Natasha Bowen

The highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller Skin of the Sea, in which the world must pay the price for one mermaid's choice, and a dark force reverberates across realms. Perfect for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and those eagerly anticipating the live-action film adaptation of The Little Mermaid.

One life.
One choice.
One sacrifice.

To save those closest to her, Simi traded away everything: her freedom, her family, and the boy she loves. Now she is sworn to serve a new god, watching over the Land of the Dead at the bottom of the ocean.

But when signs of demons begin to appear, it's clear there are deeper consequences of Simi's trade. These demons spell the world's ruin . . . and because of Simi, they now have a way into the human realm.

With the fate of the world at stake, Simi must break her promise and team up with a scheming trickster of a god. And if they succeed, perhaps Simi can also unbreak her heart along the way, and find herself again.

Soul of the Deep

Holly 

I will find Kola again. But only after I have done what I need to.

 I am Simidele and I choose to follow no one. 

But it is when I come to stand in front of the last mask that I stop, small bumps rising on my arms. 

Known as the collector of the ultimate debt, which cannot go unpaid, one of the ajogun we must all face eventually, sacrifice or not. He is the only warlord who is unconfined, coming and going as needed, but not allowed freedom on a grand scale. However, there are times he has run amok, and those are the moments in history of great famine and wars that ravage whole countries. Iku's mask is larger than the others, hung over another set of double doors, which shimmer in copper and bronze, red silk wrapped around the handles.

Ragged screams and dying gasps mix with battle cries, and though each kill draws us closer to our goal, my heart lurches with every soul I see released. It strikes me how senseless all this death truly is, and a sharp despair fills me. At people who follow their leaders and the ajogun, manipulated into slaughter and death. For a moment, I stand still, the clashing of blades and the cries of the dead and dying echoing all around me. Wherever I look, glittering souls of gold and silver climb and twirl into the air. So many lost.

A woman bends down to her small daughter. I see the girl press her face against her mother's chest. When the child raises her face, there are tears but also a fierce look of pride. I watch as the woman adjusts her black wrapper before strapping a goatskin quiver of arrows on her back. She has shaved her hair as Yinka has done, and patches of white are scattered across her brown skin, gleaming with shea butter, enhancing her beauty even more. A boy runs from a nearby doorway with a bow as big as him. He nearly trips on the end and is steadied by his father. The man takes the bow from his son and hands the weapon to his wife, their fingers touching. He brings his lips down to her forehead, kissing her once, his eyes shining as he steps back. The woman tips her head before pressing her fingers against her mouth. And then she is turning from her family and joining the other warriors who are waiting, lining the street.

if Kola is orisa, then Oko and the Oyo Kingdom will be protected. He is needed. Kola catches my eye and we stare at each other. The pull I felt in the sea and on the beach is there again. 

“ But it's shown me where my place is. I want to see iyá and bàbá, but Yemoja needs me. I owe her. More than my life now." I think of Folasade's loss and the souls she might have gathered. I drop the blanket, moving toward the gate. "Once we have helped Esu bind the ajogun, I'm going back to the sea. I have to. That’s where I belong.”

I think of all my own memories, reclaimed and mine. To know where you came from holds so much power over how you feel about yourself. This I know very well. 

Yemoja moves closer and whispers, "I think we both know that you are a creature unto yourself. One that I created but has been unable to control or contain. I accept and celebrate you, Simidele.”

Dawn. That first flush of delicate light that dusts your skin and gilds the world. The time of day I miss the most. 

Anger bubbles back up within me, the only thing of heat in such cold depths. How can they treat people in such a way? To deny them their humanity, treat them as if they are the same as spices and fabrics, and then cast aside their bodies as if they are nothing more than unwanted possessions? Even when our kingdoms war, any prisoners captured are still, people,

A thrilling sequel to Skin of the Sea filled with mermaids, gods, and a hint of romance!

Holly

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Diversity: Nigerian based MC and characters, Black characters

Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, African mythology and lore, mermaids, retellings, romance

Age Relevance: 15+ (slavery, death, violence, gore, PTSD, prayer and religion, romance, parental death)

Explanation of Above: There are mentions and some showings of slavery. Death, violence, parental death, and gore involving blood are shown and mentioned in the read. There are scenes that show PTSD. There is some romance. There are some mentions of prayer and religious figures.

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

To save those closest to her, Simi traded away everything: her freedom, her family, and the boy she loves. Now she is sworn to serve a new god, watching over the Land of the Dead at the bottom of the ocean.

But when signs of demons begin to appear, it's clear there are deeper consequences of Simi's trade. These demons spell the world's ruin . . . and because of Simi, they now have a way into the human realm.

With the fate of the world at stake, Simi must break her promise and team up with a scheming trickster of a god. And if they succeed, perhaps Simi can also unbreak her heart along the way, and find herself again.

Review: I liked this sequel book to Skin of the Sea. I thought the book was a lot more straight-forward with what was happening, which I appreciated, and it featured more African mythology and lore. The book was beautifully written and I fell in love with Simi more than I did in the first one. The book continued with the well developed characters and continued to develop a beautiful world.

However, I did think that the book could have done with a bit of a reminder as to what happened in the previous book. There are some spots here and there that mention it, but mostly it just immediately jumped into the story and continued post 6-months after the events of last book. I also thought the pacing was a bit off in places. I’m also confused on if there’s a third book in the series or not.

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

 

Book: Soul of the Deep

 

Author: Natasha Bowen

 

Book Series: Skin of the Sea Book 2

 

Rating: 4/5

 

Diversity: Nigerian based MC and characters, Black characters

 

Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, African mythology and lore, mermaids, retellings, romance

 

Publication Date: September 27, 2022

 

Genre: YA Fantasy

 

Age Relevance: 15+ (slavery, death, violence, gore, PTSD, prayer and religion, romance, parental death)

 

Explanation of Above: There are mentions and some showings of slavery. Death, violence, parental death, and gore involving blood are shown and mentioned in the read. There are scenes that show PTSD. There is some romance. There are some mentions of prayer and religious figures.

 

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

 

Pages: 304

 

Synopsis: One life.

One choice.

One sacrifice.

 

To save those closest to her, Simi traded away everything: her freedom, her family, and the boy she loves. Now she is sworn to serve a new god, watching over the Land of the Dead at the bottom of the ocean.

 

But when signs of demons begin to appear, it's clear there are deeper consequences of Simi's trade. These demons spell the world's ruin . . . and because of Simi, they now have a way into the human realm.

 

With the fate of the world at stake, Simi must break her promise and team up with a scheming trickster of a god. And if they succeed, perhaps Simi can also unbreak her heart along the way, and find herself again.

 

Review: I liked this sequel book to Skin of the Sea. I thought the book was a lot more straight-forward with what was happening, which I appreciated, and it featured more African mythology and lore. The book was beautifully written and I fell in love with Simi more than I did in the first one. The book continued with the well developed characters and continued to develop a beautiful world.

 

However, I did think that the book could have done with a bit of a reminder as to what happened in the previous book. There are some spots here and there that mention it, but mostly it just immediately jumped into the story and continued post 6-months after the events of last book. I also thought the pacing was a bit off in places. I’m also confused on if there’s a third book in the series or not.

 

Verdict: It was good!

Soul of the Deep

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