Daughter of the Deep

by Rick Riordan

Ana Dakkar is a freshman at Harding-Pencroft Academy, a five-year high school that graduates the best marine scientists, naval warriors, navigators, and underwater explorers in the world. Ana's parents died while on a scientific expedition two years ago, and the only family she's got left is her older brother, Dev, also a student at HP. (And they've heard all the Harry Potter jokes already, so don't go there.)

Ana's freshman year culminates with the class's weekend trial at sea, the details of which have been kept secret. She only hopes she has what it'll take to succeed. All her worries are blown out of the water when, on the bus ride to the ship, Ana and her schoolmates witness a terrible tragedy that will change the trajectory of their lives.

But wait, there's more. The professor accompanying them informs Ana that Harding-Pencroft has been fighting a cold war against its rival schoo, Land Institute, for 150 years. Now that cold war has been turned up to a full boil, and the freshmen are in danger of becoming fish food.

In a race against deadly enemies, Ana will make amazing friends and astounding discoveries about her heritage as she puts her leadership skills to the test for the first time.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fiction, Adventure, Audiobook

336 pages, Hardcover

First published October 26, 2021

About the author

Rick Riordan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many books, including the Percy Jackson series.

Reviews

[Sofia]

Just when you thought he was done writing books, Rick strikes again.

[Alex (The Scribe Owl)]

EVERYBODY LISTEN UP

THERE
IS
A
NEW
UNCLE
RICK
BOOK
AJYHBFYKHJFAWFNJFB

[megs_bookrack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would you be shocked if I told you this was the first book I have ever read by the fabulous Rick Riordan?



Well, it's true. I can't believe it either, but it's true.

Luckily for me, I picked the perfect book to start with. I mean, honestly, this book has it all. I loved it.



Ana Dakkar is a freshman at Harding-Pencroft Academy, a school for all things of the sea. Ana's older brother, Dev, is also a student at the school.

Due to an accident taking her parent's lives two years ago, Dev is all the family Ana has left. He means everything to her. They are very close.



The pinnacle of Ana's freshman year is a weekend trial at sea; think of it as a very serious field trip.

Ana has no idea what lies in store for the weekend. She can only hope that she'll be successful, but all of that goes out the window when the Freshman class witnesses a violent and tragic event. They're lucky to be alive.



They learn a rival school, Land Institute, may be responsible, but why? What could possibly be behind such vicious animosity?



Ana and the rest of her classmates are now on their own. They need to figure this all out and somehow out smart and out last their enemies.

Along the way, they learn a lot of school history and Ana learns some quite interesting things about her own heritage as well.

Daughter of the Deep is such an exciting, fast-paced and heart-warming story. I loved the connections to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, as well as the setting and overall vibe.



Riordan grabbed my attention from the very beginning and that never changed. I was completely engrossed in all that was evolving on the page.

I adored this cast of characters, how they grew to rely on one another and really became an excellent example of a found family. You want to be with them; one of the team.



Additionally, although the circumstances for our characters are quite serious, there was a great vein of humor running throughout this story. I found that aspect extremely engaging; it kept me focused.

I'm not sure what the plan is for this. If this will become a new series or not. I certainly hope it will be. I cannot imagine this being the last I read of these characters.

They're all so fantastic and there is so much more room for them to grow. I want more!!!



Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Audio, for providing me with a copy of the audiobook to listen to. The narrator was terrific and I feel like audio is great format to take in this story.

Keeping my fingers crossed that this will not be the last we see of Ana and friends!!!

[Mariah · Rating 3 out of 5]

So you're telling me Ana isn't a Daughter of Poseidon?
Seems fake.

[dezzy]

i'm a simple girl: i see "rick riordan," i click "want to read."

[:)]

2/25/21: this synopsis makes no sense to me, but all my brain can hear is “new uncle rick book”.

[may ➹ · Rating 4 out of 5]

finished reading this to procrastinate studying for my finals, would recommend 👍🏼

this was fast-paced and engaging, basically just a fun read to fly through! also loved how all the characters were nerdy in their own ways (I loved how the main character was a polyglot). great exploration of power corruption, duty, and opportunities for redemption, especially for kids

// buddy read with rain!!

[Lucy Tonks (the invisible life of a reader)]

WE ARE GETTING A NEW UNCLE RICK BOOK *screams*

I DON'T EVEN NEED TO KNOW WHAT THIS IS ABOUT but i'm adding it to my tbr regardless.

[Tina➹ lives in Fandoms · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 Silver Stars

I guess Riordan really loves ocean. (no sarcasm, just a genuine observation, in case you wonder.)

I haven't read Twenty thousands leagues under the sea yet, but I know pretty much the story (& the characters). plus, there were some explanations about important stuff in here too. so I guess I'm good.

it had a great beginning. Beautiful & fun. then it was a let down (it's all according to my opinion), until the excitements rose again. (& near the end, another let down...)

though, I really wished we had more story around Harding-Pencroft Academy. it seemed like such a cool place. their classes. About Dev.
I understand why Riordan didn't choose that path for this story, but I still want it.

the Characters were good, just maybe too many to be introduced at once.
I liked Dev, Gem & Ester.
Ana was good too, but not my typical fav heroine.

it had fun moments. Well, it's Riordan,


but too much equipment & engineering & technology talking or explaining, made it boring at some points, because, not a technical person, I couldn't follow & honestly, I didn't care how some random stuff worked (I'm not talking about those things that are necessary for us to know because of the plot, I'm mostly talking about the excess detailed (enthusiastic) talk after that. or just Ana sprouting too much explaination about technology.)
I guess I'm not a fan of this kind of sci-fi.


I liked it, half & half. Sadly, I didn’t feel or care deep enough, the way I wanted, or expected.
it was not a disappointment (well, according to how much hyped I was, it could be, I guess. a little?), but not everything can be Percy Jackson books. *sigh*

near the end, even though I know something like this would happen, but I didn't expect THIS! I actually enjoy betraying arcs plot twists, but not when it's my most favourite character! (who is one of the few I actually cared about & read the story because of him!)
not going to accept it. nope. nuh- uh.

anyway, I think it was not exactly a retelling. For me it felt more like a sequel, if you know what I mean.

& probably won't re-read this book again. I prefer that my first emotions stay intact.
-
pre-read: (I was so happy...)
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
We have a new Uncle Rick's book this year too!
I was so sad Camp halfblood is over & we didn't have another book this year, but here We are!
thank you!
so excited!
Cover Reveal: June 3rd- beautiful!

[Flo Camus · Rating 4 out of 5]

[3.8⭐] 𝙇𝙖 𝙪́𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚 es una novela de fantasía escrita por Rick Riordan en el año 2021. La historia comienza en la Academia Harding-Pencroft, una institución que forma a exploradores marinos y expertos en navegación, divididos en casas de especialización como Delfín, Cefalópodo, Orca y Tiburón. Ana, que apenas está en su primer año, debe pasar por la prueba final de curso, pero una tragedia inesperada cambia radicalmente sus planes y la lanza a un mundo submarino lleno de peligros. A lo largo de la novela, hay continuas referencias a temas oceánicos y a la obra de Verne, especialmente 𝙑𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙡 𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙨 𝙙𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙖𝙟𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙤, que le aportan un toque de ciencia ficción y homenaje a las aventuras del Nautilus y el Capitán Nemo.


Me llamaba bastante la atención esta novela ya que me gusta mucho Rick Riordan, leí toda la saga de Percy Jackson hace más de diez años atrás. Además, fui bastante fanática de Julio Verne en su momento, así que esta novela se me hizo una perfecta combinación.
En esta novela, Riordan vuelve a jugar con el tema del "elegido" y lo hace a través de Ana Drakkar, una protagonista fuerte, astuta y llena de coraje. Lo interesante de Ana es su capacidad de liderazgo y cómo enfrenta cada obstáculo con determinación, aceptando cada reto que se le presenta. A su alrededor, encontramos un elenco de personajes diversos (hay una brasileña, una con ascendencia india, una autista, una que usa hijab, etc). Riordan da espacio a cada uno de ellos para mostrar la diversidad cultural, logrando que conectemos con ellos fácilmente y que cada historia dentro de la principal se sienta auténtica.

Por otro lado, hubieron aspectos de la novela que no terminaron de convencerme. A pesar de tener una estructura clara y bien armada, sentí que le faltaba algo a esta novela porque no logró atraparme completamente. Por momentos, la historia se vuelve predecible y algunos giros no sorprenden tanto como cabría esperar, llegué a un momento en el que hasta me daba flojera seguir leyendo este libro, solo quería terminarlo. 
Además, creo que el mayor punto débil es la portada, ya que contiene un gran spoiler. Pienso que la portada muestra la mejor parte del libro, lo cual afecta la emoción de descubrir esa escena en la historia; uno como lector espera ansioso llegar a ese momento, pero la portada lo anticipa.


Finalmente, puedo decir que 𝙇𝙖 𝙪́𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚 es una lectura entretenida y original, ideal para quienes disfrutan de las aventuras con un toque de ciencia ficción (ya que hay tecnología única de los libros de Julio Verne). Rick Riordan logra darle frescura a los temas clásicos del “elegido” y las aventuras en el mar, manteniendo su estilo accesible y ameno. Es una novela que vale la pena explorar, ya sea por nostalgia de los primeros libros del autor o por el simple deseo de embarcarse en una aventura épica en las profundidades del océano.

[Charmel]

update 6-4:

OMG Y'ALL WE HAVE A COVER!! 🤩
it's giving me the cover of PJO: the lightning thief vibes! aaaaaahhhh

—

you see, i'm a simple human being. i see a new book by uncle rick, i automatically add it to my to-read and anticipated lists.


can't wait for this aaaaahh!!!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm... I'm actually kinda sad I didn't enjoy this book as much as his other ones
***
Rick Riordan: *writes a book*
Me, 0.1 seconds later: *smashes 'Want to read' button*

[stu]

Updated October 5th

HAPPYY RELEASE DAYYYYYYYYYY!

----------------------------
Updated October 3rd

3 DAYSS UNTIL THIS OUTTTTTT

YASSSSSSSS
———————————————-
ooooooh!, the cover's out!, It's pretty!
It's ocean-ish (kinda sound have expected it from the title) And the people on the cover seem cool!



Also the plot sound awesome, can't wait to read it! :)) Yay!



This is one of my most anticipated read, for this year!
ahhhhhh!, I really need to read this soon!

[Victor Almeida · Rating 3 out of 5]

*2.5

[Sylvie {Semi-Hiatus}]

I'm going to mark this book as 'lost interest' for now. But don't give me side eyes ya'll, I will give Mr. Riordan's books a proper chance, starting from this one.

**********************************************
I've always heard good things about Rick Riordan's books, especially about 'Percy Jackson' series. But since I watched PJ movies first (and didn't like them very much, mostly the second) that made me not want to read the books, although I lowkey wanted to read at least one book by him.
The fact this book is his most recent and that it's a stand-alone is the perfect opportunity for me to give it a try.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is everything I wanted 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to be!

I love that Riordan admits that the Verne classic can be kind of a slog. I grew up on the old Disney movie, I loved it. I read the book as an adult and was like, Hmmm, I thought this would be a little more fast-paced. (I do plan on trying it again.)

But then there's THIS, which took everything great about that book, and put it in an excellent modern framing. I shan't say anything more in depth about the plot or the premise, but they're very, very good. I really loved Ana and all her crew, especially Ester and Top. I also loved that there was a character who was Mormon, but he was just a guy who belonged to my same church! And he wasn't a technophobe, or a polygamist, which seems to be (weirdly) the two ways that we're portrayed in books! Woot! Thanks, Rick!

[Kayla Hunnisett · Rating 4 out of 5]

An oceanic school adventure featuring an alt-tech submarine with AI consciousness and an orangutan obsessed with The Great British Bakeoff? This book was a LOT of fun.

(Also he's the first male author I've read to normalise women's menstrual cycles in young fiction absolute SNAPS to Rick Riordan)

[Cat Carstairs]

NO ONE TOLD ME THAT RICK WAS WRITING ANOTHER BOOK?!?! GOODREADS YOU HAVE BETRAYED ME

[dhuha · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
this did not feel like a Rick Riordan novel, and I was honestly bored most of the time

[rain]

finished reading 12/12/2021
without a doubt, i really enjoyed reading daughter of the deep. even with the fast pacing, i had no problems connecting with both the characters and the story almost immediately. i also loved how incredibly nerdy this whole book is. all the science, tech, and marine biology talk fascinated me (yes including all the made-up stuff) and reminded me why i did not entirely hate all my inverts and ecology courses in college. this is the kind of book that will make you go "oh maybe science is cool!" and i think that's something that middle-grade readers would love (and maybe also biology majors like me idk we don't wanna talk about that).

oh boy i am rambling. long story short, i liked this book a lot. i only have beef with the audiobook background music/sfx because it really did nothing but spike up my stress levels. pls let us not normalize that in this industry i am begging.

pick this up if you're looking for a fast-paced read that will keep you engaged from the first page until the last!

12/07/2021
for the first time in a long time (or like, ever), i am reading a rick riordan book that isn't set in the pjoverse. let's see how this will turn out.

➸ buddy read with may!!

[Johnathon Nicolaou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rick Riordan’s stand alone novel Daughter of the Deep (DOTD) was nothing short of the hype and praise it received upon release. I found myself so enthralled by this world that I’ve added the books that inspired the story – Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Mysterious Island – to my reading list.

Bar two minor issues I had with the book – which I’ll get to further down, it was a great novel! In typical Rick Riordan fashion, Riordan was able to re-imagine the stories in which this is based with a modern twist, bringing the original 19th century book into the 21st century.

The story centres on the last descendant of Captain Nemo’s (Ana Dakkar’s) discovery of the Nautilus as she attempts to safeguard it from those who would use its tech for their own selfish wants.

The book pays respect to Verne’s original futuristic concept – which at the time was unheard of and set the tone for the development of underwater exploration in the years to come. Riordan does this by having Captain Nemo’s tech maintain its advanced status in his modern iteration of the story.

The recurring theme of inclusiveness in Riordan’s books plays its part in DOTD through an array of characters hailing from different cultures – which makes sense given how globalised and multi cultured the world has become. Furthermore he dives into the inner workings of his 14 year old female protagonist, dealing with themes beyond the basic we see in most female protagonists – yes he deals with period pain, which is a very real issue for women both young and old.

The plot itself is quite strong and will keep you wanting to stay up ‘five more minutes’ to read the next chapter, especially in the latter end of the book where the plot twists and battles live.

Riordan showcases his writing ability in turning the Nautilus into an a.i. character. He brings the supposedly inanimate vessel to the life through original means, turning the ship into the 19th crew member. And in typical Riordan fashion he does this with a comedic flourish. Additionally he somehow makes a cooking orangatun a believable character, yes you read that correctly, he writes so well that I wasn’t even phased by the idea of an orangatun being the crew’s chef.

I only really had two very minor problems with the book and when I think about it, it’s just one extended point. I found the start to be slow (the the rest of the book is enjoyably fast paced however). I felt like there was too much ‘I’ and ‘my’ internal monologue in the opening chapters, making it a clunky read. But don’t let that dissuade you as the book does ease out of the ‘clunkiness’ when plot progresses.

This novel really cements Riordan’s place as one of the top Young Adult author’s in the world in recent years. It shows his versatility as he is more than just a mythology story teller. It’s a gripping tale that makes you an honorary member of the Nautilus crew suspending you in periods of fear, shock, laughter and excitement. If you haven’t already read it i recommend you head to your local book store, or as I did go online and grab a copy of the eBook.

[ethan william · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
i feel like i had a too high expectations for this … i’ve never given a rick riordan book such a low rating and it hurts my soul a little bit to do so

[Cristine (aaron warner’s version) ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

On behalf of the whole Nautilus crew, we’d like to extend our sincerest gratitude to:

* Socrates, the best dolphin
* Jupiter, the best Orangutan who’d make Mary Berry proud because of his baking skills
* Romeo, a lovesick octopus who loves to be electrified
* Nautilus, which is the most amazing sub ever
* Lastly, Pilot Bug and its shiny emerald insect friends

AND I AM DONE.

I absolutely adored this new world that Rick built. I have to admit, I’ve never read Jules Verne’s 20000 leagues under the sea before so I was a bit skeptical about reading this but it was easy to get the gist of the story. This might be Uncle Rick’s new book but it doesn’t shy away from the humor the his books have. I swear, I’m cackling because of the unexpected things 😂 It felt like I’m taken back to Argo II because it had the same vibe.

The plot is interesting enough to keep me engaged while also enjoying their journey. RR has this way of telling his tales witty enough that even if they are in danger, it doesn’t feel like it? I swear, we can definitely learn a lot of things from these bunch of 14 year olds😂

Will do a full review this week maybe?

[marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was fun! the end felt a bit rushed to me but that might only be because i found that the first half took longer than i expected to get into

[emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

This was so good and unputdownable!

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

1 Sentence Summary: Ana Dakkar is almost done with her freshman year at the exclusive marine academy Harding-Pencroft, when an awful and unexpected tragedy strikes and she must complete a journey that challenges everything she thought she knew about her school, her family, and herself.

My Thoughts: This was a great sci-fi/fantasy standalone adventure by Rick Riordan! The book is inspired by Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and revolves around the premise of “what if 20,000 leagues was a true story?” It was such an interesting concept, and I loved all the marine biology aspects and the underwater setting.

I loved all of the characters; there was such a fun and diverse cast. I feel like that is one of Rick’s strengths as a writer. Also, I am amazed at how well he wrote from the perspective a 14-year-old Indian girl as a white man in his 50s lol.

Overall, this was a super fun and enjoyable read that will appeal to a younger audience (and would still be enjoyed by those older as well)! Great setting, great characters, lots of action, and cool underwater creatures and gadgets.

Recommend to: Fans of middle grade sci-fi and the ocean.

(Warnings: death)

[fer bañuelos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me encantó! Tiene toda la línea del tío Rick, pero hay una cosita que me hace ruido. Siento que el final es un poco insatisfactorio, porque no le hace justicia a todo lo que se abrió durante el libro y es algo abrupto. Para mi, este libro hubiera funcionado PERFECTO si fuera el primero de una seria, de pérdida una bilogía.

[Alexa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know, I know. A 1 star rating for a Rick Riordan book? When I’ve loved nearly everything else he’s out out? I am just as disappointed as you are.

What I thought was going to be a deep sea treasure hunt adventure turned out to be a battle of submarines between two different aquatic schools. There was a whole bunch of super futuristic tech which might sound cool but was really confusing for to read. In short, I just honestly didn’t care for this adventure or the characters.

[Luna]

Am I really interested in the plot of this book? No.
Will I still read it because of all the research Rick Riordan did to write it? Yes.

[Jerecho · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it would be something quite similar to PJ books, or something matured but my guess wasn't good enough.

3stars for a start, maybe it will be a much greater adventure.