The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea

Plot Summary

Evelyn and Florian are different in many ways. Evelyn was raised in luxury as an Imperial from a well-known family within the Emperor's circle, while Florian, born Flora, was raised on the streets of the capital with only her brother to look out for her, turning to piracy and hiding as a man to survive. But both of them are dissatisfied with their lives, tired of others dictating their lives, and forced onto the sea. When they meet on The Dove, they fall in love, both free spirits trapped by circumstance. Together they escape with a mermaid in tow, navigating the trails of the sea. 

Critical Evaluation

Based on the cover and the summary of the book, I expected The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea to be a grand adventure in an expansive and complicated world that centers on a heart-wrenching sapphic romance, and I was right about one of those three. The book instead was a simple cozy adventure filled with moments of suspense and violence, but those tended to fade away among the fascinating magic and the personalities of the three main characters. Once I reconfigured my perspective, I huddled down and enjoyed this romp on the seas. 

My favorite part of this story was easily the magic system created by Tokuda-Hall. The magic is centered around stories. Mermaids are the vessels of the Sea’s stories, so when they are taken, the Sea loses her memories and is furious. When sailors then drink the blood of the mermaids, they hallucinate and see the memories that their blood contains, forgetting their own in the process. It’s a wonderful metaphor for how memory is living and changing, and the destruction that can be wrought when it is lost. Memories and stories are also how life is bestowed on all things. In this world, rocks will share their stories of how they came to be with those who share their own stories. Memories are stored in our bodies to be conjured as stories. And it’s through telling objects and people stories that their future and fate can be changed, thereby enacting magic. It’s so beautiful and clever, and it makes the magic system feel tangible. 

I was disappointed in how the story ended. It felt too much like a happily ever after for the tone that the book seemed to be reaching for. For a world with colonization, imperialism, genocide, and many many deaths, the ending felt out of place, even if it was sweet. In contrast, I was impressed by the book’s discussion of gender. By the end, Flora was not just disguised as Florian, but she was both Flora and Florian. I’ve never seen a bigender person being depicted before, let alone so naturally and delicately within the story. I also love that the Pirate Supreme is nonbinary, and their identity just adds to their power and mystique. Overall, the story was enjoyable. It wasn’t the beginning of a new epic fantasy like I was expecting, but it told a beautiful and well-contained tale. I’m not sure how it is continued in the sequel, but I would be interested in finding out!

Creative Use for a Library Program 

Given the importance of rocks in Flora’s magic training, I would enjoy creating a rock-centered program. Some options would include:

• Rock painting

• Rock collecting

• Rock identification 

• Crystal identification/information– either geologically or witchilly 

People have a fascination with rocks, and I’m sure that there are teens who would like to share that interest.

Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation

This book includes mentions of sexual abuse and assault, shows violence and underage drinking, and stars a cast of queer people. Of these, I feel that the queer representation is the most likely to be challenged, particularly since the main romance is of a sapphic couple where one of the characters is bigender. There are already plenty of people who already view being trans-binary as a mental illness, and that doesn’t even touch the beginning of the complexities of gender. Florian’s gender journey is complicated, complex, and depicted within the book. The narrative explains his gender in a way that is carefully considered (it heavily relies on the concepts of memory, story, and experience in building an identity, which fits in beautifully with the rest of the book’s themes). But I’m sure that it is a reason for this book to be challenged. The reality is, however, that bigender people truly exist and deserve to have representation. Clearly, Flora is loved for being herself by those she cares about, and that is something that people should see.

Reason for Inclusion 

Maggie Tokuda-Hall came to our library last year to promote her children’s book Love in the Library. I wasn’t fortunate enough to meet her, but her name stood out to me when I saw The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea. Between the cover and the promise of a pirate story, I was hooked and ready to read. The story ended up being a fun little adventure filled with beautiful magic and wonderful gender representation. I think it would be something that teenage fantasy readers would enjoy.