You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m not going to be nasty and dramatic and give this book 1 star because it’s not like it was bad, it just didn’t go in the direction I wanted it to. Coming off the highs of the first book, there’s so many obstacles and so much adversity that raises the stakes for Soul of the Deep. You’d think the author would play into that, and let the suspense build, and let the adversity actually feel like the characters are being challenged, but it just falls flat. The characters aren’t consistent in their behavior and their motives make less and less sense because they seem to lose their individual voices as the plot drones on. It was too predictable and the stakes were raised for what ultimately resulted in a lackluster ending. If this is meant to stay a duology, then there’s not really much that can be done to fix it. If this is meant to be a trilogy however, having the second book in your series not be good is almost blasphemous I’m not going to lie. I could just be delirious because I only read this book at night before bed, but if I can’t delude myself into liking it, then it’s not looking good.
I enjoyed Soul of the Deep a lot more than Skin of the Sea. We continue to follow Semidele as she fights and save those close to her and as she also searches for Kola. This second book was full of engaging and action pack moments. There were moments where I was literally on the edge of my seat as we are in the throws of battle. I feel as though this second installment was a perfect ending to this journey. I have to also mention the mythological elements of the book were my favorite parts too, reading about the Mami Wata. Even after reading book 1 so long ago, I feel as though Natasha Bowen did a great job of picking up right where we left off. It wasn’t hard to remember bits from book 1.
🎧The audiobook, chefs kiss! The intense moments, the tender moments, and the emotional moments were brought to life! Yetide Badaki was perfection reading this one!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions contained within are my own.
Back in 2021, I was lucky enough to be included on the TBR & Beyond Tours blog tour for the first book in this series, Skin of the Sea. What first drew me to the book, admittedly, was the breathtaking cover. Then I discovered it was about Black mermaids and I was all the way sold. I ended up enjoying the first book quite a bit so I was eager to pick up Soul of the Deep and finish out the duology. Did I enjoy it as much as the first? No. But did I still have a good time? Absolutely!
We begin this sequel at the bottom of the ocean as Simi deals with the consequences of the deal she makes at the end of book one. But her bargain has had unforeseen consequences on not only Simi, but the world. With demons and gods running amok, Simi has to return from the deepest depths to help set things right.
I have to say, there is a lot going on in this book. So much so that the plot felt a bit rushed and muddled. I constantly found myself rereading parts because I kept getting lost in the weeds of everything that was going on! Honestly, it made me wish that this had been a trilogy because I was loving the story, but I wish there had been more time to develop and flesh it out. That feeling goes for the characters, as well! Though Simi had an incredible arc that ended in a satisfying way, I felt like the rest of the characters that were so alive in the first book felt a little flat this time around.
All that said, the writing in this was just as beautiful and evocative as the writing in the first book. The author does an incredible job of building a world that comes to life in your minds’ eye. You feel the chill of the deep, the warmth of the jungles, and everything in between as Simi goes on her journey. The gorgeous writing was hands down my favorite part of Soul of the Deep! It definitely makes me excited to read from this author again.
So this was a “liked it, didn’t love it” kind of read and, though it didn’t hit as much as the first in the series, I still had a good time reading it.
Back in 2021, I was lucky enough to be included on the TBR & Beyond Tours blog tour for the first book in this series, Skin of the Sea. What first drew me to the book, admittedly, was the breathtaking cover. Then I discovered it was about Black mermaids and I was all the way sold. I ended up enjoying the first book quite a bit so I was eager to pick up Soul of the Deep and finish out the duology. Did I enjoy it as much as the first? No. But did I still have a good time? Absolutely!
We begin this sequel at the bottom of the ocean as Simi deals with the consequences of the deal she makes at the end of book one. But her bargain has had unforeseen consequences on not only Simi, but the world. With demons and gods running amok, Simi has to return from the deepest depths to help set things right.
I have to say, there is a lot going on in this book. So much so that the plot felt a bit rushed and muddled. I constantly found myself rereading parts because I kept getting lost in the weeds of everything that was going on! Honestly, it made me wish that this had been a trilogy because I was loving the story, but I wish there had been more time to develop and flesh it out. That feeling goes for the characters, as well! Though Simi had an incredible arc that ended in a satisfying way, I felt like the rest of the characters that were so alive in the first book felt a little flat this time around.
All that said, the writing in this was just as beautiful and evocative as the writing in the first book. The author does an incredible job of building a world that comes to life in your minds’ eye. You feel the chill of the deep, the warmth of the jungles, and everything in between as Simi goes on her journey. The gorgeous writing was hands down my favorite part of Soul of the Deep! It definitely makes me excited to read from this author again.
So this was a “liked it, didn’t love it” kind of read and, though it didn’t hit as much as the first in the series, I still had a good time reading it.
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I actually loved this book even more than the first one! Bowen’s character development and world building is really incredible. I love the way that she ties together Esu, Semi, and Kola and their various fates.
Spoilers and things of note:
I did not see Yemoja releasing Semi from her commitment - this was so beautiful that she saw her as both part of the collective and the individual - I audibly gasped!
Bowens commentary of how power corrupts AND the true power that community holds is incredible.
Kola and Semi’s love story is so perfect - “I choose you, but I also choose me.”
I really do think the ending was perfect - I don’t know at this point if there is a third book coming but I definitely wouldn’t be mad about it! Hoping to read more by her!!
I did not see Yemoja releasing Semi from her commitment - this was so beautiful that she saw her as both part of the collective and the individual - I audibly gasped!
Bowens commentary of how power corrupts AND the true power that community holds is incredible.
Kola and Semi’s love story is so perfect - “I choose you, but I also choose me.”
I really do think the ending was perfect - I don’t know at this point if there is a third book coming but I definitely wouldn’t be mad about it!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Natasha Bowen's writing style is absolutely gorgeous and incredibly descriptive. That was the best part of this book for me, Unfortunately, there were many other parts of the books that I liked much less. The action moved very quickly, but at times it seemed to move too quickly. We did not get to see characters truly react to what had happened or really feel their feelings. On a similar note, the romance had absolutely no chemistry, unfortunately. I like Kola and I like Simi separately. They make no sense together to me. It feels like a type of insta-love that exists because this is a YA book and it has to be there. I was also, unfortunately, annoyed by some of Simi's actions during the book. She made rash decisions without stopping to consult the people around her, and it was never truly addressed. I wish that the characters had been more fleshed out, but I did truly enjoy Bowen's writing and the action of this story.
Natasha Bowen's writing style is absolutely gorgeous and incredibly descriptive. That was the best part of this book for me, Unfortunately, there were many other parts of the books that I liked much less. The action moved very quickly, but at times it seemed to move too quickly. We did not get to see characters truly react to what had happened or really feel their feelings. On a similar note, the romance had absolutely no chemistry, unfortunately. I like Kola and I like Simi separately. They make no sense together to me. It feels like a type of insta-love that exists because this is a YA book and it has to be there. I was also, unfortunately, annoyed by some of Simi's actions during the book. She made rash decisions without stopping to consult the people around her, and it was never truly addressed. I wish that the characters had been more fleshed out, but I did truly enjoy Bowen's writing and the action of this story.
What an amazing duology! The gods in this book are wonderfully complex. Often in fantasy series, the gods are written one dimensionally- they are either good or bad. These gods, however, have such depth to them; they truly do feel like ancient beings. And the main character's growth is amazing! The way her human nature and Mami Wata nature battles, the way her spirituality and own desires clash. It is written so well and so honestly. I appreciate this story so much!
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I loved this beautiful book. The beginning was a little slow for my tastes but WOW did Bowen do a great job tying up loose ends and celebrating Simi at the end! I wasn't able to predict the ending and the plot line kept me guessing. There is no shortage of loss in this story, and I felt that added to the richness of the plot. This book is a celebration of black fantasy, beauty, love, loss and so much more. I appreciated that Simi stayed central throughout the entirety of the book, in a way it was validating that Simi really is the missing piece. The ending celebrates individuality, feminism, self-confidence and power to believe truly in what you have within.
I REALLY hope that this book series becomes a show/movie; it's absolutely gorgeous to read. I definitely wish there were Black Fantasy book like this when I was a kid. So necessary, empowering and a joy to read. I felt the end left the door open for another book but didn't infer the possibility but the closure I received from the second book has me content.
I REALLY hope that this book series becomes a show/movie; it's absolutely gorgeous to read. I definitely wish there were Black Fantasy book like this when I was a kid. So necessary, empowering and a joy to read. I felt the end left the door open for another book but didn't infer the possibility but the closure I received from the second book has me content.