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A review by silverfox1319
Devil of the Deep by Falencia Jean-Francois
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I want to thank Falencia Jean-Francois for sending me an ARC of her debut novel!
Overall I really like this story! It has a fun low-fantasy magic system, lots of effortlessly queer characters (including a compelling trans character), pirates, angry gods, and mermaids. The story follows three main POV characters, but also has other character POVs throughout the book. Nnenna is our pirate seeking revenge for wrongs done to her by the mysterious Fleet; Pearl is our young "damsel in distress" who is seeking truth and will eventually help save her people; Lu is a captain of the Fleet with a challenging relationship with his past and his present. The story has a found-family feel while also tackling issues of bigotry, religious zealotry, complicated personal history, and sacrifice for a cause. I really appreciate the how the queerness of the characters is organic, isn't the main focus of the story, but adds to the complexity of the characters and their world. The motivations of the characters are clear and you really understand the stakes.
I did struggle a little with the shortness of the POV chapters, especially of our main characters. The combination of short chapters and flashbacks made it a little tough for me to get attached to the characters and settle into their mindset. There are also several languages used in the story, which added a level of complexity that I feel could have been flushed out a little better with slightly longer chapters. Overall, I feel the length of the story was just about right, but I would have loved a little more time with each main POV character and a little more depth into their world and the rules associated with it.
I look forward to getting a finished hardcopy and seeing where the author takes the story in sequels!
Overall I really like this story! It has a fun low-fantasy magic system, lots of effortlessly queer characters (including a compelling trans character), pirates, angry gods, and mermaids. The story follows three main POV characters, but also has other character POVs throughout the book. Nnenna is our pirate seeking revenge for wrongs done to her by the mysterious Fleet; Pearl is our young "damsel in distress" who is seeking truth and will eventually help save her people; Lu is a captain of the Fleet with a challenging relationship with his past and his present. The story has a found-family feel while also tackling issues of bigotry, religious zealotry, complicated personal history, and sacrifice for a cause. I really appreciate the how the queerness of the characters is organic, isn't the main focus of the story, but adds to the complexity of the characters and their world. The motivations of the characters are clear and you really understand the stakes.
I did struggle a little with the shortness of the POV chapters, especially of our main characters. The combination of short chapters and flashbacks made it a little tough for me to get attached to the characters and settle into their mindset. There are also several languages used in the story, which added a level of complexity that I feel could have been flushed out a little better with slightly longer chapters. Overall, I feel the length of the story was just about right, but I would have loved a little more time with each main POV character and a little more depth into their world and the rules associated with it.
I look forward to getting a finished hardcopy and seeing where the author takes the story in sequels!