Mermedusa

The Legends of Eerie-on-Sea #5

by Thomas Taylor

Herbie and Violet's fifth gripping adventure brings the internationally bestselling Eerie-on-Sea series to a heart-stopping climax.

It is midwinter once again, and the hosts of a paranormal podcast have descended on Eerie-on-Sea eager for a sighting of the legendary malamander. Herbert Lemon, Lost-and-Founder at the Grand Nautilus Hotel, is feeling uneasy – and not just because of the visitors. He’s being plagued by unsettling dreams, and the head-splitting “Eerie Hum” that is reverberating through the town.

Something is dreadfully wrong, and it seems to be coming from Eerie's very core. Herbie and his friend Violet Parma will need all their courage as they head deep below the town to seek answers. Perhaps here, finally, they – and the malamander too – will discover the Deepest Secret of Eerie-on-Sea.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Mystery, Adventure, Fiction, Audiobook, Childrens

289 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 7, 2023

About the author

Thomas Henry Taylor is a British children's writer and illustrator.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_...

Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Thomas^^^^^Taylor

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mermedusa is the fifth and final instalment of my most beloved book series, The Legends of Eerie-on-Sea by Thomas Taylor.

When I heard that this was to be the final book in the series I was devastated and didn't want it to be true. Taylor has managed to create such a vivid and intriguing place for all these creepy mysteries to take place and every instalment to date has transported me back to my childhood love of reading.

Mermedusa had some big promises from the outset by having to tie up all the plots that have been expertly placed throughout the previous four books. What happened to Violet's parents? Where did Herbie come from? What is Sebastian Eels' problem and what is the Deepest Secret of Eerie-on-Sea?

I'm happy to report that the ending is absolutely perfect and delivers on all its promises. I was especially happy to once again have the Malamander wreaking havoc on the town once again and to have all the characters I've grown to love get involved in the finale.

I am still devastated that this is the final instalment in such a heartwarming and enjoyable tale of adventure and youth but I will never give up hope on there being one more adventure, As I once again use the quote from my very first review of Malamander...."If the impossible is possible anywhere, it’ll be possible in Eerie-on-Sea."

[Jade Ratley · Rating 4 out of 5]

8.14 on CAWPILE.

A very satisfying ending to a fantastically atmospheric series. I'm going to miss this seaside town.

[Sea Ocean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Görüşürüz Herbie. Görüşürüz Vi. Ve Erwin.
Beni kitaplara bağlı tutan serilerden birisi daha bitmiş oldu. Ve bu serinin kalbimde çok duygusal bir yeri var ve anlatamam asla. Seri ortaokul için öneriliyor ama güzel ve cozy bir fantastik serisi isterseniz düşünmeden alın. OKUYUN NOLUR
Yaş Sınırı:+12

[Mrs C. White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I have a preordered copy of Mermedusa by Thomas Taylor - author/illustrator on order from the booknook. I couldn’t resist downloading the kindle copy. I have just finished it and it’s great to have a conclusion, but I can’t help but feel sad that my adventures with Eerie on Sea have come to an end with Herbie and Vi’s. All good things come to an end I guess!

But I can’t wait to introduce the Malamander to more children as they come through the school and share the tales of Eerie on sea with them. And of course I can alway pop back and revisit the previous adventures.

I feel like a while part of my life and all the great things these books brought along with them and the fun we’ve had reading them to year fives and sixes has come to an end!

But I am also looking forward to introducing them to more children and to encourage the joy of reading for them.

Thank you Mr Taylor for a great series of books!

[Sivu kerrallaan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always apprehensive when reading the last book in a series, after investing so much time into these characters I'm always hoping for a good send off, and thankfully after reading Mermedusa I can say we got just that.

The whole book was such a wonderful addition to the Eerie world and wrapped up this story very sweetly. Looking forward to diving into this series again in the future.

[wiktoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

gosh how i will miss these little babies

[Nico di Angelo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5

[Kasia (kasikowykurz) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wcale się nie spłakałam na końcówce. Fantastycznie zakończone to było i zamknęło wszystkie wątki :3

[Simoné Eloff · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all-time favourite middle grade series, and so beautifully tied together in the end!

[teacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bu serinin bitmesi açıkçası beni üzüyor 🥲

İyiki bu evreni tanımışım iyiki yazarı tanımışım bu seriyi asla unutmayacağım ♥️

Elveda Tuhaf Deniz Kasabası..

[Maryam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why did this series have to end?!? 😭 I love it too much.

AMAZING ❤️❤️❤️

🐚🦕🪸

[Puck · Rating 3 out of 5]

"People disappear in Eerie-on-Sea, but sometimes they are found as well. You are the Lost-and-Founder at the Grand Nautilus Hotel. Don't you want to find out why?"

After five years, I finished the 'Legends of Eerie-on-Sea' Pentalogy and while it has been a fun, adventurous ride, it's a pity that the fifth and final book rushed through its plot and characters to wrap everything up.

For me, the strength of this series lies with Herbie and Violet solving (monster) mysteries and the charm of weathered Eerie-on-Sea, but the focus in this book was main villain Sebastian Eels. Compared to the ghostly, sinister creatures and legends we encounter, Eels always felt too cardboard, one note-evil and although we get to know his past in this book, my opinion remains the same.
Moreover, because Eels and his backstory take up so much attention, the answers that we finally get about Herbie's past and Violet's quest for her parents feel hasty and somewhat unsatisfied.

The same goes for the haunting Mermedusa: she has truly terrifying presence and powers, but because there are so many twists and reveals in the final, she gets little time to leave her mark on the story. It's so frustrating compared to the other books, in which Gargantis and the Shadowghast do form the heart of the story and the build-up to their frightening reveal actually pays off.

So with a sad heart I say goodbye to spooky Eerie-on-Sea: I'm glad that Herbie and Violet's spirit and friendship remained strong through all the adventures and I'll always look back fondly on this middle-grade series, but it's ending deserved better.


Read here my other reviews of The Legends of Eerie-on-Sea books: #1 Malamander | #2 Gargantis | #3 Shadowghast | #4 Festergrimm

[Kim Coenen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alleen al de cover is zo uitnodigend dat je dit boek gewoon moet lezen. Op de cover zien we een kleurrijke en spetterende illustratie van een schip op zee waarop een jongen en een meisje voor op het dek staan. Op de achtergrond zijn een mysterieuze berg en een vuurtoren te zien. In de zee zie je schaduwen van een monster en klauwen uit het water omhoog rijzen. Na het lezen van de vier vorige delen van deze fantastische serie heb ik hoge en goede verwachtingen voor het vijfde en laatste deel.

In Owee aan Zee is het winter. Inmiddels is Sebastiaan Aals, de aartsvijand van Herbie en Violet weer op vrije voeten. In het stadje komen onderzoekers van een podcast die het mysterie van de malander willen oplossen. Herbie en Violet belanden opnieuw in een angstaanjagend en spannend avontuur diep onder de grond. Zullen Herbie en Violet het grootste geheim van Owee aan Zee kunnen oplossen?

Het boek kent naast de prachtig geïllustreerde cover ook aan de binnenzijde prachtige geïllustreerde tekeningen, waaronder de plattegrond van Owee aan Zee waarmee het boek begint.

Met een spannend eerste hoofdstuk, dat voelt als een proloog, weet Thomas Taylor vooral vragen en nieuwsgierigheid op te roepen. Welk monster gaan ze vangen? En waar moeten Herbie en Violet naar toe? Het verhaal van Herbie en Violet vervolgt zich, deze twee hoofdpersonages zijn inmiddels bekend uit de vorige delen. Dit verhaal is losstaand te lezen, maar ik raad je aan bij deel één te beginnen, des te meer diepgang en groei zie je bij de personages. Daarbij bouw je door de gebeurtenissen door de delen heen ook echt een band met ze op. Daarbij leren we in ieder deel ook weer nieuwe personages kennen zoals in dit deel presentatoren van de podcast Anomale Fenomenen. Ook dit zijn weer hele karakteristieke en uitgesproken personages.

Het verhaal heeft een nieuw, spannend, fantasierijk en origineel avontuur dat is gebaseerd op de legende van Owee aan Zee. Thomas Taylor weet het verhaal op zo'n vlotte, levendige en overtuigende wijze te brengen waardoor je helemaal in het verhaal wordt meegezogen. De verhalen, zoals ook deze, zijn erg spannend, waarbij Thomas Taylor wel rekening houdt met de jeugdige lezertjes vanaf ongeveer 10 jaar. Het verhaal zit op indrukwekkende wijze in elkaar en het is ook mooi hoe in dit deel de avonturen en legendes van de voorgaande delen allemaal samen worden gebracht. Dit maakt het totaal van alle verhalen en avonturen nog beter. Met een spannend plot, waarbij ik op het puntje van mijn stoel zit te lezen, sluit deze gave serie op krachtige wijze volledig af. Fenomenaal.

Het geheim van Meermindusa is het vijfde en laatste deel van de Thomas Taylor serie. Het is enorm vlot en levendig geschreven. In deze originele, spannende, magische en avontuurlijke verhaallijn weet Thomas Taylor de legendes uit de vorige delen te verweven tot een razend spannend en bloedstollend goed en laatste deel waarin hij de legendes van Owee aan Zee volledig afsluit. Wauw, wat een mega gave serie! Aanrader.

[Jeanet Tiemessen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Het geheim van Mermindusa – Thomas Taylor

Het is winter in Owee aan Zee. Sebastiaan Aals, aartsvijand van Herbie en Violet, is op vrije voeten. Het stadje wordt overspoeld door mensen die het mysterie van de lang verloren gewaande partner van de malamander willen oplossen. Herbie en Violet beleven een angstaanjagende ontmoeting diep onder grond. Ontrafelen de vrienden het grootste geheim van Owee aan Zee?

De kleurrijke cover ziet er vrolijk uit, maar geeft ook al aan dat er weer een spannend avontuur wacht als je besluit dit verhaal gaat lezen. De klauwen van een onderzees monster komen immers gevaarlijk dicht bij de boot waar Herbie en Violet op varen. Hopelijk loopt dit laatste avontuur van ons tweetal dan ook goed af!

Voor de lezers die Owee aan Zee nog niet zo goed kennen is de plattegrond waar het boek mee begint erg handig, maar ook als je er wel goed bekend bent is het leuk om af en toe even terug te bladeren en er een kijkje te nemen. De kleine illustraties aan het begin en eind van elk hoofdstuk maken het verder af.

Het verhaal begint al meteen weer heerlijk spannend en van het begin af aan wordt je door de auteur meegenomen in de magische wereld van Owee aan Zee met zijn talloze legendes. Alle bekende personages, met ieder een eigen goed omschreven persoonlijke karakter, komen voorbij en voor de trouwe lezers is dit nieuwe avontuur dan ook een feest van herkenning.

De schrijfstijl is prettig en het verhaal lekker spannend. Regelmatig zat ik op het puntje van mijn stoel, al werd het gelukkig nergens zó spannend dat de jonge lezer en er ’s nachts niet van zal kunnen slapen.

En met Het geheim van Meermindusa komt er een eind aan een geweldig leuke serie met originele personages, magische mysteries en onverwoestbare vriendschappen.

De Owee aan Zee-serie is een absolute aanrader voor lezers vanaf ongeveer 9 jaar.

5 ★

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

And just like that, it’s over. Herbie’s final adventure is filled with new mysteries, diamonds, a return from the Malamander, some gorgeous revelations and of course the ever faithful baddie. I properly enjoyed this: folklore, magic, friendship and secrets! What’s not to love?! I’m sad this series is over, but my gosh what a ride it’s been. These characters are just wonderful and it’s been a pleasure revisiting Eerie-on-Sea every year!

[EsmaK · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t believe that I finished all the series! I give 4 stars because I think the end was a little bit weird? All the monsters GARGANTIS,FESTERGRIMM,MALAMANDER, SHADOWGHAST is made it by MERMEDUSA?
But I like the end. ;)) Like Herbie says:

“The best way to end a seaside adventure is with fish and chips. And I think we can all agree that the best way to eat fish and chips is as part of a big celebration with all your family and friends. (Of course, if you can find it, take a cake with it.) And I don't see any reason why the end of this adventure should be different from the others, don't you think?”

[AnneB · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a perfect little ending. I might have teared up a few times. I will miss you, Eerie-On-Sea.

[Natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to read with my 11 year old boy. Wraps up the series nicely.

[Christopher John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great ending to a fabulous series.

[Mrs Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just wasn’t overwhelmed by this. I’m gutted, as I’ve loved the rest of the series. This just didn’t feel the same and I just couldn’t get the flow.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review closer to release

[Phil Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hugely enjoyable close to what has been a hugely enjoyable (and read straight-through) series. It has been imaginative, humorous, tense at times, and beautifully-crafted. The settings, characters, relationships, events and atmosphere evoked work so well in themselves and within the context of each of the five volumes but even better when the series is viewed as a whole entity. As I'm now retired from formal teaching, I can't share my enjoyment with pupils but I'm setting them aside for my grand-son Herbie to read - and initially have read to him. I'll recommend them to any young people, or their parents, I encounter. Frustrating that the authorship of this edition is wrongly attributed, which has not been the case with any of the first four titles ... and I'm struggling to work out how to correct this ir create a new, accurate listing for the UK Walker paperback edition. The five stars are as much for the series as a whole as for the final instalment.

[Birte · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good conclusion, where we finally get answers and it was a good adventure.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been a year since Herbie and Violet met. Once again, it is time for the Malamander to be restless. And a documentary film crew has arrived to try and capitalize on all the strange tales from Eerie-on-the-Sea. But they don’t really believe, and they are chasing something dangerous that they clearly don’t understand. And things are going wonky in town. The Mermonkey has broken, it produces a card that doesn’t direct Herbie and Violet to a book, but just has one word on it…Mermedusa. Long buried secrets will be unearthed, a secret creature no one realizes has been lurking in the background is revealed, and Herbie finally finds out where he came from.

This book was hard to summarize because it has a lot going on. All the stray threads left dangling from the other books in the series finally get wound up in this book. There’s so many secrets revealed and long-sought-after questions finally answered. And I totally didn’t see half of them coming. It was very creative, brought a lot of beautiful healing to many characters, and a very satisfying conclusion to the series.

Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: Past ship wrecks and people washed out to sea are talked about that likely resulted in deaths. There’s a creepy creature trapping people, and a man trying to right a wrong in all the worst ways which puts others at danger. There are lots of perilous circumstances, but only one person is presumed dead after a catastrophic event.
Ethnic diversity: Feels coastal UK with some characters from America. Most of the characters appear to be white.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Selfish actions resulted in past tragedies that have made certain people bitter and angry and twisted.

[Flissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book, but I I am really sad this is the last one T. Taylor is writing. Of course, I thoroughly like cliffhangers, but not one like this where it ends a whole series. Plus, there were loads more characters and plots/big events added at the very end- we will never hear the future for all these new people and things.

When I met Thomas Taylor, I had just finished reading Malamander and started Gargantis, and he was happy because I was one of the only people who had bought his books, not the book he had done the cover of for J.K Rowling (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone). At the time, Festergrimm (book 4) and Mermedusa (book 5) weren't out yet.

If you are looking for a good book I would recommend:
Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B Alston
Kingdom over the Sea by Zohra Nabi
The Land of Roar by Jenny McLaclan
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
The Strangeworld's Travel Agency by L.D Lapinski
Please Sir, The Gremlin Ate My Homework by K.D Greaves

[Fi's Journey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful ending to an awesome series. Sad to have finished it but will definitely pick these books up again in the near future for a re-read. One of my all-time-favourite book series. I definitely will read more books by Thomas Taylor.

Loved all the characters, adventures and mysteries of Eerie-on-Sea.

[XfeliX · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bye bye Eerie-on-sea 😭💔
I discovered the deepest secret of Eerie-on-sea, but I hope, Thomas Taylor lets us returne some day...