05/28/2018
Deftly transforming a fairy tale into a richly layered exploration of culture and relationships, Henning tells the origin story of the Sea Witch from Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid.” Sixteen-year-old Evie is a child of Havnestad, a Danish fishing town, and of the sea, but she also possesses a dark secret that could see her killed by her own people. After the death of their mutual best friend, Anna, Evie and the crown prince, Nik, forge a friendship, which is tested daily by public judgment as well as their private pain from the loss of Anna. Evie finds welcome escape from her grief with Iker, Nik’s cousin, a crown prince in his own right and the young man who has captured her heart. Then Annemette, a mysterious young woman, arrives in the kingdom and quickly fills the role that Anna previously held in Evie and Nik’s lives. Exquisitely detailed examinations of Danish seaside traditions lend gravitas to a debut novel rooted in the sea and its mercurial moods. A focus on Evie’s internal monologue and romantic attachments unfortunately overshadows the subtly nuanced explorations of magic and its uses, but readers who persevere will be rewarded with richly woven threads of fairy tale allusions and a surprising ending. Ages 13–up. Agent: Rachel Ekstrom, Folio Literary Management. (July)
“This book reminded me of the magic inherently present in the best kinds of stories. Mystery and wonder abounds in SEA WITCH, and I fell in love with Evie’s sharpness and her strong sense of self. Prepare to be lost in these pages for hours on end.” — Renée Adieh, #1 New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of The Wrath and The Dawn
“Henning’s dive into Little Mermaid lore is equal parts dark and tantalizing. Like the sea it sings of, this story has a strong pull. I found myself unable to set it down!” — Ryan Graudin, award-winning author of Wolf by Wolf
“All hail a new Queen of the Sea! Mystery, romance and revenge sweep you in—and there is magic on every page.” — Danielle Paige, New York Times bestselling author of Dorothy Must Die
“Deftly transforming a fairy tale into a richly layered exploration of culture and relationships, Henning tells the origin story of the Sea Witch from Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Little Mermaid.’” — Publishers Weekly
“Readers who gobble up every watery paranormal story will certainly enjoy this angst-drenched tale of forbidden love.” — Kirkus Reviews
“This enjoyable read will entertain and be a great fit for collections where fairy-tale retellings are popular.” — School Library Journal
“This spin on “The Little Mermaid” is full of plot twists and heart-in-throat action.Fans of twisted fairy tales will find plenty to love.” — ALA Booklist
This book reminded me of the magic inherently present in the best kinds of stories. Mystery and wonder abounds in SEA WITCH, and I fell in love with Evie’s sharpness and her strong sense of self. Prepare to be lost in these pages for hours on end.
This spin on “The Little Mermaid” is full of plot twists and heart-in-throat action.Fans of twisted fairy tales will find plenty to love.
Henning’s dive into Little Mermaid lore is equal parts dark and tantalizing. Like the sea it sings of, this story has a strong pull. I found myself unable to set it down!
All hail a new Queen of the Sea! Mystery, romance and revenge sweep you in—and there is magic on every page.
05/01/2018
Gr 7 Up—This prequel to "The Little Mermaid" opens with a prologue in which two girls and a boy are playing and tragedy strikes. Years later, the story continues with Evie, who is secretly a witch, and her best friend Crown Prince Nik, who is celebrating his 16th birthday with an extravagant party aboard a ship. A storm brews, and Nik is thrown overboard and almost dies; but he is saved by someone with a beautiful singing voice. Flashbacks show readers that the duo was once a trio. Anna, the third friend, had tragically drowned four years earlier, and her body was never recovered. Evie meets a mysterious girl who showed up on shore, who looks and sounds like Anna but calls herself Annemette. This young woman is a mermaid, was responsible for saving Nik from drowning, and insists that she is not Anna. She is able to take on human form for four days and can live as a human forever if she secures true love's kiss in this time. Evie vows to help and keep her secret, and Annemette will keep Evie's magic powers a secret, as well. It will become apparent to readers where the characters' hearts' desires are pointing them, especially as big twists play out. Some Norse terminology and mythology are interwoven and help create a vivid setting. The ending feels a bit rushed and the closing action happens quickly, but romance and fantasy fans won't mind. VERDICT This enjoyable read will entertain and be a great fit for collections where fairy-tale retellings are popular.—Megan Huenemann, Norris High School, Firth, NE
Narrator Billie Fulford-Brown uses perfect pacing to tell the dramatic tale of Evie, best friend of Prince Niklas, heir to the throne of Havnestad. When a young mermaid mysteriously arrives on the scene and must win the prince’s love in order to remain in human form, Evie steps in to help her. As the story progresses, Fulford-Brown creates a high-pitched voice for the young mermaid that perfectly captures her curious and alluring nature. Listeners will be charmed by this new chapter in Hans Christian Andersen's “Little Mermaid,” which focuses on how one of the most mystifying creatures from the deep, the sea witch, comes to be. M.D. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Narrator Billie Fulford-Brown uses perfect pacing to tell the dramatic tale of Evie, best friend of Prince Niklas, heir to the throne of Havnestad. When a young mermaid mysteriously arrives on the scene and must win the prince’s love in order to remain in human form, Evie steps in to help her. As the story progresses, Fulford-Brown creates a high-pitched voice for the young mermaid that perfectly captures her curious and alluring nature. Listeners will be charmed by this new chapter in Hans Christian Andersen's “Little Mermaid,” which focuses on how one of the most mystifying creatures from the deep, the sea witch, comes to be. M.D. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
2018-04-30
A retelling of "The Little Mermaid" from the point of view of the other woman.Evie's a fisherman's daughter, a secret witch, and the best friend of Crown Prince Asger Niklas Bryniulf Øldenburg III of the Kingdom of Havnestad—just plain Nik to her. Her world is an alternate 19th-century Denmark, in a tiny kingdom composed of a single fishing village, where she's a black-haired, half-Italian girl among the mostly blond Danes. Four years ago, Nik and Evie lost their beloved friend Anna to the ocean. Now—his royalty, her poverty, and the disapproval of Havnestad notwithstanding—they continue their friendship as they teeter on the cusp of adulthood. When Nik nearly drowns, he's rescued by a girl who looks just like Anna, but he's unconscious; only Evie sees the girl. Is the rescuer a mermaid? And is she the same person as Annemette, the lovely blonde who suddenly appears in town as if from nowhere? Regardless, Annemette and Evie become the dearest of friends almost immediately. Foreboding warnings about crossing class boundaries and burning witches foreshadow a dark and unexpected twist at novel's climax. Overly stylized prose, especially in the occasional third-person perspective chapters, slow the action with their forced poetic style.Readers who gobble up every watery paranormal story will certainly enjoy this angst-drenched tale of forbidden love, but everyone else should stay on dry land. (Fantasy. 12-15)
