Review: A unique and richly layered fantasy world
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 6, 2014
It is difficult to write a review of this second book in the Mermen of Ea series without giving away too much information about the plot and characters. There is a lot of excitement, intrigue and some unexpected surprises in this book including a couple of scenes where the reader will be hard-pressed not to gasp out loud.Shira Anthony is a masterful story teller and a tremendous writer. She writes beautiful prose that grab a reader’s attention and imagination. The character development, dialogue and hot mermen sex scenes are only paralleled by Anthony’s ability to entrench readers in a completely fictional, fantastical world that is brilliant and harsh at the same time.The Ea world that Anthony has created is intriguing and complex. The basic premise is that the mermen, who have hidden their dual nature, – mermen and human forms – have been enslaved and tortured by both humans and their own people for centuries. Ian Dunaidh and Taren Laxley, reincarnated priests, find themselves as leaders of a brutal civil war. They are the underdogs in this fight and are surrounded by powerful mages and weaponry.In Into the Wind, Ian and Taren are on a quest. They are in search of the rune stone, a legendary vessel of great and mysterious power. That power is essential to possess, but it is also very dangerous. It is the possession of this stone that caused the death of Owyn, Ian’s previous incarnation. Both Taren and Ian fear the results of possessing the stone again. It is imperative that readers are aware this is the second book in a three-book series. There are some incredible cliffhangers.Taren and Ian have spent a lot of time interacting with humans, and although the humans are a threat to them, it is their own Ea counterparts that cause the most turmoil and damage, both physically and psychologically.In this book, Taren and Ian are fighting for the future of the Ea as well as trying to re-kindle their centuries old love. Along with the adventure, fantasy and angst, Anthony has written a beautiful romance. As Anthony noted in a recent interview, here,  Taren and Ian are reincarnated “soul mates” who are “fated to find each other when they’re reborn. It’s an incredibly romantic concept.”What makes this book so outstanding is Anthony’s picturesque prose and wonderful character development, and that applies to not just Ian and Taren, although the two of them are compelling. In this second book, Rider and Bastian make a dramatic appearance as do some of the other important characters from book one, as well as a new character, who is a bit of an enigma, to say the least.In both Stealing the Wind and Into the Wind, Anthony has created and delivered a fantastical and well-crafted tale with biblical, mythological and Arthurian Legend allusions. The chemistry between the characters, both human, Ea, as well as the hybrids you will meet in this second book is compelling. In this book (and series), Anthony takes the concept of a contemporary romantic fairy tale and turns it on its head. Unlike with the Blue Notes series, these books do need to be read in order to fully appreciate the tale Anthony weaves.Into the Wind is a unique and richly layered fantasy world that will capture the readers’ hearts, minds and imaginations. It is a romantic tale exploring a journey of discovery, love, growth and coming to terms with the past. It also is a multi-layered adventure filled with war, violence, prejudice, pirates, treasure and passion. Although Stealing the Wind, the first book in this series, is a wonderful book, it is with Into the Wind that Anthony’s writing style and storytelling abilities shine bright.