For Mer handler Finn Jarvis, the feral mermaid performers at Oceanica Marine Park are nothing more than ruthless aquatic predators, violent and unpredictable. That doesn’t stop the public from flocking to one of the world’s most popular tourist attractions. To them, the Mer are magical entertainment, too beautiful to be dangerous. They don’t see what happens to the ones who dare swim out of line. line.
Newly caught Erie doesn’t know what the evil landfolk want from her. Alone and voiceless, she watches the other merfolk from the confines of her tank. Broken into submission, they’ve become shells of the once vibrant creatures she knew. But Erie refuses to be subjugated. She’ll get the crowds to see her as something more than simple entertainment—starting with her captor, Finn.
While Finn trains Erie in her routine, she secretly teaches herself the air-words he and the other trainers speak. And when the language barrier falls, Finn starts to realize that the gap between human and Mer is smaller than he thought, and maybe it’s not the Mer who are monsters, after all.
Set against the backdrop of a familiar and beloved fairy tale, this stunning debut, as brutal as it is beautiful, explores the morality of subjugating other species to the whims of entertainment, daring readers to find humanity in the inhuman.
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A mermaid princess meets a human man and transformation ensues. You may think you know this story, but you’ve never heard it told like this before. Finn is a young man who works at a marine theme park. Erie is the mermaid princess he’s been given to train for performances. There are countless predictable ways this setup could have played out, but Speak the Ocean manages to tell an original story while holding onto just enough of the familiar tale to be recognized. By turns frightening, sexy, and heart-wrenching, the plot is fast-paced and full of twists and turns. The characters are well-written, and excruciatingly complex. It’s easy to read a book where the hero always makes the right choice; it’s another thing entirely to accompany them while they grapple with ambiguous morals and are made to face the consequences of their mistakes. The latter makes for a far richer experience. Despite being a fantastical book about mythological creatures, Speak the Ocean manages to be completely believable and thought provoking. As an avid reader of mermaid stories, I can easily say that this one has moved to the top of my list.
I received an advance review copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
I was immediately drawn in to Enzor’s world. I appreciated the blend of science fiction and fantasy. The author’s science background is very apparent with all her attention to details. I appreciated the dangerous mermaids with their claws and fangs, but Erie was especially lovable given her spunk and innocence. Mermaids turning into sea foam upon death was a really fascinating detail! It was a menacing threat constantly hanging over Erie’s head – literally – in the form of an electric loop. The comparison of The Little Mermaid meets Blackfish is apt given the main conflict. Suspenseful, sexy, and heartbreaking, I couldn’t put it down.
***Spoilers***
The one thing that took me out of the narrative was how quickly Erie learned English. I teach English as a second language, and my most gifted students need more time. It takes more than a Disney marathon! That said, I forced myself to swallow that fiction as a demonstration of how very smart the character was.
The ending, while lovely, also left me wanting more. It felt like a jarring cliffhanger in some ways. I understand Finn was dying, and Erie was desperate to save him, but I was so sorry for his mother. Even now, I keep thinking more about all she lost. I also wonder at the emotional state of Jen and Serg after everything. I’m hoping they recover and take charge of the park. There’s room for a sequel, and I very much hope Enzor writes one!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
3.5/5 stars — a gritty plot offset by glimpses of love and levity
Speak the Ocean is a mermaid story for the adult set, billed as “Blackfish meets The Little Mermaid,” but I think it’s closer to “Blackfish meets Beauty and the Beast plus mermaids.” Obviously that’s not as catchy, but it describes the plot better, in my opinion, particularly an eventual Stockholm syndrome-esque dynamic between main-character narrators Finn and Erie.
In Speak the Ocean, mermaid handler Finn has to weigh his dream of training a popular performing Mer against the discovery that the Mer are intelligent beings. The mermaid in his care, Erie, fights to survive in an alien world and to understand the humans who now control her fate.
Speak the Ocean was an unexpected and unique story, and I’m glad I read it. The plot was full of twists, a few baddies got their just deserts, and the ending fell on the positive side of bittersweet. I don’t mind rounding my rating up to four stars; while this book hit a few wrong notes for me, I enjoyed Enzor’s creative slant on a well-known story and I don’t want to dissuade others from picking it up. I’ll definitely check out anything else she writes in the future. I’d recommend Speak the Ocean to readers who enjoyed Mira Grant’s Into the Drowning Deep.
Speak The Ocean is the summer read you didn’t know you needed. It’s about mermaids. But not like you think. They’re captured and then exploited at a Sea World like theme park. They’re also predators, and they’re not happy about it.
On the surface, that sounds pretty dark. But while it explores a serious issue, it’s a light read. Finn, the main human character, is a loveable jackass, and Erie, the main mermaid character, is a riot.
The voice is outstanding. It grabbed me from the first chapter and wouldn’t let go.
This book was great to read. I finished it in one sitting. The concept is an original take on The Little Mermaid but with the feel of Blackfish.
Only thing that’s missing is an epilogue. Other than that? Absolutely amazing.
I don’t even know where to start with this retelling. The Little Mermaid was my absolute favorite when I was a child, so reading this was fun. I really didn’t want to finish the book because I enjoyed it so much. I loved the multiple twists, how well the book was written and the interaction between all the characters. Side note, this is told in dual-POV for each chapter. I liked being able to get the perspective of the Mer as well as humans.
Speak the Ocean contains political, familial, relationship and “animal” rights issues as a big part of the story. Also, I will mention that there is some sex, so if you are sensitive or adverse to reading it then I recommend you skip this.
I wish there was a little more background on certain characters, such as Finn’s father, mother and his Aunt D.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC. All opinions are my own.