This…had promise, and ticked a lot of boxes in terms of diversity and own-voices representation but, um, at some points it did just feel like it was going down a list. Characters were of color, great, cool, characters were LGBT and established as such even before the story began in some cases, awesome, but…There was something missing. The main pairing felt very, very insta-love, something I hate. The book isn’t even very long, but somewhere between the ten and forty percent marks, the leads are deeply in love. Okay. Suspend disbelief there – but other things, like the fact that every plot arc was kind of wrapped up in a handy bow by the end. I disliked the ending, I won’t say more because spoilers, but…There could have been different things done.
I hate that the fact that one plotline is a character learning magic, only for it to all feel kind of a moot point by the end. Very frustrating, given that the magic was super cool when it was shown. But their abilities sort of fizzle out in the wake of Something Else that happens at the end.
Kudos for a few things.
One, I love the nautical vibes and piracy themes. It was interesting with the Sea being sort of an all-knowing, sentient being, a call-back to elemental deities and all sorts of mother earth coolness. There was a scene where a ship, sanctioned by The Sea, is cruising along with like, sharks and sea creatures in its wake, and honestly that was an incredible image. The end conflict reminded me of a Pirates of the Caribbean movie, at least for a good minute!
There is also some Good commentary on imperialism, colonialism, gender politics and the like. I really enjoyed the gender fluidity of one of the protagonists, as well – and other characters are given they pronouns and stuff. At one point a character directly asks what another would like to be called by, pronoun-wise, and that was good stuff. It just felt… I’m not sure, some of this stuff felt shoehorned in and not like organic plot inclusions or developments.
I saw a fellow reviewer refer to this as something like, classy royal girl teaches other to read, and bam, they’re in love. Franky that’s pretty spot-on, something that disappointed me. I’m unsure if this is to be a series – honestly with the inconsistent worldbuilding, I think at least a duology would’ve been better. Please expand on the Sea, and magic! Some things are kind of left hanging, BUT other things that didn’t need to be tied up with a shiny bow could have been left. All in all, I felt like I was pushing myself to finish this because it was an ARC, not because I enjoyed it.

3.5 stars
Isn’t that a beautiful cover? It has so many details that I love it. This book has a strong start. It’s full of pirates, adventure, love and betrayal. You are introduced to a lady being sent off to be wed and orphans that grew up on a ship. Everyone is a bit morally gray and for the most part I liked that. Nobody was perfect, everyone made mistakes and most tried to be better. However, when these three meet, it takes a different turn and you find them helping each other and putting others first.

The romance in this book seemed to go from interested to in love very quickly. I had a hard time grasping that. I wanted another chapter or two for it to develop before I could root for them. One character was a teen girl who would dress as a man for life on a ship. When she entered into a relationship, I was confused if she was now identifying as a man or a woman or what she even preferred. It wasn't a huge part of the story but left me wondering multiple times.

One part of the story dragged a bit for me and I struggled to connect with the characters but overall I was entertained. It ended well and almost didn't need the last two chapters or so. I loved the sea as a character, that was my favorite part. At the beginning, I got thrown off quite a bit when the chapters would change from first person to third person. They were different characters so I see the reasoning behind it but it took a bit to get used to. Also, two characters had dark skin and I didn't notice that for quite a few chapters. There was also talk of kimonos so that made me wonder if some were Asian? I don't feel I had good descriptions of each character so it made it hard to picture them.

The content was minimal with mostly violence and intimacy. The violence contained blood and young people killing. The intimacy contained LGBTQ+ characters, kissing and a possible rape but no details.
Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is out May 5, 2020.

I received a complimentary copy of The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall from Candlewick Press through Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea will be released on May 5th!

When Flora became a pirate aboard the Dove, she became Florian. He only became a pirate to avoid starvation and living on the streets. Florian wants to save up enough to take his damaged and broken brother Alfie and escape the Dove, to create a new life for both of them, but Alfie keeps drinking away their savings. When the Dove takes on new passengers, intending to sell them into slavery, the last thing Florian expects is to fall in love with Evelyn, an Imperial woman on her way to marry a man she's never met. Florian and Evelyn form a bond and Florian decides he must save Evelyn from slavery. They escape with a captured mermaid and find themselves tangled up in a battle between the Imperial government, the Sea, and the mysterious Pirate Supreme who serves the Sea.
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I'm going to start by saying this book has one of the most gorgeous covers I've ever seen! I adore it. So, I loved the representation in this book. Flora/Florian struggles with their identity throughout the book in a way I haven't often seen. Their name and pronouns fluctuate throughout the book, showing their struggle to figure out who they are and eventually accept their gender fluidity. This book has lots of adventure and the world Tokuda-Hall created is absolutely creative and intriguing. My main complaint is that this book should have been longer. I wanted more development in Florian and Evelyn's relationship and I wanted to learn more about some of the other characters as well. Trigger warnings for violence and references to sexual assault! I recommend this book for anyone who wants a fantasy adventure with great POC and LGBTQIA+ representation!

3.5 stars

CW: [slavers, murder, torture, colonialism (hide spoiler)]

I liked this! It became a little muddled in the middle (and OF COURSE there is a long romantic separation because fantasy likes to irritate romance readers), but overall it’s a promising debut. Nuanced depiction of colonialism, Black genderqueer MC/Japanese female MC (not actually Japanese, but the fictional empire is clearly inspired by Japan), mermaid folklore, witches, and more.

I had major reservations/qualms about the Black MC working on a slave ship (basically: Flora/Florian and the brother Alfie started working on the ship as poor orphan kids in order to earn some money. The way the ship operates is by pretending to be a legit enterprise and transporting paying passengers, but then eventually imprisoning those passengers and selling them to slavers). The other MC (Lady Evelyn Hasegawa) is on her way to an arranged marriage via sea. She meets Flora and they fall in love even though Flora feels guilty as hell about Evelyn's impending fate.

So... yeah. The optics are not great in the beginning. I know that for some readers, a Black person working on a slave ship (even if the MC hates it and has moral qualms) is unforgivable. That is extremely valid criticism. I'm not the right reader to assess the book and say "this is okay," so I won't. What I will say is this: the book's POV is that 1) slavery is bad (all the enthusiastic slavers are unambiguously bad people), 2) Flora and Alfie are never happy about their circumstances (they're forced into this life out of necessity and poverty. The empire screwed them over, and they have no other opportunities), and 3) the book ends with Flora and Alfie safely out of their former life (all the slavers are dead/punished/gone). So if I look at the entire book, I think the arc about the slaver ship worked for me. I honestly don't know what else to feel, and would be interested in reading a dissenting opinion on this matter.

The weakest parts are the POV scenes from secondary characters. There’s no rhyme or reason as to why they’re so non-linear; it feels jarring (and I like non-linear flashbacks in fantasy! I just don’t think they worked well here). Another complaint is that we don’t learn a lot about the mermaids. It’s certainly teased and they’re important to the story, but we never end up delving into the mermaid mythology. This is especially irritating considering the ending (which I will not spoil, but the details make the lack of mermaid info more frustrating).

Most of the romantic development occurs in the first third. Second third is separation. Finally, they reunite, make heart-eyes, and save the day. I kinda wish there was more romantic development later on, but maybe that’s unfair considering this isn’t a romance novel. The ending took me by surprise. I was NOT expecting that, but it definitely is a HEA. The author then sets up a potential sequel with another character.

THE MERMAID, THE WITCH, AND THE SEA isn’t perfectly polished but I had a hell lot of fun reading it. If this is Tokuda-Hall’s debut, I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 STARS


At its heart, The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea is not a swashbuckling adventure, but a love story.


I have to admit that I went in imagining a very different story, based on that summary. Escaping from pirates and freeing mermaids invites an element of danger and chaos suited to the thrills of the high seas, after all! However, this is not a story about a riotous escape. It's really not even a story about swashbuckling. Between Evelyn Hasegawa and Flora lies a love story, one about finding the best of oneself, the core of oneself, and how that slots in with the world.

While we see them mostly aboard the Dove, our protagonists ultimate take us to new lands, new depths, and new corners of themselves they've tucked away all this time. And yes, there are mermaids and witches. And, naturally, the sea.


"Know your truth, not your story."


I think the most outstanding feature of The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea is the representation presented. Evelyn is coded as Japanese and queer, while Flora is Black and genderfluid. Whether you interpret the setting as an entirely new fantasy world, or as an alternate Earth with magical elements, it's impossible to miss these features. Flora navigating the world as both Flora and Florian permeates her side of the narrative, forming the bedrock of her character. And there's no mistaking her for a white character, either. Not only is she explicitly described as having dark skin, but she also reminisces about a time when she wore her hair in the style traditional to her heritage. Coupled with her rightful fury over the colonialism enforced by Evelyn's people, she navigates the world on her own terms, but also with careful regard to her race.

(You may notice I refer to Flora largely with she/her pronouns. Flora also goes by Florian and uses he/him, but the bulk of the chapters from her point of view use she/her, or return to she/her after switching.)

As for Evelyn, you know almost immediately that she's queer; kissing her maidservant is hardly the act of a straight girl. And her last name, codes of conduct handed down by her mother, and clothing are all Japanese.

I really enjoyed how Evelyn and Flora's identities impacted the way they proceeded through the story. More than that, I loved the way Maggie Tokuda-Hall started digging into anti-colonialism and the violent, rippling consequences of imperialism.


But somehow, it still lost me a little.


Maybe this won't bother other folks, but I found myself let down by the pacing. For a book that promised adventure and seemed to start out with a lovely grasp of prose, it ended up stumbling downhill as it went on, picking up speed. The enemies to lovers aspect was rushed (painfully so, given the emphasis on love and hope intertwined), and the final conflict came to a head too quickly for me. Throwing me off further, the POVs are told in a distant 3rd person that reminds me of a fairy tale. We never seem to get quite close enough to the main characters, always seem to be watching through a window. It's hard to root for them at this distance, even if we want to.

And when you can't root for characters effectively?

Well, like I said. The ending felt rushed, maybe even choppy. The resolution didn't satisfy me, and I felt like I'd been robbed of the time I needed to really connect with the cast. Despite having a solid hook and a lot of promise, The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea ultimately lost me at the end. It's something of a tragedy, watching an anticipated release unravel this way.


In the end, your mileage may vary.


I've seen plenty of conflicting reviews already, to tell the truth. May @ Forever and Everly holds an opinion much like my own, while Shealea's short Goodreads review raves about it. I think it's a book you'll have to try for yourself, in the end, and given the elements of it that I liked, I don't hesitate to recommend it if you're on the fence. Even if you don't get the enemies to lovers of your dreams, you'll still get wonderful QPOC rep, mermaids linked to memory, and a hint of witchcraft with all manner of possibility.

Plus, if you get The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea through your local bookstore of choice (or perhaps as an ebook through your local library), you'll be supporting the author at a critical time! The book releases May 5th, its publication date unchanged, which is just around the corner!


CW: violence (including gun violence), slavery, gore, alcoholism, homophobia, misogyny, suicide, loss of a loved one, child death, torture, sexual assault mention

[This review will go live on Hail & Well Read at 10 am EST on 4/27/2020.]

Thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I struggled through this whole book and nearly DNF'ed it multiple times and only finished it because it was so short, though I did a lot of quick flipping and skimming.

The first bit was interesting enough with Flora/Florian but I think the book is just a bit too bloated with too many ideas. Evelyn was a wholly unlikeable character but also strangely uninteresting. I found the insta-love to be very eyeroll-y. Then, the POV switching was fine when it was just Flora and Evelyn but then we got POVs from Rake and Genevieve, which felt pretty unnecessary. I thought that the TW: rape of Flora's brother was completely unnecessary, even though it happens off-camera, it really doesn't do much in furthering his character other than oh traumatized weak character is weak and traumatized.

I was fine with the mermaid / sentient Sea / Pirate Supreme plotline, but the addition of the witch and then learning of magical powers was just too much. And then Collum and royal conspiracies and it was just too much.

2.5 rounded down to 2.

2.50 Stars. I’m really disappointed to say that this book did not work for me. I was really excited to get the ARC copy of this. Pirates, witches, mermaids and a sapphic romance; what could be better? Well it turns out a lot since I almost DNF’d this book. If this was not an ARC I would have permanently put it down. I hate to say this but this just did not click with me much at all.

One of my biggest issues was the characters. Almost everyone in this book is a jerk or worse. Even the mains themselves are not great. One is a pirate who is a slaver. How am I supposed to want to connect with that character? I’m someone who loves a good morally gray character but some things are just not redeemable. The other main is a “Lady” of the ruling class who is sleeping with her servant who is clearly in love with her. When the Lady is leaving does she make sure her faithful servant, best friend, and lover is looked after and actually has a job to feed herself? No she takes off like see ya later! And these are actually the two best characters in the bunch. The rest of the people are all awful and I was not happy to jump into a few of their POV’s. One character even looked like Tokuda-Hall was setting her up to star in a book 2, but that character is so unlikeable that I was yelling “No! Not her!” at the book.

I had trouble getting into the plot. It seemed like it took so long to go anywhere that I just wanted the story to move on. For a fantasy book like this I was hoping for an interesting magic system. Instead that part let me down too. As a bookaholic you would think I would love magic based on story telling. Instead I found it boring and by the end of the book I didn’t even get why the magical witch character was needed. The only magical being in this book that I enjoyed were the mermaids. I actually think the mermaid was the best part of the whole book.

I did like the queer rep of a lesbian main and a genderfluid main, but the romance was a disappointment too. The noble “Lady” character force-teaches the pirate how to read. A few pages later they instantly fall in love. In love so deep the pirate will leave their family for the “Lady”. I’m not saying there is any reason why the romance can’t be light and sweet, but at least make it feel like an actual romance and not just insta love.

I was so excited to get this ARC that this was a pretty big letdown. Maybe my expectations were too high. If I was not such a character driven reader maybe this would have worked for me more. I don’t know the answers to those questions, I just know that unfortunately this was not the book for me.

I am really disappointed. And so so so so sad. I literally screamed when I got this arc since this book was one of the 2020 releases I was most excited for. Too bad right from the beginning I didn't like it lmao.

trigger warnings: mentions of rape, slavery, colonialism, sexism, torture

From the start I felt like there was a lack of good descriptions; the world felt flat, especially from Evelyn's point of view (the weird transition from being w/ her family to being inside the ship made me really ??)
The relationship between Flora/Florian and Evelyn started really awkward too - insisting on teaching someone how to read just because you want to, and then with like two interactions they fall in love??? Unbelievable. And the whole "oh she's not like other girls other imperials" was so much bullshit. You hate all imperials but then you talk for five minutes with a cute one and that's it you're done? I just don't believe they fell in love like that.

We get some twists with some characters out of absolutely nowhere and then there's some sudden point of view changes?? We get Rake (which, fine, his story was cool) but also Genevieve??? Why?
Also a lot of things felt like, too much of a coincidence, you know? Too good to be true and all that.

It was exhausting reading about the other characters because it felt like everyone was meant to be a selfish asshole, "except for the protags", which actually felt like assholes anyway and I did not care for them at all, sadly.

The good part is: the magic system. Which was actually a much smaller part of this than I expected, considering....there's witch...and mermaid....in the title..... It being based on storytelling was a really cool detail and I would've loved to read more about the witch and her life.

I'm really sad I didn't like this book. rip

(Stefon from SNL voice) This book has everything. Lesbians. Women of color. Pirates. Pirate lesbians. Mermaids. Witches. Colonialism. Love conquering all. Pirate battles. Storytelling. Ladies in dresses carrying swords. Espionage. Evil empires. And so much more.

I was sucked into this one immediately. Florian (or Flora) is such a compelling character, and I loved the effortless way the author incorporates non-binary identities into not only Florian's story but the story of the Pirate Supreme (because, if we have mermaids, why can't we have non-binary characters?) I also absolutely adored Evelyn Hasegawa, to my own surprise: I'm usually very hesitant about the "badass lady who rejects society's norms and wants a sword" trope from historical-adjacent fiction, but Evelyn was just so damn likable that her journey felt authentic to the story. Florian and Evelyn's relationship was also just so swoon-worthy, and it felt completely believable to both of their characters that they would fall in love.

My one complaint is the ending, which, in my eyes, left too many loose threads. What's going to happen with Lady Ayer's plot? What about the Pirate Supreme and Xenobia? What about Genevieve? Are Florian and Evelyn's stories really... done? The lovely, delicious tension that had built over the course of the book was wrapped up so neatly that I found myself staring at the acknowledgments page in shock. Surely, that's wasn't... it, right? Surely there was more to come... right?

(Spoiler: no, dear reader, there was not.)

However, disappointing ending aside, this was still an incredibly enjoyable read with a diverse cast of characters whose relationships felt genuine and whose struggles felt real. I know this is billed as a stand-alone, but I really feel that some kind of development of the world is needed - or maybe that's just because I'm not ready to let these characters go.

I requested this book based on the title alone and was not disappointed! Although some moments were left vague (I wanted a loooot more information on the Pirate Supreme and Xenobia's past!) I overall really enjoyed the book! Flora/Florian was well written and Evelyn was relatable and heartfelt. I would recommend this to fans of well-thought-out fairy tale-inspired fantasy worlds such as Renee Ahdieh's works.

**I would like to TW the rape mentions which took me a little off guard.

1. LOVE the diversity & representation here: genderfluid black pirate & queer Japanese noblewoman fall in love? HELLO YES PLZ
2. love the mermaid lore
3. thoughtful critique about imperialism & colonialism

Though the writing style was hard to get used to, I enjoyed this book! There's great world-building and lore, it's fast-paced with the action starting right away, and the plot is really engaging! The characters were interesting, complex, and well-thought-out. Sometimes the story itself fell flat. Flora/Florian's identity as genderfluid & nonbinary wasn't explicitly clear in the beginning & therefor somewhat confusing for a bit, though I get the sense that Florian was still sorting out their own identity for a bit during that time.

Warning for violence, torture, mention of sexual assault.

Everything I've ever wanted from a fantasy

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea is the story of the Lady Evelyn and the pirate Florian as they are thrown together aboard a pirate ship called the Dove. They encounter mermaids and witches and embark on the adventure of their lifetimes as they are forced to face their own identities and forces that conspire to keep them apart.

As a lifelong fan of The Pirates of the Caribbean, I feel like this book was kind of made for me. It has all the fun elements of that -- a coalition of sea-loving pirates facing down the evils of colonialism and capitalism -- with a whole lot of queerness thrown on top.

I loved the fantasy elements that Tokuda-Hall added: her version of mermaids, her version of witchcraft. I enjoyed the elements of espionage and intrigue; the conspiring forces that wove against each other, each believing they'd outsmarted the other.

I thought the book was well-paced and well written, but I have one gripe: the characterization. There were characters I wanted more from (Rake? Genevieve? The Lady Ayer?) and even the main characters could have had more going for them. In a lot of ways, Evelyn was a very typical "not like other aristocrats" who falls for the first commoner she interacts with. Florian was the only character in the story who felt fully, completely fleshed out, likely because a big part of her story involved self-discovery.

Here's the thing though: honestly I didn't mind the relatively flat characters, which seems really odd to me. But I think the reason is that I never felt the need to feel deeply connected to them in order to deeply connect with the book. I was always fascinated by the world or the themes or the adventure, but if you are a person who needs to feel close to characters, this book may not be for you.

If you're a fan of pirates and adventure and fantasy, though, I'd wholeheartedly recommend giving The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea a read.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh this one was such a joy to read! I mean magic, mermaids and pirates?! Yes please! I loved the different spin on such classic creatures! It had me hooked from page 1 and I give this all the stars!

I don't know why it took me so long to get through this book because I actually really enjoyed it! I loved the story and all the different characters. I enjoyed reading from the POVs of Flora/Florian, Evelyn, Rake, and Genevieve. I found it a bit odd that Genevieve only had a couple chapters in her POV but the way the book ended made it seem like there would be a sequel about her. I thought the story ended perfectly so I'm not sure how I feel if there'll be a sequel. Anyway I really enjoyed the romance between Flora/Florian and Evelyn and they went through so much growth throughout the book. The concept of the Sea and her relationship with the mermaids, pirates, and Pirate Supreme was really creative and so fascinating to read about. I especially enjoyed the stories told by Xenobia the witch. This was just a great LGBTQ love story filled with action, adventure, and self discovery. Overall a really great book!

I would give this book 3.5 stars if I could. The story is very pure and honest. Towards the end of the book I felt attached to Flora and Evelyn. The ending was not what I was expecting but I loved it none the less.

For the things I had trouble with... I have never read a book with someone who is struggling with their identity, I did feel like the author handled it well for the most part. My only critique is that I felt like I was being slapped in the face over and over and over with the idea. I understood it from the beginning and maybe another mention but I felt like every other chapter at the beginning was brining up the same point. When it was brought up again towards the end of the book I did not mind it because it was self reflection not just information.

I had trouble getting into it at the beginning, The characters did not grip me, It wasn't until half way through I started to really care about the 2 main characters... (also the first 1/4 of the book the titles were chaptered Evelym, is that just a typo or done on purpose???). Although I did find the story endearing the words just did not capture me from the beginning. At times I struggled to get through and other times the pages were flying by.

Overall, although the story was poignant and pure, if a sequel came out, I don't know if it would be the first book I would pick up. That being said though, I would definitely recommend picking up this book and giving it a go!

If you like pirates, mermaids, witches and queer romances, you're in for a treat.

This book is such a quick read, it's fast-paced, the world building is beautiful, the characters are so diverse.

Flora/Florian is a pirate working for the Nameless Captain on the Dove, a slave ship acting as a passenger ship. All her life has been about survival, about doing what was needed to stay alive, meaning not caring about anyone but himself and his brother, Alfie. But it all changed when Evelyn, an Imperial sent off by her parents to a future husband she knows nothing, boards the ship. Like all the other passengers she isn't meant to arrive at her destination but is instead meant to be sold off as a slave.
Before the passengers are made prisoners, Florian is assigned to guard Evelyn, wich leads the two to grow close. This bond makes Flora rethink everything, there's no way she can let Evelyn be sold as a slave, but what can she do?

I loved the Flora and Evelyn's relationship so much, having both of their POVs made it so much more interesting. They're both such beautiful characters and their development is so well done.
The diversity of all the characters was so refreshing. Flora/Florian is black and genderfluid, feeling as much as a girl as a boy, Evelyn is Japanese-coded and is queer, the only man she's ever been attracted to being Florian. Most of the secondary characters are also POC and there are some sapphic romances.

It was such a beautiful and refreshing book and I highty recommend it.

DNF at 12%. The writing style, characters, and lack of logic are already pissing me off, so I'm not going to continue with this one 🙃

Why do pretty covers let me down?

This book felt like reading a disney movie.. The setting and characters all felt magical and alluring and I felt so transported into the story. I loved all the magical elements. My only complaint was how it seemed every character was evil, everytime I got to know someone new the book immediately made them do something awful. I wish there was a larger cast of redemable characters.

If you've been searching for an all inclusive fantasy with pirates, mermaids, witches all wrapped together with a bow made of love - then look no further!

I cannot rave about this book enough! I have been waiting for more books that have gender neutral/fluid characters in them and not only does this wonderful story deliver on that, it is diverse with it's characters races and sexualities. A true story of self discovery, overcoming adversity and the strength that one can find in the hardest of times. I really enjoyed the characters' journey's and their development. Hands down, one of the best books I've read this year so far, and I truly hope it garners the success it deserves.

*eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

The thing that drew me in was the cover. Just look at it. It's stunning. The title was also intriguing, mermaids and witches and seas, oh my? The summary wasn't incredibly enticing, but I was still attracted by the promise of magic and mermaids and (biracial) queer romance.

Flora (or Florian) is a black girl. Though at first she hides her identity on the ship as a male, all of her crew mates know that she is female. Yet in the middle section, it seems that she struggles to connect her male and female identity and may wish to be more non binary. Whatever she or they decide, it is never revealed and the last parts of the book refer to Flora as a she.

Evelyn is the daughter of Imperial nobles. Her parents consider her "crooked" because she is queer. She gets sent aboard the "Dove" as a passenger heading to an unknown wedding, along with a coffin filled with books. I'd say she was 'not like other girls' but I never really got a good sense of who she was.

The book is told in multiple points of view, mainly from Flora and Evelyn's but occasionally, we gets POVs from characters in places where they are not.

The book is set in three parts: the mermaid, the witch, and the sea. The mermaid follows the events on the ship of the Nameless Pirate, which pretends to be a passenger ship but is really a slave vessel. It took some chapters for me to get over the fact that Flora (or Florian, as they are called on the ship) is okay with selling people into slavery. The book starts with them killing someone to prove themselves to the Nameless Pirate, but still. Evelyn, one of the unfortunate passengers, is being shipped off to wed a nobleman so that her parents' debt will be erased. Florian is ordered to guard her, and they fall in love as she teaches "him" to read and "he" quickly gets over the fact that "he" hates Imperials and the end game is to sell her as a sex slave. Fun!

The witch section is interesting, perhaps my favorite part as I find the magic system unique and wish it was explored more. Or when that character did magic, that they abided by the rules of it. Magic happens by listening to the story of an object and changing the story, but it comes at a cost. The character who becomes a witch never pays any cost. It is unclear why the witch felt so drawn to teach this character magic, seemingly because they felt there was a great destiny for them, but that clearly didn't happen.

The Sea: a goddess, an entity, a being whose consciousness is the entire ocean. The mother of mermaids, keeper of memories. The relationship between the mermaids and the Sea and mermaid blood was really cool, and completely underdeveloped. There are enough bits and pieces for me to cobble together how it works, but I wish it had gone into more depth about it.

Final rating: 3.5 stars. Good, not great. Okay characters, okay plot. Interesting yet underused magic system. Very interesting yet unexplained mermaids. Standalone.