A review by vaniavela
Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

adventurous emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Simidele is one of the Mami Wata, tasked with collecting the souls of those who die at sea, blessing them for their journey to Olodumare.

This is a West African retelling of The Little Mermaid, set in the 1400s when the Portuguese first began taking African slaves. 

Aspects that I liked:

  1. World building. I loved how this rich, magical world was explored with a poetic writing style. 
  2. The pace of the book. It kept us entertained, and wanting more. 
  3. Cultural aspects. I loved that elements such as Nigerian cuisine and hair braiding techniques were added.

Aspects I didn't like:

  1. The characters. They seemed one-dimensional to me and I didn't feel a connection to them.
  2. The romance. I think it was built too fast to be believable, as there was no build up or signs of love. This execution was not successful.

rep: West African-inspired fantasy, west african mc, west african sc.
tw: blood, confinement, death, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, physical abuse, slavery, torture, violence.
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