Sea Witch by Sarah Henning is a captivating young adult fantasy novel that draws inspiration from the classic story of The Little Mermaid. The story takes place in the kingdom of Kerch and follows the journey of Evie, a young girl haunted by tragedy. In her pursuit for answers, she discovers secrets about a mysterious sea witch named Anna. Evie's close friendship with Anna from childhood begins to unravel as Anna's powers grow stronger. The story explores loyalty, love, and the lengths one would go to protect those they care about. As Evie tries to uncover the truth about Anna's powers and her own past, she is faced with difficult choices that shape her destiny.
As Evie tries to uncover the truth about Anna's powers and her own past, she is faced with difficult choices that shape her destiny. Sarah Henning expertly weaves elements of magic, adventure, and romance into the narrative. The world-building is vivid, making it easy for readers to immerse themselves in the story.
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.
The characters are well-developed and relatable, each with their own desires, fears, and motivations. One of the intriguing aspects of Sea Witch is that it serves as a prequel to Andersen's classic fairy tale. It delves into the backstory of the sea witch and explores her transformation from a naive young girl to a feared sorceress. Henning's portrayal of the sea witch as a complex character with her own struggles and desires adds depth to the overall narrative. The themes explored in Sea Witch are universal, making it a captivating read for both adolescents and adults. It addresses the power of friendship, the consequences of one's actions, and the importance of self-discovery. Henning's writing style is engaging and keeps readers hooked until the very end. Overall, Sea Witch by Sarah Henning is a beautifully written and imaginative retelling of The Little Mermaid. It offers a fresh perspective on the classic tale and provides readers with an enchanting reading experience. Whether you're a fan of fairy tales or just love a good fantasy novel, Sea Witch is sure to captivate and leave you eager for more from this talented author..
Reviews for "Sarah Henning's Sea Witch: A Tale of Forbidden Love and Desperation"
1. Jane - 2 stars
I was really excited to read "Sea Witch" as I am a fan of retellings and fantasy novels, but I was ultimately disappointed. The story started off promising, but it quickly became predictable and lacked depth. The characters felt one-dimensional and I couldn't connect with any of them. The pacing was also off, with the first half of the book being slow and the second half rushed. Overall, I found "Sea Witch" to be underwhelming and would not recommend it.
2. Mark - 1 star
I struggled to finish "Sea Witch" and I regret spending my time on it. The writing style was incredibly dry and lacked any flair or imagination. The plot was convoluted and confusing, making it hard to follow and stay engaged in the story. The protagonist, Sarah, was also frustratingly passive and lacked any distinct personality. The world-building was weak and vague, leaving me with more questions than answers. I was really hoping for a captivating retelling, but unfortunately, "Sea Witch" fell flat for me.
3. Emily - 3 stars
While "Sea Witch" had its moments, overall, it left me wanting more. The concept of a retelling focused on the sea witch was intriguing, but the execution fell short. The pacing was inconsistent, with some parts dragging on while others felt rushed. The romance felt forced and lacked development, making it hard to invest in the relationship. The writing style was also mediocre, with many cliché phrases and lackluster descriptions. "Sea Witch" had potential, but it didn't live up to my expectations as a compelling retelling.