limabean74
Written on Mar 9, 2018
Wicked meets The Little Mermaid in the captivating origin story of the sea's most iconic villainess, perfect for fans of Heartless and Dorothy Must Die.
Ever since her best friend Anna died, Evie has been an outcast in her small fishing town. Hiding her talents, mourning her loss, drowning in her guilt.
Then a girl with an uncanny resemblance to Anna appears on the shore, and the two girls catch the eyes of two charming princes. Suddenly Evie feels like she might finally have a chance at her own happily ever after.
But magic isn't kind, and her new friend harbors secrets of her own. She can't stay in Havnestad--or on two legs--without Evie's help. And when Evie reaches deep into the power of her magic to save her friend's humanity--and her prince's heart--she discovers, too late, what she's bargained away.
- ISBN13 9780062438775
- Publish Date 6 September 2018 (first published 31 July 2018)
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 15 October 2021
- Publish Country US
- Publisher HarperCollins Publishers Inc
- Imprint HarperCollins
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 464
- Language English
- URL http://harpercollins.co.uk
Reviews
cornerfolds
Written on Jan 17, 2018
I dove headfirst into Sea Witch as soon as I had it in my hands. I LOVE retellings and The Little Mermaid is one of my favorite stories. I knew going in that this was more about, well, the Sea Witch. Still, I went in with not much of an idea about the book itself. I didn't read reviews and I only skimmed the synopsis.
The main character of this story is Evie. She's best friends with the prince, Nik, and their mutual friend, Anna, drowned years before. Evie also has magic that is outlawed in her town, meaning she has to hide it or risk being punished for it. I thought Evie was a fun character and I really enjoyed reading her story. I liked her relationships with the prince and his cousin, along with the new girl, Annemette. While reading this book, there was always a feeling that not everyone was being completely honest and I liked trying to figure out what everyone was really thinking.
I loved the friendship between Nik and Evie! There was an interesting layer caused by the public's perception of these two together. While Nik is a prince, Evie's family is not nobility. They are friends solely because Evie's grandmother is an amazing healer who the royal family trusts. The rest of the town only believes the worst of Evie, while she has loved Nik (as a friend) since childhood. Enter Annemette, the Little Mermaid character in the story. I thought the way her situation with Nik was handled was just different enough from the story we already know to make it interesting.
This is the main issue I have with Sea Witch, actually. The story, while a little different from The Little Mermaid, is also very, very similar. There were bits that kept me guessing, but on the whole it hits all the main points you would expect. It was also a bit slow at times and, honestly, the story was a bit forgettable.
There were glimpses of the undersea world, but I would have loved more! The world above did come off as a very generic fairytale kingdom, while the ocean world seemed much more intriguing. I understand that this was about the Sea Witch's origins, but I'd have preferred a lot more of actual Sea Witchery than what we got.
I didn't dislike this book by any means! I love villain origin stories, but I just wasn't completely sold on this one. I can't say much more without spoilers, but the more I think about it, the more reasons I find for not loving Sea Witch. If you're looking for a lighter Little Mermaid retelling that's pretty straightforward, this is the one for you. Just don't go into it looking for something super new and unique.
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars