Today, I am on the Our Bloody Pearl BBNYA 2021 finalists book tour. Thanks to The Write Reads for inviting me along and for the copy of the book to take part.
The ocean is uncontrollable and dangerous. But to the sirens who swim the warm island waters, it’s a home more than worth protecting from the humans and their steam-propelled ships. Between their hypnotic voices and the strength of their powerful tails, sirens have little to fear.
That is, until the ruthless pirate captain, Kian, creates a device to cancel out their songs.
Perle was the first siren captured, and while all since have either been sold or killed, Kian still keeps them prisoner. Though their song is muted and their tail paralyzed, Perle’s hope for escape rekindles as another pirating vessel seizes Kian’s ship. This new captain seems different, with his brilliant smile and his promises that Kian will never again be Perle’s master. But he’s still a human, and a captor in his own way. The compassion he and his rag-tag human family show can’t be sincere… or can it?
Soon it becomes clear that Kian will hunt Perle relentlessly, taking down any siren in her path. As the tides turn, Perle must decide whether to run from Kian forever, or ride the forming wave into battle, hoping their newfound human companions will fight with them.
Our Bloody Pearl is a fantasy story that is all inclusive.tale of a non binary disabled siren who falls in love with a pirate. I really appreciated this book. It came along at a time when myself and my family are dealing with a son who is transgender. All the issues that come with this make for a quagmire of emotions,never mind the mental issues. Just to read a book in which diversity is front and centre made our issues feel a bit more normal.
A story that made me feel as if everything would hopefully work out for Perle. We even have a representation for the disabled as well, which is something that isn’t the norm really. Everything about this book made me feel good, especially when we see Perle accept the fact that they have lost their tail and discover alternative ways to live and move forward in their life. It was intriguing and fascinating to bear witness to such an important part of Perle’s life.
I must admit my imagination started off by running wild with the eating scenes at first , but hey… a siren has to eat, don’t they? I soon reigned that imagination in I didn’t want to have to stop reading! The story is told from Perle’s point of view, and it makes the story even more unique as this gives us a sirens view on the world.
D.N.Bryn’s world building is really good. The one thing I will say is I would have adored to spend more time in the sirens world. I am so curious about this angle; I hope we see more of this in future books.
I would never have thought Our Bloody Pearl would be a book for me, but surprisingly, I loved it. If you are looking for a story that represents the LGBT+ community or enjoy pirates and mermaid tales, this is one you should pick up. D.N. Bryn has excelled with the gender representations. This is one adventure I want to keep up with.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
D.N. Bryn began writing short stories in middle school and has yet to stop. They received their bachelors degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from UCSD, and enjoy a day job involving respiratory disease research. They bring their love for animals, science, and mythology into all their writing, and are passionate about creating inclusive worlds where a diverse array of characters can go on grand adventures without being hindered by social misconceptions based on their appearance, sexuality, or gender.
About BBNYA
BBNYA is a yearly competition where Book Bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors. If you are an author and wish to learn more about the BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website or twitter.
The sign-ups will soon be open for the 2022 BBNYA competition, be it for authors to enter their books, or for bloggers wanting to be part of the new panel, so keep your eyes peeled!!
BBNYA is brought to you in association with the Folio Society (If you love beautiful books you NEED to check out their website!) And the book blogger support group The Write Reads.
sharonbeyondthebooks.uk 