Skin of the Sea
(Sprache: Englisch)
Transformed by the goddess Yemoja into a Mami Wati, an African mermaid charged with collecting the souls of those who die at sea, Simi goes against the gods to save a living boy, Kola, from drowning.
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Transformed by the goddess Yemoja into a Mami Wati, an African mermaid charged with collecting the souls of those who die at sea, Simi goes against the gods to save a living boy, Kola, from drowning.
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Chapter OneI circle the ship with the sharks, slipping between dark waves. The water is layered with cold currents, sea creatures, and a ship that slices through it with cargo holds full of stolen people. I swim underneath the swells, away from the gaze of men and just out of the reach of jaws.
Waiting.
The hull of the vessel is a shadow above me, and as I follow the line of the keel, my chest tightens, hot rage building against my rib cage. I spin away as fish flit around me, stretching my fingers up toward watery sunbeams. It has been weeks since I have felt the burn of a midday sun. I miss basking in its light, letting the heat soak into my bones. Closing my eyes, I reach for a memory that twists and coils like smoke. I m sitting on red-brown earth under the dappled shade of a mahogany tree, splashes of sun on my hot skin. Eagerly, I grasp for more, but as usual, the vision fades.
My stomach churns with disappointment as sharp as red coral. Every time, the loss feels the same, as if a part of me is within reach, only to dissolve like mist on the tops of the waves.
I turn in the water, a shiver of skin and coils, of hair and scales that flash like buried treasure. Embracing the current, I let trails of seaweed run through my hands, feel the wisps of memories fade away. I pause for a moment as the shoal once again spirals around me, glittering yellow with delicate stripes of pink, letting the beauty of the fish soothe me.
Diving down, I head farther away from the ship. I know I ll need to go back, but for now I close my eyes against the velvet slip of the water, its coolness sliding along my skin. This part of the sea is darker, and I welcome being cloaked in an enfolding gloom.
Below me, an eel slinks through the depths, its muscular body only slightly blacker than the water surrounding it.
Go, I tell the creature, and in one inky slither it moves away from me. I sink deeper. Enough for the cold to seep into my bones. Enough for the
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glint of my tail to be swallowed by the dark.
I feel the pull of a current, and for a moment, I consider letting it take me, but then I remember the ship and I tip my face toward the surface, toward the sun and the domain of humans who breathe air. I swim up once again, my task fresh in my mind as I see the wooden hull of the ship plowing through the ocean. I m reluctant to drift too close in case I am seen by humankind; instead I lurk in the midnight shade of the sea, the bellies of the great whites gleaming above me. They glide closer, flat obsidian eyes and teeth ready. I shudder, turning away from their large bodies as they track the ship, even though I am doing the same as they are. We both seek those that enter our domain.
As the creak of the ship echoes in the deep, I stroke the gold chain that hangs heavy around my neck, its links cold against my sink. My fingers move over the sapphire that gleams in the murk.
And then, there it is, the water crashing and hissing with the force of a body entering. Bubbles rise and pop, leaving only the descent of splayed limbs and crimson-stained skin. I swim faster as a shark darts forward. Blood curls in the sea, red ribbons unspooling in the deep. Pushing my way upward, I try to ignore the copper tang in the water as I swim between the gray-and-white creatures.
Wait, I command them as the body sinks. They circle impatiently, black eyes flashing. I turn to the person, catching a glimpse of their unseeing eyes and an open mouth, bruised and swollen.
A woman, her skin a dark brown in the water. Black tufts of hair wave in the current, revealing more wounds on the side of her face. She spins slowly, and something in the line of her body speaks to me. There was no easy death here, I think, closing my eyes briefly. But then there never is.
As I take hold of a hand the same size as mine, rage swells a
I feel the pull of a current, and for a moment, I consider letting it take me, but then I remember the ship and I tip my face toward the surface, toward the sun and the domain of humans who breathe air. I swim up once again, my task fresh in my mind as I see the wooden hull of the ship plowing through the ocean. I m reluctant to drift too close in case I am seen by humankind; instead I lurk in the midnight shade of the sea, the bellies of the great whites gleaming above me. They glide closer, flat obsidian eyes and teeth ready. I shudder, turning away from their large bodies as they track the ship, even though I am doing the same as they are. We both seek those that enter our domain.
As the creak of the ship echoes in the deep, I stroke the gold chain that hangs heavy around my neck, its links cold against my sink. My fingers move over the sapphire that gleams in the murk.
And then, there it is, the water crashing and hissing with the force of a body entering. Bubbles rise and pop, leaving only the descent of splayed limbs and crimson-stained skin. I swim faster as a shark darts forward. Blood curls in the sea, red ribbons unspooling in the deep. Pushing my way upward, I try to ignore the copper tang in the water as I swim between the gray-and-white creatures.
Wait, I command them as the body sinks. They circle impatiently, black eyes flashing. I turn to the person, catching a glimpse of their unseeing eyes and an open mouth, bruised and swollen.
A woman, her skin a dark brown in the water. Black tufts of hair wave in the current, revealing more wounds on the side of her face. She spins slowly, and something in the line of her body speaks to me. There was no easy death here, I think, closing my eyes briefly. But then there never is.
As I take hold of a hand the same size as mine, rage swells a
... weniger
Autoren-Porträt von Natasha Bowen
Natasha Bowen
Bibliographische Angaben
- Autor: Natasha Bowen
- Altersempfehlung: Ab 14 Jahre
- 2022, 336 Seiten, Maße: 13,6 x 20,9 cm, Kartoniert (TB), Englisch
- Verlag: Ember
- ISBN-10: 0593120973
- ISBN-13: 9780593120972
- Erscheinungsdatum: 08.02.2023
Sprache:
Englisch
Pressezitat
Instant New York Times BestsellerNPR Best Book of the Year
PopSugar Best New Book November 2021
Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
Children s Africana Book Awards 2022 Honor Book for Older Readers
Top 10 YALSA Amazing Audiobook for Young Adults
"Bowen has built an impressive mythology to buttress her fairy tale, and it's a pleasure to discover this world through Simi's eyes." The New York Times
"An evocative debut." Entertainment Weekly
"Riveting . . . I'm sure that Simi has many ardent fans to await her further adventures." NPR
"Remarkable." Buzzfeed
Skin of the Sea is one of the most epic and original fantasies I've read. . . . Simi's story will stay with me for a long time to come. Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Instructions for Dancing
The most engrossing, thought-provoking, beautiful novel I ve read in ages. Skin of the Sea knocks your socks off and leaves you wanting more." Namina Forna, New York Times bestselling author of The Gilded Ones
An enchanting, unputdownable fantasy. Bowen s lush world building and beautiful prose will have you rooting for these characters from page one. A triumph of storytelling. Kalynn Bayron, New York Times bestselling author of This Poison Heart
A story bursting with innovative inspiration . . . a divine debut." Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Reinvigorating the image of West Africa as not merely a site of human suffering but a historical place of great invention, fellowship, and hope, Bowen relays a story as lushly described as it is cinematic, centering a brave, headstrong protagonist coming into her own power in an age of change." Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Any story about literal Black girl magic featuring a Black mermaid is sure to shine, but
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Bowen s story swims to sparkling heights. Booklist, starred review
"Give this book to everyone, but especially fans of mythological and well-crafted fantasy." School Library Journal
"Those who have been riveted by the many new West African-inspired novels of the last few years including Children of Blood and Bone and The Gilded Ones will find this a worthy addition to the genre, and readers new to an African fantasy setting have an excellent introduction here." The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"An inspired take on Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Little Mermaid' that blends West African religion and history in an immersive adventure. . . . Skin of the Sea painfully entwines love and sacrifice to create a story as powerful and majestic as the sea itself." BookPage
"Bowen combines a classic quest plot with a rich and still-underrepresented mythology . . . [an] inventive supernatural fantasy." The Horn Book
"Give this book to everyone, but especially fans of mythological and well-crafted fantasy." School Library Journal
"Those who have been riveted by the many new West African-inspired novels of the last few years including Children of Blood and Bone and The Gilded Ones will find this a worthy addition to the genre, and readers new to an African fantasy setting have an excellent introduction here." The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"An inspired take on Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Little Mermaid' that blends West African religion and history in an immersive adventure. . . . Skin of the Sea painfully entwines love and sacrifice to create a story as powerful and majestic as the sea itself." BookPage
"Bowen combines a classic quest plot with a rich and still-underrepresented mythology . . . [an] inventive supernatural fantasy." The Horn Book
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