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vickybuka's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Colonisation, Alcoholism, and Abandonment
annalh109's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
alexijai98's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
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? It's complicated
3.75
I enjoyed this read! A fun YA fantasy with interesting and diverse characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Death, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Vomit, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Classism, Confinement, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Rape and Sexual violence
Minor: Homophobia
alongm3240's review against another edition
5.0
From start to finish, I LOVED everything about this book!!!! The lovable MCs and their fight to never give up, their challenges and their successes, the AMAZING life lessons any one of us can learn, the writing style and ease of this book...I ADORED it all!!!! 5 SOLID STARS for The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea!!!
silver27's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
griffinaria's review against another edition
Trigger - sexual assult, drug addiction
akadras's review against another edition
3.0
"Powerful things, stories. If you care to listen to them."
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea follows Evelyn, the rebellious imperial and Flora (disguised as Florian), the desperate orphan turned pirate. Evelyn is sent to marry a man her parents picked for her, which is how she ends up as a passenger on the pirate ship called the Dove. Flora is orphaned with her brother Alfie, and in order to fit aboard as a pirate on the Dove, she must dress as a boy (Florian). But on this voyage, as the pirates prepare to sell their unsuspecting passengers into slavery, Flora is drawn to Evelyn. Soon the unlikely pair set in motion a wild escape that will free a captured mermaid, involve the mysterious Pirate Supreme, an opportunistic witch, and the all-encompassing Sea itself.
"Including herself. Or himself. Both were equally true to her. Neither told the whole story."
The main thing that drew me to The Mermaid, The Witch, and the Sea was the promise of good representation and it did not let me down. Flora is a poc genderfluid person and Evelyn is a queer woman from a country inspired by Japan. There is also the Pirate Supreme, a nonbinary badass pirate who fights for and defends the Sea. The sapphic relationship was never questioned or ridiculed and the same goes for the genderfluid/nonbinary characters, which was really nice to see.
"You've the feel of destiny about you."
The plot is very fast paced and easy to follow. It's definitely a plot driven book, so if you're like me and prefer slower, more character focused books, this is probably not what you're looking for. For me it felt like i couldn't get to know the world and the characters that well, which means by the end i wasn't as invested. I loved the concept of the world and the lore behind the Sea especially, i wish this book would've been longer so that the author could have really developed them.
"We don't just read to imagine better lives. We read to be introduced to all kinds of lives. Any kind. Not just for ourselves, but for everyone around us. To understand others better. It's escape, and it's also a way to become more connected to everyone around you. There's power in that, you know. In understanding. It's like magic."
The writing style of this book is simplistic, yet beautiful. You can find many beautiful quotes and thought provoking inner monologues. It's especially beautiful seeing the main characters coming to terms with themselves and understanding each other.
Now, for the characters. I was definitely rooting for Evelyn and Flora, but all the other characters felt very flat for me. I couldn't get attached to them in a way that i wanted to which is unfortunate, but if you're looking for a quick plot driven book this is it!
Overall this is a really fun and quick read, if you're trying to get into fantasy i would definitely recommend this, it's easy to get into and understand. This would also be a great book to read if you're trying to get out of a reading slump!
Big thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for providing me with an arc of this in exchange of an honest review!
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea follows Evelyn, the rebellious imperial and Flora (disguised as Florian), the desperate orphan turned pirate. Evelyn is sent to marry a man her parents picked for her, which is how she ends up as a passenger on the pirate ship called the Dove. Flora is orphaned with her brother Alfie, and in order to fit aboard as a pirate on the Dove, she must dress as a boy (Florian). But on this voyage, as the pirates prepare to sell their unsuspecting passengers into slavery, Flora is drawn to Evelyn. Soon the unlikely pair set in motion a wild escape that will free a captured mermaid, involve the mysterious Pirate Supreme, an opportunistic witch, and the all-encompassing Sea itself.
"Including herself. Or himself. Both were equally true to her. Neither told the whole story."
The main thing that drew me to The Mermaid, The Witch, and the Sea was the promise of good representation and it did not let me down. Flora is a poc genderfluid person and Evelyn is a queer woman from a country inspired by Japan. There is also the Pirate Supreme, a nonbinary badass pirate who fights for and defends the Sea. The sapphic relationship was never questioned or ridiculed and the same goes for the genderfluid/nonbinary characters, which was really nice to see.
"You've the feel of destiny about you."
The plot is very fast paced and easy to follow. It's definitely a plot driven book, so if you're like me and prefer slower, more character focused books, this is probably not what you're looking for. For me it felt like i couldn't get to know the world and the characters that well, which means by the end i wasn't as invested. I loved the concept of the world and the lore behind the Sea especially, i wish this book would've been longer so that the author could have really developed them.
"We don't just read to imagine better lives. We read to be introduced to all kinds of lives. Any kind. Not just for ourselves, but for everyone around us. To understand others better. It's escape, and it's also a way to become more connected to everyone around you. There's power in that, you know. In understanding. It's like magic."
The writing style of this book is simplistic, yet beautiful. You can find many beautiful quotes and thought provoking inner monologues. It's especially beautiful seeing the main characters coming to terms with themselves and understanding each other.
Now, for the characters. I was definitely rooting for Evelyn and Flora, but all the other characters felt very flat for me. I couldn't get attached to them in a way that i wanted to which is unfortunate, but if you're looking for a quick plot driven book this is it!
Overall this is a really fun and quick read, if you're trying to get into fantasy i would definitely recommend this, it's easy to get into and understand. This would also be a great book to read if you're trying to get out of a reading slump!
Big thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for providing me with an arc of this in exchange of an honest review!
ohanabataskye's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
marlakate's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
3.0
hildea's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0