Skin of the Sea was a great book. So good I want to hand it out to friends as Christmas presents, Also that cliffhanger at the end was just plain cruel, so I can’t wait for 2022 when the second book arrives. I normally love a book where the main character is a mermaid but this book just took it to a whole new level.

Summary

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 goes against an ancient decree and does the unthinkable—she saves his life. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy the gods.
 
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 fails, she risks not only the fate of all Mami Wata, but also the world as she knows it.

Review

TW: Vivid descriptions of people on slave ships, injuries from slave ships. Vivid descriptions of someone being captured for the slave trade

Simi is a great heroine she’s willing to stand up to the Orisha Yemoja or goddess who turned her into a mermaid when it comes to the idea of sinking slave ships of saving Kola, the boy she found who was drowning but alive, she is fiercely loyal, to Yemoja and to Kola and his group of friends once she gets close to them, and she isn’t willing to stop until her mission is done even if she butts heads with Kola from time to time. Even though she’s a mermaid her humanity is a defining characteristic, she misses being human and it influences her choices.

I really love that she’s willing to make hard choices for her friends and the other Mami Wata even at her own expense. I also love the West African mythology and information about different rituals which I hope to hear more about in Book 2. It was very informative and made me want to read some of Bowen’s sources which she lists at the end of the book. Overall this was one of the best books I read this year. It was was well researched and beautifully written. More Simi and her friends as soon as possible please.

Amazon: Skin of the Sea