Book Review :: The Vanishing Deep, by Astrid Scholte

The Vanishing Deep by Astrid Scholte
ISBN: 0593110609
on 2020-03-03
Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 432
Source: Allen & Unwin NZ
Find at Allen & Unwin NZ
Goodreads

Seventeen-year-old Tempe was born into a world of water. When the Great Waves destroyed her planet, its people had to learn to survive living on the water, but the ruins of the cities below still called. Tempe dives daily, scavenging the ruins of a bygone era, searching for anything of value to trade for Notes. It isn't food or clothing that she wants to buy, but her dead sister's life. For a price, the research facility on the island of Palindromena will revive the dearly departed for twenty-four hours before returning them to death. It isn't a heartfelt reunion that Tempe is after; she wants answers. Elysea died keeping a terrible secret, one that has ignited an unquenchable fury in Tempe: Her beloved sister was responsible for the death of their parents. Tempe wants to know why.

But once revived, Elysea has other plans. She doesn't want to spend her last day in a cold room accounting for a crime she insists she didn't commit. Elysea wants her freedom and one final glimpse at the life that was stolen from her. She persuades Tempe to break her out of the facility, and they embark on a dangerous journey to discover the truth about their parents' death and mend their broken bond. But they're pursued every step of the way by two Palindromena employees desperate to find them before Elysea's time is up--and before the secret behind the revival process and the true cost of restored life is revealed.

Last updated on 5 August 2020

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My thoughts on The Vanishing Deep

After reading Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte last year and absolutely loving it (must read it again!) I knew that The Vanishing Deep was going to be a good one. Thanks to the lovely people at Allen and Unwin NZ I was able to get my hands on the latest from Scholte, and it didn’t take long to read at all.

The Vanishing Deep was such a great concept. The description does a great job at giving you the low down on the setting and over all plot so I won’t go into it too much, for fear of giving anything away. But the characters in The Vanishing Deep are really well written. Our protagonist, Tempest (or Tempe – pronounced Tempee), is strong and a take-no-crap kinda gal, who knows exactly what she wants and will do what it takes to get it. She cares for her sister and her family more than anything else in the world, and that really comes across in the story. When Elysea joins the story after she’s been revived to live out her last 24 hours, she’s softer than Tempest, less feisty, but still wants the best for her sister. Lor is the quieter one, mostly content keeping to the shadows for now, wallowing in guilt, until he has to step in for Raylan and do his job for him. That’s when it all goes to custard.

Raylan is a character I wish we read more of. When we first meet him in Palindromena he seemed like he was going to be a main character, the comic relief perhaps, and I was excited that he was a light hearted sort of fellow that would perhaps bring a little joy to the situation. Alas, he’s not it as much as I would like, mostly just at the beginning and end. I would have liked more Ray in the story when it was getting to the crux of the tale, I think, but hey! Perhaps he could get his own spin off book? What do you reckon, Astrid?

“Who decides who lives and who dies? Whose life is more important than another’s? We all have family, we all have friends.”

Like Four Dead Queens, Scholte’s second book was a combination of great characters, imaginative settings, wonderful plot lines and even surprising twists. If you’re up for “a story of sisterhood, love and loss, and the lengths we will go to for the people we care about” then this is for you. “It’s also a fantasy/sci fi thriller which takes place in a world that’s 99% water where the ocean is as deadly as it is beautiful.” – Words from Scholte on the Goodreads page for The Vanishing Deep.

The Vanishing Deep is now available so head down to your local bookstore and grab a copy!

Have you read The Vanishing Deep? What did you think?

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I received this book from Allen and Unwin NZ in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion, and all thoughts are my own.