Review: The Deep End of The Sea by Heather Lyons - Vilma Iris | Lifestyle Blogger

This post contains affiliate links, meaning I’ll receive a small commission should you purchase using those links. All opinions expressed are my own. I receive no compensation for reviews.

Review: The Deep End of The Sea by Heather Lyons

My Thoughts

A tragic life story. An all-consuming romance.
An unforgettable fairy tale.

Get ready to lose yourself in the depths of emotion, as you experience
this amazing story of kindness, friendship, love and hope.
One of the most beautiful stories I’ve ever read.

6stars

Synopsis

the deep end of the seaWhat if all the legends you’ve learned were wrong?

Brutally attacked by one god and unfairly cursed by another she faithfully served, Medusa has spent the last two thousand years living out her punishment on an enchanted isle in the Aegean Sea. A far cry from the monster legends depict, she’s spent her time educating herself, gardening, and desperately trying to frighten away adventure seekers who occasionally end up, much to her dismay, as statues when they manage to catch her off guard.  As time marches on without her, Medusa wishes for nothing more than to be given a second chance at a life stolen away at far too young an age.

But then comes a day when Hermes, one of the few friends she still has and the only deity she trusts, petitions the rest of the gods and goddesses to reverse the curse. Thus begins a journey toward healing and redemption, of reclaiming a life after tragedy, and of just how powerful friendship and love can be—because sometimes, you have to sink in the deep end of the sea before you can rise back up again.

My Review

“This is my fairy tale. And it most definitely has a happy ending.”

Have you ever had a story consume you so completely that it was difficult to let go? A story that took you back to being a girl who fell in love with fairy tales? The kind where a girl with a good heart falls in love with a prince who sees beyond her exterior and will stop at nothing to find that happily ever after despite the pain, the circumstances, the conflict that stands in their way? This is that fairy tale. Beautifully written and incredibly unique, this story touched me heart and soul and has indelibly become a favorite. Heather Lyons is able to take a notorious character like Medusa and breathe into her a new life … a life misunderstood … a life so tragic that my heart ached for her as I desperately hoped for an impossible happiness. This is an exquisitely unique and beautiful story of love that I promise you won’t soon forget.

“I am a monster. The worst kind of monster. The kind that people have told stories about for thousands of years. The kind that daredevils … seek out, even though many believe I’m nothing more than a myth. I am the Gorgon Medusa. And my eyes can turn anything living to stone.”

This is Medusa’s story. A story born from pain and violence as she was cast away to the island of Gorgona, to live alone save for the nest of entwined snakes on her head and the threat of death by stone lingering in her forlorn eyes. You see, Medusa isn’t the murderer everyone thinks her to be. She’s anything but, in fact. For thousands of years she’s lived with loneliness as her constant companion, plagued by memories of unspeakable pain and consumed by an unjust guilt at the accidental deaths of so many who have dared to look her in the eye. She’s a girl that was wronged, and one that bears the cruel consequences of a brutal act that continues to haunt her.

“I am, in fact, a monster … a hideous one, to be precise … and it sucks. It genuinely, truly, absolutely, unequivocally sucks. I hate stealing lives. Thus, not only am I a monster, I’m a really lousy one. A lonely, classic Five Stages of Grief following, insecure, shut-in of a pathetic beast who talks to the snakes on her head and the statues on her island.”

My heart hurt so much for Medusa. Her feelings were honest and relatable, as odd as that may sound. Her emotions were so raw and real and her story so tragic that she truly deserved a second chance at life. Thankfully, she has one friend who gives her hope. Her best friend. An unlikely friend who has cared enough to visit her for thousands of years, caring not about the risk of death, but simply only caring for her. Hermes. The God. The son of Zeus himself. You instantly sense the strength of their bond and we learn that Hermes is also focused on fixing Dusa’s (as he calls her) situation. Hermes presses Dusa to fight to live. To fight to fix this wrong. But Dusa is fearful of the consequences.

“Before—I had no say in my punishment. I’ve born it quietly. Maybe it’s time I finally take a chance.”

And then everything changes and Medusa is given a second chance at living, all thanks to Hermes never giving up on her. And holy hot Gods, Hermes. I dare you to not fall irrevocably in love with him the moment he appears on the page. He is so good, so loyal, so caring. And it becomes increasingly clear to us, the reader, what is absolutely not clear to Dusa… Hermes is in love with her. Their relationship is so beautiful. I felt butterflies beneath my own skin with every moment they shared together. Both care so deeply for the other, but Dusa finds it difficult to fathom how a person so wonderful … a God no less … could fall for a monster like her.

“This is my friend. My best friend. He is a god, and I am an ex-monster. It is not like we are anything else, or ever can be.”

But we learn that Hermes has always been enraptured by the goodness that is Dusa. From the very beginning he looked beyond the scales of her skin and the death in her eyes to see the sadness that pervaded from a heart so intrinsically kind.

“What kind of so-called monster weeps like her heart had shattered and never would form whole again?… I knew from that very second I heard your anguish. I’m afraid I was lost to you from that moment on. I had to discover all that made you YOU.”

Their romance is everything you hope to find in a fairy tale. Two friends who fell in love despite their dire circumstances. I swear I swooned at every line, clutching my heart to my chest at every word whispered in frightful honesty.

“I am in love with you,” he whispers against my mouth. “Desperately. Hopelessly. In. Love. With. You.”

As soon as everything falls into place, however, old threats resurface and are poised to ruin everything. Buried secrets are revealed as a series of unexpected events unfurl. Medusa, through it all, evolves from a girl so affected by her painful past to a girl unafraid to fight for her life, for her own happiness, for control over the choices that are rightfully hers to make. This is a story of finding the strength inside yourself to fight for your happily ever after … to fight for the ones you love. It’s truly one of the best, most beautiful stories I’ve ever read and I hope that you love it as much as I have. Heather Lyons is a gem of an author, with a striking talent at evoking emotion and weaving the kind of stories that are difficult to forget. This book is one of my all-time favorites, no doubt.

“You are, as you have always been, the most important person in my existence.”

add

1537811_240296652808818_677006047_o

About Heather Lyons

HEATHERHeather Lyons has always had a thing for words—She’s been writing stories since she was a kid. In addition to writing, she’s also been an archaeologist and a teacher. Heather is a rabid music fan, as evidenced by her (mostly) music-centric blog, and she’s married to an even larger music snob.

They’re happily raising three kids who are mini music fiends who love to read and be read to.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Subscribe for Updates:

Share This Post

13 Comments:


  1. Kelley said:

    I think I would want to read about Aphrodite.

    Reply

  2. Alyssa said:

    I would really like to see a story about Artemis! Also, this book sounds amazing!!

    Reply

  3. Colleen said:

    I would like to see a unicorn

    Reply

  4. neednewspace said:

    I would like to see a book about Hades and Persephone.

    Reply

  5. Gina H said:

    Eros & Psyche Thanks for the giveaway!

    Reply

  6. Sarah Chan said:

    I would like to see a book about Athena:)

    Reply

  7. Erika said:

    I’d love to read a book about Aphrodite! Thanks!

    Reply

  8. Scarlett Camaj said:

    Eros!

    Reply

  9. Tammy Michelle Choate said:

    Aphrodite, Athena, Hades, Ephesian, Artemis/Diana, Apollo, Hermes, Poseidon, Zeus, Eros, Kronos and Ares

    Reply

  10. Yvonne van der Bent said:

    Awesome!!!! I’d love to read a book about Apollo. He’s just so awesome!

    Reply

  11. Mary Pope said:

    thanks – Aphrodite

    Reply

  12. Daniela Lucero said:

    Me gustaria leer un libro sobre Apollo! 😀

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

On Instagram