Vibes: adventurous challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

I think I should have read Berwah’s other book before reading this because it did seem like I was missing out on context or nods to it? Otherwise, the setting was extremely rich with detail and the chapters are very short! I’d read from Berwah again in the future but something about this left me wanting a bit more.

Based solely on the premise, this seemed like something I'd be really down for. Certainly, there were parts that were enjoyable or interesting. I liked the unique monsters that Kress fights and that live underneath the earth; I liked the themes of overthrowing colonizers and breaking past the sins of your parents; I felt like the first few chapters with the caves were eerie and claustrophobic with the threat of madness looming like a specter in the shadows. One of my problems with this book, though, was that the summary doesn't mention anything of a romance in this book and my god does this romance take up a significant chunk of the book. Like, not even the tags on Goodreads mention the romance element. It's supposed to be a friends-to-lovers romance with Rivan, a miner who takes care of his two brothers and Kress. However, the romance didn't work for me on multiple levels. For starters, Rivan is such an underdeveloped character. He's essentially a ghost; you can see a bit of character here and there, but nothing substantial enough to make me care about him or his relationship with Kress. Secondly, a lot of elements of their relationship were told instead of shown. If you're going to introduce a friends-to-lovers romance, you have to make me believe that they're friends first. Like, these two are apparently ready to sacrifice themselves for one another, but I couldn't really believe it. I feel like some of this could've been remedied by cutting out some of the underground exploration sections and adding more interactions between Kress and Rivan and his brothers. Make me believe that they're essentially a found family.

Which leads me to: the underground exploration. This was far, far too long and repetitive. While the initial exploration bits were interesting and tense, it just kept going on with not enough variance in what was happening to make the tension last. That, and Rivan's inclusion in this exploration pulled away from Kress interacting with the other people on the exploration team so that, by the end, I didn't really believe that there was enough good will between these people and Kress that they'd vouch for her after labeling her as "Kin-killer" all these years.

Finally, the ending battle--the Landers versus the Renters--didn't really feel quite as satisfying as I'd hoped it would. For one, Rivan was there and that boy just sucks any interest or fun out of anything he's involved in. I feel like that final confrontation would have meant a lot more if it were just Kress or, hell, even her teaming up with Yara, to bring the Collector down. Because Rivan, despite having reason to want the Collector gone, didn't feel like he cared about anything outside of Kress. It just seemed like a wasted opportunity and a means for Kress prove herself and her people that she wasn't what her parents were. That she viewed the island and its people as more than a means to an end.

I'm sure there are going to be people that feel much differently than I do. However, I do think that the marketing shouldn't have omitted the fact that there's a huge chunk of the book dedicated to romance. If I'd known, I would've avoided it, but that might be a huge draw for other readers who otherwise would've turned away from the book at the supposed lack of it.

There are three things I know I can count on in a Tanvi Berwah book

1) there are going to be action scenes that leave me both impressed and stressed (so dang stressed)
2) the mc is going to be a lovable underdog just trying to survive in a system that was designed for her to fail
3) absolutely bizarre mystical creatures

Monsters Born and Made is one of my all time favorite books, so naturally I’ve been excited for Something in the Deep and it lived up to every expectation I have.

Kress is really just trying to survive. She’s drowning in debt and there’s really only one option for her to make money: monster fighting in this underground monster fighting ring. She’s one of the best but a serious of unfortunate events results in her going on an expedition deep underground with some strangers, some other fighters that hate her, and her best friend Rivan. There’s a lot that happens underground that I wish I could tell you about but just know that a lot of secrets were buried deep underground.

I loved the little nods back to MBaM, the way that Kress interacts with all of the side characters (especially Rivan). I can’t wait to see what Tanvi has coming next… but no pressure!

I really like how Berwah wrote this book in the same timeline and world as Monsters Born and Made. The references to the races and main character from the other book were a good tie-in and made the story feel connected. It made me look forward to reading another book in the series to see how the storylines cross and hopefully to see these two FMC's join forces.

Overall though, Somewhere in the Deep felt a little slow and the storyline was sort of repetitive from chapter to chapter. They are in a dark area, monsters attack, she won't tell Rivan how she feels. Also, because it as a different island and we were diving deeper - literally and figuratively - into the older forces of their existence, the world building almost felt a little separate from MBAM. I'm not sure I completely follow the First Ones versus New ones and the original peoples.

First off, I want to give a heartfelt thank-you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for letting me have access to the ARC of this book. It is very much appreciated.

I was really excited for this book. The plot sounded amazing, and I was pretty hooked for the first 50% of the story. However, I felt like story took a bit of a monotonous tone as the characters were exploring the caves. There was a predictable rhythm of the characters fighting creatures, barely escaping, and then the group conferring afterwards, typically with them attacking the main character. While the monsters they were fighting were so cool and very creative, the actual action felt repetitive.

As we got further and further into the actual conflict of the story and more lore of the world was revealed, I had a hard time following what was happening. Maybe if I had read the first book, I would have an easier time processing the mythos of this world. It just felt very confusing.

(Also I really enjoyed the romance in the story but I wanted more. Admittedly I was skimming the story for the last 10% because I was struggling to stay engaged, but I felt like they didn’t get a satisfying conclusion and I really wanted one!)

By the end, I was struggling to maintain my interest in the story. I really appreciate the themes the author was tackling in this book about colonialism and oppression, and I really respect the way those themes were explored. I also really admire the creativity of the world and the creatures in it. However, this was a miss for me.

Somewhere in the Deep. I like the beginning and end. The middle brags on. There was a lot of action in the middle but I don’t think it added to the story. I wish there where more stories of the creatures because it brought them to life. I like the romance because it wasn’t a play out trope.
•
•
•
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own

Characters = PERFECT, Plot = PERFECT, Setting = PERFECT. When I say this book was AMAZING, I mean i loved it so much and cannot stop thinking about it. I loved this and could not put it down at all. I finished it so fast once I had started it.

This was an enjoyable story that reads quickly. The plot is engaging and the main character is mostly sympathetic. The adventure is developed well and the setting comes alive in the story. However, for me, there was an insufficiency of character development beyond the main character. I understand that some people consider these things as "dry exposition" but I would have liked a bit more backstory to characters other than Krescent. That said, the environments of the gladiator arena and the tunnels as well as the detailing of the creatures of those environments were so vividly drawn that it somewhat made up for the lack of dimension in most of the characters. The narrative was quite fast paced and action was suspenseful enough that I flew through the book (The chapters are fairly short, though, so there are ample pause-points if a reader needed to take a break). I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a n energetic action-adventure with a bit of slow burn (almost back burner) romance and where setting is as much a character as the people in the story.
I received advanced digital access to this book thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

4⭐️

Wow, this book took me by surprise. It was not at all what I was expecting and I love it. I hadn't read the first book but these are standalone's to each other that I didn't feel like I missed out.

The characters are good in this book but I think really it's all about the setting and the atmosphere that the writer sets up for us as readers. The majority of the book takes place in an isolated cave where monsters could be around any corner. My goodness the monsters in this book, they were so unique and just straight up, terrifying. I love them. I couldn't wait to see what monster we encountered next.

Revan is just chefs kiss. I don't know how many times he had to tell Krescent in different ways how much he cared for her. I just wanted to shake her sometimes. But I thought the two of them together. We're very sweet and I loved seeing each other interactions.

I will probably go back and read monsters born and made just because I did enjoy this book so much. The only thing holding me back giving this five stars, is that sometimes the pacing was almost too much and too fast. I catch myself having to reread sections to try to understand what was happening in the moment.

I'm really interested see what else this author writes and I really hope that she continues in this world because the monsters in the atmosphere was just chefs kiss!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks fire for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

I will be posting my review to my Instagram page the.floofs.booknook and retail sites close or on publication.

This felt like Percy Jackson for adults. Very fun adventure with good world building. I’d recommend this for fantasy adventure fans. More in depth review coming soon.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Somewhere in the Deep by Tanvi Berwah is a fantasy adventure read that takes place in the same world as Monsters Born and Made, which is also a phenomenal book. This is a stand-alone book, however, you do not have to have read MBAM to read this . . . though I do recommend reading both!

The author does an amazing job of creating a vibrant world and discussing unique relationships and conflicts with her characters. Her descriptions of monsters in particular are vivid and distinctive which just makes the story feel even more alive. I also loved how sweet the romance was between our main characters, it really lived up to what I hope to find in a YA book.

Overall, I gave this book four stars because it was exciting, had an unexpected plot, and was well-written. After reading two books in this world, I find myself wanting more. The author has done a great job of sharing her imagination with us and I can’t wait for her next adventure!

"Kress, not even the ocean could have stopped me from finding you."

ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I think I just found my new YA book obsession. This book is just *chef's kiss*

Somewhere in the Deep is told from the perspective of Kress, a girl who was orphaned at 11 years old when her parents blew up a mine, killing themselves and a lot of other people. She was befriended by Rivan, a miner, and his two brothers, all who know the truth of who she is, but otherwise she tries to keep her identity a secret. Kress fights in the pits to earn silver for survival but also in hopes of earning enough to pay off her debt and escape the island where her past looms over her. She ends up tricked and coerced into going on a mission into the mines to rescue a party from a previous mission that took place months ago, where no one returned. And chaos ensues. Secrets unfold. Blood is spilt.

This book is raw and vicious and heartwrenching, but also swoony and cute. I want to wrap Rivan up in a little package and keep him forever. His love and dedication to Kress is sweet and admirable (even if it is idiotic at times). And Kress. Kress, my girl, Kress. Rivan basically spelled out his feelings for her NUMEROUS times, and yet she was still clueless *facepalm*. How many pages did I read where she were questioning Rivan about his motives? Ten? More? It got annoyingly repetitive. Is she naive? Oblivious? I'd like to think she just has a lot on her plate and doesn't have time to think about romance ATM because she's saving everyone like the badass she is. Regardless, the romance in this was perfect. Their die-hard love for each other was perfect.

I'm not sure if it's the writing or the plot or the characters, or a mashup of all of them combined, but this book was so bingeable. The chapters are short and there is literally action in almost every chapter. The world and the monsters and action scenes were described so beautifully, I could SEE everything I was reading, it felt like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book. At some moments there is so much chaos, so much frenzied energy that is just palpable. Seemingly everyone in their little brigade has secrets, and as the story progresses those secrets are revealed and OH MANNNNN some of them are a doozy. I definitely audibly gasped more than once. The side characters are given a backstory to a varying degree, but I wish we'd gotten a little more on them. Despite that, I love them all. Even Yara, who is supposed to be Kress's enemy of sorts (or at least she hates her), I was literally in tears over her towards the end of this book.

If you like an action-packed book with a really sweet romance, secrets, monsters, and a badass FMC you'll like this book. It gave me major Atlantis: The Lost Empire vibes, so if you enjoyed that you'll like this book too. Thank you so much to Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

On the Island of Kar Atish the lower class must carve out a living for themselves either mining for a substance called zargunine that the upper class, the Landers will pay them for or they can fight against wild creatures from the deep in the pits.  After the death of her parents, Krescent Dune chose to fight in the pits in order to raise money to get off the island faster.  Kress is paying the price for a mistake that her parents made years ago.  Kress has quickly risen as a top fighter in the pits making her a target for her boss.  She receives an offer too good to refuse, protection for a rescue mission in the mines that will pay enough for Kress to get off the island.  However, the mission quickly becomes more than anyone could have thought, Kress' best friend Rivan shows up and becomes poisoned by an unknown beast, the mines reveal a secret history of the island and new and dangerous creatures keep appearing as the mines meet the ocean. 

Somewhere in the Deep is an exciting Young Adult fantasy thriller.  This book is set in the same world as Monsters Born and Made, but you do not need to read the books in any order.  I was brought into the story immediately as Kress fought in the pits under the name Dark Dancer.  Kress is wizened and hardened for her age, but wants desperately to live a simpler life.  Through Kress' eyes the writing brought the island to life. Kar Atish is a harsh landscape that has been colonized and created two distinct classes.  I could imagine the many different animals the Kress came across on the beach as well as the zargunine filled mines that have been carved out long ago.  The pace was kept at a good pace with the many dangers below ground and Kress' impressive fighting skills. More than just fighting, Somewhere in the Deep reveals Kress' true identity, not just the child of the Kinkillers, but a caring person who fiercely protects their own and loves those around her as well as her home. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Like a cross between the Descent and Throne of glass. This book has it all. Betrayal, romance, intrigue, myths... I cant wait to read more from Berwah!

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book. This book took me a little while to get into but once I was there it was a great book, I really enjoyed reading it, very intriguing, very interesting plot and characters. Like I said the beginning was a bit hard for me to get into but I thought I would push through that and I am so glad that I did. 4 stars

A superb follow-up to Monsters Born and Made! I loved how Berwah expanded her world with the introduction of the island of Kar Atish. While the people of Sollonia are indentured fishermen, the people of Kar Atish are miners. Each island so far seems to be known for a particular trait, similar to the twelve districts of the Hunger Games.

Through these stories, Berwah explores themes of colonialism, rebellion, and family. Although I wish the world-building was a bit more fleshed out, I thought the characters were well written and the mythology was further developed.

Berwah’s South Asian-inspired fantasy series is sure to appeal to many readers. I’m excited to learn more about the Islands of Ophir in future books!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Though this book didn't thrill me personally, there are definitely readers who will enjoy it! The pacing reminded me a bit of a video game or a tabletop RPG campaign, with action scenes and character beats interspersed in a way that I found frustrating, but I think readers who are more accustomed to the pacing of games will find the rhythm of it more satisfying. I wish the lore and worldbuilding had been a little more explained, but this book will satisfy readers who are ravenous for quest-y, monster-filled action.

Krescent’s biggest mistake was staying alive in the pit. But now she will pay for it by ending up a slave to her debt because she wouldn’t give in. So, when the offer comes to do one very dangerous job but have her debt wiped clean she takes it. But her body guard job into the depths of the mines to possibly rescue some miners that went into the depths before, however, the job becomes even harder when Krescent finds her boyfriend down there and he is hurt. But it soon becomes clear someone doesn’t want this rescue party to come out alive.
This is a fast paced, action packed, very suspenseful young adult book. I love every adrenaline filled moment. The characters are wonderful and I love Krescent’s bond with the three boys. I love that the scrappy little girl is the best fighter. This book is filled with just about anything and it is a wonderful book.

This is a great book! It is set in the same world as Monsters Born and Made but you don't have to read it before this one. The cruelty in it was a bit much for me, but the story itself is creative and unique.

It is fast paced, and kept me on the edge of my seat. Tanvi Berwah is fast becoming a favourite of mine, with the rich descriptions and detailed world building.

A genuinely good and exciting book, definitely recommend it to fans of fantasy.

Apologies for my late review, I've been in autistic burnout and am starting to catch up with my to-do list. Wow, just wow. It started off a bit slow, but then picked up fast and I couldn't stop reading it. I look forward to reading more by Tanvi Berwah.