Saturday, February 20, 2016

Book Shelf: The Siren by Kiera Cass

From Kiera Cass, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Selection series, comes a captivating stand-alone fantasy romance.

Kahlen is a Siren, bound to serve the Ocean by luring humans to watery graves with her voice, which is deadly to any human who hears it. Akinli is human—a kind, handsome boy who's everything Kahlen ever dreamed of. Falling in love puts them both in danger . . . but Kahlen can't bear to stay away. Will she risk everything to follow her heart?


More info on Goodreads.....


Review:

The Siren by Kiera Cass is a beautifully written and nicely paced story about siren mythology, romance and one girl’s fight to find happiness in the arms of the boy she loves. 

I’ll admit, this is my first novel by Kiera Cass, although I do know her Selection series is widely popular. The Siren for me was a very sweet, easy stand alone read that I highly enjoyed. Cass mixes some intriguing siren mythology into a modern setting and introduces readers to a main character that is strong and genuinely likable. 

The Siren follows 19 year old Kahlen, who isn’t your ordinary teenage girl. Smart, beautiful and hopelessly romantic, Kahlen, is a siren and has been one, un-ageing and un-changing, for almost 80 years. With her 100 year old service to the Ocean nearing its end, Kahlen is growing tired of the endless deaths she must be responsible for as a siren and yearns for more. It’s not until she meets Akinli however that actually she begins to realise what she’s been truly yearning for. Akinli makes Kahlen feel normal for the first time in decades and even as they grow closer, Kahlen can’t help but wish she could have a future with him. Yet, if there’s anything Kahlen knows it’s that sirens aren’t allowed to fall in love and the last thing the Ocean wants is to let her go……

Something that really impressed me with this novel was that Kiera Cass managed to make the Ocean a character of its own as a living, breathing entity, with thoughts and feelings, capable of communicating with the sirens that serve it. I mean, obviously the ocean is full of life under normal circumstances—fish, whales, coral etc all live within it’s waters—but in this novel the Ocean has a conscious mind of its own and I found this a really different concept—one I hadn’t quite seen before. Within The Siren, Kahlen and her sisters must serve the Ocean and I thought the way Cass explored the girls lives and the way they feel was excellent.

Our main character Kahlen was someone I actually enjoyed following. I wasn’t completely sure I would like her heading into the novel—sometimes with standalone tales there isn’t enough time to get to really know the characters and as such their relationships, romance and developments often feel rushed. This wasn’t the case with The Siren. Kahlen has been alive for almost a hundred years and by the time we meet her in The Siren she’s already had time for self-reflection and consideration and had a pretty good grasp on who she is. Kahlen is kind and sweet and quite normal—something that manages to sweeten the relationship she develops with Akinli. 

The Siren is a well-paced novel. For those who fear a swift romance, The Siren takes place over about a year and allows Kahlen to have time to come to care for Akinli. Small encounters lead to long spouts of time apart and distance that does only cement how she feels, but as the reader it’s not hard to feel the story and emotions experienced by our leading lady. 

Quick and nicely told, The Siren is an endearing romance that follows a good storyline and manages to introduce readers to an intriguing sisterhood, a likable main character and a swoon-worthy romance that is powerful yet down to earth. A great read!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by Harper Collins Australia (Thank you Holly!)
Format: Paperback
Buy it: Bookworld | The Nile | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Recommendation: Paranormal fans will want to check this out.
Cover: Stunning. Simply stunning.
Will I read sequel/continue with series: This is a standalone novel, but I'll definitely be reading more by Kiera Cass.....

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