Devil Of The Deep by Falencia Jean-Francois

Review

Avast! At last! A pirate-themed fantasy that centers queerness, folks of color, and Caribbean heritage, rather than relegating them to forgotten corners. And original mythology! What a delight.

This debut novel (a republished indie getting the mainstream attention it deserves) weaves in high-seas adventure, heartbreaking stakes, and the power of bonds broken and forged.

Lu watched Nnenna walk the plank, believing her dead. Five years later, she’s a feared pirate captain protecting a runaway mermaid from the fleet Lu serves. What starts as ‘just a retrieval’ becomes a reckoning with systems built to harm, gods who lie, and the cost of breaking free.

I adored the point-of-view switching and oscillating between the narrative’s past and present (so often difficult to get right!) Likewise with the minor details and world-building.

Through fire and toil, hope and desperation…nothing will ever be the same again.

I received an early copy courtesy of the publishers via Netgalley. All opinions are mine alone.