You possess that magical talent. It's a power that resides within you, waiting to be unleashed. It's the ability to shape your reality, to bring your dreams to life. This talent is unique to you and cannot be replicated or imitated by anyone else. It's the spark that ignites your passion and fuels your creativity. With it, you can achieve greatness and leave a lasting impact on the world.
With it, you can achieve greatness and leave a lasting impact on the world. But how do you tap into this magical talent? It starts with believing in yourself and recognizing your worth. You have to acknowledge that you are capable of extraordinary things and that you possess the skills and abilities to make them a reality.
Sea witch sarah henningm
Genre: YA/Fantasy
Standalone/Series: Standalone
How I got this book: ARC from HarperCollins UK, Children's via NetGalley
Everyone knows what happens in the end.
A mermaid, a prince, a true love’s kiss.
But before that young siren’s tale, there were three friends.
One feared, one royal, and one already dead.
Ever since her best friend, Anna, drowned, Evie has been an outcast in her small fishing town. A freak. A curse. A witch.
A girl with an uncanny resemblance to Anna appears offshore and, though the girl denies it, Evie is convinced that her best friend actually survived. That her own magic wasn’t so powerless after all. And, as the two girls catch the eyes—and hearts—of two charming princes, Evie believes that she might finally have a chance at her own happily ever after.
But her new friend has secrets of her own. She can’t stay in Havnestad, or on two legs, unless Evie finds a way to help her. Now Evie will do anything to save her friend’s humanity, along with her prince’s heart—harnessing the power of her magic, her ocean, and her love until she discovers, too late, the truth of her bargain.
The rise of Hans Christian Andersen’s iconic villainess is a heart-wrenching story of friendship, betrayal, and a girl pushed beyond her limits—to become a monster.
I spotted this book on NetGalley and was drawn to it for two reasons:
1.) The cover is gorgeous! It's a little superficial to judge a book by its cover, I know (yet we all do it!), but it really drew me in. I loved the creepy, mysterious vibe to it and had high hopes for a dark story.
2.) From the synopsis, it's obvious that this story is connected to The Little Mermaid and I've really enjoyed a lot of the fairytale retellings that have been released year!
On that note, as you can probably gather from the cover and the synopsis, this story isn't so much a retelling as an Ursula origin story, which I was more than on-board with! I love a good villain story!
My thoughts on this book are a little mixed, so please bear with me as I'm still processing!
The opening chapter was interesting but a little confusing and I wasn't entirely sure I'd be able to get into this book. However, I soon found myself flying through chapters, the pace really picked up and I became heavily invested and intrigued to find out what would happen next.
It was definitely an interesting start to the story. I was invested in the characters, most particularly Evie, her story of hardship and life as an outcast made her character much stronger.
I also really liked Tante Hansa and Annemette; the latter really comes into her own as we near the end of the book and Tante Hansa's no-nonsense approach to life made me an instant fan of hers, especially with this particular quote,
"Don't grant all the prince's requests, darling girl. Men are always asking for more than they should."
Sadly, I wasn't too keen on the other characters. Iker was predictable from the start and Evie's obsession with him never made sense to me.
Nik is a marginally better character but the 'romance' aspect of this book really threw me off. It felt a bit messy and wishy-washy in places, leading up to a 'surprise' reveal at the end that was quite strange and didn't really make sense to me.
Sadly, just over halfway through the book, whilst I didn't at all lose interest or get bored, I did become more and more frustrated with Evie. She's so naive and at times almost oblivious to what's immediately in front of her and I just found some of the storyline a bit repetitive as she goes back and forth over how she's treated by everyone, her attraction to Iker, and her guilt.
I did push past this and kept reading, which I'm really glad I did because things got decidedly better when a certain 'truth' is finally revealed, which does take the story to a much darker place, and I did enjoy this a lot more.
The epilogue was probably my favourite chapter, although I ultimately felt sad that what I'd hoped at the beginning would be an empowering female novel, ended on a bit of a sour note for me.
Overall, whilst I did enjoy the premise of the story and the backstory it provided, I just felt that the main character lacked a little punch.
Recommended for fans of To Kill A Kingdom, The Language of Thorns and fairytale retellings in general.
Because I went into this thinking that Sea Witch was just a retelling of the Little Mermaid, I was surprised by the dark and magical elements that strayed from the typical mermaid lore. Sarah’s prose was beautiful and I was hooked from the first sentence ‘The sea is a fickle witch.’ While this was not an epic fantasy that drew you in by the characters, the writing was more than enough to keep you intrigued.
It's about embracing your strengths and weaknesses, and understanding that they are all part of what makes you special. The next step is to explore your passions and interests. What excites you? What makes you feel alive? When you find something that sparks that inner fire, pursue it with all your heart. Dive deep into your chosen field, learn everything you can about it, and become an expert. This is where your magical talent will truly shine. But talent alone is not enough. It requires hard work, dedication, and perseverance. You have to be willing to put in the effort and push through challenges and setbacks. It won't always be easy, but if you stay focused and determined, you will achieve greatness. Remember, your magical talent is not just for your own benefit. It's meant to be shared with the world. Use your talents to inspire others, to make a difference, and to leave a positive impact. Whether it's through art, writing, music, or any other form of expression, your talent has the power to touch lives and change the world. So, believe in yourself, embrace your passions, work hard, and share your talent with the world. You possess that magical talent, and it's time to unleash it. The world is waiting for your brilliance to shine through, so don't hold back. Embrace your uniqueness and let your talent light up the world..
Reviews for "Embracing Your Inner Witch: Unleashing Your Magical Talents"
1. John - 2/5 stars - I didn't enjoy reading "You possess that magical talent" at all. The plot was very slow and didn't seem to have a clear direction. The characters were flat and lacked depth, making it hard for me to connect or care about their journey. Overall, I found the book boring and it didn't live up to the hype.
2. Sarah - 2/5 stars - "You possess that magical talent" was a disappointment for me. The writing style felt amateurish and the dialogue was often forced and unnatural. The pacing was off, with long stretches of mundane description and little action. The story lacked originality and felt like a rehashed version of other fantasy novels I've read. I was hoping for something more unique and engaging.
3. Michael - 1/5 stars - I couldn't even finish "You possess that magical talent". The prose was riddled with grammatical errors and the writing was overall sloppy. The characters were unlikable and the dialogue was cringe-worthy. The plot was predictable and lacked any surprises or twists. I regret wasting my time on this book and would not recommend it to anyone.
4. Emily - 2/5 stars - I found "You possess that magical talent" to be mediocre at best. The world-building was lacking, leaving me with little sense of the magical realm the story was set in. The pacing was slow and the plot didn't have enough substance to keep me engaged. The main character lacked depth and development, making it hard for me to root for them. Overall, the book felt underwhelming and didn't leave a lasting impression.