I received this eARC from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I tried so hard to like this graphic novel. The premise was so promising, but, alas, the events in the story ultimately failed to capture my attention. The plot was too obvious, the ending too predictable. The relationship between Mera and Arthur lacked any sense of development and felt way too rushed, even for a YA graphic novel. I was also disappointed by the cliché tropes dealing with rebellion, following a parent’s footsteps, young love, and facing consequences – maybe this was intended for middle school grades? If yes, then this would be a perfect read for younger audience.

I received an email with the ARC information for this book a few days after I finished watching Aquaman, naturally I had to jump at the chance to read this. This graphic novel has some awesome graphics and the plot line was fun to see through Mera’s eyes. Unfortunately, the beginning of the graphic novel was difficult to follow and once you got over that hump, it was way too predictable. I wish that there was something that would set this book apart but I just wasn’t impressed..

This book is for some, but not for me. It simply felt clunky and awkward. The romance was rushed and poorly written. Arthur’s ‘Gary Stu’ background wasn’t entirely believable either.

Sigh. This had such promise, but it was so predictable and on-the-nose. Did her hair really have to be red, like the Little Mermaid comparisons weren't already right there? It felt it was too rushed too - I would have liked it more drawn out so we really got to know the characters. Mera had all the makings of a great badass heroine, but she just had to go and ruin everything for a guy she just met (ugh, why?) On the other hand, I did enjoy the artwork (though can someone explain to me how they were drinking out of champagne flutes underwater? And how her dress stayed down underwater? Like, I know it's a comic book but the lack of physics bothers me lol)

Cute retelling of a Marvel comic. Well designed graphics and layout. Told from Mera's point-of-view, this Aquaman spin-off is sure to delight many graphic novel and/or comic fans.

*Received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a pretty good stand alone graphic novel. It was nice to see Mera get her own YA title since she's normally just a secondary character. The plot was okay, but I think that I would have preferred to see Mera have her own adventures that didn't revolve around Aquaman's origin story. The artwork was good and the color palate was unique, with mostly sea greens and Mera's bright red hair. I liked how Mera was drawn, she wasn't overly sexualized. Still I can't help feeling like Mera deserves a better. However, I would still recommend it to teens or adults looking for Aquaman read alikes or woman super heroes.

Overall I thought this will definitely appeal to the targeted audience--older MG and YA readers. It is a little bit of a trope, the daughter who breaks free from her controlling father to try to make her own way in the world, makes mistakes, falls in love, but I didn't mind reading it. Weirdly, I thought some of the characters all looked alike? For die hard Aquaman fans it probably won't suit, but if you're new to comics and want to read a different take, you could do worse.

"Mera: Tidebreaker" by Danielle Paige was an excellent read full of adventure, romance and a strong female lead who carves her own path and creates her own destiny. This graphic novel is perfect for middle grade readers and comic fans who loved the recent "Aquaman" movie and were itching to learn more about Mera's upbringing and origin story. While there are some differences and discrepancies between the "Tidebreaker" and the film, a huge one being Mera and Arthur meeting and falling in love prior to the events in the film, fans of the original comics will love meeting Mera and learning about her past, first steps on land and how she learned to shape her own destiny.

This is a perfectly fine origin story. To me, it was fun and attractive to look at but not groundbreaking or amazing.

Free copy provided by NetGalley.

Great introduction to a character not many people get to know.

Mera is strong and ferocious while exuding kindness and struggling to find a way to balance her own beliefs with what she thinks is best for her kingdom.

Arthur plays a large part but he's definitely the side character in this book.

The art is gorgeous and the limited color palette helps mera stand out in any crowd. Highly recommend and I'm looking forward to young people seeing another woman they can look up to in DC that seems more complicated than at first glance.

My Review: OMG I read this after watching the movie and I was just so excited to read it. This was one great story and I really wished that Paige could write a full-length story about Mera because for us she was the shining light in the Aquaman movie. This comic was a great story with amazing colors. It made the story come alive on the page and I could not put it down.

Go Into This One Knowing: Female Power at its BEST!

Mera Tidebreaker is an orgin story of sorts that goes beyond the story that we know and into the world of Mera and how she became the woman that she is. I wanted so badly to enjoy this read, I just had a hard time staying devoted to this read.

I think this is a great way to get teens interested in some DC characters. They are getting the hottest YA authors to write stories of their biggest characters. This will go over very well since the Aquaman movie just came out.

But for me, this didn’t hold my attention well enough. There were too many open spaces where the story was barely hanging on. Plus the art wasn’t doing it for me. It really saddens me to say that because Danielle Paige is a fantastic author and her books are magnificent.

The character of a Mera was pretty good, but I felt that a lot of the plot and characterization of Arthur was sort of flat. She comes from such a rich history and culture but he’s just blindly good all the time, I liked the color palette and the background characters. Fans of generic teen thriller/Romance will find enough to sink their teeth into. Doesn’t seem connected much to the story of the new Aquaman movie, unless Arthur is supposed to have turned into much more of a bad boy in between, so the timing and universe disconnect might confuse some.

I appreciate reading a story with a strong female lead. Mera is a fierce heroine. However, it is disappointing that her story revolves around men. None of the few female characters had significant roles. Also, the plot was lacking and unremarkable. Nothing I haven’t see before.

Mera: Tidebreaker is an origin story of Mera and Aquaman. As someone who doesn't know anything about Aquaman and Mera, this graphic novel was perfect for introducing me to the characters. However, the characters felt a little flat to me. More character development I feel would capture the character of Mera and make for a stronger story. The illustrations were great! I loved how strong Mera was portrayed.

I really enjoyed the story about Mera, and will recommend it to patrons!
The graphics have a lot of blue in them to depict the sea, you can see why they chose to make her have red hair. There isn't a lot of back story provided, I imagine we will see more in upcoming stories and I am okay with this, A first book can get mired down when it includes too much information about the world and it's people.

Mera carries a lot on her shoulders as the Princess of Xebel, some pressure comes from her father and the legacy of the office, and some comes from within, the expectations she has upon herself. In a origin tale of sorts, the meeting between Arthur Curry, Aquaman, and Mera, we see a young person who is positioned between her prescribed role and what she wants for herself. I loved the design style and the initial premise of plot and character development, yet found the whole story arc lacking.

Mera's kingdom of Xebel is the heel of Atlantis, and the people are none too happy about it.  Instead of asking her daughter's permission, the king directs her betrothed to go to the surface to hunt down and kill the long-lost prince of Atlantis. Hearing this, Mera takes it upon herself to go in his stead. To challenge herself. When she meets her prey, she finds the unexpected, a person she could easily like.

Character designs, backgrounds, and the whole aesthetic is awesome. Futuristic, yet retro and mod. But I found the dialogue tedious at times, a lot of back and forth between Mera and Arthur that may have been reduced. And some of the reveals turned into info dumps because there wasn't as much context built in at the beginning of the novel. 

Overall, a book that has all the parts of a good story, but the pacing and character development could use some work.

3 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, DC Comics, Danielle Page, and Stephen Byrne for an advanced copy for review.

The artwork is lovely and the story is enjoyable - but there are some compositional issues. Sometimes it isn't clear what happens from one panel to the next; I guess you could say too much is left to the gutter.

So sorry, but I could not get this book to download. I don't know who to contact, who to ask, or what to do. I tried the FAQ, but nothing in there helped me.