Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  A Naiad’s Revenge

SERIES: Pirates and Water Nymphs #5

AUTHOR:  Gigi Rivers

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  305 pages

RELEASE DATE:  February 22, 2024

BLURB:

A water nymph locked in darkness. A human who brings him light.

Sion is an ocean nymph who has never seen the ocean. He has spent his whole life in a cage, kept prisoner by the Order so they can steal his energy. Then one day, a human arrives. But unlike other humans, Tomas doesn’t treat Sion like some beast. He talks to Sion and tells him of the sea. He becomes Sion’s first friend. And as they spend time together, Sion begins to feel something more than just friendship for Tomas.

Tomas despises the Order, the sect that his parents belong to. He plans to leave before he is initiated on his twentieth birthday. But before that day arrives, he discovers a water nymph in a cage. Horrified, Tomas helps and cares for the naiad. As he does, Tomas connects with Sion. He develops feelings for him. Tomas will not abandon Sion to a life locked in a cage.

He plans to break Sion free. But with the Order working against them, will they find a way to be together? Or will they be forever torn apart?

REVIEW:

Note:  This is the fifth and final book in this series.  There are major spoilers for previous books and the events of these books build on each other, so it’s preferable to have read them in order.

Tomas lives with his parents in a compound that is part of  The Order.  They are a clandestine group who follow sorcerers who have the ability to heal and have other magical powers – some that can be used as weapons.  The power of these “sorcerers” is derived from the natural powers of other creatures – those they deem “beneath” them as humans.  They have captured and magically drained these creatures in order to empower themselves.  Sorcerer Ignatz is staying in the village that Tomas lives in.  Tomas hates the order even though he doesn’t even really know what they are about.  Yet.  He was taken from his fishing village when his parents joined the order and forced away to this world where he is sickened by the obsequiousness of his parents.  Then he learns the truth just a few months before he is to be “initiated” into the order and what he finds out sickens him.

He discovers Sion, a water nymph – naiad – caged in the basement of the building he lives in with his parents.  Sion has been bred in captivity – he’s never even seen the ocean.  He’s weak and tired when Tomas approaches him the first time.  Tom tells him tales of the ocean and brings him food and eventually sea water.  This helps Sion heal from the draining he has been subjected to.  Tomas is furious about how Sion is treated and they become friends.  Sion confesses he is his first friend.  Fairly quickly their feelings change to more and Tomas vows to free Sion and run away from this compound.

Sadly Tomas and Sion don’t get the change to run away together.  Tomas is caught with Sion and well havoc ensues.  Neither is willing to give up on the other though.  It takes a long time before they have a second chance, as it were.  How?  You’ll have to read to find out 😉

Oh I really loved this last book in this series.  It’s a wonderful fitting end to this series of humans and naiads fighting together to rid the world of an evil that would subject all the other non-human creatures to the will of the sorcerers and The Order.  The who first half of the book tells the story of Tom and Sion as they meet when Tom is a young man.  When they are torn apart, their lives take very divergent paths.  Not know that either is still out in the world, when they eventually find themselves together again, well things aren’t the same.  Without being spoilery, let’s just say that both of them have changed a lot.  Tomas has been fighting The Order the the Naiad’s Revenge.  The reader will get to revisit many of the couples who have been brought together in previous books in the series.  Tom has been working to avenge Sion for all these years.  Sion has been working on himself.  Because of his experience, he still feels very much like an outsider.  But the shipmates make him feel welcome and Tom vows to protect him and never see him hurt again.  It’s a lovely story that realistically portrays the fear of rejection and the surprised and disbelief of a sudden reunion.  Sion is so sweet and yet he has a steely resolve that is bolstered by his love for Tomas.  He turns out to be the hero of his own story!  I loved it.  For fans of fantasy and good overcoming evil along with some steamy romance, this series is a winner.

RATING: 

BUY LINK:

Amazon