The Deep

 The Deep by Rivers Solomon, 166 pages.

This novella, based on a song of the same name, follows a society living far below the waves, made up of the descendants of pregnant women thrown off of slave ships. The Wajinru are a people who live in the moment, free of their own traumatic origins; all save the historian, who holds the memory of their whole people. The current historian, Yetu, is being destroyed by the weight of the memories, and her desperation will cause a reckoning for her whole people. 

The audiobook for this book is read by Daveed Diggs, who is also part of the group that wrote the song it is based on, which was itself inspired by earlier work by a group called Drexciya. I believe it is this collaborative history that helps lend quite a lot of depth and complexity to a fairly short book. The plot is sometimes a little difficult to follow (which may have been made worse for me by the audiobook format), but the ideas are compelling enough to make it definitely worthwhile nonetheless. 

As an aside, this was the first time I had heard Daveed Diggs' voice since I was very into the musical Hamilton many years ago, which was a slightly uncanny experience. 

Into the Drowning Deep

 Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant, 562 pages.

Seven years ago, Victoria Stewart's sister sailed off to film a mocumentary about mermaids. She never came back. The only thing that returned from the ship Atargatis was a lot of frightening footage that was widely decried as a hoax, bloody footage that appeared to show the crew being devoured by mermaids. Years later, the original film company is seeking redemption (or at least a boost for their damaged reputation), and Victoria still wants closure, so she signs on with dozens of other scientists to try to get proof of mermaids once and for all. They end up finding much more than proof. 

This was a spooky little book about mermaids. Mira Grant (a penname for Seanan McGuire) does a good job building fear on top of a situation whose outcome was more-or-less obvious from the beginning. This is a bloody book, but it doesn't feel like it is purely relying on gore for it's punch (although there are a couple of images that will stick with me). The large cast is well-developed, which makes it hurt more when many of them meet their inevitable ends. I would recommend it generally, but especially for fans of scientists walking themselves into horror. 

Upon a Starlit Tide

Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods, 432 pages

As the youngest daughter of shipping magnate Jean-Baptiste Leon, Lucinde lives what many would consider a charmed life in a sprawling French estate, with tutors, invitations to fancy balls, and her father doting on her as his favorite child. However, Lucinde has always felt the call of the sea, and often sneaks out to swim in the cove and learn how to sail from an English smuggler. When she saves the son of another wealthy family after his ship crashes, Luce's life becomes much more complicated, spurred in part by the man's attentions to her and her sisters.

Set in the 1700s in Saint-Malo, France, this novel is the epitome of historical fantasy, effortlessly mixing elements of The Little Mermaid and Cinderella into a fairy tale all its own. The attention to historic detail was fantastic, but that didn't stop the magic system from being well-woven into the fabric of the world. An excellent story, and I look forward to reading more by Woods.

The Salt Grows Heavy

 The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw, 106 pages.

After her daughters devour the kingdom where she was once held captive, a monstrous mermaid goes on a journey with a mysterious plague doctor to anywhere but there. They soon come upon a small village full of children with monsters of their own, monsters who are very important to our plague doctor. 

This dark fairytale is mostly a play on the little mermaid story, but it definitely plays with other elements as well. I was really excited to get my hands on it, because that cover is gorgeous and everything about the (admittedly vague) premise appealed to me. Unfortunately, it didn't feel like this story had any idea what it wanted to say or do. There was a lot of very graphic gore and violence that didn't really feel like it was there for any particular reason, and the tone was confused. I was tragically very disappointed in this novella, which made it's scant 100 pages feel too long.

All the Murmuring Bones

All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter, 367 pages

Generations ago, Miren O'Malley's family made a deal with a sea witch to keep the family prosperous and healthy in exchange for the sacrifice of a child every generation. Well, it worked for a long time, but over time, despite some frankly incestuous marriage practices, the bloodlines have thinned and spread out, leaving Miren as the final O'Malley in a now-crumbling estate with few pennies to her name. Upon learning that the parents she thought were long dead are alive and just very far away, Miren runs away from the cousin she's supposed to marry, seeking out the only other O'Malleys who were able to leave the ancestral home in hopes of ending the brutal tradition. But it turns out that some things are hard to leave behind.

This is a wonderfully atmospheric and haunting bit of gothic fantasy. Slatter has created a fully realized — and fully creepy — world for Miren to navigate, while making our main character both strong and sympathetic. This is a book for those who prefer the original bloody versions of fairy tales, not the singsong Disney version. I'll be mulling this one over for ages.