Leslye Penelope: Daughter of the Merciful Deep

Hi everyone

I just finished Daughter of the Merciful Deep by Leslye Penelope. I’m not in love with the cover, but it’s not awful either; it was really the premise that drew me in.
I got my book from Bol.com.

"Jane Edwards hasn’t spoken since she was eleven years old, when armed riders expelled her family from their hometown along with every other Black resident. Now, twelve years later, she’s found a haven in the all-Black town of Awenasa. But the construction of a dam promises to wash her home under the waters of the new lake.
Jane will do anything to save the community that sheltered her. So, when a man with uncanny abilities arrives in town asking strange questions, she wonders if he's might be the key. But as the stranger hints at gods and ancestral magic, Jane is captivated by a bigger mystery. She knows this man. Only the last time she saw him, he was dead. His body laid to rest in a rushing river.
Who is the stranger and what is he really doing in Awenasa? To find those answers, Jane will journey into a sunken world, a land of capricious gods and unsung myths, of salvation and dreams made real. But the flood waters are rising. To gain the miracle she desires, Jane will have to find her voice again and finally face the trauma of the past." 

This book had so much potential, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite deliver for me.

I really liked the Historical Aspect. The flooding of Black towns and the rampant racism were the most compelling parts of the story. Penelope did a great job of highlighting the injustice and resilience of Black communities. But the story starts as historical fiction and takes a loooong time before any magical elements appear. There’s so much filler; endless inner monologues, pointless conversations, and scenes where Jane just follows people around. It made the book feel slow and boring at times. And when the story finally shifts to the underwater world, it feels like a completely different book. The historical aspect disappears, and suddenly we’re in full magical realism mode. The transition wasn’t smooth either; it felt like two separate stories rather than a blended narrative.
The mix of Christianity and African gods was a strange choice. It felt like the book couldn’t decide which path to take, so it tried to do both and ended up not fully committing to either.

Jane is supposed to be in her twenties, but she often reads much younger, which was frustrating. Her voice didn’t feel authentic for her age, and her actions sometimes seemed too passive for someone who’s supposed to be fighting for her community.

I really didn’t understand why Grace treated Jane so poorly when everyone else in the town accepts her being mute. Grace is nasty, and their father just lets her get away with it. It didn’t feel believable or well-explained, and it made their family dynamic feel unrealistic.

Daughter of the Merciful Deep had a promising premise, but the execution left me disappointed. 
Have you read this book or anything else by Leslye Penelope? Did you feel the same way about the shift in genres, or did it work for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena