderful descriptions of characters and the city of Atlantis. Anyone who likes mermaids would like this.

This is the first in a trilogy called 'Water' set in a underwater Atlantis. The main character, Nia, is a member of the Bluefin clan. All her life she has dreamed of becoming an Avatar, ten of which make up the ruling body of Atlantis. When one of the Avatars retires, Nia feels that her dream will soon come true. She knows that she has all the requirements, physical health, magical ability, thinking skills, and a desirer to serve Atlantis. So when her clan choses her cousin Garun to compete, instead her, she feels that something is vary wrong. This feeling is heightened when she finds out that the council is helping Garun to cheat in the tests. Can Nia solve this mystery and save Atlantis?

Nia the mermyd is a young girl in the underwater world of Atlantis. She is one of many young mermyds wanting to become her family's choice to try out for Avatar, one of the ruling members of Atlantis society. But when she is not chosen and strange things begin to happen all around her, she knows something is not right in her world and decides to do something about it. She is a good role model for young teens as she has a strong personality and a desire to do what is right for herself and the world of Atlantis.
My 13 yr old daughter really enjoyed this book and so I decided to read it also. I enjoyed it just as much and we are both moving on to books 2 and 3 in this series.

In the first of the Water Trilogy we are taken into the underwater world of Atlantis like never before. Visit a world full of otherworldly kings, the mermyd Avatars that speak for them, rival clans, competitive Trials, and secrets that no one was ever meant to find. But when the young mermyd, Nia, is jerked from the safe and perfect world she knew as a child and forced to see a world full of secrets and half-truths, she never could have imagined the chaos and danger that is brought to her family, her friends and her people. A chaos that she must stop at all costs.
If you love mermaid (or myd!) books or even just fantasy this is a must read! The Water Trilogy is amazing story with enough twists, turns and suspense to keep your head spinning all the way through.
I must admit I was a bit skeptical in the beginning and was slow to even take up this trilogy, but the minute I started the first chapter I was done the first book before the end of the day! You really can't put it down because every chapter is a cliffhanger! It really is a wonderful story and is one of the most well plotted Atlantis stories I've ever come across.

...It was such a good book I went from cover to cover in one day. It was wonderful. It kept my eyes glued. I've never read anything so wonderfully written about Atlantis. This book is about a girl, Nia, who lives in Atlantis and wishes to become an Avatar, the trusted mirmyds that protect Atlantis. When not she but her cousins gets the chance to become one she has to find out why. Go along with Nia and find out what's going on in Atlantis that's making everyone act so strange. Read about her as she tried to save Atlantis. This is a great book and I reccomend it to any fantasy lover!