Sea Witch by Sarah Henning is a captivating tale of witchcraft, friendship, and what it means to be a true villain. Set in the magical kingdom of Evie, the story follows the life of Evie's childhood best friend, Anna, who drowns after a tragic accident. Anna is resurrected by the sea witch, Sarah, with a promise that she will have a chance to reunite with her loved ones. However, there is a catch - Anna must help Sarah gain her own happy ending by luring the prince, Evie's love interest, away from her. Throughout the story, Henning delves into the complex character of Sarah, the sea witch. She explores her motives, desires, and her past, showcasing the depths of her desperation and the lengths she is willing to go to achieve her goals.
Rating: / 5 stars
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. I love YA because the genre does so much with diverse characters and amazing plots and concepts, but the overuse of first-person, present tense is killing me.
She explores her motives, desires, and her past, showcasing the depths of her desperation and the lengths she is willing to go to achieve her goals. The reader is taken on a journey through Sarah's past, piecing together her history and understanding why she became the sea witch. The relationships in Sea Witch are beautifully crafted, particularly the bond between Evie and Anna.
Sea witch sarah henningb
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).
Henning perfectly captures the essence of friendship, showcasing the unconditional love and loyalty between the two girls. Their connection is heartwarming and their interactions are filled with nostalgia and a sense of familiarity. Henning's writing style is poetic and lyrical, painting vivid imagery of the underwater kingdom and the enchanting world of Evie. She effortlessly captures the atmosphere of the story, making the readers feel as though they are a part of the journey themselves. The narrative is woven with suspense and mystery, keeping readers on the edge of their seats, eager to uncover the secrets of the sea witch. Sea Witch is not just a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid, but a story that explores the gray areas of villainy and heroism. Henning challenges the idea of what it means to be a villain, leaving readers questioning their own definitions of good and evil. The character of Sarah is multidimensional, portraying the internal struggle between her desire for revenge and her capacity for redemption. Overall, Sea Witch by Sarah Henning is an enchanting and thought-provoking novel that delves into the depths of the sea witch's tale. It is a captivating story of friendship, love, and redemption, reminding readers that not everything is as it seems..
Reviews for "Drowning in Secrets: Unveiling the Depths of Sarah Henning's Sea Witch"
1. Emma - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "Sea Witch" based on its description and beautiful cover, but I found myself disappointed after reading it. The pacing was incredibly slow, and I struggled to connect with the characters. The main protagonist, Sarah, lacked depth and her motives felt inconsistent throughout the story. Additionally, the plot lacked originality and didn't offer any surprising twists or turns. Overall, "Sea Witch" fell short of my expectations and failed to deliver an engaging and captivating reading experience.
2. Benjamin - 2 stars - "Sea Witch" had an intriguing concept, but the execution left much to be desired. The writing style was dull and lacked vivid descriptions, making it difficult for me to immerse myself in the story. The romantic subplot felt forced and rushed, without any real development or chemistry between the characters. Moreover, the world-building was weak and didn't provide enough background or explanation for the magical elements introduced. I ended up feeling disconnected from the narrative and overall disappointed in the book.
3. Laura - 3 stars - While "Sea Witch" had an interesting premise and some moments of excitement, it ultimately fell short for me. The writing style felt disjointed at times, with abrupt transitions between scenes. The characterization was underwhelming, as I struggled to truly understand and connect with the main characters. Furthermore, the pacing was uneven, with moments of intense action followed by long stretches of slow development. Overall, "Sea Witch" had potential, but it didn't fully deliver on its promises and left me wanting more depth and coherence in its execution.