I'll start of with the good in this book, I thought the writing was very depictive and and the storytelling was gripping. Literally all I knew about this book when I picked it up was that it was a YA with Black mermaids. So I was a little surprised with how heavy of a plot was woven in with the beginnings of the slave trade, seeing as I was mostly expecting a folktale retelling. There were some graphic depictions of abuse on page, but as a sensitive reader it did not dissuade me from continuing the book. I am a sucker for retellings, reimaginings of folktales and fairytales and I think on that front this book delivered. (Please be aware, I do not have intimate knowledge about the deities or folktales used here to declare if the representation is accurate to original stories or the cultures they come from.) 

While I did enjoy the book, I will admit it was very difficult for me to get through and I took my time listening to the audio. I wasn't pulled to keep going or listening while I was doing errands/chores like I usually do with my audio books. I had to give more concentration to the story. Part of my disconnection was how action packed this book was. There was never a rest for the main characters and never any real moments of peace or joy for them to sit in, which made it harder to power through. I am a habitual romance reader and this also made believing the romance storyline kinda far fetched. It seemed unnecessary and simply placed into the plot. I would have rather had character development than a weak romance with no backing. While our FMC is a likeable and strong character, I didn't feel much development for her occurred. Lastly, the ending seemed rather abrupt and made the last long scenes feel aimless since they were put to rest in a few lines.