After finishing this book, I mentally and physically paced around my house, trying to pin down what I'd just read and what emotions I felt.

Weaving together mythology from across the world, Cassandra Khaw uses vibrant, creative imagery to compose a mermaid's misadventure with her plague doctor. Shaped by her life in the abyss and the tragedies she's endured, the mermaid is disillusioned with the human world, and with men in particular.

My only gripe with this gem is the purple prose. Even when there are simpler alternatives, Khaw uses some of the most obscure words in the English language [e.g. parturition, penumbra, scintilla, thalassic]. However, I'll admit that the prose accentuates the violence and brutality into something more artistic than mere gore. This book definitely isn't for everyone. It's geared toward an audience that loves gore draped in embroidery.

Overall, though, the vibes are IMMACULATE and my experience was superb!