A review by armontheroad
In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens

adventurous emotional tense fast-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

IN DEEPER WATERS was lots of fun! I loved all of the political threads, the family dynamics, the magic, and the romance! The relationship between Tal and Athlen was very adorable and had me, literally, punching the air and screaming. I love the discussions on betrayal and healing from your past trauma. The only thing that negatively stuck out to me was Shay. I adored Shay’s character so much! She was a badass who I loved to watch. However, it rubbed me the wrong way that Shay (a brown girl) is sworn to follow the royal families orders no matter what. In a *very* white fantasy world, it was odd that the recurring brown girl was there to protect and help the white royals no matter what. If you are another reviewer of color who has read this book, I would love to hear your thoughts on Shay’s character! Overall, I really liked this book. It was lots of fun, whilst still managing to handle darker themes well. Loads of action! If you’re looking for an Achillean Little Mermaid retelling, this has to be on your list!!

CWs/TWs: kidnapping, torture (moderate), blood (minor), vomit (minor), death (minor), medical content (minor).

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