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Who exactly is Elena Rios? Is she the aimless and heartbroken widow of a downed Air Force pilot? Is she the love interest of the god of the Pacific Ocean? If she is the object of his affections, what sets her apart from all other women? Certainly, that is more than Kaylinani, his overprotective older and more powerful sister, can understand. Ever since the ocean prince took the name Isaiah, the form of a handsome Hawaiian surfer, and left the ocean to be a painter in the human world, Kaylinani has striven to bring him back under her control. But unquenchable romantic love is beyond the scope of her powers, and the most she can do is turn Elena's bliss into agony every chance she gets. Through four attempts on her life, can Elena maintain the gracious strength that frustrates Kaylinani's evil and which first won her Isaiah's heart?
While intriguing, this tale is not for the squeamish. At least a trickle of blood, and often much more, oozes from every page. Some also may find disturbing the narrative's descriptions of extreme violence in the presence of a young child, as in the scene where a child is forced to hold the severed hands of his deceased father while he himself is entombed in ice. The text does contain milder moments, however, such as tender accounts of Isaiah's childlike gentleness and the alluring colors with which he paints. Each of the book's chapters is preceded by an illustration of a mythical being that either is (or is meant to look) hand-painted in vivid colors. Elena tells the story in the first person, and her frequent pop culture references to plushie toys, Pokémon, various video games, and films starring Johnny Depp will no doubt hold the collective interest of millennial fantasy fans.