Reviewed by Jess
TITLE: Surface Tension
AUTHOR: Valentine Wheeler
PUBLISHER: NineStar Press
LENGTH: 115 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 17, 2018
BLURB:
Sarai ran away from home to find a new life on the high seas. But when a storm destroys her ship and her life aboard it, she’s stuck on land with only a days-long hole in her memory and the tattered clothes on her back. What could have happened beneath the sea? And can the strange new world she finds when she investigates help her save the world she left behind?
REVIEW:
This story begins with an ending—Sarai, a young pirate masquerading as male, is swept overboard during a storm, waking a week later on the shore of her homeland with no memory and no crew. After investigating a mysterious figure in the water, Sarai is magically pulled under by Ydri, a studious mermaid who only wants to know more about human life.
Sarai finds herself between two worlds, neither of which are very accepting of her—one wants her to be a perfect lady, and the other is unwilling to share their secrets, ending with them returning her to land. But when Ydri later surfaces with a surprise, Sarai has to act fast and convince others of an incoming natural disaster than only mermaids could possibly know about.
This is a pretty short story, but it is well-paced and never dull. I felt immediately drawn to Sarai’s coastal town and her feeling of loneliness, even when surrounded by others. I like how she never went back to her childhood home and never gave up on her dream of independence, no matter how scary things got. I thought the introduction to mermaids and their magic happened a little suddenly, though. Sarai seems like a character with a good head on her shoulders, so her acceptance of an entire mermaid city happened a little too fast. I would’ve liked more time to explore Ydri’s culture before it was hand-waved away as a secret.
The romance is slow and pretty tame. I enjoyed Sarai and Ydri’s dynamic of mutual curiosity and a drive to help others, but up until the end, I forgot they were even romantically interested in each other. There’s chemistry, but very little passion or spark. I have a feeling the author wanted to take things a little further, but the story length prevented what could’ve been some steamy love scenes.
The ending is excellent—it provides Sarai an opportunity to help both of her worlds, and it hopefully opens the story up for a sequel. Some parts of the book are a little clunky, and there are bits that could’ve benefitted from more attention, but overall, this is a really fun read with a satisfying plot.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS: