Mera: Tidebreaker

by Danielle Paige, Stephen Byrne (Illustrator)

Overview

Princess Mera is teenage royalty and heir to the throne of Xebel, a penal colony ruled by the other no-so-lost land under the sea, Atlantis. Her father, his court and the entire kingdom are expecting her to marry and introduce a new king. But Mera is destined to wear a different crown....

When the Xebellian military plots to overthrow Atlantis and break free of its oppressive regime, Mera seizes the opportunity to take control over her own destiny by assassinating Arthur Curry—the long-lost prince and heir to the kingdom of Atlantis. But her mission gets sidetracked when Mera and Arthur unexpectedly fall in love. Will Arthur Curry be the king at Mera's side, or will he die under her blade as she attempts to free her people from persecution?

An astonishing graphic novel that explores duty, love, heroism and freedom, all through the eyes of readers' favorite undersea royalty.

From New York Times best-selling author Danielle Paige (Dorothy Must Die) and artist Stephen Byrne comes a Mera and Aquaman origin story that explores Mera's first steps on land, and her first steps as a hero or villain, forcing her to choose to follow her heart or her mission to kill.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781401283391
Publisher:	DC Comics
Publication date:	04/02/2019
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	383,780
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Danielle Paige is the New York Times bestselling author of the Dorothy Must Die series, and the Stealing Snow series (Bloomsbury, 2016). In addition to writing young adult books, she works in the television industry, where she's received a Writers Guild of America Award and was nominated for several Daytime Emmys. She is a graduate of Columbia University and currently lives in New York City.

Stephen Byrne was born in Dublin, Ireland, where he studied animation at the Irish School of Animation. He has worked in Ireland and the United States in the fields of animation, TV advertising, satirical newspaper cartoons, and video games. He now lives in London, where he works on his true passion, comics.

Editorial Reviews

01/21/2019

Paige (the Dorothy Must Die series) details the story of the water-dwelling Xebel heir Princess Mera’s initial meeting with Aquaman—Arthur Curry, the Prince of Atlantis. Tired of living under the harsh rulings and prejudices inflicted upon penal colony Xebel under Atlantean rule, Mera wants nothing more than to protect her people, and she’s convinced that she can do this best by assuming the throne. After her father seems to choose for his successor Mera’s unwanted betrothed (and ex-lover) Larken, Mera decides she will stop at nothing to get her chance at the crown. All she needs is the head of the Prince of Atlantis. But when she meets him, he isn’t the cruel Atlantean she expected. Suddenly torn about carrying out her mission, Mera is faced with the difficult decision of following her heart or her ambitions. Byrne’s detailed illustrations capture Mera’s connection to the water in shades of blues and greens. Though it would have been all too easy for Paige and Byrne to focus on the well-known Aquaman origin story, the panels concentrate directly on Mera. Paige avoids employing the distressed female protagonist, instead providing a strong warrior princess who does the rescuing. Ages 13–up. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

An exciting and romantic look at a lesser known superhero, for DC comics followers and newcomers alike.” —School Library Journal

“Mera is a compelling, easy-to-admire character. She readily proves her worthiness as a warrior, and readers will see in her plenty of parallels to Wonder Woman. This graphic novel is sure to be a hit.”  —Booklist

“Paige has rendered a sassy, take-no-prisoners heroine who may look like Disney’s Ariel but who is imbued with grit and substance.” —Kirkus Reviews
 
“Mera: Tidebreaker offers a riveting new portrayal of the ocean’s fiercest princess. With her passion, strength, and willfulness, Mera is sure to capture the hearts of both longtime readers and those who are discovering Atlantis for the first time.” —Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles 

“Mera: Tidebreaker will pull readers through the waves and down into an immersive world full of intrigue, heroism, and romance. This royally enchanting origin story will captivate you until the very last page and leave you questioning what you’d do if you had to pick between love and duty. A must-read!” —Sasha Alsberg, New York Times bestselling author of Zenith

“Mera: Tidebreaker goes beyond Disney princess territory, depicting a future queen of Atlantis who’s a fascinating and sympathetic role model for teens.” —Foreword Reviews

“You don’t need to be a fan of Aquaman or really know anything about him to enjoy this book; you only need to like stories with strong heroines and some political intrigue.” —Manhattan Book Review

From the Publisher

Winter 2018

Gr 6 Up–This latest DC Universe reboot reintroduces fans to Mera. The daughter of the dethroned Xebel king, she's a princess without a people. Atlantis has ruled the Xebellians for as long as Mera can remember. Though those around her focus mostly on her beauty and marital prospects, Mera's no damsel awaiting a prince—she spends her days training to be a great warrior and ruler like her deceased mother. So when Mera overhears her father say that whoever kills the long-lost Atlantean king will one day be the Xebel ruler, she decides to claim the honor, and the throne, for herself. Her target is Arthur Curry, a mild-mannered teen living with his father in a lighthouse in Amnesty Bay, ME. He doesn't know about the existence of underwater kingdoms, let alone his own birthright. But the two begin to fall for each other, making Mera's mission nearly impossible. What could have been a bland "When Aquaman Met Mera" love story is a powerful tale about the fruitlessness of war. Byrne's dynamic art uses murky blues and greens to evoke the Atlantic Ocean and coastal setting, Mera's red hair standing out. Paige devotes a bit too much of the narrative to the romance, and mermaid enthusiasts may be a little frustrated with how much time is spent on land, but hopefully later volumes will bring Mera back to the sea, where she belongs. VERDICT An exciting and romantic look at a lesser-known superhero, for DC comics followers and newcomers alike.–Anna Murphy, Berkeley Carroll School, Brooklyn

School Library Journal

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