A review by bookishmillennial
Soul of the Deep by Natasha Bowen

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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