My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Skin of the Sea

Author: Natasha Bowen

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 11/9/21

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, West African Mythology

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Random House Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

An unforgettable fantasy debut inspired by West African mythology, this is Children of Blood and Bone meets The Little Mermaid, in which a mermaid takes on the gods themselves.

A way to survive.
A way to serve.
A way to save.

Simi prayed to the gods, once. Now she serves them as Mami Wata–a mermaid–collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home.

But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi does the unthinkable–she saves his life, going against an ancient decree. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy it.

To protect the other Mami Wata, Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But something is amiss. There’s the boy she rescued, who knows more than he should. And something is shadowing Simi, something that would rather see her fail. . . .

Danger lurks at every turn, and as Simi draws closer, she must brave vengeful gods, treacherous lands, and legendary creatures. Because if she doesn’t, then she risks not only the fate of all Mami Wata, but also the world as she knows it. 

First off, this book cover is gorgeous and made me want to read the book!

As for the story, there is so much to like. I love our main character Simidele. She is a Mami Wata/mermaid and she blesses the journeys of the dead, mostly people who are found dead in the sea thrown off slave ships. We learn about Simi’s past life through memories and flashbacks. As a Mami Wata she is supposed to let go of her past but memories always resurface for her and it’s poignant and heartbreaking especially when you know what happens to Simi and how she becomes a mermaid. But Simi is courageous and strong and so graceful She honors the gods/orishas and when she has to go against one, she does it because she cares for others, Kola and his family plus the Mami Wata family.

Kola is the boy Simi saves in the water and she helps him get back to his family. When there, they must go on a quest to find his special twin siblings and rings that would help save the Mami Wata. Kola is a leader and sometimes headstrong. Simi definitely looks to him for strength and it’s interesting because he’s the first alive human she’s interacted since becoming a mermaid. The romance between them is barely there, and not a main focus of the story because the quest is at the forefront.

There are some great secondary characters in the book like Issa and Yinka. It was interesting to learn about the different gods in the story. The world building was wonderful as we get to know the gods and how they interfere with the lives of humans and how they get into situations among themselves as well.

An emotional part of the book is when we find out about Simi’s past and Kola’s present. They were both on slaver ships and we get a small part of the trauma from what Simi and Kola experienced on the ships but it’s heart wrenching, especially Simi’s backstory. But what I love is how as a mermaid, they would bless the souls of the dead.

Content Warning: slavery, enslavement, violence, death

The ending is so abrupt and I’m not sure if this is a standalone but I would like to see Simi’s story continue especially with that ending.

Why you should read it:

• Little Mermaid story with West African mythology mixed in
• Simi is a strong and a kind main character, I love her role as a Mama Wata
• emotional story

Why you might not want to read it:

• Abrupt ending that feels like this could be a series? But not sure…

My Thoughts:

I adored Simi who was just doing her job as a Mama Wata and then breaking the rules because she wanted to save someone who was still alive. But I love her grace and wanting to do good even when it was challenging for her on sea legs or confronting Gods that were more powerful than her. My only issue is the ending which felt rushed or open ended – not sure if this is a standalone but it would be nice if it was a series. Other than that, I enjoyed this story a lot.

📚 ~ Yolanda