This one had potential for me to screen it for a top YA books list, but after requesting it, the Goodreads reviews dropped below 4 stars & that is one of our criteria.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book for an honest review.

“Somewhere in the Deep” by Tanvi Berwah is the action-packed sequel to “Monsters Born and Made” but takes place on a different island with a new cast of characters. I believe the timeline for this book picks up right after Monsters, but this sequel could be read as a standalone.

The story follows 17-year-old Krescent who has been fighting monsters in a death-match pit since her parents died six years ago to make a living for herself. She lives with a childhood friend named Rivan and his two younger brothers while she tries to scrape together enough money to pay her debts and leave the island.

When a pit match goes wrong and Krescent is banned from fighting, she’s offered an enticing but deadly deal: accompany a rescue party to retrieve survivors from deep inside the mine caves in exchange for a great sum of money, having all her debts cleared, and the freedom to leave the island. The monsters lurking inside the mines are sure to be worse than any creatures she’s faced in the pit, but her sharp reflexes and keen skills give her a strong edge over anyone else. Desperate to leave the island for good, she accepts the offer and becomes the party’s bodyguard for the mission.

I could not put the book down once Krescent entered the mines! The characters in the rescue party were all so diverse and shifty that I was never sure who to trust. The author skillfully describes the action scenes so well that I could picture exactly what was going on in those dark caves…and let’s just say that if I was watching this book as a movie, I would have had my eyes covered for a majority of it! The saving grace for me was Rivan. The unexpected romance that takes place was really lovely – and much needed in such a dark tale!

I did take away one star from this book, because the climax of the story was confusing to follow. So much was going on that I felt lost and desperately needed the author to slow down and give me more information. However, I much preferred the ending of this book to Monsters since there was more closure.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to teens and young adults who enjoyed “The Hunger Games” but with a monster twist.

This book was really interesting. As in "....interestingggg". Usually, I don't lean toward solely fantasy books but I thought this one sounded really good and decided to try it out. To my surprise, there was quite a bit of romance in it which I loved. However, the synopsis said nothing about a love interest which I thought was weird. I get not really wanting to focus on the romance but it was such a big part of the book that I felt like it should've been included in the synopsis.

What really brought the rating down for me was that there was virtually no world-building. A new place on their island would be brought up and talked about for half a sentence and then the author moved on. It was really hard to grasp what was going on, where the fight scenes were, and just what the island even looked like because it wasn't talked about at all. At some points, it was really hard to follow along because nothing was explained.

Overall, I thought the book was okay. if you can overlook the fact that there's no world-building, this would be a really good book for you.

This story takes place in the same world as Berwah's "Monsters Born and Made," but can be read as a standalone. This book follows Krescent Dune, a character who is forced to contend with the consequences of her parents' choices. The only way to escape their legacy and her island prison is to battle monsters in the fighting pits, in order to earn enough money to leave. Desperate, Krescent agrees to a deal to that would erase her debts...if she can survive the mission she has agreed to join, in the abandoned mining caves below.

This book has dark themes and strong social commentary, particularly in response to colonialism. The tense atmosphere kept me turning pages, as the stakes were consistently elevated throughout. I almost could have done with more of the monsters, a deeper exploration of the terrifying underground, but I enjoyed what is on the page, and I enjoyed Krescent as a main character very much!

Sadly DNFing this around 50%. I just cannot bring myself to care about the characters; there are too many, and none have depth or have adequately made me invested in them. The whole premise of people hating Krescent because of her parents makes no sense. Also, it took me far too long to figure out if it was a MMC or FMC or what. I needed a clear pronoun use (even if it was they or otherwise!!) earlier. Sadly this one is a miss for me. 3 stars for fairness since I didn't finish it. As always I'm grateful for the chance to read an advance copy.

This seemed right up my area of interest for light younger reads but this one I DNF. I don’t think I’m the right audience and it just didn’t feel engaging. I kept really trying to keep reading and get into it but it wasn’t for me. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I received an ARC of Somewhere in the Deep from Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Somewhere in the Deep is a book that didn't stick out to me. While the premise was promising and the beginning started well, the plot and expedition dragged on from its repetitiveness and confusing descriptions, when and if there were descriptions. The world-building was interesting yet extremely confusing, and the characters themselves didn't particularly stand out. It was, overall, just kind of meh.

I did enjoy the monsters that the author created. I thought they were fascinating and would have loved seeing more of them. In fact, I was expecting to see more of them, considering Kress was brought along on the expedition specifically to hunt monsters. But we honestly didn't see that many, and when we did, it felt like the plot would have preferred to move on, so the encounters were pretty short.

The expedition itself was lackluster. It was extremely repetitive, which makes sense to an extent since there's only so much you can do in a cave. But it would have been nice to have gotten more descriptions of what they were seeing, doing, talking about, anything other than walking. There was so much character development that could have happened that didn't. I really didn't care about the side characters because we weren't told anything about them. They barely talk about themselves, and Kress doesn't know them, so there was no way for me to form an attachment to any of them.

Somewhere in the Deep was not a bad book. I did enjoy it to an extent. I just think there was so much more that could have been done that would have made the book that much better. It was an exciting story, but it's not one that I would return to, or that will stick with me, unfortunately.

2.75 stars This review took a while as I had to go back and read the first book by Berwah to understand some references in the story. It was well written and action packed but with how small of a novel it lacked some buildup to the foreshadowing that was littered in the story. I will be looking forward to more by Berwah and the world they made.

After a series of personal misfortunes leaves seventeen year old Krescent destitute and desperate, she takes on the roll of bodyguard for a hunting party on a dangerous rescue mission. But as they descend deeper in deeper, things become more fraught with peril than Krescent could ever have imagined.

This is a fantasy with a grip like a kraken! Be prepared to be grabbed and dragged down into the shadowy depths until you drown in this pulse pounding action fantasy. Magic, monsters, and teen angst all collide down in the depths as Krescent tries her best to simply make it out alive. The characters and atmosphere were a true delight, and coupled with the action, made for an enjoyable, quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.

This was an entertaining read. I didn’t think I would enjoy it as much I did.

I’ve said this a couple of times already, but I’ll say it again either way, don’t let the teen and YA tags scare you away.

This book was still easy to read, and I had no problem getting sucked into the story.

You should definitely read this.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

As much as I enjoyed the story, I was expecting more monsters. There seemed to be so much emphasis on there being these monsters but there didn't appear enough for them to truly make an impact on me.

There also was a lot more focus describing the mission underground and I didn't really enjoy that. It just seemed like the journey was being described step by step and it made for a slow, boring read.

I did appreciate the spooky atmosphere though. 2.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read an early copy of SOMEWHERE IN THE DEEP in exchange for my honest review.

I had the opportunity to also read an early copy of Tanvi Berwah's debut of MONSTERS BORN AND MADE prior to its release, and I was so pleasantly surprised by that one that I jumped on the chance to request her second novel that is set in the same world.

The premise of the book caught my attention immediately. Our protagonist, Kress, is essentially a pit fighter who competes in this gladiator style area against giant and terrifying sea monsters. But when something goes wrong during one of her matches, she becomes widely hated and, as a penance, is subjugated to a dangerous expedition to discover what happened to some missing minors. As dangerous as this is, this benefits Kress because if she succeeds, she gains her freedom off of her island home. And at this point, this girl has nothing to lose.

As we follow her story, we learn that Kress' family name comes with a lot baggage, as well as some bad history with some of her fellow crew members on this expedition. Kress is also wrestling with her growing feelings for her best friend, Rivan, who came after her on this journey. The farther we journey into the depths, the higher the stakes rise and more secrets get uncovered.

I wish I enjoyed SOMEWHERE IN THE DEEP as much as I did MONSTERS BORN AND MADE, but unfortunately a lot of things fell short for me. I thought many of the characters and the relationships/connections to each other were underdeveloped or rushed. And as well as Berwah is with writing a vibrant setting, some parts of the writing felt really clunky and it would pull me out of the story. Ultimately, I was left wanting more.

I enjoyed this standalone set in the same world as Monsters Born and Made. It was full of action and magic. I liked the characters, they were well written. It was a solid YA fantasy and I look forward to reading more books from this author!

This isn’t a sequel to Monsters Born and Made, but it’s set in the same world and could easily be read as a standalone.

I liked Krescent as a main character. For years she’s been held accountable for the drastic actions of her deceased parents, and she had to learn to hard way how to take care of herself. She’s strong, but is able to rely on loyal friend Rivan. To survive, she battles monstrous creatures in an underground fighting pit and has a winning record. After she’s banned from the pits because of a reneged deal, she’s offered a new job. Join and protect a hunting party for a rescue mission deep within the mining caves beneath the island. Of course, it’s not that simple. The details Krescent receives are only a small fraction of what’s really going on.

I’m claustrophobic, so the descriptions of travel through the narrow cave tunnels (more like pinhole slits between two rocks) left me breathless. Maybe it sounds weird, but those parts disturbed me more than the wildly creative monsters. Between the dark, underground caves (with barely any fire to lead the way), monsters who want to eat you, and the uncertainty of who can be trusted in the hunting party, nearly every page offers an intense atmosphere. The actions scenes are exciting and well done, and the imagery vivid.

Krescent may be a fighter to be reckoned with, but she’s oblivious when it comes to love. Everyone except her knows how she and Rivan feel about each other. Those feelings are used against them more than once. While I liked both of them, some of the supporting characters didn’t stand out as much, and I confused them in parts of the story.

The world-building is complex, unique, and one of the strongest aspects of the story. Pacing is steady, but the ending takes off at warp speed. I loved the way the story wraps up and leaves a feeling of hope. Recommended for readers who enjoy high stakes fantasy with hidden motives and complex issues. And maybe those who aren’t claustrophobic.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

DNF 3.0 / 5.0

I read the first 7 chapters of this plus the last two for a total of roughly 20%. I won a giveaway prize on GoodReads and had access to the ARC on NetGalley, so thank you to the publisher and NetGalley.

Somewhere in the Deep is a dystopian fantasy of human kind on another planet, where a caste system of society designates people into jobs and prevents movement between social tiers. It is Hunger Games meets The Scorpio Races and a heavy dose of colonial oppression.

The opening follows the same formula, and there is a great monster scene at the beginning, but then it begins… the same plot ladder and character builder is used as was in the first one. It is pedantic and boring. I really want to go back and finish the in-between, because I want to know how we get from point A to K, but the writing is so insufferable. I am reminded of everything I didn’t like in Berwah’s first book in the little bit of this one I was able to read. It is not badly written from a technical standpoint, it is just missing that unnamed element that makes a good story.

Until Next Time,
MC

Gladiator meets underground Avatar with a sprinkle of lord of the rings.
Krescent is a pit fighter who must pay off her debt by fighting for her life. One day she is told to throw a match which sets in motion a quest to find some missing miners in the deep of the earth. Along the journey are Krescent’s childhood friend turned enemy and others chosen for their skills. The group head into the mines where they encounter terrifying monsters and discover secrets.
This is a wonderfully written story which is not too scary. It has romance, adventure, a touch of political intrigue, and monster battles. I think there is something for everyone. I enjoyed the way that Krescent describes the way she feels during a fight. Often characters seem to get hit and move on like it’s nothing but Kres describes being in pain. It made her seem more real.
I liked the world building with the combination of deep ocean creatures and underground settings. It made the story seem more unique.
Some parts of the story were a little drawn out for my tastes.
I still recommend reading this story!!

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really wanted to love this book but I struggle withe character development and the writing. The plot was a really good idea, I just wish I could have seen more depth and more thought put into it. I did like it overall though.

“𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚑𝚎’𝚕𝚕 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚒𝚐𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚎’𝚜 𝚕𝚎𝚏𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚎… 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔.”

💛💛 / 5

»»————-✼————-««

Review:
I want to start by saying the plot of this book is fantastic, for me the execution fell a little short. When I started reading I flew through the first few chapters, I enjoyed the gladiator style fights between Krescent and the sea creatures in the pits, I loved some of the little details such as Krescents tattoos and the little flashbacks to when she was a child. However, I found her very moany and annoying.

I get that Krescent had been handed a shit deal with her parents, everyone being against her and that she lives pay check to pay check; but I don’t need to be reminded of this every other line! While there’s lots of details about Krescents thoughts, I found that other details such as fight scenes and descriptions of monsters fell a little short. I found it hard to picture the creatures and a lot of the descriptions of her injuries and pain come across and pretty serious and she just brushed them off? At one point it sounds like her arm is so badly cut you can see the bone and she just picks herself up and keeps fighting?

I’m not sure if this is due to reading an ARC so a round of editing and rewrites where still going to happen or if it’s just the authors writing style, but unfortunately it wasn’t for me. I really found myself forcing myself to read, as the plot was interesting and I wanted to know what happened in the end.

Just as a trigger warning there are mentions of several off screen parent deaths, several on screen deaths, fighting and violence. And a running theme of animal cruelty.

For lovers of:
- Chosen One
- Gladiator F¡ghts
- Friends to Lovers
- Fantasy with a Dystopian Feel

Enjoyable enough. Yet again I request books that are within another world the author already wrote about. So the mentioning of those events threw me.

But I still enjoyed the book. I found the story fun and enough to keep me turning pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and the published for the eARC.

This premise drew me in like crazy. Underwater creatures? A badass lady? You bet! But the characters fell a bit flat for me. None of them seem fully developed. The plot quickly became trudging from point A to point B to point C and finding the odd obstacle in between. The Shade people were underdeveloped. The Collector was underdeveloped. This massive villain was hardly present and did not feel like a threat at all. I felt no real spark between Kress and Rivan. I wanted more. More creatures, more urgency, more development. The reference to the Theseus story also felt super weird and out of place and unnecessary. There wasn't enough interaction to make me care about the Shade people. This could have used some polishing and less of Kress's internal monologue.