Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

 3/5 Stars

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.

I absolutely loved the setting and the culture of this book, I love reading about Mermaids but have never read about Mami Wata before and really enjoyed reading about them. I really enjoyed the first half of this book however I feel like there were too many plot points in such a short book and too many of them felt either rushed or left unfulfilled and by the second half of the book, I had too many questions regarding the plots in the first half that I couldn't get drawn in again which was a shame as I loved the premise. I will still be reading the second book though as I do have high hopes for it and hope that some of the plots from the first half get fleshed out more.

Comments

Post a Comment

Other Viewers Liked

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E.Harrow

 4/5 Stars In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artefacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place. Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own. I have to be honest here, I read this one a few weeks ago now and if you asked me what the plot was I would have no idea. I've read over the synopsis and I still haven't got a clue. However, what I do remember is that the writing was phenomenal and the characters were amazing and well written and it felt like I was with them the entire time I was reading it (even if I don't know what they were doing). 
Read more

How to Book A Murder by Cynthia Kuhn

 I received an E Arc from net galley in exchange for an honest review 5/5 Stars *SPOILERS* Emma Starrs family bookshop is close to closing and desperate to save it Emma agrees to plan a mystery-themed party for her arch-nemesis Tabitha from school. However, what starts out as a delightful alcohol-filled party soon turns into a party planned worst nightmare when Tabitha's husband ends up dead. Emma along with her Author aunt is suddenly suspected with Tabitha telling everyone she can that they are to blame for her husband's untimely death. Can Emma and her aunt find out the truth before they are behind bars? This book is the perfect autumn read. It has everything to get me in the spirit, Halloween, murders and a bookstore. Emma was a delightful protaganist and while at times i felt like giving her a shake I was rooting for her the entire time. Although Tabitha did come across as a cartoon villain at times she was a fun read as the antagonist and I was convinced that she was the
Read more

My June TBR

 Another TBR! 1) Love and Other Disasters by Anita Kelly Recently divorced and on the verge of bankruptcy, Dahlia Woodson is ready to reinvent herself on the popular reality competition show Chef’s Special. Too bad the first memorable move she makes is falling flat on her face, sending fish tacos flying—not quite the fresh start she was hoping for. Still, she's focused on winning, until she meets someone she might want a future with more than she needs the prize money. 2) Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon Vern--seven months pregnant and desperate to escape the strict religious compound where she was raised--flees for the shelter of the woods. There, she gives birth to twins and plans to raise them far from the outside world's influence.  But even in the forest, Vern is a hunted woman. She is forced to fight back against the community that refuses to let her go. She unleashes incredible brutality far beyond what a person should be capable of, her body wracked by inexplicable and unca
Read more

My Favourite Classic Books

Classics is a genre that both terrifies me and intrigues me. I have read a fair amount of classics that I have at least 5 favourites that I think many people will also enjoy even if classics aren't you're thing. 1) Black Beauty by Anne Sewell My all time favourite classic and childhood favourite book. It tells the life story of a horse known as Black Beauty through his own eyes. We see him as he's a small foal living with his Mother and a kind farmer and when he's an adult living with grumpy and harsh farmers. 2) A Christmas Carol by Charles Dicken I reread this one every Christmas eve. It never gets old and I will always love the story it tells. Scrooge is a grumpy old man who takes advantage of those around him when one Christmas eve he is visited by 4 spirits in hopes of changing his ways. 3) Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll I love the whimsical feel of Wonderland that is a major part of this book. While not a big part of my own childhood as I didn't read it
Read more

January 2022 A Box of Stories

 A Box of Stories is an amazing subscription service that is working to stop the destruction of over 77 million books per year. I've had this subscription for almost six months and it allows you to change the subscription rate so you can have it every month, every two months, three months or just skip a month or two if you are on a book buying ban. My January box has to be my favorite box so far, it contains one book that I have heard nothing but praise for and 3 new too me books that all sound fantastic. Book 1) Dial A For Aunties by Jesse Q.Sutanto When Meddelin Chan ends up accidentally killing her blind date, her meddlesome mother calls for her even more meddlesome aunties to help get rid of the body. Unfortunately, a dead body proves to be a lot more challenging to dispose of than one might anticipate, especially when it is inadvertently shipped in a cake cooler to the over-the-top billionaire wedding Meddy, her Ma, and aunties are working at an island resort on the California
Read more