Sea Witch is a young adult fantasy novel written by Sarah Henning. The story is a reimagining of the classic fairy tale, "The Little Mermaid," but from the perspective of the sea witch. The book was published in 2018 and has since gained a loyal following. The main character of the story is Evie, a young girl who lives in a small seaside village. Evie has always felt like an outsider because of her mysterious origins and her connection to the sea. She befriends Anna, a girl with a striking resemblance to the mermaid princess who stole a prince's heart and became a human.
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.
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. 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.
She befriends Anna, a girl with a striking resemblance to the mermaid princess who stole a prince's heart and became a human. However, Anna drowns in a tragic accident, leaving Evie heartbroken. Desperate to bring Anna back, Evie makes a deal with the sea witch, becoming a witch herself.
Sea witch sarah henningn
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.
There is a new trend in the YA scene – mermaids – and I am obsessed. Who does not love mermaids? They are beautiful, power, magical women who are often deadly and get to spend their days frolicking in the sea. Sign me up! An influx of books with mermaid premises have surfaced (sorry for the terrible pun!) over the last two years – Sea Witch by Sarah Henning being a front runner that garnered a lot of attention. While it debuted in July 2018 and I am a little behind in reading, I recently was ready to dive in (I promise, I will stop).
In exchange for her voice and her immortality, Evie gains the power to bring Anna back to life. But there is a catch - if the prince marries Anna, Evie's heart will turn to ash. As the story progresses, Evie grapples with her newfound powers and the consequences of her actions. She yearns to be part of the human world and experience love, but she is haunted by the knowledge that she may lose everything if the prince chooses Anna. Evie also uncovers dark secrets about her past and the true nature of the sea witch's power. Sarah Henning skillfully weaves together elements of romance, fantasy, and mystery in Sea Witch. The story explores themes of love, sacrifice, and the power of choices. Henning's writing is rich and evocative, transporting readers to the enchanting world beneath the waves. Sea Witch is a captivating and compelling novel that offers a fresh perspective on a beloved fairy tale. It is a must-read for fans of young adult fantasy and those who are interested in retellings. Sarah Henningn's retelling of "The Little Mermaid" is a tale filled with heartache, magic, and a memorable sea witch named Evie..
Reviews for "The Spellbinding Stories of Sea Witch Sarah Henning"
1. Jane
Rating: 2/5
I was really disappointed with "Sea Witch" by Sarah Henning. I had such high hopes for this book, especially since I love retellings of classic fairy tales. However, this book fell flat for me. The pacing was incredibly slow and it took forever for anything interesting to happen. The characters were also underdeveloped and lacked depth. I couldn't connect with any of them or care about their fates. Overall, "Sea Witch" just didn't live up to the hype for me.
2. Mark
Rating: 2/5
I really wanted to like "Sea Witch" by Sarah Henning, but unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. The story felt convoluted and confusing, and I struggled to keep track of what was happening. The author's writing style also didn't captivate me. I found the prose to be overly descriptive and it slowed down the story even more. Additionally, the romance in the book felt forced and didn't have any real chemistry. I tried to give this book a fair chance, but it left me feeling underwhelmed and unsatisfied.
3. Samantha
Rating: 3/5
I have mixed feelings about "Sea Witch" by Sarah Henning. While the concept of the book was intriguing, the execution fell short for me. The plot lacked originality and seemed predictable. There weren't any major surprises or twists that kept me engaged. I also felt that the world-building was lacking, and I struggled to imagine the setting in my mind. However, I did appreciate the author's attempt to explore the backstory of the sea witch character, which added some depth to the overall narrative. Overall, "Sea Witch" didn't live up to my expectations, but it wasn't a complete disappointment either.