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Bajo el azul
(Waterfire Saga #1)
by
En las profundidades del océano, en un mundo no tan diferente del nuestro, viven los habitantes de Mer. Sus comunidades están extendidas a través de los océanos, mares, y las aguas frescas de todo el globo terráqueo.
Cuando Serafina, una sirena del Mar Mediterráneo, despierta la mañana de su compromiso, su más gran preocupación debería ser ganarse el amor del increíble Prín ...more
Cuando Serafina, una sirena del Mar Mediterráneo, despierta la mañana de su compromiso, su más gran preocupación debería ser ganarse el amor del increíble Prín ...more
Paperback, 400 pages
Published
October 28th 2014
by Destino
(first published May 6th 2014)
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Community Reviews
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Start your review of Bajo el azul (Waterfire Saga, #1)

A Special Girl who happens to be a Princess who needs to Save The World from an Unspeakable Evil...![]()
What. A. Shocker.
The twist is that this is all underwater .
That's right. There's a mermaid secret society who uses magic to hide and protect their kingdoms.
We follow Princess Serafina.
In typical YA fashion, she loses her parents a few chapters in, loses her throne shortly after and loses her entire country almost immediately after that.
Hmm... what a predicament.
It's almost like the heir t ...more

Oct 16, 2013
Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Actual rating: 2.5
There is no cursing in this underwater fantasy, a rave (drug-filled party to us landlubbers) is a all-night wave. An ass is a wrasse. There are no bad-asses, but there are bad-wrasses and jackwrasses.
Money is called currensea. Jerks ...more
“You don’t look like an outlaw,” Serafina said.This is not a bad book, but the pros in this book are outweighed by the fact that it is an overwhelmingly childish infodump.
“Or a shark,” Neela said.
“I’m a lawyer, actually, the worst kind of shark.”
There is no cursing in this underwater fantasy, a rave (drug-filled party to us landlubbers) is a all-night wave. An ass is a wrasse. There are no bad-asses, but there are bad-wrasses and jackwrasses.
Money is called currensea. Jerks ...more

Actual rating is 3.5 stars
Deep Blue is as pure as entertainment gets for people like me. And by people like me, I mean people who love puns, journeys that are in scope harrowing but manage to be somewhat lighthearted in the moment, and also just a little bit of awesome feminism and girl power. If you go into Deep Blue expecting the most out of a serious and epic fantasy novel involving intricate mermaid lore and whatnot, you may be a bit disappointed; Deep Blue has scattered remnants of that thr ...more
Deep Blue is as pure as entertainment gets for people like me. And by people like me, I mean people who love puns, journeys that are in scope harrowing but manage to be somewhat lighthearted in the moment, and also just a little bit of awesome feminism and girl power. If you go into Deep Blue expecting the most out of a serious and epic fantasy novel involving intricate mermaid lore and whatnot, you may be a bit disappointed; Deep Blue has scattered remnants of that thr ...more

I was so excited about this series - about MERMAIDS. I had very high hopes for this story. I felt the writing was juvenile. It was written for the young adult market, but at a middle grade level. I enjoyed the puns in the book dealing with water life - clever, but I didn't feel this was a smart book.
I didn't really relate to the characters. I know teens are whiney, but this whole story felt whiney. A pretty cool world was starting to be set up. There is the most powerful kingdom in the oceans, w ...more
I didn't really relate to the characters. I know teens are whiney, but this whole story felt whiney. A pretty cool world was starting to be set up. There is the most powerful kingdom in the oceans, w ...more

May 03, 2014
Jamie
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
kindle-read,
next-challenge,
young-adult,
upcoming-challenge,
youth,
under-the-sea
Okay-actual rating is a 3.5.
This was a decent underwater fantasy-adventure that has potential. And yet for all the good it is, there is also some head-spinning vocabulary.
Seraphina is the heir the kingdom and her whole life seems set before her before and attack destroys her apparent path. But just before the attack she has a 'dream' of a prophecy she must help with. For she is one of 6 that must save the sea.
This books word choice and creation had me utterly overwhelmed at first. We are given ...more
This was a decent underwater fantasy-adventure that has potential. And yet for all the good it is, there is also some head-spinning vocabulary.
Seraphina is the heir the kingdom and her whole life seems set before her before and attack destroys her apparent path. But just before the attack she has a 'dream' of a prophecy she must help with. For she is one of 6 that must save the sea.
This books word choice and creation had me utterly overwhelmed at first. We are given ...more

DNF at 10%.
The opening was pretty good, but then we meet the protagonist and it's basically The Little Mermaid fan fiction. Serafina's bed is fucking clam shell. She lives in an underwater mermaid city with streets and restaurants and shit, and everything is made of quartz and mother of pearl. She has a pet octopus named Sylvestre.
But what really did it in for me was her nurse being described has having "the legs and torso of a blue crab." TORSO???
I literally can't. ...more
The opening was pretty good, but then we meet the protagonist and it's basically The Little Mermaid fan fiction. Serafina's bed is fucking clam shell. She lives in an underwater mermaid city with streets and restaurants and shit, and everything is made of quartz and mother of pearl. She has a pet octopus named Sylvestre.
But what really did it in for me was her nurse being described has having "the legs and torso of a blue crab." TORSO???
I literally can't. ...more

DNF, chapter 4.
I was sucked in by the beautiful cover.
Unfortunately, the mermaids here are nothing more than some catty modern teenagers with some words substituted and some generic 'fairytale' elements thrown in.
"Merboys" have "merlfriends" (yes, really) and might "swim with a fast crowd."
They wear gowns, have "updos" and dye their hair (yes, all underwater.) And above all, apparently, love gossiping. The mer-court seems like a cliquish high school.
The main character is a mer-princess about to ...more
I was sucked in by the beautiful cover.
Unfortunately, the mermaids here are nothing more than some catty modern teenagers with some words substituted and some generic 'fairytale' elements thrown in.
"Merboys" have "merlfriends" (yes, really) and might "swim with a fast crowd."
They wear gowns, have "updos" and dye their hair (yes, all underwater.) And above all, apparently, love gossiping. The mer-court seems like a cliquish high school.
The main character is a mer-princess about to ...more

Feb 17, 2014
Stuti Rai
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
let-me-down,
fantasy-pr-everything-untoward
1.5
Had I liked Deep Blue, I would have tried to sell it to you for its three elements:
a. Girl Power
b. Diversity
c. Puns
As it so happens, the girl power aspect felt flat and juvenile, the diversity thingy was experienced only once or twice for turbans and saris and it didn't really work, and the puns were disingenuous and stilted. Pooooooh!!!
Jennifer Donnelly's writing leaves a shitload to be desired. The first few chapters of the story are unbearable. With flinchingly detailed and full of bliste ...more
Had I liked Deep Blue, I would have tried to sell it to you for its three elements:
a. Girl Power
b. Diversity
c. Puns
As it so happens, the girl power aspect felt flat and juvenile, the diversity thingy was experienced only once or twice for turbans and saris and it didn't really work, and the puns were disingenuous and stilted. Pooooooh!!!
Jennifer Donnelly's writing leaves a shitload to be desired. The first few chapters of the story are unbearable. With flinchingly detailed and full of bliste ...more

2.5 stars
I adore Donnelly. Revolution and A Northern Light are two of my favorite books ever, so I had absurdly high expectations for this novel. When it comes down to it, Deep Blue has a really good and original story, and while I never thought I'd say this about a Donnelly novel, the problem here was not with the content but the execution. The truth is that Deep Blue reads like a silly, immature, cheesy and childish novel for pre-teen girls. While the descriptions are gorgeous and wildly imagi ...more
I adore Donnelly. Revolution and A Northern Light are two of my favorite books ever, so I had absurdly high expectations for this novel. When it comes down to it, Deep Blue has a really good and original story, and while I never thought I'd say this about a Donnelly novel, the problem here was not with the content but the execution. The truth is that Deep Blue reads like a silly, immature, cheesy and childish novel for pre-teen girls. While the descriptions are gorgeous and wildly imagi ...more

A very complicated underwater world with different cities and cultures. I love the conch shell lessons and the singing of spells. If you're a mermaid fan, then check this one out.
...more

Mar 24, 2014
Michelle
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
sci-fi,
ya-fantasy
I LOVED this book. I read it in a Day. Could not put it down. The writer creates an undersea world of Kingdoms and Castles with Mer-people and and exotic undersea pets. The Females in this story are strong. Stronger than they first understand. The themes of Females living up to expectations of others and learning to know who to trust and what to beleive are great for this age and this genre. I believe this is the start of a great series that I cannot wait to read.
I also believe that this will b ...more
I also believe that this will b ...more

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly
Book One of the Waterfire series
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: May 6, 2014
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
The first in a series of four epic tales set in the depths of the ocean, where six mermaids seek to protect and save their hidden world.
Deep in the ocean, in a world not so different from our own, live the merpeople. Their communities are spread throughout the oc ...more
Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly
Book One of the Waterfire series
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: May 6, 2014
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
The first in a series of four epic tales set in the depths of the ocean, where six mermaids seek to protect and save their hidden world.
Deep in the ocean, in a world not so different from our own, live the merpeople. Their communities are spread throughout the oc ...more

*I received this book for free from the publisher. However, all thoughts and opinions in this review are completely my own.*
Deep Blue is a clever, vivid, and adventurous read! I can already tell that the Waterfire Saga is going to be an epic ride. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book to fellow book-lovers!
Going in, I expected to really enjoy the novel since I loved Jennifer Donnelly’s previous works. Fortunately, my expectations were met, although I have to say comparing A Northern Light t ...more
Deep Blue is a clever, vivid, and adventurous read! I can already tell that the Waterfire Saga is going to be an epic ride. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book to fellow book-lovers!
Going in, I expected to really enjoy the novel since I loved Jennifer Donnelly’s previous works. Fortunately, my expectations were met, although I have to say comparing A Northern Light t ...more

Dec 26, 2016
Lizzy (Bent Bookworm)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
read-in-2016
~*Full review on The Bent Bookworm!*~
Feels :
Well, to start off with I got a serious case of deja vu.

Thankfully it moves past that pretty quickly. There are some similarities throughout but I think that’s to be expected given the mermaid subject and the intended audience. ...more
“You fear you will fail at the very thing you were born for. And your fear torments you…instead of shunning your fear, you must let it speak and listen carefully to what it’s trying to tell you. It will give you good counsel.”
Feels :
Well, to start off with I got a serious case of deja vu.

Thankfully it moves past that pretty quickly. There are some similarities throughout but I think that’s to be expected given the mermaid subject and the intended audience. ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

Mar 21, 2014
Melanie
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
action,
fantasy,
romance,
omg-the-cover-people,
young-adult,
paranormal,
e-arc,
me-likes-you,
books-i-own,
middle-grade
I had my doubts about Deep Blue. Honestly, I haven't ever read a decent mermaid book and I believe this is the best I've encountered so far. For the bucket load of characters this novel has, Donnelly did a brilliant job of giving the major characters some depth and backbone, which I really appreciated. Also, please note that this does read on the younger side of YA fic. Some events and dialogue felt juvenile, but didn't nag me too much. There isn't much romance, even if the start of the novel mi
...more

HAVE YOU SEEN THAT BLURB??
Led only by her shadowy dreams, Sera searches for five other mermaid heroines who are scattered across the six seas. Together, they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood and uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world's very existence...
Story about sisterhood, bond, and trust. ...more

Led only by her shadowy dreams, Sera searches for five other mermaid heroines who are scattered across the six seas. Together, they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood and uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world's very existence...

Story about sisterhood, bond, and trust. ...more

Quick review for a somewhat elongated read (I ended up reading this in ARC and audiobook form, the audiobook narrated by Rae Miller). "Deep Blue" by Jennifer Donnelly is the first in an ongoing series about a mermaid whose kingdom falls into enemy hands, and she must rise above her circumstances to take back what was lost, with a little help from comrades she meets along the way.
To be honest, instead of classifying this as YA, I would almost say this feels like a middle grade book (though there ...more
To be honest, instead of classifying this as YA, I would almost say this feels like a middle grade book (though there ...more

89 page sneak peek only, I wasn't approved for the rest. Weird. Anyway, Deep Blue read quite a bit younger than I was expecting. The money is called CURRENSEA
and the opposite of a boyfriend is a MERLFRIEND. I must be a grump, because I found it corny instead of cute. I wasn't drawn in enough by 89 pages to finish it a month later when it's released. To be fair, I was expecting a dark tale, not a little mermaid princess. ...more
and the opposite of a boyfriend is a MERLFRIEND. I must be a grump, because I found it corny instead of cute. I wasn't drawn in enough by 89 pages to finish it a month later when it's released. To be fair, I was expecting a dark tale, not a little mermaid princess. ...more

3.5 stars rounded up. I'm liking the storyline (I mean, mermaids!! hello!!!) and already have the next three books ready to binge the series. There are things that get to me, such as how, if they're mermaids, and obviously underwater, then dresses wouldn't "hang" on hangers and hair wouldn't fall around shoulders, like, where is the thought to how things move in water?
...more

Another Jennifer Donnelly special - meaning that everything, and I mean everything (kids, dinner, laundry, grocery store) - went on hold until I could devour it. Deep Blue is just delicious - I was swept up from the very first pages into this story of fearless young mermaids who join forces to fight a monstrous evil. I loved everything about this book. In keeping with her usual style, Donnelly gifts her readers with an embarrassment of riches - gorgeous descriptions of a breathtaking underwater
...more

Sooooo another book is all done:) I actually read this book in 2 days but I put the the book up on here like Saturday so yea I'm super excited about that!!! I honestly really enjoyed this book even tho I was a if'y about but it was very entertaining and I would say I would highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to start reading or going into a reading slump. It something that u can go into and slip right bac out because it's not that long of a book, but I didn't really like I got not a
...more

To see my full review:
http://abookvacation.com/2014/05/16/a...
If you’re looking for something completely different, I highly suggest giving Deep Blue a try. Unlike any mermaid novel I’ve read before, this novel takes readers on a chase across the ocean floor as Sera and her best friend attempt to reach the mythological witches from her dreams. As the oceans begin the ultimate war against an unspeakable evil, Sera is whisked away on an adventure that is both harrowing and awesome at the same time ...more
http://abookvacation.com/2014/05/16/a...
If you’re looking for something completely different, I highly suggest giving Deep Blue a try. Unlike any mermaid novel I’ve read before, this novel takes readers on a chase across the ocean floor as Sera and her best friend attempt to reach the mythological witches from her dreams. As the oceans begin the ultimate war against an unspeakable evil, Sera is whisked away on an adventure that is both harrowing and awesome at the same time ...more

Good news: this series will prove quick to get through.
Bad news: I've got 3 more books to get through.
Actually, I overreact. This book was better than I expected. But rarely does good come from forcing myself through the favored YA series of a close friend. Either I lie about how much I like it and end up feeling guilty for the rest of my life or I admit to not liking it and lose a friend. So, see? It is a dilemma.
But I did kind of like this one. I went in with such low expectations that I f ...more
Bad news: I've got 3 more books to get through.

Actually, I overreact. This book was better than I expected. But rarely does good come from forcing myself through the favored YA series of a close friend. Either I lie about how much I like it and end up feeling guilty for the rest of my life or I admit to not liking it and lose a friend. So, see? It is a dilemma.
But I did kind of like this one. I went in with such low expectations that I f ...more

Jun 08, 2014
Michelle Wrona
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
People who are looking for a unique/mermaid read, YA READERS
It just sucks because I usually can never even pick up a mermaid book. And if I do, I hate them. But I'm always such a good person and I always give books a chance. Having read Jennifer's Revolution and liked it, I decided to give this one a chance. Colour me surprised, this ended up being the best mermaid-based book I've ever read.
This was absolutely spectacular and I really liked it! Despite the negative comments and reviews about this being more juvenile based (which really didn't matte ...more
This was absolutely spectacular and I really liked it! Despite the negative comments and reviews about this being more juvenile based (which really didn't matte ...more

I've wanted to read this for the longest time, but I think I was iffy about it when the main character's name was Serafina (I was reading Serafina and the Black Cloak at the time, so it would've been confusing). Glad I found it again so I can read it! :)
...more

First in the Waterfire Saga paranormal fantasy series for middle grade readers. The focus is on introducing us to the overall series problem and all the merls taking part.
My Take
It’s cute with a blend of a fantasy mermaid world + teen angst + performance anxiety compounded by what Serfina sees as her fiancé’s betrayal. It’s tension, horrible tension that will soon seem as nothing when Serafina’s world is blown apart.
I loved the description of Serafina’s room and her shell bed, although that matt ...more
My Take
It’s cute with a blend of a fantasy mermaid world + teen angst + performance anxiety compounded by what Serfina sees as her fiancé’s betrayal. It’s tension, horrible tension that will soon seem as nothing when Serafina’s world is blown apart.
I loved the description of Serafina’s room and her shell bed, although that matt ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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YA Buddy Readers'...: Deep Blue (Waterfire Saga #1) by Jennifer Donnelly - Restarting April 5th 2018 | 146 | 199 | Apr 12, 2018 05:31PM | |
YA Buddy Readers'...:
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56 | 15 | Dec 01, 2017 12:36PM | |
Rogue: Book Discussion: Deep Blue | 3 | 6 | Apr 07, 2017 06:29PM | |
Cool tidbit about Abaddon | 2 | 12 | Jan 12, 2017 02:33PM | |
Crazy for Young A...: ✔Pair 9: Michelle and Sarah Louise (January 2017) | 21 | 20 | Jan 08, 2017 08:01AM | |
Mermaid Melody? | 1 | 10 | Aug 20, 2016 10:05AM |
Jennifer Donnelly is the author of thirteen novels - Poisoned, Stepsister, Lost in a Book, These Shallow Graves, Sea Spell, Dark Tide, Rogue Wave, Deep Blue, Revolution, A Northern Light, The Tea Rose, The Winter Rose and The Wild Rose - and Humble Pie, a picture book for children. She is a co-author of Fatal Throne, which explores the lives of King Henry VIII's six wives, for which she wrote the
...more
Other books in the series
Waterfire Saga
(4 books)
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