Submerge (Mer Chroncles #2) by Tobie Easton
Summary: Now that Lia and Clay’s love has broken the Little Mermaid’s curse, everything has changed. Will Lia’s family remain on land, leading the only life she and her sisters have ever known, or will they move below the waves, to the sparkling new capital city? Lia is adamant about staying on land with Clay for her senior year. But at Melusine and her father’s trial, new revelations threaten what Lia holds most dear. The verdict will shake Lia’s whole world, calling into question her future with Clay, her feelings for Caspian, and the fate of all Merkind. As she wonders who to trust, Lia sets out on a treacherous path that will lead her away from her sheltered Malibu home to a remote and mysterious school for Mermaids—Mermaids who may hold the secret to ancient magic Lia can use to either get back all she’s lost or to embark on a dangerous journey.
EMERGE was a thrilling start to Lia’s story, and SUBMERGE manages to completely sidestep the dangers of second-book slump and offer a story with higher stakes, more danger, and deeper relationships while remaining grounded in the characters and the world of the Mer. One of the things that made EMERGE such a delight was the layers of worldbuilding underpinning the story; here we get to delve deeper into Mer culture and language, from a courtroom trial to visiting a school below the waves. All of it is a natural part of Lia’s story as she explores what it means to be suddenly immortal and reconnect with the Mer side of her heritage. Everything follows naturally from the relationships and events of the first book; indeed, one of the things I love best about Easton’s writing is that, at the scene level and at the plot level, the story moves along inexorably and inevitably, like the tides. At the center of it all is Lia, proud and impulsive and warm and flawed – a character I would follow anywhere. (And don’t get me started on Caspian. Caspian, stop breaking my heart!) It’s a heck of a ride, and I feel like reading Easton’s work actually makes me a better writer.
SUBMERGE is out now.
Kathy MacMillan 