Published on 26th October 2021, Daughter of the Deep is a science fiction novel written by New York Bestselling author Rick Riordan. The standalone book is a departure from Riordan’s pentalogy book series such as Percy Jackson & the Olympians and the Trials of Apollo. Contrary to the Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Norse mythologies typical in his series, the narrative is based on a sci-fi background.
The novel features a female protagonist named Ana Dakkar, a newbie at the Harding-Pencroft Academy that trains marine exploration. The school is famed for producing accomplished underwater and marine explorers and navigators. All seem well until Ana alongside her older brother Dev begins to piece together the truth about their family and heritage. Their parents died during an expedition by the academy two years before her enrollment. During the secretive final year trials, a chain of events ensues that reveal the truth about a rival school and its history. The narrative delves into this undersea world that is filled with adventures and rivalry that spans over a hundred and fifty years.
Though Riordan diverts from mythologies in this book, he bases the premise of the narrative on Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island. This modern take on Captain Nemo—the film adaptation of the books—offers a fast-paced underwater adventure packed with marine explorations for a younger audience.
