Caffeinated Reviewer

Sophia Rose is here with a review of the urban fantasy Meara by Anya Wylde. Grab an iced coffee and see what captivated her….

Meara lives an ordinary life with her eccentric grandmother and three siblings in a small Georgian house in Dublin. On her eighteenth birthday, her little sister is kidnapped by an incredibly powerful man, and her entire world turns upside down.
A whisper of someone like her being born has been discussed for aeons by the gods. The question is, who is she, and where is she?
Meara lives an ordinary life with her eccentric grandmother and three siblings in a small Georgian house in Dublin. On her eighteenth birthday, her little sister is kidnapped by an incredibly powerful man, and her entire world turns upside down.
Long hidden family secrets tumble out, and supernatural beings suddenly surround her. However, she thinks she is a side character, the hero's friend and the heroine's sister. After all, her nature is more girl-next-door than a tortured soul with ninja fighting skills.
Her only desire is to get her sister back and keep her safe but to do so, she must battle dangerous beings and reign in her treacherous heart, which has begun to beat for her family's sworn enemy, a gorgeous demigod.

Sophia Rose’s Review

Awkward, average, and somewhat forgettable- or simply an unlikely heroine. Known for her madcap historical and contemporary romcoms, Anya Wylde dipped her creative pen into the genre of urban fantasy and I was eager to be in line for this latest standalone effort.

Irish girl, Meara, is coming of age. She’s just finished high school, just been on her first date that ended in the hospital ER, and her family has forgotten her birthday. Meara thought she knew the score with her parents off on the other side of the world pursuing their work, living with her gran, older brothers, and younger sister, but then her special day ends with a shooting, a kidnapping, and, what was that creature? Meara focuses on getting her sister back, but the inexplicable things that happen just can’t be ignored. She slowly discovers her whole life has been a lie and she might not be as average and forgettable as she once thought. Though, yes, when around a certain tall, dark, powerful, and cranky man, she’s still awkward.

I had a good time getting to know Meara and the strange, magical world she inhabits right along with Meara. Anya Wylde weaves mythology and fantasy together to create a magical world and situation that enchanted me the more I learned about it. The world and the conflict going on is revealed a bit at a time, so my curiosity was more than whetted by the time I had a good grasp of what was really going on. Like Meara, I was getting impatient with everyone for keeping things from her. She’s in danger up to her eyeballs and yet they feel ignorance is bliss.

At first, I wasn’t sure if this had a romance element or would simply be an unlikely heroine who ends up saving the world with her own band of misfits. But, yes, her unwanted attraction turns into a slow burning enemies to lovers romance with a bit of love triangle tossed in to confuse Meara. The reader is given the clues to understand that how Meara sees it is not the whole, accurate picture, though yes, Kamraan does blow hot and cold and I wanted to bop him for the pain he caused Meara as a result.

I found the warmth and loyalty Meara felt for family and friends and her vulnerabilities made her a character I could root for. She’s got a complex about herself and, at first, events seem to prove her right to her way of thinking. She doesn’t have much self-worth and must take care of others to ‘earn’ their affection. Slowly, she is made to understand that caregiving is her strength and the core of who she is and this draws people to her compassionate, giving nature (okay, everyone who isn’t trying to kill her, that is).

Because, yes, Meara ends up in several life or death moments when she is trying to get to her sister and then protect her sister from those who would try to kill her. The action scenes and the mysterious moments were sprinkled throughout and kept me flipping pages furiously at times.

All in all, Meara was captivating and full of good mystery, fantasy, and humor to go with the character, romance, and action development. I can definitely recommend it to urban fantasy lovers who enjoy Ireland for the setting and a blend with mythology.

Amazon

About Anya Wylde

Anya Wylde lives in Ireland along with her husband and a fat French poodle (now on a diet). She can cook a mean curry, and her idea of exercise is occasionally stretching her toes. She holds a degree in English literature and adores reading and writing.

Twitter

About Sophia Rose

Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, and gardening. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.

Twitter | Goodreads

About Kimberly

Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

Related Posts

• Same Genre