Thursday, June 18, 2009

Watery Deep by Roxanne Smolen



Book Info:
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: SynergEbooks
ISBN: 0-7443-1635-9
To Purchase: SynergEbooks Store

Natica Galos is a colonial scout for new worlds, searching for places that can sustain life. She is haunted by visions of a man from a previous mission who died in her care. Although it wasn’t her fault, Natica blames herself for his death, and the battle scarred memories get in the way of her job and her friendships. Burnt out from overwork and guilt, she returns to her home planet to celebrate her sixteenth birthday. Her friend, Impani follows her uninvited, and together they go after her long lost twin brother, entangling themselves with pirates, a sea monster, and much more.

The Watery Deep is a creative and original story with an interesting blend of fantasy and science fiction and a great sense of adventure. The characters are feisty, emotional, and real, with shifting dynamics between their friendships and alliances that makes for suspenseful reading!

I particularly enjoyed the tumultuous friendship between Natica and Impani, two girls from very different backgrounds with very different strengths and weaknesses. There is spitefulness, jealously, and underneath it all, caring and compassion as they sort out their own problems with themselves and their world. Teenage angst abounds in full throttle, which makes every scene a delicious read.

Natica’s home planet of Naiad is full of vibrant imagery and alien atmospheres. Almost entirely covered by water, the cities float on coral, the taxis are air boats, and devious pirate gangs roam the waters. It is one of the most creative worlds I’ve ever read about, and makes the story all that more intriguing.

Complete with romance, adventure, shifting alliances, and good family values, The Watery Deep is an excellent story for all ages.

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