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Sea Witch #2
Sea Witch Rising
This sequel to THE SEA WITCH is an alternative reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. It’s a heart-wrenching story about the complications of sisterhood, the uncompromising nature of magic and the cost of redemption. Alia has made a deal with the Sea Witch to give up her life as a mermaid in exchange for a human soul. Now she has only twelve hours left on land to win the prince she loves, or perish.But Alia’s sister, Runa, knows that the prince isn’t capable of true love, so she makes her own bargain with the Sea Witch – and prepares to bring Alia back to the ocean, whether she likes it or not.Below the waves, the Sea Witch has a plan to challenge the order of the sea. It’s going to take power – power she doesn’t yet have.As Runa and the Sea Witch’s fates intertwine, they find themselves caught in the middle of a deadly conflict between land and water. Will they be brave enough to sacrifice their own hearts’ desires for a chance to save their worlds…?
416 pages, paperback
First published August 6, 2019
162 people are currently reading
11796 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Henning
23 books1,647 followersSarah Henning is a recovering journalist who has worked for the Palm Beach Post, Kansas City Star and Associated Press, among others. While in South Florida, Sarah lived and worked through five hurricanes, which gave her an extreme respect for the ocean. When not writing, she runs ultramarathons, hits the playground with her two kids and hangs out with her husband Justin, who doubles as her long-suffering IT department. Sarah lives in Lawrence, Kansas, which, despite being extremely far from the beach, happens to be pretty cool.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 658 reviews
September 8, 2019
Original review: but like. why. 90% of Sea Witch was filler
The Good
– Lovely prose in the first 1/3
– Begins on a promising note
– Some strong scenes at the beginning and end
– Unlike Sea Witch, plot actually happens
– Setting (Denmark) well-established
The Bad
– Prose dissolves into half-assed mediocrity after beginning
– Henning struggles to introduce her elements and characters in a meaningful and impactful way
– U-boat/mine plot feels like an afterthought
– Secondary characters undeveloped and poorly characterized
– Elements of mermaid culture make NO SENSE
– Struggles to pick an internal theme
– Lots of telling over showing
Sea Witch Rising promises a story about sisterhood—"Sisterhood is the strongest magic," after all. Instead, Henning delivers a room-temperature action/romance.
Story
Sea Witch Rising starts off on a promising note—in contrast to the first book, it actually has a plot, and an interesting one too: the power of sisterhood. Runa will go to any lengths and cut any deal with the sea witch—Evie—to save her foolish twin sister from the death which awaits her if she can't kiss or kill Prince Niklas within four days.
There's many ways to play this: In trying to save Alia, will Runa drive a permanent wedge between them? Will she save Alia at an unthinkable cost? Will the girls struggle but ultimately repair their bond? The simple scenario is ripe for possible tension and pain.
Instead, Henning quietly smothers the sister storyline in its sleep and begins a weak second arc. In painfully simple plot progression, Runa works with the cute-and-nice-but-bland Will to train a small coven of witches to destroy Havnestad's U-boat program. In the background, Evie watches as the sea king, spurned by the disappearance of the twins and running out of the magic drug he's addicted to, whips his subject into a frenzy to wreak war on land.
A big part of Sea Witch Rising's problem is that Henning struggles to introduce her elements in a natural and meaningful way, and often relies on telling over showing instead. By beginning after Alia's already left for the surface, Runa is left to convince us of her sister's importance with lots of meaningless, "I don't know what I'd do without my sister," lines to convince us after the fact instead of cementing their bond before the spell. Instead of showcasing mines wounding mermaids near the beginning or mermaids suffering a close-call with a U-boat, we're left with a halfhearted, "Oh, those are bad. Very bad. Very, very bad. We must destroy them."
It's incredibly weak and unconvincing.
The long stretch of middle was the hardest to get through. None of the characters are developed enough for it to be enticing and the is plot is reduced to a simple, point-by-point progression—Runa helps train the witches; Runa talks to her sisters; Runa heads out on the mission—riddled with Runa's internal monologues and lacking cohesive theme or meaning. It feels a lot like Henning had a couple scenes in mind she really wanted to write, then half-assed filling in the rest of the book (and plot) so those scenes could make sense.
Evie's part of the story, told in sparse chapters, was ultimately more fulfilling. Her inevitable showdown with the sea king was deeply satisfying, as was the build-up to it on both land and in the sea as the king drives dead fish up onto shore, pummels the land with storms and grows increasingly desperate.
Henning does a decent job on individual settings, her descriptions ranging from "okay, I've got the gist" to vivid. But when it comes to the world at large, although her research into historical Denmark seems solid, her world-building for the sea realm makes absolutely no sense. Merfolk are described as doing very human things, despite living underwater, such as drinking ale and writing on paper. The only difference is that they're "spelled" so they function underwater. Why... why would merpeople go out of their way to spell things to mimic human life when they could develop their own culture? Why spell ale to remain bottled when they could waft it past their fins or "breathe" it in? Why ale at all? Plenty of animals intake mind- and state-altering substances. Moreover, other authors have taken the time to think and develop alternatives. Why be so lazy and uncreative? The whole point of writing fantasy is to develop these things!
Characters
Evie and Runa are developed decently enough in the beginning, but Runa's character becomes muddled halfway through. Both were likeable and easy to support in their goals, but neither elicited a particularly strong emotional reaction. Runa's chapters in particularly simply lack a reason to keep reading them: there's never any tension, no edge-of-your-seat moments, no romance, no real connections with the other characters. Her goals are short-sighted and her internal conflicts are weak and unfocused. We don't what Runa, as a character, wants or needs.
As touched on above, Henning simply hasn't written any key moments between Runa and other characters—like Will and Sophie—to build their relationships, give meaning to them or develop them as characters, and while there are some attempts at characterization—Katrine and her lion's mane of hair—it's mostly shallow. Will is the most consistent in characterization and the character Runa is closest to, but their budding relationship is room temperature at best.
There was certainly the space to develop these characters. At 89,000 words, Sea Witch Rising isn't running long at all and a good deal of the middle, when Runa is prone to long bouts of stating the obvious in telling-over-showing internal monologues, is easily replaced with a heart-to-heart with Sophie and her feelings on her arranged marriage or a scene in which Will and Runa or Sophie and Runa need to rely on each other.
Writing Style
Henning's writing style starts off clear, readable and effective, with few weak spots. She conveys specific moods, scenes and feelings to the reader with smart word choices and graceful prose. It's not without its weak spots: some weak and filter words, a few too many that's, but it does its job well. But by the middle of the book, it's fallen apart completely: Sentence structure is a mess, Henning abuses telling over showing words like feel and know, and weak choices like make are abound. Dialogue is accompanied by unnecessary adverbs and long, unwieldy action tags where sharp characterization should serve to distinguish characters.
Themes and Representation
It's hard to tell which is an intended theme in Sea Witch Rising and what's a throwaway line. The blurb tells me it's supposed to be about redemption, freedom and true love. Freedom, I understand. Sort of. It mostly comes in heavy-handed at the end. But there are so many half-hearted things thrown around I would never pin redemption as a specific theme. And "true love"? Pfft. Where? With whom?
Besides the time Alia spends mute, there wasn't really any attempt at representation. There was room for Sophie and Runa to discuss their roles as daughters of powerful men, expected to give up their autonomy to build his power, but it's not more than a throwaway thought in the first half.
Recommended For...
Sea Witch Rising is shallow, unfocused and underwhelming. It's not actively bad—it's just not good. I have a hard time finding reasons to recommend it, since it lacks the things people read books for.
The "power of sisterhood" angle is a bust. The romance angle is a bust—Will is nice, but he and Runa share no strong scenes and only know each other for four days. There's no swooning, no banter, no deep connections. The prose is lovely, but only for the first third before it disintegrates into mediocrity.
>>More book reviews at Feathered Turtle Press<<
The Good
– Lovely prose in the first 1/3
– Begins on a promising note
– Some strong scenes at the beginning and end
– Unlike Sea Witch, plot actually happens
– Setting (Denmark) well-established
The Bad
– Prose dissolves into half-assed mediocrity after beginning
– Henning struggles to introduce her elements and characters in a meaningful and impactful way
– U-boat/mine plot feels like an afterthought
– Secondary characters undeveloped and poorly characterized
– Elements of mermaid culture make NO SENSE
– Struggles to pick an internal theme
– Lots of telling over showing
Sea Witch Rising promises a story about sisterhood—"Sisterhood is the strongest magic," after all. Instead, Henning delivers a room-temperature action/romance.
Story
Sea Witch Rising starts off on a promising note—in contrast to the first book, it actually has a plot, and an interesting one too: the power of sisterhood. Runa will go to any lengths and cut any deal with the sea witch—Evie—to save her foolish twin sister from the death which awaits her if she can't kiss or kill Prince Niklas within four days.
There's many ways to play this: In trying to save Alia, will Runa drive a permanent wedge between them? Will she save Alia at an unthinkable cost? Will the girls struggle but ultimately repair their bond? The simple scenario is ripe for possible tension and pain.
Instead, Henning quietly smothers the sister storyline in its sleep and begins a weak second arc. In painfully simple plot progression, Runa works with the cute-and-nice-but-bland Will to train a small coven of witches to destroy Havnestad's U-boat program. In the background, Evie watches as the sea king, spurned by the disappearance of the twins and running out of the magic drug he's addicted to, whips his subject into a frenzy to wreak war on land.
A big part of Sea Witch Rising's problem is that Henning struggles to introduce her elements in a natural and meaningful way, and often relies on telling over showing instead. By beginning after Alia's already left for the surface, Runa is left to convince us of her sister's importance with lots of meaningless, "I don't know what I'd do without my sister," lines to convince us after the fact instead of cementing their bond before the spell. Instead of showcasing mines wounding mermaids near the beginning or mermaids suffering a close-call with a U-boat, we're left with a halfhearted, "Oh, those are bad. Very bad. Very, very bad. We must destroy them."
It's incredibly weak and unconvincing.
The long stretch of middle was the hardest to get through. None of the characters are developed enough for it to be enticing and the is plot is reduced to a simple, point-by-point progression—Runa helps train the witches; Runa talks to her sisters; Runa heads out on the mission—riddled with Runa's internal monologues and lacking cohesive theme or meaning. It feels a lot like Henning had a couple scenes in mind she really wanted to write, then half-assed filling in the rest of the book (and plot) so those scenes could make sense.
Evie's part of the story, told in sparse chapters, was ultimately more fulfilling. Her inevitable showdown with the sea king was deeply satisfying, as was the build-up to it on both land and in the sea as the king drives dead fish up onto shore, pummels the land with storms and grows increasingly desperate.
Henning does a decent job on individual settings, her descriptions ranging from "okay, I've got the gist" to vivid. But when it comes to the world at large, although her research into historical Denmark seems solid, her world-building for the sea realm makes absolutely no sense. Merfolk are described as doing very human things, despite living underwater, such as drinking ale and writing on paper. The only difference is that they're "spelled" so they function underwater. Why... why would merpeople go out of their way to spell things to mimic human life when they could develop their own culture? Why spell ale to remain bottled when they could waft it past their fins or "breathe" it in? Why ale at all? Plenty of animals intake mind- and state-altering substances. Moreover, other authors have taken the time to think and develop alternatives. Why be so lazy and uncreative? The whole point of writing fantasy is to develop these things!
Characters
Evie and Runa are developed decently enough in the beginning, but Runa's character becomes muddled halfway through. Both were likeable and easy to support in their goals, but neither elicited a particularly strong emotional reaction. Runa's chapters in particularly simply lack a reason to keep reading them: there's never any tension, no edge-of-your-seat moments, no romance, no real connections with the other characters. Her goals are short-sighted and her internal conflicts are weak and unfocused. We don't what Runa, as a character, wants or needs.
As touched on above, Henning simply hasn't written any key moments between Runa and other characters—like Will and Sophie—to build their relationships, give meaning to them or develop them as characters, and while there are some attempts at characterization—Katrine and her lion's mane of hair—it's mostly shallow. Will is the most consistent in characterization and the character Runa is closest to, but their budding relationship is room temperature at best.
There was certainly the space to develop these characters. At 89,000 words, Sea Witch Rising isn't running long at all and a good deal of the middle, when Runa is prone to long bouts of stating the obvious in telling-over-showing internal monologues, is easily replaced with a heart-to-heart with Sophie and her feelings on her arranged marriage or a scene in which Will and Runa or Sophie and Runa need to rely on each other.
Writing Style
Henning's writing style starts off clear, readable and effective, with few weak spots. She conveys specific moods, scenes and feelings to the reader with smart word choices and graceful prose. It's not without its weak spots: some weak and filter words, a few too many that's, but it does its job well. But by the middle of the book, it's fallen apart completely: Sentence structure is a mess, Henning abuses telling over showing words like feel and know, and weak choices like make are abound. Dialogue is accompanied by unnecessary adverbs and long, unwieldy action tags where sharp characterization should serve to distinguish characters.
Themes and Representation
It's hard to tell which is an intended theme in Sea Witch Rising and what's a throwaway line. The blurb tells me it's supposed to be about redemption, freedom and true love. Freedom, I understand. Sort of. It mostly comes in heavy-handed at the end. But there are so many half-hearted things thrown around I would never pin redemption as a specific theme. And "true love"? Pfft. Where? With whom?
Besides the time Alia spends mute, there wasn't really any attempt at representation. There was room for Sophie and Runa to discuss their roles as daughters of powerful men, expected to give up their autonomy to build his power, but it's not more than a throwaway thought in the first half.
Recommended For...
Sea Witch Rising is shallow, unfocused and underwhelming. It's not actively bad—it's just not good. I have a hard time finding reasons to recommend it, since it lacks the things people read books for.
The "power of sisterhood" angle is a bust. The romance angle is a bust—Will is nice, but he and Runa share no strong scenes and only know each other for four days. There's no swooning, no banter, no deep connections. The prose is lovely, but only for the first third before it disintegrates into mediocrity.
>>More book reviews at Feathered Turtle Press<<
October 14, 2020
”I do love him. I’ve loved him as long as he has loved me. I’ve just spent so much of my life, so much of the last week, pretending it wasn’t true. So that we wouldn’t be hurt. That we wouldn’t suffer at the hands of class and expectations”.
Vale, pues esta secuela de Sea Witch es bastante extraña, pero no por ello menos mágica. Aquí han pasado varias décadas desde que Evie salvó a Nik y, como pago por esa magia, tuvo que convertirse en la bruja del mar… con tentáculos de pulpo incluidos. Y la historia empieza cuando, habiendo vivido tanto tiempo siendo temida y odiada, Evie recibe a Alia, una de las hijas del rey del mar, en su cueva, pues la chica quiere convertirse en humana para ganarse el corazón de un príncipe. Que, de hecho, también se llama Nik y es el nieto del Nick de Evie. Así que Alia sacrifica su voz por tener piernas, pero muy pronto su hermana Runa se da cuenta de que Alia está condenada y hace un trato propio con la bruja del mar para ir a salvarla.
Si bien Sea Witch Rising no es tan emocionante como el primer libro, sí que tiene elementos mucho más mágicos y a gran escala. Aquí, por ejemplo, el problema no son sólo los tratos, la muerte inminente de Alia o las ganas de Runa de salvarla, sino que se está cerniendo tanto sobre la tierra como el mar la Primera Guerra Mundial. Y tanto los reyes de la tierra como el rey del mar se están volviendo más locos de lo habitual con las preparaciones para este gran enfrentamiento.
Ahora, creo que precisamente ese foco en los grandes acontecimientos hizo que el desarrollo de los personajes se perdiera un poco e hiciera que no conectara mucho con ellos. Siento que se explora muchísimo el amor de una hermana por otra, pero más allá de eso los demás personajes quedan un poco desdibujados. Y otra cosa que queda en segundo plano es el amor romántico, que saben que es lo que más me fascina de los libros.
Pero nada, me gustó mucho ver cómo Evie sigue intentando encontrar su camino fuera de su maldición y de su destino. Y, de hecho, creo que el final de este libro, aunque cierra ciertos hilos, deja abierta la posibilidad a que Sarah Henning siga escribiendo sobre este mundo.
Vale, pues esta secuela de Sea Witch es bastante extraña, pero no por ello menos mágica. Aquí han pasado varias décadas desde que Evie salvó a Nik y, como pago por esa magia, tuvo que convertirse en la bruja del mar… con tentáculos de pulpo incluidos. Y la historia empieza cuando, habiendo vivido tanto tiempo siendo temida y odiada, Evie recibe a Alia, una de las hijas del rey del mar, en su cueva, pues la chica quiere convertirse en humana para ganarse el corazón de un príncipe. Que, de hecho, también se llama Nik y es el nieto del Nick de Evie. Así que Alia sacrifica su voz por tener piernas, pero muy pronto su hermana Runa se da cuenta de que Alia está condenada y hace un trato propio con la bruja del mar para ir a salvarla.
Si bien Sea Witch Rising no es tan emocionante como el primer libro, sí que tiene elementos mucho más mágicos y a gran escala. Aquí, por ejemplo, el problema no son sólo los tratos, la muerte inminente de Alia o las ganas de Runa de salvarla, sino que se está cerniendo tanto sobre la tierra como el mar la Primera Guerra Mundial. Y tanto los reyes de la tierra como el rey del mar se están volviendo más locos de lo habitual con las preparaciones para este gran enfrentamiento.
Ahora, creo que precisamente ese foco en los grandes acontecimientos hizo que el desarrollo de los personajes se perdiera un poco e hiciera que no conectara mucho con ellos. Siento que se explora muchísimo el amor de una hermana por otra, pero más allá de eso los demás personajes quedan un poco desdibujados. Y otra cosa que queda en segundo plano es el amor romántico, que saben que es lo que más me fascina de los libros.
Pero nada, me gustó mucho ver cómo Evie sigue intentando encontrar su camino fuera de su maldición y de su destino. Y, de hecho, creo que el final de este libro, aunque cierra ciertos hilos, deja abierta la posibilidad a que Sarah Henning siga escribiendo sobre este mundo.
October 3, 2019
Edited to update that the prize has been given away! Thank you so much to those of you who pre-ordered, requested from your library, picked it up on a whim, etc. I'm so very happy to have you all as readers!
--
Hey, GR fam, I hope you're as excited about Sea Witch Rising coming out soon as I am! I just wanted to take a moment to let you know that if you preorder, you can get a signed bookplate and Sea Witch Rising/Throw Like a girl postcard from me, as well as be entered in a drawing to win a grand prize package of:
*A signed copy of Sea Witch Rising
*Tarte Rainforest of the Sea High Tides & Good Vibes eyeshadow palette
*Tentacle pen
*Mermaid socks
*What’s Kraken? magnet
*Rifle Paper Co. mermaid notebook and mermaid pin
Send your proof-of-preorder receipt, preferred shipping address, and full name to seawitchpreorder at gmail.com. International and book box entries OK. See my Instagram account (@shhenning) for pics of the prizes and for updates. XOXOX
December 26, 2019
This was so freaking good!!
Sea Witch Rising did not fall to the second book syndrome - THANK YOU BABY JESUS! I will admit that I was hesitant at first to dive into it because the first book was so freaking good but I can gladly say that I wasn't disappointed one bit. The mermaids are bad ass and I love them all.
Okay, so this one is about a bond between two sisters - Alia & Runa. They are twins and one is out to save the other. Honestly, definitely got some little mermaid vibes but it was also different as well? It was also a bit heartbreaking to hear what Alia went through just for "love" and then to have Runa fight tooth and nail to try and save her.
Besides all of that, everything was a wild and fantastic ride. I loved everything about this world and Runa. Then there's Evie and my head was exploding with so much excitement. The ending definitely got me and I'm desperately hoping that I get a third book. PRETTY PLEASE?? I need more from this world.
Sea Witch Rising did not fall to the second book syndrome - THANK YOU BABY JESUS! I will admit that I was hesitant at first to dive into it because the first book was so freaking good but I can gladly say that I wasn't disappointed one bit. The mermaids are bad ass and I love them all.
Okay, so this one is about a bond between two sisters - Alia & Runa. They are twins and one is out to save the other. Honestly, definitely got some little mermaid vibes but it was also different as well? It was also a bit heartbreaking to hear what Alia went through just for "love" and then to have Runa fight tooth and nail to try and save her.
Besides all of that, everything was a wild and fantastic ride. I loved everything about this world and Runa. Then there's Evie and my head was exploding with so much excitement. The ending definitely got me and I'm desperately hoping that I get a third book. PRETTY PLEASE?? I need more from this world.
August 7, 2019
Read my interview with Sarah Henning here: https://wp.me/p5bsdH-2OV
Genre: YA Fantasy
Type: Standalone Book 2 of Sea Witch series
POV: First Person – Dual (Female)
Rating:
Alia was willing to do anything for the man she loved. With the infamous Sea Witch’s help, she walked on land to prove it. But it was an impossible task without risking the consequences and her twin sister Runa would not allow that to happen if she could help it.
This book is significantly different from book 1. While book 1 focused more on the main characters, this one involved a bigger perspective that included both kingdoms and the world.
Runa, always trying to fix and heal things. Unafraid to sacrifice her needs and wants or even herself for another.
I loved that it has a lot of actions and big scale magic, but I thought because of the wider story arc, I felt a bit less connected to the new characters. Thankfully, as the story progressed to critical points in the characters’ lives, I started to feel more for them and their plights.
“Alia, listen to me. I didn’t sacrifice my voice, no. But I did make a deal with the witch.”
She pulls back and points a finger to her chest.
For me.
“Always for you. Without you, there is no me.”
The bond between the sisters was heartening but also heartbreaking with what they were willing to do for each other. I liked how different they were but each with similar goals with their own way to achieve it. I also liked how the ending is open for a future adventure.
Sea Witch Rising is a story of true love and sacrifices. It would appeal to readers looking for fairytale retelling from a different perspective.
Note: Each book is standalone and book 2 included some background story but I don't recommend reading it on its own because you wouldn't be able to fully appreciate certain characters dynamic.
Books in the series:
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
September 18, 2019
Rating 3 Stars
I did not get as engrossed into this book as much as the first one but it did thankfully get intense and pick up at the end of book.
50 years have passed since Evie killed her best friend Anna and was transformed into a half human half octopus creature in order to survive. Nick is now long dead and his grand son, also named Nicholas is about to take the throne. Like years before, a girl falls for this Nick. Only one problem. She is a mermaid and he is human. Desperate to be with him, she comes to Evie in order to make an exchange so she can become human. Evie, now the feared sea witch, sees herself in this little mermaid. She agrees to help Alia, giving her legs in exchange for her voice. She has faith that this girl with her stunning beauty will be able to win the prince's heart before the sun sets on the fourth day. But Alia's sister Runa knows better. She knows Nick can't love her in the way Alia needs in order to stay a human and not dissolve into sea foam. Runa makes her own deal with Evie and tells Alia she must kill Nick with the knife from the sea witch and sprinkle his blood on her toes in order to become human again. Alia refuses and Runa has no choice than to trade her tail for legs. She refuses to let Alia die. Alia almost fulfills the bargain but pulls her hands away from the dagger at the last second, leaving Runa to sink the knife into his heart. The now King Nicholas bleeds out and dies while his new bride Sophie screams for help. Runa and Alia barely escape but it is still too late for Alia and she dissolves into sea foam. Runa, devastated is startled when a familiar figure appears. He is the dead king's cousin by law Will. Runa is at first convinced he was there to capture her and take her to the palace to be tried, but instead does something unexpected. He has seen Runa use her magic and had seen Alia die and reveals that he has magic too. Runa, finding no allies to turn to agrees to follow him to a cottage in the woods. There she meets Katrine and Sophie the late kings bride. They too possess magic. Meanwhile Evie has to hold fast against the Sea King's wrath. He knows now that Alia is gone and that Runa can never return to the sea and wants to take it out on Evie. Evie being more powerful is able to defend herself against him. But only for so long as he grows more powerful and his lust to start a war with the humans deepens.
On the shore Runa teaches Sophie, Will, Katrine, and Sophie's handmaiden Annameta on how to strengthen their magic and learn to harness new power through spells. They both want to stop the war on land since it will lead to casualties on both land and sea. Runa still wants to return to the sea and consults Evie to see if there is a way. Evie needs the knife and Nick's ring in order to make the spell. Easy enough at first since Sophie has the ring and the knife fell into the ocean. But they are aware that their is a traitor in their midst. Not until Runa, Will, and Annameta get captured after Annameta sold them out. Sophie rescues them by pretending to be on the enemies side and Annameta confesses how she sold them out for coin and gave Nick's ring to be sold. They need the ring in order to stop the Sea King now that is too late for Runa to return to the ocean. They get the ring, almost getting captured once again and make it to the cove. Will is gravely injured by Runa heals him. She gets to the edge of the water and throw the ring into the ocean. Right at that moment the Sea King has risen an army by using the polypus on the ocean floor that contains the souls of the fallen, including Anna and Alia. He kills his mother when she tries to stop him, leaving Evie momentarily helpless as a bomb is detonated and more to come. Then Evie sees the ring and with it's power she stops the detonation of more bombs and kills the Sea King. Now that peace has been restored Evie is now free of her imprisonment and becomes queen while Runa and her friends must now go into hiding as they are fugitives. The might have stopped the war but there is still no peace just yet on land.
Runa is a character hard to really describe. She's got some dimension to her sure but I still feel like it was still hard to connect with her. I admired her loyalty to her sisters and her strive to make things right, but she still fell flat. I guess the best way to describe it is that she read like a background chracter not an MC if that makes any sense. But I will give her points for being pretty badass with her extensive knowledge of magic and how she was able to get her and her friends out of life and death situations.
The other MC Evie, I felt more connection too since she was the main MC in the last book. I liked Evie's wit and cunning. How she grieved for her lost friend but was able to make the choice to destroy her once and for all for the greater good. Now Evie is the sea witch and has many years under her belt. Yet, she still has a good hold on her humanity and genuinely wants to help Alia and Runa succeed. Definitely not the sea witch most of us know and I enjoyed that twist.
There's not much to tell about the other characters. I liked Sophie's snark and her bravery to turn against her own family to do what she thought was right. Her cousin will though was just for love interest really and Annameta was just a source to cause conflict. The Sea King was just a nutcase bent on setting war upon the humans and the other mermaid sisters were not in it enough to really know them. I did like the old mermaid who was like a mother to Evie, she had that sass and spark that I appreciate in older female characters. It was a real shame when she died. So...yeah that's pretty much all I can really say character wise.
The plot started off strong in the beginning with the tale that we all know, of a mermaid trading her voice to win the heart of a prince. But like the original tale of the Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen, she fails to kill the prince and dissolves into sea foam. But thankfully it strayed away from the original plot of the story and started the story of Runa. But that's when the pacing started to slow and there were some boring chapters of just Runa training the others on magic. I found myself stopping the audio and not going back to it until a day or two later since I was just too bored. Then it finally got interesting when the whole plan was set in motion to end the war and I plowed through the last few chapters pretty quickly. I will have to say though that I wish there wasn't the romance of Runa and Will it was so unneeded for the plot and just seemed like it was just added in there for romance sake. Not the first time I have gotten annoyed with romance in a book and romance in general. Guess I'll just have to keep on the search for a YA book that has little to no romance *sigh*
Anyway, It could have been better but I would definitely still recommend these two books just because Sea Witch was so well done.
I did not get as engrossed into this book as much as the first one but it did thankfully get intense and pick up at the end of book.
50 years have passed since Evie killed her best friend Anna and was transformed into a half human half octopus creature in order to survive. Nick is now long dead and his grand son, also named Nicholas is about to take the throne. Like years before, a girl falls for this Nick. Only one problem. She is a mermaid and he is human. Desperate to be with him, she comes to Evie in order to make an exchange so she can become human. Evie, now the feared sea witch, sees herself in this little mermaid. She agrees to help Alia, giving her legs in exchange for her voice. She has faith that this girl with her stunning beauty will be able to win the prince's heart before the sun sets on the fourth day. But Alia's sister Runa knows better. She knows Nick can't love her in the way Alia needs in order to stay a human and not dissolve into sea foam. Runa makes her own deal with Evie and tells Alia she must kill Nick with the knife from the sea witch and sprinkle his blood on her toes in order to become human again. Alia refuses and Runa has no choice than to trade her tail for legs. She refuses to let Alia die. Alia almost fulfills the bargain but pulls her hands away from the dagger at the last second, leaving Runa to sink the knife into his heart. The now King Nicholas bleeds out and dies while his new bride Sophie screams for help. Runa and Alia barely escape but it is still too late for Alia and she dissolves into sea foam. Runa, devastated is startled when a familiar figure appears. He is the dead king's cousin by law Will. Runa is at first convinced he was there to capture her and take her to the palace to be tried, but instead does something unexpected. He has seen Runa use her magic and had seen Alia die and reveals that he has magic too. Runa, finding no allies to turn to agrees to follow him to a cottage in the woods. There she meets Katrine and Sophie the late kings bride. They too possess magic. Meanwhile Evie has to hold fast against the Sea King's wrath. He knows now that Alia is gone and that Runa can never return to the sea and wants to take it out on Evie. Evie being more powerful is able to defend herself against him. But only for so long as he grows more powerful and his lust to start a war with the humans deepens.
On the shore Runa teaches Sophie, Will, Katrine, and Sophie's handmaiden Annameta on how to strengthen their magic and learn to harness new power through spells. They both want to stop the war on land since it will lead to casualties on both land and sea. Runa still wants to return to the sea and consults Evie to see if there is a way. Evie needs the knife and Nick's ring in order to make the spell. Easy enough at first since Sophie has the ring and the knife fell into the ocean. But they are aware that their is a traitor in their midst. Not until Runa, Will, and Annameta get captured after Annameta sold them out. Sophie rescues them by pretending to be on the enemies side and Annameta confesses how she sold them out for coin and gave Nick's ring to be sold. They need the ring in order to stop the Sea King now that is too late for Runa to return to the ocean. They get the ring, almost getting captured once again and make it to the cove. Will is gravely injured by Runa heals him. She gets to the edge of the water and throw the ring into the ocean. Right at that moment the Sea King has risen an army by using the polypus on the ocean floor that contains the souls of the fallen, including Anna and Alia. He kills his mother when she tries to stop him, leaving Evie momentarily helpless as a bomb is detonated and more to come. Then Evie sees the ring and with it's power she stops the detonation of more bombs and kills the Sea King. Now that peace has been restored Evie is now free of her imprisonment and becomes queen while Runa and her friends must now go into hiding as they are fugitives. The might have stopped the war but there is still no peace just yet on land.
Runa is a character hard to really describe. She's got some dimension to her sure but I still feel like it was still hard to connect with her. I admired her loyalty to her sisters and her strive to make things right, but she still fell flat. I guess the best way to describe it is that she read like a background chracter not an MC if that makes any sense. But I will give her points for being pretty badass with her extensive knowledge of magic and how she was able to get her and her friends out of life and death situations.
The other MC Evie, I felt more connection too since she was the main MC in the last book. I liked Evie's wit and cunning. How she grieved for her lost friend but was able to make the choice to destroy her once and for all for the greater good. Now Evie is the sea witch and has many years under her belt. Yet, she still has a good hold on her humanity and genuinely wants to help Alia and Runa succeed. Definitely not the sea witch most of us know and I enjoyed that twist.
There's not much to tell about the other characters. I liked Sophie's snark and her bravery to turn against her own family to do what she thought was right. Her cousin will though was just for love interest really and Annameta was just a source to cause conflict. The Sea King was just a nutcase bent on setting war upon the humans and the other mermaid sisters were not in it enough to really know them. I did like the old mermaid who was like a mother to Evie, she had that sass and spark that I appreciate in older female characters. It was a real shame when she died. So...yeah that's pretty much all I can really say character wise.
The plot started off strong in the beginning with the tale that we all know, of a mermaid trading her voice to win the heart of a prince. But like the original tale of the Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen, she fails to kill the prince and dissolves into sea foam. But thankfully it strayed away from the original plot of the story and started the story of Runa. But that's when the pacing started to slow and there were some boring chapters of just Runa training the others on magic. I found myself stopping the audio and not going back to it until a day or two later since I was just too bored. Then it finally got interesting when the whole plan was set in motion to end the war and I plowed through the last few chapters pretty quickly. I will have to say though that I wish there wasn't the romance of Runa and Will it was so unneeded for the plot and just seemed like it was just added in there for romance sake. Not the first time I have gotten annoyed with romance in a book and romance in general. Guess I'll just have to keep on the search for a YA book that has little to no romance *sigh*
Anyway, It could have been better but I would definitely still recommend these two books just because Sea Witch was so well done.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2019
1) Sea Witch ★★★☆☆
To be fair, I didn't want a sequel and I read it anyway. I gave 3,5 stars to Sea Witch, but the story here just didn't hold my attention. This is for me just another case of a standalone turned into a book series when it should have been left alone.
Even though I didn't want a sequel, I was still curious: after all, I liked Sea Witch like I said. This book follows directly after the epilogue that wasn't my favorite part of Sea Witch either (you must really wonder why I picked this book) and I just didn't care much about what was happening. The story of Evie, aka the Sea Witch, is the one that was interesting to me and I read her story in the first book. Here she has a role too, but it felt more like Evie was only here to tell the story of the two twin sisters, Alia and Runa, since Alia is the one who made a deal with Evie in the epilogue of the first book.
Sisterhood is usually something I absolutely love in a story. It means a lot to me, and in my reviews for several books I said that my favorite part was the love between siblings. But here, the bond between those sisters feels very strong one minute and ridiculous after. How am I supposed to believe that Runa loves her twin sister more than anything and anyone else in the world when she get over her in two minutes because, oh look, a boy. The magic system and the politics didn't make much sense, it was very confusing and felt like a filler more than anything else at times. In conclusion, let's just try to remember the first book as a standalone, all right?
To be fair, I didn't want a sequel and I read it anyway. I gave 3,5 stars to Sea Witch, but the story here just didn't hold my attention. This is for me just another case of a standalone turned into a book series when it should have been left alone.
Even though I didn't want a sequel, I was still curious: after all, I liked Sea Witch like I said. This book follows directly after the epilogue that wasn't my favorite part of Sea Witch either (you must really wonder why I picked this book) and I just didn't care much about what was happening. The story of Evie, aka the Sea Witch, is the one that was interesting to me and I read her story in the first book. Here she has a role too, but it felt more like Evie was only here to tell the story of the two twin sisters, Alia and Runa, since Alia is the one who made a deal with Evie in the epilogue of the first book.
Sisterhood is usually something I absolutely love in a story. It means a lot to me, and in my reviews for several books I said that my favorite part was the love between siblings. But here, the bond between those sisters feels very strong one minute and ridiculous after. How am I supposed to believe that Runa loves her twin sister more than anything and anyone else in the world when she get over her in two minutes because, oh look, a boy. The magic system and the politics didn't make much sense, it was very confusing and felt like a filler more than anything else at times. In conclusion, let's just try to remember the first book as a standalone, all right?
April 9, 2020
Buddy read with Kirsty_Bookworm!
Rating 3.5 stars
As you will see in my review for book 1 I absolutely adored it, however book 2 I didn't feel lived up to my high expectations.
Sea Witch Rising follows the story of Runa and Alia, the Sea King's mermaid twins. A year ago Alia saved the human boy prince from drowning and has ever since been in madly in love with him, knowing a relationship between them is impossible with her living under the sea, Alia makes a magical deal with the Sea Witch to give her four days on land to make the prince fall in love with her and share a true loves kiss. Only Alia has to forfeit her voice as a condition of the contract.
Upon discovering her sister missing, Runa approaches the Sea Witch to discover if there is any way to get her sister back. There is no love lost between the Witch and Runa yet the Witch gives her the chance to go on land under her own magical contract to try and help her sister. The difference is if Runa fails she becomes human forever but if Alia fails she will die and become nothing...
I loved the new characters as much as I did in the previous book, I feel like my issue with this one lies with the book feeling way longer than what it needs to be. I'd say the last third of the book felt dragged out without a much happening with it mainly focusing on Runa's love interest. I didn't feel like this was needed in the book as Runa has always been the sister to hate the 'land-dwellers' and main focus is getting back home to the sea kingdom.
As its a tale about sisters I felt the lack of emotion from Runa towards the end of the book to be hugely lacking. There is all-sorts of new plot lines thrown in that made it feel a little messy and not thought through.
Overall the book was still a good read, I would probably have given this more stars had the first one not been so amazing. Runa was definitely the best part of this book, I enjoyed her chapters more than I did Evie's, her character was very well developed and she proved to be a good strong protagonist. My final thought is I feel like this sits well as a duology and no more, but you could also get away with reading the first book only.
Rating 3.5 stars
As you will see in my review for book 1 I absolutely adored it, however book 2 I didn't feel lived up to my high expectations.
Sea Witch Rising follows the story of Runa and Alia, the Sea King's mermaid twins. A year ago Alia saved the human boy prince from drowning and has ever since been in madly in love with him, knowing a relationship between them is impossible with her living under the sea, Alia makes a magical deal with the Sea Witch to give her four days on land to make the prince fall in love with her and share a true loves kiss. Only Alia has to forfeit her voice as a condition of the contract.
Upon discovering her sister missing, Runa approaches the Sea Witch to discover if there is any way to get her sister back. There is no love lost between the Witch and Runa yet the Witch gives her the chance to go on land under her own magical contract to try and help her sister. The difference is if Runa fails she becomes human forever but if Alia fails she will die and become nothing...
I loved the new characters as much as I did in the previous book, I feel like my issue with this one lies with the book feeling way longer than what it needs to be. I'd say the last third of the book felt dragged out without a much happening with it mainly focusing on Runa's love interest. I didn't feel like this was needed in the book as Runa has always been the sister to hate the 'land-dwellers' and main focus is getting back home to the sea kingdom.
As its a tale about sisters I felt the lack of emotion from Runa towards the end of the book to be hugely lacking. There is all-sorts of new plot lines thrown in that made it feel a little messy and not thought through.
Overall the book was still a good read, I would probably have given this more stars had the first one not been so amazing. Runa was definitely the best part of this book, I enjoyed her chapters more than I did Evie's, her character was very well developed and she proved to be a good strong protagonist. My final thought is I feel like this sits well as a duology and no more, but you could also get away with reading the first book only.
February 4, 2020
I try to express only my most honest opinion in a spoiler free way. If you feel anything in my review is a spoiler and is not already hidden in spoiler brackets please let me know. Thank you.
This is the second book of a duology that is a Little Mermaid retelling, however this book focuses more on the sea witch and on the little mermaids sister than it does on her. The first book was all about Evie before she became the sea witch. This one focuses more on Runa, the little mermaid's sister.
I really enjoyed the first book, and while I'm glad I read the sequel, it didn't captivate me same way that the first book did. Again I can't really say why, it held some of the wonder and magic that the first book did, but not as much of it I guess.
The cover on these books though are just amazing. So beautiful. Just thought this was worth throwing in there.
I like Evie, and I like how they twist this story to shine the sea witch in a better light, while also turning the sea king into a villian. I like how Runa is brave and willing to risk much to help people while at that same time she has blood on her hands. Her flaw makes her feel more real to me.
It was a cute a duology that was worth reading. I'd be willing to read more by this author and know I'm all for retellings.
This is the second book of a duology that is a Little Mermaid retelling, however this book focuses more on the sea witch and on the little mermaids sister than it does on her. The first book was all about Evie before she became the sea witch. This one focuses more on Runa, the little mermaid's sister.
I really enjoyed the first book, and while I'm glad I read the sequel, it didn't captivate me same way that the first book did. Again I can't really say why, it held some of the wonder and magic that the first book did, but not as much of it I guess.
The cover on these books though are just amazing. So beautiful. Just thought this was worth throwing in there.
I like Evie, and I like how they twist this story to shine the sea witch in a better light, while also turning the sea king into a villian. I like how Runa is brave and willing to risk much to help people while at that same time she has blood on her hands. Her flaw makes her feel more real to me.
It was a cute a duology that was worth reading. I'd be willing to read more by this author and know I'm all for retellings.
How I choose my rating:
1* Hated it. Had to force myself to finish it.
2** Didn't really like it. Didn't hate it but not sure why I finished it other then for some closure.
3*** I liked it. I had some issues with it, but as a whole it was good. I probably won't reread again ever, but there is a chance I might finish the series. (If part of one) But if not it's not a huge loss.
4**** I really liked this book. Maybe not a work of genius, but highly entertaining. I might reread this again, and I will finish the series. (If part of one) I would recommend to those I know hold interest in this books content.
5***** I loved this book. I found little to no issues with it at all. I will definitely be rereading this and probably more than once. I will finish the series and reread it multiple times. (If part of one) I will recommend this book to EVERYONE!!!!
March 27, 2020
I was stuck between giving 2 stars or 3 stars and settled on 3 and that's being generous.
*sigh* deeply disappointed I very much enjoyed the first book and had high hopes for book two. Book two was so far from a follow on from book one I had to question whether I was reading a Duology. Firstly book two is set in a more modern time with cars and guns and submarines *grumble* secondly this books appears to be more about witches than mermaids with a little magic *grumble continues * I was very much enjoying my mermaid theme this year and Sea witch Rising has swiftly ended that.
I hoped to have had more of Evie "the so called sea witch" but she did very little to be honest *more grumbles*
To be honest I was bored. Bored bloody stiff, 80% of this book was just filler - stuff that didn't need to be added. Stuff that didn't need to happen and stuff that I didn't particularly care about.
Uggghhh I can't even care enough to grumble about this book any longer
3 over generous stars 🌟 🌟 🌟
*sigh* deeply disappointed I very much enjoyed the first book and had high hopes for book two. Book two was so far from a follow on from book one I had to question whether I was reading a Duology. Firstly book two is set in a more modern time with cars and guns and submarines *grumble* secondly this books appears to be more about witches than mermaids with a little magic *grumble continues * I was very much enjoying my mermaid theme this year and Sea witch Rising has swiftly ended that.
I hoped to have had more of Evie "the so called sea witch" but she did very little to be honest *more grumbles*
To be honest I was bored. Bored bloody stiff, 80% of this book was just filler - stuff that didn't need to be added. Stuff that didn't need to happen and stuff that I didn't particularly care about.
Uggghhh I can't even care enough to grumble about this book any longer
3 over generous stars 🌟 🌟 🌟
September 22, 2019
3 Stars!
Personally I found this just to be okay... I was so intrigued to see what was to come because I genuinely loved Sea Witch, however I was slightly bored and wanting something a little bit more? I don’t know how to explain it but it kind of felt like two short stories merged into one normal sized book.
I don’t know how to word this, but I think overall I just expected a lot more, maybe I went in with my hopes set a little higher and it’s come to bite me aha!
Sea Witch - 5 Stars
Sea Witch Rising - 3 Stars
Personally I found this just to be okay... I was so intrigued to see what was to come because I genuinely loved Sea Witch, however I was slightly bored and wanting something a little bit more? I don’t know how to explain it but it kind of felt like two short stories merged into one normal sized book.
I don’t know how to word this, but I think overall I just expected a lot more, maybe I went in with my hopes set a little higher and it’s come to bite me aha!
Sea Witch - 5 Stars
Sea Witch Rising - 3 Stars
December 17, 2019
This is the type of book that you feel in your soul didn't need to be written but you're kinda glad it was because of that finalized closure in your bookish heart.
I liked the new characters in this novel and enjoyed Runa's personality and inner strength. I didn't expect the plot to go the route it did and it was a pleasant surprise. Narration was much better however the tone used for the sea king was laughable. Think little girl playing house trying to mimic the authoritative stern father... THAT voice.
Downside is the length due to filler. I haven't heard so many analogies in my life. Scene after scene is riddled with this. I've got a pretty good imagination (I personally believe) and don't really need 2-3 different ways to envision a fight, object or individual. I found my mind wandering a lot and didn't really miss anything when I came back around.
You can definitely read the first book and feel complete. I really loved the twist made on the sea witch and think this idea was awesome. Though I favor the first book over the second I'd recommend this for anyone whose looking for more on Evie's outcome.
I liked the new characters in this novel and enjoyed Runa's personality and inner strength. I didn't expect the plot to go the route it did and it was a pleasant surprise. Narration was much better however the tone used for the sea king was laughable. Think little girl playing house trying to mimic the authoritative stern father... THAT voice.
Downside is the length due to filler. I haven't heard so many analogies in my life. Scene after scene is riddled with this. I've got a pretty good imagination (I personally believe) and don't really need 2-3 different ways to envision a fight, object or individual. I found my mind wandering a lot and didn't really miss anything when I came back around.
You can definitely read the first book and feel complete. I really loved the twist made on the sea witch and think this idea was awesome. Though I favor the first book over the second I'd recommend this for anyone whose looking for more on Evie's outcome.
January 3, 2022
A lot better than the first one for me, the female characters actually came into their own a little (thank the seas for Runa, finally!) I even came to like Evie a lot more, though I still don't think she reached her full potential.
I enjoyed it enough - having listened as an audiobook it kept my attention enough to keep going, but there was still a lot of unused potential in the story and the characters in my opinion. It could have gone a lot further, but unfortunately this is one of those series that seems to be held back by being a 'safe' YA, rather than pushing the limits like a lot of successful and captivating YA titles do. I was really hoping for more from this sequel after the setup at the end of Sea Witch. Sad times.
Even the ending fell really flat for me. I'm a bit disappointed... but again THAT COVER THO
I assume this is a duology given that book 2 came out in 2019 and Goodreads knows not of a book 3. Which is a shame, because things actually happened at the end there! I want to know what happens next WAY more than what's happened already. I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed.
I enjoyed it enough - having listened as an audiobook it kept my attention enough to keep going, but there was still a lot of unused potential in the story and the characters in my opinion. It could have gone a lot further, but unfortunately this is one of those series that seems to be held back by being a 'safe' YA, rather than pushing the limits like a lot of successful and captivating YA titles do. I was really hoping for more from this sequel after the setup at the end of Sea Witch. Sad times.
Even the ending fell really flat for me. I'm a bit disappointed... but again THAT COVER THO
I assume this is a duology given that book 2 came out in 2019 and Goodreads knows not of a book 3. Which is a shame, because things actually happened at the end there! I want to know what happens next WAY more than what's happened already. I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed.
Read
May 29, 2019I really liked the first book in this series, but it was so good as a standalone that I see no reason to read this, especially since my favorite boi won't be in it :'(
August 17, 2019
I mentioned in my review of Sea Witch last year that I would be interested in a sequel that explored the dynamic between the Sea Witch and the little mermaid as it retold the classic tale. Lo and behold, a year later we have Sea Witch Rising which supposedly does exactly that. Unfortunately, it is not the book that I was hoping for.
Sea Witch Rising is sloppy on a technical level, but I’ll admit that some of my disappointment probably stems from my having different expectations from what novel actually delivered; I thought that it would focus more on the original Little Mermaid story and it didn’t, instead largely telling its own tale while briefly glossing over Alia’s (our little mermaid) efforts to become human. The Little Mermaid story as we know it is over by the 25% mark, leaving us with the narrative of how Runa, Alia’s sister, teams up over the next couple of days with several witches to stop Denmark from constructing and selling U-boats to be used in World War I. Also, Evie (the Sea Witch) finally tries to break out of the lair she’s been confined to for the past fifty years.
Personally, I found this new direction to be rather yawn-worthy. I’m all for fairytales being reimagined in radically different ways, but I still want the core emotions of what attracted me to the story in the first place to be there. Characters talking war strategy and destroying U-boats just wasn’t giving me the sense of wonder, tragedy, and passion that I love in The Little Mermaid. To make matters worse, the internal logic of this new story seemed to be relatively nonexistent. The rules of magic seemed like a hippie-dippie free-for-all—if you just reach enough inside yourself or put some octopus ink on your arm, you can suddenly conjure fire—and the characters’ plans never read as well-formed. Unless I missed something, their grand scheme was to storm the spot where the U-boats were and just blow them up, and there didn’t seem to be a long-term plan beyond that or any regard for the consequences that would fall upon their country or the ecosystem. Sounds kind of like anarchist destruction to me.
There’s also a huge emotional disconnect in this material, caused in no small part by the short time frame. Runa’s whole motivation for becoming human is to save Alia, who she repeatedly refers to as her other half and someone she cannot survive without. Yet, only hours after she fails and loses her sister forever, Runa is already feeling the classic crush butterflies for a boy she just met and levelheadedly strategizing on how to take out the U-boats and tutoring other witches in magic. This didn’t ring true to me at all; Alia’s loss was never given the proper weight within the narrative, especially given how close she and Runa were implied to be. Her death should have devastated Runa, but Runa is too functional too quickly for that to be believed—and not in the “pushing aside one’s feelings in order to deal with the bigger threat” way either. I get that the story was meant to become Runa’s tale and maybe even a story about how she could survive and become her own person without her sister, but that can’t work when the reader feels emotionally alienated from the narrator. I’m sure if this story had taken place over a couple of months this wouldn’t have been as big of a problem—but instead it takes place over about forty-eight hours, and already Alia’s passing is portrayed as a distant memory.
The politics under the sea are just as crazy and oversimplified as the action taking place on land—apparently the sea king is a massive drug addict but he’s running out of drugs so now he’s going to just declare war on land for the hell of it. None of this was working for me either—it was just too melodramatic, too over-the-top, too fast. This is also the case for the conclusion to Evie’s story; after decades of imprisonment and isolation, she’s just suddenly meant to be a revolutionary leader to the people? Yeah, I wasn’t buying it.
Trust me, no one is as disappointed that I didn’t enjoy Sea Witch Rising as I am. I really did like the original Sea Witch when I read it last year—it struck all of the right emotional chords and it had the right focus on character and relationships for me to care about what took place. Unfortunately, the sequel fails on both counts; it aims for a bigger and more epic narrative but loses its characters, the heart of the story, and the emotional ramifications of the plot along the way. Bummer, because I suspect that this could have been amazing.
2.5 stars.
Sea Witch Rising is sloppy on a technical level, but I’ll admit that some of my disappointment probably stems from my having different expectations from what novel actually delivered; I thought that it would focus more on the original Little Mermaid story and it didn’t, instead largely telling its own tale while briefly glossing over Alia’s (our little mermaid) efforts to become human. The Little Mermaid story as we know it is over by the 25% mark, leaving us with the narrative of how Runa, Alia’s sister, teams up over the next couple of days with several witches to stop Denmark from constructing and selling U-boats to be used in World War I. Also, Evie (the Sea Witch) finally tries to break out of the lair she’s been confined to for the past fifty years.
Personally, I found this new direction to be rather yawn-worthy. I’m all for fairytales being reimagined in radically different ways, but I still want the core emotions of what attracted me to the story in the first place to be there. Characters talking war strategy and destroying U-boats just wasn’t giving me the sense of wonder, tragedy, and passion that I love in The Little Mermaid. To make matters worse, the internal logic of this new story seemed to be relatively nonexistent. The rules of magic seemed like a hippie-dippie free-for-all—if you just reach enough inside yourself or put some octopus ink on your arm, you can suddenly conjure fire—and the characters’ plans never read as well-formed. Unless I missed something, their grand scheme was to storm the spot where the U-boats were and just blow them up, and there didn’t seem to be a long-term plan beyond that or any regard for the consequences that would fall upon their country or the ecosystem. Sounds kind of like anarchist destruction to me.
There’s also a huge emotional disconnect in this material, caused in no small part by the short time frame. Runa’s whole motivation for becoming human is to save Alia, who she repeatedly refers to as her other half and someone she cannot survive without. Yet, only hours after she fails and loses her sister forever, Runa is already feeling the classic crush butterflies for a boy she just met and levelheadedly strategizing on how to take out the U-boats and tutoring other witches in magic. This didn’t ring true to me at all; Alia’s loss was never given the proper weight within the narrative, especially given how close she and Runa were implied to be. Her death should have devastated Runa, but Runa is too functional too quickly for that to be believed—and not in the “pushing aside one’s feelings in order to deal with the bigger threat” way either. I get that the story was meant to become Runa’s tale and maybe even a story about how she could survive and become her own person without her sister, but that can’t work when the reader feels emotionally alienated from the narrator. I’m sure if this story had taken place over a couple of months this wouldn’t have been as big of a problem—but instead it takes place over about forty-eight hours, and already Alia’s passing is portrayed as a distant memory.
The politics under the sea are just as crazy and oversimplified as the action taking place on land—apparently the sea king is a massive drug addict but he’s running out of drugs so now he’s going to just declare war on land for the hell of it. None of this was working for me either—it was just too melodramatic, too over-the-top, too fast. This is also the case for the conclusion to Evie’s story; after decades of imprisonment and isolation, she’s just suddenly meant to be a revolutionary leader to the people? Yeah, I wasn’t buying it.
Trust me, no one is as disappointed that I didn’t enjoy Sea Witch Rising as I am. I really did like the original Sea Witch when I read it last year—it struck all of the right emotional chords and it had the right focus on character and relationships for me to care about what took place. Unfortunately, the sequel fails on both counts; it aims for a bigger and more epic narrative but loses its characters, the heart of the story, and the emotional ramifications of the plot along the way. Bummer, because I suspect that this could have been amazing.
2.5 stars.
August 15, 2020
"The light filters in slowly, my world going from a sky with no stars to one with a rising sliver of moon."
I read Sea Witch last summer, during my holiday by the sea side, and I absolutely loved it. I liked the spin on The Little Mermaid tale, showing the villain's story and I liked that it seemed more historical fiction than fantasy. I also didn't really think that I would read the continuation, because I liked it as a stand alone. However, I got the opportunity to listen to the audiobook, so I thought, why not.
First off, Sea Witch Rising felt like more of a fantasy and I liked it that we got to see more of the underwater world. The story was engaging and I enjoyed, up until the inspiration from the original tale ended. Unfortunately, I don't really like reading about battles and wars that much, so all of the connections to the World War I didn't work for me. Additionally, the setting in 1910s really affected the whole atmosphere of the book, which felt much more modern, and because of that it clashed with the fantasy elements that had more of a fairytale feeling, in my opinion. I do applaud the author for being creative, though, as I could never predict the direction that this story took.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but I think that in the future I will only re-read Sea Witch. It was a bit of a shame that I didn't like the second book that much, because Sarah Henning's writing was as beautiful as always, but hopefully she will publish more books in the future :)
I read Sea Witch last summer, during my holiday by the sea side, and I absolutely loved it. I liked the spin on The Little Mermaid tale, showing the villain's story and I liked that it seemed more historical fiction than fantasy. I also didn't really think that I would read the continuation, because I liked it as a stand alone. However, I got the opportunity to listen to the audiobook, so I thought, why not.
First off, Sea Witch Rising felt like more of a fantasy and I liked it that we got to see more of the underwater world. The story was engaging and I enjoyed, up until the inspiration from the original tale ended. Unfortunately, I don't really like reading about battles and wars that much, so all of the connections to the World War I didn't work for me. Additionally, the setting in 1910s really affected the whole atmosphere of the book, which felt much more modern, and because of that it clashed with the fantasy elements that had more of a fairytale feeling, in my opinion. I do applaud the author for being creative, though, as I could never predict the direction that this story took.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but I think that in the future I will only re-read Sea Witch. It was a bit of a shame that I didn't like the second book that much, because Sarah Henning's writing was as beautiful as always, but hopefully she will publish more books in the future :)
January 2, 2019
Why is it getting a sequel? What else is there? I’ll still read it though.
August 21, 2019
3.5 - 4 stars.
That epilogue at the end of SEA WITCH was a killer and so SEA WITCH RISING picks up at that point in time where on land in Denmark, Europe is poised for World War II. Evie returns in her end role from the previous book and my favourite part of this book was Evie.
The Sea Witch was more of an endearing character, with more humanity than Disney portrayed and this led to a richer story for me. The connections to Niklas’ family made for a story that spun generations. There were a new set of Mer-characters, Alia and Runa and the Sea King came more to the fore. On land, there was some history repeating and new characters in the form of Will and Sofie mainly. Runa was a strong protagonist alongside Evie and I really liked her character.
I found the first part of this story very strong but the was some waning in the plot in the second half, all this was mitigated by a strong culmination in the story overall, which ultimately left me satisfied.
As a duet, these books were a solid YA fantasy read with a great take on Hans Christian Andersons’ original tales and they swept into my imagination making a colourful picture. I liked how the Sea Witch was ‘born’ and humanised and this aspect will remain my favourite element of these tales. The covers are particularly beautiful and I must say they look eye-catching on my shelf. I’ll be looking out for Sarah Henning’s upcoming contemporary books as I did enjoy her writing.
Thank you to the publisher and the amazon vine programme for this review copy
This review can be found on A Take From Two Cities Blog here.
That epilogue at the end of SEA WITCH was a killer and so SEA WITCH RISING picks up at that point in time where on land in Denmark, Europe is poised for World War II. Evie returns in her end role from the previous book and my favourite part of this book was Evie.
The Sea Witch was more of an endearing character, with more humanity than Disney portrayed and this led to a richer story for me. The connections to Niklas’ family made for a story that spun generations. There were a new set of Mer-characters, Alia and Runa and the Sea King came more to the fore. On land, there was some history repeating and new characters in the form of Will and Sofie mainly. Runa was a strong protagonist alongside Evie and I really liked her character.
I found the first part of this story very strong but the was some waning in the plot in the second half, all this was mitigated by a strong culmination in the story overall, which ultimately left me satisfied.
As a duet, these books were a solid YA fantasy read with a great take on Hans Christian Andersons’ original tales and they swept into my imagination making a colourful picture. I liked how the Sea Witch was ‘born’ and humanised and this aspect will remain my favourite element of these tales. The covers are particularly beautiful and I must say they look eye-catching on my shelf. I’ll be looking out for Sarah Henning’s upcoming contemporary books as I did enjoy her writing.
Thank you to the publisher and the amazon vine programme for this review copy
This review can be found on A Take From Two Cities Blog here.
August 8, 2019
Thank you so much to Harper Collins Australia for providing me with a copy of Sea Witch Rising in exchange for an honest review!
Please note: As this review is for book 2 in the series, there may be spoilers for book 1 (Sea Witch) in my review!
“Come away, come away
O’er the waters wild.
Our earth-born child
Died this day, died this day
Come away, come away
The tempest loud
Weaves the shroud
For him who did betray.
Come away, come away
Beneath the wave
Lieth the grave
Of him we slay, him we slay”
-The Mermaid’s Vengeance
Sea Witch Rising took up right where Sea Witch ended. We join the sea witch in her cave, where mermaid Alia has approached her to trade her voice for legs and win the prince of her dreams. This particular prince happens to be the grandson of Niklas from book one. When Alia’s twin sister, Runa, discovers what she has done, and that she’s almost certainly going to fail in her task, she makes a trade of her own, determined to intervene.
Where Sea Witch gave us the origin story of the witch, Sea Witch Rising is the retelling of the Little Mermaid story. Fierce, bold and full of magic, I was just as captivated with the sequel as I was with the first book. I adore retellings told from the original villain’s perspective and Sea Witch Rising alternated chapters between the witch and mermaid Runa.
As this story takes part several generations after the last, there were a lot of new characters, but I found it easy to quickly work out where everyone fitted in to the story and how they were related to the last one. I absolutely love Sarah Henning’s writing style, it somehow succeeds in getting me so lost in the story and connected to the characters. Runa was strong and so fierce with love for her twin sister. Her sacrifices and motivation to do what was right for her people had me falling in love with her.
Sea Witch Rising gave us even more in the way of magic and insight into the witch’s personality. It’s imperative for me that a villain’s retelling makes my heart hurt for the so called villain, and makes me want to understand their motivations. I think these books achieved that perfectly and I’d highly recommend them to those who love retellings!
MY BLOG ~ INSTAGRAM
Please note: As this review is for book 2 in the series, there may be spoilers for book 1 (Sea Witch) in my review!
“Come away, come away
O’er the waters wild.
Our earth-born child
Died this day, died this day
Come away, come away
The tempest loud
Weaves the shroud
For him who did betray.
Come away, come away
Beneath the wave
Lieth the grave
Of him we slay, him we slay”
-The Mermaid’s Vengeance
Sea Witch Rising took up right where Sea Witch ended. We join the sea witch in her cave, where mermaid Alia has approached her to trade her voice for legs and win the prince of her dreams. This particular prince happens to be the grandson of Niklas from book one. When Alia’s twin sister, Runa, discovers what she has done, and that she’s almost certainly going to fail in her task, she makes a trade of her own, determined to intervene.
Where Sea Witch gave us the origin story of the witch, Sea Witch Rising is the retelling of the Little Mermaid story. Fierce, bold and full of magic, I was just as captivated with the sequel as I was with the first book. I adore retellings told from the original villain’s perspective and Sea Witch Rising alternated chapters between the witch and mermaid Runa.
As this story takes part several generations after the last, there were a lot of new characters, but I found it easy to quickly work out where everyone fitted in to the story and how they were related to the last one. I absolutely love Sarah Henning’s writing style, it somehow succeeds in getting me so lost in the story and connected to the characters. Runa was strong and so fierce with love for her twin sister. Her sacrifices and motivation to do what was right for her people had me falling in love with her.
Sea Witch Rising gave us even more in the way of magic and insight into the witch’s personality. It’s imperative for me that a villain’s retelling makes my heart hurt for the so called villain, and makes me want to understand their motivations. I think these books achieved that perfectly and I’d highly recommend them to those who love retellings!
MY BLOG ~ INSTAGRAM
August 31, 2019
Read this review and others on my blog: https://thriftybibliophile.com
If you’re a fan of retellings and love “The Little Mermaid”, Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning might be the book for you! As the second book in the Sea Witch duology, this book makes a delightful splash.
Alia, daughter to the Sea King, is a dreamer. She loves deeply and falls hard. Unfortunately she falls in love with a human–a prince–which isn’t very convenient since she’s a mermaid. Letting love guide her, she trades her voice to the Sea Witch in exchange for legs of her own. But of course the exchange comes with some stipulations. Alia needs the prince to fall in love with her–or she needs to kill him–otherwise she forfeits her life.
No big deal, right?
Runa, Alia’s sister, refuses to let her sister die without a fight. She’s strong, fierce, and makes a deal with the Sea Witch of her very own.
The Sea Witch, Evie, isn’t all bad. She gives the sisters what they want–she just wants something in exchange. Ultimately, the Sea Witch craves freedom. Freedom from her prison under the sea where the Sea King has her trapped.
When trouble brews under the sea and on land, the sisters find that they need Evie in a big way. Will she help them, or will she be the devious Sea Witch most believe her to be?
I really enjoyed reading Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning. While I liked the first book, Sea Witch, I loved its sequel even more.
The characters were well written and very sympathetic. Runa tries so hard to do the right thing by her twin sister. While Runa attempts to save Alia, she gets swept up in a mission to save the sea and the land. Never one to back down from a challenge, she proves herself a capable mermaid and a magical witch.
And how could you not love Evie? I adore sympathetic antagonists. Evie is easy to both hate and love. She’s not always the nicest, but she ultimately means well. Her character is absolutely fascinating.
The story itself was well-executed. I enjoyed the twist on “The Little Mermaid.” While it was very clearly a “The Little Mermaid” retelling, it was unique and creative. The author took the threads of the classic story and made it her own.
While Sea Witch Rising picks up where Sea Witch left off, you could easily read Sea Witch Rising as a standalone. I highly recommend Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning to fans of retellings and those who appreciate stories under the sea.
Thank you to the publisher for providing the finished version of this book in exchange for an honest review.
If you’re a fan of retellings and love “The Little Mermaid”, Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning might be the book for you! As the second book in the Sea Witch duology, this book makes a delightful splash.
Alia, daughter to the Sea King, is a dreamer. She loves deeply and falls hard. Unfortunately she falls in love with a human–a prince–which isn’t very convenient since she’s a mermaid. Letting love guide her, she trades her voice to the Sea Witch in exchange for legs of her own. But of course the exchange comes with some stipulations. Alia needs the prince to fall in love with her–or she needs to kill him–otherwise she forfeits her life.
No big deal, right?
Runa, Alia’s sister, refuses to let her sister die without a fight. She’s strong, fierce, and makes a deal with the Sea Witch of her very own.
The Sea Witch, Evie, isn’t all bad. She gives the sisters what they want–she just wants something in exchange. Ultimately, the Sea Witch craves freedom. Freedom from her prison under the sea where the Sea King has her trapped.
When trouble brews under the sea and on land, the sisters find that they need Evie in a big way. Will she help them, or will she be the devious Sea Witch most believe her to be?
I really enjoyed reading Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning. While I liked the first book, Sea Witch, I loved its sequel even more.
The characters were well written and very sympathetic. Runa tries so hard to do the right thing by her twin sister. While Runa attempts to save Alia, she gets swept up in a mission to save the sea and the land. Never one to back down from a challenge, she proves herself a capable mermaid and a magical witch.
And how could you not love Evie? I adore sympathetic antagonists. Evie is easy to both hate and love. She’s not always the nicest, but she ultimately means well. Her character is absolutely fascinating.
The story itself was well-executed. I enjoyed the twist on “The Little Mermaid.” While it was very clearly a “The Little Mermaid” retelling, it was unique and creative. The author took the threads of the classic story and made it her own.
While Sea Witch Rising picks up where Sea Witch left off, you could easily read Sea Witch Rising as a standalone. I highly recommend Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning to fans of retellings and those who appreciate stories under the sea.
Thank you to the publisher for providing the finished version of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 13, 2020
There is something very enjoyable about this book/ duology... and something missing I can’t quite put my finger on. (Which prevents me from giving it a higher rating.)
This book took a major turn which, definitely had to happen. I liked the direction it took; very surprising. I will say it felt like two books in one, which is fine. In the end the author tied the story together; wrapped it up perfectly.
I do recommend this duology to mermaid lovers and those who love descriptive fantasy reads.
Ps. Mini spoiler, (not really)... the setting is 1914... during World War I.
This book took a major turn which, definitely had to happen. I liked the direction it took; very surprising. I will say it felt like two books in one, which is fine. In the end the author tied the story together; wrapped it up perfectly.
I do recommend this duology to mermaid lovers and those who love descriptive fantasy reads.
Ps. Mini spoiler, (not really)... the setting is 1914... during World War I.
October 12, 2019
Normally when it comes to reading book sequels, I roll my eyes, strap on the emergency flotation device and brace for impact. Usually…
Sea Witch Rising is a sequel not to be messed with. It kicked off right where Sea Witch ended, with no pause, no breaks and no stopping for snacks.
We start our adventure in the sea witch’s cave, where Alia a young mermaid, comes to trade her voice for the use of her legs, all in the name of love, to meet her prince charming. Even though you would most likely want to try and eat all the pizza than fall in love with some pretty boy prince. But we all have different priorities.
Alia’s sister Runa soon discovers what her sister has done, and does whatever she needs to and try and save her sister. But the world is must larger than the bond and love of two sisters.
While Sea Witch Rising takes place years, actually generations later than the original, you meet new characters. And the introduction of these new characters was smooth and you quickly found yourself invested in their lives.
Overall, Sea Witch Rising not only delivered the goods, but served in a silver platter, leaving us bound to the ground and begging for more. I would high recommend this series to not only loves retellings, but loves a bloody great book!
Sea Witch Rising is a sequel not to be messed with. It kicked off right where Sea Witch ended, with no pause, no breaks and no stopping for snacks.
We start our adventure in the sea witch’s cave, where Alia a young mermaid, comes to trade her voice for the use of her legs, all in the name of love, to meet her prince charming. Even though you would most likely want to try and eat all the pizza than fall in love with some pretty boy prince. But we all have different priorities.
Alia’s sister Runa soon discovers what her sister has done, and does whatever she needs to and try and save her sister. But the world is must larger than the bond and love of two sisters.
While Sea Witch Rising takes place years, actually generations later than the original, you meet new characters. And the introduction of these new characters was smooth and you quickly found yourself invested in their lives.
Overall, Sea Witch Rising not only delivered the goods, but served in a silver platter, leaving us bound to the ground and begging for more. I would high recommend this series to not only loves retellings, but loves a bloody great book!
August 30, 2019
I loved this more than Sea Witch and that book wrecked me. I have a lot of thoughts.
First I want to say is that I have a twin sister and I cannot even imagine the pain and grief Runa goes through even though Sarah Henning beautifully depicts Alia’s death and goodbye.
I really loved the first half with the slight twist of the Little Mermaid fairytale even if it did break my heart. The second half started off a bit slow and I wasn’t as invested in Runa’s chapters as much as Evie’s. And I didn’t care for the love interest.
I did love how this was more about sisterhood!
But I did end up liking the friendship between Runa, Will, Sofie and Agnata and I really liked how the author didn’t just have Sofie and the others not forgive Agnata. I really liked their short but tense adventure with the u-boats and the ring. I wouldn’t say no to a companion novel about them!
Overall this was an amazing sequel to an already amazing retelling! I kinda hope there’ll be more of Evie and the others even if separate because I loved how she became queen!
First I want to say is that I have a twin sister and I cannot even imagine the pain and grief Runa goes through even though Sarah Henning beautifully depicts Alia’s death and goodbye.
I really loved the first half with the slight twist of the Little Mermaid fairytale even if it did break my heart. The second half started off a bit slow and I wasn’t as invested in Runa’s chapters as much as Evie’s. And I didn’t care for the love interest.
I did love how this was more about sisterhood!
But I did end up liking the friendship between Runa, Will, Sofie and Agnata and I really liked how the author didn’t just have Sofie and the others not forgive Agnata. I really liked their short but tense adventure with the u-boats and the ring. I wouldn’t say no to a companion novel about them!
Overall this was an amazing sequel to an already amazing retelling! I kinda hope there’ll be more of Evie and the others even if separate because I loved how she became queen!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2021
Contains spoilers for book one (Sea Witch)
In this sequel to Sea Witch, Evie is desperate to escape her fate as Sea Witch. However, her freedom comes at a high price.
Alia and Runa, mermaid sisters and new characters, have their own problems. Alia has traded her voice to the Sea Witch in order to walk on land and try to win her love’s heart. Runa wants her sister back safe and sound, but now that Alia has walked on land, she will never be the same.
I’m not sure how I would rank this against the first book, but I did really enjoy both books in this duology and I’d definitely recommend it to fantasy fans!
This book focused more on the new characters, Alia and Runa, and it was cool having non-human leads (besides Evie) this time. Seeing good sister relationships in books is so rare but this book included that!
In this sequel to Sea Witch, Evie is desperate to escape her fate as Sea Witch. However, her freedom comes at a high price.
Alia and Runa, mermaid sisters and new characters, have their own problems. Alia has traded her voice to the Sea Witch in order to walk on land and try to win her love’s heart. Runa wants her sister back safe and sound, but now that Alia has walked on land, she will never be the same.
I’m not sure how I would rank this against the first book, but I did really enjoy both books in this duology and I’d definitely recommend it to fantasy fans!
This book focused more on the new characters, Alia and Runa, and it was cool having non-human leads (besides Evie) this time. Seeing good sister relationships in books is so rare but this book included that!
November 6, 2019
Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Alana Missen
If you’re looking for an action-packed, magic-filled reimagining of The Little Mermaid, the search is over. Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning is the sequel we’ve all been waiting for, and this reviewer is going to call it right now: it really gives the original tale a run for its money. In this dual-perspective novel, author Sarah Henning takes the reader on a wild ride both on land and under the sea with a story full of unforgiving magic, heartache, power, and above all else, love. Bittersweet and full of heart, this novel doesn’t pull any punches.
Potential spoilers for first book, Sea Witch, ahead! Sea Witch Rising picks up fifty years after the events of the first novel, and kicks off with the transformation of Alia, the little mermaid. After being sent to land by the sea witch, her twin sister, Runa, seeks a way to save her from the time sensitive spell by doing the unthinkable: Runa must make her way into the lair of the sea witch herself. With her sister doomed to die for a prince who doesn’t love her, Runa must intervene to save the one person she is closest to in her world. With aid from the sea witch herself, who is fighting her own battle for freedom and redemption, Runa will discover that with magic, there is always a price to be paid.
One thing that really makes this novel tick is the characters. The dual perspectives of Evie, the sea witch, and Runa, the mermaid princess, open up the story significantly, allowing the author to explore multiple plot lines and themes. On one hand, there’s Evie who is unapologetically jaded by her own past, yet compassionate to those around her. It’s this compassion that helps bridge the older Sea Witch Rising version of the character with the previously more juvenile version in the first novel. There’s also a bittersweet, wistful tone that flows throughout her chapters, creating an added depth to the character.
“Trust me, Your Highness: revenge doesn’t mend a broken heart.”
And then there’s the new addition to the story: Runa. Runa’s character development is gradual, natural, and inspiring. She begins as simply one half of a whole—her sister acting as her guiding force in life—before evolving into an individual and discovering her own power. Here’s a girl who leaves everything she knows behind to try and do the right thing by her family, even when it terrifies her. Runa’s growth is definitely one of the best parts of this novel, and makes the sequel that much stronger.
The dynamic between these two main characters has such a positive impact on the story. The message of female unity and empowerment is clear, without feeling over done or cheesy. In short, the leading women are strong and capable, without feeling like walking clichés.
And then there’s the main theme of power and magical balance. Henning takes a concept introduced in book one and teases it out to create an unstable political setting, both under the sea and on land. In relation to plot, one thing is clear: Sea Witch Rising is that much stronger due to the conflicts introduced surrounding power and magic, and how they interplay with each other.
“Gold isn’t power—magic is.”
In Sea Witch Rising we learn more about the magical give and take between the ocean and the land, and what it will mean for the future of both royal houses. Tough choices are made, some which can’t be taken back, and all this just adds more tension to the storyline.
So, if you’re looking for a YA fantasy that doesn’t shy away from hard truths and consequences, make sure to pick up this creative, refreshing take on The Little Mermaid! If you think you know how the story goes, guess again…
If you’re looking for an action-packed, magic-filled reimagining of The Little Mermaid, the search is over. Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning is the sequel we’ve all been waiting for, and this reviewer is going to call it right now: it really gives the original tale a run for its money. In this dual-perspective novel, author Sarah Henning takes the reader on a wild ride both on land and under the sea with a story full of unforgiving magic, heartache, power, and above all else, love. Bittersweet and full of heart, this novel doesn’t pull any punches.
Potential spoilers for first book, Sea Witch, ahead! Sea Witch Rising picks up fifty years after the events of the first novel, and kicks off with the transformation of Alia, the little mermaid. After being sent to land by the sea witch, her twin sister, Runa, seeks a way to save her from the time sensitive spell by doing the unthinkable: Runa must make her way into the lair of the sea witch herself. With her sister doomed to die for a prince who doesn’t love her, Runa must intervene to save the one person she is closest to in her world. With aid from the sea witch herself, who is fighting her own battle for freedom and redemption, Runa will discover that with magic, there is always a price to be paid.
One thing that really makes this novel tick is the characters. The dual perspectives of Evie, the sea witch, and Runa, the mermaid princess, open up the story significantly, allowing the author to explore multiple plot lines and themes. On one hand, there’s Evie who is unapologetically jaded by her own past, yet compassionate to those around her. It’s this compassion that helps bridge the older Sea Witch Rising version of the character with the previously more juvenile version in the first novel. There’s also a bittersweet, wistful tone that flows throughout her chapters, creating an added depth to the character.
“Trust me, Your Highness: revenge doesn’t mend a broken heart.”
And then there’s the new addition to the story: Runa. Runa’s character development is gradual, natural, and inspiring. She begins as simply one half of a whole—her sister acting as her guiding force in life—before evolving into an individual and discovering her own power. Here’s a girl who leaves everything she knows behind to try and do the right thing by her family, even when it terrifies her. Runa’s growth is definitely one of the best parts of this novel, and makes the sequel that much stronger.
The dynamic between these two main characters has such a positive impact on the story. The message of female unity and empowerment is clear, without feeling over done or cheesy. In short, the leading women are strong and capable, without feeling like walking clichés.
And then there’s the main theme of power and magical balance. Henning takes a concept introduced in book one and teases it out to create an unstable political setting, both under the sea and on land. In relation to plot, one thing is clear: Sea Witch Rising is that much stronger due to the conflicts introduced surrounding power and magic, and how they interplay with each other.
“Gold isn’t power—magic is.”
In Sea Witch Rising we learn more about the magical give and take between the ocean and the land, and what it will mean for the future of both royal houses. Tough choices are made, some which can’t be taken back, and all this just adds more tension to the storyline.
So, if you’re looking for a YA fantasy that doesn’t shy away from hard truths and consequences, make sure to pick up this creative, refreshing take on The Little Mermaid! If you think you know how the story goes, guess again…
July 15, 2019
4.25⭐️
Received an arc via NetGalley for an honest review.
Having read Sea Witch a few months ago and absolutely loved it (5⭐️ book) I was so grateful to have received an arc of this second book.
In this story we follow Alia and Runa - twins, mermaids and daughters of the Sea King. Alia has fallen in love with a human and decides to trade with the sea witch. She will have four days as a human to prove that the love she has is not only reciprocated but true love or she will pay the biggest price with her life. She has traded her voice for this chance at true happiness. Runa, is desperate to understand why Alia would do this for a mere human. She is also concerned about the life Alia will loose if she is not successful. Evie is somewhat trapped in a cave by the Sea King himself, wanting above everything her freedom but can she find the power to do so?
We jump forward 50 years with this book and we get flashes of what has happened in that time. Evie is really struggling with her lack of powerful magic, trapped away from all she once held dear. I find this character is one of the most compelling and full characters. Yes, she makes bad choices and certainly makes deals with Alia and Runa that aren’t beneficial for them. She does feel conflict over this and continually wants to change things. Runa can’t understand the appeal of the human world and is trying everything she can to save her twin sister, she deals with a lot of identity issues throughout this story, who is she truly apart from a twin and someone of service to her father. Alia communicates through a sign language the twins created when they were younger, so in a sense there is representation in this book. The Sea King is where The Little Mermaid retelling is flipped. He has a need for power and magic above all else, he holds his daughters dear to him solely for their abilities and powers. He is a cruel merman and a dictator in many ways, I think it adds a dimension to that character that was lacking in The Little Mermaid.
The story is set in the early 1900’s and this is where it becomes more of a political book than the first. The invention of u boats, the fear of German invasion and the greed of kingdoms. I have to admit the political side of this book was frustrating at times. It pulled from the plot somewhat and actually made the story feel complicated unnecessarily. I felt the story was dragging at these moments.
I found most of the book so compelling as this author has a gift for writing retellings with so much more substance. She weaves between storylines we know well from The Little Mermaid and flips them in such a way that you are left thinking about what the implications of this story would be. I loved the magic and the history of the time and of the place it is set. The magic above land and in the sea is built in such a lyrical way. The philosophy of the magic and of the merpeople/humans is developed amazingly well. I love this authors writing style, it really helps to set the mood of the story and can be beautifully descriptive. When political moments occurred though this was where I felt the mix of too many plot points and description made the book longer than it might have needed to be.
For these reasons I couldn’t give this book five stars though I did really enjoy it and look forward to my preorder arriving. I look forward to future books.
Received an arc via NetGalley for an honest review.
Having read Sea Witch a few months ago and absolutely loved it (5⭐️ book) I was so grateful to have received an arc of this second book.
In this story we follow Alia and Runa - twins, mermaids and daughters of the Sea King. Alia has fallen in love with a human and decides to trade with the sea witch. She will have four days as a human to prove that the love she has is not only reciprocated but true love or she will pay the biggest price with her life. She has traded her voice for this chance at true happiness. Runa, is desperate to understand why Alia would do this for a mere human. She is also concerned about the life Alia will loose if she is not successful. Evie is somewhat trapped in a cave by the Sea King himself, wanting above everything her freedom but can she find the power to do so?
We jump forward 50 years with this book and we get flashes of what has happened in that time. Evie is really struggling with her lack of powerful magic, trapped away from all she once held dear. I find this character is one of the most compelling and full characters. Yes, she makes bad choices and certainly makes deals with Alia and Runa that aren’t beneficial for them. She does feel conflict over this and continually wants to change things. Runa can’t understand the appeal of the human world and is trying everything she can to save her twin sister, she deals with a lot of identity issues throughout this story, who is she truly apart from a twin and someone of service to her father. Alia communicates through a sign language the twins created when they were younger, so in a sense there is representation in this book. The Sea King is where The Little Mermaid retelling is flipped. He has a need for power and magic above all else, he holds his daughters dear to him solely for their abilities and powers. He is a cruel merman and a dictator in many ways, I think it adds a dimension to that character that was lacking in The Little Mermaid.
The story is set in the early 1900’s and this is where it becomes more of a political book than the first. The invention of u boats, the fear of German invasion and the greed of kingdoms. I have to admit the political side of this book was frustrating at times. It pulled from the plot somewhat and actually made the story feel complicated unnecessarily. I felt the story was dragging at these moments.
I found most of the book so compelling as this author has a gift for writing retellings with so much more substance. She weaves between storylines we know well from The Little Mermaid and flips them in such a way that you are left thinking about what the implications of this story would be. I loved the magic and the history of the time and of the place it is set. The magic above land and in the sea is built in such a lyrical way. The philosophy of the magic and of the merpeople/humans is developed amazingly well. I love this authors writing style, it really helps to set the mood of the story and can be beautifully descriptive. When political moments occurred though this was where I felt the mix of too many plot points and description made the book longer than it might have needed to be.
For these reasons I couldn’t give this book five stars though I did really enjoy it and look forward to my preorder arriving. I look forward to future books.
August 11, 2020
I was very curious, after the first book that worked perfectly fine as a stand alone, what Henning was gonna do with the sequel to the Sea Witch. And since the Magical Readathon asked me to read a water themed book, it was the perfect moment to pick this sequel up. And once I started I had a very very hard time stopping again. I just wanted to keep on reading and reading.
Since the world building had been done in the previous book already, I had the feeling that this book was somehow more action packed and faster in general. I have to admit that I'm not sure if that's really the case or simply a feeling I have. Where the previous book was a small story about three friends and what happened when two of them fell in love with each other, this story is much and much bigger. This story is about power, about war and about what makes someone evil and what makes someone good.
It was nice to see Evie back, this time as the Sea Witch. Due to the fact that she couldn't really leave her location, she didn't play a very active role in the story. However, she did pull the strings and I liked the lessons she learned in the end and the person she eventually became. We however also meet a lot of new characters, mostly descendants of the characters we've met in the previous book, and it made the story fresh and new, even though part of the plot was a repeat of the first book.
All those new characters however fitted perfectly into the world we got to know in the first book. Henning really knows how to bring characters to life, how to make them feel real, without telling us each and every unimportant detail about them. Combine that with her easy to read, and yet still enchanting, writing style and the result is a very addictive book that's really hard to put down. And there's room for another book in the series, so who knows...
Since the world building had been done in the previous book already, I had the feeling that this book was somehow more action packed and faster in general. I have to admit that I'm not sure if that's really the case or simply a feeling I have. Where the previous book was a small story about three friends and what happened when two of them fell in love with each other, this story is much and much bigger. This story is about power, about war and about what makes someone evil and what makes someone good.
It was nice to see Evie back, this time as the Sea Witch. Due to the fact that she couldn't really leave her location, she didn't play a very active role in the story. However, she did pull the strings and I liked the lessons she learned in the end and the person she eventually became. We however also meet a lot of new characters, mostly descendants of the characters we've met in the previous book, and it made the story fresh and new, even though part of the plot was a repeat of the first book.
All those new characters however fitted perfectly into the world we got to know in the first book. Henning really knows how to bring characters to life, how to make them feel real, without telling us each and every unimportant detail about them. Combine that with her easy to read, and yet still enchanting, writing style and the result is a very addictive book that's really hard to put down. And there's room for another book in the series, so who knows...
July 15, 2019
Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins and Sarah Henning for my arc of Sea Witch Rising in exchange for an honest review.
Spoiler warning: as this is a sequel to Sea Witch, there will be spoilers from book one along the way!
Synopsis: Alia has traded her voice to the sea witch in order to get a shot at love with the object of her affection, Niklas. Grandson of the original Niklas from book one Sea Witch. Runa will not let her twin sister throw away her life for a chance at romance with what she sees as a wasteful and selfish princeling. Evie wants her own freedom from the cave where she is imprisoned, but her freedom comes at a great cost and an exchange she might not want to make.
I really liked Sea Witch you can read my review of that here: https://lifehasafunnywayofsneakingupo... I know it received a lot of criticism for the way it demonstrated giving up everything for love but a) I never found that an issue with the story and b) I think it was an important part of telling the Sea Witch's story and understanding her future motivations.
Sea Witch Rising told a different story. Runa was a great character, super strong and the love story is that of her and her sister Alia. Alia is a bit of a wet character (excusing the pun) and she annoyed me quite a lot, but Runa was awesome. I also loved Evie just as much as did in the first one. She's been dealt such a hard hand in life and I feel so much for her.
Where Sea Witch was the untold story of The Sea Witch (we'll say Ursula although this series is actually a retelling of Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid) Sea Witch Rising is more of a retelling of The Little Mermaid but from a new perspective. I really enjoyed this and look forward to seeing more from this author in future.
Spoiler warning: as this is a sequel to Sea Witch, there will be spoilers from book one along the way!
Synopsis: Alia has traded her voice to the sea witch in order to get a shot at love with the object of her affection, Niklas. Grandson of the original Niklas from book one Sea Witch. Runa will not let her twin sister throw away her life for a chance at romance with what she sees as a wasteful and selfish princeling. Evie wants her own freedom from the cave where she is imprisoned, but her freedom comes at a great cost and an exchange she might not want to make.
I really liked Sea Witch you can read my review of that here: https://lifehasafunnywayofsneakingupo... I know it received a lot of criticism for the way it demonstrated giving up everything for love but a) I never found that an issue with the story and b) I think it was an important part of telling the Sea Witch's story and understanding her future motivations.
Sea Witch Rising told a different story. Runa was a great character, super strong and the love story is that of her and her sister Alia. Alia is a bit of a wet character (excusing the pun) and she annoyed me quite a lot, but Runa was awesome. I also loved Evie just as much as did in the first one. She's been dealt such a hard hand in life and I feel so much for her.
Where Sea Witch was the untold story of The Sea Witch (we'll say Ursula although this series is actually a retelling of Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid) Sea Witch Rising is more of a retelling of The Little Mermaid but from a new perspective. I really enjoyed this and look forward to seeing more from this author in future.
August 17, 2019
I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this! I enjoyed the first book last year, and was looking forward to this. I liked the take on the story originally, and this follows on really nicely - encompassing more of the little mermaid story we know, but still putting its own twist - like Runa, the sea king and the war. I particularly liked how the war played into it, and into the threat to the underwater kingdom.
I ended up really liking Alia, who I thought was initially a little naive, but Runa was the star of the show for me. Her dedication to her sister was so lovely, and how she wanted to do what was right. Her coven was super fun, as was the difference between sea and land magic.
Plus again it challenges who we perceive as the bad and good guys. I did want a little more history into the sea king, to see some of his motivations, but other than that I thought it was perfectly balanced.
I really enjoyed this! I enjoyed the first book last year, and was looking forward to this. I liked the take on the story originally, and this follows on really nicely - encompassing more of the little mermaid story we know, but still putting its own twist - like Runa, the sea king and the war. I particularly liked how the war played into it, and into the threat to the underwater kingdom.
I ended up really liking Alia, who I thought was initially a little naive, but Runa was the star of the show for me. Her dedication to her sister was so lovely, and how she wanted to do what was right. Her coven was super fun, as was the difference between sea and land magic.
Plus again it challenges who we perceive as the bad and good guys. I did want a little more history into the sea king, to see some of his motivations, but other than that I thought it was perfectly balanced.
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