Official Review: Merikh's Daughter by Gabriela M. Sanchez

[debo9967]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Merikh's Daughter" by Gabriela M. Sanchez.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Merikh’s Daughter by Gabriela M. Sanchez is a book in the fantasy genre. This is the first installment in the series.

Alexandra Frank’s, or Alex’s, life cannot be described as idyllic, with her mother passing away when Alex was thirteen, but Alex and her father lived a comfortable life at Seattle, with their friends. However, one chance encounter with two strangers sets in motion a chain of events which end with a tragedy, on Alex’s weekend trip to the beach with her best friend and her family. Suddenly, Alex is confronted with the truth of her identity and is forced to accept the existence of a supernatural species she didn’t believe in. More importantly, she has to now stop Merikh, who is leading the inhabitants of this supernatural world against humans. Will Alex succeed in stalling the extermination of the human race?

The short synopsis on the back cover of the book does not reveal the identity of the supernatural species dealt with in the story. Thus, it was not until I had covered nearly one-fourth of the book that I came to know that the story revolves around popular fantasy being that have been done to death in the fantasy genre. Still, the author needs to be commended for the rather original treatment of the fantasy creatures in the story. It is becoming increasingly difficult to come up with a fresh plot surrounding familiar supernatural characters, or so it seems, observing the trend in fantasy fiction; however, the author has succeeded to some extent in providing an interesting plot for readers. The suspense and unpredictability factor is high in this novel, and the story keeps the reader guessing almost till the end.

The story focuses on Alex’s struggle with her identity and the question of a choice between who she is and what she chooses to become. This is a lesser explored question in most fantasy novels, and I liked how the author introduced this concept in the book. Unfortunately, I feel that somewhere down the line, a familiar fantasy world invites a repetitive formula, the prime component of which is romance. Mostly, the romantic angle takes the second place, and it does not fall in the ‘obsession attachment’ section, which is a relief.

There are one or two irrational ideas in the plot, like the idea of eliminating the human race itself, which in the context of the fantasy world seems a bit incongruous. I wish the author had dug deeper into Alex’s dilemma and provided more depth to her character. As it is, the story appears a bit shallow in certain areas. Infusing a bit more excitement in the action scenes would not have hurt either.

I was unexpectedly impressed with the basic plotline, and I think with better and well-thought out execution, the novel could have turned out better. I rate it 3 out of 4 stars, and recommend it to young adult readers of fantasy fiction.

******
Merikh's Daughter
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like debo9967's review? Post a comment saying so!

[bookowlie]

I enjoyed reading your review. Very insightful! I'm glad you were able to enjoy the book despite the issues you mentioned.

[Tanaya]

I like that you pointed out the little disappointments you had with the book while also commending the author for her originality. Great, balanced review!

[debo9967]

Thank you @Tanaya and @bookowlie

[Acwoolet]

Great review! I always like to read something unexpected.

[debo9967]

Thanks

[g_sanchez]

Hi! This is Gabriela Sanchez! Thank you so much for the review and comments

[debo9967]

Thanks to you

[amybo82]

Nice review. I'm really big on characters, so I don't know if I'd like this one because of the need for depth to the main character. However, I do like fantasy and YA, so I might give this one a shot!

[debo9967]

Thanks

[ananya92]

Nice, balanced review.

[Cee-Jay Aurinko]

Wonderful review debo9967! Although I agree that the human extermination plot is pretty much overused in our time, the book does sound very interesting. I'm curious to find out what the author brings to the fantasy table. Maybe, just maybe, the book contains something I haven't seen before.

[debo9967]

@ananya92 & @Leon Thanks

[anonanemone]

Great analysis of the book! Sounds like a good rainy day book and I do love unexpected twists on an old theme.

[debo9967]

Thanks