Review: Deep Blue

Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly
Publication Date: May 6th, 2014
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Disney Hyperion

The first in a series of four epic tales set in the depths of the ocean, where six mermaids seek to protect and save their hidden world.

Deep in the ocean, in a world not so different from our own, live the merpeople. Their communities are spread throughout the oceans, seas, and freshwaters all over the globe.

When Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea, awakens on the morning of her betrothal, her biggest worry should be winning the love of handsome Prince Mahdi. And yet Sera finds herself haunted by strange dreams that foretell the return of an ancient evil. Her dark premonitions are confirmed when an assassin's arrow poisons Sera's mother. Now, Serafina must embark on a quest to find the assassin's master and prevent a war between the Mer nations. Led only by her shadowy dreams, Sera searches for five other mermaid heroines who are scattered across the six seas. Together, they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood and uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world's very existence. 

*I received this book for free from the publisher. However, all thoughts and opinions in this review are completely my own.* Deep Blue is a clever, vivid, and adventurous read! I can already tell that the Waterfire Saga is going to be an epic ride. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book to fellow book-lovers! Going in, I expected to really enjoy the novel since I loved Jennifer Donnelly’s previous works. Fortunately, my expectations were met, although I have to say comparing A Northern Light to Deep Blue is quite hard. The characters, plot, setting, and even tones of these two novels are extremely different. However, both are blessed with Donnelly’s wonderful writing! I absolutely loved her descriptions of mermaid life and customs. The mermaids in Deep Blue are diverse and a lot of fun! I adored all the strong female characters. All of them are wonderful! That said, my favorite character would have to be Neela, Serafina’s bioluminescent best friend! However, I also really liked Serafina, and, in the beginning, Serafina's mother.  I liked how this first book had minimal (basically zero) romance. The book focuses on Serafina’s quest and introducing us to the undersea world of mermaids! On that note, since Deep Blue is the first book in the series, it is basically an introduction to the entire setting, plot, etc. As a result of Deep Blue being an intro, I felt I lacked a strong connection to the characters. However, as I read future books, I hope that the characters will experience more character growth and I’ll be more invested in their stories. The number one thing I enjoyed about Deep Blue was Donnelly’s creativity. All the magic, singing, mermaid treats, river witches, and pretty ocean descriptions enthralled me. Also, I love all the fun mermaid words and exclamations such as merlfriend, currensea, and “Great Goddess Neria!”.  Overall, Deep Blue was a fun book filled with strong female protagonists and awesome details about mermaid life under the sea! I would say this novel would entertain both YA and MG readers. 3.5/5 Stars (Rounded up to 4) Happy Reading!