It Came From The Deep

Supernatural Sisters #3

by Maria Lewis

An elderly professor is murdered, leaving a puzzling crime scene for police to unravel and a laboratory housing all kinds of marine life. But something is missing … something huge.

Recent highschool graduate Kaia Craig has problems of her own, with her career as an ironwoman on the Gold Coast in jeopardy after a horrific accident. Yet someone wants to hold her accountable.

After nearly drowning in Lake Pelutz and her attackers on the run, Kaia is left with more than just physical injuries. She’s convinced she saw something in the depths of the lake: something that choose to spare her. Uncertain whether she’s running towards the discovery of a friend or foe, Kaia begins digging into a mystery that may have bigger ramifications than she or any of her friends can fathom.

It Came From The Deep is a thrilling combination of young adult and science fiction from the author of the critically acclaimed Who’s Afraid? series, Maria Lewis.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Supernatural, Urban Fantasy, Mythology

446 pages, ebook

First published October 31, 2017

About the author

Maria Lewis is a AWGIE Award-winning screenwriter, best-selling author, and pop culture etymologist from Australia. She’s the author of the internationally published Supernatural Sisters series of eight books, which includes the Aurealis Award-winning The Witch Who Courted Death, and titles for Marvel (Mockingbird: Strike Out), Assassin's Creed (Daughter Of No One) and forthcoming slasher The Graveyard Shift. As a screenwriter, she has worked across projects for AMC, Netflix, SBS, Ubisoft, ABC, DC Comics and many more. She's the presenter, writer and producer of audio documentaries - The Phantom Never Dies - about the world's first superhero - and Josie and the Podcats - about the 2001 cult film. In 2023, she made her directorial debut with The House That Hungers, based on the Aurealis and Ditmar Award-nominated horror short story of the same name.

Reviews

[Ryan Buckby · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's always one thing i can say and that is i love Maria's books and the world that she has created is just everything.

These books are set in Australia and all interconnect which is awesome and i love seeing the different characters from the other books. For such a short book this book as so much to this universe and yes i use universe because that's what these books have become.

Maria's books are all so well written and this one isn't any different and i can always go into her books and come out satisfied enough. All her characters are diverse and well written which makes the story that bit better which i love.

If you love stories with mermaids in them i highly recommend you pick this book up because you will not be disappointed it's so good.

[Alan Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

An aquatic humanoid mystery story that’s thoroughly Australian in setting? Well, that’s gotta be something you don’t see often. This is well worth a read, give it a try.

[Jessica (aus.fangirl.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 4.5/5

Omg this book!
I need to try and control my emotions because omg this story was so beautiful!

The characters were amazing, I pretty much wanted to adopt the Craig siblings (Kaia & Storm) right away, Cabby was serious friendship goals and Amos... my little baby Amos all I wanted to do was look after him.
Maria does such a great job at writing real relatable characters who you have to love.

The pacing was perfect and even though it was a short book (well, shorter than I usually read) it was perfectly paced and nothing was left hanging in the air.

I would reccommend this book to anyone who likes mermaid tales and is after a creative and refreshing story that takes place in Australia.

[Jayse · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS!!
Oh my jesus hello saiiiiilor!!
What a brilliant little book this is. Maz has in this book created characters whom I have fallen head over heels for. I am in awe of this writer. Guys, you seriously need this book in your life.

Quirky ✔
Action packed ✔
Awkward ✔
Romantic ✔
Brilliantly written ✔

Loved it!!!

[Gabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I've ever read anything quite like this. Sure bits and pieces of if felt familiar, but all the pieces put together the way they are is entirely new to me! Honestly read like a movie I'd love to watch. It was comfortingly (thankfully not annoyingly) Australian. It took me a couple sittings to get into the story proper, but once I did I couldn't put it down! The story is the right amount of thrilling, and I just NEEDED to know what happened next.
Just go try it, I promise it won't be what you expect!

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

Maria Lewis is an absolute queen, and I will forever read every single book she ever writes.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m the wrong audience for this book. It fell into some YA tropes I don’t get on with, but avoided many YA pitfalls, too. I liked the inclusive cast, Australian setting, and imperfect protagonist. I didn’t love the romance, pacing and shallow world-building. I wish this had been much longer to incorporate other timelines and perspectives or much shorter to make the unexplained details less visible. It was a quick read, though, that blended a murder mystery with aquatic humanoids in a way I haven’t seen before. I might have loved this as a teenager, but I didn’t now.

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This is the first Lewis book I have read and it won't be the last (which is great cause I went ahead and purchased all of her books before I even read her work)

I loved the aussie setting, the bold and realistic characters, the aussie as fuck dialogue and of course the merman.

Loved it. Bring on the werewolves!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I finished this Sunday night, the night before my exam. Why did I do that? I know it is because it was a really good read and I wanted to find out how it ended regardless if I needed to be up in five and a half hours. Maria Lewis you have done it again. Your writing is so nice to read and I love your story lines as well. I am very happy that you decided to go ahead and publish this even though publishers would not - maybe one day it can be published as a physical book. Amos was such a cute and loveable character, and I loved reading about the relationship between him and Kaia. For anyone who likes mermaid (well aquatic humanoid) stories then you should definitely pick this gorgeous ebook up and devour it like I did.

[Peta Tron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well that was super fun! I found some of the iron person/surf stuff a bit dorky but that may be because I grew up on the gold and sunshine coasts and always thought that stuff was a bit lame. But this was exactly what I needed right now, a fun, quick, interesting read. It works as a stand alone but is also open to a sequel.

[Jem · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was fun and quirky with a bit of mystery and romance thrown in. It is set in the world of Surf Clubs on the Gold Coast. I loved the combination of sci fi and everyday Australia. The flow between chapters and the scences within was done well and i didn't feel like I was missing anything or not know what was happening. There is LGBTQI, Mental Health and different culture representation which I felt Maria wrote about well.
.
Maria has done a superb job creating and developing the characters. Kaia is the MC whose POV the story is told from, we follow her as she struggles to work through the accident that happened and the discovery of something that she thought was only a myth. We have Storm who is her hothead brother that just wants to protect his sister. Cabby is Kaia's friend that is trying to support her. Travis is who Kaia enlists to help her figure out the things she doesnt understand. Then we have Amos, who is the unexpected friend Kaia finds and is helping to return home. But there are those that don't want that to happen, resulting in Kaia and her friends being a bit out of their depth.

[Greg Vekiarellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had planned to read this book on an upcoming long haul flight, but did the terrible mistake of reading the first few chapters in bed one night and couldn’t put it down. It’s an easy read, but don’t let that fool you; the characters are fully realised, the story unfolds at a cracking pace, and no one writes females, and their friendships with each other, like Maria Lewis does. Except maybe Gail Simone.

[Ramona · Rating 4 out of 5]

LISTEN. You know you wanna read a mystery about a merman, excuse me an aquatic humanoid because if you don’t, well I can’t help you. And I’m not just saying that because my name’s in the back of the book.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I finished and now I would like a sequel please and thank you because I have questions that need answering.

Full RTC at a more acceptable hour.

[Tash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed @ Thoughts By Tash
Review copy kindly provided by the author in exchange for a honest review

Lewis ‘s YA Debut It Came From The Deep, is an unexpected surprise that fills a niche in the Australian Market. In a country that is diverse and has many opportunities . Clubbie culture isn’t something that is found in YA books. It’s a lifestyle that is under represented in Australian YA and is a key part of Australian history and culture

Lewis paints of a picture of a lifestyle where everyone trains hard and parties hard. However Kaia her protagonist, once a avid clubie has changed, she goes through the motions now. Her life isn’t the same since the accident. She become a shell of herself, she isn’t the bright young champion that had the world at her feet.

Kaia is an addiction that you don’t to give up yet you don’t want to know. She lost herself since the accident and it shows in the early chapters. She doesn’t now anything else and those months have been hard on her .Yet she isn’t broken. Just tired and needing a push. She needs to stop wallowing in her past. It was an accident that could have happen to everyone .

As bad is to say the near drowning in Lake Pelutz and the mystery was what she needed. She need to think about the bigger picture. Cabby was edging her towards it and I loved her for it. She need to embrace the culture again even though she didn’t agree with all it. It was a big part of her life and entwined well with the other half of the story.

The mystery surrounding Lake Pelutz, there was a quite a story there and I loved how Lewis created this half of the story. It was something different but not too crazy. I like the concept and it worked well together. It shows how much a talent Lewis has combining contemporary with another genre. I won’t give too much away. But it is addicting and thrilling. Lewis has done her home work and it shows

Lewis has proven herself once again. It Came From The Deep is honest and realistic of typical Aussie culture. She doesn’t mince words and her cast of characters represent how diverse Australia is . I love her voice in this novel. It’s an accurate representation of Aussie culture. The easy going, laid back nature that Aussies are known for meets clubie culture. I enjoyed exploring the clubie culture as it a foreign world for me. She parred them well and it really showed with Cubby , Kasa’s friend who helps Kasa break out of her shell.

Surfer Paradise was exactly as how I know it and it was perfect setting for this book. The culture is unique and represent the melting pot of Australia . Lewis doesn’t shy away from the typical issues as well . She isn’t afraid to talk in true Aussie fashion about riding the wave and other problems. It was a book I could easily read again and I enjoy It Came From the Deep. It was a wonderful Aussie YA that I never knew I needed.




For more of my reviews, visit Thoughts by Tash.And drop by the blog's Facebook page

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another interesting book but Maria Lewis. I wasn’t as big of a fan of this one as I am on the Tommi Grayson series. Mermaid and Merfolk aren’t something that catch my eyes as much, but it was still a great book between the Tommi series.

A few things. This book did take a minute to really get going for me in terms of the supernatural ascent. Whilst part of me is glad we got to know Kaia before we met Amos and all the Merfolk stuff happened, it took time to catch my attention. However, I do think the crime side of the story was fascinating and is something I think I want to read more about.

I really did love the fact that there were many twists and turns in this book, however. I truly believe that is Maria’s strong suit, it is her style of writing. I was not expecting things to go down and kick off in the research lab with the two thugs and I wasn’t expecting things to turn out the way they did and I loved it. I love it when a book keeps me guessing and I don’t know what to expect otherwise I get bored. I didn’t find that happening here.

As for the characters. I loved the characters in this story. Cabby is just the ultimate friend goal. I loved how she was introduced to the readers and someone I thought, in the beginning, was someone to Kaia that whilst they weren’t close, they still had a mutual respect for one another. I was so glad when I was proven wrong. I loved how the further into the story I got the more she was involved and the support both she and Storm gave Kaia given everything she had been through.

This was a nice easy read and another book I really enjoyed.

[Deanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this. The cracking pace of a Matthew Reilly thriller with the same kind of local familiarity that you get reading a Nick Earls, this is awesome urban fantasy, Gold Coast style! I devoured it in 3 days. There are two things I really love about this. Firstly, Maria Lewis's brand of feminism. Her female leads are strong and fierce but with no denial of their femininity, their grace, their gentleness or their vulnerability. Second, I love that behind the fantastical love story, this is a modern Gold Coast tale. We all know the Gold Coast of *shudders* "White Shoes, White Lines and Blackie"- the shonky glitter strip where wealth is as precarious as the coast line during a summer king tide and the beautiful people are moulded out of silicon. But, the Goldie isn't a teenager any more. The Goldie has hit its hip and happening twenties - its all wine bars and hipsters and invite-only pop-up venues. Lewis says in the acknowledgments that she wrote this novel six years ago. The Goldie had not come of age 6 years ago. It was still an angry awkward teenager 6 years ago. Mari Lewis is clairvoyant and "It came from the Deep" is such a welcome change to the discourse of what the Gold Coast is and should be. Loved it! I want a print version for my book shelf!

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now I am normally not a fan of mermaid/mermen stories and I like a HEA or and least a HFN ending so it is kind of surprising just how much I enjoyed this one. But I did. I enjoyed the Aussie/Gold Coast setting. I really liked the relationship between the Craig siblings too. And I loved the friendships, especially the one that develops between Kaia and Amos and how Kaia helps him find his way home. While I would normally be wanting them to find a way to be together I think it actually works better this way. It makes sense that they would develop some intense feelings for each other - especially Amos as he had never met anyone other than the Prof and had been alone for 5 months and then Kaia had been through a lot of trauma. But it wouldn't work long term. What they have was lovely and what they each needed right then but is better that it fades to friendship.

I have heard that all the books in this series are connected so I am hoping we will see more of Amos and/or Kaia in other books and that we will get some explanation of who the bad guys were and how they knew about Amos as none of that was really resolved satisfactorily.

[Lissa Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This was so much fun!

First of all, shout out to the lovely Maria Lewis & Blake Howard who put this out *for free* as a podcast during 2020. It’s a fully produced audiobook, with deep dive bonus episodes after every chapter. Check it out wherever podcasts are found. Highly highly recommended.

There is an excellent complimentary (to the podcast discussion) Twitter thread with a bunch of links and relevant info which can be found here: https://mobile.twitter.com/moviemazz/...

The timing of this was excellent for me, actually, as I’d just returned from a trip to the Gold Coast (where this is set) when I started reading this. So I had context for the place names - Southport, Miami Beach, etc. I passed them all on a light rail trip :)

While part of her overall “Supernatural Sisters” series, “It Came From the Deep” can be read as a stand-alone novel / as an entry point into the series.

Though I’m not usually a murder mystery kind of gal, I made an exception because not only is it Maria Lewis and I love her, but I’ve read most of the other books in the series so needed to complete the set.

This is short, compact and such a quick read. Action, romance, suspense, etc. etc. Excellent read.

[Sheridan Kunde · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the concept of a merman book (or aquatic humanoid!) as well as a book with a local (to me) setting. Sometimes I feel like the feminism in Maria's books is as subtle as a sledgehammer but sometimes that's exactly what you need!

One of my wishes for this book is that we had a better idea of which organisation is hunting was hunting mermaids and if it has anything to do with her books which are all connected if I understand correctly.

There is a surprising amount of drama and action in this book with an incident where Kaia accidently knocked someone out in the surf and they drowned. The book also starts off with a murder scene I believe, which kind of sets the tone.

Kaia feels bad about the surf incident but it is clearly an unfortunate freak accident. The victims brothers clearly blame her which is something I will never get. How does a family member or friends death turn regular people murderous? Especially when the death was accidental.

Maria always does amazingly realistic characters that are easy to connect with. Though I'm not sure how I'd deal with Storm's anger and over-protectiveness. I love the supportiveness of Kaia's friend even if she doesn't really believe in what she's saying. She looks out for Kaia.

I feel like Maria's work has gotten better and better and I look forward to seeing future work from her.

[Lyn Haines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sydney presenter, producer and writer extraordinaire Maria Lewis, has penned an intriguing and original coming of age tale set against the glittering backdrop of Australia's Gold Coast.

It Came From The Deep opens in the aftermath of a terrible tragedy for which the 'golden girl' of surf sports, Kaia Craig, is held responsible. Brutally attacked by her accusers, Kaia is rescued by something (or someone) in Lake Pelutz. Kaia's ingenuity, self-belief and stamina are put to the test as she races to solve the mystery of the lake whilst battling her own demons in the court of public opinion.

Another wonderful book from Maria Lewis. If you haven't read the superb (and soon to be adapted to the screen) Who's Afraid and Who's Afraid too? definitely seek them out.

[Natalie Mulford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can honestly say I've never read a story about a merman before (ahem, I mean aquatic humanoid) & now I'm wondering what else I've missed out on. Being a fan of Maria's writing, I decided to give this YA book a read and I'm ever so glad I did.
I admit loving books set in Australia, it just makes it so much easier for me to get into the story. So to me, the Gold Coast setting was perfect in many ways. I adored the characters and grew more attached to each as the story progressed. I enjoyed how you can't help but feel like you're actually right there in their journey.
It was a book that I didn't want to put down and while the story did wrap up all neat and tidy, I can't help but want more!

[Zohal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. I think it could have been more developed though. However, the story was enjoyable, fast-paced and fun to read. I liked the main character and the ending was good. The second half specifically I quite liked. I did think the pacing was a bit slow for the first half. I like that this is an Aussie book by an Aussie author and it is different in tone to other books I have read. The writing is solid too. All round enjoyable read, worth the money AND I would be interested in a sequel. I am also going to check out the other books Maria Lewis has written.

[India Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so addictive it was enough to haul me out my drought of reading abstinence. I had lacked so much motivation to sit down and read a book due to being so exhausted from work, however Maria’s new hit was enough to pull me out my slump and find that motivation again.

I was so over emotionally attached to the female lead of Kaia,that I genuinely teared up once I had finished the book.

Low key praying there will be a second book written....

Highly recommend !!!

[Chloe Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn. Damn. Damn. Reading the blurb I was sceptical, I’d always thought Mermaids and the like we’re cliche and kinda sissy’s, but boy did this change my opinion! It Came From The Deep is a beautifully written and awesomely fleshed our book that everyone needs to read. I just spent 5 hours binging it in bed instead of going to work, and I have ZERO regrets! Congrats Maria for another INCREDIBLE book!!

[Jacinta Morley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devoured this book in under a day! It was such an engaging and unique story, I just had to know how it ended. As a former nipper and surf athlete on the Gold Coast, this book brought and unparalleled sense of realism and truth to a story about a merman... and it was amazing!

[Rowan Grover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun and passionate work. Kaia is an immensely likeable protagonist, and Lewis builds up the relationship between her and Amos superbly. A smooth read that will leave you a little heartbroken but touched by the close.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK mix of YA romance, adventure and myth that would appeal to fans of surfing culture but somewhat one-dimensional and unrealistic. The cover art was more compelling than the story, but I was still compelled to finish it. The cliffhanger ending suggests a sequel.

[Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story. The characters are so interesting to read. I especially loved Cabby.
Was not expecting to enjoy a book about mermen but read it because Ms Lewis always manages to tell a good story.

[Maisie Dickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

FulL Review to come