I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Somewhere in the Deep by Tanvi Berwah Published by Sourcebooks Fire on January 9, 2024
Genres: YA Fantasy
Pages: 384
Source: the publisher
Format: ARC
My Rating:
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Blurb:
Seventeen-year-old Krescent Dune is buried under the weight of her dead parents’ debt and the ruinous legacy they left behind. The only way she can earn enough money to escape her unforgiving island is by battling monstrous creatures in an underground fighting pit. After a fight goes terribly wrong, she’s banned from the pits. Now hopeless, she is offered a deal: in exchange for the erasure of her debts, she must join and protect a hunting party for a rescue mission deep within the mining caves beneath the island.
Krescent is determined to keep her head down and fulfill her role as the dutiful bodyguard, even though she is trapped underground with her childhood enemy and a company of people who would gladly kill her if they knew who her parents were. As they come across creatures she believed only existed in legends, it becomes clear they are in far more danger than she could have imagined. But someone doesn’t want her to make it out alive. And she’ll have to figure out who before she’s left alone… in the dark.
From the author of Monsters Born and Made comes an action-packed South Asian inspired fantasy that will have your heart racing at every turn.
My Review
I really liked the first book I read by this author, Monsters Born and Made, and so I was very excited to get an ARC of this one too. I had finished that one thinking that while it definitely had an ending, there was more to the story that needed to be told and hoping it would have a sequel. This book was not a sequel exactly, but still a part of the world, and an extension of the story. It also touched on the maristag race from the first book.
There were so many monsters in this story, in a way the title of the first one fit as well! I could see this being such a great movie or tv series, only if they spent the money to make all the monsters and special effects perfect though. Like the people who did the Game of Thrones series, or The Lord of the Rings movies. Characters that ended up on the expedition to the caves had me wondering and guessing which of them were actually who they said they were, and which were hiding a secret. One that stood out right away as a possibly undercover villain seemed to have redeemed themselves later on. But then, when they did turn out to be what I was thinking was possible, it was done perfectly.
Once again the ending wraps up for the most part, but knowing how it ties into the first book, and the way some people left things, I am definitely going to be on the lookout for at least one more book, as all of the different people come together, or meet in battles, to see how this land can actually continue to exist!
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I’m glad you are enjoying these.
They are definitely a great fantasy world!
I have been eyeing this one but now I’m wondering, do I need to read the other book first? I’m kind of anal about things like that.
You definitely don’t have to read the first one first. In fact, I feel like maybe this one kind of overlaps a bit in that you could read it first and then the other.
I wonder if the last name “Dune” is random or a tribute to (one of the best of all times) book?! Sounds like this series is one to hold off on until it’s clear if there will be a concluding title.
I wondered that as well! Because there are a lot of creatures in the tunnels underground and it seems like a strange world kind of like I think Dune is? I’ve never read the books, but did see the recent movie! It doesn’t end with a cliffhanger, but it might be nice to wait to read them all at the same time so as not to forget anything.
I have this on my list to read at some point, I didn’t realize it was set in the same world. I’m glad you loved it!
I didn’t realize it either until I started reading. They’re connected, but you can read them separately I think! Although I wonder if the next book will require having read both of these.
I’m glad that you enjoyed the book Lisa! Thanks for sharing about it.
Thanks for visiting!
Definitely sounds like it would make for a great movie with all the monsters. And that cover looks great with the slightly creepy underwater vibe. I hope there will be another book in this series for you that ties everything together.
It gives off the underwater vibe on the cover, even though they’re actually underground for most of it. But there is a creature with tentacles like that!
Oh, this one sounds crazy good. I might pick up an audiobook of this one if it’s available.
I think it does, I have a link to Audible for it, so it must!
Sounds good! Great review.
Thanks!