She’s done it again‼️ Shining light on the drowned Black towns of the American South Penelope creates a powerful MC  who journeys into a submerged world of gods and myth to save her home. 

Daughter of the Merciful Deep was nothing short of amazing for me. I can’t say it topped The Monsters We Defy but it came really close. The way she twisted spirituality, religion, folklore, Black history, diasporic traditions , and myths in this historical fantasy was pure genius. I was probably around Ch. 17 or so when I realized what she was doing and honestly it was quite clever. It was also the character names and the way she put certain things into context that really made it click for me. 

Another thing Penelope is really good at is world building. It was so easy to envision everything and what was happening around the town of Awenasa and New Ile. The character development itself was chef’s kiss 🤌🏽 so many memorable characters and their personalities gave so much life to book. 

Watching Jane finally come to terms with her past trauma, having faith in herself, and finding her voice again was everything. The suspense surrounding the town’s mystery man Moses was also well done. 

My only cons with this one:

Overall, I enjoyed this one and highly recommend especially if you’re a fan of her work sis didn’t miss‼️ Special thanks to the author & @redhookbooks for my advanced copy.