An Ode to Women Who Fight Fate

 Review by Ronica Wahi

A Tale of Mermaids

By Ann Parker

Published: July 26, 2022, The Book Guild.

Pages: 170.

ASIN: B0B7S1GK7J

Set in the late 17^th century, with sea life forming a sizeable chunk of the narrative, A Tale of Mermaids takes the reader into a world that existed long ago. While fraught with tussles, revenge, sadness, and loss, this is yet a world that fascinates, for it tells of a reality that presently survives in only history books and historical fiction.

This tale is not of the mermaids of folklore who have mesmerized writers, artists, and others, but of – if the word mermaid is to be considered in its literal meaning – two young women who spend an invaluable part of their lives on the sea, on a pirate ship aptly named Mermaid.

Ann Parker creates two entirely different backgrounds for her two protagonists, and creates two equally interesting plots separately before chance brings the protagonists together. These early portions of the novel, in which the separate lives of the two are described, are the best written bits.

Alix is from a wealthy family in France and is engaged to a titled man. Alone, she is sent to live with the family of her fiancé, a family that welcomes her, though the coldness of the castle and the secrets she feels she is kept away from put her a little on edge, before she realises the horror of what life has dealt her. Vivien is from a poor family from Delaware and she has built a life of her own, a life much different from the one offered to young women of her times, before she knows that everything will tragically collapse for her.

It is thrilling to see how these two young women of all those centuries ago refuse to take what is served to them and instead take charge of turning their destinies around. Both encounter sharp turns in their individual journeys before their paths cross and then merge. While the “major” twist in the tale was guessable – owing to the mere fact that the two plots converge plus there were some slight hints dropped, there were certain twists that were quite unexpected.

Besides the thrill that the adventures and the misadventures of the protagonists provide, the book boasts of interesting angles and sub-plots. Besides being a tale of two women from distinct lands who transform into mermaids, this is a tale of love, yearning, and loss. This is also a tale of how the sense of entitlement of the powerful and the elite can destroy the lives of those whom they do not value, a tale of how the once-vulnerable and powerless people can bring about the downfall of the powerful when driven by the need for vengeance.

The choice of the time period is wonderful – the plot with the castles and the pirate ships, the women who carved their own ways at a point in history wherein many women did not venture to do so, and the interest quotient of another kind of existence. However, Parker could have added some more details about attire, food, code of conduct, and such other things of that era to bring that world more alive and to make the narrative even better.

Overall, A Tale of Mermaids is beautiful, exciting, and inspiring. It keeps the reader eager throughout to learn what is to come next.

To know how Alix and Vivien fight their fate and taste victory, grab a copy from Amazon today!

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3IqVhTu

Paperback, Import: https://amzn.to/3V1pq3B

 

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