The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea

By: Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Narrated by: Kate Rudd

In a world divided by colonialism and threaded with magic, a desperate orphan turned pirate and a rebellious imperial lady find a connection on the high seas.

Aboard the pirate ship Dove, Flora the girl takes on the identity of Florian the man to earn the respect and protection of the crew. For Flora, former starving urchin, the brutal life of a pirate is about survival: don't trust, don't stick out, and don't feel. But on this voyage, Flora is drawn to the Lady Evelyn Hasegawa, who is headed to an arranged marriage she dreads. Flora doesn't expect to be taken under Evelyn's wing, and Evelyn doesn't expect to find such a deep bond with the pirate Florian. Neither expects to fall in love.

Soon the unlikely pair set in motion a wild escape that will free a captured mermaid (coveted for her blood) and involve the mysterious Pirate Supreme, an opportunistic witch, double agents, and the all-encompassing Sea herself.

Deftly entwining swashbuckling action and quiet magic, Maggie Tokuda-Hall's inventive debut novel conjures a diverse cast of characters seeking mastery over their fates while searching for answers to big questions about identity, power, and love.

©2020 Maggie Tokuda-Hall, original book published by Walker Books US, a division of Candlewick Press. (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Tokuda-Hall infuses this adventure with fantastical word play and [Kate] Rudd is the perfect match as the storyteller. The story is almost melodic in nature and that rings true with Rudd’s sing-song tone, varied character voicing, and matched pacing." —Booklist

"Narrator Kate Rudd creates unique voices for mysterious mermaids, powerful witches, and evil pirates in this fantasy adventure.… Rudd imbues her narration with a creepy menace when voicing the villains and brings the courage--and doubts--of both heroines to life. Her lilting voice is rich with the magic of stories and the rhythm of the sea. This audiobook will please listeners looking for a queer love story that celebrates female power and the diversity of gender expression." —AudioFile Magazine

All around fantastic!

Transgender friendly. Gender variant protag. NB representation. Very good story. No byg. Happy ending. tw: csa

Magical mermaid story!

I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this mermaid tale/tail! It kept me hooked through out it all. Loved the reader. The story had depth, mystery, great characters and an important message through it all. Highly recommended!

So much potential

I wish I could give this book 5 stars. The characters and story deserve that and more. I fell quickly in love with the world and ideas being explored here and happily lost myself in the experience, without even a pause. Sadly I felt the final few chapters felt rushed and overstuffed. When I realized I was on the final hour I had no idea how the author might tie up all the plot threads. the answer was all at once in a rapid fire way. I don't want to spoil what exactly happens since I still feel like this book is more than worth picking up. But I really think the author needed to either cut some elements down or possibly just write a longer conclusion to give things breathing room.
The narrator did an excellent job. particularly on the main two characters, I felt that each was distinct and recognizable without being overplayed or distracting.

pirate love story

a delightfully bloody and beautiful love story of the sea. Flora/Florian are a rivetting protagonist whose internal journey is as powerful as the sea.

10 out of 10. Highly recommend

Diverse queer characters, pirates, witches, and mermaids!! And beautifully written!! I finished this story in a day and was left immediately in need of a sequel which takes place in this world.

Wow

Wow, just wow. If I were someone who cried at stories I would be in tears rn. The ending really is amazing.

book of the year, no competition!

I was a bit skeptical starting this one, it was a little outside my normal genre but I kept hearing good things and since it was on the list of recommended books during the trans-read-athon, I gave in and started. when I say this book is so good, I mean that my vocabulary is limited and words cannot express how much I enjoyed this story. The interludes added to the overall enchanting experience. the love story was consuming. the elements of magic and the sea was delicious. It all came together beautifully. I normally go for get spicy, smutty stuff, but none of that was needed with a story as deep and beautiful as this one. And for the cherry on top, the narrator did such a spectacular job with the feel and voices of the story. I really hope you all win awards for this masterpiece.

Just enough adventure

I really enjoyed this! The performance was great, reader did awesome with the voices. I feel like this is a book for ppl who kinda want to”cozy” reads but STILL want adventure. I do feel like the author had lots of cool ideas and I would’ve been happy to listen to a longer book so they could explore them all to the full extent, as some did feel shortened (thus my 4 not 5). But still a compliment if I’m left wanting more, right?

The Beauty and Hope Needed in 2020

As a queer genderqueer person who loves swashbuckling adventures and is could always use more hope and alternate visions for the world I cannot recommend this book enough.

I love everything about this book. ❤

I listened to the audio book while working in the studio.

This book was more than I expected and delivered everything I hope for within a fantasy story full of witches, mermaids, women-loving women, and non-binary folk.

More than that, it is written so beautifully with such poetic prose.

Upon finishing, I promptly ordered a hardcopy of the book to add to my collection and revisit as I see fit.