Blog Tour + Review + Book Aesthetic: Beneath Cruel Fathoms by Anela Deen
Hi everyone! Today I’m excited to participate in the bookstagram & creative blog tour for Beneath Cruel Fathoms by Anela Deen organized by MTMC Tours! Beneath Cruel Fathoms is the first book in The Bitter Sea Trilogy, an Adult Fantasy series based on Norse ocean mythology where merfolk, violent storms, restless seas, and dark magic stirs the mysterious Failock Sea.
Synopsis:
After a violent storm destroys her ship, Isaura Johansdottir knows better than to hope she’ll be rescued from Eisland’s vast Failock Sea. Adrift and alone, her plans to start over lost, it’s a tragic conclusion after the disastrous end of her marriage—until she’s saved by Leonel, one of the merfolk, a creature long believed extinct. In repayment for her life, Leonel enlists her help to investigate the Failock’s mysterious and deadly plague of squalls. But when Isaura discovers Eisland’s ruthless new Lord commands the storms, her life will be in more danger on land than it ever was at sea.
As guardian of the Fathoms, Leonel must find the cause of unnatural storms ravaging the tidal currents and destroying the sea life. There are rumours of dark magic stirring in the Orom Abyss, the resting place of old, vanquished gods who tried to submerge the land millennia ago. Yet without proof, no one in King Ægir’s court will listen to him. And if it’s discovered he broke the Blue Laws to save a shipwrecked landweller, he might not survive the consequences.
As storms spread, Leonel and Isaura uncover secrets as forbidden as the bond that grows between them. Betrayal lurks in the restless sea, and when ancient powers lay siege to Eisland’s coast, the truth may be drowned along with everything else.
New to me author Anela Deen has totally captivated my attention with this beautiful story. I love Norse mythology and couldn't pass the opportunity to read this book.
The book starts off a bit slow, but the worldbuilding is quite fascinating and I loved all the details about the Norse Gods and the protagonist's backstories. Once the pace picks up it was hard to put the book down, I found myself glued to the pages.
“We aren’t defined only by our failures and sorrows. I’m starting to believe we’re an assortment. A few big events, but countless smaller details."
Isaura and Leonel come from different worlds. He belongs to the sea, the love child of the goddess Ran and a merman, while Isaura is a land dweller, a strong-headed, brave and kind-hearted woman, a healer. But even so, they are similar in many ways. Leonel has always had a chip on his shoulder, being the last of his kind, never knowing much about his people and always wanting to prove himself in the eyes of his mother and king Aegir, but being mistreated by his immortal half-sisters. He feels weak and his insecurities make it hard for him to put his trust in anyone. Both him and Isaura are jaded people, they're souls longing for acceptance and love and the need to put the wellbeing of others before themselves. The dire circumstances in which they meet force them to work together to unravel a plot that threatens to destroy both the land and the sea and the more time they spend together the more they seem to be drawn to each other. The connection they share is unlike anything they've experienced before, and both of them know that when the quest is over it will be very hard to say goodbye.
“A gift, even a temporary one, is treasured all the more because it cannot be kept.”
The worldbuilding was well balanced, giving enough details to paint a clear picture of the human world and the world under the sea, but not to many as to become overwhelming. I loved how Lonel interacted with the creatures of the Fathoms. The sensory language he used to communicate and even with Isaura, the way he whistled her name, added authenticity to the story. The plot was well developed, surrounded by mystery and angsty moments, with a villain that was always one step ahead and the threat of destruction constantly in play. The protagonists were amazing, their growth throughout the book was beautifully presented and the romantic aspect of their relationship melted my heart. I rooted so hard for them to get a shot at happiness and to experience unconditional love.
“I feel like myself again when I’m with you. When we’re together, I don’t feel broken.”
It's fair to say I enjoyed this book very much and I can't wait for the next book in the series. I highly recommend it.
Beneath Cruel Fathoms Book Aesthetic
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