By Kai Meyer
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library
To Sum It Up: Venice has been under siege by the Egyptian Empire for many years, and the only thing keeping the mummy warriors at bay is the Flowing Queen. But when the Queen is bested by the clever Egyptians and traitors within her own city, Merle, the young apprentice to the magic mirror maker, is the city's only hope.
Review: The title and the artwork on the cover grabbed my attention and the blurb sealed the deal. Who doesn't love magic and mermaids?!
The setting and plot were innovative and eclectic. You have magic mirrors, Hell, stone lions, mermaids, mummies, and Venice all crammed into one story. It was incredibly original and creative. So, it's quite a surprise that this book really didn't do anything for me.
Usually, this would be exactly my kind of read. However, I couldn't make an emotional connection with the characters or their story line. It's not that I hated the characters, but I found them rather flat and hard to empathize with. Additionally, I felt like it was too predictable. I never found myself surprised or getting really invested in what might happen next. I was waiting for it to get better and it never did. The plot felt like it was moving too quickly without ever really explaining anything fully enough for me to latch onto. I'm a really open and go-with-the-flow reader, but it was a bit hard for me to keep up.
I was disappointed because this book had the potential to be great. The biggest flaw for me was the lack of emotional investment.
All in All: I kind of enjoyed this book, but I won't be reading the sequel.
