Reviews with content warning for War - Soul of the Deep

Book trigger warnings: violence, enslavement, death. I would add CW: undead

The story was more confusing than the previous one, but I liked the ending.

Content Warnings

manaledi's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I wish I remembered more of book one because without being tied in to the characters and their relationships there wasn't quite enough here to really get invested. It's a great world and all the plot elements are well done, I just felt lost on the emotional backstory. Also weird pet peeve but it bothered me how often the book referred to Kola as boy for someone clearly old enough to lead.

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klbreyfogle's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a good sequel, and uses the natural consequences of the first book to set up the plot here so it doesn’t feel like the author is creating problems after they already saved the world. Simi is a little in her own head, but it makes sense for her character (and for a YA novel). I do agree with other reviewers that the plot twist was not much of a twist since I figured it out pretty early, but again it’s YA. I like that she stays true to herself, and over all it was enjoyable!

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bookhoarderbea's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

this was a solid 5⭐ up until i got to the last 20%

the plot twist was a little disappointing as i'd already guessed ara would betray simi. i already had my suspicions even before she said all those fishy comments about simi asking the ajogun for help so she could be with kola. it was something that sort of pulled at my gut(?) when esu observed ara for a little too long when they were in oko. i even predicted that ara resented simi for being taken by the tapa.

nevertheless i only docked 0.25⭐ since i liked how it ended. however, i would not be opposed to reading about simi meeting her parents again and also hearing about what happened to the yumboes. poor issa ☹️

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mattiedancer's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Writing: 4.75⭐️/5

The novel started off a bit rough, but it quickly cleaned up into some very clean and clear prose. She handles complex plot points with precision and foreshadows the progression clearly enough that you’re not caught off guard, even if you are still surprised.

Characters: 4.25⭐️/5

I felt like the characters suffered a bit when compared to the first novel. Now, don’t misunderstand me, the characters were still very well-written and well-developed, but they lacked a bit of development that I remember being so prevalent in the first book. Some of the twists and turns also felt a bit fast, happening without understanding the characterization that forced or pushed them in that direction.

Plot: 4.25⭐️/5

The overarching plot of the world and the novel is still stunning. I applaud how Bowen weaves serious topics with fantastical elements, maintaining levity at the right moments, and depth at others. Mostly, I felt the ending was a touch rushed in several spots. Again, I wanted a bit more time to understand the development, whereas everything felt so rushed towards a specific ending that certain sections definitely felt a touch forced. Overall, an enjoyable end to a series though, even if it was not perfectly happy.

Post-Reading Rating: 4⭐️/5

**Spoilers**

I don’t want to hate that the characters didn’t end up immediately together, but I do. Felt like a bit of a forced ending to have them not together.

Who Should Read This?

Those who read the first book in the series
Fans of The Little Mermaid
Fantasy readers
Young adult readers 14+
Fans of mythology-inspired stories

Final Rating: 4.25⭐️/5

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deepgreensandblues's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0

Underwhelming conclusion to Skin of the Sea. I couldn't take the romance between Kola and Simi seriously because there is no work done to build this up. I also hated the interpretation of Simi "not being allowed to act on her love for a mortal" - she mentions several times how much love she has for mortal characters, and acts on that love through physical and verbal affection, but since it's not romantic love it doesn't count and there are no consequences. I had really high hopes for this one after really enjoying Skin of the Sea.

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beathebumblebee's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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calamitywindpetal's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional informative slow-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? It's complicated

3.0

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