What do you think?
Rate this book
Ingo #3
The Deep
Sapphire lives in two worlds. On land she walks the rocky shores of the Cornwall coast--but under the sea she can swim like a seal by the side of her Mer friend Faro.
Now both of Sapphy's worlds are threatened. In the profound depths of the ocean, where the Mer cannot go, a monster called the Kraken is stirring. He has the power to sweep Ingo away and shake the land from its foundation.
Because of her mixed blood, Sapphire can enter the Deep. With a great whale as her guide, she will journey to a place so far from the sun, no light can find it--and confront an evil that's even darker.
Now both of Sapphy's worlds are threatened. In the profound depths of the ocean, where the Mer cannot go, a monster called the Kraken is stirring. He has the power to sweep Ingo away and shake the land from its foundation.
Because of her mixed blood, Sapphire can enter the Deep. With a great whale as her guide, she will journey to a place so far from the sun, no light can find it--and confront an evil that's even darker.
352 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2007
77 people are currently reading
3069 people want to read
About the author
Helen Dunmore
117 books970 followersI was born in December 1952, in Yorkshire, the second of four children. My father was the eldest of twelve, and this extended family has no doubt had a strong influence on my life, as have my own children. In a large family you hear a great many stories. You also come to understand very early that stories hold quite different meanings for different listeners, and can be recast from many viewpoints.
Poetry was very important to me from childhood. I began by listening to and learning by heart all kinds of rhymes and hymns and ballads, and then went on to make up my own poems, using the forms I’d heard. Writing these down came a little later.
I studied English at the University of York, and after graduation taught English as a foreign language in Finland.
At around this time I began to write the poems which formed my first poetry collection, The Apple Fall, and to publish these in magazines. I also completed two novels; fortunately neither survives, and it was more than ten years before I wrote another novel.
During this time I published several collections of poems, and wrote some of the short stories which were later collected in Love of Fat Men. I began to travel a great deal within the UK and around the world, for poetry tours and writing residences. This experience of working in many different countries and cultures has been very important to my work. I reviewed poetry for Stand and Poetry Review and later for The Observer, and subsequently reviewed fiction for The Observer, The Times and The Guardian. My critical work includes introductions to the poems of Emily Brontë, the short stories of D H Lawrence and F Scott Fitzgerald, a study of Virginia Woolf’s relationships with women and Introductions to the Folio Society's edition of Anna Karenina and to the new Penguin Classics edition of Tolstoy's My Confession.
During the 1980s and early 1990s I taught poetry and creative writing, tutored residential writing courses for the Arvon Foundation and took part in the Poetry Society's Writer in Schools scheme, as well as giving readings and workshops in schools, hospitals, prisons and every other kind of place where a poem could conceivably be welcome. I also taught at the University of Glamorgan, the University of Bristol's Continuing Education Department and for the Open College of the Arts.
In the late 1980s I began to publish short stories, and these were the beginning of a breakthrough into fiction. What I had learned of prose technique through the short story gave me the impetus to start writing novels. My first novel for children was Going to Egypt, published in 1992, and my first novel for adults was Zennor in Darkness, published in 1993, which won the McKitterick Prize. This was also my first researched novel, set in the First World War and dealing with the period when D H Lawrence and his wife Frieda lived in Zennor in Cornwall, and came under suspicion as German spies.
My third novel, A Spell of Winter, won the inaugural Orange Prize for Fiction in 1996, and since then I have published a number of novels, short story collections and books for children. Full details of all these books are available on this website. The last of The Ingo Quartet, The Crossing of Ingo, was published in paperback in Spring 2009.
My seventh novel, The Siege (2001) was shortlisted both for the Whitbread Novel Award and the Orange Prize for Fiction. This was another researched novel, which grew from a lifelong love of Russian history, culture and literature. It is is set in Leningrad during the first year of the siege of the city by German forces, which lasted for 880 days from the fall of Mga on 30th August 1941. The Siege has been translated into Russian by Tatyana Averchina, and extracts have been broadcast on radio in St Petersburg. House of Orphans was published in 2006, and in 2008 Counting the Stars. Its central characters are the Roman poet Catullus, who lived during the last years of the Republic,
Poetry was very important to me from childhood. I began by listening to and learning by heart all kinds of rhymes and hymns and ballads, and then went on to make up my own poems, using the forms I’d heard. Writing these down came a little later.
I studied English at the University of York, and after graduation taught English as a foreign language in Finland.
At around this time I began to write the poems which formed my first poetry collection, The Apple Fall, and to publish these in magazines. I also completed two novels; fortunately neither survives, and it was more than ten years before I wrote another novel.
During this time I published several collections of poems, and wrote some of the short stories which were later collected in Love of Fat Men. I began to travel a great deal within the UK and around the world, for poetry tours and writing residences. This experience of working in many different countries and cultures has been very important to my work. I reviewed poetry for Stand and Poetry Review and later for The Observer, and subsequently reviewed fiction for The Observer, The Times and The Guardian. My critical work includes introductions to the poems of Emily Brontë, the short stories of D H Lawrence and F Scott Fitzgerald, a study of Virginia Woolf’s relationships with women and Introductions to the Folio Society's edition of Anna Karenina and to the new Penguin Classics edition of Tolstoy's My Confession.
During the 1980s and early 1990s I taught poetry and creative writing, tutored residential writing courses for the Arvon Foundation and took part in the Poetry Society's Writer in Schools scheme, as well as giving readings and workshops in schools, hospitals, prisons and every other kind of place where a poem could conceivably be welcome. I also taught at the University of Glamorgan, the University of Bristol's Continuing Education Department and for the Open College of the Arts.
In the late 1980s I began to publish short stories, and these were the beginning of a breakthrough into fiction. What I had learned of prose technique through the short story gave me the impetus to start writing novels. My first novel for children was Going to Egypt, published in 1992, and my first novel for adults was Zennor in Darkness, published in 1993, which won the McKitterick Prize. This was also my first researched novel, set in the First World War and dealing with the period when D H Lawrence and his wife Frieda lived in Zennor in Cornwall, and came under suspicion as German spies.
My third novel, A Spell of Winter, won the inaugural Orange Prize for Fiction in 1996, and since then I have published a number of novels, short story collections and books for children. Full details of all these books are available on this website. The last of The Ingo Quartet, The Crossing of Ingo, was published in paperback in Spring 2009.
My seventh novel, The Siege (2001) was shortlisted both for the Whitbread Novel Award and the Orange Prize for Fiction. This was another researched novel, which grew from a lifelong love of Russian history, culture and literature. It is is set in Leningrad during the first year of the siege of the city by German forces, which lasted for 880 days from the fall of Mga on 30th August 1941. The Siege has been translated into Russian by Tatyana Averchina, and extracts have been broadcast on radio in St Petersburg. House of Orphans was published in 2006, and in 2008 Counting the Stars. Its central characters are the Roman poet Catullus, who lived during the last years of the Republic,
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
August 8, 2015
Source: I own an ebook copy of this book.
Cost: Free
Title: The Deep
Series: Ingo #3
Author: Helen Dunmore
Overall Rating: 3 stars
The Kraken is awake, and no, not the one from Davy Jone's Locker. This Kraken will only return to sleep if it has a sacrifice of a boy and a girl...Or if someone goes into the deep to stop it. And since Sapphy is the only known person to survive the deep, of course she is opted to go. With the help of Conor and Faro, they descend into the depths to fight this ancient beast and Sapphy learns that not all monsters are actually monsters.
This one wasn't the best, the Kraken was defeated at about 70% and the end of this book mainly focused on Mer runnings and a power struggle between to prominent Mer. But that wasn't what really bothered me.
It's their Dad that's bothering me.
He obviously doesn't care about them, his two children, who he abandoned on Earth in favour of his Mer family were going to the Deep, where people die and he didn't even get people to pull him to see them before they went. I know he was injured but nobody is that injured that you can't see your kids before they potentially die?
I just don't know man.
Cost: Free
Title: The Deep
Series: Ingo #3
Author: Helen Dunmore
Overall Rating: 3 stars
The Kraken is awake, and no, not the one from Davy Jone's Locker. This Kraken will only return to sleep if it has a sacrifice of a boy and a girl...Or if someone goes into the deep to stop it. And since Sapphy is the only known person to survive the deep, of course she is opted to go. With the help of Conor and Faro, they descend into the depths to fight this ancient beast and Sapphy learns that not all monsters are actually monsters.
This one wasn't the best, the Kraken was defeated at about 70% and the end of this book mainly focused on Mer runnings and a power struggle between to prominent Mer. But that wasn't what really bothered me.
It's their Dad that's bothering me.
He obviously doesn't care about them, his two children, who he abandoned on Earth in favour of his Mer family were going to the Deep, where people die and he didn't even get people to pull him to see them before they went. I know he was injured but nobody is that injured that you can't see your kids before they potentially die?
I just don't know man.
February 2, 2012
This is the third book in the Ingo series. However, it is enough of a complete story that it can be read easily as a stand-alone book. Dunmore does an excellent job balancing the concept of a young girl struggling to live in two worlds. Sapphire, the protagonist, has blood that is mixed with both human (Earth and Air) and Mer (Sea). Her brother is mixed as well, but the Earth is strong in him and he is not pulled as strongly to the ocean as Sapphire. The main plot is rooted in the previous books (but explained well) and describes how Sapphire has the ability to go to the Deep (a place even the Mer cannot go) in order to convince the mythical Kraken to return to sleep and stop tormenting the oceans and the inhabitants thereof. The place Sapphire longs to be is called Ingo, and she has a very strong, arrogant yet playful Mer friend named Faro who tempts her to choose Ingo as her final home. However, Sapphire is pulled to Earth by her mother, friends and love of her dog.
Although this is a large book, it is easy to read and the subject matter is suited to tweens who still love to imagine about Mer people, and are interested in friends, pets and the more simple pleasures of life. There are some mild love themes, but nothing is overly done and a tween audience could relate.
The strongest element of this book is the imaginative way the author paints the picture of both Ingo and the shoreline surrounding it. She creates a world that is so enthralling one could easily imagine the pull Sapphire feels towards it and the struggle she has balancing her two lives. Dunmore's familiarity with mythological creatures and concepts is subtly woven into the plot as well.
There are five books total in the series to date: Ingo, The Tide Knot, The Deep, The Crossing of Ingo, and I believe a fifth is either in the works or recently release.
Although this is a large book, it is easy to read and the subject matter is suited to tweens who still love to imagine about Mer people, and are interested in friends, pets and the more simple pleasures of life. There are some mild love themes, but nothing is overly done and a tween audience could relate.
The strongest element of this book is the imaginative way the author paints the picture of both Ingo and the shoreline surrounding it. She creates a world that is so enthralling one could easily imagine the pull Sapphire feels towards it and the struggle she has balancing her two lives. Dunmore's familiarity with mythological creatures and concepts is subtly woven into the plot as well.
There are five books total in the series to date: Ingo, The Tide Knot, The Deep, The Crossing of Ingo, and I believe a fifth is either in the works or recently release.
June 20, 2009
This book is the third book in the Ingo series by Helen Dunmore. It focuses on a young girl along with her brother (Sapphire & Connor) who are part Mer and part Human. Their father, a Mer, has returned to the underwater world of Ingo and is remarried with a new son. The more I read this, the more I wanted to read the first two books (which I haven't) to find out exactly how they learned they were part mer and how the father "chose" to return to Ingo and leave his family behind. The book is titled "The Deep" and the jacket information says that she'll travel to the deep and confront a great evil which threatens borth worlds. But, the actual trip to the deep and confronting the Kraken only comprised 50 pages of the 330 page book. I expected more action. I would say that the book is mostly about Sapphire coming to grips with the fact that her father has left and created a new home for himself and accepting that she's a part of both worlds. If you're expecting a lot of action, then you'll be disappointed, but, if you like getting into someone's thoughts and learning "who" they are, then you'll really like this book. I liked it, but, I just thought there'd be more action.
September 23, 2014
After the near-miss of the last book, with the Tide Knot breaking, now there is another threat to both worlds of Ingo and of Air. This time, the Kraken is awake (can't help remembering the Pirates of the Caribbean's Kraken and Davy Jones). The Mer then have two choices: sacrifice a couple of children or sending someone to the Deep to put the Kraken to sleep again. Because Sapphy can survive the Deep, she gets asked to go there and save the world (again).
This was a bit of a slow book, and it ended being more about Mer politics and Sapphy being torn between the two worlds than the actual defeating of the Kraken. I also don't like how easily she yields to something she knows is wrong and will worry her mom. Not to mention Sadie, her yellow labrador (that is a bit of a pet peeve for me: there is no such thing as a "golden" labrador. They only come in yellow, chocolate and black). And Connor changed way too much and way too fast after getting Elvira's talisman. I think this will be the end of this series for me, at least for now.
This was a bit of a slow book, and it ended being more about Mer politics and Sapphy being torn between the two worlds than the actual defeating of the Kraken. I also don't like how easily she yields to something she knows is wrong and will worry her mom. Not to mention Sadie, her yellow labrador (that is a bit of a pet peeve for me: there is no such thing as a "golden" labrador. They only come in yellow, chocolate and black). And Connor changed way too much and way too fast after getting Elvira's talisman. I think this will be the end of this series for me, at least for now.
February 14, 2010
What the...?
Helen, that was the absolute, flat out, most suckish ending to a novel, EVER. Much less a TRILOGY. I wait and wait and wait for this book, LOVING the previous two books, start reading this and being SO excited, loving it, the plot gets as interesting as it could get, and my curiosity as to WHAT WILL HAPPEN reaches its peak, and the book stops.
I don't mean it ends.
IT STOPS.
This was a load of crap, and I am thoroughly pissed.
Helen, that was the absolute, flat out, most suckish ending to a novel, EVER. Much less a TRILOGY. I wait and wait and wait for this book, LOVING the previous two books, start reading this and being SO excited, loving it, the plot gets as interesting as it could get, and my curiosity as to WHAT WILL HAPPEN reaches its peak, and the book stops.
I don't mean it ends.
IT STOPS.
This was a load of crap, and I am thoroughly pissed.
June 24, 2011
Loving this series more with each book! :) Can't wait to read The Crossing of Ingo.
October 19, 2020
This is my review of The Deep, not to be confused with The Deep, The Deep, The Deep, The Deep, or The Deep.
This is book three in a series (Ingo), but it was an acceptable starting point. The major events of the prior books were summarized well in the first chapters. It came across at first as a fine mermaid-adjacent magical fantasy adventure for young readers. Unfortunately, the magic did not last. There was way too much time spent with adults behaving irritably. Too much talking overall. The book's main conflict was resolved half-way through the book, and after that came only more irritating side character behaviour, hand-wringing, some moping, and to top it off the bargain that the main character made for taking on the main threat was never addressed.
Despite all of the filler, there are some good points. The economically challenged status of the main characters' family, and most of the seaside town they live in, is realistically portrayed. The relationship of the main character to her whale friend is nice, and the whole half-Mer, half-human thing will be attractive to imaginative young readers. The characters' ongoing struggle to adapt to a blended family will speak to kids in similar situations. That is all.
This is book three in a series (Ingo), but it was an acceptable starting point. The major events of the prior books were summarized well in the first chapters. It came across at first as a fine mermaid-adjacent magical fantasy adventure for young readers. Unfortunately, the magic did not last. There was way too much time spent with adults behaving irritably. Too much talking overall. The book's main conflict was resolved half-way through the book, and after that came only more irritating side character behaviour, hand-wringing, some moping, and to top it off the bargain that the main character made for taking on the main threat was never addressed.
Despite all of the filler, there are some good points. The economically challenged status of the main characters' family, and most of the seaside town they live in, is realistically portrayed. The relationship of the main character to her whale friend is nice, and the whole half-Mer, half-human thing will be attractive to imaginative young readers. The characters' ongoing struggle to adapt to a blended family will speak to kids in similar situations. That is all.
February 26, 2023
This book felt like a chore to finish.It was mainly just filler and nothing even happens in the first 100 pages.This book could of easily been edited and added to the second book because nothing much happens in this book and because Connor has now matured he is a different person to what he was in the first two books.
The only reason I didn't give this book a 1* is because the book was still readable.
The only reason I didn't give this book a 1* is because the book was still readable.
May 23, 2019
Slesai juga akhirnya baca ini buku~
Hmm di awal2 agak bikin bosen,dan banyak karakter baru yg muncul yg bikin puyeng hapalinnya, dan juga monster Kraken disini ternyata rada meleset dari bayanganku, adegan battle yg kupikir bakal epic gimana gitu ternyata melempem gitu doang ☹️☹️
Tapi masih tertolong dengan keseluruhan cerita yg terselesaikan dengan rapi , well 3,3 🌟
Hmm di awal2 agak bikin bosen,dan banyak karakter baru yg muncul yg bikin puyeng hapalinnya, dan juga monster Kraken disini ternyata rada meleset dari bayanganku, adegan battle yg kupikir bakal epic gimana gitu ternyata melempem gitu doang ☹️☹️
Tapi masih tertolong dengan keseluruhan cerita yg terselesaikan dengan rapi , well 3,3 🌟
July 9, 2019
Wasn't really my cup of tea .. Maybe if I'd read the others first.
September 5, 2022
Ok book. I just got bored so I stopped reading it
February 19, 2017
Over all the book is fairly entertaining but the beginning is a little slow. If you like fantasy type series then this could be the series for you. However if you don't like slow starts this book might not be for you. Even in the third book they still introduce all the characters even though they have been in all the other books if this is your first read of the series you still get to meet all the characters. One bad thing about this book is that you can predict the ending from the start of the book. If you are a fan of the series however this is a good read for you.
This author does a really good job of using sensory details so you can picture the scenery in your mind. As well as keeping you interested when you get past the slow start. So over all this book might stick out to some people but not so much for me.
This author does a really good job of using sensory details so you can picture the scenery in your mind. As well as keeping you interested when you get past the slow start. So over all this book might stick out to some people but not so much for me.
September 1, 2019
I feel like the first and the last books are the strongest in this series. This one, much like the Tide Knot, feels a bit cliché and simplistic. I liked some of the new characters, especially the whale, and I must say that the characterisation in general is getting better. Or in any case, the main characters are growing a bit and becoming slightly more nuanced. Secondary characters remain very one-dimensional. Ervys in particular feels like a villainy cookie-cutter villain, and the Kraken was just laughable. The whole Kraken plotline didn't really work for me.
September 29, 2022
seri Ingo yang paling kusukai sejauh ini. suasana fantasinya lebih kental & petualangannya pun lebih menegangkan & seru dibanding buku 1 & 2. chemistry antara Sapphire & Faro semakin nyata muncul di permukaan. jadi makin suka dengan tokoh Faro & look forward for the forth book to read :)
July 13, 2009
I was so disappointed. After reading Ingo and The Tide Knot (which seemed like filler to me), I was hoping for more.
March 12, 2010
If I hadn't read the others I' rate it five stars but to me it was a let down after Ingo and the Tide Knot.
June 17, 2014
I can't wait to read the next one in the series!
If Sapphire ever starts doing guided tours of Ingo I'm totally going to be one of the first in line!
If Sapphire ever starts doing guided tours of Ingo I'm totally going to be one of the first in line!
October 10, 2009
Enjoyable but not as catchy as the first two in this series.
May 24, 2017
Well, tetralogi Ingo tentu masih berkisar antara kaum Mer (manusia duyung) dimana dua diantara mereka bersahabat dengan anak Udara yaitu Conor dan Sapphire. Fokus kali ini memang bukan sepenuhnya tentang kaum Mer. Porsi lebih besar diberikan kepada Sapphire dan Connor serta si Paus. Dalam The Deep ini bertualang ke dasar laut yang gelap dan sunyi. Tidak ada satupun kaum Mer yang dapat masuk kesana tanpa menjadi hilang selamanya. Melalui buku ini pembaca bisa dapat merasakan keadaan dasar laut yang jauh dari udara dimana tekanannya begitu kuat sehingga hanya hewan sekelas dan sebesar Paus yang mampu menahan tekanan tersebut.
Lebih lanjut, jika berhubungan dengan dasar laut, ada satu makhluk mitos yang telah tinggal di sana selama ribuan tahun lebih. Yap, Kraken. Memang rasanya tidak afdhol berkisah tentang lautan tanpa menyertakan manusia duyung dan monster bernama Kraken ini. Intinya, Sapphire dan Connor kembali dipanggil oleh Ingo. Banyak kaum Mer yang meminta pertolongan mereka untuk kembali menidurkan Kraken yang terbangun akibat Simpul Ombak yang terlepas. Saldowr tidak bisa banyak membantu karena dirinya mengalami luka yang cukup parah saat Simpul Ombak pecah menjadi kepingan.
Sapphire, Connor, dan Faro (yang berusaha membuktikan bahwa dia Mer sejati) menyanggupi untuk pergi ke dasar laut. Kaum Mer lainnya telah mengetahui bahwa Sapphire pernah tidak sengaja terlempar ke dasar laut dan bisa kembali dengan selamat, tentunya dengan bantuan Paus tersebut. Kali itu Paus muncul kembali dan dia menawarkan tumpangan bagi mereka bertiga jika ingin pergi ke dasar laut sana. Dan paus itu jugalah yang berusaha menjemput mereka kembali. Perjalanan mereka ke dasar laut sangat menarik. Helen menjelaskan bahwa Paus memiliki semacam sonar suara yang membantunya melewati karang-karang dan menjelajah dasar laut yang gelap.
Secara keseluruhan The Deep lebih tipis daripada seri lainnya. Namun kisahnya masih berkelanjutan dan sayang sekali jika harus meloncat ke buku ini tanpa mampir di dua buku lainnya meskipun ada penjelasan singkat mengenai Paus yang pertama kali Sapphire temui di The Tide Knot. Rasanya suasana yang terbangun tidak akan lengkap jika tidak membaca kisahnya secara berurutan. Dan aku masih menyukai suasasna Ingo, tentang misteri dan keajaibannya. Kehidupan dilautan memang belum bisa tersenutuh secara maksimal oleh manusia karena banyak keterbatasan yang dimiliki. Namun mungkin memang seperti itu baiknya agar kita lebih menghargai laut dan tidak perlu mengusik hal-hal misterius yang tersimpan di dalamnya. Apalagi mengusik secara berlebihan.
Baca review lengkapnya di:
http://bukulova.blogspot.co.id/2017/0...
Lebih lanjut, jika berhubungan dengan dasar laut, ada satu makhluk mitos yang telah tinggal di sana selama ribuan tahun lebih. Yap, Kraken. Memang rasanya tidak afdhol berkisah tentang lautan tanpa menyertakan manusia duyung dan monster bernama Kraken ini. Intinya, Sapphire dan Connor kembali dipanggil oleh Ingo. Banyak kaum Mer yang meminta pertolongan mereka untuk kembali menidurkan Kraken yang terbangun akibat Simpul Ombak yang terlepas. Saldowr tidak bisa banyak membantu karena dirinya mengalami luka yang cukup parah saat Simpul Ombak pecah menjadi kepingan.
Sapphire, Connor, dan Faro (yang berusaha membuktikan bahwa dia Mer sejati) menyanggupi untuk pergi ke dasar laut. Kaum Mer lainnya telah mengetahui bahwa Sapphire pernah tidak sengaja terlempar ke dasar laut dan bisa kembali dengan selamat, tentunya dengan bantuan Paus tersebut. Kali itu Paus muncul kembali dan dia menawarkan tumpangan bagi mereka bertiga jika ingin pergi ke dasar laut sana. Dan paus itu jugalah yang berusaha menjemput mereka kembali. Perjalanan mereka ke dasar laut sangat menarik. Helen menjelaskan bahwa Paus memiliki semacam sonar suara yang membantunya melewati karang-karang dan menjelajah dasar laut yang gelap.
Secara keseluruhan The Deep lebih tipis daripada seri lainnya. Namun kisahnya masih berkelanjutan dan sayang sekali jika harus meloncat ke buku ini tanpa mampir di dua buku lainnya meskipun ada penjelasan singkat mengenai Paus yang pertama kali Sapphire temui di The Tide Knot. Rasanya suasana yang terbangun tidak akan lengkap jika tidak membaca kisahnya secara berurutan. Dan aku masih menyukai suasasna Ingo, tentang misteri dan keajaibannya. Kehidupan dilautan memang belum bisa tersenutuh secara maksimal oleh manusia karena banyak keterbatasan yang dimiliki. Namun mungkin memang seperti itu baiknya agar kita lebih menghargai laut dan tidak perlu mengusik hal-hal misterius yang tersimpan di dalamnya. Apalagi mengusik secara berlebihan.
Baca review lengkapnya di:
http://bukulova.blogspot.co.id/2017/0...
November 30, 2023
This book kinda sucked. First of all, I hate their dad! He totally abandons them, has a knew family, and then they have the audacity to blame the Mer and Ingo for "keeping him prisoner". I mean, Ingo kind of sucks, the Mer kind of suck, but Conor and Sapphire have no right to blame them for their selfish fathers selfish chose. And then, he gets injured (and I know it was bad and he got it trying to warn them and all that stuff), but it is no excuse to just chillax at home while his children go to possibly die at the hands of the Kraken. Oh, the Kraken. He sucked. He really really sucked. So, after all that buildup, all that hype, and he was so..... anti-climactic. For starters, he was, well not nice per say, but not mean either. The most we found of his real personality was "a faint bit of anger behind his childish words". It really bugged me. And his defeat, his defeat was also just, undeveloped. Like, they used a mirror, to weaken him, and then they threw rowanberries at him and called it a day? The surprise about the rowanberries would have been better executed it we didn't have as many reminders of them, especially right before they entered the deep. It just wasn't good. The whole book. I hate their father, the Kraken, Sapphire, Faro, like literally everyone in this book except for their mother. She works so hard for them and they don't really return the favour in any way. I just....their selfish, rude and sometimes have really big heads. Overall, this book needs better characters, plotline, and emotions and feelings. On a side note: why does Sapphire hate Elvira this much, what did she ever do to her (if it's about her brother, then sucks for her! She needs to realize that people have their own lives! They can't always be there for her and only her)?
February 13, 2019
This book had a really good build-up to the dreaded kraken. Sadly, that kraken was disappointing. He came off as more of an annoyance than a horrifying villain that seemed to be setup by the Mer.
The division of the Mer was an interesting part of the story. Ervys and his troublemakers bring some intrigue that I am grateful for. Turns out that life under the sea isn't necessarily all that better that what we've got up here. Politics is all over.
I'm very interested in the next appearance of the father, Matthew. I prefer Conor's stance on this. It is annoying how narrow-minded Sapphire is with regards to her own family. I understand that it is hard but the way she behaves is plain ridiculous at times. She smiles at her baby brother but cannot understand that with her father back on Earth he'd be abandoning his new family. She hasn't thought about how emotional her mother would be having to bury her husband, move on and find happiness, and now dredge up those feelings upon his return and cope with his abandonment and new family. Also, Sapphire fails to note that she is more in love with Ingo and playing with Faro than Conor yet hates the idea that Conor might choose Elvira and Ingo. Conor sheds light on all of these issues and Sapphire just ignores them. I guess it is a character flaw and it is necessary so she doesn't become a Mary Sue. Conor is closer to being flawless than Sapphire. He gets upset but calms down and being judgemental and being more rigid than adaptable are not huge flaws. I guess he's sort of a hypocrite like Sapphire for falling for Elvira yet mistrusting Ingo and not wanting Sapphire to lose herself in Ingo.
Anyway, I have ranted enough.
The division of the Mer was an interesting part of the story. Ervys and his troublemakers bring some intrigue that I am grateful for. Turns out that life under the sea isn't necessarily all that better that what we've got up here. Politics is all over.
I'm very interested in the next appearance of the father, Matthew. I prefer Conor's stance on this. It is annoying how narrow-minded Sapphire is with regards to her own family. I understand that it is hard but the way she behaves is plain ridiculous at times. She smiles at her baby brother but cannot understand that with her father back on Earth he'd be abandoning his new family. She hasn't thought about how emotional her mother would be having to bury her husband, move on and find happiness, and now dredge up those feelings upon his return and cope with his abandonment and new family. Also, Sapphire fails to note that she is more in love with Ingo and playing with Faro than Conor yet hates the idea that Conor might choose Elvira and Ingo. Conor sheds light on all of these issues and Sapphire just ignores them. I guess it is a character flaw and it is necessary so she doesn't become a Mary Sue. Conor is closer to being flawless than Sapphire. He gets upset but calms down and being judgemental and being more rigid than adaptable are not huge flaws. I guess he's sort of a hypocrite like Sapphire for falling for Elvira yet mistrusting Ingo and not wanting Sapphire to lose herself in Ingo.
Anyway, I have ranted enough.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2025
We are losing the plot a little bit here!
I liked this but we start to introduce things too fast and without enough context to ground them properly in the world of Ingo. What are claw creatures? What’s all this about talismans now? I wouldn’t be mad if only there was some precedent for this. If it’s only now in the third book that we learn these things, they don’t hold any weight for me. It seems as though Dunmore had ideas about what would happen to sapphire and Conor but that she just made up the rest of it on the fly for each book.
So many questions still unanswered. We haven’t talked to Matthew trewhella, we haven’t learned anything about Gloria, we haven’t learned anything about faro really either….. and I find that sapphires inner voice is weaker. As she grows up (or as the books progress) she just does much less thinking and much more being pushing around by what the narrative requires of her.
And don’t get me started on the kraken. That was so underwhelming it shocks the mind. I sorta get what Dunmore was going for, but this;,,,,,,,, no.
I ALSO WISH SAPPHIRE WOULD STOP PUTTING SEA CREATURES INTO BOXES OF GOOD AND EVIL BECAUSE ITS SO WEIRD THAT SHE “LOVES ALL OF INGOS CREATURES” BUT SHES SCARED OF SHARKS AND OCTOPI AND EELS AND SQUIDS AND CRABS. IF YOU CAN TALK TO EVERYONE WHY WOULD IT BE A PROBLEM. THIS ANNOYS ME.
Anyway I still really want to finish these books this year. I really want to know what happens at the end of this story and I don’t think anyone on the internet is capable of telling me.
So cheers and off I go
I liked this but we start to introduce things too fast and without enough context to ground them properly in the world of Ingo. What are claw creatures? What’s all this about talismans now? I wouldn’t be mad if only there was some precedent for this. If it’s only now in the third book that we learn these things, they don’t hold any weight for me. It seems as though Dunmore had ideas about what would happen to sapphire and Conor but that she just made up the rest of it on the fly for each book.
So many questions still unanswered. We haven’t talked to Matthew trewhella, we haven’t learned anything about Gloria, we haven’t learned anything about faro really either….. and I find that sapphires inner voice is weaker. As she grows up (or as the books progress) she just does much less thinking and much more being pushing around by what the narrative requires of her.
And don’t get me started on the kraken. That was so underwhelming it shocks the mind. I sorta get what Dunmore was going for, but this;,,,,,,,, no.
I ALSO WISH SAPPHIRE WOULD STOP PUTTING SEA CREATURES INTO BOXES OF GOOD AND EVIL BECAUSE ITS SO WEIRD THAT SHE “LOVES ALL OF INGOS CREATURES” BUT SHES SCARED OF SHARKS AND OCTOPI AND EELS AND SQUIDS AND CRABS. IF YOU CAN TALK TO EVERYONE WHY WOULD IT BE A PROBLEM. THIS ANNOYS ME.
Anyway I still really want to finish these books this year. I really want to know what happens at the end of this story and I don’t think anyone on the internet is capable of telling me.
So cheers and off I go
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2021
This is my second time reading this book. The first time I read it when I was a kid, I remember being really taken with it. The journey to the Deep, facing the Kraken, all of it felt really epic and large in scope. Reading it again now for the first time in a long time, I feel the opposite. The stakes didn’t feel as high as they did in previous books. The battle with the Kraken goes by so quickly, and there’s still over one hundred pages left once he’s defeated. For a book called The Deep, there really isn’t a lot of time spent there. Also, I feel like Sapphire’s character growth was really stunted in this book. A lot of her actions or her thoughts felt out of character considering the journey she’s been on in the past two books. It’s like, hasn’t she gotten past acting like this? I will say that the world building continues to be very exciting and engaging. The political intrigue of Ingo was fun to witness, and Ervys makes for a great villain. Also the character of the whale is such a highlight. Her and Sapphire’s relationship is truly touching. This is definitely not my favorite entry in this series, but it was still an enjoyable read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2023
Okay so this one has become my least favourite of the series unfortunately. I just think it falls off a bit in comparison to the two books that come before it, especially when it comes to the reveal of the
I honestly found Ervys to be a bit of a scarier character overall. He feels like the bigger villain and the one that everyone should be keeping an eye on, and I'm intrigued to see what happens to him in the next book and to see where all this goes in general. I do feel like I need to take a break for now though so that I can come back to the last two (?) books with interest again instead of just sort of going through the motions of reading them.
I honestly found Ervys to be a bit of a scarier character overall. He feels like the bigger villain and the one that everyone should be keeping an eye on, and I'm intrigued to see what happens to him in the next book and to see where all this goes in general. I do feel like I need to take a break for now though so that I can come back to the last two (?) books with interest again instead of just sort of going through the motions of reading them.
June 4, 2017
Dari buku 2 sbnrnya udh kehilangan minat, tapi krn terlanjur beli bundle ya sdh teruskan sj, ak gk suka abandon series.
Dan ternyata buku 3 ini parah sekali, tersiksa ak bacanya.
1. Dad meninggalkan mum, Conor & Saphire untuk karena panggilan wanita mer, memutuskan untuk lebih memilih bersama wanita itu, bahkan sampai memiliki bayi. sebel.
2. Mum pacaran sama Roger, tinggal bersama, bahkan di akhir buku (sorry, spoiler) memutuskan pergi ke Australia mengikuti Roger, meninggalkan Conor & Saphire, mempercayakan perwalian mereka berdua ke org2 sekitar lingkungan rumah. Aku bahkan gk bisa memulai dr mana, tapi Ibu macam apa itu? Pergi bersenang2 dgn pacar, meninggalkan anak2mu.
LAME, LAME...
Dan ternyata buku 3 ini parah sekali, tersiksa ak bacanya.
1. Dad meninggalkan mum, Conor & Saphire untuk karena panggilan wanita mer, memutuskan untuk lebih memilih bersama wanita itu, bahkan sampai memiliki bayi. sebel.
2. Mum pacaran sama Roger, tinggal bersama, bahkan di akhir buku (sorry, spoiler) memutuskan pergi ke Australia mengikuti Roger, meninggalkan Conor & Saphire, mempercayakan perwalian mereka berdua ke org2 sekitar lingkungan rumah. Aku bahkan gk bisa memulai dr mana, tapi Ibu macam apa itu? Pergi bersenang2 dgn pacar, meninggalkan anak2mu.
LAME, LAME...
September 5, 2020
In this, the third of the 'Ingo' series, Sapphire discovers that things in the Mer world are certainly far from perfect. It touches on discrimination, in that a group of the Mer want those not of pure blood to be excluded from 'Ingo'. This is just hinted at in this, but is carried on in greater depth in the fourth book.
Something is stirring in the Deep and the Mer are scared. None of them can travel into the very depths of the ocean but they have heard how Sapphire had been to the Deep and survived. The Mer need her help, but she will not face the dangers alone this time.
An excellent mix of characters, both of friend and of foe, and a very different view of the Kraken than the one I am used to. Lots of tension and enough action to satisfy any reader.
Something is stirring in the Deep and the Mer are scared. None of them can travel into the very depths of the ocean but they have heard how Sapphire had been to the Deep and survived. The Mer need her help, but she will not face the dangers alone this time.
An excellent mix of characters, both of friend and of foe, and a very different view of the Kraken than the one I am used to. Lots of tension and enough action to satisfy any reader.
January 27, 2018
Not as strong as the previous Ingo books, but still psychologically enchanting and very creative. From riding inside the mouth of a whale to the true nature of the Kraken, Helen Dunmore really puts you into the emotional state of the characters, amplifying their fears, triumphs, and every little thing in between. This one ran a little slower and the scene with the Kraken is somewhat anticlimatic if not read slowly and carefully, but overall I enjoyed The Deep and am looking forward to the next book!
May 10, 2017
There human world is slowly getting back to normal after the mighty floods. Things are changing they are getting older braver and taking on more responsibility for the secrets they keep from their Mum and Roger. Ingo becomes more than an escape it's starting to feel like home. So, When Faro calls for help, Connor & Sapphire don't hesitate to dive back into Ingo to help fight the darkest menacing sea creature of them all - The Kraken.
April 3, 2018
I liked this book. Some of the details didn't quite make sense because I haven't read the first two books, but it was good. I wasn't entirely satisfied with the last fourth of the book. Everything wraps up underwater and somewhat on land, but there is an element missing in the last part of the book. I like it and will probably read this book again and most definitely read the first two, but The Deep is not going to be one of my most favorite books.
August 6, 2022
The whole Ingo series is definitely one of my favourites. I’ve reread the books several times and I’d do anything to read them for the first time again. These stories really dove me deep into the fantastical world of Ingo and made me feel like I was really experiencing what the protagonists were feeling- which is absolutely everything I could ask for in books.
Therefore I would rate the series as a whole as 5 stars.
Therefore I would rate the series as a whole as 5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews