Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House Children's for this ARC.

As much as I enjoyed the the first book, this sequel was a little lackluster for me. Skin of the Sea had me hooked from the beginning but I will admit it took me a while to get into Soul of the Deep and keep me there.
I still enjoyed a large portion of this book and the twist and reconnection it gives us. I felt this was a slower pace than the first for me. It picked up a bit than rushed the ending a little. I wouldn't be opposed to another book for this story but the duology ending here is ok as well.

I still adore the West African mythology and I liked the introduction of the anti gods, the ajogun, although I wanted more of them.

The cover is gorgeous just as the first and I will be adding it to my library.

Thank you to Random House Books for sending me an arc of this in exchange for an honest review.

This was a stunning conclusion to such a beautiful story. You really get to see Simidele grow from the naive mermaid we met in Skin of the Sea. Soul of the Deep is a much darker story and has alot more action which is definitely why i enjoyed it more than Skin of the Sea. But I highly reccomend this if you're as excited for the New Little Mermaid as i am!

4 solid stars

Like the first book, there was much for me to like about this book. The author includes many rich details about this world, making it easy for me to picture it, and while I didn't understand whenever the language was spoken (I couldn't even begin to try reading it), it just drew me into the world. But this is where I think an audiobook would have enhanced my experience, especially with a good narrator. While I'm not as familiar with the source of mythology and folklore as I am with Greek mythology, I absolutely loved everything she included. This book does a beautiful job celebrating black people, especially black women and I loved the little details that she added, including water drumming. The author includes a note at the beginning discussing the folklore and spiritual elements that inspired her story and I found that to be just as interesting.

I thought she did a great job of resolving most of the story, but I feel like she left things open enough that she could add a third book. I have no idea if she is planning one, but I would love to read it if she does.

Overall, I loved this two-book series and think it's a very strong debut series for this author. The only thing I wasn't thrilled about was that the story was written in the first person, from Simidele's point of view. While it's certainly an appropriate way of telling the story, it's not my favorite method. Still, the author did a great job of making an old tale into a unique story, and I recommend this with no hesitation.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This book is being published on September 27, so look for it at a local store near you!

Things I like: stunning setting, use of mythology and culture, incorporation of religion/characters, BEAUTIFUL covers, incorporation of a content warning.

Things I don't like: instalove, open endings, undoing of what happened in book #1.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Soul of the Deep is the sequel to Natasha Bowen's Skin of the Sea. It follows main character Simi as she must deal with the fallout of her sacrifice at the end of book one.

Soul of the Deep expands on a lot of the mythology that the initial book introduced, which was really interesting to read about. Though I do wish there had still been a little more worldbuilding, perhaps at a slightly slower pace, the continued depth of this story's world was wonderful to read.

If I had any one thing to complain about, it's that it was all over too quickly. Skin of the Sea was one of my favorite reads of last year, and so I really wanted to bask in the world and story of Soul of the Deep. With the fast paced action and plot, it was kind of hard to do that, but I still loved watching the story play out and getting to spend some time with characters I loved.

Although the ending seemed to wrap a lot of things up, as opposed to book 1's major cliffhanger, I totally wouldn't be mad if Bowen wrote another book in this series/world.

Soul of the Deep by Natasha Bowen
“You ask me to put my trust in you after everything you’ve done.”
~~~
Book 2 of Skin of the Sea, and it was incredible. I enjoyed this one a bit more than the first. The characters, storyline, and world building were very thought out. The West African mythology, legends, and 15th century culture is absolutely amazing to see in this story. Bowen does a fantastic job bringing her readers back into Simidele’s world.
Thank you Natasha Bowen, Random House Children’s, and NetGalley for an eARC. I can’t wait to possibly see what happens next!

Soul of the Deep is an amazing fantasy, which mixes fairytale retelling with west African mythology. This creates a lush world filled with magnificent mythological creatures.
It is a real joy to explore and learn more about the world of the book. I did miss a bit of the more road-trip feeling of the first book, since we as the reader got a better look at the mythological flora and fauna.

Soul of the Dark is darker in tone than the first book, which could be expected when dealing with the subject of war and impending doom. Now I’m not a fan of darker books, but here the author managed to balance the dark and heavy aspects of the story with these great stories about love and strong friendships. While I wasn’t always on board with Simi’s choices, I could understand why she chose that way in the moment. She and Kola balanced each other nicely in that aspect, and created a nice duo. Apart from the natural world, the characters and their relationships is what made me enjoy the book as much as I did. Also the ending was like balm on the soul. It was lovely.

If you enjoyed the first book, then you should definitely read Soul of the Deep. It’s a stable duology, that is a refreshing fairytale retelling and is a great example of a non-western fantasy that I think anyone will be able to enjoy.

3.5 rating but rounded up for the review!

Soul of the Deep was a good follow up to Skin of the Sea. Although Simi was a bit more annoying in this book, I enjoyed the story. I love love love all the representation of Black women in the story. The women were powerful and diverse, both the heroes and villains. I found Simi annoying because she wanted to save "everyone" when that is what got her in trouble in the first place. She also seemed more weak in this book. I'm glad she had others to rely on, embracing the idea of community, but I would love to see her come to conclusions on her own like she does at the very end. Also love wins in the end. I'm a sucker for romantic subplots. FYI this is a YA so no spice.

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

At the end of SKIN OF THE SEA, readers watched Simi swear to serve Olokun in order to save Kola and the twins from Esu. But the catch was that Olokun was supposed to make sure Esu faced judgement for what he did... but did Olokun hold up his end of the bargain? While some of the betrayals were easy to spot, I thought that overall the plot of SOUL OF THE DEEP added more depth to the story. Bowen brought even more African folklore and mythology into this series (the women water drumming was my favorite).

I thought there was good character development and Bowen continues to build upon the themes from SKIN OF THE SEA. The resolution was good and this can either be a satisfying duology, or the story could easily continue.

A mermaid who has been bound to serve the God who watches over the Land of Dead must find a way to break her binding to save everyone she loves from the mysterious demons that have begun to appear. Picking up where the first book left off Simi has traded away her freedom to serve the god who watches over the Land of the Dead at the bottom of the ocean. She yearns for freedom and sunlight again, to see her family, to see the boy she loves, but a promise is a promise. Yet her new god is hiding something that could break the binding... and this secret might also be the key to helping Simi stop the demons that have begun showing up. Working together with the trickster god who nearly destroyed everything, she’ll have to find a way to fix everything before it’s too late... and ask herself if she is willing to risk her heart or give up on love. This one was a bit rushed for me, especially the ending and how it leaves you with a lot more questions. I found the resolution to the major villain to be kind of anti-climatic and the romance was definitely lacking after all the build up of the first one. Overall it was an okay ending but it definitely could have added a bit more.

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's, Random House Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I love love love these books - the covers are stunning, the stories are so full of African folklore and I just love them so much. These are beautiful books to get lost in and leave the world behind. Just like the first book it feels like the author put true care into the folklore and traditions to try and get everything just right. The characters are strong, powerful, and even better than in their first appearance!

Thank you netgalley for this ARC!

First of all can we talk about how beautiful this cover is as well so firstly i just want to say that i did the audio book for book 1 and i was really hyped for book 2 and i read it as an ebook and omg this book lived up to my hype.. This one was so different from the first one it had such epic battles and creatures and betrayal and just so much and for that it earned 5 stars. I loved all the detail the author wrote regarding the fantasy elements. I just loved the main character even more in this novel as well and i also am usually not a huge fan of romance in alot of novels but this author wrote such a beautiful romance aspect to this novel with so many twist and turns you really didnt know what was going to happen until the last page and i LOVED that. So many suspenseful chapters and moments. I was looking for an underwater mermaid fantasy book and im so glad i found this one. If you love mermaids and fantasy and battles this book is for you.

The author wrote such great leads in this series it also touched down on power and corruption overall this book was amazing and i loved it. I will say i do wish yemoja got a little more airtime in this novel because i love her but nothing bad to say about this novel! Read it yall.

Just finished Skin of The Sea. I'm not invested in the storyline enough to read Soul of the Deep. However, the cover of this book is absolutely gorgeous.

This sequel was everything I wanted in a sequel. Action, more background, betrayal around every corner. It really has it all. I absolutely loved Simi as she set out to do what she thought was the right thing to save the people. I loved her decisions throughout the story especially the very last one.

I am curious if there will be a third book.

I hope there is because i want more

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Soul of the Deep is the second installment within the Skin of the Sea series. The first book was so freaking good and made me super excited to jump into this one. Now while this was good, it wasn't my absolute favorite. The whole open ending slightly annoyed me because I have so many questions. Maybe we will get another book? If not, I will riot.

In this, we have lots of action, drama, and betrayals. With so many characters to keep track of, I had no idea who I could or couldn't trust. Sure, at one point I kept focusing on Esu and how they just seemed untrustworthy. Then Ara comes into the picture and completely surprises me. As for Kola and Simi, things are definitely starting to add up and make more sense.

Secretly hoping Natasha announces another book is on the way. I'm not sure how I will feel if this is the last book because there's so much more to explore. I would also like a reunion between certain characters for sure. Other than that, I'm happy that I found my way to this series. Definitely need another book.

This book was as beautiful as the first one steeped so deeply in African folklore and the research and honor the author has paid to these traditions and tales shines through in every word! We left Simi at the end of book 1 sinking to the deepest parts of the ocean to fulfill her promise but it is not where she belongs. When the world is threatened again she must rise from the deep and help the balance of the world be righted again. Strong women are a theme here and these women are badasses! I can o my hope for a third book to see where Simi’s tale takes her next!

Series Info/Source: This is the second, and final, book in the Of Mermaids and Orisa duology. I got a copy of this on ebook to review through Netgalley.

Thoughts: I liked this but as much as the first book. This book starts with Simi serving the god, Olokun, watching over the dead at the bottom of the ocean. However, she quickly finds out that the Olokun has betrayed his promise and because of his betrayal the ajogun (demons) might be freed to destroy humanity as we know it. Now Simi and her land-based allies must work with the very god they captured in the first book to prevent the release of the ajogun.

While I still enjoyed the stunning writing style, the story here was a lot more lackluster than in the first book. It felt like everything that happened in the first book was unraveled. The characters spend a lot of time running from battle to battle and it just wasn't as interesting to me as they first book was. Simi and Kola feel like distant acquaintances throughout the story without any of the magnetism of the first book. I had trouble engaging with any of the characters here.

I had mixed feelings about the ending as well. I understand why it was done the way it was but it felt unsatisfying and rushed to me.

My Summary (3.5/5): Overall this was a fine conclusion to this duology but felt a bit unsatisfying. I loved the first book in this series but this one not as much. The chemistry between Kola and Simi was lacking and I didn't find any of the characters to be all that engaging. The plot felt repetitive and tired. I still enjoyed the beautiful writing style. I would recommend this if you loved the first book. If you were so-so about the first book skip this one...it doesn't get better.

In Soul of the Deep, the conclusion to Natasha Bowen’s Skin of the Sea, Simi must free Esu and help him bind the antigods before they destroy the world. With new and old characters alike, the second installment of the Of Mermaids and Orisas duology is teeming with excitement and African folklore.

Like Skin of the Sea, Soul of the Deep proceeds at a quick pace, but not so fast that one loses the story. Bowen’s quick, clear prose helps me to stay engaged in the story. Soul of the Deep continued to explored Yoruba and African culture and mythology — not just in the characters, but also in the variety of festivals that Bowen depicts. She does an excellent job with world building. The festivals and rituals truly bring the story to life.

I absolutely love the characters that Bowen has created. I was not a fan of Kola in the first book, but he definitely improved in this one. He was much more developed and authoritative in this book. I also have to admit that I loved Esu in this book, too. I love the reluctant allies trope, and Natasha Bowen absolutely nailed it here. In fact, Bowen’s Esu reminds me of the MCU’s Loki: his annoying charm irritates the characters, but endear him to the readers.

This is one of the rare occasions where I enjoyed the sequel more than the first book. This duology is perfect for mermaid fans and people who like fantasy based in real-life folklore.

Thanks to NetGalley and RandomHouse for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I appreciate the way the book picked up where the last left off, sprinkling in the lore needed to understand without just dumping information into pages we're all going to skip. I also really liked the way the emotional thread of the characters was maintained without coming off as an afterthought. What irked me just a little bit was the actual content which I believe was meant to written as arc development but actually came across as a redo/second chance at what actually happened in the first book. Without spoiling it, instead of being a continuation of book one, this book came across as undoing book one.

An enjoyable follow-up to Skin of the Sea. While it leaves Simi in a good place, it leaves enough loose threads that there could be more to Simi's story.