Wonderful
Joey W. Hill proves herself to be a master storyteller in 'A Mermaid's Kiss'. Her lyrical prose is nothing short of magical in it's ability to be both superbly dark and richly erotic while retaining it's fairy tale essence. As a long time fan of the Disney version of 'The Little Mermaid', I've also been aware that the true tale foretells a much more tragic ending whereby the mermaid doesn't marry her prince but instead perishes cursed and broken-hearted. Ms. Hill expands upon this darker original with tragedy destined to fall upon all descendants of Arianne.
Jonah, Angel and Prime Legion Commander of the Goddess, has lived a long life drenched in destruction, death, and blood. Having survived a war-torn millennia, Jonah's soul has slowly tarnished with the very darkness he's been fighting and thereby corrupting his faith and love in the Lady. After being mortally wounded in battle, Jonah plunges into the ocean with a sigh of relief; grateful that he can finally find some peace in death. His hopes are thwarted though by a brave and beautiful little mermaid.
Anna, a Daughter of Arianne and therefore doomed to tragedy, is still a woman of hope and love. Cursed with the ability to shapeshift into a human, she's lived the life as a being with no true place in the world, an outcast, but one capable of compassionate love and fierce loyalty. Unlike the female ancestors before her, Anna accepts her fate in life to live without reciprocal love while at the same time yearning for it above all else. Given her self-sacrificing nature, it is no surprise that she risks her life from the very beginning for an angel bent on his own destruction.
Despite having lived for a 1000 years, Jonah has never truly sought to understand his own soul. The consuming thoughts of war have blotted out the light of the Lady, leaving his heart to ponder and question his own existence and role in the universe. Humans, the Lady's to protect and therefore Jonah's to protect, cease to be nothing other then rats destroying everything in their path. The evil doings of humans call to the Dark Ones, thus rising the armies of angels; guarding them despite the fact that it's this very evil, festering within the human soul, that makes the Dark Ones very existence possible. Jonah is tired of fighting for those that continue to call to the Dark Ones and suffer the inevitable deaths of his sons for the guilt of their loss weighs heavily upon his conscience. He has lost all hope and all reason to fight and to exist.
Recognizing the darkness within Jonah, Anna makes the decision to help him at any cost, even her own death. She enlists the help of the seawitch, Mina, and with her guiding visions, Anna convinces Jonah to embark on a journey that will lead her further and further away from her beloved ocean.
Jonah decides to accompany Anna and her pursuit of the healing powers of a human shaman not because he wishes to eradicate the poison within him, but because he has found some measure of contentment with Anna. Jonah, though an angel, is not noble. Selfishly, he chooses to drift along on this journey with a self-sacrificing little mermaid because it relieves him of having to think beyond the now. Anna provides for him a route of escapism and monetary respite for his ugly thoughts. He truly feels that a shaman, a human no less, can not heal his rotted soul and there are several points throughout the journey where Jonah tries to drive Anna away from him and their mission.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback.
Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.