tl;dr - Daughter of the Merciful Deep is an atmospheric and powerful fantasy about the drowned Black towns of the American Deep South. The main character, Jane, is left mute after a horrifying experience, but she must now use her newfound magical abilities, as well as the gods, to save her town from a government that wants to drown the town by building a levy. Leslye Penelope explores themes of racism, community, family, and memory in this stunning book that is both dreamy and fiery. This is a Grade A historical fantasy that belongs on your TBR.

Historically specific, deeply atmospheric, and viscerally powerful, Daughter of the Merciful Deep is a triumph of historical fantasy.

It is a crime that we do not get more stories like this one in mainstream fantasy publishing - a book that is both deeply personal and that also condemns the social inequalities that plauge America's history. This story moved me and wowed me in equal measure; it is a book that drew me in with its dreamy aesthethic, and also fired me up with its exploration of Black history and oppression.

Before continuing, I should note that I am reviewing this book from the position of a white reader, an important statement of position because one's experience with this book will very much differ based on their racial position in society.

This is no more clear than the fact that Daughter of the Merciful Deep introduced me to a specific historical experience that I had no idea existed. I was not aware that there were drowned Black towns of the Deep South when white-dominated governments decided they need to build a new dam or levy; just another piece of history erased and (largely) forgotten by the dominant racial majority.

But it is not just this specific piece of history that drew me in, but a specific cultural experience. Throughout the book Leslye Penelope explores the complex cultural experience of the post-slavery African diaspora. She introduces us to a predominantly Black town that is Christian, and yet still has tie to African religions and rituals. This creates the basis for the story, as these African gods are still very much powerful, and our main characters need to navigate contradictory cultural worldviews, where they believe in the supreme Christian God (with a capital G) while also believing in, and now seeing and experiencing, these other deities that predate the Christianization of their ancestors. Penelope explores these culturally and historically specific beliefs and practices through the guise of a historical fantasy, and I hesitate to even call this book "fantasy" the more that I think on it.

In addition the historical events Penelope seeks to explore and condemn, this is also a book that explores community and family. Much of the book is set in one specific town (except when we get to explore the submerged worlds), and in a (relatively) short book Penelope creates this sense of place. The town comes alive, it feels populated, and it is a unique identity. As readers we feel a part of the town, and like we know this town, its inhabitants, and its politics. Penelope imbues the town with so much history and realness that at times I forgot that I wasn't reading about actual people and actual events (rather than a story inspired by real events). The people we meet in this book have long-standing relationships, feuds, political grievances, and more.

No single relationship comes alive more than the one between the main character, Jane, and her sister Grace. This is a fraught relationship since Grace left town without as much as a goodbye a decade ago, and has now suddenly returned. When the book begins the interactions between Grace and Jane seems like a simple relationship between sisters who are no longer close, but as the book develops we get a much deeper sense of their relationship - what binds them together and what has torn them apart. It is one of the most complicated sibling relationships that I have read in fiction, and Penelope avoids over-simplifing the layered histories that siblings often share and how they bring those histories into adulthood.

Having said all of that, what I perhaps was drawn to most was Penelope's exploration of memory and its importance to both our individual identities but also communal ones. The "magic system" (it feels VERY reductive to use that term here) is based on memories - a person needs to permanently give up a memory in order to use magic. Penelope uses this fantasy device to not only deepen her own characters - Jane has a major secret that slowly gets peeled back - but also the fact that these very real historical drowned towns were forgotten. Memories are important because they give us purpose and identity, and losing those memories (either through magic or through the tryanny of historical preservation) can re-create the fabric of society. I appreciate fantasy books where the "rule of cool" isn't the main factor but instead the magic is being used to further the themes of the book. Penelope does this flawlessly.

I am curious to see how other readers respond to Jane as the main POV character. Because of an inciting incident, Jane is unable to speak (the most she can do is a hoarse whisper), and she relies on sign language. An unfair interpretation of her character is that she is a weak and broken protagonist until events force her agency, but I never got that impression. I was drawn into Jane's imperfections and insecurities, and how she powered through even in the opening pages of the book. We don't get to see many main characters like Jane. She is not "morally grey" and neither is she a Mary Sue, but a real, loving, and flawed human being.

I don't often pick up historical fantasies like Daughter of the Merciful Deep, but whenever I find a great one (Lone Women by Victor LaValle should also be on your TBR for a more horror-tinged example) I kick myself for not reading more. This was a fantastic book that I am already eager to revisit now that I know all of its secrets and developments. This book is a stunner.

Leslye Penelope has quickly climbed her way to the top of my autobuy authors. I really enjoyed this story, specifically the first half, although it isn’t with the same fervor as her debut novel. I would have liked a bit more world building because there were parts where the gods’ world confused me. I also wasn’t the biggest fan of our main character, Jane. I respected that she was different than most FMCs, with fear dragging behind her like an anvil, but I didn’t connect with her like I have with other characters by Leslye Penelope. However, her writing style is immaculate, and the story’s premise is one of the most unique ones I’ve ever read. It’s clear that Leslye does so much research for her books, and that level of passion shows with each page. Thank you, Netgalley, for an advanced copy :)

I met Leslye Penelope, in the fall of 2022 at a women writers fair in Maryland. That was when I learned about and heard her discuss her book, The Monsters We Defy, which I loved. The book and audiobook are both outstanding. When we met, she asked where I was from, and I told her I was from Alabama. She then shared with me that she was working on the manuscript that would eventually become this book, a tale based on the towns that were flooded to generate power across the southeast, including one near my hometown. Since that conversation, I have been patiently waiting for this novel to come out, and I’m glad to say the wait was well worth it. Daughter of the Merciful Deep is a novel. I will definitely be recommending to my fellow Alabamians and other book loving friends. The story and characters were compelling and beautifully rendered in this book, and helped get me through a reading slump.

In particular, I loved the relationship between sisters, Jane and Grace, and appreciated the portrayals of life in a small town, as well as examining the reasons people stay in, leave, and return to small communities. The depictions of community and nosiness disguised as concern were both hilarious and a little too true for comfort. I will say that I found the multiple timelines in the beginning of the story to be a little difficult to follow, but I don’t know that there would have been a better way to convey that information to the reader, all of which is necessary to understand the full picture later in the story. I would also recommend to readers that they flip to the back of the book to read the author’s note before beginning the book. While it does contain a light spoiler, I think the scene setting in the author’s note helps the reader better grasp some of what is going on in the background of the story and understand Jane’s character a little bit better as well.

Overall, I would recommend this book to people who enjoy fantasy, tales about small towns, depictions of tight-knit communities, and people who need a little magic in their life.

It is historical fiction novels like Daughter of the Merciful Deep that solidify historical fiction as one of my favorite genres to read. Leslye Penelope masterfully integrates the history of Oscarville, GA into a mesmerizing underwater fantasy world of redemption and salvation. The characters of Jane Edwards, Rob Knox, and Daniel Braithwaite, all inspired by the town's original story, come to life in this beautifully crafted narrative. I sincerely hope that this book receives the recognition it deserves and serves as a catalyst for remembrance among those who may have forgotten.

I've been a huge fan of Leslye Penelope since her previous book "The Monsters We Defy" which took on some very interesting magic elements and added them to a time period that's very interesting, with a protagonist who was very compelling. In her newest, "Daughter of the Merciful Deep," Penelope starts off strong with a community tied together with secrets but also caring for one another. It had a very "homage to Zora Neale Hurston" vibe to it when I started reading and as it turns out, the major setting for this novel, called Awenasa, calls to mind towns like Hurtson's own Eatonville, Florida as well as the hundreds of many other Black-founded and majority Black-populated towns in America's history. Many of those have been razed to the ground due to white supremacist terrorism and violence, such as with Rosewood, Florida and with the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The novel wastes no time in explaining the realities of the Reconstruction Era, of the principle of Forty Acres and a Mule, as well as how many Black families who had previously been enslaved during the antebellum era, were often forced to continue working on those plantations or others, in what would eventually be come to known as sharecropping arrangements. These were often a heinous way for white people who had previously been enslavers and became enraged with the result of the Civil War, so they found ways to continue what are essentially legalized forms of slavery. I fell in love with the characters, especially Jane, The world-building in this novel, which shows vibrant roots in West African traditions, is so fascinating to explore. The richness of detail, of seeing how Jane interacts with her family, of family meals, was really something that helped immerse me in her universe. She keeps seeing this mysterious man with a briefcase who disappears and it's starting to unravel her mind. It's like if you loved "Their Eyes Were Watching God" but wanted it to have supernatural elements and go in different and unexpected directions.

I can't describe how excellent this novel is and want readers to immerse themselves in the amazingness of the world that has been created here by Penelope and just... absorb the gift we have all been given here. One of the best books I have read in 2024 so far! Not to be missed

Shining a light on Black towns that have been flooded is what made me want to read this story. For me, the plot was slow and not exciting. I considered skipping to the end several times because I just wanted to see how things would end for the town.

I do like the message of forgiving yourself. Also coming together as a community and overlooking our differences for the betterment of everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced eARC.

Daughter of The Merciful Deep Book Review

In the story we follow Jane who is struggling to let go of her past and the trauma that comes with it to live for her future. Jane must figure out how to let go of her past to help save her town and the people that she loves. This story takes place in an all African American town in the 1930’s. This book gives us strife, anger, heartbreak, racism, but it also gives us a sense of community, belief, and hope at a time that felt almost hopeless. I loved the way Leslye weaved African folklore into the book and making it come alive thru the pages. This historical fantasy book had a great mix of real life and fantasy that you don’t lose one for the other.

This book exceeded my expectations. I was a bit nervous the first couple of chapters as I was gaining my understanding of what was happening in the book, but it is truly a beautiful book. Leslye has a wonderful way of writing that is almost poetic. If you enjoy historical fantasy books, then look no further this is the book for you.

**Thank you to NetGalley, publisher, and author for allowing the opportunity to and review this book as an ARC. All my reviews and comments are my honest opinions. **

I think the scope and intent of this novel was really well done. Leslye Penelope does such an excellent job bringing the time period and its varied struggles and triumphs to life. This is a story about a community rising up and together to keep their town away from the hands of those who have no right to it. It's a story of racism and grief and paralyzing guilt. I think all these things are done very well.

The thing I had the biggest issue with was the characters themselves. Mostly Jane, the main character, and the POV we spend the majority of the time in. I really struggled with being in her head. And, even at the end, while I felt like I understood her better, I still didn't feel very connected to her. I think it's quite possible that I just didn't like the way the 1st-person POV was written. Jane is 23 (or thereabouts), but the way she was written felt much, much younger. Also, I felt like the way her selective mutism was resolved wasn't quite as triumphant as the book wanted it to be?

That, and the pacing of the book really had me struggling.

Overall, though, I do recommend this book, I just think that the POV didn't quite work for me.

Daughter of the Merciful Deep by Leslye Penelope is set in Awenasa, an African-American town in the southern United States. It was founded as a haven for Black people displaced from their community. Until recently, the people of Awenasa were thriving and safe. The town will soon be underwater thanks to the Authority building a dam.

Jane Edwards hasn’t spoken above a whisper for the last twelve years. Her childhood friend, Rob, was arrested, found guilty, and murdered. Although Jane was a young girl, she blamed herself for reasons the reader will discover later.

As Jane was walking down the street, a man caught her eye. It was Rob or so she thought until he introduced himself as Moses. But Jane still couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more to this man. And she wasn’t wrong.

Moses had news that could change everything. The people of Awenasa could move to the underwater world led by Mama Yoja and Papa Loku. Moses needed Jane’s help to convince the people to start a new community. Mama Yoja and Papa Loku could be the answer to all their problems, but they needed everyone’s support to make it happen.

Jane possesses great power that surpasses that of most humans. However, she is hesitant to utilize it because doing so would mean relinquishing cherished memories. Nevertheless, to regain her voice, which requires confronting past mistakes and tragedies, she must make a difficult decision.

There is always a cost associated with every action. Jane must choose quickly whether she is willing to make the necessary sacrifices and overcome all the obstacles to save her community.

The writing of the story is incredibly beautiful even with so many tragic events. It is a powerful story with many lessons to be learned. Every chapter begins with words of wisdom that should be memorized for future use.

If you love historical fiction and fantasy, you’ll enjoy Daughter of the Merciful Deep. If you like wreaking havoc on towns like Godzilla, you could read this book while on a well-deserved vacation far away from people.

This is my first Leslye Penelope novel, which after finishing this one, feels like quite a ridiculous misstep on my part. This was phenomenal, and I am so happy that I decided to open and read it.

Blurb:

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 to saving her town.

I was enthralled reading this book. Penelope’s writing is nuanced and lyrical. Her narrative voice has a distinct folklore/fairytale atmosphere to it. A lot of this book revolves around water and rivers (go figure) and the prose mimics the ethereal sway of a river.

Our main character Jane is a delight. She feels appropriately naive and curious, while cautious and wary. I felt like she was very well fleshed out. There isn’t any doubt how she feels about a subject, and I feel like I know her. She seems like she’s about to step off the page and offer commentary on her story.

The imagery throughout the novel is powerful. I teared up more than once at different moments. I had goosebumps for much of the end of the novel. I think the third act of this book really shines. I loved all of this book, but the ending was especially well done.

Much of this book is centered around the unforgivable discrimination and destruction around black communities and black success following the outlawing of the slave trade. While this novel is fiction, the discrimination and prejudice depicted are not. I think the author did an incredible job at showcasing how even if you do everything right, society can still say you’re wrong.

This was truly so good, and I can’t believe I haven’t read more from the author before this. Absolutely worth picking up.

4.5/5 stars, rounded up to 5

Thank you so very much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication. The opportunity is greatly appreciated, but does not change the content of my review.

Within the pages of this book was alot of deep issues and memories of forgotten towns and a culture of unjust treatment. Jane has the means to help the all African american town she lives in from the State Authority which insists on building a Dam there. With the help of Old gods and a relationship with them shevhad no knowledge of she attempts to save everyone in the town of Awenasa...

This was a great historical fantasy. I loved Awenasa and all the people there. This was a beautiful fusion of fantasy and African American history. I thoroughly enjoyed how they touched on the different traditions within the African American culture especially when it come to religion, spirituality and the division that happens amongst blacks. I enjoyed the main character and how what she needed to overcome personally was ultimately what saved the day. .I do feel the beginning dragged out a little longer than I wanted and I really wanted to have more of the fantasy incorporated. Sadly because it was introduced a bit late the ending felt rushed but overall a great book and I can't wait to read more from Leslye Penelope.This book drew from real situations and stories that happened in Black America. Sadly issues like the ones spoke of in this book will not be talked about much in History books so I applaud authors like Leslye that pull from the untold stories and create masterpieces from them.

This was a great read! It had JUST the right amount of mystery and intrigue to keep me turning the pages without feeling like I didn't understand what was going on. I really enjoyed both Jane and Grace's characters, and fell in love with the town of Awenasa. I love the idea that the memories and experiences of your ancestors live in your mind. I'd never heard of Leslye Penelope prior to this read, but I'm excited to see more from her. I've never read another story like this; I highly recommend it!

I could not put this book down! What a great read that evoked so much emotion and imagination for me. I immediately fell in love with Jane and the Awenasa. The connections to black history and African traditional spirituality made this an inspiring book to read during black history month. Ties made to inspire triumph over atrocities in American Black history were well thought out and well done. There are several characters to fall in love with and others you will automatically have negative feelings towards, but I won't spoil it. I personally recommend Daughter of the Merciful Deep and would love to read any other stories out of New Ile.

Leslye Penelope really should be getting more attention as an author. This is the second book I've read from her that I would classify as historical fantasy, and I remain impressed at her ability to create a compelling, interesting story that also manages to educate the reader, as it's based on real history. I knew vaguely of the drowned Black towns, but did not realize how ubiquitous it was in the 30s-50s. Though this was a fantasy novel, the fact that it was based in these realities has made me want to read more on the history that inspired it.

I really think that one of the author's main strengths as a writer is her characters. I adored all of these characters; Jane is a fantastic protagonist, though I will say <spoiler>I don't feel super great that her disability was miraculously cured towards the end of the book; I recognize that it was a physical manifestation of her guilt, but I wish that her using her vocal cords had been more of a gradual process. I thought she was perfectly capable of using her voice even when her voice was in sign language</spoiler>. I thought her relationship with Grace was beautifully drawn, and Grace herself was an interesting mystery. I loved how the sisters grew together throughout the novel, despite the complications in their relationship. The rest of the characters were great as well; the Braithwaite family as a whole was really intriguing, and I loved the contorted dynamics between Daniel and the rest of the family. The small town ladies and gentlemen were also really fun to see, adding great texture to the piece.

I also loved the incorporation of African traditions, and some of the tensions and questions between the African religions depicted and Christianity. It is not necessarily unusual to find books these days that delve into and explore African folklore, religions, and traditions and utilize the stories and characters and gods from those backgrounds; it is less usual to see all of that in a story that interacts with Christianity as well, and not in a negative way. I was impressed by the balance that the author struck in acknowledging the power and importance of both of those traditions to the Black community in the United States, while simultaneously not shying away from the fact that Christianity was imposed, historically.

There were elements of this book that felt less polished, though. I did feel like the plot overall was a bit clunky and less well connected than I would like. At times it felt like a straightforward historical fiction novel, at times it felt like a fantasy novel, and only upon occasion did the two elements feel cohesive, like they were serving the same story. I also felt like the conclusion was a bit rushed; the last twenty percent of the book or so felt like it was scrambling.

Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed this. More people need to be reading Penelope's books; she is truly a talented writer who is writing unique, interesting stories. Many thanks to NetGalley for an eARC; all opinions are my own.

This was a DNF for me, so average rating for the sake of keeping it neutral. I made it 35% in and just wasn’t hooked. The story was interesting enough but I never felt like I HAD to know what was coming next. The magical realism aspects were explained really quickly and were believed by some characters a bit too readily.

I highly recommend reading the author's notes at the end, really adds a depth to the book.

I enjoyed the characters but I did struggle a bit with the magical aspect of it. Felt that it could've been explained a bit better/more. I also felt the story was fairly predictable, but in some ways there is a comfort in that. I loved the mix of ancestor wisdom, magic and mythos.

In the 1930’s segregated South, Jane Edwards has lost her voice due to trauma. When her beloved all-black town becomes the target of further injustice, she must find her voice, forgive herself, and believe in the magic of her ancestors.
I really liked Jane and her family and could sympathize with her and her situation.
The historical aspect of the “drowned black towns” along with the townspeople themselves were my favorite part of this story. The book was pretty heavy in the fantasy genre, though, as well. . The bad guys were *really* bad, and therefore the theming for this one was somewhat heavier than this author’s first book, The Monsters We Defy”, (which I loved). For fans of some of the retellings of Greek Mythology that are so popular right now, this book may be appealing for you as well.

~Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher~

4.5 stars. Daughter of the Merciful Deep is a beautifully written story about how love, family, belief and community can bring hope in the face of hatred and ignorance. The book follows Jane Edwards, a young woman living in Awenasa, a small, vibrant Black town in the American South. Jane lost her voice after tragic events caused by the sins of white men left her emotionally scarred. Now Awenasa, a town founded by a former slave who bought the land upon which he was forced to work, is threatened by state authorities who plan to drown the town after completion of a large dam. Jane might be able to save the town, but she must believe in miracles in the form of the gods of her ancestors. Author Leslye Penelope was inspired in part by the true stories of the drowned Black towns of the American South in the early 20th Century. To this she adds African folklore to tell the tale of a young woman who must overcome her past to save the people and town that she loves.

While this book started a bit slow, I was soon engulfed into this world--the people of Awenasa came alive, and I was invested in Jane's search for a way to save her town. Daughter of the Merciful Deep is a historical fantasy, and halfway through the book there is a shift in the fantastical elements that in lesser hands could have seemed abrupt. But there was enough forethought in how these elements were introduced that moving from grounded reality to beyond reality seemed natural.

This book confronts the stark verity of America's racist past in a very personal way--through the eyes of one young woman. That Jane's story and indeed, the story of Awenasa, can also be so hopeful and, at times, joyous, not only speaks to the writing, but the resilient spirit of the people upon which Penelope based this story. I was enchanted by the fantastical elements; and I wouldn't mind reading an entire book about what happens after this story ends.

I highly recommend Daughter of the Merciful Deep to fans of historical fiction and fantasy, and am eager to read more of this author's work.

Phenomenally written, deeply atmospheric, and wonderfully constructed, this book is a must-read! Thank you to NetGalely and Redhook Books for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review!