Claimed by the Depths

by Asher D. Payne

She was always meant to save him.

Sabotaging the royal wedding between Kaelivan Marellan and Olliviera Tremoille, Rohen goes toe-to-toe with the man she has come to loathe, Caspian Vayne. Amidst their confrontation, she meets Sorva, the malevolent deity responsible for tearing Wraelira apart, and learns just how much control she has over the pirate who purchased her.

With Sorva’s threats looming on the horizon, and Caspian bound to her every beck and call, Rohen leaves Serevalen without the very thing she came for—him. Heart longing for the captain in ways she refuses to acknowledge, Rohen becomes transfixed on rescuing him, all while corruption pollutes the lands.

As the Other Realm begins merging with their continent, Ellira offers a keen piece of information to Rohen. Five artifacts. Five gods. Find them to stop the darkness from devouring their reality. Upon each item returning to its applicable Divari, a fusing of human and god occurs. But before all five Children can join in arms, the onslaught of Sorva’s wrath comes in a wave of power that the Damned have only been able to warn of.

Will Rohen and Caspian be able to put aside their differences before they are swallowed into the Other world? Or will their love become the very thing that ruins them entirely?

522 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 22, 2026

About the author

Asher D. Payne has been writing since she can remember, desiring nothing more than putting her imagination on paper for others to enjoy. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, she strives to bring relationships into her books that stray from the stereotypes displayed in other forms of media. When she isn't engrossed in writing, she enjoys reading from her endless TBR list, playing with her pitbull, hitting the gym, and refining her self-defense skills. You can connect with her on Instagram @author.asherdpayne and TikTok @asher.d.payne

Reviews

[Everlie Grant]

Unashamedly, I finished this book in one day. It was the first thing I purchased when I woke up (praise for a day off), and I have swiping away on my Kindle ever since.

Holy SHIIIIIT, Asher. What is even happening anymore?! From the beginning to the end I was hooked. The world building? The character growth? The continued unravel of the prophecy? At this point I will lose sleep for ANYTHING Asher writes.

Rohen’s ARC in this book, as well as her progressive healing was so beautiful to witness. And the way Caspian holds her??? Shut up. The “If you’re pretty enough, perhaps you’ll be rewarded” moment?! When I tell you I was squealing like a school girl, I mean it. The relationship growth these two have had… I just. It’s unreal how connected you become to Asher’s characters and how hard you root for them.

Alastair and Leilani? BYE. Their love is so pure, whole, and devastating, which brings me to my next point… I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU ASHER. WTH 😭🫵🏼

Sorva… Sorva, oh, Sorva… God you’re such a biiiiitch, but I would be a liar if I said I didn’t appreciate her chapters. And that ONE SCENE?! Holy good googly.

The introduction of Ignis in this book had my love for Fae and Shifters squealing. I love how Asher has combined them in a way and can also sense something coming… perhaps an Ignis x Parran x Syoran x Kael polycule? I am beyond begging but… please. Please. PLEASE. But, while I’m here, I will say I absolutely appreciate the continued mention of Percy, and will never be over that man 😭

If you love pirates, Fae, shifters, dark gods, devious villains, prophecies, book by book world building, a story that will keep you guessing, not having ALL the answers right away, DELICIOUS true enemies-to-lovers, HAWT 🌶️, and descriptions of fight scenes/characters/settings that paint everything in your minds eye… Then pick these books up, and then snatch Asher’s other works while you’re at it.

She is so underhyped it is CRIMINAL at this point.
1000000/10 ⭐️
4/5 🌶️

[Barbara]

ARC review

Thank you very much for the early copy of your book Asher D. Payne! Once again you got me hooked!

The world Asher has created is SO rich and immersive that I genuinely felt like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book. The multiple POVs kept the tension high, and I was on edge for pretty much the entire story!
I especially loved the way the gods tried to manipulate the characters. It added such an interesting layer to the story.
In this book you get to know more our MMC Caspian. And oh my this man! 👀 I loved him in book1 but in book2 I was borderline obsessed! 🔥❤️ This man has so many layers. He is a brute but underneath all the facade is a total swoon😍
This book seriously has everything you could want from an epic dark fantasy pirate romance:
🏴‍☠️ A strong and fierce FMC and a brutal and absolute swoon worthy MMC
⚔️ Actual enemies-to-lovers tension 
✨ Fated mates
🔮 An old prophecy
💰 A treasure hunt
🌊 Pirates who actually act like pirates
😂 Fantastic banter
🪄 An excellent magic system
🔥 Plenty of tension and chemistry
The story is fantastic, the characters are incredibly interesting, and we get SO much more action in this book. I also loved learning more about the world and its magic as the story progressed.
Honestly, this was such an entertaining reading experience. The stakes feel higher, the world feels bigger, and the adventure just keeps getting better.
If you love pirates, fantasy, gods, magic, treasure hunts, complicated characters, and a whole lot of tension, this series needs to be on your TBR! 🏴‍☠️✨

[Mere.Dragon.Tales]

Book 2 in the Marked by the Deep series picks up right where book 1 ends. This series is phenomenal. I love the world that Asher created. She has a wide variety of characters from bright sunshine to dark gray and literally everything in between. Asher is a beautiful writer. She brings you into her scenes with her lyrical descriptions without being overwhelming or weighing down the story. You can see the streets, the weapons, the clothing, the facial expressions. It’s an incredible experience. Rohen is our FMC. She is an assassin, trained against her will, and abused along the way. That did not diminish her ability to be loyal, determined, quick-witted, and absolutely deadly. Plush, she also hates our MMC, Caspian. He is a pirate captain that cannot swim. I love this detail that Asher gave to Cas because it’s just too good! He is sexually fluid (and you do experience this in book 1), loyal to his men, deadly with a sword and his fists, has tattoos, and a nipple chain. And that chain puts in some work (in both books!). He is such an a** on the outside, but a squishy teddy bear on the inside. Plus he falls first but absolutely HATES how he feels. Book 2 pushes us further into the game between 2 groups of gods and goddesses that are warring with each other. There are new monsters, new settings, new characters (Ignis has my whole heart), and a whole lot of trauma! We also have an incredible found family that consists of pirates, fae, shifters, and a VERY hot prince!
This book is sooo good! I can’t decide if it’s better than the first or not because I love them both so much! If you love dark fantasy, pirates, enemies to lovers, fated mates, gods/goddesses, prophecies, fae, shifters, monster fighting, mental health representation, lgbtq+ representation, feminine rage, found family, touch him/her and perish, and beautifully written lyrical writing, then this series is for you!

[Netty]

Thanks to @author.asherdpayne for the eARC

📚 Claimed by the Depths by Asher D Payne - Book 2 of the Marked By the Deep Series

I know I put this on every Asher review, but I love her writing, characters & stories so much and this one is no different!

All the swashbuckling, beasts, gods & prophecy reminds me so much of watching the great mythical fantasy films, like Sinbad and Jason & the Argonauts, when I was a kid.

Loved the character development for Rohan & Caspian, can't wait to see what book three brings them. The weaving of the other characters and the prophecy is just epic. You can't beat following Asher's threads through a story!

The fight scenes are so good & amazingly vivid and never let up until the end!

I'm not new to Asher's books, so was definitely expecting a cliffhanger, but talk about whiplash and that last line!

Safe to say I'm eagerly waiting for the next book 👀😱

#ARCReview #AsherDPayne #IndieAuthors #DarkPirateFantasy #nettyslibrary

[Nate Martin]

Claimed By The Depths by Asher D. Payne

We start where we left off..the simmering chaos of Sorva and The Others infiltrating Serevalen

We now begin to understand more of Caspian's trauma responses, the friction between himself and others. Especially his past relationship with Alastair and his current emotional rollercoaster around Rohen.

I really appreciate the exploration of vulnerability and fluidity in this story, especially between so many interesting characters. I could use a LITTLE more slow burn with a couple, but I enjoy the tender moments and cute hesitancy.

The action scenes get pretty wild, but descriptive and clear.


****First Book Spoiler??****
I enjoyed the internal conversations between gods and their children. Attempting to steer them in the right direction and offer guidance while dealing with some of their attitudes 😅  (Definitely looking at you Rohen).





Sea Monsters
God's and Their Children
Fated Mates
Found Family
And every one of our characters has their own brand of sass and spice! 🤣

[Brooke M]

Thankful, as always to be a part of Asher’s ARC team. I was beyond ready to dive into Claimed by the Depths.

Like all her work, CBTD is packed with action and the world building is elite. Grab a pen and paper, you’re going to want notes. Asher is the queen of leaving little crumbs along the way - if you can find them.

I really enjoyed the multiple POV, and getting to see more of the inner thoughts and plannings of each character. There are so many pieces of the puzzle coming together, I cannot wait to see how this prophecy and battle play out

[Kaitlynn Mims]

3.5

[Jymmi is Booked]

Thank you so much to the author for a chance to read this in advance!

Perfect for fans of:
🏴‍☠️The Ever King
🌊 A Wraith Beneath the Tides
🏴‍☠️Sea of Ruin
🌊 Bloody Black

Winning one giveaway led me to receive Cast From the Dark from indie author Asher D. Payne and it was a 5⭐️♾️ infinity read for me. The best dark and twisted pirate fantasy I have read in a long time.

I have never read a book with so many strong and complex characters where every single one of them are cemented in my soul! ✨

I recently read an advance copy of Book 2 Claimed by the Depths 4.5⭐️ and this series continues to deliver. Somehow the stakes get higher, bonds are forged, prophecies are revealed and a malevolent deity is out to destroy it all.

There’s a reason for all these complex characters and their POVs introduced in book 1 and the way Asher pulled this together was unreal. Watching my favorites characters shed layers of past trauma, open themselves up to love again and cast grudges aside to save one of their own and to face the most soulless diety I have ever read about was so good.

🏴‍☠️🌊Oh and did I mention these are pirates that act like pirates …I’m talking all the filthy pirate banter and spice
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️that will leave you very satisfied not to mention the epic battle scenes! 👏🏽✨

[Amber Cox]

This book maintains a continuous flow (never a dull moment!) full of action and rich character development while simultaneously fleshing out a beautifully creative world. The build feels so natural with just enough teasers to make me desperate for more.

I am very curious about the split soul concept – each of these five have another half in Nevandor – coupled with the gods melding with their children. The level of character development built into the lore is fascinating, and I am enjoying all of the character arcs as each main character learns more about themselves (and each other…).

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I truly enjoyed the chapters told from the villain’s perspective. She is horrible in all the best ways…

Seeing how Alastair’s power is starting to develop (along with his relationship with Jaskor) was one of my favorite aspects to this book.

Love, love, LOVE that poor tortured Caspian finally gets to do some yearning! And the way he his with Rohen!! Ahh, it’s just as I dreamed it would be.

Always increasingly committed to these worlds!

[Guillen_reads13]

Review of Advanced Copy Recieved by Author thank you for the opportunity
Asher D Payne does it again and i was hooked from book 1, Claimed by the Depths is basically what happens when you give a group of immortal, bickering deities a round table and a front row seat to a high stakes pirate soap opera. With gods who act like the ultimate messy friend group, a captain who is definitely going to need a chiropractor after all that aggressive sword fighting, and a romance so volatile it makes all other love stories look pitiful. If you’ve ever wanted to read a book where the main characters spend 50% of the time trying to stab each and the other 50% of the time trying to rip each other’s clothes off, Then congratulations you’ve found your new obsession. It’s dramatic, it’s spicy, and the gods are definitely the ones who need to be grounded. Just make sure you’ve got a fan nearby becacuse the tension in this book is hotter than the volcanic archives they’re raiding.

[A Court of Sprayed Edges]

Rating: 5.0+ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 4.0 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Claimed by the Depths, Book 2 in the Marked by the Deep Series, completely blew book one out of the water. I absolutely loved the first installment, but this sequel raised the stakes in every possible way. The world-building, mythology, gods, and carefully placed clues made every chapter feel intentional, keeping me constantly theorizing about what was coming next.

Book 2 picks up where book 1 left off. Caspian and Rohen are still at each other’s throats. The gods have ulterior motives with plans for every scenario. And what they have planned next will shock everyone in Wraelira.

The multi-POV storytelling worked incredibly well, adding depth not only to the main characters but also to the supporting cast. Rohen's growth was one of my favorite aspects of the story. After everything she's endured, watching her slowly learn to trust and open herself up was both emotional and rewarding. Meanwhile, the tension between her and Caspian continues to simmer, leaving me desperate to uncover the truth behind their complicated connection.

Every supporting character brought something special to the story, and I found myself invested in each of their journeys. The friendships, loyalties, mysteries, and hidden agendas kept me turning pages late into the night.

Asher D. Payne does an incredible job weaving clues throughout the story. Some twists I managed to piece together, while others completely caught me off guard. And that ending? Absolutely brutal. My jaw was on the floor, I was crying, and now I'm left desperately needing the next book.

If you love immersive fantasy, complex characters, fascinating gods and magic, multiple POVs, and cliffhangers that leave you emotionally devastated, Claimed by the Depths deserves a spot on your TBR immediately.

[Rara]

I want to thank the Author Asher D Payne for letting me arc read this book. I am leaving my review by my own choice and honestly.

Omg omg omg!!!! holy sheesh! I didn't think that this series could get better and here we are at book 2 and my jaw is on the floor. I savoured this book so very much! I love everything that came out to help us understand what's been happening in the world. What an adventure full of witty banter, such good spice scenes and great action.

I am ready and drooling for the next book!