Ink: A Dark Waters Mermaid Tale

By: Melanie Karsak

Narrated by: Kristin James

A mermaid princess destined to wed a handsome king....

It sounds like a fairy tale, but the reality is far murkier.

Ink, Princess of the Florida Atlantic mers, is slated to wed the ancient enemy of her tribe, the King of the Gulfs. After years of war that led to countless mer deaths, as well as the genocide of aquatic shapeshifters and the freshwater mers of Florida, Ink's marriage will bring lasting peace.

Or so it seems.

Mere hours before she's supposed to leave the ocean for her customary year as a drywalker, Ink meets Hal, an alligator shifter who warns her that a storm is brewing. There is malicious intent behind Ink's marriage - and worse, meeting Hal has also caused a storm to rage in Ink's heart. Nevertheless, loyal to her tribe, Ink will put aside her feelings and journey to Miami to marry the decadent King Manx.

Ink soon learns that her only hope of surviving the crashing force swelling around her is to tap into a power deep inside - a forbidden power that might destroy them all.

©2015 Clockpunk Press (P)2015 Clockpunk Press

very good

"I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com".

I absolutely loved the book it was wonderful.

Why only a novella, there is potential here?

It is amazing how Melanie Karshak can make a novella with so much depth and character build up that I feel like I have read a full length book. This is another example of a novella that has a full story behind it. But with that said, I also believe that this story could have been expounded upon especially in the romance department, that part need a little help. I would have enjoyed learning more about how the marks were special for each individual as opposed to only knowing that Inks was different and special. The main story line felt completed and was enjoyable to listen to. I love the lore to this story and the world building, this story line had the potential to having many books involved, with far more intriguing points that this book only hinted at. Unfortunately the story ended with a finality that didn't feel like there was going to be any more books to come. Narrator did a good job.

A self-contained novella that hints at much more

Any additional comments?

I didn't know anything about the novella or the author going into this audiobook. Just now, in preparing to write this review, I looked up the author's information and discovered that this book (Ink: A Mermaid Romance) is part of the Falling in Deep Collection, which is apparently a collection of 15 mermaid tales by different authors, with one tale releasing each week from June 1. I'm not a huge mermaid fan so I probably won't go through the other stories, but if you are, this definitely looks like something you should check out.

As for this particular story, I really liked it. I found it a quick listen not just because it was short--I got through it quickly because I wanted to keep listening to the story to find out what happens next. Basically, Ink is a mermaid who is facing her year-long exile onto land (where she has to have a human body for a year), but before that can happen, she finds herself enmeshed in a political move by her uncle, who is the ruler of this part of the sea (the Atlantic). She is to marry the ruler of the Gulf mermaids. No love is lost between Ink and her uncle, and there's definitely a lot of history behind their stories. (That's something the author has done a really good job with--making the history seem rich and existent without being overly complicated. Great job with the back story.)

Eventually, Ink discovers this arranged marriage is all part of a larger plot by her uncle, but I don't want to give away too much about it. However, before she finds out she is to be married, she meets Hal, who is an alligator shifter imprisoned by her uncle. Ink sets Hal free and there seems to be a connection between them. Hal comes back into play later in the story and although his character is interesting, he and Ink immediately feel a connection and fall in love (although they don't completely realize that until a little later). This is the one part of the story that felt a little forced. Although I could see these two characters together, I'd prefer a slower build up of their relationship rather than the immediate connection angle.

But altogether, there's a lot that happens in this novella and although it's a self-contained story in itself, it's obviously setting the stage for a much larger story. I really hope the author is planning to write more.

I will warn you about the narrator. I found her male voices to be on the annoying side. Hal was slightly annoying, but the voice the narrator used for Manx was just painful.

Note: This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com.

Great Listen

I love the Narrator & this book is quick but good!! I really hope to hear more from both the author & narrator!! I DON'T LEAVE SPOILERS ALL I WILL SAY IS....
YES I loved the book & the Narrator IS AMAZING!!
WOULD I RECOMMEND??
DEFINITELY!!
"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com."

The Rising of a Mermaid Queen

What made the experience of listening to Ink: A Mermaid Romance the most enjoyable?

There was little romance and much more intrigue. Ink rises up to dethrone her murderous uncle.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ink. She was smart, compassionate, selfless and brave.

What does Kristin James bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The drama of the story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes it was a short listen full of action and adventure.

Any additional comments?

Ink never really ever trusted her uncle. She always thought that it was more than just a tragedy that her father the king and then her other uncle who then became king died in war and accidents. She just thought it was too much of a coincidence and wondered if the youngest brother who is now the mer king was involved in her parents and other uncle's deaths. Her uncle bonds her over as a mate to the mer tribe who had killed her parents. As Ink is selfless and wants to do what is best for her people she reluctantly agrees to the match. This match though is a ploy and part of her evil uncle's plans to gain full control over both mer tribes as well as the fresh water mers and other aquatic races.

There was a bit of a romance with an alligator sifter, however the main story involved the conflict between Ink and her treacherous murderous uncle.

It was a good fantasy adventure and bit different from the usual fare.

I would love for there to be a sequel or series.

“I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot come”

A fun tail...err tale!

Melanie Karsak created an engaging, modern mer romance that was masterfully narrated by Kristin James. A quick listen that can be enjoyed in one sitting, so pick up a copy today!

great story

Love this story! really grabs you and keep you interested! I love suspenseful romance stories. whish it was a little longer but also I think it cut off at the right time. hopefully she decides to make a sequel to this story! love the characters.

Surprisingly different

I have to start by saying this is not my genre. Still, I really enjoyed this story. This is a novella, yet I felt the story was developed and not rushed. I liked Ink's strong character, the vivid descriptions of the mer world. Ink, our protagonist, is thrust into a very difficult situation, but tries to work as fairly as she can to save her people while constantly dealing with betrayal. I particularly loved the scene where Ink transforms from a mermaid to a "dry walker". The authors description of what Ink went through was as believable as anyone could imagine. Very creative.
The story is told from Ink's point of view, and we feel all of her strength, angst, and heart as she maneuvers through the treacherous world she's been thrust into. Vivid characters, engaging story, and wonderfully realistic world. Readers in this genre should totally enjoy this story, as well as those who don't normally read this genre.

A nice book

Where does Ink: A Mermaid Romance rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Out of all the mermaid books that I have read/listened to, this book would rank more towards the bottom of my list.

What other book might you compare Ink: A Mermaid Romance to and why?

N/A

What about Kristin James’s performance did you like?

I liked how she used different tones and pitches. It makes you feel like the other characters are really talking.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No extreme reaction. This book was neither bad, nor contained the wow factor. It did, however, keep my attention. An extreme reaction for me is to be able to crawl inside the book and this was just on the precipice of being able to crawl inside it.

Any additional comments?

I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com.

Romance with determined mermaid princess

Would you consider the audio edition of Ink: A Mermaid Romance to be better than the print version?

I have not picked up the print version yet, but I enjoy hearing the many voices of the characters with their strong personalities that Kristin James brings to live.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Ink: A Mermaid Romance?

One of the most memorable is when Ink defies what her King has ordered and does what she knows is right. She goes to help Hal, and learns that a new war is coming the way of her kind, along with how she feels about Hal.

Have you listened to any of Kristin James’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Kristin has become one of my favorite voices. She, once again, is an outstanding voice actress. The determined personality of Ink is solid in her voice. She does many male voice tones along with females in this vast world, again making it easy for us to listen and differentiate the characters. And I really like when Ink thinks something, Kristin makes it sound as though it's vibrating in her head, this way we know she's thinking it and not actually saying the words. Though the reaction would be strong if others heard what she thinks from time to time.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. Melanie once again hits the ground running in the first chapter. It's packed full with feelings of Ink on humans, her ruling Uncle, father and mother, and implying her thoughts on her dry walking starting tonight. However, I think it might have been a bit to fast.

This is a short story and a tremendous amount of story and world packed into it. Melanie has done an amazing job of bringing a whole world to us. But at times I felt like the story was to short for the size of the world and characters created. I would have loved a few more moments with them in some parts of the story. And other moments there was so much happening at the same time, all the connections in one spot firing away. It might have been only a few words that connected outside things to this one event, but they were there.

Any additional comments?

Aaah, the characters... Ink is a strong woman. She does what she must for her people to survive. The waters of the world are poisoned by pollution and the mer-folk are affected by it. The mer-people are also at odds with others of their kind. To try and help her people and live in peace, she's agreed to marry a man she would rather hate. But! Before she is betrothed she meets a stunning man that she feels drawn to from the first moment their eyes meet. He's a Nagaul. Nagauls are other shifters that live on land. Hal's animal form is an alligator. Dangerous! Just the type of animal he is sends the shivers down my spine.