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Tales of Renthia #1
The Deepest Blue: Tales of Renthia
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 aide 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.
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 aide 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.
12 pages, Audible Audio
First published March 19, 2019
184 people are currently reading
9957 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Beth Durst
42 books6,996 followersSarah Beth Durst is the New York Times bestselling author of over twenty-five books for adults, teens, and kids, including cozy fantasy The Spellshop. She's been awarded an American Library Association Alex Award, as well as a Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. Several of her books have been optioned for film/television, including Drink Slay Love, which was made into a TV movie and was a question on Jeopardy! She lives in Stony Brook, New York, with her husband, her children, and her ill-mannered cat. Visit her at sarahbethdurst.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 446 reviews
May 2, 2019
A stretch of shallow sea lay between the ship and the lovely sand with its bounty of fruit. The stunningly clear water looked picturesquely perfect: the reef below, with schools of silvery fish. A brilliant green sea turtle glided lazily over delicate fan-like coral that waved in its wake.
“It looks like a trap,” Palia muttered beside her.
I still love this universe.
It makes me sad that more people aren't reading these books. I've enjoyed all three books in the first Renthia trilogy, and now this companion novel has introduced me to a part of the world we didn't get to see in the other books-- the archipelago of Belene.
The power system in Belene is different from Aratay. Here the queen's power is not absolute, and she must rely on the aid of the Families and the Silent Ones to maintain peace. When young women are discovered to have an affinity for the spirits, they are given a choice: Become one of the Silent Ones, or participate in the Akena island challenge. Stay alive on the deadly Akena island for a month and become a heir; or die.
Mayara has been keeping her gifts secret for years, but when a spirit storm ravages her wedding day, she has no choice but to use her powers and reveal herself. Then she chooses the island. Along with eleven other girls, she must stay alive on Akena island. Even as angry spirits attack. Even as she begins to suspect that something else is happening on the island. Something that might not be caused by the spirits.
There's so much I love about this series, but I especially love the emphasis it places on women working together. No matter what those with power tell you, no matter how hard they try to persuade you that other women are your enemy, it's ALWAYS better for women to have each other's backs. That message is at the centre of these books and I love it so much.
I also love the importance of smarts and resourcefulness in this series. It's not just one of those fantasy series where more and more powerful magic is required to beat the villains, but is about characters who are not necessarily the strongest or most talented using their brains to figure out the situation, and working with other women to make the most of all their individual strengths.
So many strong, flawed female characters. So much friendship, loyalty, jealousy, jokes, bickering and warmth. So little romance. Also, the sociopathic Garnah is back and she is one of the most fabulous characters ever.
This was her actual choice, she realized: Accept that she was doomed… or fight fate.
“Let’s chase death,” Mayara said.
And, finally, I love the setting. It's a gorgeous place - both Aratay and Belene - full of beaches, coves, and lush vegetation, all hiding unspeakable horrors *shivers* Please don't let this be the end.
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November 27, 2019
The Deepest Blue is a standalone fantasy novel taking place in Durst's highly imaginative Queens of Renthia universe. And yes, it can be read separately without knowing the original trilogy. Although I'd highly recommend giving a chance to The Queen of Blood and the rest of the series.
As always I loved loved loved the world Durst created. While the original trilogy took place on a mainland, mostly the wild forests of Aratay and sky-high mountains of Semo, this novel takes us to the islands of Belene, where people live on giant leviathan skeletons, are surrounded by deadly elemental spririts and in fear of the legendary monsters of the Deepest Blue.
The island, the queen of Belene, serves as the last defense between the untamed monsters of the Deepest Blue and destruction of the mainland. And the queen might not have as much autonomy over the day to day ruling of the islands as it might seem. Training heirs to protect Belene and to one day have a chance to bacome a queen is that much more deadly.
Mayara lives a happy life in her small village, surrounded by family and her childhood friend - soon to be husband. On the her wedding day, a spirit storm hits her village and she's forced to reveal her long hidden power in order to defend her loved ones.
Once a woman with power is discovered, she has only two choices: to become a Silent One - loose her voice, her name and any contact with her family, or an Heir. To become and heir, Mayara wil need to undergo a deadly trials on a remote deserted island full of spirits set on tearing a person apart. A trials no one in recent time survived...
Aside for the awesome world building, the imagination behind the story and the gripping storyline, another thing I loved about this book (as well as the original trilogy) is that it focuses very much on what makes women strong. All kinds of women, with very different minds, motivations and backgrounds. And it is especially powerful when they work together.
Durst's Renthia world is not only one of the most creative fantasies I've encoutered in terms of the imagination of the world, it's also about women having each other's backs and saving the day.
All in all, a must read for fans of Queens of Renthia trilogy, and higly recommended for readers looking for a unique fantasy with amazing female characters, creative world building, a lot of adventure and some mayhem. 4.5 stars.
As always I loved loved loved the world Durst created. While the original trilogy took place on a mainland, mostly the wild forests of Aratay and sky-high mountains of Semo, this novel takes us to the islands of Belene, where people live on giant leviathan skeletons, are surrounded by deadly elemental spririts and in fear of the legendary monsters of the Deepest Blue.
The island, the queen of Belene, serves as the last defense between the untamed monsters of the Deepest Blue and destruction of the mainland. And the queen might not have as much autonomy over the day to day ruling of the islands as it might seem. Training heirs to protect Belene and to one day have a chance to bacome a queen is that much more deadly.
Mayara lives a happy life in her small village, surrounded by family and her childhood friend - soon to be husband. On the her wedding day, a spirit storm hits her village and she's forced to reveal her long hidden power in order to defend her loved ones.
Once a woman with power is discovered, she has only two choices: to become a Silent One - loose her voice, her name and any contact with her family, or an Heir. To become and heir, Mayara wil need to undergo a deadly trials on a remote deserted island full of spirits set on tearing a person apart. A trials no one in recent time survived...
Aside for the awesome world building, the imagination behind the story and the gripping storyline, another thing I loved about this book (as well as the original trilogy) is that it focuses very much on what makes women strong. All kinds of women, with very different minds, motivations and backgrounds. And it is especially powerful when they work together.
Durst's Renthia world is not only one of the most creative fantasies I've encoutered in terms of the imagination of the world, it's also about women having each other's backs and saving the day.
All in all, a must read for fans of Queens of Renthia trilogy, and higly recommended for readers looking for a unique fantasy with amazing female characters, creative world building, a lot of adventure and some mayhem. 4.5 stars.
May 7, 2019
I read this book only because it came in my once upon a book club book box , it’s not something I normally would have chosen, that being said I actually enjoyed the book.
It is about a cluster of islands that are constantly under attack by spirits there are wind spirits, wood spirits, earth spirits, water spirits you get the point, and there are girls born with abilities to fight them off but if they show powers they are immediately taken to choose between a test that can kill them or becoming a silent one . If they choose test they are sent to an island they with 11 other spirit sisters to fight off spirits for a month who ever survives becomes an heir and is trained to fight and can become queen if the existing queen dies. If they choose to be a silent one they are cut off from who they are their family basically every part of who they are and are sent to police all the islands. Our main character is Mayara and is getting married and on the day of her wedding a huge spirit storm hits and no silent ones are sent to protect them so she uses her power to save her people on her island and is taken to choose , and that is where our story begins. It’s a pretty complicated story line but there was alwAys something happening so it was never boring. I really enjoyed it . So if you are looking for an action packed fantasy this is the book for you.
It is about a cluster of islands that are constantly under attack by spirits there are wind spirits, wood spirits, earth spirits, water spirits you get the point, and there are girls born with abilities to fight them off but if they show powers they are immediately taken to choose between a test that can kill them or becoming a silent one . If they choose test they are sent to an island they with 11 other spirit sisters to fight off spirits for a month who ever survives becomes an heir and is trained to fight and can become queen if the existing queen dies. If they choose to be a silent one they are cut off from who they are their family basically every part of who they are and are sent to police all the islands. Our main character is Mayara and is getting married and on the day of her wedding a huge spirit storm hits and no silent ones are sent to protect them so she uses her power to save her people on her island and is taken to choose , and that is where our story begins. It’s a pretty complicated story line but there was alwAys something happening so it was never boring. I really enjoyed it . So if you are looking for an action packed fantasy this is the book for you.
March 18, 2019
Even though I haven't read the original trilogy to this series, I am familiar with Ms. Durst writing and I just knew I would be able to jump right in and have no issues at all. I do love being right!
Not being familiar with how the trilogy ended I was a bit worried I wouldn't get a feel for the world that Durst created, however, after the first few chapters she quickly put my mind at ease with her detail to characters and her setting. I felt like I was stepping into a brand new book, not a continued series. I had no trouble at all quickly becoming immersed in the imaginative and creative world that is this series.
Full of spirits and demons, monsters of both the supernatural and human kind and love story and family ties that defies them all, this was such an easy story to get caught up in. Fantasy or not, I could easily picture it all. From the islands to the ocean, I was right there with them through the whole journey.
It truly was original and fun and makes me want to go back and read it all over again, but this time starting from the very first book.
Truly a fun and magic filled ride that I don't regret jumping blindly into.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Not being familiar with how the trilogy ended I was a bit worried I wouldn't get a feel for the world that Durst created, however, after the first few chapters she quickly put my mind at ease with her detail to characters and her setting. I felt like I was stepping into a brand new book, not a continued series. I had no trouble at all quickly becoming immersed in the imaginative and creative world that is this series.
Full of spirits and demons, monsters of both the supernatural and human kind and love story and family ties that defies them all, this was such an easy story to get caught up in. Fantasy or not, I could easily picture it all. From the islands to the ocean, I was right there with them through the whole journey.
It truly was original and fun and makes me want to go back and read it all over again, but this time starting from the very first book.
Truly a fun and magic filled ride that I don't regret jumping blindly into.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
November 27, 2019
"Let’s chase death."
After reading The Queens of Renthia trilogy earlier this month, I was so glad to already have this new book set in this amazing universe. I hope very much that Sarah Beth Durst will write more books like this ones, because there's so much potential for others tales of Renthia!
In this new book, we're not in Aratay anymore, but in Belene. Without giving away anything, things are different in Belene. Once again, Sarah Beth Durst came up with an amazing world-building, storyline and a new main character, Mayara. I love how different and unique all the female characters are in the Renthia universe, both in the trilogy and in this book, and how the relationships between female characters have such an important place.
While it is a standalone that could technically be read on its own, I very much recommend to read The Queens of Renthia trilogy first. I came to know about it because of a review for The Deepest Blue on my feed, and the person recommended when I asked that I read said trilogy first. I don't regret it, because I think so much is explained in this trilogy about this universe, the spirits, everything, that starting The Deepest Blue with that background knowledge will allow you to have a better reading experience.
After reading The Queens of Renthia trilogy earlier this month, I was so glad to already have this new book set in this amazing universe. I hope very much that Sarah Beth Durst will write more books like this ones, because there's so much potential for others tales of Renthia!
In this new book, we're not in Aratay anymore, but in Belene. Without giving away anything, things are different in Belene. Once again, Sarah Beth Durst came up with an amazing world-building, storyline and a new main character, Mayara. I love how different and unique all the female characters are in the Renthia universe, both in the trilogy and in this book, and how the relationships between female characters have such an important place.
While it is a standalone that could technically be read on its own, I very much recommend to read The Queens of Renthia trilogy first. I came to know about it because of a review for The Deepest Blue on my feed, and the person recommended when I asked that I read said trilogy first. I don't regret it, because I think so much is explained in this trilogy about this universe, the spirits, everything, that starting The Deepest Blue with that background knowledge will allow you to have a better reading experience.
June 16, 2019
Apparently I'm dead inside because you can give me an intriguing magical concept and a world on the brink of war, which are two concepts I love to read about, but combine them with one of the purest and innocent of romances and I immediately loose all sense of empathy with the text.
Protagonist, Mayara, was almost everything I wanted her to be but in love wasn't one of them. She was feisty and willing to risk everything she knows, loves, and is to return her world to its former glory, free from the pressures of the creatures that have doomed them to live in fear and poverty. Her adventures to do so remained compelling but the romance which framed them failed to appeal to me in the same way and I lost much of my connection with the story-line whenever they appeared.
This is merely my personal literary preference however, as the book did everything it set out to do perfectly well, so if you want to read an unproblematic and adorably sweet romance, set in a thrilling fantasy world, then look no further than to this book.
Protagonist, Mayara, was almost everything I wanted her to be but in love wasn't one of them. She was feisty and willing to risk everything she knows, loves, and is to return her world to its former glory, free from the pressures of the creatures that have doomed them to live in fear and poverty. Her adventures to do so remained compelling but the romance which framed them failed to appeal to me in the same way and I lost much of my connection with the story-line whenever they appeared.
This is merely my personal literary preference however, as the book did everything it set out to do perfectly well, so if you want to read an unproblematic and adorably sweet romance, set in a thrilling fantasy world, then look no further than to this book.
September 17, 2025
GUYSSSS holy fuckingggg shiiiiittt
Awesome review on the way stars stars stars
Awesome review on the way stars stars stars
Want to read
September 4, 2018The official cover of 'The Deepest Blue' by Sarah Beth Durst has been unveiled and it changes everything!
'The Deepest Blue' by Sarah Beth Durst will be released on March 19, 2019.
'The Deepest Blue' by Sarah Beth Durst will be released on March 19, 2019.
Want to read
July 2, 2019I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING. PINCH ME BECAUSE I MUST BE DREAMING.
I CAN'T WAITTTTTTT
I CAN'T WAITTTTTTT
April 18, 2019
Review from Tenacious Reader: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2019/0...
While this is the first book from Tales of Renthia that I’ve read, it’s not my first book by Durst. I read Fire and Heist last year, and while I really enjoyed many parts of the book, I ultimately felt like it was aimed at a younger audience, parts of it feeling almost middle grade. I was happy to find The Deepest Blue did not feel this way at all.
The Deepest Blue is a standalone book that quickly drew me into the world and story. This book read extremely well for being new to the world. I never felt like I was missing backstory or information that might have been relayed in other books. As a reader new to her Renthia works, I found this to be an excellent start. I suppose its possible there are references in here that might be potential spoilers for her existing series, but someone who has read it would have to speak to that. I find I enjoyed this one enough that I’m honestly not too worried about it.
The Deepest Blue is a wonderful story that starts by introducing us to Mayara, a strong and independent young woman whose fierceness and determination in her deep dives is met only by her equally fierce love for her fiance. I could not help but immediately love her and want to see her happy in all things, especially her relationship. I will say it is rare to open with such a strong love story component and have it work well for me, but this one really did. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a book where romance overshadows the plot, it is just that her relationship with Kelo is so obviously part of who she is, and the happiness they find in each other is just something I didn’t want to end.
But of course, what fun would a book that is all happy happy be? A wild spirit storm makes Mayara’s life take a turn that she is not sure she can recover from. When a disaster hits their small village, Mayara is forced to put her entire life, the life she has always known and wanted, at tremendous risk in order to protect those she knows and loves. Her heroic actions that prevented further disaster from the spirit storm do not bring her praise or thanks, but instead rip her away and place her in a battle for her life that reminds me a bit of the Hunger Games. It’s not really the same, but it is a live or die scenario where every person is supposed to be out for themselves as malicious spirits try to destroy them.
The book has a great balance of action, characters and even a twist or two to keep the reader engaged. And of course there is the romance that I couldn’t help but root for the entire time as well as well as some very good friendships that are developed. Reading this book has definitely placed her other Renthia books higher on my priority list as I found it to be a wonderful read.
While this is the first book from Tales of Renthia that I’ve read, it’s not my first book by Durst. I read Fire and Heist last year, and while I really enjoyed many parts of the book, I ultimately felt like it was aimed at a younger audience, parts of it feeling almost middle grade. I was happy to find The Deepest Blue did not feel this way at all.
The Deepest Blue is a standalone book that quickly drew me into the world and story. This book read extremely well for being new to the world. I never felt like I was missing backstory or information that might have been relayed in other books. As a reader new to her Renthia works, I found this to be an excellent start. I suppose its possible there are references in here that might be potential spoilers for her existing series, but someone who has read it would have to speak to that. I find I enjoyed this one enough that I’m honestly not too worried about it.
The Deepest Blue is a wonderful story that starts by introducing us to Mayara, a strong and independent young woman whose fierceness and determination in her deep dives is met only by her equally fierce love for her fiance. I could not help but immediately love her and want to see her happy in all things, especially her relationship. I will say it is rare to open with such a strong love story component and have it work well for me, but this one really did. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a book where romance overshadows the plot, it is just that her relationship with Kelo is so obviously part of who she is, and the happiness they find in each other is just something I didn’t want to end.
But of course, what fun would a book that is all happy happy be? A wild spirit storm makes Mayara’s life take a turn that she is not sure she can recover from. When a disaster hits their small village, Mayara is forced to put her entire life, the life she has always known and wanted, at tremendous risk in order to protect those she knows and loves. Her heroic actions that prevented further disaster from the spirit storm do not bring her praise or thanks, but instead rip her away and place her in a battle for her life that reminds me a bit of the Hunger Games. It’s not really the same, but it is a live or die scenario where every person is supposed to be out for themselves as malicious spirits try to destroy them.
The book has a great balance of action, characters and even a twist or two to keep the reader engaged. And of course there is the romance that I couldn’t help but root for the entire time as well as well as some very good friendships that are developed. Reading this book has definitely placed her other Renthia books higher on my priority list as I found it to be a wonderful read.
May 9, 2019
***spoilers abound***
So...I don't think I'll pick up any additional 'Tales of Renthia' in the future. This book took me forrr-eh-vahhhhhhh to read. I don't know what went wrong for me. I LOVED Queen of Blood. I loved Daleina, Ven, Bayn, Merecot, and the giant trees of Aratay that they lived and ran around in while being chased by nature spirits who wanted them dead. QoB was one of my 'Best of' books. But then came Naelin (I literally just had to grab the book and look her up bc I forgot her name), who ended up being the MC for books 2 & 3, and who I loathed. I read that SBD originally wrote about Naelin but that the publisher wanted a prequel or something like that, and that's where Book 1 came from. Sooo...my biggest issue was that NOTHING was solved in those books. At the end, the spirits still hate humanity and Renthia still required Queens to tame them. But I digress.
In picking up The Deepest Blue, I hoped that there would be some sort of solution to the spirit plague. I hoped that, like me, the publishers has concluded that the previous trilogy was lacking at the end and while a new land was something exciting to explore, that there could be a larger, all-encompassing finale for the Renthians. Turns out I was wrong.
Nothing happens to solve the spirit problem but a dual-queendom that was the "twisty" end to the original trilogy! Huh? It's like the author couldn't decide which character she loved more and who she wanted to be queen more, so she gave it to them both. The book was riddled with unimpressive characters who were given "shocking tasks" (*cough cough Lanei cough Palia*) and banal characters with nothing more to do than provide banal filler (*cough Kelo cough Elorna cough*). Most of the book focused on Mayara hiding vs acting and wringing her hands about doing Nonaction A or Nonaction B.
Overall I was thoroughly disappointed by this one. There's so many promising, wondrous things that it could have been. Boo.
So...I don't think I'll pick up any additional 'Tales of Renthia' in the future. This book took me forrr-eh-vahhhhhhh to read. I don't know what went wrong for me. I LOVED Queen of Blood. I loved Daleina, Ven, Bayn, Merecot, and the giant trees of Aratay that they lived and ran around in while being chased by nature spirits who wanted them dead. QoB was one of my 'Best of' books. But then came Naelin (I literally just had to grab the book and look her up bc I forgot her name), who ended up being the MC for books 2 & 3, and who I loathed. I read that SBD originally wrote about Naelin but that the publisher wanted a prequel or something like that, and that's where Book 1 came from. Sooo...my biggest issue was that NOTHING was solved in those books. At the end, the spirits still hate humanity and Renthia still required Queens to tame them. But I digress.
In picking up The Deepest Blue, I hoped that there would be some sort of solution to the spirit plague. I hoped that, like me, the publishers has concluded that the previous trilogy was lacking at the end and while a new land was something exciting to explore, that there could be a larger, all-encompassing finale for the Renthians. Turns out I was wrong.
Nothing happens to solve the spirit problem but a dual-queendom that was the "twisty" end to the original trilogy! Huh? It's like the author couldn't decide which character she loved more and who she wanted to be queen more, so she gave it to them both. The book was riddled with unimpressive characters who were given "shocking tasks" (*cough cough Lanei cough Palia*) and banal characters with nothing more to do than provide banal filler (*cough Kelo cough Elorna cough*). Most of the book focused on Mayara hiding vs acting and wringing her hands about doing Nonaction A or Nonaction B.
Overall I was thoroughly disappointed by this one. There's so many promising, wondrous things that it could have been. Boo.
April 23, 2019
4 Solid Stars
A good story that kept me mostly entertained. There were a few lagging spots though that I found easy to put the book down. But the anticipation of how the story would progress had me picking it back up to continue.
A good story that kept me mostly entertained. There were a few lagging spots though that I found easy to put the book down. But the anticipation of how the story would progress had me picking it back up to continue.
Read
March 28, 2020"Tradition would not be destroyed, but it would change."
It's so refreshing to find stories, even if they are a fantasy that portrays more evidence of women of power who do their duty through their bold and courageous decisions and abilities.
On the islands of Belene Mayara, one of the island's fearless oyster divers planned the perfect day to defy death. On her wedding day in memory of her sister Elorna (who fought against the dark spirits in the water but lost the battle), Mayara took a deep dive into the water and when she summoned her silent powers the dark spirit with sharp teeth tried to kill her.
Kelo married Mayara and presented her with the wedding dress he made for her. He also prepares warrior attire for Mayara, having an intuition of what would inevitably come. As an artist, his art was designed to repel the dark spirits (the silent ones). Mayara saw a twitch in the clouds on the horizon as she and Kelo exchanged their vows. The wild spirits created this massive storm and viciously killed so many of her family members and wedding attendees.
To escape, Kelo constructed fake shrouds so they could pretend to be dead and then they would be dumped underwater and swim in the opposite direction of the other dead bodies. Mayara had to make a bold, dangerous and courageous decision to leave her new husband Kelo wounded and in a cove and join the silent spirits. She was sent to Akena, the island of Testing. This test, which included a total of twelve girls and women, is designed to weed out the weak and unworthy.
Before sailing to the island, she befriends two others, Roe (young, energetic and optimistic) and Palia (an older woman with a pessimistic countenance). Although advised not to team up together by Heir Sorka, whose job it was to make sure they didn't die before they set foot on Akena, they ended up teaming up together anyway. Mayara is disturbed by the smugness of Lord Maarte who said their fate was the fate of their beloved islands and the entirety of Renthia.
Kelo did not die and he tried hard to see Queen Asana to ask her to end the tests. He wanted to try all he could do to save Mayara. He made a special carving in the Queen's likeness to use as an excuse to see and speak to her. Although at first, it seems like his effort was futile, Lady Garnah, assistant to Queen Asana and an expert at poisons concocted a plan to try to find Asana's family who was being held captive by one of the "Families" to control her. Kelo would do this so that it would not look suspicious.
She found out her family was being held by the Family Neran on the island of Olaku, Lord Maarte's family. The queen kept Lord Maarte distracted, while Kelo and Lady Garnah found out where her family was being held. Meanwhile, Queen Asana realized that Lord Maarte tried to poison her. Her parents were found and escaped with the help of Kelo. The queen stopped the test and as Mayara, Roe, and Palia escaped from the island in search of the queen, she had already summoned a spirit to bring them to her.
After great challenges and much betrayal there ended up being two queens. Roe (queen of Belene, bonded to the spirits of the islands) and Mayara (queen of the Deepest Blue) became duo-queens, and what one couldn't control the other could. Roe ended the tests and Akena Island was destroyed by Lanei who dies for her treason.
Change will be slow, but it’s already starting to happen. Yeah for girl-power!
It's so refreshing to find stories, even if they are a fantasy that portrays more evidence of women of power who do their duty through their bold and courageous decisions and abilities.
On the islands of Belene Mayara, one of the island's fearless oyster divers planned the perfect day to defy death. On her wedding day in memory of her sister Elorna (who fought against the dark spirits in the water but lost the battle), Mayara took a deep dive into the water and when she summoned her silent powers the dark spirit with sharp teeth tried to kill her.
Kelo married Mayara and presented her with the wedding dress he made for her. He also prepares warrior attire for Mayara, having an intuition of what would inevitably come. As an artist, his art was designed to repel the dark spirits (the silent ones). Mayara saw a twitch in the clouds on the horizon as she and Kelo exchanged their vows. The wild spirits created this massive storm and viciously killed so many of her family members and wedding attendees.
To escape, Kelo constructed fake shrouds so they could pretend to be dead and then they would be dumped underwater and swim in the opposite direction of the other dead bodies. Mayara had to make a bold, dangerous and courageous decision to leave her new husband Kelo wounded and in a cove and join the silent spirits. She was sent to Akena, the island of Testing. This test, which included a total of twelve girls and women, is designed to weed out the weak and unworthy.
Before sailing to the island, she befriends two others, Roe (young, energetic and optimistic) and Palia (an older woman with a pessimistic countenance). Although advised not to team up together by Heir Sorka, whose job it was to make sure they didn't die before they set foot on Akena, they ended up teaming up together anyway. Mayara is disturbed by the smugness of Lord Maarte who said their fate was the fate of their beloved islands and the entirety of Renthia.
Kelo did not die and he tried hard to see Queen Asana to ask her to end the tests. He wanted to try all he could do to save Mayara. He made a special carving in the Queen's likeness to use as an excuse to see and speak to her. Although at first, it seems like his effort was futile, Lady Garnah, assistant to Queen Asana and an expert at poisons concocted a plan to try to find Asana's family who was being held captive by one of the "Families" to control her. Kelo would do this so that it would not look suspicious.
She found out her family was being held by the Family Neran on the island of Olaku, Lord Maarte's family. The queen kept Lord Maarte distracted, while Kelo and Lady Garnah found out where her family was being held. Meanwhile, Queen Asana realized that Lord Maarte tried to poison her. Her parents were found and escaped with the help of Kelo. The queen stopped the test and as Mayara, Roe, and Palia escaped from the island in search of the queen, she had already summoned a spirit to bring them to her.
After great challenges and much betrayal there ended up being two queens. Roe (queen of Belene, bonded to the spirits of the islands) and Mayara (queen of the Deepest Blue) became duo-queens, and what one couldn't control the other could. Roe ended the tests and Akena Island was destroyed by Lanei who dies for her treason.
Change will be slow, but it’s already starting to happen. Yeah for girl-power!
January 4, 2024
4 stars.
April 3, 2019
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/04/02/...
Sarah Beth Durst’s The Queens of Renthia introduced readers to a world where nature and humankind coexist in a state of precarious balance. While life would cease to exist without the presence of the natural spirits, they also see humans as the invaders of their domain and would gladly see us all dead. If not for the protective powers of a Queen who holds control over all the spirits in the area, human settlements would be under constant threat of vicious attacks.
But that trilogy only focused on a very narrow slice of the world—the forests of Aratay, to be exact. And if you were anything like me, you probably also asked yourself the same questions after reading: is it like this everywhere else? And if there are forest spirits, does that mean there are also desert spirits, grassland spirits, ocean spirits?
Some of these answers, in part, can be found in The Deepest Blue, something of a spin-off off the original series. It can be read as a stand-alone, as this time, our focus is on a whole new set of characters. The novel transports us to the crystal blue shores of the island nation of Belene, home to our protagonist Mayara, a young woman about to be wed to her best friend and love of her life, Kelo. Surrounded by friends and family, she can hardly wait for the big day. Her only regret is that her older sister would not be there to witness her happiness, Elorna having perished in an accident eight years ago, while diving for shellfish. The family has never been the same since. Understanding better than most how dangerous the island and its surrounding waters can be, Mayara vows she would never take the love she and Kelo shares for granted, that they would make the most out of their new lives together.
However, that future may be snatched away before it has even begun. On the day of their wedding, a deadly storm sweeps through Belene, destroying homes and taking lives. Such a powerful destructive force could only have been caused by the ocean spirits, and Mayara fears she may be the reason for their sudden attack, for she has been hiding a secret, one known only to a very few. But now that most of Belene is destroyed and so many close to her are dead, she has no choice but to finally reveal it: she has the power to control the spirits. To save those she loves, Mayara must make a difficult choice—sacrifice herself and be sent to a lonely island where others like her tested, or spend a life on the run so that the spirits and their watchers, the Silent Ones, will never find her.
For those who have read The Queen of Blood, The Deepest Blue mirrors it in some ways. Both are about reluctant protagonists who come into their power to control spirits and must compete with other young women to become Queen. But the way things are on the islands is very different from the forests. Mayara finds herself in a fight for life, as only one woman can become Heir while the rest of them must die—a situation that is much bloodier and cutthroat than we are used to. In this sense, the comparisons in the synopsis to The Hunger Games are warranted, in terms of action, violence, and brutality.
Mayara, however, is a very different kind of heroine from a lot of these stories. As the last to arrive on the island, she has also received the least training. Knowing that her chances of survival are low, she decides on another tactic, reaching out to the competition in the hopes of making friends and allies. Consequently, The Deepest Blue became less about a tale of individual survival, instead transforming into one of sisterhood and cooperation against the elements. I was also pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of Kelo’s perspective. I don’t want to elaborate too much on his role for fear of spoiling the plot, but I did like how the romance in this book eschewed conventions by focusing on an already established relationship between a newlywed couple.
There was also more complexity to this story than I expected. Threads of political machinations and mystery are woven throughout, adding more intrigue to the premise. The ways of the islands are fascinating, and I loved that Durst expanded on the magic, spirits, and cultures of her world by taking us to this whole new setting. As much as I enjoyed the original trilogy set in the forests, there’s just something so alluring about Belene and its tropical islands and oceans, and the fact that this is the backdrop to so much vicious scheming and violence simply intensifies the suspense.
All told, The Deepest Blue was a most welcome addition to the world of Queens of Renthia, and I’m also thrilled because this book made me realize I was not quite ready to say goodbye to all the magic yet. Fans of the trilogy will be sure to love this one too, and while I highly recommend starting out with those books first, new readers can also jump right in and enjoy it on its own.
Sarah Beth Durst’s The Queens of Renthia introduced readers to a world where nature and humankind coexist in a state of precarious balance. While life would cease to exist without the presence of the natural spirits, they also see humans as the invaders of their domain and would gladly see us all dead. If not for the protective powers of a Queen who holds control over all the spirits in the area, human settlements would be under constant threat of vicious attacks.
But that trilogy only focused on a very narrow slice of the world—the forests of Aratay, to be exact. And if you were anything like me, you probably also asked yourself the same questions after reading: is it like this everywhere else? And if there are forest spirits, does that mean there are also desert spirits, grassland spirits, ocean spirits?
Some of these answers, in part, can be found in The Deepest Blue, something of a spin-off off the original series. It can be read as a stand-alone, as this time, our focus is on a whole new set of characters. The novel transports us to the crystal blue shores of the island nation of Belene, home to our protagonist Mayara, a young woman about to be wed to her best friend and love of her life, Kelo. Surrounded by friends and family, she can hardly wait for the big day. Her only regret is that her older sister would not be there to witness her happiness, Elorna having perished in an accident eight years ago, while diving for shellfish. The family has never been the same since. Understanding better than most how dangerous the island and its surrounding waters can be, Mayara vows she would never take the love she and Kelo shares for granted, that they would make the most out of their new lives together.
However, that future may be snatched away before it has even begun. On the day of their wedding, a deadly storm sweeps through Belene, destroying homes and taking lives. Such a powerful destructive force could only have been caused by the ocean spirits, and Mayara fears she may be the reason for their sudden attack, for she has been hiding a secret, one known only to a very few. But now that most of Belene is destroyed and so many close to her are dead, she has no choice but to finally reveal it: she has the power to control the spirits. To save those she loves, Mayara must make a difficult choice—sacrifice herself and be sent to a lonely island where others like her tested, or spend a life on the run so that the spirits and their watchers, the Silent Ones, will never find her.
For those who have read The Queen of Blood, The Deepest Blue mirrors it in some ways. Both are about reluctant protagonists who come into their power to control spirits and must compete with other young women to become Queen. But the way things are on the islands is very different from the forests. Mayara finds herself in a fight for life, as only one woman can become Heir while the rest of them must die—a situation that is much bloodier and cutthroat than we are used to. In this sense, the comparisons in the synopsis to The Hunger Games are warranted, in terms of action, violence, and brutality.
Mayara, however, is a very different kind of heroine from a lot of these stories. As the last to arrive on the island, she has also received the least training. Knowing that her chances of survival are low, she decides on another tactic, reaching out to the competition in the hopes of making friends and allies. Consequently, The Deepest Blue became less about a tale of individual survival, instead transforming into one of sisterhood and cooperation against the elements. I was also pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of Kelo’s perspective. I don’t want to elaborate too much on his role for fear of spoiling the plot, but I did like how the romance in this book eschewed conventions by focusing on an already established relationship between a newlywed couple.
There was also more complexity to this story than I expected. Threads of political machinations and mystery are woven throughout, adding more intrigue to the premise. The ways of the islands are fascinating, and I loved that Durst expanded on the magic, spirits, and cultures of her world by taking us to this whole new setting. As much as I enjoyed the original trilogy set in the forests, there’s just something so alluring about Belene and its tropical islands and oceans, and the fact that this is the backdrop to so much vicious scheming and violence simply intensifies the suspense.
All told, The Deepest Blue was a most welcome addition to the world of Queens of Renthia, and I’m also thrilled because this book made me realize I was not quite ready to say goodbye to all the magic yet. Fans of the trilogy will be sure to love this one too, and while I highly recommend starting out with those books first, new readers can also jump right in and enjoy it on its own.
March 23, 2021
Ahoy there me mateys! I won a copy of this young adult fantasy eArc from Goodreads Giveaways! Arrrr! Here be me honest musings . . .
I have read five of this author's novels so far, although three were pre-blog. I had been meaning to read the Renthia trilogy forever. When I saw a giveaway for a standalone novel set in the Renthia universe, I thought that would be an excellent way to be introduced to the world without having to start a new series. Unlike the recent read of race the sands, this one didn't end up working so well for me.
Where the race the sands book had excellent plot and characters and was lighter on the world building, I felt this was the opposite. I loved the world set up but did not love the plot. And I did not love the main character, Mayara. Mayara was said to be tough and intelligent and a risk taker. I could see some intelligence but most of the time she was whiney about wanting to go home. I get that some people could find that realistic. Mayara just annoyed me. All she wanted to do is hide. There was no real risk taking. I did enjoy that she had basically no magic training and how that impacted the story.
Surprisingly I loved the romance in this book. I loved Mayara's partner Kelo and how their relationship worked. It was lovely to see an established relationship with no angst about each other. I actually would have rather have had Kelo's story to be honest. He was naïve but sweet. I liked that their personalities complimented each other and both had strengths and weaknesses.
The major problem was the plot. Why the trials exist and how they are run made no sense. The plot twists were predictable and boring. Kelo's plan to get to the Queen was not thought out and then he gets involved in a political scheme that was so poorly planned it shouldn't have worked. There were a ton of lucky coincidences and some people not being dead and characters that serve no real point except as an excuse to move Kelo away from Mayara. As I read the book became less and less engaging. I only finished it because of winning it in the giveaway and wanting to give the author the benefit of the doubt because of her other books.
Sad to say that I really didn't like this one. I am still very interested however in her books the bone maker and catalyst. Arrrr!
I have read five of this author's novels so far, although three were pre-blog. I had been meaning to read the Renthia trilogy forever. When I saw a giveaway for a standalone novel set in the Renthia universe, I thought that would be an excellent way to be introduced to the world without having to start a new series. Unlike the recent read of race the sands, this one didn't end up working so well for me.
Where the race the sands book had excellent plot and characters and was lighter on the world building, I felt this was the opposite. I loved the world set up but did not love the plot. And I did not love the main character, Mayara. Mayara was said to be tough and intelligent and a risk taker. I could see some intelligence but most of the time she was whiney about wanting to go home. I get that some people could find that realistic. Mayara just annoyed me. All she wanted to do is hide. There was no real risk taking. I did enjoy that she had basically no magic training and how that impacted the story.
Surprisingly I loved the romance in this book. I loved Mayara's partner Kelo and how their relationship worked. It was lovely to see an established relationship with no angst about each other. I actually would have rather have had Kelo's story to be honest. He was naïve but sweet. I liked that their personalities complimented each other and both had strengths and weaknesses.
The major problem was the plot. Why the trials exist and how they are run made no sense. The plot twists were predictable and boring. Kelo's plan to get to the Queen was not thought out and then he gets involved in a political scheme that was so poorly planned it shouldn't have worked. There were a ton of lucky coincidences and some people not being dead and characters that serve no real point except as an excuse to move Kelo away from Mayara. As I read the book became less and less engaging. I only finished it because of winning it in the giveaway and wanting to give the author the benefit of the doubt because of her other books.
Sad to say that I really didn't like this one. I am still very interested however in her books the bone maker and catalyst. Arrrr!
April 2, 2019
My Thoughts
Well this was a horrible place to live! Poor people! There are spirits everywhere, and these spirits hate humans and wants to kill them all, niiice. The only thing that holds them in check is the Queen of the land and heirs. But no one controls the wild ones so they can just go and kill you like that.
But that is not the worst in away, not for the main character. See if you magic you have 3 choices. Hide it as long as you can. Get sent to this hellish island where spirits will try to kill you for a month and if you survive you get to be an Heir, and fight spirits until your end days. Or be a Silent One and never see your family again. Oh this system sucks!
Was this YA? I mean it did feel like YA, but at the same time she gets married. She has a great relationship with him, and there is no romance. Oh you know me and YA ;) But yes I loved the interactions between her and her husband to be. They loved each other. No other people in sight. SO double worse for her to show her powers and be sent away from him.
I really liked this world, it is one crazy world! I did not know that her previous series was set here too, but on the mainland? Since this was the islands. I would like to read those too. As this one was a stand alone and truly worked like that. But hey if there is more then I am in.
I liked Mayara. She wanted to survive, but she was also a nurturer as we will see, and not great on her own. All good things in a way, you will see. There is danger and fighting, lots and lots of fighting, and death.
Final thoughts.
I liked it
Narration
She did well with female and male voices. If to be fair the only male voice was the hubbie, and this evil Lord for a few sentences. This is a very female driven book. But she made great effort to show the differences in their voices.
I also liked the spirits voices and esp the old ones.
Well this was a horrible place to live! Poor people! There are spirits everywhere, and these spirits hate humans and wants to kill them all, niiice. The only thing that holds them in check is the Queen of the land and heirs. But no one controls the wild ones so they can just go and kill you like that.
But that is not the worst in away, not for the main character. See if you magic you have 3 choices. Hide it as long as you can. Get sent to this hellish island where spirits will try to kill you for a month and if you survive you get to be an Heir, and fight spirits until your end days. Or be a Silent One and never see your family again. Oh this system sucks!
Was this YA? I mean it did feel like YA, but at the same time she gets married. She has a great relationship with him, and there is no romance. Oh you know me and YA ;) But yes I loved the interactions between her and her husband to be. They loved each other. No other people in sight. SO double worse for her to show her powers and be sent away from him.
I really liked this world, it is one crazy world! I did not know that her previous series was set here too, but on the mainland? Since this was the islands. I would like to read those too. As this one was a stand alone and truly worked like that. But hey if there is more then I am in.
I liked Mayara. She wanted to survive, but she was also a nurturer as we will see, and not great on her own. All good things in a way, you will see. There is danger and fighting, lots and lots of fighting, and death.
Final thoughts.
I liked it
Narration
She did well with female and male voices. If to be fair the only male voice was the hubbie, and this evil Lord for a few sentences. This is a very female driven book. But she made great effort to show the differences in their voices.
I also liked the spirits voices and esp the old ones.
December 4, 2018
This was a nice, easy and entertaining read! Although it wasn't completely my thing, I would highly recommend it to readers looking for nature based fantasy and strong female characters.
March 19, 2019
4.5 Stars
Deepest Blue is the latest installment in The Queens of Renthia series of novels which give us moral heroines who find unique ways to make peace with nature in the form of various elemental spirit entities (fire, air, water, earth, ice, wood, etc.) In this installment, Durst explores an island region of Renthia, Belene, and the harsh fate that awaits those with the power to control the spirits, who are charged with the duty of protecting their region of Renthia in spite of any alleigiance to family or loved ones. In this fourth book in the Renthia series we meet Mayara, an oyster diver in Belene who saves her community and loved ones from a storm driven by the malicious ocean spirits that surround Belene on her wedding day. This novel gives us more of an established set of relationships and commitments and lets us feel the impact on heirs to the various regions of Renthia. Much as the reader felt the plight of Daleina in the Renthia trilogy, Deepest Blue elaborates on the theme of communal welfare versus personal commitment.
I continue to enjoy this series in which Nature fights back against the human transgression. Durst gives us a world in which all the successful leaders are those who find a way to create a sense of equilibrium or meaningful co-existence with Nature. That's an optimistic world view that I enjoy. Mayara's story is another fine installment in the Renthian world.
I received a Digital Review Copy along with a paper review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Deepest Blue is the latest installment in The Queens of Renthia series of novels which give us moral heroines who find unique ways to make peace with nature in the form of various elemental spirit entities (fire, air, water, earth, ice, wood, etc.) In this installment, Durst explores an island region of Renthia, Belene, and the harsh fate that awaits those with the power to control the spirits, who are charged with the duty of protecting their region of Renthia in spite of any alleigiance to family or loved ones. In this fourth book in the Renthia series we meet Mayara, an oyster diver in Belene who saves her community and loved ones from a storm driven by the malicious ocean spirits that surround Belene on her wedding day. This novel gives us more of an established set of relationships and commitments and lets us feel the impact on heirs to the various regions of Renthia. Much as the reader felt the plight of Daleina in the Renthia trilogy, Deepest Blue elaborates on the theme of communal welfare versus personal commitment.
I continue to enjoy this series in which Nature fights back against the human transgression. Durst gives us a world in which all the successful leaders are those who find a way to create a sense of equilibrium or meaningful co-existence with Nature. That's an optimistic world view that I enjoy. Mayara's story is another fine installment in the Renthian world.
I received a Digital Review Copy along with a paper review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 5, 2024
I started this book a couple of years ago but didn't make it past 50ish pages. I decided to try one more time.
The plotline was probably the weakest part of the book. I didn't like the entire part with the island, which was the main plot. It doesn't even make sense. You need girls who have the power to control spirits to protect your nation, so you throw them on a deadly island with three days of training?
There could've been a good twist but it was immediately obvious.
The spirits were such a unique creation. They kind of reminded me of ayakashi. I wish they had more depth as opposed to just wanting to kill humans. Smart ones were mentioned but nothing was done with them. Same with the spirit controlling powers. Mayara doesn't know how to use her abilities, nor does she ever really learn. Most of the magic is done by others. It was a wasted opportunity.
Mayara tells 80% of the story with Kello and Queen Asana each having a little POV. Mayara and Kelo are both good characters. Their relationship was sweet and I'm glad there wasn't drama there.
I really can't stand Roe. She's so stupidly self righteous.
On the other hand I loved lady Garnah. I don't know what that says about me since the woman is a poisoner with no morals. Shrugs. But she was entertaining and absolutely not stupid.
Quite possibly the perfect ending! There really were a lot of good lines in this book. The end was particularly packed with goodness. I was waffling between 3 and 4 stars but the ending cinched it. Deepest Blue is definitely a good book. I probably won't reread it but I'm glad I gave it another chance.
The plotline was probably the weakest part of the book. I didn't like the entire part with the island, which was the main plot. It doesn't even make sense. You need girls who have the power to control spirits to protect your nation, so you throw them on a deadly island with three days of training?
There could've been a good twist but it was immediately obvious.
The spirits were such a unique creation. They kind of reminded me of ayakashi. I wish they had more depth as opposed to just wanting to kill humans. Smart ones were mentioned but nothing was done with them. Same with the spirit controlling powers. Mayara doesn't know how to use her abilities, nor does she ever really learn. Most of the magic is done by others. It was a wasted opportunity.
Mayara tells 80% of the story with Kello and Queen Asana each having a little POV. Mayara and Kelo are both good characters. Their relationship was sweet and I'm glad there wasn't drama there.
I really can't stand Roe. She's so stupidly self righteous.
On the other hand I loved lady Garnah. I don't know what that says about me since the woman is a poisoner with no morals. Shrugs. But she was entertaining and absolutely not stupid.
Quite possibly the perfect ending! There really were a lot of good lines in this book. The end was particularly packed with goodness. I was waffling between 3 and 4 stars but the ending cinched it. Deepest Blue is definitely a good book. I probably won't reread it but I'm glad I gave it another chance.
March 19, 2019
Disclaimer: The author sent me a free finished copy of this novel for the purposes of reviewing.
Once again, Sarah Beth Durst absolutely captivates me with a fantastical story which in some ways reminds me of a beach side Game of Thrones meets The Hunger Games. I absolutely adored Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst which I first read in December and I was delighted when she reached out to me and asked me to review The Deepest Blue.
The Deepest Blue is the story of a young spirit sister in the fictional world of Renthia. Life is simple for Mayara. She has a fiance and her mother and father whom she loves as well as a large extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins. Her fiance is the love of her life and the story really starts with the tale of their wedding which heads for disaster when a spirit storm reaches their side of the island. Mayara, who has hidden her power of being able to control the spirits, must use them to save the people she loves. In doing so, she has now exposed herself to the Queen who send the Silent Sisters after her. She tries to flee with Kelo, her now husband, but when the Silent sister catch up she has to choose to abandon her life that she loves – and Kelo – to join them, or she must choose to battle on the island for a spot as an Heir or die trying, and only the strongest survive. Her sister died on this island.
The world building in this novel is phenomenal and so important to moving the story along. I loved this world and the spirits that are the magic of this fantasy world. It was easy to feel like I was in this world with the characters. Sarah Beth Durst does such a good job jumping right into the action of the plot and moving it along in a quick, but understandable way.
There are a lot of characters in this world, but each character has their own persona that makes them easy to tell apart and relate to. One of my favorite characters is the Queen who leads a complicated and emotional existence. You can tell she really struggles with who she is in the position she is put in which I really related to.
One of my favorite aspects of this world was the idea of spirits, although most are vengeful, the spirits ranged from human like, to sea foam, to dragons, to birds. Everything seemed to have its own life which made the setting and the characters very united. I loved the idea of tiny sea foam spirits dancing on top of the waves and when Mayara took control of the dragon spirit at the beginning of the novel, I was absolutely taken with the idea of her powers.
Although this is a standalone, this book takes place in the same world as Sarah Beth Durst’s other series: The Queens of Renthia
I recommend this book to fans of Game of Thrones for complex characters in a complex world and fans of The Hunger Games for the same feeling of survival. I also recommend to any 16+ readers who love a good fantasy novel. I ended up giving this novel 5 out of 5 stars!
Once again, Sarah Beth Durst absolutely captivates me with a fantastical story which in some ways reminds me of a beach side Game of Thrones meets The Hunger Games. I absolutely adored Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst which I first read in December and I was delighted when she reached out to me and asked me to review The Deepest Blue.
The Deepest Blue is the story of a young spirit sister in the fictional world of Renthia. Life is simple for Mayara. She has a fiance and her mother and father whom she loves as well as a large extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins. Her fiance is the love of her life and the story really starts with the tale of their wedding which heads for disaster when a spirit storm reaches their side of the island. Mayara, who has hidden her power of being able to control the spirits, must use them to save the people she loves. In doing so, she has now exposed herself to the Queen who send the Silent Sisters after her. She tries to flee with Kelo, her now husband, but when the Silent sister catch up she has to choose to abandon her life that she loves – and Kelo – to join them, or she must choose to battle on the island for a spot as an Heir or die trying, and only the strongest survive. Her sister died on this island.
The world building in this novel is phenomenal and so important to moving the story along. I loved this world and the spirits that are the magic of this fantasy world. It was easy to feel like I was in this world with the characters. Sarah Beth Durst does such a good job jumping right into the action of the plot and moving it along in a quick, but understandable way.
There are a lot of characters in this world, but each character has their own persona that makes them easy to tell apart and relate to. One of my favorite characters is the Queen who leads a complicated and emotional existence. You can tell she really struggles with who she is in the position she is put in which I really related to.
One of my favorite aspects of this world was the idea of spirits, although most are vengeful, the spirits ranged from human like, to sea foam, to dragons, to birds. Everything seemed to have its own life which made the setting and the characters very united. I loved the idea of tiny sea foam spirits dancing on top of the waves and when Mayara took control of the dragon spirit at the beginning of the novel, I was absolutely taken with the idea of her powers.
Although this is a standalone, this book takes place in the same world as Sarah Beth Durst’s other series: The Queens of Renthia
I recommend this book to fans of Game of Thrones for complex characters in a complex world and fans of The Hunger Games for the same feeling of survival. I also recommend to any 16+ readers who love a good fantasy novel. I ended up giving this novel 5 out of 5 stars!
May 4, 2021
Finally getting around to reading this companion to the Queens of Renthia trilogy. Pretty good as a stand alone, but I think it definitely serves to read the trilogy first.
This book felt VERY much like a Hunger Games readalike, at least in the first part, and that might have turned me off a little (because we've already had soooo many Hunger Game wannabes). Eventually, though, the story went in its own direction and I read the later half much quicker than the beginning.
(Random quibble: There's one scene where the main character is wrapped in an "old sail" as a burial shroud, whilst pretending to be a corpse. Later, while lying in the shroud: "The sail was porous, letting the night breeze in." Does that strike anyone as odd? Isn't the point of a sail to be the exact opposite of porous and breezy? Ok, maybe this sail was SO old that its weave had loosened up some....but still, would it have loosened to the point of letting in a breeze?)
I'm not sure what it is that keeps me from LOVING this series. Like, I think it's pretty good, and it checks off a lot of boxes. There's a cast of characters that are primarily women who are all flawed and complicated, and I definitely appreciate the fact that there's very little romance......But I dunno, none of these books really hits more than four stars for me. Maybe I'm just not as into high fantasy as I used to be.
Still, worth a read and worth a place on my own bookshelves.
This book felt VERY much like a Hunger Games readalike, at least in the first part, and that might have turned me off a little (because we've already had soooo many Hunger Game wannabes). Eventually, though, the story went in its own direction and I read the later half much quicker than the beginning.
(Random quibble: There's one scene where the main character is wrapped in an "old sail" as a burial shroud, whilst pretending to be a corpse. Later, while lying in the shroud: "The sail was porous, letting the night breeze in." Does that strike anyone as odd? Isn't the point of a sail to be the exact opposite of porous and breezy? Ok, maybe this sail was SO old that its weave had loosened up some....but still, would it have loosened to the point of letting in a breeze?)
I'm not sure what it is that keeps me from LOVING this series. Like, I think it's pretty good, and it checks off a lot of boxes. There's a cast of characters that are primarily women who are all flawed and complicated, and I definitely appreciate the fact that there's very little romance......But I dunno, none of these books really hits more than four stars for me. Maybe I'm just not as into high fantasy as I used to be.
Still, worth a read and worth a place on my own bookshelves.
April 29, 2019
It felt like a magical Hunger Games. 😉
April 24, 2020
3 1/2 Deep Blue stars
December 17, 2022
I think Sarah Beth durst is very underrated. This book is the exact kind of fantasy I love. Developed world, strong characters and an interesting premise. I see the comparisons to the hunger games and agree. But it’s still different enough that I works. I liked seeing the view point of the queen and seeing that no matter how strong she is, she still has her hands fairly tied. I liked how her compassion was show in a good light. The traits that were more feminine, were show positively within the book and still allowed the female characters to be very strong. That’s something that I think is not shown enough in books.
I also loved how the world was so different from the world we saw in queen of blood. It’s described as a beautiful ocean focused world and I love stories that focus on sea/ocean/lake towns.
I wish more people were reading Sarah beth Durst books and this one in particular. I highly recommend it!
I also loved how the world was so different from the world we saw in queen of blood. It’s described as a beautiful ocean focused world and I love stories that focus on sea/ocean/lake towns.
I wish more people were reading Sarah beth Durst books and this one in particular. I highly recommend it!
June 21, 2019
If "Queen of Blood" was Druid Harry Potter then "The Deepest Blue" is Druid Hunger Games and I am HERE FOR IT.
July 28, 2019
In the lands of Renthia there are spirits of land, sky and sea who endanger its people. Those of the land have long ago been subdued and restrained by the queens but those of the sea are still wild.
The duty of protecting the islands and its peoples from these wild spirits and for keeping the leviathans slumbering falls to the queens and their heirs, heirs who must survive the Island of Testing and only a very few do. These heirs are chosen from women who are proven to have an affinity to control the spirits and when on her wedding day, in order to save those she loves, Mayara reveals she has this affinity, her future is sacrificed and she is faced with the Island of Testing. The same fate that befell her older sister years ago and from which she never returned.
Stepping into this novel I fell in love with the characters and their relationships with each other - there were so many that are just open and warm hearted (and some more complicated ones such as that with Mayara and her mom) but mainly what stood out was the encouragement, love and humanity that came through in so many. The span of this ranged from the sweetness of Mayara and Kelo's romance, to the exasperating affection of Mayara's extended family, and then beyond Mayara's initial circle to her fellow heirs who come together (well kind of mostly) as they seek to win through. We also get to meet some characters such as a darkly entertaining poisoner who is caustically too blunt about somethings but has her own appealing steadiness.
As much as I loved the characters, and the fact that this was a swift flowing read of a novel, I haven't given it 5 stars and this may be solely because it was not an overly intricate story, but it did have emotional depth and a resonance around dealing with suffering and decisions that cost. However, as I sometimes tend to gravitate towards fantasy books with more grim and shadowy political machinations or with multiple plot points I may have been looking for more in this area. Though, I do need to note that 'The Deepest Blue' has some compelling political shenanigans of its own, surrounding both Mayara's journey to becoming a heir candidate and surrounding Queen Asana and the decisions she is faced with in handling how to lead and protect her people while also navigating the power constraints placed around her rule by her land's power families.
Hmmm, this all probably sounds like the novel should hit all the buttons for a 5 star and I have to admit I can't quite place my finger on that ephemeral feeling for why it didn't for me. It definitely though easily and solidly hit 4 stars for me -especially when you add in the wry and playful humour that is threaded through the text.
Quotes:
"Death can’t catch me if I chase it."
"I must increase the relief efforts in Olaku. And send a 'Congratulations, you must be so proud' letter to the parents of our newest spirit sister. She was all that kept it from being a massacre. An act of heroism that I rewarded by sending her to her probable death, yet another horrible thing in Belene I can't stop or change."
"You know," Garnah said mildly, "sometimes I get the impression that you don't like being queen."
At that, the queen of Belene laughed so hard that she cried.
The following extract is a sample of Mayara's early interactions with two other potential heirs:
"Three days to train," Roe repeated. "You can do this!"
"Maybe it will be enough," Palia said. "Maybe you won't die."
“Optimism, Palia?” Row asked. “I’m proud of you.”
“I’m lying through my teeth,” Palia said. “Obviously we’re all going to die. But I didn’t think it would be helpful to say that.”
Mayara almost smiled, painfully. "You just said it."
"Thatta girl." Palia patted her shoulder. No more panicking. Gather your courage and all that. Just because it's hopeless doesn't mean we can't act like it's not."
"You're really terrible at comforting people," Mayara told her.
"I blame my upbringing," Palia said. "And Lord Maarte. And the queen. And the archaic traditions that put us in this position. I also blame the spirits, bad luck, and an unripe mango I ate for breakfast. It really didn't agree with me."
The url below links to the first three chapters of the book where Mayara and her relationships to Kelo and her family shine through:
http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/Deepest...
The duty of protecting the islands and its peoples from these wild spirits and for keeping the leviathans slumbering falls to the queens and their heirs, heirs who must survive the Island of Testing and only a very few do. These heirs are chosen from women who are proven to have an affinity to control the spirits and when on her wedding day, in order to save those she loves, Mayara reveals she has this affinity, her future is sacrificed and she is faced with the Island of Testing. The same fate that befell her older sister years ago and from which she never returned.
Stepping into this novel I fell in love with the characters and their relationships with each other - there were so many that are just open and warm hearted (and some more complicated ones such as that with Mayara and her mom) but mainly what stood out was the encouragement, love and humanity that came through in so many. The span of this ranged from the sweetness of Mayara and Kelo's romance, to the exasperating affection of Mayara's extended family, and then beyond Mayara's initial circle to her fellow heirs who come together (well kind of mostly) as they seek to win through. We also get to meet some characters such as a darkly entertaining poisoner who is caustically too blunt about somethings but has her own appealing steadiness.
As much as I loved the characters, and the fact that this was a swift flowing read of a novel, I haven't given it 5 stars and this may be solely because it was not an overly intricate story, but it did have emotional depth and a resonance around dealing with suffering and decisions that cost. However, as I sometimes tend to gravitate towards fantasy books with more grim and shadowy political machinations or with multiple plot points I may have been looking for more in this area. Though, I do need to note that 'The Deepest Blue' has some compelling political shenanigans of its own, surrounding both Mayara's journey to becoming a heir candidate and surrounding Queen Asana and the decisions she is faced with in handling how to lead and protect her people while also navigating the power constraints placed around her rule by her land's power families.
Hmmm, this all probably sounds like the novel should hit all the buttons for a 5 star and I have to admit I can't quite place my finger on that ephemeral feeling for why it didn't for me. It definitely though easily and solidly hit 4 stars for me -especially when you add in the wry and playful humour that is threaded through the text.
Quotes:
"Death can’t catch me if I chase it."
"I must increase the relief efforts in Olaku. And send a 'Congratulations, you must be so proud' letter to the parents of our newest spirit sister. She was all that kept it from being a massacre. An act of heroism that I rewarded by sending her to her probable death, yet another horrible thing in Belene I can't stop or change."
"You know," Garnah said mildly, "sometimes I get the impression that you don't like being queen."
At that, the queen of Belene laughed so hard that she cried.
The following extract is a sample of Mayara's early interactions with two other potential heirs:
"Three days to train," Roe repeated. "You can do this!"
"Maybe it will be enough," Palia said. "Maybe you won't die."
“Optimism, Palia?” Row asked. “I’m proud of you.”
“I’m lying through my teeth,” Palia said. “Obviously we’re all going to die. But I didn’t think it would be helpful to say that.”
Mayara almost smiled, painfully. "You just said it."
"Thatta girl." Palia patted her shoulder. No more panicking. Gather your courage and all that. Just because it's hopeless doesn't mean we can't act like it's not."
"You're really terrible at comforting people," Mayara told her.
"I blame my upbringing," Palia said. "And Lord Maarte. And the queen. And the archaic traditions that put us in this position. I also blame the spirits, bad luck, and an unripe mango I ate for breakfast. It really didn't agree with me."
The url below links to the first three chapters of the book where Mayara and her relationships to Kelo and her family shine through:
http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/Deepest...
June 15, 2019
Wow, I absolutely adored this book. I struggled through the first few chapters but once I was in, I was in and even taking small bathroom breaks was a struggle. Mayara, the heroine, is an exceptional character. She’s everything a heroine should be: fearless, kind, brave, bright, loveable. Maraya doesn’t just jump into things unless of course it’s the ocean which she can’t resist. She thinks things over and follows both her gut and her morals. She speaks without thinking and her honesty is brutal but respectable. Maybe because she was a poor island villager or because she was so humble, her character never had a greedy moment or did she allow any power to go to her head. Her love for family and her husband gave her power. And a Kelo, what a great man, total book boyfriend material. Beyond devoted to Maraya I think he would swim right up to a Levithan if it meant saving or protecting his love. These two are so mushy and disgusting you can’t hekp but love them and hope beyond all hope they get their HEA.
I struggled getting into the story and am still not 100% clear on the spirits. Are they spirits like what we think of as angry ghosts? Where did they come from? Etc... I kinda just rolled with the story and took it in stride. Once Mayara is taken by the Silent Ones I was 100% in. For a while you’re not sure of the fate of her family and you’re shown the darker side of their world. Ruling powerful families who basically even held the Queen hostage were the real rulers. Their power and money caused them to be selfish and with the power of taking care of their entire country they couldn’t look beyond themselves and their selfishness. Mayara is not the only one to bring about change and I loved some of the other side characters in the book particularly Garnah who is a badass bitch who knows her poisons and can kill in the blink of an eye. She’s exactly who you want on your side and definitely not as an enemy. Roe was also another amazing character who would recklessly throw herself in the water even not knowing how to breathe. She too was brave, honorable and fierce. I’m so glad Roe and Maraya we’re allies and together we’re able to save the day. I would absolutely recommend this book I thought it was phenomenal. I wish their time on the island was more dragged out but for the pacing of the story everything flowed seemelessly. Fans of mystical worlds and strong women will love this book. While there is death and cruelty I would say this is both acceptable for YA readers and adults. Neither will be disappointed.
I struggled getting into the story and am still not 100% clear on the spirits. Are they spirits like what we think of as angry ghosts? Where did they come from? Etc... I kinda just rolled with the story and took it in stride. Once Mayara is taken by the Silent Ones I was 100% in. For a while you’re not sure of the fate of her family and you’re shown the darker side of their world. Ruling powerful families who basically even held the Queen hostage were the real rulers. Their power and money caused them to be selfish and with the power of taking care of their entire country they couldn’t look beyond themselves and their selfishness. Mayara is not the only one to bring about change and I loved some of the other side characters in the book particularly Garnah who is a badass bitch who knows her poisons and can kill in the blink of an eye. She’s exactly who you want on your side and definitely not as an enemy. Roe was also another amazing character who would recklessly throw herself in the water even not knowing how to breathe. She too was brave, honorable and fierce. I’m so glad Roe and Maraya we’re allies and together we’re able to save the day. I would absolutely recommend this book I thought it was phenomenal. I wish their time on the island was more dragged out but for the pacing of the story everything flowed seemelessly. Fans of mystical worlds and strong women will love this book. While there is death and cruelty I would say this is both acceptable for YA readers and adults. Neither will be disappointed.
May 19, 2019
3.5 stars.
I love the world that Sarah Beth Durst has a built and the idea behind this book is so interesting. However, the book and the story choices felt a bit bland and left me feeling disconnected from the characters. The story and plot twists were easy to predict for me and I just didn't love this like I wanted to.
I love the world that Sarah Beth Durst has a built and the idea behind this book is so interesting. However, the book and the story choices felt a bit bland and left me feeling disconnected from the characters. The story and plot twists were easy to predict for me and I just didn't love this like I wanted to.
November 22, 2019
huh, I for some reason thought this was like a novella bound up (totally my doing cause this summary is pretty straight forward).
I honestly love how this whole world ALWAYS seems to focus on the relationship of children with their parents and family as a whole. I really loved getting a new political structure and conflict while seeing a new type or structure of the spirits. This world just continued to get fleshed out and developed and BETTER with each book.
I honestly love how this whole world ALWAYS seems to focus on the relationship of children with their parents and family as a whole. I really loved getting a new political structure and conflict while seeing a new type or structure of the spirits. This world just continued to get fleshed out and developed and BETTER with each book.
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