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    The Mermaid's Madness
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    The Mermaid's Madness
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    The Mermaid's Madness
    Ebook405 pages3 hours

    The Mermaid's Madness

    By Jim C. Hines

    4/5

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    Unavailable in your country

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    About this ebook

    Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White face a deadly threat from under the sea.

    The first meeting between Princess Danielle Whiteshore, better known as Cinderella, and the merfolk who inhabit the seas of Lorindar, should have been a diplomatic formality. Instead, a deranged mermaid named Lirea launches a sudden and brutal attack that leaves Queen Beatrice on the edge of death.

    To stop Lirea and save the queen, Danielle, Talia (Sleeping Beauty), and Snow (White) must ally with a mysterious witch from the sea. Only together can they hope to stop the war Lirea has set in motion.

    But every secret they uncover leads deeper into danger. Lirea’s wrath is tangled in older, more sinister plans that could change the fates of humans and merfolk both, plans that will test the strength of Danielle’s team to the breaking point and beyond.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJabberwocky Literary Agency, Inc.
    Release dateJun 20, 2016
    ISBN9781625671745
    Unavailable
    The Mermaid's Madness
    Author

    Jim C. Hines

    Jim C. Hines won a Hugo award for posing half-naked on the internet. (Okay, there was a little more to it, but how often do you get to write something like that?) He's the author of more than fifty published short stories, as well as nine other fantasy novels, including Libriomancer and Codex Born (the first two books in the Magic ex Libris series), the humorous Goblin Quest trilogy, and a series of fairy-tale retellings which reimagine traditional princesses as butt-kicking action heroines. Jim lives in Michigan with his wife, two children, and an unstable number of pets, and wants to be a libriomancer when he grows up. Or a jedi. He can be found online at www.jimchines.com.

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    Reviews for The Mermaid's Madness

    4/5

    158 ratings16 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I always enjoy this author and this series is an interesting one. The mermaids and their culture a nice addition to the world building but could have used a better flow to the rather quick ending and a lot more of my favorite characters. Missing Jig I guess!
    • 3/5
      I was really looking forward to this one, and not just because it dovetails with my own mermaid story. The mermaid fiction that isn't a rehash of "The Little Mermaid" is few and far between, unless ups the mush or turns mermaids into monsters. Before I start let me just say I love me some Jim C. Hines. He's a cool guy and the writer I can most relate to in this world. I like his work.But the story left me dissatisfied, maybe because my hopes were too high. It's an action-oriented plot, meaning characterization and plot get pushed to the background. There's lots of pirate ship fights, tense trespassings into enemy territory, and hand-to-hand/magic-to-magic combat. That means there's no neat revelations or "oh crap" moments that provoke an emotional reaction and make the plot page-turning like "The Hunger Games" did. It's a straight shot through -- no literary techniques like chekhov's guns or red herrings or allegories.The characters are great, but I wished they had been explored more. And I felt he was padding near the end (maybe because I know he was padding near the end because he wrote it on his blog). Maybe it's just me, but I wanted to see more of the mermaid world. He had a great antagonist--Ariel made into a serial killer--and it looked like he was going to do a good job with her, but then she was reduced to a mewling, muttering straitjacket-wearer huddled up in a tower. Her potential as an enemy ended up largely ignored, and heroes are only as good as their enemies. 3.5 stars.
    • 4/5
      Cinderella (aka Danielle), Sleeping Beauty (aka Talia), and Snow White again find themselves in dire circumstances. During an annual ceremony to greet the undine (merefolk), one of the mermaid's attacks in a fit of madness brought on after the human she loved abandoned her. The queen is left injured and it's up to the trio to find a way to save her. One of the things I love about this series is the subtle complexity to each of the characters. To try to describe the characters -- Talia is kick ass and sports a perpetual sour demeanor, but she's a softy for the people who get close to her; Snow is constantly cheery and promiscuous, hiding a deeper sorrow; Danielle is naive, but emotionally strong -- is to make it come out blunt and glaring, but the emotional truth of each character is brought to the surface subtly as the main action of the story progresses. It's a mystery wrapped up in a great big, fat, fun adventure. I'm definitely dying to read more. I love these chicks.
    • 4/5
      This was just as good if not better then the previous Princess book. This book is even darker and delves more deeply into the feelings and pasts of each of the princesses. The Mermaid's story is made darker as well with evil witch being her grandmother who is pursuing a very different agenda reminiscent of a mad scientists experiments.
    • 3/5
      I'm always surprised when reading a book by this author. I go in expecting a quick light read, but he does unexpected things with the story or the plot, making the reading experience much richer. This is the Little Mermaid myth like you've never seen it before!
    • 3/5
      Cracking good fun, lady heroes. I don't regret that I stopped reading SF/F in the late Nineties, but I wouldn't have stopped if there had been a lot more like this.
    • 5/5
      Wow, so, the second book is better than the first. Not that I disliked the first at all, but it really was an introduction compared to this one.

      First off: I GOT IN EVERYONE'S HEADS. It was fun! I liked that. Not that Danielle was a bad POV in the first one, it's just I was intensely curious about the other princesses's thought processes.

      Second off: I am so happy with the gay in this book. Like, normally I have to wade through pages and pages of ilk about how some female protagonist lurves some guy and angst, but in this book? It's some lady love, albeit currently unrequited. And it's kind of sad how little of that I get outside of porny vampire books. Kind of hit me in the gut and reminded me of my confusing teen years. I especially love the contrast between the human angst and the more freeform magic folk

      Third off: Wow, it's really obvious that the author has some experience with therapy and people that have been through trauma. And it's nice to see some characters that have gone through trauma and survived juxtaposed with one that didn't--the latter being all too common. If there were ever a fairytale to use for these kinds of things, The Little Mermaid would be it.

      These books so far are just hitting all the things I really REALLY wished I had growing up. Seriously. The author's daughter is so lucky!
    • 4/5
      Unfortunately, Jim Hines is like Holly Lisle - he writes very well, and beautifully evokes some very unpleasant and ambiguously motivated characters. Is Danielle the _only_ princess that doesn't have a rape-and-revenge story? Obvious villains aren't, obvious allies aren't (or are only as long as it suits their plans), emotional manipulation all over the place (the mermaids in various directions, Talia of Snow, Danielle of Talia and Snow, Danielle of her husband...sheesh). It's a well-written story, with vivid characters, an interesting setting and a complex plot - and as of right now I'm utterly uninterested in reading it again. I'll try Red Hood's Revenge and see if things improve, but I'm afraid Jim Hines may not be for me (I've stumbled similarly trying to read his goblin series).
    • 5/5
      Jim Hines is one of my favorite authors--he has been since I picked up his Goblin Quest book a year ago. His style of writing is reminescent to me of the likes of Robert Asprin or Tom Holt, telling a good story while still maintaining a sense of humor.Whereas Mr. Hines Jig Trilogy felt like a Dungeons & Dragons sort of feel, his new series, of which The Mermaid's Madness is the second book, he takes on a Charlie's Angel's feel. His slant, though, is what if the fairy tales got it wrong? Remember Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty? Those are his three main characters, and they go on quests, working with Queen Beatrice who is starring in the role of Charlie. Book one saw the trio rescue Cinderella's Prince Armand from Fairytown, and The Mermaid's Madness continues about a year after they came back from that adventure. While comedic writing can still be found in The Mermaid's Madness, and parts of it made me laugh out loud, he has moved into a slightly more mature and darker theme than his Goblin series.Enter into the mix a couple of more characters--Lannadae, a mermaid who has had to go into hiding from her sister Linea (remember the story of the Little Mermaid?) who has gone mad, and a tree dryad who happens to be the captain of Queen Beatrice's ship.So, in a group of four women characters, you add three more women characters. The men in the story--the king, Prince Armand, and various assorted sailors, are delegated to supporting roles and barely present. That alone makes the Princess series seem much like an adolescent's fantasy, though the same could be said of Charlie's Angels. But The Mermaid's Madness seems to take that one step further, as Mr. Hines doesn't waste any opportunities to mention the fact that the mermaids are less than fully clothed, and dryads are a sensual, sexual character as well. It's obvious who Mr. Hines targetted audience is--teenaged boys--however, as with any of his books, you may enjoy his version of these fairy tale characters even if you don't fit into his targetted audience. I know I do. Overall, while maintaining a somewhat darker tone than other books by Hines, the story is still a fun retelling of the Little Mermaid lore, making you want to keep turning the pages to see what little twist will be coming next, as well as to continue to see how the story and the characters continue to unfold. There are some unexpected twists and turns along the way that I must admit I did not see coming, despite being aware of Mr. Hines' other stories. The characters are great--though his little princess universe is vastly changed at the end of the book from what it was at the beginning, and it will be interesting to see what direction his universe and our three princesses as well as Queen Bea take in the next book, which is due out later this year. Not quite a perfect 5/5 story, but pretty close.
    • 3/5
      Book two of the adventures of Cinderella. I felt this story was tighter than the previous one. Essentially, it is the real story of "The Little Mermaid." Plunged to despair after slaying her beloved human after he rejects her, this is a story of madness and betrayal, but creatures who live for centuries can easily weave a conspiracy that boggles human comprehension.
    • 5/5
      Wow. So "totally awesome" and "best Valentine's Day present" only begin to describe the love I have for this book. Although I could have easily and gladly spent my weekend tearing through it, I painfully made this book last from Valentine's Day until the night of the 19th. This book had everything I could ask for. Magic. Princesses. Danger. Mermaids. Swords. It was just...fantastic. I was scared it was going to be cheesy or stupid but it was quite the opposite. The fact that I have been reading all these fairy-taleish books and one I've never heard of gets plopped into my lap and blows my world amazes me. My boyfriend finds it by accident and gives it to me :] It is actually the second in a series, but it reads like an original book. I love Snow, Talia, Danielle, everyone! I love that these princesses are badass, kicking ass and taking names instead of sitting around primly drinking tea...and yet it works! The mermaid lore and anatomy is fascinating. All in all, if someone set out to write a book I would love, this is it ♥
    • 4/5
      When an annual mermaid celebration turns nasty and Queen Beatrice is stabbed, Danielle, Talia and Snow race to find a way to save her. It's simple, really - all they have to do is keep themselves and a young mermaid princess alive and the kingdom of Lornidar out of a war. Will it be too much for the three resourceful beauties?Well and tightly written, but I keep hoping for something a bit less grim with this series....
    • 4/5
      Yet another story of strong princess heroines from Jim Hines. I was surprised to find this story darker than the first: betrayal and madness is a step beyond the suicide by sea-foam of the original story. It's a very satisfying story though, perhaps in part because the wronged mermaid does a lot more than pine away. Looking forwards to the next book in the series!
    • 4/5
      The premise: ganked from BN.com: What would happen if a star writer went back to the darker themes of the original fairy tales for plots, and then crossed the Disney princesses with Charlie's Angels? What he'd end up with is The Mermaid's Madness -- a whole new take on The Little Mermaid. And with Jim C. Hines, of Jig the Goblin fame, penning the tale, you can bet it won't be "They lived happily ever after."My Rating: 6 - Worth Reading, with ReservationsI may have been reading with slightly higher expectations than is really fair. After all, I had a lot of fun with The Stepsister Scheme, and The Little Mermaid is one of my favoritest princess stories ever. So maybe that heightened expectation was too much for my read of this book, which left me feeling a little meh and ambivalent. I wanted to really be immersed in undine culture, and the book never let me do that, even in sections where it should have. Still, personal stories do escalate for each of the three main characters, so it'll be interesting to see how it all plays out. I've already got Red Hood's Revenge thanks to the closeout sale at Borders, so I'll be giving that a shot, but I'm still a little disappointed with this installment. Let's chalk it up to unfairly high expectations and leave it at that.Spoilers, yay or nay?: Few. I've got mixed feelings on this book, and I think I can talk about why without getting into TOO many spoilers. I won't tell you how it ends, or anything. That said, if you're more of the paranoid sort, do not click the link below, which leads to the full review at my blog. Everyone else, onward! Comments and discussion are most welcome! :)REVIEW: Jim C. Hines' THE MERMAID'S MADNESSHappy Reading!
    • 5/5
      I have been a Jim C. Hines fan for a couple of years now. I generally like to support local authors, but Hines makes it easy because his books are so entertaining and offer great twists on standard fantasy tropes. I am steadily working through his goblin trilogy (I only have Goblin War left to go) and have more or less been keeping up with his newer princess series as the books are published. The Mermaid's Madness is the second book in what is currently planned to be a four volume cycle. Despite my avid love for water, I never developed a particular interest in mermaids. But, I did thoroughly enjoy the previous book in the series, The Stepsister Scheme. And as I already mentioned, I knew I enjoyed Hines' work. I also loved the characters and looked forward to spending more time with them. As an added bonus, Scott Fischer has once again provided wonderful cover art. And then the novel made the longlist for the British Fantasy Award. Really, there was no question that I was going to pick up The Mermaid's Madness.After rescuing her prince and foiling the plots of her stepsisters, Danielle Whiteshore (aka Cinderella) was looking forward to settling into a peaceful life and raising her son. But when the annual ceremony celebrating the undine's return from warmer waters goes horribly wrong she finds herself in a race against time to save the life of the Queen of Lorindar and prevent a war. Along with Talia and Snow (aka Sleeping Beauty and Snow White), she must face the mermaid queen Lirea (aka The Little Mermaid). Lirea's descent into madness threatens human and undine lives alike. Broken and betrayed, she trusts no ones; only Lirea knows the full truth of her own story.I'll get this out of the way now: I absolutely, and always will, adore Talia. So, I was certainly very happy to get more of her backstory in The Mermaid's Madness. I do like Snow and Danielle quite a bit too, and Hines' secondary characters are also marvelous (I was particularly impressed with Captain Hephyra). All of the characters have their own quirks and ways of saying things or little "throwaway" details that greatly enhance the depth of the story and worldbuilding. He's also not afraid to be mean to his characters and things don't always work out as they would like. Hines' descriptions and writing of fights and action sequences have improved over his previous books and are now much easier to follow. Additionally, they comes across as realistic (the fact that he studies Sanchin-ryu karate probably doesn't hurt). Also, Hines' research into seafaring definitely paid off and it shows quite well. Even though I expected to like The Mermaid's Madness I was actually quite surprised by just how much I enjoyed it. I really feel that this is the best book of Hines' that I've read so far. Usually it takes me a few chapters to really get into his novels, but The Mermaid's Madness captured my attention almost form the very beginning. And then it kept it. The pacing and action of the plot is excellent, right up to the last chapter. The tone of the book is mostly serious and quite a bit darker than Hines' goblin books, but he still includes wonderful moments of humor. Although part of the series, The Mermaid's Madness actually stands very well on it's own (Hines seems to be particularly good at this with his books). While not necessary to read The Stepsister Scheme before The Mermaid's Madness, it does add some nice details and further depth to the story. I've definitely been enjoying the princess novels so far and am eagerly anticipating the publication of Red Hood's Revenge.Experiments in Reading
    • 3/5
      3.25 starsDanielle (Cinderella), Talia (Sleeping Beauty) and Snow (White) are tossed into a new adventure when the undine and their leader Lirea (The Little Mermaid) want to wage war. With Lirea's sister (Lannadae)'s help, they find the girls' grandmother, Morveren, who they are hoping will be able to help. Beatrice, the queen, has taken ill and Morveren has an object that might help Beatrice recover. It's been a few years since I read the first book in the series, but I don't think I liked this one as much. I'm odd with fantasy – I like some (more likely YA or urban, and usually fairy tales or retellings), but usually not the real “traditional” fantasy. This felt a little more like the traditional fantasy that I'm not as crazy about, mixed with adventure. I quite enjoyed some parts of this, but then lost a bit of interest in other parts. I will still probably try the third book in the series, at least, before giving up on it.