Mer-Charmer (World of Aluvia #2)

Magical and adventurous! Loved it!

It has been four years since Sierra rescued Phoebe from Bentwood and brought magic back to its true use. Phoebe is still terrified of all she endured in her captivity but the ocean, and her mer friends, bring her peace. She also really wants to fit into Sierra’s world and have magic so she can help her sister. When Phoebe finds a merfolk corpse that has been strangely killed she finds herself thrust into all the magic and adventure she could want.

I liked Mer-Charmer more then The Fairy Keeper. I feel like this book is more fleshed out and the writing is better. Sierra, while a strong willed tough character, can be a bit overbearing. Pheobe was an interesting character. She is shy but wants to help her friends and her sister. She worries about if she’s doing the right thing and when her magic comes out she is conflicted about if its influencing her friends.

I liked seeing Phoebe with Tristan and Mina. It was nice to see how close the three of them were and how they trusted each other. I did really like seeing their friendship and I felt that the romance came across as real and natural. I enjoyed how Tristan and Phoebe tried to hide their feelings for one another but not because of rejection but because they were shy. It was super cute. Mina was fun and a good secondary character.

The fact that the merfolk didn’t just accept Phoebe and what she could do was really accurate. I did feel that their attitudes made sense and I wouldn’t have liked the book so much if everything had just come easy to Phoebe. I liked the history of the merfolk and the city of Lyr. I wanted to know more about mer-tears and the mystery surrounding them. I thought that the descriptions in the book worked really well and I was drawn really easily into the world. This underwater world has so much to explore and the visuals were easy to see. It was good to see the other creatures that made the ocean their home, the predators and peaceful ones alike. I also really appreciated that just because something was predator didn’t make it evil.

The only thing that I really missed in this book is what is going on with Sierra and company. Its been four years but what exactly has happened in that time period. We didn’t get any aftermath from the destruction at the end of Fairy Keeper so I did miss that.

Overall a good book. I want to read the next one.

This book is set in a made up world of Aluvia. Phoebe is 14 and bored staying at home while her sister the Fairy Keeper, Sierra, goes all over Aluvia. Phoebe has an affinity for the sea and especially her friends Mina and Tristan who are merfolk. Apparently not all is well under the sea and Phoebe has magic inside her that has not been released. There is a dangerous sea creature attacking the merfolk and it will take all of Phoebe will to help her friends.

The world building is very realistic you can picture the world of the merfolk very easily. I became engrossed in the story very quickly. This is a good read for a younger reader as there is no sex or intimations of it.

When there isn't adventure afoot in the deep seas, the mystery and suspense of Mer-Charmer keep you hooked, with a little bit of romance on the side.

Phoebe knows her sister loves her, but Sierra's smothering makes it harder for Phoebe to move on from the terrible events of four years earlier, when their own father gave Phoebe away as a slave. The memories are coming back more and more often and being left alone where she's safe from new dangers isn't helping.

Then Phoebe finds out her closest friends (who happen to be mermaids) are being hunter by a magical monster and only she has the magic to fight back. Her love for her friends is all she needs to find her courage, something she needs throughout. Timid, fearful Phoebe has to fight with the mermaid elders to be heard, face water dragons and, maybe worse!, an octopus, stand up to her sister and much more. It strengthens her and she learns to face even her worst fear -- her memories.

Mer-Charmer is a great book tweens and junior high!

It reminds me a little of R.J. Anderson's Fairy Rebels series.

I would absolutely buy it (and Sierra's story) for my school.

Mer-Charmer was a pretty good sequel to Fairy Keeper. This focuses on Phoebe Quinn 4 years after the horrific events she faced after her father gave her away to Bentwood. This was pretty cool story, it did lack some details here and there, but it was beautifully written. The world of Aluvia is absolutely fascinating to me.

Phoebe Quinn is now fourteen years old and lives with her sister and Micah. She has felt trapped ever since Sierra stopped her from traveling with her. She now escapes to the ocean to see her merfriends and feel a since of belonging. Phoebe always wanted to have some type of magic, but she never felt any of her own until she stepped into the ocean and her powers were awakened. Phoebe is absolutely phenomenal. She may be quiet and timid, but when it came to the merfolk she got brave and started to become outspoken, no longer the little girl she used to be.

Phoebe reminded me of Sierra in the way that she risked her life for her charges. She was willing to give up everything to save them. What she did eventually give up was amazing. She is so much stronger than I would have thought, but I'm so glad she got her happy ending.

Tristan was freaking hot! I enjoyed how he and Phoebe tried to hide their feelings for one another even with the pull she had on the merfolk. He was brave, loving, daring, bold and so much more. Tristan is definitely the right guy for Phoebe. Mina, Tristan's twin sister, was such a joy! She always seemed to taunt Tristan into admitting his feelings and always found a way to hint his feelings to Phoebe.

Sierra Quinn, Phoebe's older sister and fairy keeper, definitely was a bit too overprotective and absolutely smothered Phoebe. I know that the things that happened in the first book scared her, but I think she should have let her have more freedom or at least told her the truth about Bentwood's men.

Elder Odessa was just downright rude -- she made me laugh so much because even though she was nice in helping Phoebe, she always made sure to let her know she didn't like or trust her. Not to mention, she was the mother to Tristan and Mina -- that woman was hilarious. Baleros was downright evil as hell. I didn't like what he did to Liam or his father. I couldn't believe how he was. I will say, he definitely got his butt handed to him by Phoebe.

Overall, this was pretty awesome and I'm definitely interested in reading the third book in this series when it's released.