Queer pirate story??? YES PLEASE! The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea has been one of my highly anticipated reads for a while now, and is on my list of 2020’s hottest queer YA as well. This magical tale of adventure on the high seas is not one to be missed. Without further ado, let’s jump into the review! While reading this book, I found myself breaking it down into three parts: writing, plot, and character, so I’m going to review like that as well.

Writing: Tokuda-Hall has great prose, that’s for sure. The chapters each generally follow the perspective of one character, but my favorite parts were the short passages written about the Sea. The power and beauty encompassed in those paragraphs certainly impacted my experience of the novel and the world within. The flow was perfect as well—I appreciated the relativelyy fast pacing; it was both appropriate for the fantasy setting and also exactly what I needed right now. It is also clear that this book has cutting commentary on misogyny and the effects of colonialism and imperialism. I did appreciate this and the role it had within the context of the story. Would 10/10 read another book in this style.

Plot: It was a fairly standard, quickly-paced fantasy read, which I appreciated, but some things were predictable. I genuinely wish we could have spent more time with the magic—partway through, the “Witch” piece of the title makes a stunning appearance and I was so fascinated! I wanted to see a thousand more spells and really get a full understanding of this part of the world, but unfortunately it’s only used a couple more times. I also wasn’t a fan of the insta-love. It was sort of… “Lady teaches sailor to read… BAM they’re in love” which I just found jarring. I was able to keep reading though, and Evelyn and Flora do go on some fantastic adventures. There are definitely interesting side-plots, and the twists kept me on my toes! I’m a big fan of stories set at sea, so I loved the various pirate adventures and I think I learned some new things about boating along the way.

Character: This is where I had the most issues. I liked Flora—her arc was really well-written and I enjoyed getting a glimpse of her life. She was by far my favorite character and I think she had the most interesting position in the story. However, I didn’t feel very much empathy for Evelyn, especially given how she treats everyone around her. She doesn’t seem to care very much for anyone—even Keiko, her maid with whom she is purportedly in love is tossed aside without a second thought when Evelyn has to leave at the beginning of the story. This really didn’t win her any points with me. Aside from Flora, I felt generally apathetic towards the entire cast. Creating compelling fantasy characters is difficult, but I think part of it needs to be *not* deliberately emphasizing the negative traits of every single person. That just made it harder for readers, I think.

Regardless, I would encourage you to give The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea a try! It’s an entertaining novel and a quick read for anyone looking towards fantasy for a distraction. 3/5 stars.

[The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

CN: mentions of rape, slavery, violence, death

What I liked:
• I’m in love with this cover! It’s so beautiful!
• Mermaid! Pirates! Witches! Queerness! This is everything I ever wanted in a book!
• Seriously, the queer representation was amazing. Sapphic couples, nonbinary pirates, Flora’s gender exploration – there was so much casual queerness, and I loved it.
• The writing was really, really beautiful – especially the stories that one of the side characters tells Flora.
• The worldbuilding was great! And so diverse!
• I really liked that this book was told in multiple POV, because the characters were so interesting! I hope there will be another book about some of the other characters in the future.

What I didn’t like:
• The love story was a bit underdeveloped. In my opinion Evelyn and Flora went from „Maybe you’re not that bad…“ to „You’re the love of my life!“ a little to fast.
• I wish there were more scenes about the witchy part of the story! I would have loved to learn more about how the magic works.

Could not connect with the characters and the plot was boring and didn't seem to be going anywhere. This book might work for other people but I just wasn't in to it

WOW WOW WOW, what a spectacular book. I was sucked in from moment one and loved the whole ride. This book checked every box for me. Hoping there's a sequel!

I must start by saying that this book was absolutely adventurous! I really liked the world and how everything that happened had some of a dark twist to it! From the looks of it, the cover doesn't give me the idea that the story could be as dark as it got, which I REALLY LIKED! It made the story and the characters so much more interesting. Also, I feel like the story highlights some important nowadays features like colonialism and 'evil adults'. The latter may sound a bit odd, but with this being a middle grade novel, I always check how every role plays out and I feel like the characters were really true to their 'real self'. So YAY! But with that being said, I did not really feel like there was more to the characters than simply being 'just like you expect them to be in real life'. They didn't grow as much or shocked me at any point. Even though the dark ambiance, the characters themselves did not startle me, it was more the world or the things that happened. I think I was more interested in the side characters that showed up with a POV at the end of the story, since they felt... real. They were not WRITTEN real, they WERE real and that's an important difference I'd like to highlight. I did like the way the author gave every character a well-thought-of background story, which made it understandable for me why they did what they did. Either way, I must conclude by saying that my hopes weren't exactly met, but I did enjoy the story. I thought the middle part could've had more action and intriguing parts, because it became a bit dull at some point, but in the end it was okay! I didn't enjoy it as much as I though I would, so it's not a book that jumps out for me, but I didn't regret reading it in the first place.
Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for making it possible for me to read the e-arc of this book!

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea was an adventurous tale with wonderfully nuanced diverse characters, and addressed colonialism, imperialism, class, privilege and misogyny and challenged them, with magic, witches, mermaids and pirates thrown in. It's one of my favorite books this year. Thank you for the opportunity to read this.

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea is both wonderfully unique and brilliantly written.


Written by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, the novel explores the life of a desperate orphan turned pirate and a rebellious imperial daughter as they find themselves on the high seas. Together they form a connected and seek to free a mermaid and return her to the sea.


The premise itself is lovely as it works to build this magical world divided by colonialism. It shows the hardships felt by colonialism and the cruelty unleashed by it in both stark and subtle detail. Tokuda-Hall allows the reader to use their imagination, inspiring great emotion in the reader.


Tokuda-Hall's writing style is magnificent because she spends much time showing the reader instead of telling them. She creates a beautiful world full of hardships without losing the magic and fantasy. She has these interludes that break up the story characterizing the sea. These lyrically written scenes breathe magic into the sea and give it life and personality.


The same can be said for the characterization.


The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea bring Florian/Flora and Evelyn to life wonderfully. Both characters come from different backgrounds, but they bring out the best in one another. Moreover, the way they grow on their journey together make them better characters.


Evelyn is a fierce character who yearns to be true to herself and go against social standing. She befriends her servants and the pirates, befriending Florian, who is female by birth but a male on the pirate ship. Their relationship and dynamics. Florian discovers who they are on the inside and they come to terms with the grief of their past and the resentment they have come to feel with having to take care of their older brother. Evelyn, too, must come to terms with her hardships and grows stronger because of it.


Both characters grow exponentially throughout the novel, and the ending result leaves the reader enthralled in both the magic, the fantasy, and the characters themselves.

This was a fun book! I liked the adventure aspect and it’s been awhile since I read a book about pirates. The love story felt a little rushed but overall I enjoyed this one.

With a title like this, you would think I wouldn't get bored, right? I mean, there should be a lot to love...

1. Mermaids
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2. Pirates
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3. Witchcraft
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4. And an LGBT romance + POC rep
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Well... Unfortunately, I didn't love this book. The biggest problem I had was that I never really got invested in the story or characters. I knew if they died, it wouldn't have bothered me all that much. And when I don't care, I don't enjoy reading.

There wasn't a lot of depth, especially with the world-building and the romance. The lady taught the pirate how to read and they were in love. Just like that.

When Flora was with the Witch, I expected magic. However, I found that part so boring. We didn't even really had magic? Her learning should have been interesting but it was the worst part for me. That's when I knew I wanted to rush to get to the end.

This book had promise, it just didn't do it for me. The ending felt a little weird but at that point, I was already done with this story. At least, the story was tied up (perhaps a little too nicely) and since I pushed myself to finish it, I can say I read it...

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(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

This was a delightfully surprising read. I didn't know anything about the story but was immediately drawn into these complex and intriguing characters. Part mythology/fantasy, part pirate/adventure, and part love story, this is a book that allows you to just go on a ride with an interesting cast of characters that learn and grow in the most magical of ways. Read this book!

A delightfully diverse fantasy full of pirates, mermaids, and witches. Loved it. Enjoyed the world building.

Posted to all links in my bio on 5/8 (including Amazon and Edelweiss- link also set to Publisher- Thank you for the hard copy ARC). Fully Formatted review on my website.
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I read the summary on the back before asking Candlewick for an ARC. It wasn't like I went in blind or anything. I just... I don't know. Maybe, I expected something, younger? I certainly didn't expect The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea's plot to encompass political intrigue, an imperial daughter (Evelyn) sent to an arranged marriage with all her positions packed in a casket?!! Wait for it now- on a supposed transportation ship (The Dove) that is actually a slaver ship, led by the Pirate Nameless Captain? Right off the bat. The first couple of chapters and already? I was already stunned.

Along for the trip is her warrior trained, Lady Ayer, sent to keep Evelyn safe on the journey to her betrothed, orphans- Florian/Flora and Alfie, and First Mate Rake. Oh! Let's not forget the sea (yes, I expected the sea- don't be daft)- but not as an actual character, pirates as --- vampires (well to mermaids). Hey, if some living mermaid blood can get you drunk, why not! Not to mention one witch who can weave some hella stories. Yes, again, I expected a witch but man this witch is some kinda ... well spoilers so I can't. But let's just say that all these characters. AND I MEAN ALL OF THESE CHARACTERS. They got tea.to spill.

Look some of these characters? Their tea has tea. Even ones that don't have point of view chapters- which I don't even want to talk about because of later in the book... so I won't. Hell, the sea even has tea to spill. And if the mermaids don't get saved? All the blood will be spilled drank because pirates be thirsty and then they get trippy. And that pisses everyone off. So, you have many plots going on, too. And they are all either dark, twisted, political or piping, burning hot with roller-coaster type drop reveals. Sometimes those three qualities cross paths, even. The heartbreak? It is real. There are so many heart ripping decisions and devastating outcomes? So hold on to your tear ducts.

I liked Evelyn for her intent and what she stood for. She was unashamed of what she wanted and who she loved. And while I nor many, I imagine, will be shocked by her family's sending her off to marry far away because they just don't like her (it is seen often in these tales), along the way she finds what is worth living, and fighting for. Evelyn finds much more than that, as well. When she does, rather than blowing it off for duty or for happenstance of other unforeseen circumstances, she takes charge and goes for what she wants. You have to admire these things. Despite all of this, she wasn't the most interesting character in the book to me.
Flora/Florian is wonderful. Such a story of self-discovery, although I don't know if it is discovery. It was there all the time but maybe more of complete acceptance and a melding of two lives that were forced into existence, becoming one. An understanding that no one has to be just one thing, but can be many, many things.

"Yes, she was an orphan, a sister, a pirate, a girl, and also a boy. But more importantly, she was a person who sought power to protect those she loved. Including herself. Or himself. Both were equally true to her. Neither told the whole story. "

This was so striking and moving, in expression that it was one of those times you have to just put a book down and walk away so that the words can marinate in your mind and soul. It was a powerful rocket of words. And that is what enabled this character to be a three-dimensional, force of nature, that shot off the page.
The Sea was <sigh> beautiful. The interludes were perfectly placed. They were wrought with emotional and breathtaking. The sea was not anything of what I thought it to be in this story. I love stories where authors dare to bring settings to life as a character. Tokuda-Hall executed this with the sea with brilliance.

These are far from all the characters but the ones I wanted most to speak about and I truly could say much more- but spoilers. That is also VERY, VERY true of the plot. Not only does what I speak of above scratch the surface but speaking of the plot, I could only say so much. Seriously the tea's tea has tea to spill.
Whatever you think you think you know about The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea? You don't. Dive in, the water is warm, dark and full of terrors... oh and I wouldn't trust pitching your loyalty tent much of anywhere, really.


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*Please note i use she/ he for Flora/Florian *
The plot:

Flora/Florian is a pirate aboard the Dove, it masquerades as a passenger ship when it is in fact a slaver ship. She is trying to fit in on the Dove as a man and in order to do that she commits an atrocious task that will forever hunt her. Once this task is complete she dons on the name Florian and he is her and she is he ( listen when i wrote this part it sounded nice in my head). Now all she/he wants to do is escape this hell called the dove.

Lady Evelyn Hasegawa grew up in a cold, unloving household and is eventually sold off as a ”wife” to the highest bidders in order to pay off her parents debt. She boards the dove that would take her to the Floating islands to meet her husband. When Florian is assigned as her guard, something special and dangerous blooms between them…..

And then the adventure begins.

What i liked:

The book starts off slow, introducing characters and setting the pace for the story. Its divided into three parts and it has interludes in which the seas point of view is shared. In this book, the sea is given the identity of a mother and her daughters; the Mermaids are her memories. I thought this was interesting and i liked the idea of the sea as a mother who is both fearsome and gentle but cannot be tamed.

The world Maggie created was one that had imperial rule and colonialism, and the effects of this are shown on different characters throughout the book. When you read there are two types of characters you will see

The ones who forever hate the emperor and therefore hate imperial nobles
The ones who for some reason saw colonialism as a good thing
The imperialists who thing they are better than everyone
And you can relate to this on a personal level if you are from a colonised country, when you think about what was lost.

It is an interesting world building, in the sense that the Emperor has colonized and set the imperial rule around the known world and now he is trying to conquer the sea.

The magic system in the book is unique, stories are spells. They are cast and in exchange for something. You would have to pay close attention when reading this part it can get quite confusing.

What didn’t work so well

This is why i rated it three stars

I didn’t find the characters interesting, i tried but i just couldn’t. I wish the secondary characters in the were more developed, maybe that would have helped a bit especially the pirate supreme their story felt incomplete to me. Although the witchcaft system was interesting, i would have liked to see more of it. It was just used three times and then dropped. I felt the ending was rushed. It was like…one two three The end. It felt like there was something missing.
If you are looking for a gender fluid YA book i would recommend this one.

Read an ARC granted through NetGalley

A noble escaping an arranged marriage, a rogue pirate finding family, an opportunistic witch, and the Sea itself being a main character, this stand-alone fantasy has all the trappings of a sea-faring adventure. 

I enjoyed the sweet romance and devotion between Flora/Florian and Evelyn. Though they had come from opposite sides of the class spectrum, they had good chemistry and a common tenacity which made them perfect for each other. Personally, I would have enjoyed a bit more of a slow burn, but the pacing fit the plot so well.  In addition, it was such a relief that Flora/Florian's gender went beyond presentation and clothing. By the end of the book, her/his gender identity is not stated, and that's okay. That implication of further exploration during the happily-ever-after provides a different perspective.

The magic system also felt unique, with telling stories and truths being the vehicle for spell-casting. Flora spends much time with Xenobia, the witch, in which stories are exchanged. Some are folklore, others are true. They all add to the richness of the world Tokuda-Hall built, which already felt quite lived in, between the Imperials and their colonies, the pirates and their factions.

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea is a must-read for fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise who wants more commentary on colonialism and imperialism, magic, and a whole lot of queer norm.

I was very interested in this book when I first saw it and was thrilled when I was approved for an arc but in the end this book just wasn't all I hoped it would be. I think the reason for that was just because this book needed more... the world was very fleshed out and detailed but we just didn't get to see enough of it for me to be invested.

If this story would have been told over the course of two or three books I think I would have enjoyed this more but instead all the character development and story itself felt rushed which meant that I didn't connect to the characters. Then when those characters made some decisions there was no way for me to really understand the reasoning even though there must have been something driving them to make those choices.

Overall, I wanted to love this book and I think I could have if the story was longer, but there was nothing I didn't like about the story itself. The plot, world, and characters were great! I just didn't feel like we had enough time to get to know and love them.

I'm not sure what it was about this book that didn't have me wanting to scream its title from the mountaintops. But it didn't appeal to me as much as I've seen from others. The plot was well fleshed out, and the characters were plenty relatable for the most part. I think it was that I really didn't like our main character, Flora. There were so many times when I honestly just wanted to smack her in the face because of the way she treated her brother. I am a big believer in that family is a huge part of who we are and in this case her brother is all Flora has. So when she literally abandons him and leaves him to be whipped within an inch of his life and doesn't feel all that bad about it, I really was at a loss for words on her character as a whole. I really hated that about her. And that she was so quick to become whatever it was others needed of her instead of standing up and being herself.

I get that in the end things change dramatically but the road to get there wasn't all that appealing. I also had a really hard time understanding the whole section with the witch. I thought it was an interesting take on magic, but then again it was also extremely confusing. I found myself rolling my eyes quite a bit at some of the more outlandish takes there were on the whole magic system.

When a book is a standalone I always feel a little skeptical on how well fleshed out the story will be, because with only so many pages to get us from beginning to end and have all ends wrap up nice and tight is really difficult to do while also giving us enough detail to really feel connected with the characters and the story.
That being said, I think that this book did feel a little rushed in parts. There were so many times when I thought that it could have been amazing had it only had more time to really get into certain parts of the book. But we were rushed from one scene to the next until wham its the end.

I think I would give this author another read if she comes out with future books, but I don't think this one was one of my favorites this year by far. Needs a little more character development and depth. Other than that it was a really enjoyable and quick read once you get past how frustrating Flora can be.

I was really excited to read this one as the premise seemed right up my alley. Unfortunately, it just didn’t capture my attention. Evelyn seemed whiny and Flora/Florian seemed bland to me. I ended up giving up at 30%. I may try again later—it could be a mood thing.

I cannot tell you how much I loved this book. In the beginning I thought I had the story all figured out and I was so wrong. I cried at the end. The ending was perfect and beautiful. I enjoyed the writing style and I may have mentioned that to my BFFs several times in our group chat while reading it. There is just something about a good fantasy standalone... It takes a lot to get me to love a new world in only one book. It also didn’t leave me wanting more. All my questions were answered. I would definitely recommend this to my friends.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this young adult fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

Upon seeing the beautiful cover and reading the synopsis, I thought this novel would float me boat.  No such luck.  I read 40% before abandoning ship.  The only reason I read that long is that I wanted to know about the mermaids.

I was prepared to root for a sapphic romance between the orphan turned bad pirate and the spoiled naive rich girl.  But basically the leads suck.  Both are intelligent but don't use their brains.  Both are kinda hateful.  Pirate girl has no problems being a slaver and her selfishness is appalling.  The only person she kinda cares about is her brother but that is out of guilt.  Rich girl dumps her former lover and "best" friend (and servant with no power) with nary a thought about her feelings or future.

Pirate girl is determined to hate rich girl.  But insta-lust still ensues.  Rich girl has no common sense but wants a friend.  But wait!  Pirate girl is dressed like a boy!!  But Shakespeare this ain't.  No comedy just weird internal angst and a ridiculous reveal moment.  On top of that the portrayal of ship life is laughable and the circumstances of the two girls interacting is just plain stupid and makes no sense.

As for the mermaid, the backstory and character angst took up the first 30% or so.  Then we finally get the mermaid.  I liked the mermaid depiction but it took up so little of the plot and the "twist" about feeding it was stupid.  The mermaid fun was nowhere to be found.

I should have given up on this book as soon as rape was used as a motivating character trait for a baddie early on.  I was seduced by the siren's song much to me disadvantage.  I should have known better.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Candlewick Press!

I loved all the different points of view and the complexity of the varying characters. The story is told in three parts, and I really enjoyed each segment. I also thought the take on mermaids was different than anything I had read before! I would definitely recommend checking this one out! ⁣⁣