Real representation written by BIPOC authors is what makes the fantasy genre revival enticing again. We are given the beautiful pirate captain Nnenna and a mermaid who is running away during a debate between the gods. A mythology written with a rhythmic flair and strong character building that makes you fall in love with this story. I love a seaside setting that does not heed to Eurocentric views. Queer love and romances are weaved into the story but are not the main plot - which I appreciate. Too often fantasy is dominated by the love sequence and not the actual world and character building. The Devil of the Deep is one to add to your library on release day (because I know I will).
Queer representation drives me to any narrative nowadays. We have sapphic representation and genuine trans representation. We love a well written trans character with purpose and Jean-Francois did this exceptionally well. There is someone for everyone to see themselves in this story. OH, and the ship is named Medusa. I love the feminist interpretations of folklore and how well Jean-Francois deploys that throughout her narrative. The relationships between the characters are well written but I wish we could have seen a bit of their psyche and why their functions drove to the motives and religious paths towards the Gods.
I want to advocate that I wish Devil of the Deep was longer with expanded chapters to really harden the characters motives. I understand their growth in the end and how they all met with the sea – but I wanted to see more. Fantasy novels are meant to be long and there is a lot of time to flesh out both the setting and the character’s mindsets. Overall, this is a fun read and I want more fantasy to expand from this! Thank you Bindery Books, Falencia Jean-Francois, and Netgalley for this advanced digital arc in exchange for a review.
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