Daughter of the Deep

Lore & Background

The novel follows Ana Dakkar, a 15-year-old student at Harding-Pencroft Academy, a five-year boarding high school for marine sciences on the southern California coast. On the last day of her freshman year, she and her classmates witness their school destroyed by torpedoes fired from a submarine, an attack orchestrated by the rival Land Institute. Their teacher, Dr. Theodosius Hewett, reveals that Jules Verne's novels are based on real events and that Ana is the descendant of Captain Nemo, whose advanced technology is the focus of a long-running conflict between the two schools. Ana must take command of the Nautilus, which possesses sentient artificial intelligence, and navigate a battle with Land Institute while uncovering her brother Dev's betrayal.

Reader's Guide

Daughter of the Deep is significant as a departure from Rick Riordan's usual mythological themes, instead exploring retrofuturism and the legacy of Jules Verne's works. It incorporates tropes of sibling rivalry and recovery of lost ancient technologies, with the Nautilus depicted as having artificial intelligence and supercavitation travel. The novel's plot was inspired by Verne's 1870 novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, and it entered The New York Times Best Seller list, indicating commercial success. The story's focus on a young female protagonist inheriting and operating advanced technology from her ancestor, Captain Nemo, offers a contemporary take on classic science fiction themes, while the conflict between Harding-Pencroft Academy and Land Institute reflects ongoing debates about the ethical use of powerful inventions.

Did You Know?

• The novel features an orangutan named Jupiter who learned to cook by watching The Great British Bake Off.
• Ana Dakkar is the fourth great-granddaughter of Captain Nemo (Prince Dakkar of Bundelkhand).
• The Nautilus is described as having sentient artificial intelligence and can travel via supercavitation.
• Dr. Hewett suffers from advanced pancreatic cancer and is found comatose on the second day at sea.