Brenda Pandos

Ever since reading Everblue last year, I've been eagerly waiting to see what fate awaited Ash and Fin. These two have a love that is too adorable for words! It's hard not to want to root for something good to happen to them. Everblue left off with some cliffhangers happening in Natatoria. Tatchi, Fin and Ash were all left hanging in some type of precarious position. So I don't think I need to explain too deeply why I had such a deep need to see what happened! I dove right in.

I wouldn't have show more though it possible, but Evergreen may be my new favorite in the series! The pure adrenaline that fuels these pages is hard not to become addicted to. No one in this book ever gets a moments rest! Treachery, promises, chases, love, it's all here. It's like watching the best kind of action movie unfold. With the addition of mermaids. Do I have your attention yet? My favorite part was finally uncovering what being "promised" actually means. Oh no, you won't get the answer from me. Go read it for yourself!

Best of all, Pandos not only brings back all of my favorite characters (*swoon* Fin) but also introduces some new ones to keep things fresh. She seamlessly meshes together the two stories, so that it is like you never left in the first place. If I had one complaint at all, it's that I missed Tatchi. She's one of my favorite characters because of her awesome attitude, and she doesn't really make an appearance here too much. It's my hope that in the next book we will see more of her! I'm guessing, and no spoilers here, that we will. I'll just have to impatiently wait and see!

Truly, if you're looking for a great mer-themed read, I highly suggest Everblue and the whole Mer Tales series! Brenda Pandos proves that you may think you know everything there is to know about mermaids, but you probably don't. The perfect beach read is right here waiting for you! Go pick up a copy. show less

What would you do if you found out your best friend, and coincidentally the boy you were crushing on, happened to be mermaids? Full fledged, tail possessing, swimming, mermaids. I don't know what I'd do personally, but Brenda Pandos takes us through Ashlyn's story as she discovers this world in Everblue. I'm pleased to say that this is a mermaid book that I honestly did love. Pandos takes a lore that we all know, and puts her own delicious spin on it. Hold on, you're in for a ride.

I have to show more confess that Tatiana and Fin are officially my new favorite brother/sister duo. Their sweet banter, the love they have for one another, and the way they take care of each other, is just wonderful. I knew I'd love Fin from the moment he walked into Ashlyn's view and she described him. He's a gorgeous, kind hearted boy. Who doesn't love those? Then we learn more about Tatiana and her spitfire attitude, and I was just smitten. The two of them scream sibling bond. Which, and I won't spoil anything big, makes the ending that much more difficult. (Insert dramatic music here.)

Ashlyn was a great character too, although I didn't fall in love with her as much as I would have liked to. I admired her ability to adapt and to fight for what she wanted. However there were times when she just felt slightly flat to me. Sometimes it felt as though she was going through the motions just to do things while she was waiting for something more important to happen. Compared to Fin, I just didn't feel she was as developed. As the story progressed, she definitely grew into her own though. By the time the ending came I appreciated her much more than the beginning. I know that in the second book I'll be right on board with her!

The relationship between Fin and Ashlyn is downright adorable. I'll tell you that right now! Again, no spoilers. Basically it's just too cute for words anyway. What I will say is that even though you hear a lot about Tatiana in the blurb, you won't really see too much of her in the story. It's not a bad thing, just letting you know. Everblue very much focuses on Fin and Ashlyn, even going so far as to alternate between their points of view in each chapter. Truth be told, I loved that. Seeing the story from both sides made it all the more engrossing and wonderful.

If you're a fan of worldbuilding in your stories, you'll love Everblue. As I mentioned above, Pandos takes what we know about mermaids (and mermen) and adds her own amazing spin to it. These aren't your run of the mill merpeople. They are so much more than that. The story that is built around them and their rich history is really what blew me away. When the ending came, with that darn cliffhanger, I was so ready for more. I cannot wait to see what happens next! I'm hoping for more Fin, more Ashlyn, and more romance.

Long story short? Get a copy of Everblue. Mermaids, romance, twists, it's all there. This book is well worth your time. show less

I gave this 4 stars but would rather have done 3.5. Another reviewer said it was very similar to Twilight. I try to avoid comparisons as many things could relate to others. But I found myself checking the cover to see if I got some kind of mix up. It was very much similar. The difference being that I very much disliked the lead character. She was obsessed. She kept talking about a relationship with someone that only helped her once. Then how betrayed she was, and on and on it went of show more constantly obsessing about him. Then she was betrayed more so followed by another guy who was merely friendly to her and suddenly they were pulling her in two separate directions when neither had spent more than a day with her. It was exhausting.

If I hadn't liked the concept of the book and the overall plot, I'd have given it a 1 star. With all that said, I did like it enough to think I might could endure the next in the series with very huge hopes that the girl manages to stop obsessing so. The writing is good and descriptions make you keep going. The fight scenes were great and I liked the style. show less

I enjoy all things Mer but I absolutely loved this book! Everblue left off with some crazy stuff going down in Natatoria; Tatchi being left behind because of the bassface Azor forcing her promise, Fin and his parents escaping with the aid of their band of ferrymen, Fin proposing to Ash with a red stone for his ginger girl, and Fin, leaving Ash behind, taking a family road trip to Florida to escape evil mermen. So now we continue this adventure that takes place over a span of show more 11days...slightly less than actually but a lot can happen as Pandos proves.


While the dates being in the title of each chapter helped to keep me on track, I was still blown away with the amount of action and drama that occurred in said time frame. Doesn't anyone ever sleep?! Well, without the help of incapacitating octopus ink at least? I am by no means complaining whatsoever because Pandos brilliantly introduces new characters, subtly brings back memorable ones, and then weaves them seamlessly into the evergrowing, eversurprising, and evermysterious plot.


While the mission to rescue Tatchi is still a running theme, some other surprises take priority. Events that took place behind the palace walls years ago are well kept secrets...until now. Who really is "royalty"? What does being "promised" truly mean? Does anyone have the answers?


With mergirls like Galadriel, who may mirror Ash in looks but screams danger, and the return of the dark side with the likes of Uncle Alaster, who is so disgustingly evil that readers will recoil at the mention of his name, there is no room for boredom or even a potty break! I ended up burning my dinner because I left it on the stove as I was finishing the last chapter...not a smart thing to do *cough* children do not follow this example! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this amazing creation by Pandos and definitely recommend this to anyone and everyone. Action, romance, suspense, humor, and fantasy all rolled into this delectable treat. Bon appetite!


“We could try the window. It looks a little small but once the light comes in, we can lob Gidget through the window.” “Gidget?” I asked. “Yeah.” He pointed at Ash. “Girl midget.”

Pandos, Brenda (2012-06-26). Evergreen (Mer Tales) (Kindle Locations 4857-4860). Obsidian Mountain Publishing. Kindle Edition. show less