Donnelly gets right into the action with a heist! I love heists. Sera has grown in her confidence and badassery, formulating and succeeding in divesting the throne’s treasurey. Just in time too because they’ll need that gold to convince the goblin tribe to join their covert Blackfin army when they fight Sera’s traitorous uncle.
But while readers get a nice glimpse of Sera’s newfound leadership and confidence, the book’s focus is on her fellow merls-Becca, Ling and Astrid as they conquer their inner demons to find their talisems before Vallerio and his allies.
First off, Ling hasn’t been able to escape Rafe’s trawlers but they’re taking her to where she needs to go to find Syphonex’s puzzle ball-the Great Abyss. Ling’s experience in the labor camps is chilling as Donnelly depicts the overcrowded conditions and cruel disposability of the merls hurled into the Great Abyss that die of depth sickness and carted away in death carts.
Ling’s brought to her physical limits and emotional when she encounters her long-lost father and nearly dies. I’ll admit I found Ling’s epiphany while she was near death to be deus ex machina, I do like the point Donnelly was trying to illustrate with how in-control Ling is and hasn’t been able to empathesize with people like her mother who are paralyzed by depression and need of help. Not until she was in the position herself.
Becca has been the most well-adjusted of the group with a touch of Type A with her need to plan and organize but in an attempt to reach out to Astrid, Becca shares her own secrets. She’s not a college student with a happy family or paved path for the future. That’s just the life she wished she had as a foster kid who had to fight and plan ahead every day for food, education or anything else she wanted. It’s a nice bonding moment for them that gives a lot of insight to Becca and how she approaches life which is good because her planning ahead allows for her to sneak past the scary bird demon hoarding Pyrrah’s coin.
Astrid is arguably the secondary protagonist, being the most confrontational yet insecure of the group compared to Sera’s insecure yet compassionate approach. Finally, we get to learn the secret Astrid has been hiding, making her so reluctant to officially join the group despite the clear hints that she does care and she does want to help.
She can’t though. She hasn’t been able to songcast since she was a child, and has been conditioned not to share that weakness, certain others will see her as a liability. It’s understandable considering the use of songcasts in everday life which makes her non-use of it a anamoly. And with such high stakes, yeah you’d want someone who is able to defend herself.
But she can! She can hunt, she can ride orcas, she can use weapon and warfare. But she is unable to accept that with the voices in her head telling her that she is weak. Much like Ling, I found Astrid’s epiphany about her self-worth a bit sudden. More telling than organically reaching that conclusion but whatever. I like the message and I assume Donnelly is setting up for the final book to more action-based since most of the characters have reached peace with themselves so they can concentrate on the final battle. Astrid definately needs to be at peace with herself considering the bluff she is going to pull off.
Lucia was a surprising POV in the few chapters she recieved but it added a nice build of ominous obsession. Since taking her false throne of Miromara, Lucia has everything she wanted. Kingdom, riches, and Mahadi. Even though he fawns over her, there is still a nagging concern that she hasn’t seen Serafina’s body and Mahadi’s heart still belongs to her.
Donnelly creates an almost sympathetic POV as one can see how the reputation of “tainted” blood had ruined Lucia’s prospects and created a sense of insecurity in knowing who her real father is but her family was considered unfit to associate with them. Now, she wants to make everyone pay which tips her into villainous territory. She has glimpses of feeling but quickly shuts them off so she can feel better about herself and keep her position so for all she thinks she loves Mahedi, she can’t. It’s all a reflection of herself and it’s chilling.
Much like Shadow & Bone, it starts formulaic and generic but the following books allow the author more leeway in deepening the characters and the lore of the universe. Although in Donnelly’s case, it doesn’t obscure her plot twists. I could predict most of the big events like when Astrid’s mother revealed her father has been poisoned which wouldn’t have been possible without a spy on the inside, I figured out the spy right away. Same with the infiltraitor among Sera’s Black Fins. And a different character death. As well as the romances which let’s get to that.
The moment Astrid and Des met each other in the cell, I knew they were going to get together. We hadn’t met Sera’s brother on the page but Donnelly delivered enough information to know he was a good soldier, loyal. Which seems generic but is perfect with the the tough love, military upbringing Astrid is used to. She’s someone who values physical toughness and strategy yet Des is more open (emotion-wise and communication-wise), and so nonjudgemental compared to what Astrid is used to. Just yeah, they fit, I ship em.
Becca and Marco on the other hand. Oh right, I should explain that since the unfortunate murder of Duc Armando, the duchy goes to his first son which is Marco, a biology student at Milan U. Yes, he’s a grogg, Becca is a mermaid with red hair. Total Little Mermaid vibes right down to them developing feelings for each other in the three days they’ve known each other when Marco rescued her. Which is why I couldn’t take them seriously because they’ve only known each other for three days!!! Which no one pointed out.
While there is plenty of character exploration for Ling, Astrid and Becca and minor chapters from Sera and Lucia, Neela is super out of focus. Like it’s mentioned that she’s there but I would forget and think she was off on another adventure. Ava did get her own chapter but it was only one. With such an expansive cast of characters, its understandable that Donnelly would have to put some out of focus but I hope she’ll be able to balance the main six in the final book.
4 seashells.
Rachel Reads & Reviews 
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