It has been a while since I finished the book, but still would like to write a review. This book had literally everything I could ask for. Adventure, love, loss, life lessons just literally everything. I 1000% recommend you read it!

Format wise it was really difficult to read in the netgalley app so I didn't read it as fast as I would have liked. But proof the book was good enough to suffer for because I finished it!

I love a good mermaid tale! This one didnt let down. I enjoyed the pace of the story, The building of the world, the descriptions.. it helped me envision it just like a movie. The main character was pretty badass. The plot flowed neatly for the most part. There were moments where I had to reread certain details but nothing too farfetched that would make me want to drop the book. It was worth the read!

I feel like I went into this one with my hopes too high for it stand up to them. While I liked this, I wanted so much more from this book. However, I really enjoyed the characters and the way gender is discussed here. I didn't hate this book, but I felt a little unsatisfied with it as a whole. However, if there is a sequel I will 100% buy and read it.

I've had this book sitting in my digital TBR pile thanks to a corrupted file that I was originally sent, and never got around to reading the regular version of it until now. There's a lot to like about </i>The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea</i>. It's a young (and I think it skews heavily to the 'young') adult novel that features a lot of diverse characters who have to grapple with identity and complex issues like colonialism. I think because it really is aimed at a younger audience as opposed to adults (like me) who enjoy YA books, at times it can feel a little too neatly put together: characters fall in love without much interaction, other character get dropped without being mentioned again (Xenobia, for example). However, I suspect these issues won't bother a younger crowd. Overall, this is a solid read for a young reader looking for a little fantasy that deal with some hard issues.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was beautifully written! The cover is stunning and I hope the author turns this into a series!

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

This was the arc I was most excited for and it did not disappoint! I love the sea, mermaids and just the overall world created in this book!

A thrilling open seas adventure that includes pirates and, you guessed it, mermaids!

One of my top ten reads of 2020.

A group of rich Imperials (all hail the Nipran Empire) have been duped into traveling on a pirate ship (the Dove) and soon find themselves as hostages (in mortal peril and on their way to be sold as slaves). Oh, how the tables have turned for the Imperials who are so used to doing the plundering for their own gain, although they would never dare call it that. Imperials bring civilization to the uncivilized world, do they not? Har har har. *insert sarcastic pirate laugh*

Imperial Evelyn Hasegawa is aboard the Dove, headed towards the doom of an arranged marriage. Problems one and two: the man is much older (Evelyn is only 15), and she’s never met the man. Problem three: Evelyn’s not into men (part of the reason her parents wanted to be rid of her). Being taken by ruthless pirates is only the latest in a line of bad luck, and Evelyn’s not about to go down without a fight. Or without striking up a friendship with (gender fluid) pirate Florian (also Flora).

Flora is from one of the lands the Imperials conquered and dead set (literally) on scrounging up the money to start a new life with their brother (who’s also a pirate on the Dove; albeit, a less successful one). Florian/Flora will do anything to survive, including taking lives, and no softhearted (mermaid-loving) Imperial (Evelyn) is going to get in the way of that. But obviously, it’s more complicated than that; and the lines between Imperial enemies and cruel pirates soon blur.

Imperialism and its effects are at the forefront of this tale of pirates, mermaids, and colonial expansion, and their portrayal feels raw and real, and deeply honest.

This is a super fun book with so much adventure and many twists. I was absolutely sucked into this book. The character are well fleshed out and so compelling you find yourself just wanting to know more. The relationships and struggles of the characters felt real and raw.

Well I read the whole thing even if I didn't like it. The romance was SO forced, and the like . . . actual mythology was forced. Why is killing a mermaid so bad but enslaving people is forgivable? That's a no from me. One star for LGBTQIA2S+ rep, one star for quality writing

This was so surprising and delightful. Gender inclusion. Adventure. Intrigue. Characters you have to love. Upper middle grades to teens awould be my pick for age range but adults would enjoy too.

This book just was not for me. I wanted to like it, but I could not get into the writing and ultimately got halfway through it before I found myself wanting to read something else. I ended up not finishing this one. However, I can see how people would enjoy this one. It just was not the story for me.

Did not read, and thus cannot provided an accurate or fair review for this work. It seemed interesting but I did not find the time to read it thoroughly.

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea is an amazing book. It's filled with romance, pirates, and more. There is murder, torture, and blood, so beware of that. These pirates do not mess around. There is also mentions and hints of the rape of a young boy, but it is never shown or stated outright.

The story focuses on Evelyn and Florian as they navigate their feelings and the pirate ship. Evelyn has cold, uncaring parents who force her to marry a man she has never met. She, Lady Ayer, a friend of Evelyn's mother, and others are passengers aboard the Dove. Actually, the Dove is pirate ship lead by the Nameless Captain and they will be sold into slavery.

Flora is needed to watch over Evelyn so that the male pirates don't try to rape her. Evelyn doesn't know Florian's true identity until much later, but doesn't care as they come to fall in love. Together they rescue a mermaid, gain the Seas favor, and manage to slip away from the pirates. Then things just go wrong.

They are separated and Flora is trained by a witch to use their powers. They do and help Evelyn escape from her husband-to-be. In the end, everything works out for the best for the couple. I don't want to say more because of spoilers, but as a reader, I got hit in the feels right near the end.

I would love a sequel or continuation of the world, as it was interesting and well built. There was enough information about the world that you could extrapolate information, but I just want to dive into more of it. There is also a wonderful character called the Pirate Supreme who I would definitely read a whole book about.

A balanced blend of action, emotion, fantasy, and diversity! A great example of inclusive writing that reads organically.

Florian/Flora is trapped in a life at sea with her brother Alfie until a scheme to kidnap royales goes unforeseeably wrong. Lady Evelyn Hasegawa is being shipped across the sea to a marriage that will separate her from everything she knows. In an attempt to make the most of her journey, Evelyn befriends her guard Florian and the two grow closer than anticipated. But the capture of a mermaid leads to a series of events that test their commitment to each other and their will to survive.

Initially, this book would appear to be overwhelming, but the execution is a great balance that invites readers to sink into the story. (Pun intended) The world-building is detailed and continuous, filling in the animosity and challenges for the main characters. The interludes of observations from the perspective of the sea ground the plots and prepare readers for the action to come. The lore of the mermaids, the witches, and the sea is gradually introduced forming a complete story that allows readers to enjoy it all together in the end. Gender and romance are introduced casually, not making an aggressive point but also not underwriting the message. The diversity of the characters is also casually introduced without disrupting the flow of the story to sell the author's point.

The plot is exciting, fantasy, battles, and meaningful character development. The stories within the story are not distracting and contribute to the overall plot, which is quickly clear to readers.

I would readily recommend this book to fantasy lovers, adventure appreciators, LGBTQ+ seekers, and anyone interested in a good read.

I really, really wanted to love this book. It brings up really important things like colonialism, misogyny, and imperialism- which is great!- but the whole book (plot, characters, and setting) all feel very... underdeveloped.

This book just didn't do it for me. It was a very character driven book and it seemed like there wasn't much of a substantial plot line until the last quarter of the book.
I also found it a little all over the place and found it hard to follow in some places. Especially towards the end when suddenly alot happened and I didn't really know where it all came from.
One thing I did like was the relationship between Evelyn and Flora.

Overall just a book I really didn't enjoy as much as I tried to

3.5 Stars

Really late giving feedback on this one – I'd been struggling to find the will the pick up any ebooks, let alone e-arcs over the past six months, but i finally got back to this and I'm so glad I did!

THE MERMAID, THE WITCH, AND THE SEA is a fantastical and truly Romantic adventure tale. We follow a variety of characters with connections to the Dove, a pirate ship in disguise with an even darker twist, the most important being Evelyn: a bride sold to a man in a faraway land to pay off her parents debts, and Flora/Florian: a pirate forced to disguise herself as a boy for protection. Tokuda-Hall pairs whimsical writing with great character work and a twisty plot, for a novel that feels very mature and nuanced for YA. This could easily be an adult fantasy novel.

The main appeal for me besides the fun plot was Flora/Florian's character development and exploration of their identity and gender. The word is never used but they are genderqueer, and come to terms with this over the novel. It was a nuanced and affirming narrative without being absolutist; allowing them the space to feel things out without putting them in a box. I also enjoyed the romance, and dynamic between Flora/Florian and Evelyn. It was a bit fast and all-consuming, but it also perfectly captured first love, and a heightened fantasy version of that first love.

I didn't feel as attached to THE MERMAID, THE WITCH, AND THE SEA as I'd perhaps have liked, and I feel a bit conflicted about the ending. In fact, I feel like I missed something when it came to the final chapter from Genevieve's point of view? Why was it left on that odd cliffhanger rather than on the previous about our main characters? All the same, it was an enjoyable romp, with some important representation.

This book had it all. Pirates, witches, magic, mermaids, love. I loved following Florian on his/her adventure to find acceptance, love, and family. This adventure had me reading late into the night to see to what end the lovers would go to be together. Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC. 4 stars for this enjoyable read.

Did not finish at 25%. There was a lot to like about the concept here, a sapphic high sea adventure is exactly what I was here for. Unfortunately, I think there is a lot of problems with the execution here. Partly the marketing. Nothing about the marketing, title, or cover imply that this book is going to be as dark and full of triggering content as it is (sexual assault, violent racism, etc). If you’re going to market a book like this, it’s important to give trigger warnings at the beginning so people understand the story is much darker than it appears to be.