Tanvi Berwah is quickly becoming one of my new favorite authors and Krescent Dune is the new Katniss Everdeen, but much cooler. Born on a hostile and desolate world made up of. Haves and have nots or Landers and Renters , Krescent is an orphan who struggles to pay off her late parents debts from an early age by fighting wild beasts in an arena in battles to the death. She is undefeated, and loathed by her competition for it, until they steal her wages from her and force her into a bad position where she does the unthinkable and loses favor with the crowd. Having been banned from the fighting pits and the only way of life she knows, she takes a job to pay off her debts with will either leave her free or dead. Nonstop action, vividly and lush detailed fantasy that reminds you in many ways of Dune, but is entirely unique and fully enjoyable. This is a story not to be missed about perseverance, courage, determination and understanding that you have the right to live freely as who you are. Awesome all the way across the board.

Thank you Sourcebooks fire and NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. My review is my own and not influenced by others.

I’ve read Monsters born and made by the same author and I didn’t feel anything while reading that book. Maybe, it’s the writing style that annoys me, maybe it’s the characters that I didn’t feel any connection with, maybe it’s just me. But both books were not of my liking. And while I’ve struggled to keep on reading Monsters born and made, I decided that the books of Tanvi Berwah are not my kind of books so I decided to DNF this book and not going to pick up books of her.

This was a fast paced book. Action packed. Also felt like there was a lot going on, but the authors writing kept me engaged so I wasn’t lost. World building was good too. The story really focuses on the main character, Krescent. Secondary characters were interesting enough, but the story revolved around Krescent and her struggles. I think I like Monsters Born and Made better as Koral is more likable, but this story was entertaining, engaging, and fast paced that you want to see it through. The fight scenes especially were gritty and had me squirming.

"Somewhere in the Deep" is a ya fantasy written by Tanvi Berwah. The book is set in the same world as "Monsters Born and Made," the author's previous work, to which there are references, but it can easily be read as a standalone.

The story follows 17-year-old Krescent Dune, otherwise known as Kress, crushed by the weight of her deceased parents' debts and the terrible legacy they left behind. Outcast and despised, the only thing she wants is to escape the hostile island of Kar Atish. To do so, however, she needs money. And the only way she can get it and survive is to fight monstrous creatures in an underground fighting pit. However, after one fight goes terribly wrong, Kress is banned from the pits. Now hopeless, she suddenly receives a proposition: in exchange for total cancellation of her debts, she will have to join and protect a research company on a rescue mission deep in the mining caves that flow beneath the island. Desperate and eager to finally be free, Kress accepts the deal. Determined to keep her head down and fulfill her assignment as a bodyguard, she finds herself on a team made up of two of her childhood enemies and people who would happily kill her if they knew who her parents were. As they plunge into the depths of the earth, among the pitfalls of the path and terrible creatures that repeatedly attack them, it becomes clear that they are in more danger than she could have ever imagined. And it becomes clear that someone does not want Kress to make it out alive. In an increasingly hostile setting, under increasingly difficult circumstances, Kress will have to figure out who it is before she is left alone in the dark.

I found it a fast-paced, exciting and compelling read. The presence of short chapters, combined with the non-stop action, pushed me to finish it in less than two days. I admit that some elements did not convince me, some things left me a little puzzled, but overall I found it an enjoyable and highly entertaining book.

I loved the setting of Kart Atish island! I felt it was described in such vivid detail that I was able to picture the various environments. It is a rocky island, marked by terrible weather conditions, where even the air is spoiled. It is an inhospitable place, where everything seems shaped to be uncomfortable, so as to make the already miserable lives of the residents more difficult. The mines, rich in a precious mineral of unknown origin, are the main source of wealth, along with the salt pans and their salt. The society is divided into castes, according to a brutal system: the islanders, considered the lower caste, in fact are forced to bow to the will of the Landers, the wealthy upper class who have arrived from beyond the island's borders, and who rule with cruelty and viciousness. The narration of this situation is blunt and cynical, without embellishment, which I appreciated a lot. I was intrigued by the depiction of the underground environments, of the various monstrous creatures, which I thought was very well done. The setting in fact is almost a character in itself, important to the story. However, while the island convinced me, what did not is the world building more generally. There are a lot of names and events mentioned here and there, a lot of references, but nothing more.

The plot proceeds very fast, full of events, with a frenetic succession of actions upon actions. There is not a moment of peace, not a moment of quiet, so much so that the narrative takes on an almost frenetic pace. Most of the book takes place in the depths of the earth, among narrow tunnels and treacherous descents, in a decidedly claustrophobic and dangerous atmosphere, made even more deadly by the presence and attack of nightmarish creatures. I loved the whole part about the underground expedition, although some passages seemed too rushed. I felt the final part excessively convulsive, chaotic at times, too full of events.

I really liked Krescent, also known as Kress, the protagonist and only first-person pov. Kress is a seventeen-year-old girl who has really been through a lot. Orphaned from the age of eleven, marked by her parents' debts and the horrible burden of what they did, she has been forced to fend for herself. Outcast and despised, to support herself she began fighting in the brutal underground pits against beasts of various kinds. Kress is an extremely determined girl with enormous willpower and incredible courage. She is a fighter, a survivor, used to relying only on herself. Her greatest desire is to escape from the oppressive island, from a place that has nothing to offer her except hatred and misery. Strong, but at the same time fragile, behind her armor she is lonely and longs for connections, a place where she can feel accepted. I loved Kress a lot, with her complicated and conflicted personality.

The rest of the characters unfortunately seemed rather shallow to me. A pity, because some had potential. The only exception is Rivan, a cinnamon roll who deserves nothing but cuddles and hugs, who grabbed me right away. There is a romance component, very marginal to the story, which I liked in its development.

All in all, I found it an adventurous, fast-paced and energetic ya fantasy, not without its flaws, but still enjoyable and highly entertaining.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.

I liked this book better than the first book in the series! I highly recommend reading Monsters Born and Made before reading this book. You may think since it follows a different main character that you can read them as standalone, but I think the experience is better having read them in order. I'm really looking forward to seeing where Berwah goes with this world next.

As with the first book, you are thrown into the action from the first page and it seldom lets up. Because of this it reads incredibly quickly. I had a hard time picturing the monsters in this book and I hope we get some good fanart to help bring the world to life a bit more. The political dynamics in this world made me so mad; it is an exaggeration of extreme wealth inequality but it's also something that is realistic to my pessimistic mind.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an eARC of this book.

Somewhere in the Deep was a great action adventure. The plot to me read as pretty unique, with great characters. I breezed through it since the story moves at a very quick pace, as it should for a YA, but there was nothing other than the pace that felt YA, this is totally a book that is perfect for anyone who loves action and adventure. I'm actually shocked its almost 400 pages considering how smooth I read it, there wasn't a single chapter that dragged, the pacing was fantastic.

I did not know until I finished that this was from the same author and world as Monsters Born and Made (which I dnf'd, sorry author and publisher). I probably wouldn't have picked this one up had I known, so please, give this a try, you absolutely do not need to read MB&M.

If I have one negative thing to say against this entire story, it's the choice to call the class system "Renters", "Landers", and "the Collector". Trust your audience will get the poverty political commentary without highlighting it so obviously. There is also a gap I was missing which explained why everyone was in debt. These complaints are so small though because really they were just the set up to get Krescent to agree to the mission where the story really takes place.

Think The 100 plus murderous creatures.

I absolutely loved the pacing of this book, first page our FMC is in a fight with a murderous creature. The book is action packed but not overdone which keeps the reader intrigued but not bogged down with too many fighting scenes back to back.

There is a friends to lovers sub plot that makes you want to pull your hair out, in the best way, and will have you screaming "JUST KISS ALREADY!".

Overall, found this book to be super enjoyable, the ending felt a touch rushed but otherwise left you feeling as though this could end well as a stand alone or has the potential for a sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this as an ARC!

Going in reading this I had really high expectations because I was so totally enthralled with the first book. Berwath steam rolls right past the high standard she set in her first installment and soared straight on up to create a new high. Continuing in her masterful way the characters that got a cameo in her first book come to life here so you get sucked in anew! You meet new adversaries, get new villains to hate, along with one or two old ones, and further explore the world you first met when she dazzled with her debut. In Somewhere in the Deep, Berwah further showcases her ability to captivate and shares a story that makes you feel it all, and does not disappoint you when you invest yourself in the characters she so skillfully brings to life. Just like with the first, this is a MUST read, as well as, again a must have on your shelf so you can read it over and over again.. I remain entranced with this world and characters she has created and am eagerly awaiting the next installment because there is no where to go from here but up!!! I really really can’t wait to see what she does next.

Suspenseful, Enjoyable, great pacing, exciting settings kept me hooked. Great novel that will be the perfect to lose yourself in. Thank you Net Galley ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

I loved the setting and world-building in this story so much. It was so intricate and detailed--I found myself really immersed right off the bat probably due to how compelling the world was. I loved Krescent and Rivan and the way they developed throughout the story and their relationship developing. I did want to note, though, that while this is marketed (I think) as a standalone companion to Monsters Born and Made, there are definitely things in here that spoil MBaM, so if you want to read that one and get the full experience I would treat this as more of a sequel and read it second. While I did love the world-building and characters, the nitty-gritty of the plot itself is a bit standard YA so if you're looking for something crazy new and different, this isn't it. I do think that if you liked the first book you'll really get a kick out of this, though!

I loved reading about this world of monsters. The entire story is truly captivating and so well written. The relationship between Krescent and Rivan is so deep and true. I truly loved the experience of reading this story.

Thanks, Netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review!
I am VERY IMPRESSED by the detailed description of the setting. The world is so full of imagination and described so masterfully that it's impossible not to literally dive in it and not be sorry for every second that you spend reading! Incredible world-building! The character development goes pretty deep as well, so I truly enjoyed this novel!

I want to start off by saying that although this can supposedly be read as a standalone, I personally would not recommend it that way. There are parts of this book that allude to certain things in her first one (Monsters Born and Made) that will definitely spoil the events of that book if you haven't already read it. I also felt like some of the world-building aspects were not as fleshed out, almost as if it was assumed the reader already knew these things from reading the first one. The events in this book occur simultaneously (within the story world’s timeline) with the events of MBaM. But it still read to me like it should have been marketed as a sequel.

That being said, it is a fun and fast read. I did love the main character. There’s a sense of found family. The plot is very harrowing and action-packed. There's also a cute friends-to-more situation. I also love the context of deeper issues that she addresses, like the consequences of oppression in a society. The lore in this world is very interesting and I enjoyed learning more about it. There’s old gods, monsters, creatures, and a rich history of early peoples.

It did feel a little standard as far as YA fantasy goes. But if you are looking for something that is light and predictably entertaining, this is a good choice. Overall, I enjoyed the story and do recommend it to lovers of this genre if you’re looking for an easy read that is fun and satisfying, even if not necessarily mind-blowingly memorable.

Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I had never read the other book in this series by Tanvi Berwah, but after reading this one, I plan to. There were so many aspects of this book I loved: a strong and relatable main character Kress, the quick pace and action scenes, and the strong characterization and lovely side characters. Definitely recommend!

Set in the same world as the author's debut, Somewhere in the Deep runs parallel and fills out the world while standing alone with a perfect story.

What I loved about this book is that it's from the same world as Monsters Born and Made but a totally different perspective while on a collision course from the events in MBAM. It doesn't require that you read the other book to read this one, but it makes for a richer and more three dimensional experience. Its quickly paced, and I can't wait for the next installment.

Simply unputdownable. *Full review to come.*

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an ARC.

Before I was halfway done with the book, I knew I loved it. It reminded me a bit of the Hunger Games but managed to be unique as well. It has several twists and turns (seemingly in every chapter) and I liked a lot of the creepy and dark aspects. The fact that no one really knows what they have gotten themselves into is intriguing and makes it even more creepy.

The only issue I had with the title was near the end, everything seems rushed. Usually I like rushed because it means fast-paced, however it was so rushed that it was hard to keep up with at times. It was like being on a roller coaster and not getting a chance to take a breath before getting thrown for another nauseous loop again.

I also just realized the author is South Asian and I LOVE Asia so I definitely would like to read more by this author (and other Asian authors).

The description of Somewhere in the Deep was really intriguing to me. A girl made to fight monsters to stay alive finally finds a chance to leave the monster island. While SITD is that, it is also much, much more. It is sensitive and explosive found and lost, and then found again, family. *A note that I did not read Monsters Born and Made and that the world was all new to me. I do feel it was fast-paced and we were thrown into the story. but I didn't mind it. I love, love, love, the caves and the events in the caves. It really is a fantastical, magical, creature story and I could have spent forever reading about the creatures and the origins of the caves. I am really excited to see what Berwah does next.

Another beautiful work by Tanvi Berwah!
I loved MBaM, and Somewhere in the Deep was not disappointing!
LOVE the adventure. Kress is a strong lead (and I love her fighting aesthetic, helmet and all). Rivan is a sweetheart everyone must protect. I even love Aryadna and the misfit group. Beautiful world building and I love the writing, how the story flows nicely. It was fun, fast paced, filled with action and adventure!