Absolutely brilliant. As a lifelong reader, this is the kind of book I would always want to pick up off the shelf and the kind of book I wish I had time to read in one sitting. I love the way you wove history in with fantasy and magic. I think the idea of a single person having to bear the painful memories of many is a great idea. I love the idea of this society of people able to breath underwater that came from the pregnant woman who were thrown off the slave ships (those slave owners didn't see that coming and neither did I). It's a brand new idea when brand new ideas are really hard to come by. The one thing I would suggest is a different start to the book. The start you have right now feels a little unnatural like it belongs a little further into the book. Maybe you could have started it with her in the shark infested waters half asleep and then continued to have Amaba get her out of there.