Escaping... One Book @ a Time: ~Tour Review & Giveaway~ Dangerous Depths by Karen Amanda Hooper

Release Date: November 20, 2013
Published By: Starry Sky Publishing
Length: 282 pages
Review Copy: eARC, copy provided for tour

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Hell hath no fury like a selkie separated from his true love.

The gate to the sea creature realm is finally open. Yara wants to bask in the glow of her budding relationship with Treygan and explore Medusa’s world, but as the new leader of Rathe her powers are needed to save a sea creature she’s never met.

Rownan assumes the worst is behind him when he returns home to be reunited with his wife, Vienna, only to discover she’s gone. She traveled to the evil realm of Harte to find another gateway to Earth and was never heard from again. Rownan claimed he would go through hell to be with her, and now he must prove it.

Rownan, Yara, and Treygan will put their lives and souls at risk by traveling to the most dangerous realm of all. Love is supposed to conquer all, but no one has ever conquered Harte.

How anyone has not read Tangled Tides is beyond me. Now with Dangerous Depths sitting finished beside me I am baffled why any one person would not be doing everything within their power to get their hands on it. Karen Hooper is a master at creating well developed characters, fascinating worlds and books that you just do not want to put down. There are people that take several books to develop a character and perfect it but Karen Hooper has it down with the first book and then just pushes her characters beyond in everything after. Reading Dangerous Depths was like revisiting a place that I had missed for far too long and yet you know it because the beauty of it all never changes. I am once again blown away by just how beautiful Karen Hooper's writing is. Dangerous Depths is every bit as amazing as Tangled Tides with a little more heart pulling moments added in for good measure. There was not a single moment that I was not hooked, flipping the pages to see how my favourite characters were going to pull off the impossible... again.

Where Tangled Tides gave you an idea of just how far everyone would go to protect the ones they love, Dangerous Depths shows you there is no measure of the distance they are willing to go. The story this time around took us to a not so beautiful land. The world was once again masterfully crafted and unique. Though there is magic, it is not beautiful and enchanting as it was before. No, this place makes you question absolutely everything that is going on and is what many would consider hell. In the quest to find Rowan’s love the trio will questioning everything that they see and do. I was often thrown from here to there or left screaming at a character that something wasn't real, to open their eyes. I would not say it was something that had terrifying creatures from my worst nightmare but for those that had to live it, I have no doubt that it was terrifying. The journey from start to finish with this one was more trying than Tangled Tides and possibly a little more emotional but it was every bit the book. There was no down time that had me board, in fact I may have stayed up late just to finish!

Yara and Treygan are still the amazing couple from the last book. There was no guessing that they were a couple or if they would finish the way they started. I would be a liar if I said that they were not tested in this novel because they were. The difference is that they were able to remain strong for each other and have a much better understanding of their relationship and who they are to each other. Yara is still the strong, self-determined and loving girl that she was before but she has much more power now. She is still learning about just how much she has and though Medusa’s sisters do not show her any respect she has no problem holding her ground. I would say that she did have growth but seeing she was already well developed and handles most things extremely well she didn't really need to, to be amazing. Yara remains to be one of my top book kick ass chicks and is loyal almost to a fault. With Treygan in this one he was every bit the Merman I remembered and then some. He is so freaking sweet and some of the small things he did continued to make me swoon. I loved that there was just love between these two now and though they are together, they do not let it change who they are.

Rownan is really the game changer in this one. I can not say that I disliked the guy but he was not my favourite person. At the end of Tangled Tides I had a general understanding of his plotting and reasoning but you never really got the depth of it all. It is obvious that Vienna and him have a love that rivals that of any you have heard before. They take soul mates to an entirely new level and as much as I love Yara and Treygan and their relationship, it basically blows them away. Yes, it is that strong of a bond and I began to feel a little more for this stubborn Selkie. There is no sacrifice too small or too large when it comes to getting Vienna back. For me Rownan because a character, not the bad guy in this one. Though some of his decisions may have been rash and questionable, his intentions were always more than honourable. Treygan may be my favourite but I would never deny that there is now a place in my heart for Rownan as well.

Someone that we also got a glimpse into was Nixie. To be honest I had never really given her much consideration before now and I regret that. Hooper has given this secondary much more depth than I had ever imagined possible. She is more than Yara's Siren. Nixie misses who she was, loves the happiness that being around her family brings and only wishes she were more useful when it comes to Yara. Her need to be needed and the fact that she often did not feel as though she were a part of everything kind of tore at me. What awaited her at the end basically ripped me apart. I would love to go into her more but I honestly feel that unless you pick up this book you could never really grasp the depth and ache that has become a part of this character.

Sometimes second books suffer and do not quite become as great as the first or the ones that come after them but I would have to say Dangerous Depths is equal to its predecessor. With its easily flowing writing, stunning characters and addictive plot I will revisit this one just as persistently as the first. There were times that I found myself hoping that what was going on was an illusion and for the most part it was… Except for one horrifying time. However, that is neither here nor there and you will need to read this amazing book to figure it out yourself. If you have not yet started the Monster Memoir Series you need to!! Karen Hooper will easily capture your attention, imagination and heart with her stunning books. This is one of the best Mermaid series out there and a must have for anyone that loves reading!!

Yara's transformation into a mixed breed left her equally balanced with dark and light, warm and cold. I wondered, if the time ever came, which species she would defend first. -Nixie

I had powers that Treygan didn't. I could conjure up storms. I had fierce selkie claws. I could fly faster than he swa. I didn't know much about dating or relationships, but I was pretty sure he was feeling emasculated. -Yara

For the first time ever, I saw Vienna. With Rowan. And if I had any traces of doubt about them before, they vanished the moment I witnessed them together. I had a new understanding and appreciation for who, and what, we were saving. -Yara

Treygan smiled deviously. "I like the sound of that."

"Get your mind out of the gutter."

"I assure you, any time I think about your body my mind is in heaven."

I threw a boot at him, but he dodged it then winked at me.

Truth be told, I wasn't confident at all. We had burns on our skin, we were trapped in a cave for who knows how long, and demonic creatures had attacked us and ripped my wings off. Our odds of surviving this trip weren't looking good.