A review by hanna_chandler
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

adventurous dark emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I find that a lot of people didn’t enjoy this book due to Florian’s flaws and ways of navigating love and relationships, but I thoroughly enjoyed this aspect. Growing up surrounded by criminals and murderers, I found that he was constantly looking out for himself, committing selfish acts, and making impulsive decisions- but all of these things make perfect sense for the character. While it is not the greatest love story of all time, it is sweet and fast and tender and works well in the story. It is very fast, but it suits the book well. Seeing as both characters come from such a traumatic background and are forced together by circumstance, I think it is only natural for them to fall for eachother as they do. They both desperately need a way out of their currently lives, and that was is in eachother. Sometimes it was difficult to keep track of the characters and system- such as Genevieve, Lady Ayer, and the Pirate Surpeme plot, but overall, I enjoyed this book. I do wish that we got more of the mermaids, as there is only small sprinkles- but I can tell that those small sprinkles are a set up for the next novel; especially given the ending. I will eagerly be waiting for The Siren, The Song, and The Spy!