Soul of the Deep is the sequel to 2021's Skin of the Sea, which combined West African Mythologies, the real life world of slave-trade era Africa, and elements of the Little Mermaid into a really enjoyable piece of YA. That novel worked really well with its strong lead characters, particularly Mami Wata (mermaid) girl Simi, who saves a boy (Kola) thrown overboard from a slave ship and is forced to go on a quest to prevent a dangerous Orisha from causing devastation through his greed. The story was wonderous even in the dark times of this setting as it showed off various creatures from West African Mythologies and ended on a really strong cliffhanger, even if that ending was a bit abrupt. So I was excited to see how it was followed up with this novel.

Soul of the Deep is a solid successor to its predecessor as it continues the story of Simi as she is forced to face the consequences of her actions, ones which threaten the entire world for reasons she could never have anticipated. The story's characters remain excellent, particularly Simi, as she deals with how conflicted her heart is between her duties to various Orisa, her love of Kola and her care for other people, and her need to try to fix things. And this time the turn through West African Myth is darker, as the antagonists are the Ajogun, the anti-gods that herald destruction, and the beings that the protagonists encounter are darker accordingly...and these creatures and beings are really well done. At the same time, the story again ends on an abrupt swerve, even if it makes sense, and relies on one ridiculously obvious and overdone kind of plot twist that makes this novel just a shade behind its predecessor in quality.

More after the jump - Note: SPOILERS for Skin of the Sea are inevitable below, as this book picks up after its ending twist:


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Months have passed since Simi made the fateful decision to sacrifice herself - to pledge herself to Olokun, the Orisa condemned to the deepest parts of the Sea, in order to obtain his help to stop the trickster Orisa Esu from harming all she loved. Now she spends her days trying to find offerings that will satisfy the insatiable Olokun...when she isn't helping the Orisa gather the bodies of those fallen overboard from the Slave Trade, just as she one collected the souls of those unfortunates for Yemoja. And all the while she pines for the sun, for her fellow Mami Wata, for the humans and others she met on land....and Kola most of all, the human boy she saved and began to love.

But fate will drive Simi away from the depths of the Ocean once more, as her actions in stopping Esu, and in using Olokun to do it, may have released an even greater danger: the Ajogun, the anti-gods of death, destruction and misery, whose return to the world means the end of all. Only the offerings of Esu can keep them imprisoned...but Simi's actions have kept Esu away from this task, and the Tapa tribe, led by an ambitious woman with magical power, has begun to channel the powers of the Ajogun in hopes of conquering the people Simi once was part of and cared about...and are hastening the Ajogun's return in the process.

To stop the Ajogun and save those she loved once more, Simi will need not just to reunite with those she grew close to, and to Kola, once more. She'll need to do the unthinkable: work with the trickster Orisa who once tried to destroy her and her friends in his ambition and greed, before the Ajogun are released and it is too late to seal them away once more.....

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Soul of the Deep continues Simi's story after the stunning cliffhanger of Skin of the Sea, with Simi having sacrificed herself, and her chances at happiness with Kola, his family, or even with her fellow Mami Wata and Yemoja, all to save the day by pledging herself to Olokun. Most YA readers will be unsurprised to know she doesn't stay pinned to that fate and that she will in this book reunite with both groups, particuarly Kola, the boy she has feelings for, and of course that does happen here - and the book to its credit doesn't make the reader wait too long to have it happen.

And while that element is predictable, as well as other character elements, the book does a good job with it all playing out and with its character development. Simi's struggle between all the people and places to which she is pledged, and her TREMENDOUS guilt towards all the pain that has been at least tangentially caused by her actions, makes her a tremendously sympathetic heroine, even as she does need to learn not all guilt should lie with her and that she can't quite do everything alone. Other characters like Kola similarly have changed with the addition of new responsibilities and hurts as a result of what has happened due to the last book, and how the book has them and Simi interact is really well done.

Also realy well done is how the book uses its setting, slave trade Africa, where the Oyinbo (White Slave-dealing Europeans) are a constant threat, where certain African tribes are making use of them and aiding them while pillaging the other tribes they think of as weaker, and where innocents get caught up in horrifying fates. Most of this book features a conflict between such tribes, as one tribe is led by a leader who wants to prove her power and worthiness (especially against ignorant male leaders) via the power of the Ajogun, the demonic-like being of the Yoruba religion, who form the antagonists of our story and that's really well done. Similarly, the use of other creatures and beings from African myth is again extremely fascinating and well done for a second time around...even as those creatures and beings are now far darker than the usually pleasant versions we saw in the first book. The result is a setting and plot that generally works really well.

That said, not everything does work so well. While some of the predictableness of the plot didn't bother me, the book features one twist of a character betrayal that the reader will spot a mile away, especially after it pulls the annoying trope of having one character try to warn the heroine about it only for the heroine to cut that warning off before it can be fully made - and that twist being so predictable was kind of annoying given it's still played as a surprise. And while the ending features an internal reveleation that is a fitting move for Simi's character, it comes rather abruptly in her internal monologue, and I felt like it needed more time to be considered before Simi makes the choice that ends this book.

But overall Soul of the Deep is an excellent second novel in this world, and if we continue with a third book, I will very much be back. Very solid and recommended YA.

Just as spellbinding as the first novel. Simi continues to astound with her grace, compassion, and courage, and strength. The perfect ending for a beautiful story.

So the first book in a series was a bit difficult to get into, but I’m so excited to have read the second book because it was definitely more engaging than the first one.

I think I liked this one a lot better than the first.
There was a lot of action.
Betrayals and twists.
This series has really good world building

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

This is a continuation of Simi's story. It is a one sitting read full of action, character building and full of life lessons. It can be read as a standalone. I look forward to reading more from the author.

This book has been on my list since I wrote my Skin of the Sea book review last year. It was exciting to return to this world to witness the consequences of Simi’s actions and to find out what she’d do next. Simi made a choice that would not only impact her future, but the future of the entire world. She wasn’t aware of the far-reaching consequences of her actions, but it’s not long into Soul of the Deep that reality comes crashing down.

I enjoyed the dark beginning to this novel, where Simi chooses to bear responsibility for what she has done. There is peace at the bottom of the ocean, even if the water chills her to the bone. Soon, Simi and Kola find their way back to each other, though it’s not a happy reunion given what they are about to face. Still, their journey throughout this book kept tension high and certainly kept me reading to find out where they would end up by the end.

Bowen has perfected in the big battle scene, which carried through several chapters and detailed the widespread ramifications of war. The lead up to the battle was realistic, with high stakes and dire consequences. Not everyone makes it out alive, and though we mourn for those lost, hope continues to linger on every page. What Simi and Kola are doing is bigger than themselves, and they are willing to risk everything to ensure the ajogun do not claw their way into the mortal realm.

There were a few twists at the end that caught me by surprise, and I appreciated the complex nature of everyone involved. Villains are better when they believe they are heroes, and a hero who doesn’t face their worst nightmare doesn’t truly understand the weight of that mantle. While Simi has struggled with who she is—and has questioned her purpose on more than one occasion—the decision she makes by the end of the book is for her and her alone. She does not accept influence from Kola, Yemoja, Esu, or anyone else. As layered and complex as her existence is now, her journey has led her to the type of solace she has longed for.

Soul of the Deep picks up at the end of Skin of the Sea after Simidele has traded away her freedom to save those she cares about. She is now sworn to serve a new god at the bottom of the ocean in the Land of the Dead. But, Simidele's trade for her family may have much more dire consequences than she realized. Signs of demons begin to appear, demons who will bring death and destruction, and now have a way into the human realm. Simidele must find a way to escape her bond with the new god and will have to team up with unlikely allies to save the world.

I am so incredibly disappointed, but I just did not enjoy this. And that's such a shame because I really enjoyed Skin of the Sea! But something about this sequel just didn't work for me. I almost wish that the two books were combined into just one standalone, I feel like the story would have flowed better that way. I honestly was just kind of bored throughout this and felt like I was forcing myself to pick it up and read it. The characters that I had loved in the first book fell flat for me in this story and everything just felt very surface-level. There wasn't a lot of emotional connection being built with the characters this time around and it felt like such a sharp turn from the first book. It also felt like the plot just changed on a whim after the end of the first one, to the deal being broken pretty quickly at the beginning of this book, and then we just moved on from it and kept going. Too many things were happening, yet it also felt like nothing was really happening. I don't know, I feel like I'm not making any sense, but this one just missed the mark for me.

Thank you, NetGalley for a copy of this book for an honest opinion.

I was so excited to jump back into this world, to follow Simi and her friends through another adventure. This story started off so strongly, but after the first 60-70ish pages, it started to turn into an entirely different book.

Simi has made her choice to go into the deeper parts of the ocean to help ferry the souls of the dead. I'm glad she made this decision, but my happiness soon turned to frustration. Simi is rash, and sometimes it seems as though she doesn't believe there are consequences to her actions. She makes many knee-jerk decisions and often leaves her friends behind to pick up the pieces of the issues she brought upon herself.

I know this is supposed to be a sequel but the character dynamics are so different from the first book that this one could've been its own standalone book. There are so many things that were not resolved in book one, I was hoping they would come full circle in this one, but we are left with more questions at the end. Seriously hoping that there is a book 3 in the works because this one has left so much to be desired.

My Rating: 4.5/5 stars

My Review:

I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher via TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange for an honest review and place on this blog tour – thanks!

I honestly don’t know how I am going to get through this review without gushing about this wonderful book the entire time and spoiling it for everyone. That being said, as this is a review of the sequel, this review may contain spoilers for Skin of the Sea, so reader beware.

I know (think??) this is the conclusion to the Skin of the Sea duology, but what I wouldn’t do for another book set in this world that Bowen has crafted. She has easily become an auto buy author for me, her prose, characters, world-building, everything(!) is perfection. I cannot recommend this series enough.

It was easy to fall back into this world in Soul of Deep even a few months after reading Skin of the Sea, which ends with everything seemingly calm, which made the premise of this book even more intriguing. It brought back familiar woes, while crafting new ones and redrawing us back into this complex world. This is a historical fantasy, and Bowen does an excellent job balancing these two elements without making it feel like more history than fantasy or vice versa. This is a large part of the appeal of this novel, and why I think that most YA fantasy readers will enjoy this series.

At the heart of the first book was its cast of characters, and Soul of the Deep still does, but to a slightly lesser extent. More than anything, SotD is Simi’s book, which means the introduction of new characters and the development of one’s we loved from the first book does suffer a bit in this book. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Simi’s character development in this one, I only wish we would have gotten to round off the rest of the characters we love (Kola especially) in the same way. Which is why I really wouldn’t mind another book set in this world: there are certainly more stories that could be told.

The ending of this book is what sets it apart from the first one. Simi’s choices are such an important part of who she is, considering how few of them she has gotten to make on her own, and that final choice she makes on page, I won’t lie and say I didn’t tear up a bit at the end. Everyone needs to go read this series so I have more people to talk to about it!

Soul of the Deep released September 27th, 2022

Like the first book in this set, Soul of the Deep is is a fascinating blend of The Little Mermaid and the legend of Mami Wata, set in Africa in the mid-1400s. Soul of the Deep picks up where Skin of the Sea leaves off, and assumes an understanding and memory of Skin of the Deep, to the extent that if you haven't read Skin of the Sea yet, you should probably read it first; it's been nearly a year since I read it, and while I appreciate a sequel that doesn't repeat the events of the previous book, I had to remember a significant amount to understand all the nuances in this volume, to the extent that I went back and reviewed Skin of the Sea.

Simidele, the main character in both volumes, is a Mami Wata, a handmaiden of Yeruba, a deity in charge of releasing the souls of the deceased. In this volume, she and her friends must try to stop the release of the anti-deities, who are in control of various negative influences, such as war and pestilence. This is a quest to help good prevail over evil, and, as such, is full of action and energy. Simi is a unique sort of protagonist, a mermaid who can walk on land, and who is conflicted over her responsibilities to Yeruba, to her people, to her friends, and to what is right.

This was such a fun and exciting book! I love the character development throughout. I was on the edge of my seat throughout this whole story. What a fantastic read.

Soul of the deep, sequel to skin of the sea was exciting, highly emotional and more in depth. The start of the sequel was slow, the writing style and world building were beautiful. the ending was fast paced and rushed. We are going to need book 3 of this series. The African mythology was fascinating.

Simi decides to stay in the Land of the Dead but the various situations unfolding has her working with a trickster with no option but to give one last shot at saving everyone and making difficult choices.

3.5 Stars
Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this ARC.

This sequel tied up nicely and I liked it slightly more than the first book.. What I really liked about this book was the mythology tie-ins with the story. The writing was easy enough to read so it made the book a pretty quick read, which was nice after reading a lot of heavier books prior to picking this series up.

If you're looking for a quick, fun read then I would try this series out.

If I could give this infinite stars I would. This is my favorite mermaid book ever. So rich in world building and amazing characters. The high stakes narrative. The culture within the book too! I want to forget this story just to reread it for the first time again.

This was one of those sequels that surpassed its predecessor, which was amazing on its own. I adored Bowen’s lush worldbuilding based on the history and mythology of several different African cultures. Her writing is absolutely gorgeous and transportive. Bowen also weaves exciting plot twists, romance and betrayals in order to achieve near perfect pacing, so no second book syndrome here! SOUL OF THE DEEP is an emotional and powerful conclusion to Simidele’s story and I highly recommend this book for fans of Tomi Adeyemi and those Little Mermaid lovers out there!

A very original and unique spin on mythology and fairytale. A mermaid in the underworld, working with a trickster god.

This is definitely a series better enjoyed reading than listening to. I struggled to get into the audiobook version but the ebook is better to visualize.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for allowing me to read a digital ARC of Natasha Bowen’s Soul of the Deep. I read the first book of the series, Skin of the Sea, and became invested in the life and travails of Simi, a Mami-Wata or African American mermaid. I must admit I did not like that Skin of the Sea ended in a dreaded cliffhanger. When I discovered Soul of the Sea was being released, I couldn’t wait to read the novel. Simi matured during her journey and experiences in these books. The themes of honor, faith, courage, sacrifice, and redemption run rampant in Soul of the Sea. I enjoyed traveling with Simi, Koala, and their friends and learning about West African mythology, and meeting the orishas, ajoguns, and anti-gods. I loved how several orishas overcame their cruel, selfish nature and fulfilled their destiny to humanity.

Ms. Bowen is a descriptive writer, and this book is a multi-sensory feast. You feel the characters' anguish, visualize the dreaded creatures in the cold depths of the water, etc. The female characters in Soul of the Deep are multi-faceted, powerful sheroes and villains. These women, who live both on land and sea, held their own with the men they encountered.
Kola and Simi are magic together. Ms. Bowen does a great job ending book two with a surprising choice - in the end one must do what is most important for self, before fully committing to another.

I recommend this book to all who yearn for a saga about an African American mermaid. This book is so apropos today with all the vitriol poured out on the internet over Disney’s decision to cast an African American female in the role of Ariel in the live movie version of The Little Mermaid. Who says African American Mermaids don’t exist? I also hope Ms. Bowen continues writing novels about West African mythology and Yoruba culture.

Currently taking a break from this book but might try it again later. It just didn’t catch and maintain my interest.

ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS SERIES!
A new take on The Little Mermaid story that centers Blackness and introduces readers to the concept of Mami Wata and Orisas. Natasha Bowen gives us a history lesson and takes us all the way back to Africa (even though I've never been) and incorporates 14th and 15th century West African history and mythology with modern day fantasy storytelling. Smidele and Adekola are a timeless love story and you can't help but root for them over the course of the 2 books. There is definitely room for a 3rd book and I can't wait see what else' this author produces! And can we talk about the covers?! Absolutely stunning!

Soul of the Deep was an excellent follow-up to Skin of the Sea as Simi moves from understanding herself and her own journey to the impact she can have on the world. Lushly written with fantastic exploration of African mythologies, well-presented and readable for all audiences.