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A review by niftynaturalist
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
If you are a fan of pirate tales then this is for you! This book was much darker than I expected, but a thrilling read nonetheless. A complex story that moves between many POVs and ties quite a few plot threads together, The Mermaid, The Witch, and the Sea primarily follows bi-gender pirate Flora/Florian and high-born lesbian Evelyn’s fight for survival, self-discovery, and freedom in a cruel Imperial world.m (and their attempt to free a captured mermaid). Each character is complex and flawed, and their relationships are as messy as they are - it made them believable and at times infuriating at the same time.
There were a few plot elements that I felt could have been explored more deeply to round out the novel, but it is still a cohesive read and one that I greatly enjoyed. A word of caution: not all of the relationships in this story have happy endings, and it covers some very tough themes, so I’d advise anyone who is interested to pay close attention to the trigger warnings!
There were a few plot elements that I felt could have been explored more deeply to round out the novel, but it is still a cohesive read and one that I greatly enjoyed. A word of caution: not all of the relationships in this story have happy endings, and it covers some very tough themes, so I’d advise anyone who is interested to pay close attention to the trigger warnings!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Alcoholism, Blood, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Slavery and Rape
Minor: Homophobia
One of the characters was raped as a child; this is not graphically described but there are descriptions of screams, etc. heard by others outside of the room and it is mentioned multiple times.