The Vast and Brutal Sea by Zoraida Córdova (The Vicious Deep #3)

Genres: Young Adult, Adventure, Fantasy/Mythology
Publication Date: July 1st 2014
POV: Male - First-person, Present tense
My Rating: 2 out of 5

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This epic clash of sand and sea will pit brother against brother-and there can only be one winner

In two days, the race for the Sea Court throne will be over-but all the rules have changed. The sea witch, Nieve, has kidnapped Layla and is raising an army of mutant sea creatures to overthrow the crown. Kurt, the one person Tristan could depend on in the battle for the Sea King's throne, has betrayed him. Now Kurt wants the throne for himself. Tristan has the Scepter of the Earth, but it's not enough. He'll have to travel to the mysterious, lost Isle of Tears and unleash the magic that first created the king's powerful scepter. It's a brutal race to the finish, and there can only be one winner.

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I found this series over all rather tedious. It was ok for the most part, but not good enough to keep bringing me back. I got really impatient with it most of the time. I just wanted to find out how it would end and didnt really want to do all the work to get there.

I read two other books on the side during the time it took me to read this one. And I fell asleep on this book on numerous occasions. As I have said in my reviews for both The Vicious Deep and The Savage Blue, I liked Tristan but I never really swoon over guys when the book is from their POV. I have to see them from the POV of a woman, to see them as the woman sees them and loves them, then I start to pick up those feelings myself.

I enjoyed most of the supporting characters, but I don't know if there were too many, or if I just didn't care about them enough, but I could never remember who was who. Who the hell is Kai? She was with Tristan for most of this book, but I have no idea who she is or when he met her. I just cannot remember.

I am glad with how things turned out for everyone. I don't know why, but for some reason I suspected the ending would go down something like it did. No tragic fates are hanging over anyone's heads. And I am glad that this series is over and I can move on.

The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Córdova (The Vicious Deep #1)

Genres: Young Adult, Adventure, Fantasy/Mythology
Publication Date: May 1st 2012
POV: Male - First-person, Present tense
My Rating: 3 out of 5

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For Tristan Hart, everything changes with one crashing wave.

He was gone for three days. Sucked out to sea in a tidal wave and spit back ashore at Coney Island with no memory of what happened. Now his dreams are haunted by a terrifying silver mermaid with razor-sharp teeth.

His best friend Layla is convinced something is wrong. But how can he explain he can sense emotion like never before? How can he explain he's heir to a kingdom he never knew existed? That he's suddenly a pawn in a battle as ancient as the gods.

Something happened to him in those three days. He was claimed by the sea...and now it wants him back.

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This was a bit disappointing. It was from a male POV. Tristan was interesting and I mostly liked him. He was a bit of a whore, but he was funny. The story was interesting but not amazing. They spent too much time on land for my liking. And he spend too much time just at school and hanging around with friends when he should have been completing his quest. I would have preferred to be more immersed in the mer world.

But I like Tristan, mostly because he amuses me. Because I am laughing at him, not with him. He is supposed to be so cool and popular and girls are throwing themselves at him, but I find him to be a tad silly and awkward. I guess that's because he's 16 and I'm not. I also really like Layla, Thalia, and Kurt. A great cast of characters. Tristan was pining after Layla for the whole book, but he was so passive about it, it was kinda sad. He thinks he loves her, and he says he always sees her face when he is in trouble, but he doesn't do anything about it. It was a very uneventful romance. All thought, no action. 

And then they introduced the Gwen character to complicate things. Maybe in The Savage Blue Layla will decide she likes Tristan and a love-triangle will be introduced with Gwen. As long as something happens I wont complain. Gwen was interesting but there is no comparing to the bond Tristan and Layla have. I am so Team Layla. I've never had to team with a girl before. Unless I take Kurt into consideration. I am not sure if maybe Kurt likes Layla, or maybe Layla likes Kurt. It's unclear, but if there is something going on there, I am Team Tristan.

Anyway, this was decently entertaining but I am not super excited for more, but I will still read The Savage Blue.

“Our kind, we don't leave many traces behind in this world.”