Ice Massacre by Tiana Warner
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
A mermaid’s supernatural beauty serves one purpose:
to lure a sailor to his death.
The Massacre is supposed to bring peace to Eriana Kwai. Every year, the island sends its warriors to battle these hostile sea demons. Every year, the warriors fail to return. Desperate for survival, the island must decide on a new strategy. Now, the fate of Eriana Kwai lies in the hands of twenty battle-trained girls and their resistance to a mermaid’s allure.
Eighteen-year-old Meela has already lost her brother to the Massacre, and she has lived with a secret that’s haunted her since childhood. For any hope of survival, she must overcome the demons of her past and become a ruthless mermaid killer.
For the first time, Eriana Kwai’s Massacre warriors are female, and Meela must fight for her people’s freedom on the Pacific Ocean’s deadliest battleground.
Meela was a strong main character. I feel like Tiana Warner was really able to capture her voice and make Meela seem so real and authentic. Even though she was fierce, Meela had her moments like the rest of us. What I didn't like was the drawn out back story. I'm always weary of information dumps, but I don't think that's what the author intended. I just think that less would have been more with such a drawn out glimpse into the past.
Tiana Warner is such a talented writer. I think with time, she'll only get better and better. While mermaids aren't my thing, I was still easily swept up into the world of Meela. If you're looking for Ariel, I don't think Ice Massacre is for you. But if you love a good and gritty fantasy, then you'll enjoy this epic tome.
**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.
Badass.
2. If you could choose one television show to promote your book on, which would you choose?
Once Upon A Time. When it comes to a unique twist on classic fairy tales, that show gets it. Didn’t they actually do something on deadly mermaids recently? Sign me up!
3. Which character was the easiest for you to write?
Dani. Girl’s got issues. Her character arc is one I’ve wanted to write for a very long time, and I knew exactly how it would go.
Plus, the antagonist is generally my favourite part of any book or movie.
4. Which character was the hardest for you to write?
Probably Meela, but only because she’s the protagonist. Meela is one cool chick with a lot of complex layers, and I wanted to make sure I drew them properly. (Literally. I drew them on a giant piece of paper and taped it to my wall. It looks like a failed Picasso piece.)
5. You only get to read one book for the rest of your life. Which would you pick?
Harry Potter… book five. No wait, seven. No, four. Three. Definitely five.
6. Bookmarks or dog-eared pages?
Dog-eared. I carry my books around a lot and my bookmarks always fall out.
7. What made you decide to write about mermaids?
I wanted to write a story about supernatural creatures, but I wanted it to be something different. I haven’t seen much out there that portrays mermaids for what they really are: dangerous sea demons.
Also, I think I was destined to write about flesh-eating mermaids. When I was little, I used to paint Disney colouring books entirely in black. Top to bottom, just black. I mean to say: maybe I’ve always had the knack for turning something beautiful into something dark.
8. How similar are you and Meela?
We have our differences. Meela’s scrappy, she loves the ocean, and she’s forced to mature and become a leader at an early age. I, on the other hand, was always a very well behaved child who was so shy that my teachers thought I was a mute. Also I’m terrified of the ocean.
That said, I think a writer will always inject her own personality into her characters. I see myself in the way Meela interacts with the other girls on the Massacre—in her tendency to be reserved, yet embrace leadership when the opportunity arises.
We also share a deep love for all living creatures. Like Meela, I will literally go out of my way to save a drowning insect.
9. Lastly, what's up next for you? Any projects we should be looking out for?
The sequel! Ice Massacre is going to be a trilogy. The working title for book two is Ice Crypt. I’m working on it now, and boy do I have big plans.
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