When amermaidsaves a human animation , she ’s most emphatically not hailed as a hero — she ’s marked for fearsome punishment because she ’s broken an ancient police force contrive to protecther kind . In that vein , Nigerian - Welsh author Natasha Bowen drew uponWest African mythologyto create her phantasy introduction , Skin of the Sea , and io9 has a first look at one of the book ’s most exciting encounters .
First up , here ’s a plot of land verbal description to give you a flake more context .
A way to survive . A room to serve . A way to keep open .
A crop of the cover of Skin of the Sea; see the full cover, including mermaid tail, below!Image: Random House Books for Young Readers
Simi prayed to the deity , once . Now she service them as Mami Wata — a mermaid — hoard the souls of those who die at ocean and blessing their journeying back home .
But when a know son is make overboard , Simi does the unthinkable — she saves his lifespan , going against an ancient fiat . And penalisation awaits those who defy to withstand it .
To protect the other Mami Wata , Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make redress . But all is not as it seems . There ’s the male child she rescued , who know more than he should . And something is shadowing Simi , something that would rather see her fail . . . .
Image: Random House Books for Young Readers
risk lurks at every go , and as Simi draw in closer , she must weather vengeful gods , treacherous land , and legendary beast . Because if she does n’t , then she risks not only the fate of all Mami Wata , but also the earth as she knows it .
Here ’s a look at the full cover ; the artist is Jeff Manning and the art direction is by Regina Flath .
And finally , here ’s an exclusive excerpt disclose a pivotal scene from chapter six of hide of the Sea .
A figure emerges from the sea . Yemoja hesitate , her hair a dark cloak around her shoulders , spiral glistening underneath her crown , sharp and gold and fall in the Lord’s Day . She steps onto the beach , her wrapper forming in perfect white and indigo folds , each sinuous move bring her closer to us .
“ Do as I do , ” I whisper as I twist my knees , lowering my gaze and all but constrict my brow into the hot Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin . I attempt to swallow , but my mouth is juiceless . There is apparent movement next to me as Kola folds his height into a bow .
“ Do n’t speak unless Yemoja demand it or I ask you . ”
Dark brown toes reach the white sand in front of me as the scents of violets and coconut almost overpower me . I lift my regard , skimming past muscular legs , past the bright white of the wrapper , edged in Indigofera tinctoria and shoot through with touchy gold thread , up to a blockheaded necklace of bellied pearls .
“ Simidele ? ”
Just the lowness of her whole tone get me not want to call forth my head to confront the orisa . But I do . Her veil sways , verbalize a piece of full lips , pursed into a line . I nobble my regard higher to the photoflash of her eyes , which sparkle in a hard shadowiness of silver .
“ What is the import of this , daughter ? ” asks Yemoja , swivel her top dog to look at Kola .
Beside me , the boy stand , wiping backbone from his palms on the ragged wrapper tied around his waist . He looks at me and I clear my throat , pressing my shake finger to my sides . At least he ’s not opening his mouth to make demands already .
“ Mother Yemoja , ” I get down , keeping my timber respectful . “ Adekola would like to request your supporter . He — ”
The orisa holds a hand up , break off me . Gold rings set with graceless diamond and emeralds glisten from her fingers . She tip her head on one side . “ How did he get to be here , summoning me ? ”
“ I carry through him . ” I lick my lip , taste salinity . “ I pulled him from the ocean . ”
Yemoja snaps her head toward me , the pearls of her veil clicking obstreperously . “ You did what ? ”
“ I was about to garner his soul , but . . . he had n’t yet passed . ”
The orisa swivels to confront me fully . “ Did you flunk to recall your task ? ” Her words are subdued but needle - sharp .
Shaking my head , I form my next sentence carefully , trying to keep the rising muddiness that merge with anger out of my phonation . I saved a life rather than a psyche . for sure saving someone is a good thing ? “ I did n’t bury , but I could n’t let the ocean and the sharks claim him . You speak of my intent , but he was alive . To leave him would have meant his dying . ”
Yemoja looks down at my legs and the refulgency of my wrapper . “ And so you ’ve show yourself to him and impart him here ? ”
The hiss of her voice makes me wince . I appear back at Kola and think of his nerve when he see to it the moving-picture show of my tail , the scale leaf that melt into skin . At the time I was n’t thinking , fluster by the feat of dragging him to some sort of safety . Shame and heating system rise and scatter across my chest and up my neck . But then I think of Kola slouch in the George Sand , the food he ate , and some of the guilt seeps away .
The sudden bellowing that the orisa release causes me to stumble backward in the backbone , losing my balance so that I fall hard . My eye slams against the wrapping tucked tightly against my chest as I cower before her . Yemoja lift her hands to the promised land , fingernails like talons as she screams again . Kola clutches his ears as the cry grows louder , thrust the aura . I see the waves smash against the rocks of the cove , and when I dare to look up at her , Yemoja stares down at me , a wall of water behind her . The grim flock play , its weight held back by the orisa . For a moment , I retrieve she will release it , dinge the beach and us . I snatch up a look at Kola , willing him to move closer to me . He would never exist .
“ Mother Yemoja , ” I say , raising a hired man , palm tree up . “ Please . When he ’s healed , I can take him to the mainland and then no one else will need to know . ”
The orisa frisson , obsidian hair’s-breadth cascading over her shoulder in a heaving mass as she affect me . Yemoja wavers , the twilled muscles in her arms tight as she hold her fist richly above her head . She glare at me , lips twisted into a maze , but in her eyes , there is a gleam of concern .
“ Please . ” I remain firm and place a hired man over my heart . “ I thought I was doing what was right . ”
The orisa see me in muteness for seconds that propagate longer than I thought possible . And then she lowers her hands and behind her , the H2O drip , draw back into the bay . I breathe in deeply , checking that Kola is still close by . His articulatio humeri are hunch over , but his eyes are precipitous and watchful . Yemoja ’s fingers twitch and the sea grows placid once again . Her shoulders devolve as she grow aside from us .
“ You do n’t . . . ” But the orisa does not finish before she staggers and then rumple to the flat coat .
Yemoja sits in the white George Sand , her wrapping spread around her like the flower petal of the blossom that we pick to summon her . Her face is angled toward her lap covering , curl a dark shroud that shield her from my regard .
“ Simidele , ” she say piano , looking up at me through her haircloth . Her head covering shines , iridescent strands of pearls that are tightly drawn across her nose and cheeks . A tear slides from underneath the milky orbs . “ What you have done will think our death . ”
Excerpt from Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen reprinted by license . Copyright Random House Books for Young Readers .
Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen is out November 2 ; you could order a copyhere .
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