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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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:
Yes
Simidele is back!
When we last left her, she had struck a deal with Olokun - she would remain with him and help him bury the dead, and he would deliver Esu to Olodumare to receive punishment for all that transgressed in the first book. In Soul of the Deep, Simidele discovers Olokun has not held up his side of the bargain, electing to keep Esu trapped deep underwater with them. Upon discovering this, Simidele frees Esu from his prison - he's needed for a new purpose - the antigods, the ajogun, are close to being released and Esu is the only orisha capable of preventing this.
With Yemoja's blessing, Simidele ventures once more on a journey with Esu to appease the ajogun and prevent the destruction of their world, though this time she's joined by her friend, fellow Mami Wata Folusade.
Simidele makes some difficult choices. She's reunited again with Kola and it's clear to see that their attraction to one another hasn't lessened. While Simi would like to be with Kola she makes the decision to go back to Yemoja, despite how much it will hurt to leave him behind again.
I don't know if there will be a third book, it seemed to be that way so this book addict is hoping that will be the case!
When we last left her, she had struck a deal with Olokun - she would remain with him and help him bury the dead, and he would deliver Esu to Olodumare to receive punishment for all that transgressed in the first book. In Soul of the Deep, Simidele discovers Olokun has not held up his side of the bargain, electing to keep Esu trapped deep underwater with them. Upon discovering this, Simidele frees Esu from his prison - he's needed for a new purpose - the antigods, the ajogun, are close to being released and Esu is the only orisha capable of preventing this.
With Yemoja's blessing, Simidele ventures once more on a journey with Esu to appease the ajogun and prevent the destruction of their world, though this time she's joined by her friend, fellow Mami Wata Folusade.
Simidele makes some difficult choices. She's reunited again with Kola and it's clear to see that their attraction to one another hasn't lessened. While Simi would like to be with Kola she makes the decision to go back to Yemoja, despite how much it will hurt to leave him behind again.
I don't know if there will be a third book, it seemed to be that way so this book addict is hoping that will be the case!
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
After reading Skin of the Sea and my initial disappointment, my hope for Soul of the Deep was not that high. But, I am afraid, it did not make a difference.
While the worldbuilding remained impressive and immersive, it was at the expense of characters and the story itself. I am almost certain this duology would have been much better if it was twice as long and the characters had more space for growth. I think it would help the story too—spacing out the events and not rushing from one big thing to another.
Again, the story was dragging until like halfway through the book, and then we had a train of very significant events happening in a very short span of time. The plot was predictable, and I cannot say that a single thing has surprised me. The plot twists were quite clever and fit with the story; unfortunately, the foreshadowing was obvious and the big reveals lacked surprise.
Another thing I did not like were the characters Ara and Folasade. Ara´s whole story felt only like a filler; she did not seem important to the plot up until she suddenly was. And (unsurprisingly), she was a villain. On the other hand, Folasade was introduced as a character that will be SO important, but unfortunately, her only job was to die to further move Adekola´s really weird storyline. Even the death was poorly executed. I did not really understand why introduce more characters when the ones that were already a part of the story were still very flat and underdeveloped.
If you hope to see more of Kola and Simi´s blossoming romance, you will be gravely disappointed. Simi had a much better romantic dynamic with . Esu (yes, that one), and her relationship with Kola only progress in the last few chapters. And that is solely because he magically became Orisa! Nothing is properly explained, but he is not fully human anymore, so they can finally be together, right? Right??
The book ends on a cliffhanger, with Simi leaving (again), this time because she simply has to go on this big journey all by herself. Once again, we are left with a very open ending, hinting towards another adventure.
I can't deny that Soul of the Deep, similarly to Skin of the Sea, was a very entertaining and quick read. I liked so many aspects of the stories, but unfortunately my expectations were too high, and I ended up very disappointed.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
Girl power and so full of love from each character - writing this way too early so not as thoughtful 😂
adventurous
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
A wonderful follow up and continuation of Simidele's story. Filled with even more folk lore, this second novel moves away from its little mermaid inspiration and takes readers deeper into west African folk lore. Simidele must now face the results of her decisions and discovers that the consequences are much larger than she thought!
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
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:
Yes
As always I want to start by saying that I was given a copy of this to review. My review is honest and left voluntarily and avoids spoilers. #PenguinRandomHouse #PenguinRandomHouseChildrensUK #SoulOfTheDeep #NatashaBowen #Netgalley
Soul of the Sea is the follow on to the popular Skin of the Sea both deal with difficult themes such as enslavement, violence and death that were prevalent in the fifteen-century. I have to say I have loved both books and how they have given me insight into West African Mythology. Natasha Bowden holds no punches with bringing to life that devastating time in history melding fact and fiction to create another unforgettable tale.
Simi sacrificed everything to keep those safe – her freedom, her life as mami wata, and the boy she loves. Now she serves a new god, watching over the Land of the Dead at the bottom of the ocean. Only the tide of change is coming and when Simi discovers demons have entered the human realm bent on distraction she must break her vow and return the world above the water. The fate of the world rest in her hands.
Bowden brings us back to the violent and beautiful world she had brought to life in Skin of the Sea. The writing style flows beautifully and keeps you hooked. I could hardly put it down. On occasions Simi was a little frustrating with the choices she made but at the same time this made me feel she was more human and actually made me like her more because she was not infallible.
If you enjoyed the first instalment you are bound to love this second thought-provoking and beautiful novel. Just as the first novel stayed with me so will this one with the continuation of Simi’s engrossing story
Soul of the Sea is the follow on to the popular Skin of the Sea both deal with difficult themes such as enslavement, violence and death that were prevalent in the fifteen-century. I have to say I have loved both books and how they have given me insight into West African Mythology. Natasha Bowden holds no punches with bringing to life that devastating time in history melding fact and fiction to create another unforgettable tale.
Simi sacrificed everything to keep those safe – her freedom, her life as mami wata, and the boy she loves. Now she serves a new god, watching over the Land of the Dead at the bottom of the ocean. Only the tide of change is coming and when Simi discovers demons have entered the human realm bent on distraction she must break her vow and return the world above the water. The fate of the world rest in her hands.
Bowden brings us back to the violent and beautiful world she had brought to life in Skin of the Sea. The writing style flows beautifully and keeps you hooked. I could hardly put it down. On occasions Simi was a little frustrating with the choices she made but at the same time this made me feel she was more human and actually made me like her more because she was not infallible.
If you enjoyed the first instalment you are bound to love this second thought-provoking and beautiful novel. Just as the first novel stayed with me so will this one with the continuation of Simi’s engrossing story
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Not as good as the first book but enjoyable.
Usually I dread sequels, but this did not disappoint.