Into the Drowning Deep
The first book I finished in 2020, and my go-to recommendation since then. I finished this book in Italy, and unfortunately followed it up with a few shitty books that kept me from reading again until Spring Break…and then COVID happened. BUT! More about the book!
Victoria is a bisexual acoustic marine biologist who has joined a boatful of scientists to study the mermaids of the Mariana Trench. That’s right: mermaids, but not the Disney kind. Victoria’s sister was on the Atargatis (ay-tar-gat-is) and, like the rest of the crew, was promptly murdered by said mermaids. Now, Victoria and the crew of the Melusine, a new research boat, are off to look into these mermaids - scientifically of course.
Joining Victoria is a diverse cast, including an autistic lesbian news anchor that replaced Victoria’s sister, deaf twins (an organic chemist and a submarine operator) and their sister, a hunter couple out for a big score, and the scientists responsible for the Atargatis‘ doomed mission. In the wake of such tragedy, what in the world could go wrong??
I love this book so much. Not only does it have an amazingly diverse cast, but the premise of it is just so intriguing. Coming from a scientific background myself, Grant did an excellent job of using science in a way that made the mermaids not only probable, but believable. The writing is beautiful, the use of narration and multiple character POVs incredible, and I can’t believe I don’t already own a physical copy of my own.
Be warned, though: this is a horror novel. There is gore, blood, and body horror. There is a ton - a TON - of death. Other trigger warnings include, but are not limited to: biphobia, ableism, animal death, and medical content.
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