The Deepest Blue: Tales of Renthia

by Sarah Beth Durst

The natural magic of the classic The Island of the Blue Dolphins meets the danger and courage of The Hunger Games in this dazzling, intricate stand-alone fantasy novel set in award-winning author Sarah Beth Durst’s beloved world of Renthia.

Life is precious and precarious on the islands of Belene. Besieged by a capricious ocean full of malicious spirits, the people of the islands seek joy where they can. Mayara, one of the island’s fearless oyster divers, has found happiness in love. But on the day of her wedding to the artist Kelo, a spirit-driven storm hits the island with deadly force.

To save her loved ones, Mayara reveals a dangerous secret: she has the power to control the spirits. When the storm ends, she is taken into custody by the queen’s soldiers and imprisoned with other women like her.

They vary in age and social status, but to many they are heroes who will aid the country or witches that will sacrifice themselves trying. No matter who they are, the women are sent to a terrifying place—an island filled with bloodthirsty nature spirits, and left without food, water, shelter, or any tools except their own instincts and magic. Whoever survives the Island of Testing will be declared heirs to the queen. But no matter if she wins or loses, Mayara knows that the life she dreamed of is gone.

• ISBN10: 0062690841
• ISBN13: 9780062690845
• Publish Date: 2 May 2019 (first published 19 March 2019)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 18 March 2022
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Harper Voyager
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[tweetybugshouse]

I not read the trilogy that this series is part of but it did make me curious enough to go pick those book as well. I definitely know i would not want to be a character that has power in this world. Your choices are try to survive on an island with evil spirits, along with 11 other girls who are trying to do the same thing. That part of the story reminded me a lot of hunger games or the show survivor.

Once we move pass the threat of surviving on the island then the real action of our story takes place. Our main character is driven by the loss of the love of her life and all she wants to go back to being a simple farm girl with her husband.

You spend the whole story wondering if the evil deep blue leviathans are real and how things are going to play out once the battle to be queen is waged. It a page turner of a story and i throughly enjoyed it.