alternative history story.

First and foremost, The Golden City by J. Kathleen Cheney isn’t some boy meets girl romance novel, though you might expect something along those lines from the cover. Set in Portugal at the turn of the twentieth century, The Golden City follows the story of Oriana Paredes, a spy amongst the social elite of the city for her people, the sereia—the mermaids. This novel alternates between two perspectives, Oriana and Duilio Ferreira, a police consultant with his own genetic roots in the sea. And although there is some romantic-tension between our two main characters, it is not the primary focus. The GIANT cliffhanger at the end won’t be the only thing that will keep you wanting more of this series and Cheney’s writing, but read slowly. The sequel doesn’t come out until July of next year.