Daughter of the Merciful Deep

• Author: Leslye Penelope
• Genre: Fantasy
• Publication Date: June 4, 2024
• Publisher: Redhook

Thank you to Redhook and Angela Man for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

CONTENT WARNING: ableism, racism, trauma, racial slurs, mention of enslavement, murder, violence, lynching, grief, gun violence, blood, death of a parent (off-page), institutional racism

A woman journeys into a submerged world of gods and myth to save her home, in this powerful historical fantasy that shines a light on the drowned Black towns of the American South.

“Our home began, as all things do, with a wish.”

Jane Edwards hasn’t spoken since she was eleven years old, when armed riders expelled her family from their hometown along with every other Black resident. Now, twelve years later, she’s found a haven in the all-Black town of Awenasa. But the construction of a dam promises to wash away her home under the waters of the new lake.

Jane will do anything to save the community that sheltered her. So when a man with uncanny abilities arrives in town asking strange questions, she wonders if he might be the key. But as the stranger hints at gods and ancestral magic, Jane is captivated by a bigger mystery. She knows this man. Only the last time she saw him, he was dead—his body laid to rest in a rushing river.

Who is the stranger and what is he really doing in Awenasa? To find those answers, Jane will journey into a sunken world, a land of capricious gods and unsung myths, of salvation and dreams made real. But the flood waters are rising. To gain the miracle she desires, Jane will have to find her voice again and finally face the trauma of the past. 

I couldn’t request this book fast enough—that’s how many things it had in its favor before I even started it. After reading a previous book by the author, I was already impressed with her ability to weave together fantasy and factual Black history that has largely been overlooked in society. The cover is beautiful, and the plot sounds incredible. Plus, I was doing a buddy read of this book with Becky @ Becky’s Book Blog, which is always so much fun.

Jane is the first character we meet, and the entire story is told through her perspective. It’s easy to like her, even though she clearly has internalized a lot of shame and guilt surrounding her trauma. Although everyone in the town has arrived with their own trauma, Jane’s takes the form of total mutism. Consequently, she communicates using sign language with people who know it, writing on a little notepad with people who can read, and hoping for the best for the people who don’t know sign language and aren’t literate. I loved that she learned sign language from a community member who is Deaf, that there are supportive community members who have learned sign language to be able to communicate with Jane, and that there’s also dyslexia representation.

The plot of this story was fascinating. I really loved how Penelope really dove headlong into the topic of drowned Black towns, and wove in a magical element that was also tied to Black history. So as a reader, I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen to the town’s residents, who were racing against time and other threats. Learning about the magic system and how it ran was absolutely fascinating, as well as seeing how it combined both African mythology and religion with Christianity.

“‘Do you know what ommo means? In an ancient tongue spoken by few still alive, it’s the concept of a spirit that dwells within memories and is invoked by words.’”

Overall, this was a fantastic read, and Becky and I had some wonderful discussions while reading. But the prevailing tone to our chats was that we couldn’t wait to get back to reading more of this story. There are elements of Biblical stories, but it never felt overwhelming or pushy, instead combining perfectly with the overall magic system, which I was skeptical about initially but was gladly proven wrong. There are themes of family, forgiveness, choosing between learning more about the past or focusing on creating changes in the future, the power of a close-knit community, and an emphasis on what really matters when there aren’t any other options. But ultimately, this wound up being a fantastic story that I loved every single part of and couldn’t find a single negative, so I highly recommend this one. 

People who have sat around with me while I’m reading, especially when there’s a surprising reveal, a shocking plot twist, or an unexpected event often look up in alarm when I gasp audibly. The gasp factor is directly related to the number of times I audibly gasp during a reading, and there isn’t an upper limit.

Gasp Factor: 15

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