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challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am not sure where this time hopping literary fiction with a splash of witchcraft, dastardly pirates, murder, modern day treasure hunters, and a centuries long curse fell short for me. The narrative felt drawn out just for the conclusion to be rushed. Part of me feels like this would have been two five star reads if the past and present had been separated.
PROS:
š“āā ļøNo body, no crime
š Genrational Magic
š“āā ļø Revenge comes in many flavors
CONS:
š“āā ļø Greedy men
š Generational Trauma
š“āā ļø Just because the magic exists doesnāt mean you should use it.
šššš out of five shells strung on ropes to help ward off evil
PROS:
š“āā ļøNo body, no crime
š Genrational Magic
š“āā ļø Revenge comes in many flavors
CONS:
š“āā ļø Greedy men
š Generational Trauma
š“āā ļø Just because the magic exists doesnāt mean you should use it.
šššš out of five shells strung on ropes to help ward off evil
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Grief
Moderate: Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking
Minor: Death of parent
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A beautiful mix of science, archeology and magic, where history meets the present, all on the beautiful Amalfi coast.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
What a fantastic and truly unique story.
I donāt feel like Iāve read anything like this.
I reached a point yesterday where I couldnāt stop reading it and this morning I was sad it was over.
This book has shipwrecks, magical sea witches, hidden treasure and a couple of love stories too!
In the present day we have Haven who is about to go on a dive in Positano. Technically sheās there for a work assigned dive but sheās also there to try to discover her fatherās last find before he died.
In 1821, we have a story about a sea witch named Mari and a sailer named Holmes.
Mari hates the sea for taking her mother and sister away. But she is still tied to the water. She is a sea witch who can control the tide. The witches keep their sailers safe, keep pirates away, and help bring in the fish.
Mari wants to escape with her secret love Holmes. But then thereās a kidnapping and everything changes.
I loved this story. I also absolutely loved Mari and Holmesā love story. Absolutely beautiful. I thought I knew what would happen but I was wrong, there were twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.
Highly recommend this!
I donāt feel like Iāve read anything like this.
I reached a point yesterday where I couldnāt stop reading it and this morning I was sad it was over.
This book has shipwrecks, magical sea witches, hidden treasure and a couple of love stories too!
In the present day we have Haven who is about to go on a dive in Positano. Technically sheās there for a work assigned dive but sheās also there to try to discover her fatherās last find before he died.
In 1821, we have a story about a sea witch named Mari and a sailer named Holmes.
Mari hates the sea for taking her mother and sister away. But she is still tied to the water. She is a sea witch who can control the tide. The witches keep their sailers safe, keep pirates away, and help bring in the fish.
Mari wants to escape with her secret love Holmes. But then thereās a kidnapping and everything changes.
I loved this story. I also absolutely loved Mari and Holmesā love story. Absolutely beautiful. I thought I knew what would happen but I was wrong, there were twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.
Highly recommend this!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death, Death of parent
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Kidnapping, Murder
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A solid 3.5 stars āļø
I LOVED the setting, and I was invested in the 1800s storyline, but there were too many moments that were just, MEH, and I mostly just tuned out, which is a bummer.
But I love the cover of this book š¤©
I LOVED the setting, and I was invested in the 1800s storyline, but there were too many moments that were just, MEH, and I mostly just tuned out, which is a bummer.
But I love the cover of this book š¤©
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Stalking, Death of parent, Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A fun summer read by the sea! I thoroughly enjoyed this dual timeline mystery set in Positano, Italy. A few aspects of the mystery were predictable, but budding romances and gentle explorations of grief kept me immersed in the story. The audio recording was phenomenal.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Trafficking
Moderate: Child death, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Terminal illness, Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I've read every book Sarah Penner has released so far, and they just keep getting better. I genuinely believed The Lost Apothecary would be hard to top, but this one might have done it for me. I absolutely love when an author has the ability to make you feel like you're completely immersed in the setting as you read, as though there's a movie playing out in your mind. Penner's ability to do this really shines in this book, and I loved the characters and the connection across the dual timelines. This is absolutely going to end up being one of my favorite books of the year, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Death, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
adventurous
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you, NetGalley and Park Row Books, for the opportunity to read this ARC!
If youāve ever wondered what a female-led Indiana Jones movie, set in Italy, featuring nautical archaeology would be likeā¦then look no further! The latest from Sarah Penner, author of The Lost Apothecary and The London SĆ©ance Society has plenty of treasure hunting, archive sleuthing, star-crossed romanceā¦and even a little witchcraft.
I was immediately hooked by Havenās search for her late fatherās final discovery among the shipwrecks along the Amalfi Coast. The plot flips back and forth between her story and that of Mari DeLuca, a 19th-century strega, or sea-witch, who has power over the ocean and falls in love with an American sailor.
While I loved the historical aspect of both storylines and the dual POVs, I found my attention lagging around the midpoint. It takes a beat to figure out how the two timelines intertwine and I wish thereād been more hints along the way to keep me hooked. But once the stories meet up, the pacing gets quick, with everything coming together in a really satisfying way!
I also loved the coastal Italian setting and how the beauty of Positano and the surrounding cities amplified the brewing danger beneath the waves. Itās obvious that a lot of research went into this book and I definitely sensed that authenticity.
Historical romance and magical realism fans will love this one!
If youāve ever wondered what a female-led Indiana Jones movie, set in Italy, featuring nautical archaeology would be likeā¦then look no further! The latest from Sarah Penner, author of The Lost Apothecary and The London SĆ©ance Society has plenty of treasure hunting, archive sleuthing, star-crossed romanceā¦and even a little witchcraft.
I was immediately hooked by Havenās search for her late fatherās final discovery among the shipwrecks along the Amalfi Coast. The plot flips back and forth between her story and that of Mari DeLuca, a 19th-century strega, or sea-witch, who has power over the ocean and falls in love with an American sailor.
While I loved the historical aspect of both storylines and the dual POVs, I found my attention lagging around the midpoint. It takes a beat to figure out how the two timelines intertwine and I wish thereād been more hints along the way to keep me hooked. But once the stories meet up, the pacing gets quick, with everything coming together in a really satisfying way!
I also loved the coastal Italian setting and how the beauty of Positano and the surrounding cities amplified the brewing danger beneath the waves. Itās obvious that a lot of research went into this book and I definitely sensed that authenticity.
Historical romance and magical realism fans will love this one!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Child death, Sexual content, Death of parent