Reviews with content warning for Violence - 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.

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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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bookishwitherin's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

What a great ending to this duology! My heart ached for both Simi and Kola. If you love pining and forbidden love… phew, you will get that full force in this series. But my favorite part of this duology was the story itself and everything I learned. The history of Mami Wata, Orisas, Yemoja, etc. Reading the author notes at the end of both books made the story even more impactful. This duology was unlike any other fantasy series I read before because no one has talked about the true story of 15th century West Africa and what occurred during that time period, as well as, the spiritual beliefs and stories of that time. It was so fascinating and I now find myself wanting to learn more. Highly highly recommend!

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bookishmillennial's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

second book in a duology, a young adult fantasy inspired by West African mythology
Simi is a mermaid/mami wata who serves orisa Yemoja, & collects the souls of those who die in the sea, bringing them to be blessed by Yemoja before their journey onward
Simi saves a human Kola from drowning & is turned into a human as she goes on a quest (with Kola lol) to seek forgiveness & redemption
so much angst between Simi & Kola!
world-building and characters were beautifully fleshed out!
the sequel was not my favorite (Simi is in a new world, new job & has to team up with new characters), & I think Skin of the Sea would have been perfect as a standalone!
cw: slavery, death, violence, kidnapping, colonisation

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queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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? No

4.0

4 ⭐ CW: violence, death, blood, animal cruelty mention, enslavement

Soul of the Deep by Natasha Bowen is the final book in the Skin of the Sea duology. This was a great fast paced sequel, that continues to expand West African mythologies. I found the ending predictable, similar to book one, but it didn't make it less enjoyable. This is a pretty solid YA book. Warning for possible spoilers for Skin of the Sea ahead.

We follow up with Simi in the Land of the Dead, a deep, dark, cold part of the Sea where the orisa Okun is bound to bless the dead that fall to the ocean floor. Though Simi is miserable and misses her fellow Mami Wata and Kola, she is determined to honor her agreement with Okun. That is until she realizes Okun has lied to her about the trickster god, Esu, making it possible to calamity to strike land with ajogun (the anit-gods) not being appeased and bound.

In this book we see a lot of the rivalries between West African kingdoms exacerbated by the European slave trade. We see the corruption in the pursuit of power that cannot be controlled. I loved seeing more of the mythology and culture of different African peoples. We see women water drummers, African vampires, undead, a loch ness monster type of creature, and a man eating tree. Above all, the message of this book in the freedom of choice. The freedom to choose what is right for yourself, not just for others. And what is right for you might not be the thing you think you want.

This series is perfect for teens grappling with coming of age and the burden of choice. It's also just a great adventure! Looking forward to more from this author.

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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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