Review #111: Between the Sea and Sky by Jacyln Dolamore

Hello again friends! I know, I just posted the latest CR list, and am already coming with the first review from it? Well, here's what happened. I made the newest CR list last night after I shut down my computer for the night, and haven't been on until tonight to make the CR list on Goodreads and make its post here. In the time between, I read this book, hence why the review is going up so quick. Hope y'all enjoy it :)

Between the Sea and Sky is by Jaclyn Dolamore. I know I can't come up with my own description for this so here's the Goodreads synopsis:

For as long as Esmerine can remember, she has longed to join her older sister, Dosinia, as a siren--the highest calling a mermaid can have. When Dosinia runs away to the mainland, Esmerine is sent to retrieve her. Using magic to transform her tail into legs, she makes her way unsteadily to the capital city. There she comes upon a friend she hasn't seen since childhood--a dashing young man named Alandare, who belongs to a winged race of people. As Esmerine and Alandare band together to search for Dosinia, they rekindle a friendship . . . and ignite the emotions for a love so great, it cannot be bound by sea, land, or air.

Holy craaaap, this book flucking rocks my socks. I mean it. I first fell in love with this novel when I saw the gorgeous cover a long while back. Now that I've read it, I love the book for its substance as well as it's damn gorgeous cover. I think this is a companion book, but you don't need to read that book to enjoy this one. I enjoyed the mix of mermaid mythology with this reinvented idea of winged people. With the mermaid mythology, it was great how Ms. Dolamore added a bit of Little Mermaid, both the original story and the disney movie, as well as the siren aspect of it. The story was mostly romance, but that was fine with me. I loved the relationship between Esmerine and Alander. The plot with Dosinia was great as well, both combining for a good emotional roller coaster.

Esmerine was fabulousas the main character. She had a good mix of curiosity, tenacity, wit and intelligence. Plus I love it when the protagonist is a book geek like me :). I loved the journey she went on, literal and internal. You want her to succeed, feel her pain and fall in love with Alander with her. Speaking of the Winged One, I loved him. Sure, he had his a()()hole-ness for a while, but you his journey and watch him grow over the course of the novel. You see snippets of the boy Esmerine remembered from her childhood come back, and I fell in love with him as well. Plus he's a hot book geek, can't go wrong with that! :)Like I said earlier, I love their relationship. You get some flashbacks from Es and Alan's childhood days playing together, coupled with the current time of their interaction. There relationship evolves and changes, and you see the people they've become, and who they will be together. (Although I must admit the ending was a bit cringe-worthy because of a certain event I will not reveal/spoil. I mean really?) Characters like Swift and even Dosinia weren't always there, but when they were you loved reading about them.

Dayum, I have to give huge credit to Ms. Dolamore. I'm not the biggest fan of 3rd person POV as y'all know, but she made it work, and I honestly can't see this book being told in any other way. You get so deep into the characters and this rich story with its rich mythologies. Ms. Dolamore firmly entrenches you in the story and creates this world you will not want to leave.

If you love a good mermaid book that has so much more to offer, pick this up and have a good time :)

So did it live up to the  hype? Yes, yes it did :)


I'll next be reviewing Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel.


Until next time, viva la literature!