Review: The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova

The Vicious Deep
Zoraida Cordova
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: May 1, 2012

For Tristan Hart, everything changes with one crashing wave.
He was gone for three days. Sucked out to sea in a tidal wave and spit back ashore at Coney Island with no memory of what happened. Now his dreams are haunted by a terrifying silver mermaid with razor-sharp teeth.

His best friend Layla is convinced something is wrong. But how can he explain he can sense emotion like never before? How can he explain he’s heir to a kingdom he never knew existed? That he’s suddenly a pawn in a battle as ancient as the gods.

Something happened to him in those three days. He was claimed by the sea…and now it wants him back.

I'm going to start off by saying that I love mermaids and mermaid books. I always have. That being said, there have been some hit or miss when it comes to mermaid books that I've read in the past. As it turns out, The Vicious Deep was one of the better ones, though it wasn't everything i was looking for.


One thing that bothers me about mermaids is that it is next to impossible to find a mermaid book sans the cheese factor. But I was surprised by The Vicious Deep. While it wasn't completely without cheesiness, it didn't bother me like it normally does.


I was wary of this world at first. When it was first introduced, it was confusing. But once I learned more, about it, I started to like it more. A little more world-building wouldn't have hurt, but it was still an interesting take on the mermaid world. 


One of my favorite parts about this book was Triston. He was funny and felt real. He made mistakes but was sweet and felt real. I enjoyed getting to know him. 


The Vicious Deep was a fun ride. It wasn't exactly completely original, but I still felt that it brought something new to the table.