The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea

Name: The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea
Brand: Brilliance Audio
Availability: InStock
Author: Maggie Tokuda-Hall
ISBN: 9781799748533

Author: Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Narrator: Kate Rudd

Unabridged: 9 hr 33 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Candlewick on Brilliance Audio

Published: 05/05/2020

Categories: Young Adult Fiction, Romance, Lgbtq+, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Synopsis

In a world divided by colonialism and threaded with magic, a desperate orphan turned pirate and a rebellious imperial lady find a connection on the high seas.Aboard the pirate ship Dove, Flora the girl takes on the identity of Florian the man to earn the respect and protection of the crew. For Flora, former starving urchin, the brutal life of a pirate is about survival: don’t trust, don’t stick out, and don’t feel. But on this voyage, Flora is drawn to the Lady Evelyn Hasegawa, who is headed to an arranged marriage she dreads. Flora doesn’t expect to be taken under Evelyn’s wing, and Evelyn doesn’t expect to find such a deep bond with the pirate Florian. Neither expects to fall in love.Soon the unlikely pair set in motion a wild escape that will free a captured mermaid (coveted for her blood) and involve the mysterious Pirate Supreme, an opportunistic witch, double agents, and the all-encompassing Sea herself.Deftly entwining swashbuckling action and quiet magic, Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s inventive debut novel conjures a diverse cast of characters seeking mastery over their fates while searching for answers to big questions about identity, power, and love.

About Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Maggie Tokuda-Hall has an MFA in creative writing from the University of San Francisco and a strong cake-decorating game. She is the author of the Parents’ Choice Gold Award–winning picture book Also an Octopus, illustrated by Benji Davies. The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea is her debut novel, which she started when working as a children’s bookseller. Maggie Tokuda-Hall lives in Oakland, California, with her son, husband, and dog. Her dog is objectively perfect; thank you for asking.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Charlie on September 17, 2019

The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea will take you on the journey of a lifetime. Maggie Tokuda-Hall has created characters that I've never seen before, and then put them into an adventure that feels more real than real life, and twice as unpredictable. I wanted to live in the world of this book foreve......more

Goodreads review by Becca on September 29, 2020

A beautiful story about love & identity. The atmosphere and writing in this book was on point, making it read almost like a fairytale, which is simutaneously my favourite and least favourite aspect of the book. While it's beautiful prose and timeless feel made me really love how wonderfully the book......more

Goodreads review by kaz.brekkers.future.wife on June 02, 2022

!!!!THREE STARS!!! "He looked at me, and I looked at him, and he looked at me, and I looked at him" yeah so me and this book have a very complicated relationship. The title made it obviously seem like it was about...idk..a mermaid in love with a witch. then I read the synopsis and I was like...okay th......more

Goodreads review by Silvia on June 10, 2020

I was sent this book as an advance copy by the publisher via NetGalley for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own. 2.5 stars To understand the different stages of emotions I'm going through while thinking about how to review this book, you have to keep in mind the kombucha girl TikTok, ex......more

Goodreads review by Ellie on November 01, 2020

I heard 'queer' and 'pirates', which is all I need to be hooked rtc! thank you to the publisher for gifting me a proof copy in exchange for a honest review <3......more

Quotes

"Tokuda-Hall infuses this adventure with fantastical word play and [Kate] Rudd is the perfect match as the storyteller. The story is almost melodic in nature and that rings true with Rudd’s sing-song tone, varied character voicing, and matched pacing."
—Booklist"Narrator Kate Rudd creates unique voices for mysterious mermaids, powerful witches, and evil pirates in this fantasy adventure.… Rudd imbues her narration with a creepy menace when voicing the villains and brings the courage--and doubts--of both heroines to life. Her lilting voice is rich with the magic of stories and the rhythm of the sea. This audiobook will please listeners looking for a queer love story that celebrates female power and the diversity of gender expression."
—AudioFile Magazine