Obsessed with this book. I was approved for this but ended up buying my physical copy. Such a wonderful read! 🙌🏻

This book is beautiful , both its cover and its writing. The author did amazing with the world building. This book is very slow to start and it takes a while to get into it because you are just thrown into this world of mermaids and learn as you go . I like the different twist that Natasha Bowen added of mermaids collecting souls of the dead. That said this book did seem to get a little boring at times and the romance seemed very instalove. There seemed to be no development between the two main characters.

I wanted to love this. I really really did, I was looking forward to it. I had to DNF it just moved too slowly for me. Maybe I will try again in a while. The cover is absolutely gorgeous.

Will post an update if I try again.

3.5★

skin of the sea is the luscious story of simidele, made into a mami wata—a black mermaid of west africa—by the goddess yemoja, in the 15th century when the slave trade had just begun.

i absolutely loved the blend of west african folklore in this retelling of the little mermaid. the world-building and story felt so real and fleshed out, but i also enjoyed the characters so much. this is a much darker retelling of the childhood story we all know, but it is much richer with the depth of inclusion of history and lore. the things the characters experience in the story is sad and keeps you interested in how they'll end up.

my only thing is that i wish this was a longer book, i wanted more from it—i don't know what exactly but something was missing in the storytelling for me. however, i really did enjoy the story with all its turns and crevices and i can't wait for the sequel!

content warning: violence, enslavement, death, and suicide.

— thanks to the publisher, penguin random house, for the digital copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book has fantastic worldbuilding that pulls from African myths and stories across several regions. I loved how it wove together this magic world with historical references of African resistance to, and participation in, the slave trade.

Simidele is a fascinating heroine from the beginning of the book. She doesn’t remember who she was before she became a mermaid, and slowly fills in the mystery while going on an epic adventure. This isn’t really a romance, but there is a romantic storyline that I thought was the weakest part of the book. The hero is secretive and self-important, and I didn’t think he earned Simidele’s fascination with him. The secondary characters felt a little flat, and I wished the book could have spent more time on them.

The first half of the book was a tad slow, but I was sucked into the fast moving plot by the end. The plots twists weren’t particularly surprising, but the world consistently delighted me. 3.5 stars.

First off, this was an initial cover love interest! The cover of this book is absolutely beautiful! Then, I read the description of this one (yes, I did when I don’t usually) I was highly interested in reading it.

Well, I’ve sat on this review for a few weeks now not sure of what my thoughts are after reading, so here are a few!

The premise of the story and the representation of a black mermaid I loved and was here for it! I loved being able to research and find out more about the West African mythology referenced throughout the book too. I loved how the idea of the Mami Wata, Simi, assisting those who die at sea on their journeys. I also loved all the creatures within the story as well as the flashbacks of Simi’s dreams. I think those were the most exciting parts for me . There were times that the dreams/flashbacks were very intense and vividly described, leaving me on edge!

When reading about Simi going against what the duties of a Mami Wata are and she begins her journey to be forgiven, the story ended up falling flat for me. There were some pieces of the journey that were interesting, but others not so much. It was almost a bit of a rollercoaster with highs and lows for me. However, I was interested in seeing how the journey ended once I got further into it.

I was slightly let down with my over feeling of this book. Maybe because I was very excited to read it and I had high expectations, I don’t know. But again, it wasn’t all bad for me. There were some parts that I really enjoyed.

Amazing, just amazing. As a professional historian this one made me emotional. This one was for the ancestors truly. Natasha is a talented writer, excellent world building, high stakes, amazing romance, I cannot wait for the sequel.

Such a wonderful read! This book was arguably one of the finest that I have read all year. The concept was inspired and the story was so beautifully written I wish I could give it more than 5 stars. Perfection.

Mermaids. West-African mermaids to be precise. When I saw this book, the cover itself drew me in. But the words inside is what kept me hanging on to the edge of my seat.

Simi, a beautiful mermaid is given the task of ferrying the souls of slaves to the next world. But what happens when one of your souls is actually alive? You save them correct? Well that was the wrong choice and the consequences for failing her duties is dire.

Will Simi gain the forgiveness of her goddess? Will she be able to set right her mistake, and keep her charge alive in the process? Will she be able to save the world she left behind? Only time will tell.. and there isn’t much of it left.

Thank you to the Random House and NetGalley for the advanced electronic copy of this book. Skin of the Sea reminds me a lot of the Children of Blood and Bones, since both are based on the West African Orisha mythology. I love the cover and the mermaid stories, so that was what originally attracted me to this book. The world-building is amazing, the characters are complex and diverse, and I felt like I was there, along with them, in the middle of the action throughout the story. Looking forward to the next installment in the series.

I love a good fairy tale retelling, especially one that incorporates aspects of mythology. The major downside to Skin of the Sea was how long it took me to read, since I had to keep stopping, going back, and trying to remember who this person or that person was. There was an awful lot happening in this book and a ton of characters to keep track of, which unfortunately meant that I couldn't connect too much with Simi. I think the author would have benefitted from splitting this into two books so that the story could slow down and the reader could actually get to know the many characters enough to be invested in them.

First of all, the cover is to die for! Skin of the Sea wasn't the typical Disney mermaid retelling -- thank goodness! -- instead, this story was about the bonds of family, right and wrong, the power of action, and the brutality of the slave trade.

I loved this retelling of The Little Mermaid; even more so because we got a beautiful glimpse into African mythology which I haven't really stumbled upon before. Natasha Bowen really wove mythology and history together in such a way that you felt as if you were immersed directly in the story. I found myself tasting the salt, rocking on the ship, and aches in my feet as the story progressed.

Our story features, Simidele, one of the Mami Wata - a mermaid whose responsibility is to collect the souls of those who die at sea and help lead them to Olodumare. Simidele finds herself breaking Mami Wata code by rescuing a drowning boy instead of simply transporting his soul as is her duty. But this action sets off our entire heroine's journey for redemption and even a high-risk rescue!

While I know the romance was not the main focus of this novel, I did feel like the emotional attachments and budding romance was not strong enough for me to really believe in the romance itself, but I did believe in the bonds that were formed across Simidele's journey. The romance felt more like a friendship; so I'd be curious to see how that emotion carries over into next novel.

For fans of retellings and mythology; Skin of the Sea will absolutely satisfy your craving!

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley Random House Children's, and Random House Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warning: Slavery, kidnapping, physical abuse, death, suicide.

As someone who grew up on Disney's The Little Mermaid, SKIN OF THE SEA was something I was really looking forward to. Bowen takes the story of a mermaid that saves a drowning man and mixes it up with West African folklore all while also allowing for the discussion of the African slave trade. There are tough moments and overall this is a powerful story.

Simi and Kola are really interesting characters and I loved the use of the Yoruba language woven into the text. I need more African mythology! I was hooked early on and found this book hard to put down. And the cliffhanger of an ending is going to haunt me until the second novel comes out because I NEED to know what happens next.

This is a book I will be putting into the hands of a lot of teens at the library and I look forward to Bowen's future writing because I think it's going to be great.

It is always impressive when a book can mix aspects of different stories, traditions, and pieces of lore seamlessly with a clear, powerful voice. Skin of the Sea manages that feat by bringing together elements of West African myth, specifically Yoruba gods and their stories, with plot elements from The Little Mermaid. The author has a storyteller's eye, taking readers on an epic quest with vivid imagery, excitement, and heart. The characters shine, and the settings both natural and supernatural are a joy to visit.

This is the story of Simidele, made into a Mami Wata, a type of mermaid, by the goddess Yemoja. This is the 15th century, and the slave trade has just begun. The Mami Wata are tasked with rescuing the souls of those thrown overboard from the Portuguese slavers' ships. This is the extent of interference that is allowed, but when Simi finds a body that isn't quite dead yet, she makes the fateful, rebellious decision to save his life. Amends must be made for this breach, and the two set off to seek magic rings and return Kola to his home and family.

Those who love fresh retellings will enjoy this ya fantasy debut. The only thing dampening my enjoyment was a fairly predictable plot structure. However, I think this could be viewed as a successful take on the source material since legends and folktales are meant to follow specific, familiar arcs to connect to the audience. This is the start of a new series with an intriguing ending that will leave you wondering what's next.

Thanks to Random House for my copy to read and review!

A lonely girl saves the life of a drowning boy, not knowing how much he will mean to her. A doomed love story with a lot of magic, African mythology, and a fantastical world. If you aren’t already sold: African spin on Mermaids!

I actually like all of the characters in this one. Yemoja and the other Orisas were fierce and caring. Esu lived up to his hype. I’d actually like to go back and read more of the journey on the sea. I can’t wait to find out Yinka’s fate and see what the plot of book two is. Will he follow her into the sea? Will Simi become human? Will love prevail? Find out next time on Skin of the Sea number two! xD

Real talk Natasha, can we get more lore, more of Simi’s past, and more of these wonderful entities? Also, can we get a key in the back for translations?

Content warning (which was included in the book, yay) for violence, enslavement, death, and suicide.

Simidele didn’t start out a woman from the water, she was saved by the very gods she once asked for assistance—and in return she became Mami Wata, the mermaid of the sea. There were rules Simi had to obey and usually she was self-assured as to what her duties and roles were when it came to the water. So why was it as she’s swimming among the other creatures of the sea, a young boy was drowning before her very eyes. It was her job to capture his soul and send him on to the next life, but the drowning boy’s eyes opened and scared her half to death. This boy wasn’t dead but was soon about to be. What was she supposed to do with a soul that wasn’t quite ready to leave its host body?

Simi saved his life and as a result was chastised by her god and told that because of her mistake, she was going to set off a chain events that would be detrimental to her and her kind. For Simi to protect the other Mami Wata, she had to venture to the supreme god to atone for her error. But, as Simi begins this journey, she is met with all types of adversities, trials, and tribulations. Someone or something did not want Simi to correct the wrong she committed, but why? That, readers, is where our story takes off and you must read to find out.

I absolutely loved this story. It was written with poetic prose based around African folklore and mythology. With those pairings came a magical story that any reader would enjoy for many hours and days. What an incredible story of love, loss, strength, courage, and independence. This is also the first book in the series, so I can’t wait to see what Simi will do with how the story turned out.

This book is such an interesting twist on the story of The Little Mermaid. I loved the inclusion of West African folklore. It made the world building and story feel so real and fleshed out. I also enjoyed how action packed the story was from start to finish. It always kept me guessing. I think that the shining star of this story is the characters. They felt so real and I immediately felt connected to them. If you're looking for a fast paced fantasy story, this book may just be the one for you!

Skin of the Sea (Skin of the Sea #1)
by Natasha Bowen
A remarkable story with woven mythos and native ideas. The struggle of the African slave trade caused by the interloping Europeans caused many layers of conflict. Not only the use of slavery, and the oppression of the African people but the remarkable manipulation of the cities, and tribes to continue warfare to continue the slave trade. This book uses African mythos to create a world that could change the disastrous events of the time. The idea that African deities would have the power to change events, and that the natural hazards that affected the slavers were their doing. The idea that these deities would act against the historical events is a wonderful idea. I can see this as an empowering text for children, used as a gateway to research and learn about the ethos of Africa, and how they colored the world. The idea of names of tribes, and explaining their traditions makes this a great gateway text.

I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting to read about a culture that is unfamiliar to me, and learn about the myths of Africa. I loved the characters in the story, they had depth and I was genuinely interested in what would happen. The story had lots of action and kept moving. Overall, a great mythology story!

Source of book: NetGalley (thank you)
Relevant disclaimers: None
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.

This is a West Africa re-working of The Little Mermaid, set in the 1400s when the Portuguese first began taking African slaves. The heroine, Simi, is a Mami Wata—created by the Goddess, Yemoja in order to guide the lost spirits of the taken to the afterlife. In true Little Mermaid fashion, when a boy falls from a slave ship, Simi can’t let him die. But her choice to rescue him inadvertently breaks an ancient covenant between Yemoja and Olodumare, and sends her on a quest that could change the fates of gods and mortals alike.

There was a lot I really loved about this book, particularly the way the reality of the slave trade is neither denied nor allowed to dominate the narrative. While there is no flinching from the atrocities committed, Skin of the Sea spins its tale around myth, folklore and religion as a way to remind us that the story of West Africa is not and should not be solely a story of suffering and loss. I have less than zero standing to talk about the portrayal of, well, anything in this book but I will say—from my position of zero standing—I found the world vivid, well-realised and gorgeously described.

Where I struggled a bit was that the book unfurls at such a breakneck pace that I lost some nuances of characterisation, especially when it came to (extensive) supporting cast. I adored the heroine—her complex relationships with the sea, with Yemoja, and with her own fragmented past are all woven together wonderfully—and whenever she was interacting with one of the orisha those scenes positively crackled, but I wish there’d been more time for both Simi and the reader to get to know the companions who accompany her on the journey. Particularly Kolo, who is her Prince Eric, and yet I never really got as much of a sense of their connection as I tend to like in my romance arcs. It is, however, only the first book in the series so there’s plenty of time for further development.

Also with my nerd hat on, I was mildly irritated nobody remembered the first rule of dealing with a trickster god. Or, indeed, the second rule.

Ultimately, though, this is an incredibly impressive debut: a beautifully written adventure, that grapples fearlessly with loss, on both personal and cosmic scales, and still finds its way towards hope.