I really enjoyed this story of a young woman coming to terms with her history and her voice. This is the story of Jane, a young African American woman living in an all-Black town in the American South in the middle of the 20th century. She has not spoken since she experienced racial trauma as a child. This story uses folklore and ancestral magic to lead Jane on a journey to find her voice and power in hopes of saving her community. I really enjoyed the way Leslye Penelope balanced realism and fantasy to tell a story of race and empowerment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for providing me an eARC in return for my honest thoughts.

This was so good! I'm reading the TJ Young books, which play with orisha narratives in similar ways. I loved the premise of this, and overall I really enjoyed the execution. Penelope uses the history of drowned towns to create American folklore with African roots.

There were a few places in the middle where I wished the characters had been more active rather than observers, or where the two main storylines didn't mesh seamlessly, but Jane's arc is so moving and the core idea was so well-handled. I don't want to give spoilers but this is a story about individuals navigating a system designed to work against them, with a mix of faith and folklore that was quite powerful.

Note for audio listeners: the music in the audiobook is excellent. Shayna Small has a wonderful singing voice.

[Note for NetGalley: I ended up listening to the audiobook well after the release date, which is why I have not mentioned receiving an ARC copy in my review. My apologies for the delay.]

I absolutely adore this book! it has made me want to read more speculative fiction, the worldbuilding is fascinating, and the marriage between magical realism and historical fiction was wonderful! If you enjoyed the worldbuilding of Sinners then you will enjoy this read.

** Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC **

The way how this book was written had me hooked page after page. I personally love reading books about drowned black towns with fantasy element. I also enjoyed reading the preview of Leslye's next book.

This book had a lot of pleasant surprises for me. While I could predict some things about the plot, a lot of time I had no idea what was coming. Jane was a great heroine. The author clearly portrayed the heinous racism in the Jim Crow reconstructed South and yet the setting had a lot of joy in it too.

There's a map of Awenasa and Jane spends a lot of time moving through the town. I felt like the physical locations in the book became very clear to me. The feel of the free Black town, the relief its dwellers had of having a home and sanctuary, and yet the tenuousness of this safety, the complicated feelings about the setting were part of the interesting aspect of the book for me.

Awenasa is slated to be drowned by a new dam. Feds are coming to town to make offers to its inhabitants. They can either take something and leave or stay and be pressured, frightened and abused into leaving. The offers aren't fair but they are the only thing on the table. Jane, an inquisitive person, is noticing some very strange things happening.

There's a slow burn romance that I was there for. At the beginning there didn't seem to be a speculative element but as the book went on the fantastic became part of the story. It's kind of sad that the only way to help the characters was through magic that their historic counterparts never had. I liked the way that the magic was portrayed despite that.

This book impressed me enough that I'd definitely read more by this author. I'm glad I picked it up!

This was a powerful story whose message, enthusiasm, and anger leap off the page. It was a book I didn't want to put down; I wanted to learn more about Jane and her growth into becoming a more confident woman. And when it ended, I wanted more. Maybe not that exact story but a spinoff of sorts. I was unsure what to think of the almost poetic interludes with the gods at first, but in time I came to think of them like a river coursing through the main story, something that everything else almost hinges on. If there's one thing I wish could've been different, it would be the sudden repairing of Jane's voice. I understand the significance of the event, but it came across as a magical ailment for a non-magical issue. There is of course the metaphor that she gains back her voice after having it stolen away from her. I think I would've just liked for it to be a more gradual process, rather than it feeling like a sudden plot-convenience. It didn't ruin the story as a whole, though. This was a very well-crafted book that I would recommend to others looking for something powerful, enjoyable, and with a strong message of Black perseverance through adversity, racism, and bigotry.

The concept of Daughters of the Merciful Deep is incredibly original. Right now there are so many myth retellings, but this book does something different in the way it weaves with history. It takes the real histories of post-civil war South and drowned Black towns and uses the magic of folklore to create an alternate history that both remains true to life and infuses hope.

Definitely be aware that there is discussions of racism and violence typical of that era, so readers should be remember that this is still very much set in a real and painful part of history. But if you are a fan of the modern folklore/myth genre and alternative histories this is a great way to hear stories you likely haven’t heard yet.

I am also fascinated by the role of water in folklore of the African diaspora. Having read The Water Dancer which is more magical realism but integrates similar lore, it was really interesting to hear more water mythology from the African South.

The writing style is different than what I am used to, and it can be slow in places, so it took a minute for me to get into the rhythm of it. So I encourage readers who feel the same at the beginning to stick it out if the story is interesting to them to see how the mystery unfolds.

Thank you to Redhook and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I wanted so deeply to love this one but the writing was so hard to follow and the story moved so slow. DNF’d at 35%.

<i>Daughters of the Merciful Deep</i> was an enjoyable historical fiction novel that also delved into magical realism and fantasy, much like Leslye Penelope's last book, <i>The Monsters We Defy</i>. <i>The Monsters We Defy</i> was one of my favorite books I read last year so when I heard about this one, I immediately requested it as an ARC. I did receive it (and this is my honest review in exchange for it), but life dictated that I would not get to finish reading it before the full book was released. But now that I have finished it, I can say this was another big swing, just like <i>Monsters</i>, but in some ways it fell short.

Prior to the start of the novel, our protagonist Jane Edwards experiences a serious trauma and is filled with guilt at her part in it, and has rarely spoken since then, communicating most often in sign language. She and her family (and many others) left that town and began anew in the all-Black town of Awenasa. Jane is smart and well-liked by almost everyone but is saved from being that annoying main character due to her own secrets and guilty conscience. She has a love interest she is too afraid to fully open up to, a father who is the town Pastor, and a sister who has returned to town with maybe more secrets than hers. That is, until White neighbors from nearby towns start trying to force them out. That is, until the secret guilt of Jane's past seems to walk right out of the lake without a drop of water on him.

This is where Penelope begins to weave in magical realism and, eventually gives us a full on fantasy world that might be the savior of Awenasa. We meet Papa Loku and Mama Yoji, gods with an entire community on the same Earth as Jane and her town, which no one has known about. I don't want to speak too much on this so as not to spoil it but for those who have heard of Drexciya, you can probably guess. Penelope's descriptions of this community were vast and vibrant and easy to visualize, and Jane and others quickly learned the extent of their powers separately and what the gods would allow. It takes them longer to believe and understand what they could accomplish as a whole.

While I fully enjoyed both of these stories - the fictional historical town of Awenasa and the fantasy world of gods - I don't think they fully meshed well into one. There was a lot of crossover between the worlds with characters and events, and, in a way I loved, Jane was not the only one involved by far. But there was just something that wasn't quite there to make this a 5 star read. That being said, it is a fantastic 4 star read. And the artwork for the full book release is beautiful enough that I just might buy it anyway. I hope Penelope keeps writing books like this and taking these risks because I am thoroughly enjoying them.

This was a solid 3. I wasn't anything exceptional but I don't feel like it was a wasted read. The events that inspired this story was interesting but I'm not sure the story rewrote it well. I understand it was supposed to be a happy ending for those towns but it felt more like an 'afterlife' not just a relocation.

This magical historical fiction is filled with things I love in books. Mythology, familial love, community strength & so much more. I also appreciate the historical nuggets about the erasure of Black towns at the hands of white supremacy.

I had previously read The Monster We Defy by her and was excited to receive an audio-arc of this new book by her. This is a historical fantasy novel set in a small black town in the south during segregation. We follow Jane who suffered a traumatic even in her youth that left her mute. Throughout the story we watch Jane try to save the town she loves from being demolished and also confronting what happened in her youth.

If you like historical fantasy, black mermaids, and magic tied to folklore, I think you could really enjoy this. Leslye Penelope tends to write a smaller scale story, which worked really well for me. I like that we get to explore a small town and watch Jane grow into herself throughout the book. I think if you are looking for a large scale epic plot, this won't work as well for you.

Thank you Netgalley & Rehook for providing me a audiobook arc for review!

Thanks to NetGalley And Redhook books for this great read. I wish I read it earlier and gave my review rhen. This was good a historical fiction based on real history. It was just so well written and taught me something I didn’t know about.. Lesleye Penelope..this was amazing and I am so glad I read it. This is a book I will have in my collection.

This book was pretty good, very unique. The vibes were there. The pacing was a bit slow on my opinion, but decent book

A woman journeys into a submerged world of gods and myth to save her home in this powerful historical fantasy that shines a light on the drowned Black towns of the American South.

“Our home began, as all things do, with a wish.”

Jane Edwards hasn’t spoken since she was eleven years old, when armed riders expelled her family from their hometown along with every other Black resident. Now, twelve years later, she’s found a haven in the all-Black town of Awenasa. But the construction of a dam promises to wash her home under the waters of the new lake.

Jane will do anything to save the community that sheltered her. So, when a man with uncanny abilities arrives in town asking strange questions, she wonders if he might be the key. But as the stranger hints at gods and ancestral magic, Jane is captivated by a bigger mystery. She knows this man. Only the last time she saw him, he was dead. His body laid to rest in a rushing river.

Who is the stranger and what is he really doing in Awenasa? To find those answers, Jane will journey into a sunken world, a land of capricious gods and unsung myths, of salvation and dreams made real. But the flood waters are rising. To gain the miracle she desires, Jane will have to find her voice again and finally face the trauma of the past.

I started and stopped this book several times-none of these reasons had to do with the book itself. Instead my issues surrounded around eye issues and mood reading. That said, I requested this book because I enjoyed "Monsters We Defy" and wanted more in that world. This book is not that. Here we go further back in the past-closer to the Civil War and the horrific history about drowned Black towns in America which happened with alarming frequently. I enjoyed having a story set during this time to imagine what that might have been like for the Black Americans who were displaced and traumatized by this attack. It is for this reason alone that I recommend this book and for book discussions.

I don't think I have ever read anything quite like this- new to me genre Historical Fantasy.
Meet Awenasa, an all Black town on the verge of becoming a drowned town if Jane cant figure out how to save it in time.
We meet run away goddesses and goddesses with very human like fallacies.
This book had so much to unpack- lynchings, out of wedlock pregnancy, trauma mute, reincarnation, passing, and the heart of it all- remembering the resilience of our ancestors. I loved this book and will definitely recommend it.

I have been obsessed with Leslye Penelope ever since I got to meet her at Imaginarium Book Festival and purchased The Monsters We Defy. Daughter of the Merciful Deep was INCREDIBLE. I really enjoy historical fantasy, so this was an unputdownable read for me.

Loved this book...LOVE Leslye Penelope's writing even more. Auto buy author!!! Looking for diverse fantasy? Pick this up!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I don't always dig a historical fantasy, but I really did vibe with this one. The writing was phenomenal, the chapters were fast-paced and engaging, and the story kept me hooked from beginning to end.