In Zoroastrianism (which dates back to about 1500 BCE) and the Abrahamic religions (the major ones being Judaism, Christianity and Islam), angels are generally considered spiritual beings created by God to serve him in many roles, including as intermediaries with humanity. For example, the romance read to me as being upper YA with how much sexual content there was, whereas a lot of the mythology and characteristics of the merpeople seemed very middle grade.

I found the romance really satisfying, with a good teen HFN (which I prefer in YA, because how many people get an HEA at 17? Thereafter, we realise how we have morphed into our Cenozoic Era, alongside considering what may be to come. At some point I felt like I was only reading it because it was like a car crash I couldn’t look away from. In general, the pacing and structure of the back half were a bit messy, which was a bummer after such a strong first half, and the ending also felt a little rushed.He has appeared in stage shows including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Academy Award-winner Sam Mendes, and the Royal Shakespeare Company's Matilda the Musical. And I did read an ARC so MAYBE the editor or Jason June would have, IDK, checked in with a swimmer to just fact-check stuff.

I liked how the author created this whole background on them, changed from the way many view mermaids. Again, it's not the sex I have a problem with; its the fact that every scene in the book is an opportunity for the characters to make it sexual/physical and then say it's love. Jason June tells the story of the merfolk Crest who has to spend one month on land (under the name Ross) and help a human, as part of the Journey, an ancient mer tradition. The Jellyfish brooch—handcrafted over the span of 900 hours—is imbued with a sense of movement, expressing the jellyfish’s unique dance through cutting-edge craftsmanship.However, Crest’s character development was absolutely golden, and I loved watching them grow and learn more about themself, while also learning about others. What’s more other species joined them and developed ashore, from scorpions to ‘spiders, ticks and mites’. But Jaya can't stand his obsession and, struggling to make sense of her mother's sudden death and her own role on that fateful day, she's determined to stay out of it.

Smashing down to earth at extraordinary speeds, wings bent, faces contorted, not a single angel has survived and, as the world goes angel crazy, Jaya's father uproots the family to Edinburgh, intent on catching one alive. I think this was the case in June's other YA novel, but there's a pervasive physicality to this story. With climate change a force in every species’ existence, it is important to realise the evolution of life on Earth.It’s an absolutely unique insight into Iceland's culture, mentality, and spirit—a country where the short story is as valued as the Sagas.