Sea Witch, written by Sarah Henning, is a retelling of The Little Mermaid, except that it’s not exactly a retelling of The Little Mermaid
This review is spoiler free.
Synopsis
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.
- Author: Sarah Henning
- Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
- Publication Date: July 31, 2018
- Book Length: 368 pages
- Genre: YA Fantasy – Retelling
Review
Sea Witch tells the story of Evie, a witch and a commoner who befriends Niklas, the crowned prince, and Anna, a noble girl, at a young age. The three of them grow up inseparable until the day Anna drowns while playing with Evie. Evie and Niklas are devastated by her death but learn to live without her.
Four years later, Niklas is training to become king of a kingdom where witches are hunted and burned. Evie learns to hide her magic until the day Niklas falls into the ocean during a storm and is rescued by a mermaid who looks exactly like an older version of Anna. Evie will do everything in her power to free Anna from the ocean using every resource available to her, including magic, but she has no idea what she might set in motion.
This story is a wonderful tale of friendship, magic, social status, and forbidden and unrequited romance, a colorful world where conflicts arise at every turn. The characters are charming and pure in a way. What I loved most about this book is how the plot often takes an unexpected turn, leaving the reader guessing.
I give this story four stars because the beginning was a little slow for me, but when the story picks up, you will not be able to put down this book. The ending is beautiful and made me tear up. Again, I loved how this book surprised me by not taking the obvious route and by focusing on a different character than the usual suspect.
I really enjoyed this story. Sea Witch Rising, the second book in the series, will be released on August 6, 2019, but come back tomorrow; I’ll share my thoughts on this little gem that I had the pleasure to read in advance.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I also really loved the ending, it was something that you expected bit in a way that you don’t expect, if that makes any sense!
It totally makes sense. I knew the final destination but the path leading there surprised me.