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sjgomzi's review against another edition
5.0
I’m a sucker for a good sea story and this one was fantastic from start to finish. I was hooked from the get go and glued to the pages. A smorgasbord of all my favorite storytelling ideas. So much to love here. Great characters, wonderful addictive prose that sucks you in and won’t let go, a villain so evil you want to reach into the book and strangle him with your own bare hands, and sea monsters, yes, actual sea monsters that not only invoke awe and fear, but some that will break your damn heart. And this book did break my heart, many times. One of my favorite reads of the year, with an ending that delivers on all the promises made before. As you can probably tell, I loved this!
the_coycaterpillar_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Maiden is like a bullet to the chest. The characterisation and the atmospheric and nightmarish landscape really does want to eat you whole. This is my first discovery of the writing of TC Parker & Ward Nerdlo but I’m going to read both authors’ back catalogue as soon as I can. The raw veracity of the storyline and the strength of the characterisation reminds me both of Barker and King with some Ketchum thrown in for good measure. It’s a writing duo that will leave a lasting impression on the brain.
Gritty and dark, Maiden introduces us to characters that are both morally grey and ones that are shaped by traumatic events of their past. However, the captain, God takes them on, gives them a clean slate. He’s not judgemental but he does run a tight ship. He wants the Pepper Kay’s maiden voyage to go without a hitch. He hires Nash – the worst of the worst, Sam, Jordan, and Charlie. Although God has hired Nash before the other three are relatively green when it comes to seafaring so it’s delightful to see how that plays out as the crabbing boat goes further into the abyss.
Right straight to it – I hated Nash with all the passion of one hundred fiery suns. Although that was the author’s intention, I was taken aback by how much he affected me. He is a deplorable human being. He’s messy, he doesn’t wash, he only sees women fit for two purposes – sex and cooking his meals. He will take what he wants from them by any means – violence especially gets him off and not in a mutual pain and pleasure fashion. There isn’t anything redeemable about him at all – by the end, I wanted to stick something sharp in him, he is written brilliantly.
The first few chapters of Maiden blew me away and transported me from a wee house in Scotland out to the deepest depths of the ocean. Being stuck out there would be my worst nightmare. The mermaid element of the story was eye-popping. Forget Disney’s Ariel, this is the shit that nightmares are made of. I was addicted to the author’s very precise writing style and soon the minutes turned to hours, and I had consumed the story whole. I was curious to how Charlie and the others would deal with Nash’s sadistic actions whilst still juggling the remnants of her past. Things escalated quickly and so did my need for more.
Maiden brings together two authors who together are at their twisty and depraved best. A clammy, atmospheric, and emotive story, it’s supremely audacious in its storytelling.
Gritty and dark, Maiden introduces us to characters that are both morally grey and ones that are shaped by traumatic events of their past. However, the captain, God takes them on, gives them a clean slate. He’s not judgemental but he does run a tight ship. He wants the Pepper Kay’s maiden voyage to go without a hitch. He hires Nash – the worst of the worst, Sam, Jordan, and Charlie. Although God has hired Nash before the other three are relatively green when it comes to seafaring so it’s delightful to see how that plays out as the crabbing boat goes further into the abyss.
Right straight to it – I hated Nash with all the passion of one hundred fiery suns. Although that was the author’s intention, I was taken aback by how much he affected me. He is a deplorable human being. He’s messy, he doesn’t wash, he only sees women fit for two purposes – sex and cooking his meals. He will take what he wants from them by any means – violence especially gets him off and not in a mutual pain and pleasure fashion. There isn’t anything redeemable about him at all – by the end, I wanted to stick something sharp in him, he is written brilliantly.
The first few chapters of Maiden blew me away and transported me from a wee house in Scotland out to the deepest depths of the ocean. Being stuck out there would be my worst nightmare. The mermaid element of the story was eye-popping. Forget Disney’s Ariel, this is the shit that nightmares are made of. I was addicted to the author’s very precise writing style and soon the minutes turned to hours, and I had consumed the story whole. I was curious to how Charlie and the others would deal with Nash’s sadistic actions whilst still juggling the remnants of her past. Things escalated quickly and so did my need for more.
Maiden brings together two authors who together are at their twisty and depraved best. A clammy, atmospheric, and emotive story, it’s supremely audacious in its storytelling.
zeallygreen's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
pbanditp's review against another edition
5.0
There are those characters that just won’t let go of you. I have been busy and have not been able to find time to read but yet these five people are always on my mind. Charlie, Sam, Jordan, Nash, and the captain, who everyone calls God, absolutely haunted me when I wasn’t reading.
There was a disquiet that permeates throughout the story, the tension of being out in the cold ocean with a monster storm approaching and a human monster on board. And what was it that they saw in the waves? Even the ship herself gets her own dedicated POV which further enhances the unease that you can’t escape from.
Can five brilliantly flawed characters, each dealing with serious issues of their own, come together when myth becomes reality? Even if one of the vilest, most disgusting, characters I have ever encountered is on board this ship.
Parts of this book made me so angry that I was cursing out the authors. I really hope there is a prequel in the works, because I want more Pepper Kay.
I can’t say anything else because you need to experience this first hand.
There was a disquiet that permeates throughout the story, the tension of being out in the cold ocean with a monster storm approaching and a human monster on board. And what was it that they saw in the waves? Even the ship herself gets her own dedicated POV which further enhances the unease that you can’t escape from.
Can five brilliantly flawed characters, each dealing with serious issues of their own, come together when myth becomes reality? Even if one of the vilest, most disgusting, characters I have ever encountered is on board this ship.
Parts of this book made me so angry that I was cursing out the authors. I really hope there is a prequel in the works, because I want more Pepper Kay.
I can’t say anything else because you need to experience this first hand.
vanquishingvolumes's review
3.0
An interesting deep sea adventure with murderous mermaids, I’ll say I had a decent time reading this adventure novel. While I didn’t really connect deeply with any of the characters, the short chapters helped me move through the unpacking of the plot and still enjoy what the book had to offer.
I’d recommend this book to someone looking for a fast paced quick read that is packed with blood, salt, and killer mermaids.
I’d recommend this book to someone looking for a fast paced quick read that is packed with blood, salt, and killer mermaids.
chloe_dancing's review against another edition
5.0
This one is going in my Top 3 for the year, because it’s that good. How good was it? So good I read parts of it out loud to my dog, because I wanted to hear it sing. A hell of a story. If you like adventure mixed with horror, cryptids, tales of the sea, terrifying adventures with cryptids of the sea, or a good fight scene – this book is for you.
probably_reading_right_now's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“But what of her crew? Well, their future is uncertain—because this is the nature of men.”
The Parker Kay is God’s ship and he only has 3 commandments “One: thou shalt do whatever the fuck I say. I will accept no backtalk. You respect that, and I’ll respect you. “Two: thou shalt give me every ounce of your willpower. Quitting is not an option. As long as you are here, you’ll bust a gut to get the job done, and get it done to my satisfaction. “Three: thou shalt work together. Even if you come to hate each other more than Zeus hates fidelity, you will work as if you’re happily married to the best fuck in existence. “Do I make myself clear?” The only problem is God can’t (or maybe doesn’t want to) foresee how bad this trip will go. The elements, God’s right hand man: Nash, and something lurking in the water are all competing to make this the worst fishing trip ever. It’s just a matter of who, or what messes it up the worst. Nash is terrible and disgusting in every way and a villain you love to hate, but due to a mix of guilt, misguided loyalty, and necessity God hires him on to the ship anyway. Something he’ll regret for the rest of his life. The Pepper Kay herself gets a few POV chapters and they were poetic, and beautifully written. They were what pulled me in at first. Each POV was distinctly different making each character completely individual. I got this one for the beautiful cover (how I choose a lot of my books) but it turned into a really great read. I wish it were longer to let the story run its course a little more so the ending didn’t feel so rushed, a longer book would have also given the several POVs a little more room to breath, but other then that I really enjoyed it!
*a copy of this book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
dustin_frueh7921's review against another edition
4.0
Preface: the authors are not overly concerned about offending anyone. They said as much in the opening pages. But that doesn't mean they're intentionally trying to trigger anyone. There's a reason that its intended readership is a mature one. There's also validity to the trigger content warning. Should you need a rundown of what those are, they're included via a hypertext link. The reader should have an idea of what they're getting into, and I appreciate the authors for including them.
Nautical stories aren't as common as one might think they'd be. In fact, I've read only a handful of them and I'm not sure why. The same is true of nautical television shows and films. It's baffling because those that I am familiar with, I had a blast consuming. Books like Nick Cutter's [b:The Deep,|21412284|The Deep|Nick Cutter|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1421037680l/21412284._SY75_.jpg|40713268] Melville's [b:Moby-Dick,|153747|Moby-Dick or, the Whale|Herman Melville|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327940656l/153747._SY75_.jpg|2409320] [b:20,000 Leagues Under the Sea|15762322|20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and other Classic Novels|Jules Verne|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1356462970l/15762322._SY75_.jpg|67733738] by Jules Vern, and James Cameron's The Abyss went a long way in uncovering my literary roots, as far as LIKES and DISLIKES went. Even though I didn't read them as a child, or see similar films until much later, they still became a part of who I am. They were always there, patiently waiting to be discovered.
Needless to say, as soon as I learned that Maiden by T.C. Parker and Ward Nerdlo (both pseudonyms,) was available as a Read Now option through netgalley.com, I knew I had to read it. The premise then sealed the deal.
Something's different about this time, though. The Pepper Kay can feel it in her boards, in her bolts and berth. It's coming off the ocean, rolling in on churning waves: an oppressive feeling of doom. A sense of finality. Of ending.
One of my favorite elements of horror is dread. That might seem like an obvious statement, but I don't think that's necessarily true for everyone. The word dread is practically synonymous with fear, after all, and that's essentially what the genre is: mounting fear. That's exactly what T.C. Parker and Ward Nerdlo gave, from beginning to end. Even in the pivotal flashback scenes (which were some of my favorites,) I felt that escalating dread; that certainly that something bad or awful was going to happen. And they always delivered.
Told in six alternating POVs, the authors inexplicably managed to tell a well-written, lightning-quick, character-driven novel. Each character had a distinctive voice, with their own opinions, values, and life experiences. They had their own traumas and challenges to overcome, both in the past and present. Out of the six, the one that astounded me the most was the Pepper Kay herself. There was a special quality and empathetic tone to her voice, the likes of which I hadn't seen done before. You wouldn't think it possible, but even she had a personality and intuitiveness that I found incredibly endearing.
Charlie and Jordan are tied as my favorite characters. I often found myself oscillating between the two. For the longest time, I believed that honor belonged to Charlie, because she was always so strong and confident, whereas Jordan was almost the complete opposite. As his arc progressed, I grew to adore and respect him. It was a pleasure to watch him grow. Actually, with the exception of the deck boss, Nash, they all changed and matured exponentially.
Speaking of him, I can't remember the last time I felt such utter disgust and hatred for a fictional character. I still would've loathed him regardless, but if there were glimpses into his adolescence or a variance to his childhood, maybe (and that's an extreme maybe,) I could've understood or sympathized with him in some way. I wanted a deeper, more complex character. Unfortunately, the reader isn't given any of that. As a result, Nash was very black and white, offering little to zero depth. He possessed no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Being wholly evil incarnate, I longed for some shade of moral ambiguity. Not necessarily something virtuous, but something different to latch onto; something to cherish. The last thing I expected was a one-note villain.
Their wails are a cacophony she cannot bear. But she will listen; she can do nothing else. She will allow guilt to fester in her intangible core, where she keeps the part of her that thinks, that feels, that knows humanity as a familiar if abstract concept. She has no heart but is heartbroken. No mind, yet she mourns.
As mentioned before, the pacing was great, fantastic. It never lulled, there was always something interesting happening, and the prose kept me turning pages. I had to find out what happened next. I needed to learn more about these characters. And much of its easy readability stemmed from the synchronization of Nerdlo and Parker.
I'd never read either author, so it's impossible to determine who wrote what or whether or not their styles would've otherwise clashed, but personally, it felt very cohesive. It sounded like one author instead of two, and that's always the goal of any collaboration. Granted, there were some passages that used compound sentences and others that were more simplistic, but the same can be said about my own writing and, I suspect, pretty much anyone's prose. I can't emphasize enough just how natural and in sync the whole felt.
The ending was very satisfying, although some suspension of disbelief was required. However, those instances lent it some mysterious elements which I really appreciated because not everything was "wrapped neatly with a bow," and I greatly dislike endings that are too neat. This one struck a nice balance. The tension and dread were top-notch. I couldn't ask for more. It was fascinating to see how everything unraveled, from multiple perspectives because there was so much happening simultaneously. And then they surpassed all expectations with an utterly unpredictable and beautiful development. To say any more would do it a disservice.
Charlie is on her knees beside him, wailing, sounding not unlike the sirens of myth, and with this in mind, Jordan turns to get another look at the thing in the pot… Either that, or this is all a dream. Has to be. Nothing makes sense in this upside-down world.
Sam’s at the port railing, vomiting over the side. When the guy manages to collect himself, he swipes emesis, chunky and pink, from his week-old growth of beard. His eyes are mad..
Lastly, I wanted more. That's a compliment to any author. Maiden was barely two hundred pages, but Parker and Nerdlo made every word count. There was a purpose to everything. It wasn't long before I started to love Sam, Charlie, Jordan, and their captain, simply known as God. I felt like I knew them personally, as if they'd shared intimate details of their life with me, though not in an obvious or direct manner. There was a lot communicated flat-out, but T.C. Parker and Ward Nerdlo implemented a fair amount of subtlety, too. If executed well, an author can give the reader just enough information about character that it feels like you have a clear sense of who they are, and that's precisely what they accomplished here.
The story was a whole lot of fun to read. Despite the proclivities of a certain callous individual, I managed to look past those things and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. And what a ride it was. I think my time aboard the Pepper Kay will resonate for a long time. I hope I never forget it, of only because it serves as a very grim reminder of how depraved humanity can devolve into. More importantly, it's a testament to the formidable resistance of virtue.
In summation, Parker and Nerdlo crafted an enticing creature feature set in the frigid confines of the Bering Strait. Therein, they explored the extremes of depravity and virtue, in stunning equality. And though I would've preferred the antagonist to be less black and white and more gray, I still can't fault it too much. For that reason, I'm giving it four stars, but please note that those stars are very, very firm. Nearly 5/5.
***
I was given an e-copy in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley and the authors. My opinions are my own. Thank you.
expertbooksmuggler's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
3.0
God surveys his crew and sees that they are good.
After reading Mira Grant’s Into the Drowning Deep I have been searching for mermaid horror like crazy. I never knew how much I needed Mermaid horror! I’ve had Maiden on my TBR and was so excited to see it available on NetGalley!
The Pepper Kay is a crabbing ship heading out to the Bering Strait in search of Dungeness crab with mostly inexperienced crew. If that isn’t enough of a problem, her new captain has brought along his violent right hand man referred to as The Empty One. And soon, they are joined by the Nameless ones coming up from the depths of the ocean.
Maiden is told to us through multiple POVs including the ship. Yes, she is some sort of sentient ship! That didn’t prove to be the problem I thought it would be at first. What proved to be the problem was experiencing Nash’s POV.
This man is naaaasty enough that our sentient ship refuses to call him by his name! Reading his chapters was extremely difficult because if you haven’t guessed it yet- the real monsters are often human.
Nash is a violent rapist with a history of murder thrown in on the side. He does not refer to women as women, but instead calls them ‘gashes’ and spends time reminiscing on his previous assaults. Still, the captain (AKA God… yes he calls himself God) keeps him on and it isn’t long before he’s causing problems with the only female crew member, Charlie and eventually Jordan (I found his scene with Nash very difficult due to the homophobia too).
That’s the story he’ll be telling himself, to keep his own engine running when he comes at her: that’s she not a real woman, not in the way he understands a woman ought to be. Because if she’s not a real woman, then she’s not a real person, right? And if that’s true, then what the fuck does it matter what he does to her?
We get a solid amount of insight into each of the characters enough so that the book just feels heavy. A large focus of this book is spent on tension between the crew as lives are lost and mermaids are making themselves known. The mermaids are there and all, but they are not really the focus of the book.
Overall, I do wish that there was more focus on the mermaids and less focus on ensuring we know who is actually the bad one.
Don’t get me wrong, this book filled me with rage and I think it was meant to. But it felt a bit gratuitous in regards to Nash’s lack of hygiene (and soul) and the amount of sexual assault talk. He was written well enough that you KNOW what kind of man he is and the efforts to make sure we understood that were a bit much.
I’d likely recommend this to someone who enjoys both creature features and human monsters. It’s a fast read that will for sure give you some anxiety as you read and I think it does isolation very well.
After reading Mira Grant’s Into the Drowning Deep I have been searching for mermaid horror like crazy. I never knew how much I needed Mermaid horror! I’ve had Maiden on my TBR and was so excited to see it available on NetGalley!
The Pepper Kay is a crabbing ship heading out to the Bering Strait in search of Dungeness crab with mostly inexperienced crew. If that isn’t enough of a problem, her new captain has brought along his violent right hand man referred to as The Empty One. And soon, they are joined by the Nameless ones coming up from the depths of the ocean.
Maiden is told to us through multiple POVs including the ship. Yes, she is some sort of sentient ship! That didn’t prove to be the problem I thought it would be at first. What proved to be the problem was experiencing Nash’s POV.
This man is naaaasty enough that our sentient ship refuses to call him by his name! Reading his chapters was extremely difficult because if you haven’t guessed it yet- the real monsters are often human.
Nash is a violent rapist with a history of murder thrown in on the side. He does not refer to women as women, but instead calls them ‘gashes’ and spends time reminiscing on his previous assaults. Still, the captain (AKA God… yes he calls himself God) keeps him on and it isn’t long before he’s causing problems with the only female crew member, Charlie and eventually Jordan (I found his scene with Nash very difficult due to the homophobia too).
That’s the story he’ll be telling himself, to keep his own engine running when he comes at her: that’s she not a real woman, not in the way he understands a woman ought to be. Because if she’s not a real woman, then she’s not a real person, right? And if that’s true, then what the fuck does it matter what he does to her?
We get a solid amount of insight into each of the characters enough so that the book just feels heavy. A large focus of this book is spent on tension between the crew as lives are lost and mermaids are making themselves known. The mermaids are there and all, but they are not really the focus of the book.
Overall, I do wish that there was more focus on the mermaids and less focus on ensuring we know who is actually the bad one.
Don’t get me wrong, this book filled me with rage and I think it was meant to. But it felt a bit gratuitous in regards to Nash’s lack of hygiene (and soul) and the amount of sexual assault talk. He was written well enough that you KNOW what kind of man he is and the efforts to make sure we understood that were a bit much.
I’d likely recommend this to someone who enjoys both creature features and human monsters. It’s a fast read that will for sure give you some anxiety as you read and I think it does isolation very well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Moderate: Murder, Misogyny, and Homophobia
curiosityboughtthebook's review against another edition
4.0
Also reviewed on www.curiosityboughtthebook.com
A 4 skull book
I freaking adore mermaids. Really anything with mermaids/sirens in it: the scarier, the better. I am a full grown adult that wants there to be merpeople living in the depths of our oceans, ready to strike at any moment. Gruesome killing machines; half-human, half-fish. I don’t know when this obsession started. So, when I heard about Maiden, I immediately jumped over to Netgalley and requested an advanced copy. Here is what I thought:
The mermaids themselves are a-mazing! They are everything I want in them, if not better. In fact, I need more of them. I want this to be a whole series, because these are not your fairytale mermaids, and I’m all here for it.
I also enjoyed the characters to an extent. The captain and his three new crew members were all flawed human beings, just like the rest of us. I like being able to sympathize with characters that are down on their luck. Makes the book feel more organic, more real.
The villain, on the other hand, was more vile and disgusting than I expected. I’m not generally a person that gets offended easily, but this villain did nothing but just that. Since I can only assume this was on purpose, I won’t deduct any points for his gross presence in the novel. Just some parts were a bit too much, but then again trigger warnings were included in the book, so it’s nothing I didn’t know going on.
A very solid, gruesome and outright bloodbath by the two authors working together!
Thanks to the authors for the review copy!
A 4 skull book
I freaking adore mermaids. Really anything with mermaids/sirens in it: the scarier, the better. I am a full grown adult that wants there to be merpeople living in the depths of our oceans, ready to strike at any moment. Gruesome killing machines; half-human, half-fish. I don’t know when this obsession started. So, when I heard about Maiden, I immediately jumped over to Netgalley and requested an advanced copy. Here is what I thought:
The mermaids themselves are a-mazing! They are everything I want in them, if not better. In fact, I need more of them. I want this to be a whole series, because these are not your fairytale mermaids, and I’m all here for it.
I also enjoyed the characters to an extent. The captain and his three new crew members were all flawed human beings, just like the rest of us. I like being able to sympathize with characters that are down on their luck. Makes the book feel more organic, more real.
The villain, on the other hand, was more vile and disgusting than I expected. I’m not generally a person that gets offended easily, but this villain did nothing but just that. Since I can only assume this was on purpose, I won’t deduct any points for his gross presence in the novel. Just some parts were a bit too much, but then again trigger warnings were included in the book, so it’s nothing I didn’t know going on.
A very solid, gruesome and outright bloodbath by the two authors working together!
Thanks to the authors for the review copy!