Preview
  • Skin of the Sea

  • Skin of the Sea, Book 1
  • By: Natasha Bowen
  • Narrated by: Yetide Badaki
  • Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (1,072 ratings)

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Skin of the Sea

By: Natasha Bowen
Narrated by: Yetide Badaki
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Publisher's summary

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The must-hear Black mermaid fantasy series that #1 NYT bestselling author Nicola Yoon calls “epic and original,” in which one mermaid takes on the gods themselves. Perfect for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and anyone who can't wait for the live-action The Little Mermaid.

“Riveting.”—NPR

“Evocative.”—Entertainment Weekly

“Remarkable.”—Buzzfeed

A way to survive.

A way to serve.

A way to save.

Simi prayed to the gods, once. Now she serves them as Mami Wata—a mermaid—collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home.

But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi goes against an ancient decree and does the unthinkable—she saves his life. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy the gods.

To protect the other Mami Wata, Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But all is not as it seems. There's the boy she rescued, who knows more than he should. And something is shadowing Simi, something that would rather see her fail . . .

Danger lurks at every turn, and as Simi draws closer, she must brave vengeful gods, treacherous lands, and legendary creatures. Because if she fails, she risks not only the fate of all Mami Wata, but also the world as she knows it.

©2021 Natasha Bowen (P)2021 Listening Library
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Critic reviews

Instant New York Times Bestseller

NPR 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

"Riveting . . . I'm sure that Simi has many ardent fans to await her further adventures."—NPR

“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

What listeners say about Skin of the Sea

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Yes!!! I am all in. thank you for this story!

First of all. I am now inspired. Not to write, at least not for now. I'm not a writer, never been good at it. But I don't discard it because I always find myself imagining stories in my mind. Anyways. I'm inspired to learn more about my inheritance as a black Hispanic woman. What were my ancestors' lives like? What were their adventures before they were brought to the island of Puerto Rico as slaves? What trials and tribulations did my ancestors, the native Taino people of the island went through and overcome? Second of all. I want to scream out of my home porch "representation absolutely, undoubtedly does matter!!!!!" I can so relate to the facial features, the colorful and richly patterned clothing, the preferences in music, the food, and many details that are mentioned in this book. It feels like I exist. Like I was finally allowed into the world of mystical creatures and magical powers that always seemed to belong to others, and never include me with my wide nose, tight curls, and curvy round hips. Third of all. I need someone to make these stories into movies ASAP. I am so glad I got this book and so excited for the next ones!!

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Absolutely love this story

I loved the story of black mermaids and orisha gods. Our African roots are deep and this story showed just how powerful we are as a people.

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1 person found this helpful

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Beautiful just beautiful

well written! well narrated! educational! amazingly inspiring... Good Good Good! PLEASE BUY READ THEN READ AGAIN!

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Thrilling!!!

This book kept me enthralled. The author's description took me into the story effortlessly. Made me feel as if I was living the story.

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Surprise ending and interpretation of subject with artful storytelling

The entire story and narration were slow and artfully presented. The characters were believable from a mythological perspective.

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Amazing Read!!!

This book was a definite page turner. Natasha Bowen did an excellent job at encompassing a fantasy story intertwined with history. There was an amazing plot, drama, love, friendship, hardships, journeys, and a ton of others going on in this story. I would definitely recommend this book for others to read.

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Skin of the Sea

This book is a lot better than I thought it would be. I took a chance on it and I'm very happy I did.

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Beautiful

Absolutely beautiful! I feel so represented! Thank you for this wonderful story and beautiful storytelling.

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Great story

Very enjoyable, great story mixed in with history love it. The narrator did a wonderful job. She definitely help the story come alive.

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Adventurous, Magical and Educational

easy to read the narrator did an fantastic job the story was very well paced definitely recommend going to start book 2 next

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