Sea Witch Sarah Henniny is a legendary figure in folklore and maritime tales. She is often depicted as a powerful sorceress who possesses control over the seas and the creatures that dwell within it. Legends of her existence are found in various coastal communities, particularly in regions known for their treacherous waters and shipwrecks. According to the legends, Sarah Henniny was once a young woman who lived in a small village by the sea. It is said that she possessed an otherworldly beauty and was known for her mesmerizing singing voice. However, her enchanting appearance concealed a dark secret: she was a witch with a deep connection to the sea.
Have you read Sea Witch yet? What are some of your favorite mermaid books? I’m always looking for new ones.
When I picked up this book, I was under the impression it was a retelling of The Little Mermaid, originally pinned by Danish writer, Hans Christian Andersen. This concept seemed incredibly ill-timed in today s society, when trying to manipulate people into relationships just is not acceptable or understandable.
However, her enchanting appearance concealed a dark secret: she was a witch with a deep connection to the sea. As the story goes, Sarah fell in love with a sailor who frequented her village. They were deeply in love and planned to marry.
Sea witch sarah henniny
Ever since her best friend Anna died, Evie has been an outcast in her small fishing town.
Hiding her talents, mourning her loss, drowning in her guilt.
Then a girl with an uncanny resemblance to Anna appears on the shore, and the two girls catch the eyes of two charming princes.
Suddenly Evie feels like she might finally have a chance at her own happily ever after.
But magic isn’t kind, and her new friend harbors secrets of her own. She can’t stay in Havnestad—or on two legs—without Evie’s help. And when Evie reaches deep into the power of her magic to save her friend’s humanity—and her prince’s heart—she discovers, too late, what she’s bargained away.
Synopsis from Amazon PERSONAL REVIEW:I love retellings of classic stories (especially in fairy tales) because there's often so much more to the story then was originally written. There's a lot of opportunity for an author to reintroduce a character in history, often a character's origin story. From plays like Wicked to stories like the Sea Witch, it's often the villains of classic stories that authors will choose to write about -- and I love it! The Sea Witch tells the origins of the evil sea witch from the Little Mermaid fairy tale. Set in Denmark, Henning brings Evie's story to life.
A Very Awkward Love Story
Henning does a good job of showing Evie as a young girl who simply misses her friend Anna and wants her best friend (the Crown Prince) to find love. However. wow, is Evie a bit of a boring mess. She spends the majority of the book gazing at Annemette and dreaming of Anna being back, while blatantly trying to force her best friend into falling in love with her. This concept seemed incredibly ill-timed in today's society, when trying to manipulate people into relationships just is not acceptable or understandable. There were a lot of different directions that Henning could have taken Evie's story, and this avenue just felt bland to me. It was also very clear that Nik loves Evie, so every interaction where Evie tried to force Nik and Annemette together was just uncomfortable to read.
Great Storytelling
Although I didn't necessarily love all aspects of the story, I did enjoy the way that Henning told this story. Evie's POV alone would have been the traditional expectation, so I thought it was great that Henning included flashbacks from the other characters to give us further background on each of them and on the story of how Anna died. That was the biggest draw for me and I kept looking forward to those specific moments because I felt that's where the strongest features of the story lay. It would have been wonderful to get another current POV, because I think Evie was a bit too naive to properly carry this story on her own. In lieu of that, these interval flashback chapters were wonderful and exciting to read.
Not the Ending I Expected
The biggest letdown for me was the ending of this book. It felt like so much of this story happened in the last 4 chapters, and they flew by so fast that there was little time to appreciate what we had been waiting for. I felt the worst for Nik, a young man who has always loved his best friend and honestly probably would have found a way to be with her. Instead, Evie lived with her head in a cloud the majority of the book and completely missed these opportunities. The way that Evie also becomes the Sea Witch felt so forced -- where did this giant octopus come from?? It was mentioned briefly in a previous chapter and now we're expected to just accept that it wanted to merge with a human? The whole thing just didn't really make sense to me and I didn't buy into how she actually becomes the sea monster of legend.
Nice Play on History
I loved that Henning kept the story in Denmark, the home of the original Little Mermaid story, and developed her world and the characters accordingly. The numerous explanations of the fishing village, the different food options, the royalty -- everything about the backdrop of this story really captured my attention. I would have loved to get more information about Nik's life and what happens in his future. Henning also did a great job of introducing the Little Mermaid herself (or at least a mermaid who will probably have a similar story line) at the end of the this novel; the potential for another book was definitely left open in that moment.
Overall, this was a fun story even if it didn't live up to all of my expectations. It seems like mermaids are experiencing a bit of a comeback in pop culture and Sea Witch just didn't live up to the standards set by some other recent releases. I did enjoy Henning storytelling and would be interested to read what she writes next! What did you think of the book?
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.
However, tragedy struck when her lover's ship was caught in a terrible storm and sank. Heartbroken and consumed by grief, Sarah turned to her witchcraft to seek revenge on the treacherous sea that claimed her lover's life. Through her vast knowledge of the dark arts, Sarah Henniny performed a powerful ritual that bound her soul to the sea. In return, she gained the ability to manipulate the waters and summon mystical sea creatures to do her bidding. From that day forward, she became the infamous sea witch, feared and revered by sailors throughout the region. Legends describe encounters with Sarah as eerie and unnerving. Sailors claim to have heard her haunting voice rising from the depths, luring ships to their doom. It is said that when her anger is provoked, she conjures raging storms, causing ships to crash against rocky shores and meet their demise. However, not all tales of Sea Witch Sarah Henniny portray her as a malevolent force. Some stories speak of her using her power for good, protecting ships from dangerous waters and guiding lost sailors back to safety. These tales suggest that she may have a complex nature, neither wholly good nor evil. Sea Witch Sarah Henniny continues to captivate the imaginations of people around the world, becoming a symbol of the enigmatic and unpredictable nature of the sea. Her legend serves as a reminder of the power and danger that lies beneath the surface and the need for respect and caution when venturing into the deep waters..
Reviews for "The Magical World of Sea Witch Sarah Henniny's Coral Castle"
1. Julia - 2 stars
I was really disappointed with "Sea Witch Sarah Henniny". The story started off promising, but it quickly became repetitive and predictable. The characters were underdeveloped and lacked depth, making it difficult to connect with them. The writing style was also quite dull and lacked creativity. Overall, I found the book to be uninspiring and not worth the time invested.
2. Ben - 1 star
"Sea Witch Sarah Henniny" was one of the worst books I've ever read. The plot was incredibly slow and confusing. The main character was annoying and made irrational decisions throughout the entire book. The dialogue was clunky and unnatural, making it hard to get engaged in the story. I was hoping for an exciting sea adventure, but all I got was disappointment. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
3. Megan - 2 stars
I had high hopes for "Sea Witch Sarah Henniny", but it fell flat for me. The world-building was lacking and left many unanswered questions. The story seemed disjointed and didn't flow well, making it a struggle to follow along. The romance felt forced and had no real chemistry. Overall, I found the book to be forgettable and wouldn't recommend it as a worthwhile read.