Publish date: Tuesday 7th April 2026
Devil of the Deep is a swashbuckling, mermaid fantasy which dives into cult behaviour, trust themes and complex relationships. Found family and betrayal feature heavily throughout. My first encounter with this book was the long list of trigger warnings:
Graphic violence, execution, child death, child abuse, implied paedophilia, transphobia, alcoholism and a cult.
I was expecting an exceptionally dark, violent adult read and I wouldn’t say that’s what I got. Don’t get me wrong, the list is accurate but aside from the transphobia and cult, they’re not heavily part of the story. Unless you’re of a nervous disposition or a younger reader, I don’t think anything in this book was particularly shocking and could be compared to books such as Oliver Twist. There are darker elements but they’re handled delicately and the main characters react appropriately.
Overall, I enjoyed the book but I’m not convinced by the ending. The multiple viewpoints can be difficult to follow but I like the distinct narrative voices. There’s Nnenna, the pirate captain with a difficult childhood then Lu, the transgender fleet captain from the most powerful family on the island and Pearl, the young temple initiate orphan who lives with her gay uncles. We also get chapters from the temple leader, the fleet commander and a fisherman who starts a cult. The way their stories interconnect is genuinely interesting and masterfully woven together.
The worldbuilding is fantastic. It’s chock-full of lore, multiple languages, cuisines and culture. I’m disappointed that the story didn’t take our seafaring cohort across multiple islands so the reader could experience all Jean-Francois has to offer. The scripture is well thought out without becoming overbearing and gives the whole story a flavour of differing attitudes between the land and sea.
Likewise, the imagery is rich and immersive. I love the merpeople and how everything floats, the descriptions of blood blooming from wounds rather than pouring and their underground city with shell iconography.
Plot wise, the novel starts strong and then derails around the 90% mark. There’s a lot of fighting between a once united people that seems to erupt from nowhere and feels disingenuous. Our main cast seem to act oddly and not according to their previous natures. For example, Pearl’s childhood friend dies but she walks straight past him to mourn a man she met ~24 hours earlier. I feel that this could use some work.
In addition, the aftermath of the battle goes in a strange magical direction which seems out of place with the rest of the book. Rather than a grand reveal, deus ex machina style, a gradual introduction that some power was building would have felt more natural. If I were to nit-pic, I’d also have liked a bit more about the goddess and hints of other gods interspersed rather than dropping the backstory immediately before it’s relevant. There were so many opportunities to sprinkle this information in and would have allowed readers to piece things together for themselves rather than passively being spoon-fed.
All in all, I’d like to read more in this world and luckily it sounds like there might be a sequel. I do hope there are new characters and more of the wonderful worldbuilding is expanded. I just hope we get a better ending next time!
| Criteria | Scores | Our Score |
| Artistic Achievement | 1 – 5 | 4 |
| Pacing | 1 – 5 | 5 |
| Characters | 1 – 5 | 5 |
| Writing Style | 1 – 5 | 3 |
| Originality | 1 – 5 | 3 |
Written By: ivetafox
Favourite Game – Long Live the Queen || Favourite Film – Sweeney Todd || Favourite Book – Wuthering Heights
About: Ivy is a disabled, autistic writer from the UK, passionate about inclusive gaming. When not reviewing, she can be found writing short stories and micro fiction or reading the latest gothic novel.
Donate: https://ko-fi.com/storiesbyivy
