“We don’t just read to imagine better lives. We read to be introduced to all kinds of lives. Any kind. Not just for ourselves, but for everyone around us. To understand others better. It’s escape, and it’s also a way to become more connected to everyone around you. There’s power in that, you know. In understanding. It’s like magic.”
*For my personal thoughts on The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea, check out my review of the book.
Author: Maggie Tokuda-Hall
Title: The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea
Category/Type: Young Adult Fiction
Genre: Fantasy
Subgenre(s): Historical Fantasy
Publication Date: May 5, 2020
Number of Pages: 357 pages of story text; plus a prologue, epilogue, and Acknowledgements
Geographical Setting: A fantasy kingdom and the high seas
Time Period: Not specified but likely the late Middle Ages in Japanese seas
Series (if applicable): This book is part of an unnamed series
Plot Summary: After struggling to survive their childhood, Florian, formerly Flora, has finally secured safety for themselves and their brother by murdering an abducted aristocrat. The murder allowed Florian to join the pirate ranks aboard the Dove, a ship that transports passengers around the Floating Islands but more often than not, abducts the passengers and sells them into slavery to turn a better profit.
Florian needs to complete just another job or two and then they’ll be able to support themselves and their brother on land, leaving the pirate life far behind. But Florian never could have imagined the next run would include a spy, mutiny, and the lovely and smart Lady Evelyn Hasegawa. Tasked with keeping Lady Evelyn safe, Florian instead falls in love, leading to daring escapes, magical rescues, and calling upon the help of mythical creatures and kind-hearted pirates.
Content warnings (may contain SLIGHT SPOILERS): Child neglect, homophobia, sexism, violence, murder, discussions of slavery
Subject Headings: Fantasy- Historical, Mermaids, Romance - LGBT, Action & Adventure - Pirates, Arranged Marriage, Magic, Ocean Travel Fiction
Representation:
Well-developed BIPOC main and supporting characters
Queer romance
Characters across the gender spectrum
Appeal/Characteristics of Fantasy (may contain SPOILERS)
Detailed settings depict another world, often located on Earth, but almost always set in out-of-time, in past times, or invisible to most people- The Floating Islands, as well as the sea, are richly developed with their own governments, customs, cultures, and beliefs. This is Earth, but a mythical and magical version of it.
Magic frames the story- While most characters are not magical, mermaids and a sentient ocean are real in this world, setting the stage for the story.
Story line features good vs. evil. Story line also explores ways to discover one’s own potential, magical or otherwise- Although one of the main characters, Florian, is morally grey and a pirate of sorts, it’s clear that Florian and Evelyn are team Good and the Pirates and supporters of Evelyn’s father are Bad. Florian and Evelyn must both discover their own potential in order to survive.
Characters, often attain special magical gifts. Even good characters will find themselves challenged, both physically and ethically. Characters may include mythical creatures as well as more mundane human ones- Characters in this story have or obtain magical gifts by the end but any more detail on this topic would spoil the plot.
Evelyn, Florian, and some of the supporting characters are challenged physically, morally, and emotionally throughout the story and have hurdles to overcome in order to succeed or to help others succeed.
As mentioned above, the ocean is sentient and mermaids are a key element in the story.Books start slowly as the author sets the scene, presents the challenge, and introduces the cast- This book does take a bit of time for the action to get going as readers learn more about the characters and their pasts, which also introduces the world in which the story takes place.
From the stylized language to the use of jargon, language and style run the gamut. Language relates verbal pictures of characters and landscape, and illustrations sometimes enhance both adult and children’s Fantasy- There are no illustrations but chapter 1 kicks off with a map and the book contains lush descriptions that allow readers to imagine the islands visited, the sea, the ship the Dove, as well as all the characters in the book.
These books stress the historical times in which they are set- While the time period is vague, it is clear this book is set in a pre-electricity, pre-colonial Asia and time is taken to describe machines that work by pulleys systems and other elements that set this tale in the past.
3 terms that best describe this book:
Magical
Sweeping fantasy
Heartfelt
Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors
Mermaids: The Myths, Legends & Lore by Skye Alexander- this books explores the history of mermaids, their origins, and lore. Divided into two parts, Alexander first looks at the origins of mermaids and then tours the world examining mermaid lore from the British Isles and Europe to Asia and Africa.
Unruly Places: Lost Spaces, Secret Cities, and Other Inscrutable Geographies by Alastair Bonnett- this book explores historical places with wild histories that have been lost to time. The historical elements and interesting geographies and cultures in The Mermaid, the Witch, and Sea will prepare readers to explore Bonnett’s real-life places with equally interesting pasts.
3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors
Skin of the Sea (first book in a series) by Natasha Bowen - Simidele is a Miami Wata, or mermaid, who rescues the souls of the drowned. Under no circumstances should she save the living, but she does just that when a young man is thrown overboard from a slave ship. To set things right, Simidele must return the human to his home and then journey to the Supreme Creator. Similar to The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea, this story weaves history and African folklore together for a romantic and fantastical adventure.
A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix (Remixed Classics book 1) by C. B. Lee - In this retelling, Xiang dreams of adventure but is kept safe at home until she meets Anh, who discovers that Xiang’s father was part of a group of pirates known as The Dragon Fleet. Together they embark on adventure across the South China Sea as they search for the Head of the Dragon, leader of the pirates.
Mythic Journeys: Retold Myths and Legends (anthology) edited by Paula Guran - An epic journey is at the core of many legends told throughout human history as well as The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea. This book gathers retellings and reimaginings of myths and legends from around the world crafted by some of today’s top fantasy authors including Neil Gaiman and Maria Dhavana Headley.
Reading the Whole Collection
Readers who enjoyed The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea may enjoy the The Girl from the Sea, a graphic novel about a teen, Morgan, who is struggling to find herself after her parents’ divorce. One stormy evening she falls into the sea and is rescued by a quirky selkie she can’t help but fall for.
Readers may also enjoy Tidesong by Wendy Xu. In this graphic novel, Sophie is struggling to learn and control her magic and accidentally traps a sea dragon prince in a human body. She must learn more about her powers, her potential, and the world in order to set things right.
Citations
Characteristics of Fantasy novels taken from
Wyatt, N. and Saricks, J. (2019). The readers' advisory guide to genre fiction. Third edition. ALA Editions.