Fantasy

Skin of the Sea

Skin of the Sea

  • Downloads：9762
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-11-04 07:19:20
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Natasha Bowen
  • ISBN：0593120949
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Summary

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 all is not as it seems。 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。

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Reviews

TINA ，

（ARC read） Ok so it took me a while to get to this book and while I don't normally read mermaid books， this one was decent。 I enjoyed the little mermaid hits and while I sometimes enjoy insta-love， this wasn't one of those times。 I would have loved to see more of a trial between the mains。 But overall 4⭐ （ARC read） Ok so it took me a while to get to this book and while I don't normally read mermaid books， this one was decent。 I enjoyed the little mermaid hits and while I sometimes enjoy insta-love， this wasn't one of those times。 I would have loved to see more of a trial between the mains。 But overall 4⭐ 。。。more

Lucy I。 ，

I would like to start this review by saying， this was a good book， so even though I critique it， it was a beautiful story and an amazing concept。 First of all， the authors' descriptive language is both beautiful and。。。。。。。slightly annoying。 She writes purple paragraphs， especially in the beginning。 It's nice， but a lot of the time I was thinking， GET ON WITH IT I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT。 As a result of this， the story feels very drawn out， then once they get to Esu's island it feels very I would like to start this review by saying， this was a good book， so even though I critique it， it was a beautiful story and an amazing concept。 First of all， the authors' descriptive language is both beautiful and。。。。。。。slightly annoying。 She writes purple paragraphs， especially in the beginning。 It's nice， but a lot of the time I was thinking， GET ON WITH IT I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT。 As a result of this， the story feels very drawn out， then once they get to Esu's island it feels very rushed。 Finally， I think the addition of the character Olokun gave the ending a very bittersweet but cool ending。 。。。more

OutlawPoet ，

Okay， anyone who knows me knows I don't do a lot of mermaid books。 They aren't me。 However， this was billed as The Little Mermaid with West African influence and I was curious。The book had a bit of a slow start for me。 I just can't with insta-love and I'll be honest and tell you that our handsome boy never really rose above just a pretty boy for me。However， I adored the African influences and， yes， kind of got a kick out of our Little Mermaid references。 In addition， the author made me tear up w Okay， anyone who knows me knows I don't do a lot of mermaid books。 They aren't me。 However， this was billed as The Little Mermaid with West African influence and I was curious。The book had a bit of a slow start for me。 I just can't with insta-love and I'll be honest and tell you that our handsome boy never really rose above just a pretty boy for me。However， I adored the African influences and， yes， kind of got a kick out of our Little Mermaid references。 In addition， the author made me tear up with one character。It ended up being a good book and I'm glad I got the chance to read it。 Would definitely love to see more takes on the old stories with a non-Western influence！*ARC via Publisher 。。。more

Lianne ，

I love fairy tales。  So when I saw that a new book was coming out that featured African mermaids， I was like "YES！"， something new and cool to read。  This book brought al of that and more。 Skin of the Sea is a gripping， beautiful， magical book。  Bowen recreates the story of the little mermaid using African， primarily Yoruba （West African） mythology， and historical fact。  This the story of Simidele， a Mami Wata （mermaid） who is having trouble letting go of her mortal life， even to the extent of e I love fairy tales。  So when I saw that a new book was coming out that featured African mermaids， I was like "YES！"， something new and cool to read。  This book brought al of that and more。 Skin of the Sea is a gripping， beautiful， magical book。  Bowen recreates the story of the little mermaid using African， primarily Yoruba （West African） mythology， and historical fact。  This the story of Simidele， a Mami Wata （mermaid） who is having trouble letting go of her mortal life， even to the extent of endangering her own existence。 You see， Simi saved a young human male， Kola，  that had been thrown overboard a slave ship。 Spurred on by her own memories of being a slave on a similar ship， Simi cannot let the human die from drowning and thus saves his life。 But， breaking the biggest taboo of her kind has consequences。 She must now complete a quest in order to make amends for her transgression。  Joined by Kola， Simi sets off on an adventure that will change who she is and help her discover her place in  the world。Even though this story could easily be classified as a retelling of The Little Mermaid （not the Disney version）， there is nothing derivative about this tale。  Bowen cleverly uses Yoruban mythology as the framework for her story。 We are introduced to the Mami Wata's， the Orishas （elemental gods） and Olodumare， the Supreme Creator。 The West African mythological framework is amazing。  It injects freshness into a tale that has been retold hundreds of time。  By also setting the story during the Atlantic Slave Trade period， Bowen is able to weave the history of the West African slave trade into her story in  a thoughtful and natural way。  The characters are so real and vibrant， especially Simi。 You felt her grief at the loss of her family， friends and mortal life。  But you also feel her sense of freedom and belonging that she has when under the sea。  The only minor nitpick I have is the budding romance between Simi and Kola。  It felt intrusive at times and slightly distracting from the main story arc。 Other than that， the book was excellent。I really hope that Skin of the Sea is just the first in many more books from Bowen that continue to explore this amazing world she has created。  Run， do not walk， run to the bookstore or Amazon and get this book。 You will not be sorry。 。。。more

ale ♡︎ ，

oK， BUT HEAR ME OUT。 THIS BEAUTIFUL COVER AND THE SYNOPSIS？ I NEED IT RIGHT NOW。 I MUST READ IT INMEDIATELY！！！！

Celia McMahon ，

RTC

Cabria ShaNae ，

I received an e-arc of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 I would like to start off with how excited I was for this opportunity。 I was so excited for this book。 Black mermaids？ Say less。 And it did not disappoint。 This book was extremely fast paced， but it was not hard to follow at all。 Despite being tossed into the middle of the story， it was relatively easily to catch up and stay aware of the world and what is going on。 Within just a few pages， I was hooked。 I did not w I received an e-arc of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 I would like to start off with how excited I was for this opportunity。 I was so excited for this book。 Black mermaids？ Say less。 And it did not disappoint。 This book was extremely fast paced， but it was not hard to follow at all。 Despite being tossed into the middle of the story， it was relatively easily to catch up and stay aware of the world and what is going on。 Within just a few pages， I was hooked。 I did not want to put the book down， and I couldn't wait for each new page。 The world was fantastic， the writing was immersive， and the characters were handled so amazingly。 Simi is such a great main character。 She has so much personality， and she is so feisty and courageous。 She is the kind of heroine I want to see so much more of in fiction， and especially fantasy。 And I absolutely cannot wait to see more of her in the sequel。 The only problem I had with this story is the romance。 I very much appreciate that the romance did not overshadow or become center focus to the plot， which happens too often in fantasy。 However， the romance didn't really hit in the way I wish it had。 It didn't feel that believable， and while I understand that this is part A Little Mermaid inspired， the romance still felt entirely too rushed。 While I'm glad it didn't become the primary focus of the plot， I do feel like more time needed to be focused on it to make it feel more authentic。 I am hoping the sequel will go more into it。 Aside from the romance， this book was everything I could've hoped it to be。 I am so grateful to have a story like this， and I am so hopeful for the sequel。 。。。more

Ekene Thankgod ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Wise book for wise men

Genesis E。 Coppenbarger ，

I grew up obsessed with the little mermaid， but was never able to see myself in the character or the story。 Skin of the Sea allowed for me so truly see myself as Simmi， not only did I feel represented physically， but also part of my heritage was represented。 Natasha， THANK YOU！ Representation matters！ This was truly magical， world building was excellent， I was truly transported into this world。 Thank you NetGalley & Natasha for my advance readers copy。 5/5 Skin of The Sea deserves all of the sta I grew up obsessed with the little mermaid， but was never able to see myself in the character or the story。 Skin of the Sea allowed for me so truly see myself as Simmi， not only did I feel represented physically， but also part of my heritage was represented。 Natasha， THANK YOU！ Representation matters！ This was truly magical， world building was excellent， I was truly transported into this world。 Thank you NetGalley & Natasha for my advance readers copy。 5/5 Skin of The Sea deserves all of the stars！ 。。。more

Nerdy Werewolf ，

I couldn't。。。。I just couldn't do it。 I really wanted to， too。 A Little Mermaid retelling based on African mythology？？ It's just。。。。right up my alley。I read books as generally escapist fiction and I found it hard to suffer with the heroine。 A lot of times， your hero or heroine will suffer within a story and you grit your teeth and bear through it because you know there will be a payoff if we can only survive！Her pain comes in flashbacks， though。 Really real， really visceral flashbacks。 Every time I couldn't。。。。I just couldn't do it。 I really wanted to， too。 A Little Mermaid retelling based on African mythology？？ It's just。。。。right up my alley。I read books as generally escapist fiction and I found it hard to suffer with the heroine。 A lot of times， your hero or heroine will suffer within a story and you grit your teeth and bear through it because you know there will be a payoff if we can only survive！Her pain comes in flashbacks， though。 Really real， really visceral flashbacks。 Every time I was swept along in these， it would jar me out of the book and just make me really， really sad。The writing is great and the fairytale is coming along nicely。 I'm sure this will hit for lots of people， so if it sounds good， check it out！ 。。。more

Inkslinger ，

ARC provided by Random House Books for Children and Natasha Bowen via TBR & Beyond Tours。 All opinions are mine and freely given。Blog | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Facebook | BookBub11-02: 'Skin of the Sea' by Natasha Bowen is one of those books I was obsessed with reading from the moment I saw it announced。 The cover is beautiful， the topic is a favorite of mine， and it boasts inspiration from West African mythology。 From a technical side， everything is where it should be。 Major plot points， ARC provided by Random House Books for Children and Natasha Bowen via TBR & Beyond Tours。 All opinions are mine and freely given。Blog | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Facebook | BookBub11-02: 'Skin of the Sea' by Natasha Bowen is one of those books I was obsessed with reading from the moment I saw it announced。 The cover is beautiful， the topic is a favorite of mine， and it boasts inspiration from West African mythology。 From a technical side， everything is where it should be。 Major plot points， reveals， and dramatic moments are spread along at a solid pace。 Simi is kind and likable。 She tries hard to do the right thing and has a lot of potential to be a deeply interesting character， as does Kola and the small found family he's surrounded himself with。 The gods we get to see her interact with， have intriguing origins and I would have loved to see a bit more of them in particular。 In fact， I feel that's the book's biggest strength。。 great elements。。 be they mythological， magical， or otherwise。 What each of these things really lack is depth。 There's so much room to develop them for the reader and that never really happens。 The author attempts it here and there， but ultimately those forays are a handful of pages buried within many more that feel unnecessarily long。 It's definitely a quick read， as I made my way through it in about 3 hours。。 but I feel in part this is due to the book being largely filled with fluff。 Little things like using the characters names seemingly every sentence or two at times， the drawn out semi-formal sentence structure more likely to be found in high school essays than novels， and scenes that are a bit of a waste dragging through multiple pages as characters engage in repetitive conversations or too much focus is put on peripheral events like the traveling or meals， rather than using those moments to really build connections。As debut's go， this one is decent。 Bowen has the pieces， she just needs the experience using them to build a robust story。。 and I do think she could have a bright future in the genre of her choice if she shifts her attention to the meatier parts。PURCHASE LINKS: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BLACKWELL'S | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSAMILLION | BOOKSHOP。ORG | DYMOCKS | GOOGLEPLAY BOOKS | INDIEBOUND | INDIGO | KOBO | WATERSTONES 。。。more

Brinley ，

DNF at 29% I really thought I'd love this one。 Like， really， really thought I would。 But instead， it just ended up being a disappointment。 From the first chapter， I was lost， and it only got worse from there。 By the 20% mark， reading was a chore， and not even partly enjoyable。 I can't tell you exactly why， I just know that me and this book didn't click。 Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review DNF at 29% I really thought I'd love this one。 Like， really， really thought I would。 But instead， it just ended up being a disappointment。 From the first chapter， I was lost， and it only got worse from there。 By the 20% mark， reading was a chore， and not even partly enjoyable。 I can't tell you exactly why， I just know that me and this book didn't click。 Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review 。。。more

Paola ，

What the hell was that ending？！ Why did I get so emotionally attached to these characters *sobs*

Book Adventures with Katie ，

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Books for Young Readers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 Skin of the Sea is a debut fantasy pitched as Children of Blood and Bone meets The Little Mermaid。 Natasha Bowen gives us a beautifully crafted， atmospheric novel set by， and also in， the sea mixed with intricate West African mythology。 Be aware that this book deals with tough topics like the Early Atlantic Slave trade and it is important to note that at the end of the book you can find a Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Books for Young Readers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 Skin of the Sea is a debut fantasy pitched as Children of Blood and Bone meets The Little Mermaid。 Natasha Bowen gives us a beautifully crafted， atmospheric novel set by， and also in， the sea mixed with intricate West African mythology。 Be aware that this book deals with tough topics like the Early Atlantic Slave trade and it is important to note that at the end of the book you can find a list of sources to become more educated on the topic。 We also get a dash of romance， great friendships， and various familial bonds that added depth to the story。 Aside from the fantastic world-building， I also really enjoyed the pacing throughout the entire book。 From the very beginning， we learn of the high stakes and the brutally intense quest our character must go on that can have heartbreaking consequences。 I really enjoyed all of the characters we meet in Skin of the Sea and I feel like they all served their purpose really well but I wish I could have connected to them a bit more。I can easily see why this is pitched as a book with elements of Children of Blood and Bone。 Both books have rich， magical mythology inspired by West African culture and history， brutally intense action scenes that break your heart， and a well-loved cast of characters。 I also feel like the comparison to the Little Mermaid is obvious based on the mythology surrounding Simidele and what she is。There were some huge plot twists at the end of the book and even though I saw one of them coming， I feel like they were still very well-executed。 The book ends very abruptly as I thought there was at least one more chapter but I think it's great that it left me wanting more。 It was also set up perfectly for a sequel to Skin of the Sea; I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a series or not but the potential is there and I would definitely read it。 。。。more

Elizabeth ，

Many thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC。 In Skin of the Sea， Bowen takes “The Little Mermaid” and weaves it together with West African folklore to create this stunning tale of Simidele， a Mami Wata tasked with collecting the souls of those who die at sea。 And with the transatlantic slave trade beginning and slave ships sailing through， there are many of these souls。 But when she comes across a boy thrown into the sea alive， Simi saves him rather than waiting for him to die。 I was m Many thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC。 In Skin of the Sea， Bowen takes “The Little Mermaid” and weaves it together with West African folklore to create this stunning tale of Simidele， a Mami Wata tasked with collecting the souls of those who die at sea。 And with the transatlantic slave trade beginning and slave ships sailing through， there are many of these souls。 But when she comes across a boy thrown into the sea alive， Simi saves him rather than waiting for him to die。 I was mostly unfamiliar with West African folklore and had so much fun learning about it through this book。 I was also thoroughly impressed with the ways Bowen blends this folklore with the fairy tale。 I always love seeing diversity in fairy tale retellings， so seeing an African “Little Mermaid” was fantastic。While the star of the book is definitely the folklore and culture， Simi is also a wonderful main character and narrator。 She has only recently become a Mami Wata， and she struggles with letting go of her mortal life even though the memories are hazy。 As the story moves forward， she remembers more and more until we have a full picture of Simi’s history and how she came to be a Mami Wata。 I think Bowen handled this well， with both the memory snippets we get and and the slow reveal。 Even though I guessed parts of Simi’s mortal life early on， it didn’t make it any less heartbreaking。 Bowen does a great job capturing the grief and loss Simi feels despite being unable to remember much。The book is fairy fast paced and takes place over a short span of time。 While this does work for an adventure story， it results in the relationships between characters feeling rushed。 This is most notable with Simi and Kola， the boy she rescues。 Of course， this is a retelling of “The Little Mermaid，” so it’s expected that the mermaid falls in love with the human she saves。 But it didn’t feel like there was enough time for Simi and Kola to really fall in love， especially with all the action that occurs。 However， I did like how other aspects of their love story were handled （I’m not going to say what because spoilers）， so I can’t complain too much。 There are other moments where characters’ feelings seem to come and pass quickly without being properly dealt with。 This is mainly the case with Issa， a young yumboe–or fairy–who helps Simi and Kola。 There is one moment when Simi gets angry at him and another where Kola purposely lashes out in a misguided attempt to protect him。 They both seemed to come out of nowhere， and the characters move on from them as if nothing happened。 But this is ultimately a small flaw in an otherwise excellent book。Overall， Skin of the Sea is a fantasy story rich with West African history and culture。 It’s an absolute pleasure to read， and I highly recommend it！ 。。。more

Sherwood Smith ，

I was given a copy of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales when I turned seven。 Books were rare around my house and I read everything I could get my hands on。 Including this gift， though toward the end I started dreading each new tale， as even at seven I could see that little girls just did not come to good ends in Andersen's tales。That put me off fairy tales for years。 （I loved fantasy， a different animal。） Anyway， when scrolling for books， I saw "The Little Mermaid" and nearly passed on by， b I was given a copy of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales when I turned seven。 Books were rare around my house and I read everything I could get my hands on。 Including this gift， though toward the end I started dreading each new tale， as even at seven I could see that little girls just did not come to good ends in Andersen's tales。That put me off fairy tales for years。 （I loved fantasy， a different animal。） Anyway， when scrolling for books， I saw "The Little Mermaid" and nearly passed on by， but screeched to a halt when I saw "West African Mythology"。 I fell in love with Senegalese music decades ago， which caused me to delve into the mythology， which is complex and vivid and wild and wonderful。So I plumped for this book， and I'm so glad I did。 First of all， there's that cover。 It shimmers with that breathtaking sense that good fantasy gives you--that anything can happen， and the book itself matches that beautifully。 I would say that some of the bones of the story are familiar YA tropes， but that is not a bad thing， just a thing。 Further， actual young adults reading this book （and I hope they do！） might not recognize where the story is going， even if I did。 （Sometimes you know a twist is coming and you look forward to it happening。 This was true here。）Simi， our mermaid， is a terrific central character， strong and compassionate。 Compementing her is Kola， wild and fiery， but his arc is satisfying as experience plunges them deep into danger and mystery。The writing is rich， assured， full of resonance with the brilliant mythology of the region， deftly dealing with some pretty rough stuff， slavery being at the top of the list。 This book is definitely for the more mature teen， or younger readers who are ready to deal with less savory parts of human history。I really hope this book will reach school libraries--back when I was teaching I would have made sure to get a copy for my free reading shelf。Copy provided by NetGalley 。。。more

Eileen ，

4。5 starsThis was a wonderful retelling of The Little Mermaid but with a very different feel。 I absolutely love how the author took the original story and made it completely her own， and incorporated so much from African mythology， turning it into a completely different story and one that had me transported to a completely different world。 Simidele is one of the Mami Wata （mermaid） created by the goddess Yemoja during the time of the slave trades to help ease the souls of the slaves thrown out o 4。5 starsThis was a wonderful retelling of The Little Mermaid but with a very different feel。 I absolutely love how the author took the original story and made it completely her own， and incorporated so much from African mythology， turning it into a completely different story and one that had me transported to a completely different world。 Simidele is one of the Mami Wata （mermaid） created by the goddess Yemoja during the time of the slave trades to help ease the souls of the slaves thrown out of the ships during the long voyages on to the Supreme Creator。 She makes a mistake and instead of helping a soul transition on， she saves the boy and thus begins her journey to make up for the mistake。 There is so much more to this story， but it results in a journey for a small group of them （a quest， a quest） and while much of that may not have been unique to books of this kind， it was the richness of the African mythology and the people that made this book so fascinating for me。 I've been reading a lot of retellings recently and this was definitely one of the better ones。 It was the perfect length and did a great job of incorporating some essential elements of the original fairytale but creating a different story out of it。 There was one crucial part of the story that I predicted but I won't say more than that because I don't want to spoil it。 But this was definitely a worthwhile read。There were only a couple of things I thought could have been done differently。 First， there was the attraction that Simidele and Kola very obviously felt for each other， even from the beginning。 It seemed a little fast and while I get that she saved his life， it still seemed a bit too "Disney" for my taste。 The other thing was the ending seemed a little abrupt。 It WAS an ending， so it didn't leave us completely hanging。 But given the attraction that Simidele and Kola obviously had for each other （but which they couldn't act upon because then she would become like the foam on the sea）， it left things feeling a little unsettled。 What I am hoping is that this means there will be a second book。 But I can't tell from her website or GoodReads whether this is meant to be part of a 2 or 3-book series。 Anyway， these are the reasons why I'm not giving it a full five stars， although I am willing to round up。 Overall， I'd say this was a very good debut for a new author and I wish her the best in future books， especially if one of them will be a second installment for this book。I received an advance review copy from NetGalley for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。 。。。more

Pine Reads Review ，

“But you are not a girl anymore… You are more than that。 We are more than that。 Gathering souls to bless is what we were created to do。”Simi serves the Gods as a Mami Wata， a mermaid whose duty is to collect the souls of those who lose their lives to the ocean and guide them to the Supreme Creator。 She is to do nothing more and nothing less。 When she accidentally saves a living boy， Kola， she breaks an age-old oath that threatens the safety of the Gods and herself。 But Kola is hiding something f “But you are not a girl anymore… You are more than that。 We are more than that。 Gathering souls to bless is what we were created to do。”Simi serves the Gods as a Mami Wata， a mermaid whose duty is to collect the souls of those who lose their lives to the ocean and guide them to the Supreme Creator。 She is to do nothing more and nothing less。 When she accidentally saves a living boy， Kola， she breaks an age-old oath that threatens the safety of the Gods and herself。 But Kola is hiding something from her， and there is more amiss than meets the eye。 To obtain the objects she needs to restore balance， Simi must brave angry Gods and a world seemingly bent on stopping her。 As Simi journeys closer to the truth of it all， she realizes much more is at stake than simply the fate of her people—so is the future of the world。To say the least， Natasha Bowen has completely blown me away with her debut。 Beautifully written， Skin of the Sea is a captivating story of honor and duty to one’s role and those around them。 Simi is a wonderful main character; her commitment to her duties as a Mami Wata is so admirable。 She weighs what she is instructed to do versus what she feels morally called to do。 Simi is compassionate， courageous， and incredibly smart。 I absolutely adored the larger cast of characters as well。 Kola， Yinka， Bem， and Issa are marvelously complex and interesting， and they all challenge each other to change and grow throughout the course of the novel。 I also enjoyed the sparks between Simi and Kola—specifically how the romance felt so natural and did not overwhelm the plot。 It was also incredible to see a cast that is celebrated and uplifted for their African features and heritage。 It is high time the world had a strong， Black mermaid！ Overall， Skin of the Sea is an incredible tale of Black Girl Magic and the sacrifices required to ensure a better world。 I can only hope for a sequel so I get to see more of Simi and this amazing story！（Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication。）Follow us on Instagram， Twitter， and Facebook @pinereadsreview and check out our website at www。pinereadsreview。com for reviews， author interviews， blogs， podcast episodes， and more！ 。。。more

Ashley ，

Skin of the Sea is a little mermaid inspired story intertwined with West African deities and mythology。 As a Black woman who grew up loving the little mermaid， when I heard about this book I was excited to get it and will still buy it once it's out in the world。 Skin of the Sea gets a very solid 4 stars from me。 Our main character is Simidele， a Mami Wata （mermaid） created by the goddess Yemoja。 A Mami Wata is created by Yemoja when one of her people is dying in the sea。 She saves them， turns th Skin of the Sea is a little mermaid inspired story intertwined with West African deities and mythology。 As a Black woman who grew up loving the little mermaid， when I heard about this book I was excited to get it and will still buy it once it's out in the world。 Skin of the Sea gets a very solid 4 stars from me。 Our main character is Simidele， a Mami Wata （mermaid） created by the goddess Yemoja。 A Mami Wata is created by Yemoja when one of her people is dying in the sea。 She saves them， turns them into mermaids and gives them a responsibility: to ease the passing of the souls lost to the people kidnapping， buying， and then skilling West Africans。 Simidele trails the ships and when a person is thrown overboard， she goes to them， eases their soul and stores it in the gem that hangs around her neck until she can get to Yemoja's island。 There she sets the soul free with a prayer。 When Simidele is on land， she has legs and in the water， a gorgeous tail。 On land， she has snippets of memories from her life as a human but they're faded and in the sea， they aren't there at all。 She is one of only a handful of Mami Wata who find enslaved people in the ocean and ease their passing。 That was a lot to read。 It was painful to think of my ancestors， those thrown over and those who jumped rather than be enslaved and tortured。 As the book goes on， Simidele is following a boat and a body is thrown overboard。 She goes to it， swilling through blood， telling sharks to back away and she catches the body of a boy。 He's not dead。 And she can't let him die， not when he's still got some life in him。 So she takes him to Yemoja's island， heals him and in doing so breaks a covenant between Yemoja and Olodumare， the Supreme God。 The boy she saved is Kola and he is desperate to get back to his home。 He won't sat why and in his first interactions with Simidele he is a bit aggressive。 Enough to leave a bruise around her wrist。 He's traumatized， wounded， half drowned and frantic to get back home。 Yemoja tells Simidele what she will need to do in order to make the mistake right。 She needs to get two rings and summon Olodumare so she can beg his forgiveness。 As far as the characters go， they were all really intersting and well fleshed。 Some were a little weaker than others but they were side characters and by virtue they tend to be weaker on the page because of that。 I will say that as the book went on the pacing was great， it never felt like it was lagging or going to fast until the end。 I almost got the feeling the author was in a rush to end it？ It wasn't paced as well as the rest of the book。 Then there's the big twist。 I saw it coming but still enjoyed it。 It sort of made me feel smart and who doesn't love that？ But on the other hand， it was a little， not obvious but I could really see it。 I was a bit dissatisfied with the very end of the book。 Like the last 5 or so pages。 Because it was so， so， incredibly rushed。 Then the story was over and I was starting at it like。。。can I have a few more pages please？ Maybe it's set up for a sequel， I'd love to see one。 Seeing so much African Mythology was amazing。 Hopefully it'll get some Black kids interested in learning about their heritage。 And maybe instill understanding in other readers。 I'll be getting my younger sibling copy of this book 4 stars。 I received this for free in exchange for an honest review。 Thanks to Netgalley， the publisher， and Natasha Bowen for writing it。 。。。more

Holly Hughes ，

Thank you to Penguin Teen Canada and Literary Bound Tours for providing me with both an eARC and early finished copy in exchange for my honest review。Skin of the Sea offered such an incredibly immersive world， with prose to match！ Full review shall be shared tomorrow。

Tales Untangled ，

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion。I love to read stories from new authors to see the world they've created。 I was also a little nervous about Skin of the Sea because it takes place when Africans were being stolen from their countries。 I thought the author did a great job of showing the terror of the situation without going into too much detail， appropriate for a YA audience。Simi has one job to do - and yet， she can't seem to do it。 Return the souls to the goddess I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion。I love to read stories from new authors to see the world they've created。 I was also a little nervous about Skin of the Sea because it takes place when Africans were being stolen from their countries。 I thought the author did a great job of showing the terror of the situation without going into too much detail， appropriate for a YA audience。Simi has one job to do - and yet， she can't seem to do it。 Return the souls to the goddess for her blessing。 When a boy about her age is underwater， she discovers he's alive and rescues him instead of allowing him to drown。 Admirable， right？ But there's a problem - she broke a rule and now must face the supreme god。 The problem is she and all the other mermaids， the Mami Wata， will die if she fails。While on land， Simi remembers more of her life before becoming a Mami Wata - and her memories hamper her in her task。 I love how the past connects to what is happening at the time in the main story， giving us more depth into Simi's character。 She's conflicted about wanting to remember and not remember her past。 And as the story progresses， the tension rises as she must stay away from loving humans。 Especially when one particular boy is so loveable。I ended up loving this book！ The mythology， cloth patterns， characters， and history were all riveting。 I think anyone wanting a new take on mermaids will love this book in addition to anyone who wants to learn more about West Africa。 It's a beautiful tale and well told。 Keep your eyes open for the next Natasha Bowen book！I recommend this book！ 。。。more

Alicia ，

This is certainly one that everyone want to read from the cover art， to the premise， to the descriptions and deeply-felt emotional side of the story that connects West African myth with some adventure， a character at a crossroads， and an epic journey （with Black mermaids！） The epic fantasy is not always my forte this one had the creativity and lyricism to draw a reader in。 Plus has all of the hallmarks of engaging storytelling。

Beth Cato ，

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley。Skin of the Sea is a cozy YA fantasy read。 The plot is quite predictable， even through the climax， but that's okay because the writing is immersive and the inspired take on West African mythology is fantastic。The book follows Simi， a recently-made Mami Wata--essentially， a mermaid。 Her duty is to retrieve the souls of the dead being thrown from slave ships， and to make sure those souls know peace。 This threat of these white invaders and kidna I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley。Skin of the Sea is a cozy YA fantasy read。 The plot is quite predictable， even through the climax， but that's okay because the writing is immersive and the inspired take on West African mythology is fantastic。The book follows Simi， a recently-made Mami Wata--essentially， a mermaid。 Her duty is to retrieve the souls of the dead being thrown from slave ships， and to make sure those souls know peace。 This threat of these white invaders and kidnappers lurks in the background of this book， but is not central to the narrative: it focuses on the people of this secondary-world take on Africa， and on their culture， magic， and gods。 When Simi saves a boy's life instead of his soul， she soon finds herself embroiled in divine complications。 She and the boy， Kola， end up going on a quest to set things right。。。 and of course， fall in love along the way， which is expressly forbidden as she is not even human anymore。Mermaids are a frequent trope of fantasy fiction， and I really enjoyed this fresh take。 Simi goes through a lot。 She can use legs again when she's on land， but not for long; she's disabled， and struggles， and it's good to see that acknowledged and worked through。 The very end is a cliffhanger， so I hope another book comes out soon！ 。。。more

Steph ，

This book is as good as it’s cover。 I loved how the West African cultural influences were intertwined with the retelling of The Little Mermaid。 The way Simi’s journey was layered with glimpses into the slave trade was so powerful。 The world building was intricate but not confusing and the writing was beautiful。 I really enjoyed this book。

Staci McIntyre ，

Skin of the Sea is a West African spin on the tale of The Little Mermaid。 The main character， Simidele， was once human now turned Mami Wata， mermaids who gather the souls of the dead at sea and bless their journey home。 One day she ends up saving the life of Kota breaking an unknown decree。 To fix her mistake Kota and Simi take a journey to find the one man who could forgive her unknown mistake。 The world that was built is absolutely breathtaking。 You get rich detail of not just the scenery but Skin of the Sea is a West African spin on the tale of The Little Mermaid。 The main character， Simidele， was once human now turned Mami Wata， mermaids who gather the souls of the dead at sea and bless their journey home。 One day she ends up saving the life of Kota breaking an unknown decree。 To fix her mistake Kota and Simi take a journey to find the one man who could forgive her unknown mistake。 The world that was built is absolutely breathtaking。 You get rich detail of not just the scenery but of the magical beings they encounter in their journey。 Loved that there was just imaginative written creativity and the diversity of characters。 However we really don’t get much of our main characters beyond the surface level。 Even their hardships are glazed over。 The timing was sometimes slow but overall nice。 The ending however was like EXCUSE ME！ Surprising and definitely disappointing。 Probably a 3。5 overall but I rounded up because I absolutely loved the world she created。 Truly a wonderful book that needed to be written！ Happy little girls will finally have the diverse representation in these fairytales that have been lacking。 Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy of this book。 Staci McIntyre 。。。more

Lit Shit Podcast ，

Skin of the Sea is a West African spin on the tale of The Little Mermaid。 The main character， Simidele， was once human now turned Mami Wata， mermaids who gather the souls of the dead at sea and bless their journey home。 One day she ends up saving the life of Kota breaking an unknown decree。 To fix her mistake Kota and Simi take a journey to find the one man who could forgive her unknown mistake。 The world that was built is absolutely breathtaking。 You get rich detail of not just the scenery but Skin of the Sea is a West African spin on the tale of The Little Mermaid。 The main character， Simidele， was once human now turned Mami Wata， mermaids who gather the souls of the dead at sea and bless their journey home。 One day she ends up saving the life of Kota breaking an unknown decree。 To fix her mistake Kota and Simi take a journey to find the one man who could forgive her unknown mistake。 The world that was built is absolutely breathtaking。 You get rich detail of not just the scenery but of the magical beings they encounter in their journey。 Loved that there was just imaginative written creativity and the diversity of characters。 However we really don’t get much of our main characters beyond the surface level。 Even their hardships are glazed over。 The timing was sometimes slow but overall nice。 The ending however was like EXCUSE ME！ Surprising and definitely disappointing。 Probably a 3。5 overall but I rounded up because I absolutely loved the world she created。 Truly a wonderful book that needed to be written！ Happy little girls will finally have the diverse representation in these fairytales that have been lacking。 Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy of this book。 Staci McIntyre 。。。more

Raji ，

Find this review and more on my blog at Worlds Unlike Our Own。3。5 starsThank you to the publisher， Penguin Random House Canada， and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。Simidele is one of the Mami Wata， mermaids tasked with collecting the souls of people who die at sea and brings them to Yemoja to be blessed for their journey onwards。 However， Simi has been a mermaid for only a few months and flashes of memories from her human life still haunt Find this review and more on my blog at Worlds Unlike Our Own。3。5 starsThank you to the publisher， Penguin Random House Canada， and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。Simidele is one of the Mami Wata， mermaids tasked with collecting the souls of people who die at sea and brings them to Yemoja to be blessed for their journey onwards。 However， Simi has been a mermaid for only a few months and flashes of memories from her human life still haunt her， making her unable to fully embrace this new life。 When she one day comes across a living boy thrown overboard， she intervenes and saves his life， breaking an ancient rule。 Now Yemoja and the other Mami Wata are in danger because of her actions and the only way to make things right is to seek forgiveness from the Supreme Creator Oludumare。 Simi and Kola， the boy she rescued， set out on the long journey， but more is at stake than they realize and there is something out there that is determined to make sure she does not succeed。The gorgeous cover is admitted a large part of why I picked up this book， but the intriguing take on one of my least favorite fairytales was a close second。 Skin of the Sea was a retelling of The Little Mermaid with Western African influences， and it made for such a fascinating tale。 The world building was beautifully done， and though too much time wasn’t spent on it， it was easy to grasp， transporting the reader into the setting。 The narration was descriptive and it was so much fun following Simi and Kola’s journey。 There was also a lot of African mythology mixed in， which， though I know very little of， I really liked reading about， and it was all of this put together that for me， makes this book stand out as more than just another retelling。I loved the cast of characters in this book。 Simidele was a wonderful protagonist， definitely no Ariel， as she starts the book a fully developed character with a firm code of morals further emphasized by what she can remember of her past。 Kola was and the others were just as interesting and they all felt like well fleshed out characters and were easy to connect to despite not having POVs。 The villain was more straightforward than I expected， and I predicted that twist well before the reveal， but it certainly didn’t reduce the excitement of the climax scene！The only thing I didn’t like was the romance as it built up way too fast for my taste， and seeing how most of the focus was on the plot， it didn’t really get enough page time to be believable。 The ending was far too abrupt， especially if this is meant to be a standalone。 I liked the ending itself， but another chapter or two to ease into it would not have been amiss。 All the major plot points were resolved， but there is potential for Simi’s story to go on， and I’d love to see what might happen in that case。 Overall， this was an amazing debut， fast paced and easy to read， and I would definitely recommend it if you like retellings with a unique twist。 。。。more

Susan Metallo ，

After saving a living boy from the sea， a mermaid must go on a quest to face the trickster god in order to save her kind。I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from the publisher in order to write this review。This book has a classic structure （magical heroine goes on a quest with the boy she secretly loves to defeat a powerful villain） and yet it feels fresh and exciting。 Not only does it draw from the wealth of underrepresented West African folklore， but the incorporation of the real an After saving a living boy from the sea， a mermaid must go on a quest to face the trickster god in order to save her kind。I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from the publisher in order to write this review。This book has a classic structure （magical heroine goes on a quest with the boy she secretly loves to defeat a powerful villain） and yet it feels fresh and exciting。 Not only does it draw from the wealth of underrepresented West African folklore， but the incorporation of the real and terrible history of the enslavement of African people gives the novel a grounded quality you might not expect from a story of mermaids and gods。 Bowen consciously weaves in West African culture， including mathematics， art， and gender politics， ensuring that her characters and the unnamed people on the slavers' vessels are defined by their own rich and diverse identities， not by slavery。 This excellent book is a must-read for YA Fantasy fans and an excellent addition to any public library or high school collection。 。。。more

Hannah smith ，

Wasn’t really my type of book

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Skin of the Sea

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Skin of the Sea&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Skin of the Sea&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0