This is the first book in a new fantasy series entitled “Lives Entwined in Kind” by author Mel Parrish. Book 2 of the series, titled Emerge, is coming soon!
Master Abrax, a reclusive man and owner of the great Asulon mansion, is known to be utterly cruel and powerful. He’s shut himself away to keep the world out. All of this changes when an uninvited visitor shows up one day. The visitor is the mother-in-law of Abrex’s estranged brother. She bears news of his brother’s and sister in law’s deaths and carries their newborn daughter in her arms, requesting that Abrex raise and protect her.
The woman and her newborn granddaughter descend from the merpeople. A curse has been placed upon them causing immediate death should they venture into water. With little time left on Earth, the woman goes to the sea to confront the mer king and demand that the curse be lifted. The mer king is sorrowful for what he did and invites the woman back into her mer family. Once the curse is lifted, Abrex and his new “daughter” develop a lasting relationship with the merpeople.
When the girl is 14, she is still tucked away in the mansion, but longs to venture out into the world. When she is approached by a strange boy, she reports back to Abrex and a new world of danger is exposed. Abrex then becomes more determined than ever to keep his enemies at bay before it’s too late.
This is a captivating and whimsical fantasy book. The book’s shorter length, along with the interesting chapter names and well-laid-out plot, make it very easy to follow and can be devoured quickly. Much of the book feels like a setup for what is to come in future books in the series. The audience is given a lot of character backstory with very detailed world-building. The story weaves back and forth between the past and present, and there is some really great character development, especially for the protagonist, Abrex. There are no major conflicts, battles, or major villains in this book, but there is mention of potential dangers that could pose a real threat in the future.
Narrator Tom Fairfoot does a stellar job narrating this audiobook. He uses his clear and compelling voice to accurately describe a very unique world. Fairfoot’s narration style is definitely reminiscent of timeless, epic fantasy audiobooks, filled with dramatic flair and unique character voices. There are a lot of unusual and similar-sounding names in this book, so having a copy of the book while listening to it to reference all the names is definitely a great idea.
If you appreciate a fantasy book with a character-driven story where the characters’ lives are intertwined, you will likely enjoy this one. It’ll be very interesting to see where the story goes from here. Given that there are no major cliffhangers or loose ends to tie up at the conclusion of Book 1, the series has a lot of possibilities!