In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens is a YA fantasy novel that follows a prince with a terrifying secret and a mysterious boy pulled from a shipwreck. It explores themes of self-acceptance and what it means to trust someone.
Synopsis
Taliesin is a prince. He’s just begun his long awaited coming of age tour of the kingdom accompanied by his older brother, Garrett. He’s spent his whole life hidden behind the castle walls learning how to hide his powerful magic from the world. Adventure comes calling when two days into his trip, they come across a burning ship in the open sea with a handsome prisoner named Athlen chained to the sinking vessel. Charged with keeping an eye on the prisoner, Tal is heartbroken when Athlen throws himself overboard into the open ocean. He knows Athlen couldn’t have survived.
So when he meets Athlen again days later on dry land, very much alive and as charming as ever, it raises questions. But before they can pursue anything further, Tal is kidnapped by pirates and held in a ransom plot to reveal his hidden powers and start a war. He must escape if he hopes to save his family and his kingdom. And Athlen might be his only hope…
Review
I love high seas fantasy adventures because they almost always involve my favourite fantasy creatures, merfolk! In Deeper Waters has more political intrigue than I originally thought. I thought it would be more focused on Athlen and his origins, but it took me for a ride instead!
The worldbuilding Lukens did for this novel was really well done! It’s a standalone novel but the world felt fully realized. I understood the relationships between the various countries involved in the plot, and the history of the world and why Tal had to hide his magic. A fully realized fantasy world in just over 300 pages is a great feat.
All the side characters are fully fleshed out and likeable, particularly Shay, Tal’s guard. She’s a strong soldier and a loyal friend for Tal. She is extremely loyal to the royal family and isn’t afraid to voice her opinions to Tal or be a little sassy.
The writing in this book is worth mentioning as well. The story is told in third-person from Tal’s perspective. The moments Athlen and Tal meet are filled with Tal’s gorgeous observations of Athlen. His copper hair and honey eyes are described in many lovely ways! It’s super sweet to read how Taleisin sees Athlen throughout the story. Often he compares his eyes to sunshine at different times of day and my heart melted every single time.
Tal and Athlen are perfect for each other in so many ways. Tal has spent his whole life behind castle walls with his loving, protective family. Athlen has lived on his own on the edge of human cities for a long time. Athlen understands human cities more than Tal does and where Tal has loved and been loved by his family, Athlen lost them long ago. They’ve both hidden in the edges of society to protect a secret. Both are terrified that revealing them will bring them each harm, but they find comfort and connection in their secrets. Athlen sees beauty in Tal’s magic where Tal sees destruction. Tal sees the wonder in Athlen’s true nature and wants to be near him where Athlen sees something that makes him a target and unable to trust anyone.
One of the little things I absolutely adored in this book was that Tal started off the book hating the sea with a passion. He was not having a good time on the ship. But when he thinks of Athlen, his boy from the sea, the ocean becomes something calming and beautiful. He is even comforted into sleep by the waves at one point. I adore little details like this, that mirror the changing relationships in the plot.
LGBTQIA+ Rep
The main relationship in this book is very obviously queer. Tal admits to liking men more than women to his guard Shay. The book doesn’t mention Athlen’s sexuality plainly, other than he likes Tal and finds him beautiful.
The world of In Deeper Waters is an idealized world where queerness is accepted. Tal’s love for Athlen grows without any doubt of the nature of his feelings. Although, Tal’s siblings openly tease him for his relationship with Athlen, especially about Athlen’s pet name for Tal. It’s exactly what you’d expect from annoying siblings. This mostly comes from Garrett, who reminds me of Soren from The Dragon Prince. An annoying yet caring older brother with big himbo energy.
I love idealized worlds because it’s nice to have a queer story where the conflict isn’t coming out or dealing with homophobia. They get to be in love and solve political crises! They’re wonderful worlds to fall into, where we don’t have to worry about what the neighbours will think. Isn’t that what books are for?
In Deeper Waters is a fantastic fantasy read that will leave you wanting more. F.T. Lukens creates a world that draws you in and doesn’t let you go until the last page. If you’re looking for adventure and a bit of romance, this book should be added to your TBR. I found an author that I'm going to be keeping up with! The way F.T. Lukens writes made me unable to put it down and left me eager to pick up their next book, Otherworldly, which drops April 2nd, 2024.
You can follow F.T. Luken on Instagram and X @ftlukens to keep up to date on their latest work.
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