Review: Luminaire by Ciye Cho

Release Date: December 1st, 2012
Self-Published

Being the only human in a world of merfolk... isn't easy. Florence Waverley chose to stay in Niemela, but things have gone awry. Secrets have risen and the prince she cares about has pulled away. All the while, dark dreams warn her of a tragedy that only she can stop. But in order to save the merman she loves, Florence will have to enter the Life Path tournament: a brutal test of fear and madness.

The tournament is a rite of passage--a maze where young mermaids and mermen battle to find their purpose. It is also a place where Florence will face grave danger: mermaids with evil magic, tunnels filled with sea fire, and guardians who wish to use her as a pawn in their secret plans. But will Florence be strong enough to survive the tournament... or will she perish inside it?

Everything hangs in the balance: her life, her world, and her love

So bright, lively and full of colors; these words describe Florence's sequel! Luminaire is exactly what a second book in a series should be: just as good as the first one, or even better. Ciye has a way with words that can help you picture everything in great detail and the story has an interesting pace.

The story is really captivating. I was expecting a more romantic novel but the author makes things interesting. Roman, completely unexpectedly, changes his behaviour towards Florence. But the best part for me in this novel was the tournament. I was pleasantly surprised that Florence wanted to participate and I loved hers and Yolee's friendship. But the tournament and the consequent surprising ending was a highlight in Luminaire.

Therefore I also have to comment on Florence's development as a character. She decided to stay and fight for her right to live in Niemela even though (almost) no one wants her there. I really enjoyed her strength. Roman was a bit absent in this novel but I really enjoyed the ending, but I'm not going to spoil it for you guys! I think it was a pleasant change that the romance wasn't as perfect as I expected it to be. Furthermore I love the new characters Wynn and Marilenna. They complemented the story really well.

Hopefully there will be a third installment to this wonderful series and then I would love to have more of the new characters and to find out what Kiren has been doing this whole time! I really can't wait to read more from this amazing author.

 Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of the novel for review!

Ciye Cho lives in Australia and works as a graphic designer. He writes YA novels in his free time--and his head is often lost in the clouds or some place far from reality... Website

(ARC) Review: Florence - Ciye Cho

Release Date: July 1st, 2012
E-book

Seventeen-year-old Florence Waverley is out of her depth. Literally. Kidnapped and taken below the waves to the mer world of Niemela, she is the ultimate gift for merman Prince Kiren: a human familiar tied to his side. But nothing is what it seems amid the beauty and danger of a dark ocean.
Every Niemelan has a role to play, from the mermaids who weave towers out of kelp to the warriors who fight sea monsters. But in trying to survive, Florence will end up in the middle of a war between the mer and the Darkness. A conflict that will push her between two brothers: Kiren, the charmer inexplicably drawn to both her and the monsters; and Rolan, the loner who has been pushing her away since the day they met. But in order to take a stand--and find out where she belongs--Florence will have to risk it all: her life, her heart... and her very soul.

Florence was a wonderful read that will enchant most readers. The concept of mermaids was refreshing for me, since I haven't picked up any of recently-published novels about these creatures. I had a great time picturing all of the fish and mermaids mentioned in this novel because Cho's writing is very detailed and he makes use of many colors in his descriptions. It was also very easy to imagine such a different world.


The plot: The novel started off rather slow and I kept asking myself when something would finally happen. From the moment Florence was abducted, I couldn't put this book down anymore. It has some interesting aspects, for example: the color of the mer-people. I wasn't expecting orange or blue mermaids! I wondered many times why Florence could speak their language and why she had those special feelings before something bad came about; these questions were unfortunately never answered. But the plot was overall very entertaining. 


The characters: Florence was a nice character. I had a hard time connecting to her at the beginning because she was rather reserved and afraid. While leaving with the mer-people she came out of her shell and became a character I enjoyed. Both princes were very different and because of it, really interesting. (SPOILER!) Kiren was obviously the bad guy, even though the author did a great job trying to confuse us. Rolan was a big of an enigma. She was also rather quiet and sometimes even aggressive towards Florence. Little by little he opens himself to Florence but admittedly I already liked him from the beginning.

Florence was a great and light read. For me even refreshing, though for those of you who have read mermaid-themed novels, this one may not be as refreshing. But there is really something special and different about Cho's novel and is up to you to find out what. I recommend Florence to all fans of paranormal!

A huge thanks to Ciye Cho for providing me with a copy for review!

Ciye Cho lives in Australia and works as a graphic designer. He writes YA novels in his free time--and his head is often lost in the clouds or some place far from reality... Website