Review: Darkness (Florence Waverley #3) by Ciye Cho

Be sure to check out my reviews of Florence (book 1) and Luminaire (book 2)...

Darkness

(Florence Waverley #3)

by Ciye Cho

2/9/15

A dire prophecy has emerged, and the mer believe that humans and merfolk are in grave danger. Terror is closing in, but only one person holds the key to stopping it: Florence Waverley. However, her mission to save two worlds will lead her far, far out into the Darkness--a shadow-realm full of monsters, magic, and wicked tides that could tear apart bodies.

With the help of her friends, Florry must uncover a secret about humans and mer. A long-lost secret that could change her life. And above all else, she must fight hard to light the darkness. Everything depends on her mission: her friends, her world, and the one she loves.

The past, present, and future are about to collide--but can she stay afloat? One way or another, nothing will be the same when she enters the Darkness...

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WATCH THE DARKNESS BOOK TRAILER

Diving back into the Florence Waverley world is always such a treat! Ciye Cho returns to his mermaid series with book three, Darkness, and he definitely does not disappoint!

Florence “Florry” Waverely has come to love the underwater world she now lives in, but a dire prophecy could lead to its destruction. The worlds of both mankind and humans are at stake and Florry is the only one who can save both. Florence’s mission to save the world takes her to a dark and deep place where she and her friends uncover a startling secret, dangerous new enemies, and life changing events.

The Florence Waverley series has come to be one of my absolute favorite mermaid series! Ciye Cho continues to spin spectacularly colorful, enchanting, and thrilling stories full of thrills, romance, whimsy, and wonderful characters. Like its predecessors, Darkness is bursting with imagination! The underwater, mermaid world in the series is simply dazzling and mesmerizing. Lush in details and vibrantly vivid, this is a world that completely enthralls and immerses readers. Niemela, the mermaid world Florence lives in, is full of wondrous, exciting things. And in book three, Cho takes Florence and readers on a deliciously dangerous journey beyond Niemela and into the great Darkness. From razorwaves to zombie like mermaids and giant beasts, I love how the chilling, darkly captivating side of this underwater world is explored in this volume.

Florence continues to grow and mature as a heroine, yet remains the same sweet, adorkable, fiesty girl that I’ve loved since book one. Florry has such an awesome mix of compassion, strength, humor, curiosity, and courage in her that makes her so lovable, admirable, and likable. She is surrounded by so many wonderfully diverse and fun characters, from bubbly Yolee, endearing Wynn, fierce Mara, and brave Rolan. The romance between Florence and Rolan is sweet and heart melty!

Florence and her companions find themselves on a perilous journey deep into the Darkness and Cho keeps the twists, dangers, and startling revelations coming. The secret they uncover, and the events its reveal lead to, are awesomely gasp-worthy and a real game changer. Darkness definitely left me excited and anxious for book four!

My Final Thoughts: With spectacular world-building, sparkling storytelling, thrills on every page, and wonderful characters, Darkness is a fantastic third book in a truly special series!

MY RATING

5/5 yummy cupcakes

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Ciye Cho lives in Australia and works as a graphic designer. He writes YA novels in his free time--and his head is often lost in the clouds or some place far from reality...

To learn more about Ciye’s other works, please click here.

Review: Luminaire (Florence Waverly #2) by Ciye Cho

Luminaire

(Florence Waverly #2)

Ciye Cho

12/1/12

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Being the only human in a world of merfolk... isn't easy. Florence Waverley chose to stay in Niemela, but things have gone awry. Secrets have risen and the prince she cares about has pulled away. All the while, dark dreams warn her of a tragedy that only she can stop. But in order to save the merman she loves, Florence will have to enter the Life Path tournament: a brutal test of fear and madness.The tournament is a rite of passage--a maze where young mermaids and mermen battle to find their purpose. It is also a place where Florence will face grave danger: mermaids with evil magic, tunnels filled with sea fire, and guardians who wish to use her as a pawn in their secret plans. But will Florence be strong enough to survive the tournament... or will she perish inside it?Everything hangs in the balance: her life, her world, and her love.

*slight spoilers for book one* 

THREE WORDS: Dazzling, Vivid, Enthralling

MY REVIEW: Ciye Cho's Florence, the first book in the Florence Waverly series, left me simply enchanted and mesmerized, so I was very excited to learn that there would be a sequel and I dove right into Luminaire as soon as I got it. And the second volume in this charming mermaid series is, in my opinion, even better than the first (and that's saying something).

After the events in book one, Florence Waverly chooses to remain in the mer world of Niemela, but the mer king she loves, Rolan, begins to pull away from her and many of the other mers continue to resent her presence. Florence starts to have dark dreams warning her of a threat only she can defeat, a threat she must defeat to save the people and world she's come to love. To support Yolee, Florence, too, begins life path training and finds herself participating in the dangerous and potentially deadly Life Path tournament where she and her new found friends must use all their training and then some to get out alive.

There's nothing more exhilarating and comforting than losing yourself in a fictional world that you've come to love and diving into Luminaire and back into Florence's underwater world was such a fun and fantastic rush. Cho continues to dazzle with his imaginative, vivid, and superbly developed world-building, his endearing characters, enticing romance, and endlessly entertaining story.

Like its predecessor, Luminaire is so lushly imagined and crafted. Cho brings his underwater world of Niemela to life in a way that simply sparkles with bursts of palpable colors, sounds, textures, and tastes. There's such a lovely beauty to this underwater world, but also a fascinating and eerie darkness. This already layered world is expanded and explored even more in this volume, as we learn more about its history, customs, and political hierarchy.

I really love the whole storyline in this book, with Florence and Yolee entering their respective life path training then participating in the harsh Life Path tournament. The Life Path tournament, with its brutal tests of courage, strength, intelligence, and mere survival, is reminiscent of the Triwizard Tournament in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but entirely original and captivating in its own right. This action packed tournament, full of thrills and chills around every corner, under every rock, and through every portal, had me furiously turning pages and left me breathless.

But Luminaire isn't all action and mayhem, there's definitely some romance going on between Florence and Rolan. This romance is both incredibly sweet and deliciously frustrating, and completely addicting. I love Florence and Rolan as a pair; they really complement one another. But I definitely love them as individuals as well. Florence continues to be such a relatable and likable heroine. She's special and different, with unique abilities, but she never feels out of reach or unattainable; there's a wonderful genuineness and authenticity to her. Yolee is still a ball of lovable mermaid adorableness and I want to be her BFF. We meet two new mers in this book, the adorkably sweet Wynn and the badgirl Mara, both of which I adore!

The books concludes with a highly satisfying ending, but the twists and turns continue to the very last page and the ending definitely left me wanting more (so much more!)

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Luminaire is one of those rare sequels that not only matches its predecessor in awesomeness, but surpasses it. This mer series, with its superbly developed world and stellar storytelling, is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Readers, from tweens looking for a fun, exciting new mer tale to adults simply looking for a fresh, fantastical story to fall into, will love this series. I highly recommend picking up the very affordable Florence then snatching up Luminaire when it releases.

MY RATING

Read my review of Florence

Find the author: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

Ciye Cho lives in Australia and works as a graphic designer. He writes YA novels in his free time--and his head is often lost in the clouds or some place far from reality...

Discover the first book in this series, Florence...

Seventeen-year-old Florence Waverley is out of her depth. Literally. Kidnapped and taken below the waves to the mer world of Niemela, she is the ultimate gift for merman Prince Kiren: a human familiar tied to his side. But nothing is what it seems amid the beauty and danger of a dark ocean.
Every Niemelan has a role to play, from the mermaids who weave towers out of kelp to the warriors who fight sea monsters. But in trying to survive, Florence will end up in the middle of a war between the mer and the Darkness. A conflict that will push her between two brothers: Kiren, the charmer inexplicably drawn to both her and the monsters; and Rolan, the loner who has been pushing her away since the day they met. But in order to take a stand--and find out where she belongs--Florence will have to risk it all: her life, her heart... and her very soul.

Watch the gorgeous Florence trailer...

eARC Review: Florence by Ciye Cho

TITLE: Florence                                            AUTHOR: Ciye Cho PUB DATE: 7/1/12                                      FORMAT: eARC SOURCE: from author for review

Seventeen-year-old Florence Waverley is out of her depth. Literally. Kidnapped and taken below the waves to the mer world of Niemela, she is the ultimate gift for merman Prince Kiren: a human familiar tied to his side. But nothing is what it seems amid the beauty and danger of a dark ocean.
Every Niemelan has a role to play, from the mermaids who weave towers out of kelp to the warriors who fight sea monsters. But in trying to survive, Florence will end up in the middle of a war between the mer and the Darkness. A conflict that will push her between two brothers: Kiren, the charmer inexplicably drawn to both her and the monsters; and Rolan, the loner who has been pushing her away since the day they met. But in order to take a stand--and find out where she belongs--Florence will have to risk it all: her life, her heart... and her very soul.

WATCH THE TRAILER

THREE WORDS: Enchanting, Lush, Mesmerizing

MY REVIEW: A few weeks ago I reviewed another mermaid book that was unfortunately a miss, so I was very happy to discover a mermaid story that is a great big hit! Ciye Cho’s Florence is a refreshing and captivating mermaid tale that had me enthralled from beginning to end.

After the death of her father, seventeen year old Florence Waverly doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere: not at school or even in her mother’s posh world. During a class field trip to the beach, Florence is kidnapped and taken to the mer world of Niemela. She’s meant to be a gift to the young Prince Kiren on the eve of his coronation. But Florence soon finds herself caught up in a fierce struggle between the Niemelans and the Darnkess, a dangerous enemy. She also finds herself caught between two brothers: the charming Kiren and his older, mysterious brother Rolan. Florence must summon the strength and courage she never knew she possessed in order to save this new world she’s come to love.

Diving into the world of Florence was a completely enchanting and fantastical experience! Cho has created a wonderfully refreshing and imaginative new take on mermaids and filled his underwater world with delightful characters and electric romance.

One of the things I love most about this book is how lush and vivid the underwater world is. Cho’s world-building is phenomenal! The ocean world of Niemela shimmers and shines on every page. I could image every color, texture, smell, sound or taste easily in my mind. There’s something absolutely exquisite and breathtaking about the world of Niemela, yet, at times, it’s equally chilling and forbidding.  

And I love that the merpeople in this world are not your usual Disney-esque mers. The Niemelans are beautiful in appearance with their multi-colored hues, and have an essence that is both mesmerizing and dangerous. These beings and this world are as lovely as they are layered. Cho has crafted a dimensional and believable political/social/cultural mer world as well.


Florence is a really likable and relatable heroine. I loved her natural curiosity, cleverness and determination. She’s definitely the type of heroine that is easy to root for and whose journey readers will be fully invested in. Yolee, the young Niemelan princess and Florence’s “hostess”, is such a gem. She’s endearing, sweet and funny. I loved the close friendship (an almost sisterhood) that develops between these two girls.

Prince Kiren and Prince Rolan make for two very different, yet equally enticing, love interests and heroes. Kiren is very charming and fun, while Rolan is more serious and thoughtful. I’m not a huge fan of love triangles, but this one never felt contrived or in my face. I ended up really liking both of these guys and appreciated Florence’s believable feelings for both Princes.  There’s a definite spark between our heroine and each fella.

Cho has created an awesome and sinister villain with the Darkness. This is an entity that is as captivating as it is eerie and frightening.

There’s resolution in the conclusion, but it is also open ended and leaves plenty of room for a sequel…and I’ve been told by the author that there will be a sequel! *squee*

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: There are quite a few new mermaid books popping up on the YA scene and Ciye Cho’s Florence definitely stands out with its originality, dazzling underwater world, engaging characters and intriguing villain. This is one mermaid book not to be missed!

MY RATING

Find the author: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

Ciye Cho has been dreaming of the universe of Orberana for a very long time. Ever since he was a child, Ciye has had a passion for creating fantasy worlds and characters, from stories of eccentric adventurers to wisecracking trees. But at the age of twenty-five, his life of daydreaming has culminated in a project of dizzying oddness and wonder—Shiewo: A Fantasy Flight to Adventure.Like the intrepid Captain Shiewo, Ciye Cho is ready for anything.Ciye lives in Australia, and works as a freelance graphic designer.