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Natasha BowenFantasy · YA Fantasy
Soul of the Deep
Synopsis
The sequel to the New York Times bestseller Skin of the Sea, in which the world must pay the price for one mermaid's choice and a dark force reverberates across realms.
To save those closest to her, Simi traded away everything: her freedom, her family, and the boy she loves. Now she is sworn to serve a new god, watching over the Land of the Dead at the bottom of the ocean.
But when signs of demons begin to appear, it becomes clear that Simi's trade carried deeper consequences. These demons spell the world's ruin, and because of her, they now have a way into the human realm. With the fate of the world at stake, Simi must break her promise and team up with a scheming trickster of a god — and if they succeed, perhaps she can unbreak her own heart along the way.
Natasha Bowen's duology draws on West African mythology and the orisa, retelling the mermaid myth through the Mami Wata of the Atlantic.
How it reads
Prose complexity 4/10
Content warnings (1)
Violence
Genres
Characters
SimiProtagonist
A Mami Wata bound to serve a god in the Land of the Dead after trading away her freedom.
OlokunSupporting
The god Simi is sworn to serve at the bottom of the ocean.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to read Skin of the Sea before this book?
This novel is the direct continuation of the story started in Skin of the Sea and relies on the events and character developments established in that first volume. Reading them in order is necessary to understand the consequences of the protagonist's choices and the stakes of the conflict.
What is the connection between this book and West African mythology?
The narrative is deeply rooted in West African folklore and incorporates specific mythological figures such as the Mami Wata and the ajogun. These malevolent forces serve as central antagonists, representing the traditional antithesis to the orisas featured in the series.
