Pouraka is a magical sea cavern tucked under the rocky cliffs near Barnacle Bay. Cora, a Pouraka mermaid, is torn between her friends in the seaside town, and her true love Tas, a foreign merman whose clan fled when men invaded their waters.
Life becomes perilous for Cora and Tas when an unscrupulous oil rigger's son discovers the rich aquatic life Barnacle Bay harbors. With his intrusion, the merfolk must fight for their lives, and the lives of the dolphins that protect them
Excerpt
The sand was cool, the shells sharp and prickly, making her toes itch. She strolled to the wet sand where the foam still bubbled into clam holes and the remnants of waves frothed over her feet. Seagulls clustered, pecking at shellfish and welcoming the end of day. Farther out the ocean throbbed, constant and carefree. Ever faithful, the sea rocked back and forth over the earth as it harbored its creatures, protecting them from the sun’s vicious heat, feeding them, nourishing them and cradling them. Cora should be in its belly, accepting its nurturing. She was the oceans’ charge and yet here she was, walking the land as though she were human. She’d been denying her heritage all this time. A surge of shame swept over her. Why did she even want to be human? Merpeople were so much kinder to each other, and to the animals they lived among. Why did she ever doubt that she should live as a mermaid? Cora took the basket off of her back and unfastened the lid. The water inside was so clear she could see the interior weave of kelp even in the fading sunlight. Scooting closer to the surf so that the waves rolled over her, she held the basket above her head.Pouraka’s water dripped over her hair, onto her shoulders and her face. She lifted her chin and let it run down her neck, her chest, her belly. Cora poured the water over her hips, her legs, and her toes as the sea rumbled and came to her, a white roll of salt water rushing to immerse her. Cora leaned back and let the ocean swallow her human body. The sea wanted her home, grabbing her form and pulling her far away from shore. She tumbled in the breakers until she was saturated and far from land. Cora came to the surface and viewed the vanishing shoreline one last time. Sunset shined its face on her scales as golden fragments of evening glitter. She hadn’t felt so alive in a long time. She felt good, and somehow she would bring this freedom to Tas. She had to.
Professional Reviews
Something New Under the Sun
Nihil novi sub sole – There is nothing new under the sun. This Maxim from Ecclesiastes could certainly be said to hold true within the realm of mer-fiction as it is a ground which has been plowed many, many times. Plots involving vast undersea cities, sub-aquatic strife, sea-witches, battles with monsters and/or humans, unrequited love, and of course, the perennial favourite of a teen-aged girl/boy suddenly discovering that they are in actuality, a mermaid/merman. This is not to say that such stories boasting these plot-lines – or variants thereof – are dull-making or not worth reading. Indeed, they can be fun, exciting, thrilling, endearing, and a veritable fin-fest. Every once in a while, however, the devoted connoisseur of mer-fiction yearns for something new, something different.
All is not lost. Of late, there have been two mer-novels that have covered fresh territory and have proven to be quite enthralling. The first, Flippin’ The Scales by Pete Tarsi, has already been discussed by this reviewer. The second entry, Pouraka by Dianne Lynn Gardner, is the subject of this review and is undoubtedly a quite noteworthy book.
We poor, landlocked humans are inclined to think of mermaids – and mermen, of course – as living a wild and free existence in the oceans of the world, having the occasional dolphin sidekick with whom they pass the time of day and are happy and joyous 24 x 7. The world which Dianne Garner has created for this story is far different than the one of our imaginations. It is a world where merfolk are a hunted species under constant encroachment by humans, tourists, and oil rigs. The ocean waters that border the land are rapidly becoming an inhospitable place to abide, evocative of the book of Amos, 7:17. “ . . . your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided by line; and you shall die in a polluted land . . . “ Their dire situation invites the reader to apologise for being human.
Tas is a merman who can no longer remain silent or idly by while his clan slowly dwindles. They continue to be hunted by humans and first his beloved mother fell victim and now his older brother has been wounded by their harpoons. To spend another season where they presently are risks extinction for the entire group. His idea is to take the members of his clan – including the aged and the wounded - North where the hope of a better life – or even simply life itself - beckons.
Conditions are somewhat different for merfolk to the North where Barnacle Bay lies. The merfolk have, overall, a better life and their home cavern – called in the mer tongue, Pouraka – has long provided a comfortable home and although pollution has impacted their food supply to a certain degree, they are much better off than those who live to the South. One of their advantages is that they and their home are protected by the humans who reside in the town beside the bay.
Cora is one of Pouraka’s denizens and she is rather fond of the humans who live on the shores of barnacle bay. Though the magic of Pouraka’s waters, which are jealously guarded by the merfolk, Cora is able to leave the sea behind and walk amongst her shore-bound neighbours, not the least of whom is her best friend, Beth. While Cora is always quick to defend her human friends and protest that not everyone who walks on two legs is a threat to mer-kind, she is nonetheless somewhat naïve as to how the world above the water’s surface works.
Despite the initial impulse of some merfolk to turn away the refugees from the South, they are given shelter and in time, absorbed into the Pouraka colony. It is through this gift of sanctuary that Cora meets Tas and he soon begins to play an increasingly important role in Cora’s emotional life. Sadly, whatever respite the southern merfolk might have gained by seeing refuge in Pouraka is short lived. The northward progression of oil hungry humans continues bringing with it arrogance, death, greed and plunder. The merfolk may be able to run but they cannot hide and a time is fast approaching when hard choices will need to be made.
Dianne Lynn Gardner has woven a thoughtful and provocative story for young adults that is as much about the choices in life which we all must face as it is about scales, tails and survival below the surface. Through the eyes of the mermaid, Cora, readers will learn that life and the world in which we live is not always as simple as we would like to believe. There are two romances in MS Gardner’s story and before the final word on the final page, irrevocable choices will need to be made and each will result in a sundering. Readers – both young and old – will enjoy this story for the plot itself as well as the thought provoking questions which it presents.
Dianne Gardner is without a doubt one of those multi-talented people that those of us who fall into the realms of ‘ordinary’ and ‘really ordinary’ cannot help but envy. Aside from being an author, she is also an illustrator, oil painter and filmmaker. Pouraka is Dianne’s first real foray into the genre of mer-fiction and it is this reviewer’s considered opinion that she seriously contemplate one or more return visits. If she can maintain her fresh approach to the subject, MS Gardner will find a ready and enthusiastic audience.
Unique Adventure
What a wonderful tale of romance, love, turmoil, and danger. What makes this story unique is that it takes place in Pouraka , a magical place in the ocean where merpeople live and survive. With such a setting you would expect a nice, calm fanciful story but instead it is a story crammed with adventure and excitement. Through the eyes of Taas, a merman, and Cora, a mermaid, we see the world of the sea and all of the dangers that exist there because of man. Tas, Cora, and their friend Kaile, transition to humans and learn of a dangerous plot by unscrupulous fisherman to capture and kill the pod of dolphins that protects the merpeople. To solve the problem the author leads the reader through a series of vivid adventures and still provides many tender scenes of love and emotion. I recommend this book to anyone who likes excitement, fantasy and romance.
Grab the Tissues
Pouraka is a YA romance by Dianne Lynn Gardener. The story follows two groups of merpeople from opposite ends of the ocean. Tas is from the south, after his mother is killed by humans and his brother is badly wounded he tries to save his tribe by running away to the south. Cora is an unusual mermaid from the North. She uses the waters in Pouraka to change into a human form and befriends the people of Barnacle Bay. When Tas and his remaining family arrive outside Coras home, her cousin Radcliff and brother Ko try to turn Tas away. Cora thinks this is terrible and forces her kin to give Tas and his family shelter and aid. She lets Tas into her home and heart and hopes for ever after. Unfortunately, Tas’ stories of humans causes widespread fear and strife within Pouraka and maybe….just maybe… Cora should have never let hi in at all.
There isn’t anywhere near enough mermaid fantasy out there! I was so pleased to come across this book and had a great hope it would be brilliant. I was so pleased to learn that it was. The story is so original and unique and the romance is magical and perfect - but of course, when only 3-4 books centre around mermaids it’s bound to be unique no matter what the tale. This book was truly the rarest of treats! More YA needs merpeople!
I felt instantly really emotional about the characters. This was weird for me as the narrative is in third person and usually I find it harder to connect on such an emotional level with this style. Ms Gardener must have some brilliant talent to entice such emotions using what I call ‘birds eyes view’ perspective. Cora is a determined and strong female lead. She knows what she wants and how she feels and not even her love for Tas will change that. She is an empowering protagonist and I felt her happiness and pain so deeply while in her world, she was so well written and developed. Tas is overprotective and very very scared, although this is understandable he needed to have more trust in Cora and realise how independent she was. His anger and moods ruined him for me as a main male lead but he suited the story well. I’m going to mention Kaile as well, just because he was my favourite character in the book! He is a wonderful, caring and thoughtful character. He was loyal and honest throughout the adventure and is just looking for happiness and some recognition after being dealt a bad hand in life.
The dialogue in the book is really confusing in places. It took me in places a few re-reads to work out who was having the convosations and who with. This was the only fault I had with the entire book and of course, had minimal impact on the story and reading expericene.
Overall, I found the book an emotional wreaking ball! I was crushed by what was happening and how realistic it all was. I really enjoyed following Coras tale and being in the world around Barnacle Bay. It is unlike any book I usually read but I was pleased with the change of genre and the unique twist it had. I thought the book would be a fantasy but it was definately not! The things that happen within the story are happening all the time in the real world and the issues really made the book seem deep and riddled with messages. It’s definately a book I will treasure for many a time to come.
I highly recommend Pouraka to YA romance, mermaid, NOAH or ocean/aquatic lovers. It is a brilliant and moving read that will require tissues.
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