Review: Florence by Ciye Cho

Title: Florence
Author: Ciye Cho
Publication Date: July 1, 2012

From Goodreads:


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.

My Thoughts:

Florence Waverley is a seventeen-year-old high school student who is just trying to survive the rest of high school. A loner, she spends most of her time people watching and laying low so not to bring attention to herself. But unfortunately for Florence, she is about to get more attention than ever before. While on a trip to the beach, Florence is kidnapped and brought to the depths of the sea to Niemela, the home of mermen and mermaids.

Meant to be a gift for Prince Kiren, Florence wants nothing more than to get back to her life, or what little she had of one. But as the days pass, Florence finds herself intrigued by the two princes, Kiren and Rolan, and finds a friend in Princess Yolee. When strange things start to happen in the city, Florence finds herself right in the middle of it. She is forced to make the ultimate decision: go home to the surface and forget all that has happened, or stay in Niemela and risk her life.

For someone who doesn't read a lot of paranormal, I have to admit that I was blown away by Florence. Filled with imaginative and descriptive writing, I found myself daydreaming about Niemela and of the two princes. Everything about this story came to life. I saw Florence and the royal family and each sea creature so clearly in my mind. A bright, beautiful place with the most amazing colors. Had I been Florence, I'm not sure I would ever want to leave!

Florence was a very likable character. Being a shy girl myself, I immediately connected with her. Even though some very strange things were happening to her and not all the Niemelans were friendly toward her, she still was understanding, kind and put their needs above her own. Princess Yolee was also immediately likable. Friendly and sweet with a infectious bubbly personality. The princes, Kiren and Rolan, could not have been more different. While Prince Kiren was fun and charming, Prince Rolan was strict and evasive. Even though the two were so different, it was really hard to choose a favorite. I found myself liking them more and more as the story progressed.

Florence is definitely not a book to be missed, especially if you love a good mermaid story! Danger, intrigue and even a little romance await you on every page, showing us that even the most beautiful of places can also be dark and deadly.

Right now, you can purchase an ebook of Florence for only 99¢! Order now from Amazon or Smashwords.  I think I'll be ordering myself a paperback because I truly enjoyed this book and absolutely *love* the cover art!

If you want to learn more about Florence, please visit the author's website here.






*I received a digital copy of this book for free in exchange of my honest review. This did not influence my opinion in any way and all views and opinions expressed are 100% my own.