Blog Tour Book Review: Arise by Amber Garr

On tour with Bookshelf Confessions

Author: Amber Garr
Series: The Syrenka #3
Publisher: CreateSpace
Release Date: July 4th 2012
My Rating: 5 cups
Blurb (from Goodreads):

With power comes the responsibility to accept its consequences.

After the betrayal of those closest to her, Eviana Dumahl struggles to cope with her new reality. Kidnapped, broken, and confused, she is forced to engage in a war that will alter merfolk politics forever. With her estranged father leading the charge, Eviana has no choice but to stand by his side. Her continued existence hinges on the acceptance of the power growing inside her, even when that means embracing the family’s dark lineage.

Kain Matthew will sacrifice the world for Eviana. And he is not alone. As time runs out, her friends fight to save her life and theirs. An unlikely alliance gives them the edge they need to take a stand, although it keeps Eviana’s heart trapped in the past. A new discovery explains some of her previous mistakes, but it may not be enough to stop her father’s plans. Merfolk, selkies, and water sprites work together to save their kind, only in this final battle, not everyone will survive.

In the striking series conclusion, Eviana will learn the true meaning of power, sacrifice, and love.

Arise was a book full of surprises. I honestly wasn't expecting half of the things that happened in this book. I liked that. A lot.

Eviana and her friends go through a lot of things into this last part of the trilogy. It seems as though their struggle to end Lucian's scheming and plans aren't going to end too soon. The best part of Arise is that we get to actually understand why Eviana was chosen as leader. She's much more mature than in Promises, much more focused on what she has to do for her clan and for all the creatures in the sea and humans as well. When given the chance, she chooses to face the danger, rather than flee from it. I liked that she was that strong. I also loved Kain.

Arise has everything I had hoped for: great action, suspense, thriller, some heart-breaking scenes, happy endings and tragedy. I was completely sucked in by the book. I was actually half afraid to take a break from reading, not wanting to waste time or lose focus. For me, this was one of those books that keep you so focused on the things that happen, you just can't stop reading.

Trust me when I tell you that this is a trilogy you don't want to miss. The only thing I regret is that the series ended. I truly loved Eviana, Brendan, Kain and all the other characters, as well as the world in this trilogy.

Blog Tour Book Review: Betrayal by Amber Garr

On tour with Bookshelf Confessions

Author: Amber Garr

Series: Syrenka #2
Publisher: CreateSpace
Release Date: February 20th, 2012
My Rating: 5 cups
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Life as a mermaid can be suffocating.

Eviana Dumahl has returned home as a clan leader, an orphan, and a heartbroken teenage girl. Her parents are dead and her boyfriend, Brendan, has decided that he needs some time away. While battling her inner turmoil, Eviana is forced into the war that Lucian Sutherland has incited amongst her own kind. With the help of Kain, her friend and formally betrothed, the two work together to prove that they deserve their birthrights as young merfolk leaders.

When the Council requests a demonstration of Eviana’s mermaid powers, she finds herself with an opportunity to win back Brendan’s heart. But her orders to train with a repulsive merman and the presence of an attractive new suitor challenges Eviana to embrace her leadership and resist temptation. Lucian is after her, and no one seems to understand why. Loyalties are tested as the casualties increase, showing Eviana that sometimes it is impossible to delineate between friends and enemies.


Betrayal is the second book of The Syrenka Series trilogy following Eviana and her friends as they navigate through the challenges of existing in a secret world.

If the first book in this series, Promises, was good, the second one was even better. I think it was an amazing continuation of Eviana's story.

In Betrayal we find a more mature Eviana, one that is trying to cope with everything that has happened to her. I admired her a lot in this book. Her parents are dead, she becomes clan leader and tries to stop a war, she's supposed to take care of her younger sister and her boyfriend left for God knows how long. I'd be terrified, angry. She was too, but she didn't let that fear and anger take over her. She found her strength in those feelings. What's not to admire? There was this moment where my heart broke for Eviana and I felt so much anger towards the people hurting her. I'm very curious how will she deal with those people in Arise, the final book in this trilogy.

I loved the pacing. There's always something happening, usually something surprising. I liked that a lot, the fact that I couldn't predict anything. I have to admit that I thought the traitor was someone else entirely. So I was very surprised when I saw how wrong I was. But I loved that. And I love that we get to meet some new creatures and learn more about the syrenkas and their world.

I love the cover (if you haven't noticed yet, this series has amazing covers!) and I think it's perfect for Betrayal.

I have to find out what happens next and how the story ends. If you haven't read this series yet, don't wait any longer. It's amazing!

Blog Tour Book Excerpt: Promises by Amber Garr

On tour with Bookshelf Confessions

You might remember that Promises by Amber Garr (read my review here) was the very first book with mermaids that I ever read. I loved this book then, I love it know. If you haven't yet decided to start this series (shame on you, really! LOL) here's a little excerpt from Promises:

Excerpt 1.1

I barely heard her parting words as the screen door slammed shut. My head spun in desperation as the anger coursed through my bones. “Get back in here Eviana!” she continued to scream at me. “We are not finished with this conversation!”

I was already racing down the deck stairs toward the sandy beach, kicking off my shoes and unbuttoning my blouse. We are for now, I thought as my blood boiled with rage and resentment. I was going to be trapped! How dare they? This was not the eighteenth century anymore! I had rights!

I stumbled onto the sand, taking just a brief moment to savor the warmth and the feeling of the grains massaging my toes. My shirt came off and I started to unzip my jeans. No one was around. But I wouldn’t care anyway. The water was calling me and it was the only voice that I could hear now. With one pant leg off, I hopped along in my forward progression until the other one was free. My oasis was so close now that I could taste the salt in the air. The sun broke free of a cloud, stopping me for a moment. It was late afternoon with sunset still a few hours away, but the sky had already turning multiple shades of pink and orange. The coloration reminded me of the inside of a brilliant conch shell.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I knew there would be hell to pay when I returned to the house. Marguerite, my mother, had tolerated my rebellious behavior when I was younger, giving me more freedom and second chances than anyone in our clan. But apparently now, at seventeen, I was an adult. Adult enough to bear children. Adult enough to participate in clan gatherings. Adult enough to navigate our youth through their transition period. But not adult enough to choose who to love.

A slight breeze wafted off the ocean, bringing with it scents that filled my gut with
longing. The freedom of the ocean. Why couldn’t I just stay there forever? A gull called
overhead, beckoning me to join him. The splashing waves calmed my inner rage as they ebbed and flowed in a hypnotic pattern. A distant moan of a shipping vessel reminded me of our history. I opened my eyes to see that I was standing alone along miles of sandy beach interlaced with large rocks and cliffs emblematic of the northern California coast. So beautiful. I stripped off the rest of my clothes and ran into the ocean.

As soon as I was under the water, I could feel the transition begin. My lower body ached as the bones adjusted from a life on land to one at sea. Both legs began to fuse together and work as one. My foot bones elongated while I prepared for the agony. I was accustomed to the changes now, but it was still a struggle of mind over matter. Breaking through the surface of the water, I grabbed one last breath before the final jolt of pain ravaged through my body. I bit my bottom lip and squeezed my eyes shut, willing the moment to be over. At last I felt an electric tingle move from my hips to my toes as the hardened iridescent, scales appeared on my tail. I opened my eyes to find that the internal transformation was complete as well. My vision cleared. My lungs expanded. I could hear for miles. I was free.

Do check this book out, you will love it!

Promises (Book One of The Syrenka Series) By Amber Garr

Sometimes following your heart can end up destroying the ones you love.

When seventeen-year-old Eviana Dumahl is faced with the responsibility of an arranged marriage and clan leadership, she is forced to choose between the life required of a mermaid and one of a teenage girl simply infatuated with the wrong guy. Kain, her devoted fiancé, would make a wonderful husband except that she’s been in love with Brendan, a shape-shifting selkie, ever since they were kids. Choosing to abandon her family, her clan, and her life with Kain will have dire consequences far beyond anything she could have imagined.

A war is brewing amongst the clans and Eviana unwittingly becomes a pawn in the intricate schemes of a twisted mastermind. With Brendan’s life on the line, she has no choice but to involve those she once considered friends. Amidst encountering senseless tragedies and immense loss, Eviana discovers that she is more valuable as a clan leader than anyone ever suspected. Her survival is not only dependent upon the loyalty of her friends, but also on her acceptance of a life she so adamantly tried to escape.

Buy Links: Amazon  Smashwords  Barnes and Noble

Interview: Amber Garr

Please welcome Amber Garr. She stopped by to talk about her amazing book, Promises (read my review here).

*Hello Amber! Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hi and thanks for having me! Let’s see…I work as a research marine biologist during the day, and at night I’m either dancing or writing. I grew up in the Pennsylvania mountains and have lived in Florida for the past ten years. My house is full of one husband, one dog, two cats, and six fish. I recently completed my Ph.D., and although I will continue with my career, I still look forward to sitting down and writing all of the stories in my head.


*When did you start writing?

I did a little journaling as a kind (nothing major), but I really started focusing on my fiction writing about two years ago. I had an injury and couldn’t dance for a while, so I suddenly found that I had some free time. I started with flash fiction and short stories and those quickly turned into full novels and a series! I do a lot of technical writing for my job, so this was something that quickly became a new hobby of mine and I really enjoyed the freedom and creativity it brought.


*Are you a plotter or a panster?

Definitely a plotter. I make lists reminding me to make lists. I don’t have a detailed outline, but I do plot out each chapter in the book before writing. Smaller plot points will change or appear along the way, but the major scenes and characters are usually planned. I have a special zombie journal for all of my writing notes!


*What was the inspiration for writing Promises?

Well, of course I always wished that I could be a mermaid so I often wondered what that life would be like. Would I live in the ocean or walk amongst the humans? And what kind of responsibility would that entail. So the story kind of developed from there…a secret society of mermaids and a girl who feels like the she has the weight of the world on her shoulders. Because, who hasn’t felt that way at least once in their life? The first chapter was originally one of my short stories, and after a few months, I decided to add more to it...and that quickly turned into a three book series! I loved the selkie folklore and knew that I needed to weave that into the story as well as creatures that may be lurking underneath the ocean but we never see.


*The covers for your Syrenka books are stunning! Did you have an idea of how the covers should look like while writing the books?

Thank you so much! Although, I can’t really take the credit for them other than making the decision to hire Claudia at PhatPuppyArt (http://phatpuppyart.com ). I didn’t know exactly what I wanted when we worked on the first cover (Promises). I debated over showing a tail or not, but we decided to keep that part mysterious. I wanted to emulate how “trapped” Eviana felt in the cover of the second book (Betrayal). And the third cover (Arise) evolved as I was writing. As you will see, it will be very fitting for the development of Eviana’s character by the end of the series. Claudia is simply amazing and I wish that I had time to write a story for each one of her pieces.


*What’s your favourite and least favourite part of writing?

I absolutely love creating new worlds and having characters do things that I would never have the guts (or personality) to do. My least favourite part is not having enough time to dedicate to writing. These past few months have been so busy for me that I’m dying to have my nights free to finish Arise and work on the other books in progress.


*What is your favourite book?

I can’t really pick a favourite. But I’d have to say that anything written by Kelley Armstrong, Kim Harrison, Charlaine Harris, or Richelle Mead has been read at least three or four times!


*If you could be any character from your books, who would you be and why?

I think I’d pick a water sprite. It would be cool to be able to change forms and travel anywhere water flows. I’m just not too sure about the having to eat humans part. I’m a very picky eater.


*Do you have anything planned after the Syrenka series? Will you keep writing YA?

Yes, I have two adult novels that I like to publish and I’ve been toying with a new idea for a standalone YA novel. There are also a few back stories and situations with characters from The Syrenka Series that I may write up and put together in a novella. We’ll see! I really love writing and the response to my books has been encouraging. Now I just have to find the time.


*What do you like to do besides writing in your free time?

I am involved with a local dance and fitness studio where I teach ballet/contemporary classes, perform, and choreograph. And when I’m not doing all of those things, I like going out on the water with my husband in our little boat and enjoying nature!


*If Promises were made into a movie, which actors would you choose to play the main characters?

I have thought about this so many times and the only person I’ve been sold on since the beginning is Kain…and that would be Alex Pettyfer for sure! Although I recently saw a move with a rather unknown actress (Sarah Gadon – The Moth Diaries) who may fit my ideal for Eviana. Brendan’s been tough. Perhaps Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson) with some green contacts…but I don’t know. I would love to hear some suggestions!


Thank you for stopping by!

About the Author

Amber Garr spends her days conducting scientific experiments and wondering if her next door neighbor is secretly a vampire. Born in Pennsylvania, she lives in Florida with her husband and their furry kids. Her childhood imaginary friend was a witch, Halloween is sacred, and she is certain that she has a supernatural sense of smell. She writes both adult and young adult urban fantasies and when not obsessing over the unknown, she can be found dancing, reading, or enjoying a good movie.




Social Contact

Website: http://www.ambergarr.com

Blog: http://ambergarr.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Amber-Garr/232359720165110

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5374297.Amber_Garr

Blog Tour Book Review: Promises by Amber Garr

Author: Amber Garr
Series: Syrenka #1
My Rating: 5 cups
Blurb: (from Goodreads)

Sometimes following your heart can end up destroying the ones you love.
When seventeen-year-old Eviana Dumahl is faced with the responsibility of an arranged marriage and clan leadership, she is forced to choose between the life required of a mermaid and one of a teenage girl simply infatuated with the wrong guy. Kain, her devoted fiancé would make a wonderful husband except that she’s been in love with Brendan, a shape-shifting selkie, ever since they were kids. Choosing to abandon her family, her clan, and her life with Kain will have dire consequences far beyond anything she could have imagined.
A war is brewing amongst the clans and Eviana unwittingly becomes a pawn in the intricate schemes of a twisted mastermind. With Brendan’s life on the line, she has no choice but to involve those who she once considered friends. Amidst encountering senseless tragedies and immense loss, Eviana discovers that she is more valuable as a clan leader than anyone ever suspected. Her survival is not only dependent upon the loyalty of her friends, but also on her acceptance of a life that she had so adamantly tried to escape.
Promises is the first book of The Syrenka Series trilogy following Eviana and her friends through the perils of growing up in a discrete world that inherently threatens human society.

I'm so, so happy I got to read this book. First, I haven't read a book with mermaids before (unless you count  The Little Mermaid, but that was ages ago), so this was new territory for me. Second, it's fantasy, so I knew for sure that I was going to love this book.

What I loved about this book is that you get to see each and every character both as a sea creatures and as humans. That was very interesting. And I loved the fact that mermaids are presented as being on top of the food chain. It was fun to see other creatures besides vampires that could be rulers of all races.

There were also mythological references about mermaids and how they created and when. Then there are the selkie references and I was so happy about that. If I didn't met many mermaids in my books, I hear a lot of stories about selkies and I was excited to see them included in the fantasy world, because I believe they are very interesting creatures. Plus, it's fresh. I mean, how many creatures get to shift into an animal dressing in the skin of said animal?

Besides the fact that she's a mermaid, Eviana seemed like a normal teenager to me. A girl that's stubborn, strong willed, brave. She's in love with a selkie shifter, but she's been promised to another boy since she was a little girl. You can call it a love triangle and you wouldn't be mistaken. She loves Brendan, even though everyone is against their relationship, and she chooses to run away with him. She has a sense of right and wrong, more than I expected. Yes, part of why she ran away was because of her rebelliousness, but it was also because the idea of being married to one guy and being in love with another was wrong. She's also very naive, but that is mostly due to her mother, who never thought of sharing details of the things she was supposed to expect once Eviana became a clan leader. I didn't really like her mom very much because of that.

There were a lot of surprises and a lot of twists and turns that I didn't expect. Also, I didn't expect to like Kain. I liked Brendan, the selkie, a lot, but I was expecting a dull Kain, not a hot, swoon-worthy Kain. I love the fact that both guys are really strong characters.

And, in case you didn't notice, this book has an AMAZING cover! I would stare at that cover over and over again, without getting tired. In fact, all covers in this series are amazing, gorgeous, beautiful.

I say you should definitely read this book. If you like fantasy and YA, you really should try it! And at the end of this book you'll find a sneak peak for the next book in the series, Betrayal.