Drowning Mermaids (Sacred Breath Series, Book 1) [Kindle Edition]

Nadia Scrieva (Author)

Book Description

The deadly northern seas are growing unsettled...

None know this better than Aazuria Vellamo, who must conceal her physical abnormalities in order to masquerade as a normal human being. She is the proud Princess of Adlivun, fleeing from the threat of war in her underwater kingdom to regroup with her sisters and bodyguards in Alaska. This refuge holds unexpected surprises, for she meets a somber gentleman in a dark corner who offers her assistance. 

Captain Trevain Murphy is a successful king crab fisherman who has spent his life building his empire above the sea, and knows nothing of the greater empire beneath the surface. When an elegant dancer captures his attention, he becomes fascinated with her old-fashioned speech and unique mannerisms. Learning that her father has recently died, he cannot resist extending kindness and offering to be her benefactor.

Neither the captain nor the princess can imagine that their lives will become forcibly entwined as a common enemy threatens both of their worlds...

Praise for Drowning Mermaids: 

"Scrieva's ability to infuse a slight sense of irony into even the most somber passage was a sheer joy to read. The occasional use of sarcasm at the expense of the characters made the reader feel party to a private joke, and created a comfortable intimacy. For this reason, more than any other, I'll be picking up the sequel Fathoms of Forgiveness (Sacred Breath, #2)." - Sadie Forsythe, Author of The Weeping Empress

"...A hot romance between two unlikely characters, a war raging unseen to human eyes, and the unexpected adventure of a man who thought the best part of his life was behind him, only to find out it has just begun...I don't know what I was more impressed with, the superb writing of the author, or her creative genius. Either way this novel gets my hearty recommendation for those who enjoy any type of fantasy." - J.T. Thomas, Goodreads reviewer

More reader comments: 

"I found this book to be engaging, intelligent and well crafted. The author Nadia Scrieva has a BA in Anthropology and English. It shows. Plot, pacing and editing are all well done. Interesting anthropological tidbits are sprinkled in." - Wren Doloro

"Ms. Scrieva uses a Darwinian approach to the lore that is refreshing and scientific... I'm not saying this will be the new Harry Potter, but only because it is not meant for children's eyes." - Thomas M. Bernal

Editorial Reviews

Review

Reviews from readers:

"I appreciated that the Captain was flawed and suffering, and not Mr. Stud muffin perfect. He felt real, as did everyone else which is pretty amazing considering the fantastical world in which they inhibit." ★★★★★

"I can't think of another book I've read recently that so totally consumed me from the first click of my Kindle to the last." ★★★★★  

"The author is HIGHLY creative and imaginative, and intelligently so. The mythos behind the mermaids was unique (at least to me) and perfectly described with an imaginative attention to detail that made me feel like I was really there." ★★★★★

"Being a huge fan of the TV Show "The Deadliest Catch" (about Alaskan Fisherman), but not one to normally read about a mermaid love story, I was somewhat unsure of what to expect with this novel. But the high-quality writing and gripping narrative enticed me to read along, and I was quickly swept up in a story that far exceeded all my (admittedly modest) expectations!" ★★★★

"Sure there is the fantasy setting about mermaids and undersea kingdoms and the war... but that was just the setting for a cleverly written, deeply emotional and complex tale that hits many layers with nuance and finesse." ★★★★★ 

About the Author

"Nadia Scrieva makes every word, every sentence, every paragraph count and pack an emotional punch." - Kaylee Stevens, Goodreads reviewer

The author was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, where she grew very strong from carrying heavy bags filled with books back and forth from the library. She attended the University of Toronto, graduating with a B.A. in English and Anthropology. She likes knives. Her writing always features powerful females and (mostly) honorable male characters.

"Ms. Scrieva is clearly a very talented writer with a natural gift for weaving beautiful, sometimes lyrical prose that kept me entranced for hours." - Stacy Decker, Goodreads Reviewer

Product Details

• File Size: 659 KB
• Print Length: 287 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1469932733
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006Y06G8A
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,231 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
  • #33 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Romance > Series
  • #86 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy > Fairy Tales

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars inspirational and Imaginative January 19, 2012

By Gary Anthony

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I was impressed with the beautiful fantasy world that the author created, but like an iceberg, there was much more to this book than just the enchanting surface. I found a message of strength in the way Trevain used his age and his limp as an excuse to limit himself, but after meeting Aazuria he discovers that he can do things that he never imagined, and that he was being really close-minded. Trevain goes from thinking that the better part of his life is over to believing that life has really just begun, and not just because he has found love, but because he has learned so much. He learns that he has made some pretty big mistakes and destroyed his mother's life, and he has trouble coping with this, but he is given a second chance to change everything.

There is a lot of humor in this book as well, and I often laughed out loud. I love the irony of Trevain constantly thinking he is too old to be with Aazuria because he is 50 and she looks like she is only 18, but then he learns that she is actually 603 years old and he has been the "infant" in the relationship all along. Visola is also a very funny character with her lust for violence.

I really like the way that the humor is mixed in with the drama... it keeps things light when so much is happening that is really heavy. The scene where Aazuria kneels before her dead father in the mausoleum is very moving, and the fight scenes are very exciting.

An excellent read!

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Different version of the mermaid paranormal June 5, 2012

By Marlene @ Reading Reality

Format:Kindle Edition

If you've ever watched The Deadliest Catch on the Discovery Channel, then you have an inkling of just how dangerous crab fishing in Alaska can be. The crab fishing season out of the small town of Soldotna is just part of the setting of Drowning Mermaids by Nadia Scrieva.

The dangers of the sea are more than the usual in this first book of Ms. Scrieva's new Sacred Breath series. Those dangers also include predatory and dangerous mer-people. In Ms. Scrieva's paranormal version of events, the Bermuda Triangle disappearance are merely collateral damage of some age-old clan warfare under the sea.

The first person to drown in Drowning Mermaids isn't a mermaid. The man was a crewmember on Captain Trevain Murphy's Fishin' Magician. But Leo was the first man that Trevain has lost in all his years as captain, and he doesn't understand what went wrong. There was no storm, and Leo was a greenhorn, but not that green. The boy wasn't drunk or over-tired. He just seems to have fallen overboard for no good reason.

The crew are drowning their sorrows, at the local strip joint when Trevain's world takes a turn from the morose into the fantastic. A dancer steps onto the rickety stage, not to do the usual bump-and-grind, but to perform 14 minutes of mind-altering, heart stopping ballet. She does still strip at the end. It's required. And she is unquestionably beautiful. And seems unbearably young to the fifty-plus Trevain. But her dancing is what speaks to his sorrow and confusion.

His brother, the ne'er-do-well Callder, notices that Trevain and the dancer, Aazuria, steal glances throughout the evening once her dance is over. He clumsily arranges for them to talk. Aazuria seems an old soul in a very young face. Trevain is the only person she wants to talk to.

Because Aazuria is not the girl she appears to be. Far from it. She is the Princess of Adlivun, one of the undersea kingdoms, and has lived most of her life in the waters under the Arctic. She is also over 600 years old. Trevain is the only person who talks to her as an intelligent person and not as just a beautiful body.

Not that he's not interested in that too, but he's gentleman enough to believe that since she can't possibly be interested in him, he doesn't want to look like an old fool chasing after a young girl. He's happy with the intelligent conversation.

Trevain is generous and kind to Aazuria, expecting nothing in return except friendship. He has no idea who she is, or what she is.

What he doesn't know is that her people are at war, and that she is on land for her safety. And that her war is about to crash into his coast, sweeping his life into the rocks. If he can manage to give up every single one of his preconceived notions about himself and the world, he can have his heart's desire.

Or he can be alone and bitter for the rest of his life.

Escape Rating C+: I'm a sucker for stories set in Alaska, after living there for three years. Some parts of the setting were familiar. The whole thing about people coming to Alaska for the very high wages, and then getting stuck because the prices are equally high, that rings so true. And the place gets in your blood. If you can make the adjustment to the dark in the winter.

About the story. On the one hand, I kept turning pages, because I really wanted to see how the author made it all work out. There are not a lot of mermaid paranormal romance stories in general, and usually they use the siren theme. This one didn't, and I was glad of that. It's always good to see someone take a different road. Or sea lane, in this case.

I liked that Trevain and Aazuria did a twist on the older woman/younger man theme, since they are but aren't. But they also unfortunately hit the insta-love, or at least the insta-connection thing a bit too hard. Trevain invites someone he sees as a girl working in a strip joint to move in with him, along with all her sisters, during their first meeting. Even in small-town Alaska, that's just not likely.

On that third invisible hand there's a family sub-plot involving Trevain's mother that is heart-breaking. And it's a twist you don't quite see coming.

Originally published at Reading Reality.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Promising beginning, quickly waterlogged April 16, 2012

By Kate

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I tried; I really did.

The author has some great skill and I wanted to keep reading because the book started off well. Humans in human situations were very well-drawn and the writing was solid.

But when the Mermaids come into the picture it's as though the author doesn't have the fluidity to characterise her fantasy characters with the same strengths as her human ones. The book goes from being compulsively readable and enjoyable to painful. It's as if you were watching an episode of The West Wing and then someone flipped the channel to one of those cruddy movies on SyFy.

I set the book aside three or four times, hoping that if I came back to it in a different mood I'd continue to enjoy the story. But it's been nearly two weeks now, and I've visited the story at least five times. Even when I'm heavily medicated it gets no better.

I'm sorry, but I just can't recommend this at all.

More About the Author

Nadia Scrieva lives in Toronto, Canada with no husband, no kids, and no pets. She does own a very attractive houseplant which she occasionally remembers to water between her all-consuming writing marathons.

www.NadiaScrieva.com
www.facebook.com/NadiaFans