Mera tidebreaker blog tour

Mera is teenage royalty, heir to the throne of Xebel, the other not-so-lost colony under the sea. But Mera is destined to wear a different crown, that of Atlantis. When the inhabitants of Xebel plot to overthrow their homeland of Atlantis, Mera is sent to kill the heir to the throne, Arthur Curry. As the unrest between their colonies grows, Mera and Arthur unexpectedly fall in love...will Arthur Curry be the king at Mera's side in Atlantis, or will he die under her blade? 

It's a long time since I've blogged (far too long!) so when I heard Nina Douglas was looking for people for a blog tour I thought it was a good way to give me the impetus to start again - especially when I heard that it was a graphic novel she was referring to! I've not seen the film Aquaman and so this is the first time I've encountered this feisty, red haired princess and I certainly enjoyed reading about her and cheering her on with her own personal rebellion. I very much liked the muted colour scheme of the book, the biggest splash of colour on each page reserved for Mera's long fiery red hair, the palette kept your attention firmly on the story without being distracted by bold colours and the blues and greens are fitting given a lot of the story  takes place under water. Interesting to note that Mera's hair is at its most vibrant when she is at home under the waves, dulling down when she is on dry land. Essentially a teen rebellion/romance story , most suited for older kids due to a couple of tiny instances of colourful language. It's a take on a Rome/Juliet scenario, with Mera falling in love with the boy she is supposed to kill. The love at first sight storyline did have me rolling my eyes a little, but that's probably due to my age and cynicism - after all I doubt I am in the target age bracket for this title! That said, I definitely appreciated the portrayal of a kick ass princess rather than the passive , pretty but essentially helpless stereotypes that we are all used to. Hat tip to the panels showing wheelchair bound passers by and a variety of body shapes as well as the panel with text 'to love' showing a couple of guys kissing. This graphic novel would make an excellent addition to any secondary school library. 

Don't take my word for it - check out other stops on the blog tour!