A review by alouette
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

okay, so this was gorgeous, huh? absolutely breathtaking. i loved the simple things, like the relatively short chapter lengths and the representation and the magic system being loose, undefined and dreamy. and then i loved the epic, more complex things like the love and the gender feels and the pirating and the balance of darkness and softness and moral ambiguity. and of course, that ending (holy sh*t, that ending!!!)

the characters felt like i met them, the plot felt like i was living it, the intensity of emotion felt like a tidal wave wrought by the Sea herself. seriously, i'm obsessed with the beauty of how the world can bring two souls together and also tear them apart, but how broken hearts are not a destiny and love finds its ways. and then the themes of colonization and imperialism and storytelling and what it's like to live when you're not free?

can't say it enough, this book is spectacular.
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