JOURNEY TO THE HEART OF THE ABYSS

This sequel to The Light at the Bottom of the World (2019) continues with Leyla McQueen’s journey to save those she loves and reveal the lies the underwater London government has been spreading.

It has been just over a month since Leyla broke into Broadmoor prison to rescue her father, Hashem. Although the two of them have been declared terrorists and Britain’s foremost enemies, Leyla wants the truth and refuses to stay in hiding: Ari has been kidnapped by Blackwatch security, and they are searching for his people in hopes of locating him. Tensions between Anthropoids—the government’s derogatory label for Homo amphibius, people who are able to breathe underwater—and non-amphis are increasing, mostly due to the lies and actions of authority figures. Evading Blackwatch security forces and Capt. Sebastian, the prime minister’s right-hand man, Leyla and others (including characters from the previous volume such as Theo, Tabby, Lewis, and Bia) rush to uncover the truth. Leyla learns more about her connection with Ari, her mother’s death, and the government’s plans for the future of Britain, while Ari makes discoveries about his birth family. Shah includes many plot twists, weaving details of the world below the ocean’s surface into themes of authority, government policies toward minorities, and pollution that mirror present-day issues. Pashtun Muslim Leyla is surrounded by a diverse cast.

Full of action, plot twists, and an ending with a message of hope and possibility of change.