Sentence Sneak Peek - Mermaid

Mermaid by Carolyn Turgeon

The first sentence from each chapter of Mermaid, it's a mini summary of what you can expect to read.

*Spoilers are highlighted like so,  :)

"IT WAS A GLOOMY, OVERCAST DAY, LIKE ALL DAYS WERE, WHEN the princess first saw them."

"THE PALACE'S GREAT HALL WAS UNUSUALLY QUIET THAT afternoon."

"THE MAN WAS SOAKED THROUGH AND SHIVERING WITH cold."

"LENIA'S EYES PEERED BACK AT HER, IN THE GLASS, HER hair swarming around her face and lifting into the water above."

"MARGRETHE BARELY SLEPT BEFORE LAUDS, THE EARLY morning office."

"THE SHIP JUTTED UP FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR LIKE A strange, otherworldly creature tilted on its side, its masts and sails stretching in every direction, like misshapen limbs."

"DURING THE LONG AFTERNOONS, EVERY WOMAN IN THE convent was at work."

"THE SKY SHIFTED COLOR, FROM BLUE TO GRAY TO A BRIGHT silver, as massive clouds scattered across it, assembling into elaborate shapes and collapsing back again."

"THEY RODE ALL DAY AND THROUGH THE NIGHT, THE steady, heavy rhythm of hoofbeats carrying them forward."

"LENIA TOOK HER TIME SWIMMING BACK TO THE PALACE, letting the water soothe her."

"OVER THE NEXT DAYS, THE ARMY ASSEMBLED."

"WHEN LENIA OPENED HER EYES, AN OLD WOMAN stood over her, peering down."

"MARGRETHE WAITED BY THE WINDOW OF HER ROOM, wrapped in furs and in her warmest dress, left un-laced, with a pair of men's wool pants underneath."

"THE SUN STREAMED INTO THE ROOM, WARMING LENIA'S skin."

"THE CASTLE FLARED UP, GLEAMING IN THE DISTANCE."

"LENIA STOOD ON A SMALL STOOL IN THE MIDDLE OF HER room."

"MARGRETHE WOKE UP SLOWLY, TO THE FEEL OF A SEA breeze moving across her, dusting her with tiny, spar-kling grains of salt."

"WITHIN DAYS OF MARGRETHE'S ARRIVAL AT THE castle, the healer woman, Agnes, visited Lenia and confirmed that she was indeed pregnant with the prince's baby, that he had filled her with his seed and that the seed would become a child."

"MARGRETHE LAY IN BED, UNABLE TO SLEEP."

"THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON MARGRETHE AND HER lady altered the whole mood of the castle. "

"THE CASTLE WAS IN AN UPROAR AS EVERY SERVANT AND every courtier prepared for the wedding of Prince Chris-topher to Princess Margrethe, and the arrival of King Erik and his court."

"FOUR DAYS BEFORE THE WEDDING, LENIA SPRINKLED THE powder on her dinner, which the servants brought to her room."

"MARGRETHE SAT AT LENIA'S SIDE, WATCHING HER hold her child. "

"THE SKY WAS A DEEP, BRILLIANT BLUE, MELTING INTO THE dark ocean, which was calm now, nearly still.

EPILOGUE: "THE STORY OF WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY WAS WHISPERED through the castle corridors and courtyards and along the benches of the great hall."