Hello, everyone! Today I’m reviewing Soul of the Deep by Natasha Bowen, the sequel to Skin of the Sea. I enjoyed the first book and its blend of African mythology with The Little Mermaid. So, I’ve been looking forward to seeing how the story wraps up.

The highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller Skin of the Sea, in which the world must pay the price for one mermaid’s choice, and a dark force reverberates across realms. Perfect for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and those eagerly anticipating the live-action film adaptation of The Little Mermaid.

One life.
One choice.
One sacrifice.

To save those closest to her, Simi traded away everything: her freedom, her family, and the boy she loves. Now she is sworn to serve a new god, watching over the Land of the Dead at the bottom of the ocean.

But when signs of demons begin to appear, it’s clear there are deeper consequences of Simi’s trade. These demons spell the world’s ruin . . . and because of Simi, they now have a way into the human realm.

With the fate of the world at stake, Simi must break her promise and team up with a scheming trickster of a god. And if they succeed, perhaps Simi can also unbreak her heart along the way, and find herself again.

***Thank you to Random House Books for Young Readers for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

This was an action-packed adventure full of fascinating African mythology and terrifying creatures galore. It also tackled some darker topics, including the corrupting influence of power, and introduced fearsome new entities bent on wiping out humanity. I should have been riveted by all of it, but I just wasn’t. I struggled to stay focused and found myself skimming a lot. The plot was full of conveniences and proceeded at a pace that left no room for the characters. It seemed like the author packed in confrontations with all of her favorite mythological creatures at the expense of the story. I also found it annoying that the events of the last book were swept under the rug and the ending effectively undone within the first quarter of this book. Olokun got shafted big time. It seemed like he was going to be an important character and then his story went pretty much no where. The romance in this story also didn’t really work for me. The relationship between Simi and Kola felt tense in a way that wasn’t there in the first book. It was missing their chemistry, and they felt disconnected and aloof for most of the story. Overall, this sequel just wasn’t for me, and I kind of wish the author had wrapped up the story in the first book instead. It is rare for me to dislike a sequel so much that it sours my opinion of the first book, as well, but this one managed to do it. Therefore, I rate it 2 out of 5 stars.