by M.C. Frank
Readers of this blog probably already know how much I adore M.C. Frank’s books. Her No Ordinary Star series is as beautiful as well crafted poetry and addicting to boot. So when she announced Salt For Air, with Greek mythology meeting the Little Mermaid, I shot it right to the top of my TBR and couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.
Summary
Greek mythology meets The Little Mermaid in this delicious fantasy novel about a quiet, nerdy girl who meets a mer prince in her bathroom. Perfect for fans of The Heroes of Olympus and the Lux series.
Seventeen-year-old Ellie dreams of mermen. She writes fanfiction about them and spends time in underwater kingdoms in her imagination, trying to escape the sad reality: she is an orphan. And not only that, but she’s bullied every day at school -she’s a nerd, she hates sports, she loves books and she used to be overweight. What’s not to bully?
One day, the bullies go too far. They try to drown her, but at the last minute an otherworldly creature shows up in the water. He keeps her breathing and tells her to live: “How will you be able to save anyone if you can’t even save yourself?”
She thinks it was a dream, but the emerald-eyed merman boy who rescued her appears in her school the next day. Is he really the exiled prince of an ancient kingdom that’s on the brink of utter destruction? And is he asking her to save him? Or is something far more sinister and deadly lurking in the water that surrounds her little Greek town?
When myth and reality collide, can love save their lives?
Musings
When I first started reading the book, I was a little nervous. Very quickly we see the traditional tropes of insta-love and an awkward bullied kid becoming the center of a fantastical plot. And then the author INSTANTLY turns these tropes right on their heads. Boom. You are now reading an entirely new book: darker, more dangerous, and where the stakes are very, very high.
From that point on, I was sucked in and could not put the book down. Never knowing who could really be trusted, if Ellie was safe or in terrible danger with these otherworldly strangers. If I was her, I probably would have run away screaming. But Ellie is a special kind of protagonist: full of hurt, loss, and constantly bullied, she shapes herself daily. She worries about who she is and what she has become – and this was without the Mer prince.
The supporting characters were fantastic. I adored Lei most, but Maia is a close second. Both are strong warriors who won’t let anything get between them and the people they protect. All together, they’re perfect #squadgoals.
I absolutely loved not only the incredible character growth but even more the outstanding worldbuilding. Frank takes the Greek myths we know and love, and stitches them into her complex narrative in such a way that they shine in a whole new light. Adding that to the author’s own Greek upbringing and love for her home, I want to hop on a plane right now.
“If you die for me, I’ll kill you.” – Salt for Air, M.C. Frank
One thing that makes this release even more phenomenal is knowing how much the author and her book have been through to get so far. An early version was plagiarized, the author bullied, the book put on hold as everything seemed to go south. The author even wrote this heartbreaking piece here on her blog. Salt for Air almost didn’t get published.
The author took all this pain, the bullying, and wove it into the story. Knowing the real-life events that transpired, I could feel this as I read, the anger, the hurt, all so real. But even if I hadn’t heard about the ordeal Frank went through, I would be able to see the raw vulnerability she presents in this book. Her words are personal. They are deep. They come from truth and resonate with power.
It seems Frank has concocted the perfect recipe for a fantastic book: Take the love of home + myths that shaped her + true pain and vulnerability + an amazing plot = an unforgettable novel. This is putting it mildly. I was crying at many points as I read it, my heart broken and mended over and over again.
I really could go on and on about this book. About how Ellie breaks every mold you have for a character like her. How the twist in the middle of the book is so beautiful and gut-wrenching at once. How brilliant Kai’s world is, especially when we find out what the way is really about. There is so much to love about this book, you just need to read it for yourself.
A powerful new book with brutal honesty, fiercely vulnerable writing and a magical, swoon-worthy romance!
Expected publication: October 23rd 2018
Readcommendations 