The coronation is over. But the battle has just begun.
Nerissa Marin has won her crown. But can she keep it?Already her ties to the human realm are driving a wedge between Nerissa and her people. When word arrives that her part-human prince consort, Lo, has been poisoned, she makes the difficult choice to leave Waterfell and return landside. As the royal courts debate her decision, even more disturbing rumors surface: a plot is rising against her, led by someone she least expects. On land, Nerissa learns another shocking truth: Lo does not remember who she is. As her choice to try to save him threatens her hold on her crown, changing loyalties and uncertainty test her courage in ways she could never have imagined. Nerissa will have one last chance to prove herself as a queen...and save the undersea kingdom she loves.
-Review Taken off of Goodreads.com
I would like to start by saying how excited I was for this book. I thought the first one,
Waterfell, was one of the most unique things I'd read in a looonnnggg time. It was funny, romantic, dramatic, and full of unexpected twists. So I was so pumped for this book to come out. Unfortunately, I somehow forgot about it when it came out. I was really busy with school so I didn't get a chance to read it. But at ApollyCon this weekend, I decided it was time.
And I am so happy that I picked this series back up. This is one of the few times that I think that the sequel may be as good as the first one. What really made me love this book possibly more than the first was the pain. I don't think I have ever gone from hating to loving characters so quickly. And along with that, the conflicts between the characters just got better in this book. Cara and Nerissa collide like they usually do, but it went even further this time. With Lo barely able to remember who Nerissa was, it gave Cara the perfect opportunity to be horrible. But even though she was horrible, it was totally enjoyable to read! Although sometimes Cara may seem mean just for the heck of being mean, their friends-to-enemy-to-friend relationship was dramatic and entertaining. And Nerissa's relationship with Lo was delightfully dramatic too! With his memory loss (Spoilers!) there was an extra edge to the story. Usually, in second books the couple breaks up just to get back together at the end. This was soooooo much better than that. Not only was it different from most YA sequels, it worked perfectly for how the story unfolded. It allowed for so much to happen in Nerissa's mind, and for her to be forced to possibly accept failure. But, luckily, she doesn't fail. Yipppee! Lo remembers her again! And that is where my favorite part of this came in. I absolutely adore cute romance, and this book has tons of it. Lo and Nerissa have a romance that we all secretly want. They love each other, and have all these cute romantic moments that make me giggle and squeal!
Aside from the amazing characters and great plot development, Amalie Howard's writing is both beautiful and enjoyable to read. When I read something she has written, I get a very vivid picture of the scene. Howard creates beautiful settings and amazing pictures of things that could be hard to picture without such good describing skills (like the water dragons!).
This is a series that I think should be getting much more recognition than it may be currently getting. It is fantastic, both in the plot and in the writing. When I really like a book, I generally either like it for the characters or for the plot. This is one of the few instances where I really loved both. I enjoyed being in the world of the Aquarathi, but also just enjoyed the funny exchanges between Nerissa and her friends.
Oceanborn was full of lots of twist I did not see coming (like the ending--ohmygod) but barely any silly and unnecessary ones. It was a joy to read, and I cannot wait to read more from author Amalie Howard.
