"A great trilogy all in one book!"
THE LAST MERMAID is really a trilogy, all wrapped up in one
book. If you think of it, this is really great. No waiting
for the next one to come out. Just turn the page, and there
it is. Our first story takes place in the year 531 A.D. The isle
of Kell, a small island off the Scottish coast, is a
dangerous isle. It's surrounded by rocks and coral and is
said to be enchanted. Of course, she lives there. It is her
island. Ione has been alone for too long now. When they
were old enough, her brothers and sisters all left the isle
of Kell. Now she's the last one of her kind she's aware of. On his way back to his father, Prince Aedan and his escort
are set upon by a group of Picts. When he sees all his men
fall, Aedan knows his cause is useless. After he ends up
wounded, two men take him out in a boat and drop him in the
sea. Just when he begins to accept his mortality, he sees
her, her face is the loveliest he's ever seen. Then he
passes out and comes to in a castle. He vaguely remembers a
beautiful woman and the sharing of their bodies, but knows
he must have dreamed it. Aedan finds himself in a bed with
the beautiful woman of his dreams by his side. She tells
him he will remain with her, forever. As Aedan begins to
fall in love with Ione, he also refuses to remain a captive
on the island. He also finds out Ione is a Siren and Kell
is her life. Will Aedan ever be able to leave Kell? What of his love for
Ione? What of his father's kingdom? Our next story jumps ahead a few centuries to the year 1721
A.D. Our Siren in this story happens to be a man, Ronan
MacMhuirich, Earl of Kell. He has been the Laird of Kell
for more years than he cares to remember. When our story
begins, we find Ronan in London, following a tip he
received on the man trying to kill him. Of course, Ronan
does have some of his clansmen with him. After being told
his greedy neighbor will be at a ball, Ronan puts in an
appearance, only to find the man doesn't show up. In
disgust, he has his men make one final trip around the room
to try and locate the sorry excuse for a human being. And
then, his eyes meet hers across the crowded room. The most
beautiful woman he's ever seen and he's instantly smitten. Leila is not happy with her life. Unfortunately, Che has
not given her a choice. The man found her, alone in the
burned out wreck of her village, when she was but a child
and raised her. Of course, no one else knows Che is also
the famous assassin, the Hand of God, and he has trained
her to follow in his footsteps. Naturally, Che has taken
advantage of her "gift" as well. This "gift" is Leila's
ability to "read" people by touching them. For that very
reason, Leila is always bundled up so as not to
accidentally touch anyone. When she finds out the subject
of her latest assignment, she demands the right of touching
him to see if the man really is evil or not. When these two meet, the attraction is instanteous. The
only thing Leila "sees" when she touches Ronan, is the sea. Will Leila carry out her assignment? Will she ever be free
of Che? What of Ronan? Will he fall in love with Leila and
reveal his secret? For our final story, we jump to the present. Ever since the
death of her parents, Ruriko "Ruri" Kell has not had an
easy time of it. Her parents left her with a mountain of
debt, causing Ruri to drop out of school. Of course, she
still has her extended family, but she's in a small
apartment and works as a telephone psychic. When a stranger
shows up at her apartment looking for her father, Ruri
knows he is dangerous. Not only is the man too handsome for
his own good, Ruri can tell he's hiding something. The man,
Iain MacInnes, offers to buy the island of Kell, someplace
Ruri has never heard of. When her lawyers contact her about
an offer on the island, Ruri is immediately suspicious. Of
course, there is a condition. Iain has demanded Ruri see
Kell and he sends the tickets for her flight. What will happen when Ruri arrives in Scotland? What of her
attraction for the mysterious Iain? Will Ruri ever find out
who she really is and her families past? THE LAST MERMAID is a wonderful read you don't want to end.
Shana Abe' has done a wonderful job of tying three very
different stories together. The thread uniting these
stories is a mysterious island, mermaids, a locket and
love. I really loved the way myth and reality were combined
in these stories to create something totally believable. We
watch as the castle on Kell becomes old and becomes a ruin,
as the island goes from being a warm, loving home to
something avoided. All three of these stories will entrance
you, from the very first page throughout the entire book. I
didn't want this one to end. We get the opportunity of
meeting people from different ages all meet and fall in
love. If you're looking for something a bit on the
different side to read, with stories from Celtic Scotland
to the present, something with a mermaid and myth, don't
pass this one by. I highly recommend this one to everyone
that loves a good mermaid tale! Reviewed by Chere Gruver
Posted July 27, 2004
Reviewed by Chere Gruver
Posted November 19, 2006
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An enchanted land...An ageless legend...A timeless love...
Three seductive love stories, three passionate couples, all linked by one of the most romantic myths of all... The Last Mermaid is a single volume containing three separate romances. No fretting for sequels! The three different books composing it span three different time periods, with three different couples. Myth, magic, and the descendants of a legendary couple link all three stories. In other words, this a trilogy without the wait, LOL. The first book is set in the Kingdom of the Isles (today part of Scotland) just after the Romans abandoned what we call Great Britain, where a fabled king owes his life to the siren who loves him. Which is better: to rule a kingdom or embrace true love? Hmmm, if only he could have both.... The second book takes place in eighteenth-century Scotland. Ronan MacMhuirich is the Earl of Kell. He's rich and powerful and knows that someone wants him dead. Too bad the hired assassin turns out to be both a gifted psychic and the most fascinating woman he's ever met. The third book is contemporary, a big leap for me as a writer (don't worry, it's plenty historical!), taking place in both Scotland and the United States. Ruriko Kell is an American who has just inherited a far-flung Scottish island she's never seen, from a family she's never known. And just who is this gorgeous Scotsman so intent to get her there—and how does he know so much about her? Genre: Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Collection, Mermaids
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