Welcome back to the final day of our book club read-along for OwlCrate's December book, Skin of the Sea!
Just a reminder that this will be a SPOILER discussion for Chapters 24-End of Skin of the Sea, so make sure you are finished before continuing.
Please note that there is a content warning I encourage you to read at the beginning of the book before starting!
Discussion questions are listed below, and anyone who participates in the comments will be entered to win a free OwlCrate box! Don't forget, you can also post about the readalong on Instagram with the hashtag #OCSkinOfTheSea for another chance to win! Winners will be selected on Thursday, March 17th.
The story concludes...
Chapter 24:
Idefayo bids them to get inside as the sasabonsam are sure to return. Simidele and Kola agree to mourn Issa properly later, after the twins are saved. Inside they come upon a large throne room, which is empty save a throne in the middle. Ifedayo tells Simi to state her need.
Ifedayo is Esu. He returned to Oko in hopes of finding one of the rings, which Kehinde hid on their way to the island. Kola takes up arms against Esu, telling Simidele to go find the twins.
Chapter 25:
Simi runs up the stairs, finding the twins locked in a cage. Kola soon follows, covered in blood, and wielding the key, but something feels off. It is Esu again pretending, but Kehinde wasn’t fooled and wouldn’t tell him where she hid her ring. Soon the real Kola joins them, again attacking Esu, eventually being knocked to the ground. Simi tells Esu she knows where the ring is, in the darkest and deepest part of the ocean, and if he answers her riddle she’ll tell him the location. As he delights in cleverly finding the answer, Simi attacks and throws them out of the tower into the sea.
Chapter 26:
We see Simi’s memory of jumping from the ship and being found by Yemoja, who embraced her and turned her into a Mami Wata.
Simi and Esu crash into the sea, where she now able to over power him in her Mami Wata form. She releases a black pearl which summons Olokun, who restrains Esu, vowing to bind him at the bottom of the sea until Olodumare sees fit, and handing Simi Kehinde’s ring. Simi promises to keep her part of their bargain.
Simi stumbles back into the room to find Kola fading in too much blood. His eyes close, his breath stops, and she sees his soul leave his body.
Chapter 27:
She examines the soul, looking through some of Kola’s memories, and then gets an idea. She gives the ring to Kehinde and asks if they know how to use their power. They try, and eventually Kola’s soul snakes back into his body, and breath hitching, his eye flutter open.
The twins give Simi the rings to summon Olodumare, and she is shown happy memories of her childhood and a feeling a calm overcomes her. It is done. She returns the rings to the twins and then tells Kola of her bargain with Olokun. She promised him that in exchange for his help she will make the Land of the Dead her home. Kola asks her to wait, but before she can change her mind, Simi dives from the tower into the sea.
Questions:
- All done! Did you like the ending?
- What are your predications for book two? Do you think Simi will be able to leave and enter the Land of the Dead as she pleases?
- Do you think Ben and Yinka are okay?
- Where do you think book two will pick up? Are you excited to read it?
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