The Prince and the Sea Witch by A.G. Marshall
Fairytale Retelling. 126 Pages. 5 Stars
Synopsis:
All mermaids long for the magic of a human soul. Only Briony isn’t willing to drown sailors to get it.
She makes potions instead, earning a reputation as a witch and becoming a social outcast. When a little mermaid asks for a potion that can reunite her with the human she loves, Briony reluctantly agrees. But there is more to the mermaid’s plan than a quest for love. The more Briony interacts with the human prince the mermaid wants to claim, the more she suspects that he never loved the little mermaid at all.
Discover a retelling that turns the classic fairytale inside out and upside down. Where mermaids lure men to their deaths with siren songs and the sea witch will be the hero if she survives the final battle.
The Prince and the Sea Witch is one of twelve short novels in A Villain’s Ever After, a collection of standalone stories featuring villainous twists on some of your favorite classic fairytales. Read the series in any order for magical adventures . . . and fall in love with villains as you’ve never seen them before. Who said villains can’t have happily-ever-afters?
My Review:
I’ve been looking forward to reading this one since it came out! And I finally made it!
A.G. Marshall’s work has impressed me in the past, so I had high expectations for this one. And I think it tied for my favorite of the series so far. First off, have you seen the cover?!
I’m a sucker for a good Little Mermaid story, and this one was cute. I liked the unique little elements to the world, like the color of mermaid blood. But even more than that, I loved the clever, yet distinct nods to the original. From the silver mermaid hair and the way the magic worked for mermaids–and the way Briony chose to use magic in her bottled potions–to the pain in the mermaid’s feet and the removal of the mermaid’s tongue. The way she incorporated souls and the longing to be human and yet somehow twisted that around for the traditional villain’s perspective was very satisfying. Each nod had a unique twist, a Marshall flare, and yet was so satisfyingly pointing back to the story many of us know and love. She handled the fairy tale elements so well!
And I honestly really loved how she fulfilled the series theme of giving the villains a perspective, a happily ever after. She somehow managed to balance the beloved Little Mermaid storyline while giving a whole new light to the sea witch, the mermaid friends, and even the little mermaid herself. It was really cool to see what she did with the plot. And unlike so many novellas, the pacing was actually pretty well-done. Marshall has mastered both the novel-length story and the pacing and pinch points of a shorter story and novella. It’s nice because the story wasn’t disrupted by the uneven balance of world building, story plot, or even character development.
As for the world and characters, they were fun! Honestly, I’d love to see Marshall expand this one day into a full length novel! I really liked the prince and Briony. And the kingdom was fun to explore. The story really felt like a peek into a world where there are so many more stories to tell!
Fantastic job! Love this one so much!! Only one left to go!
Content: no foul language, some mild fantasy violence, and a sweet, clean romance. Gentle themes of exploring power and moral ethics. I’d recommend this one for early teens.
More:
A Villain’s Ever After Book 1 is The Beast and the Enchantress (3 Stars)
Book 2 is The Sultan and the Storyteller (4 Stars)
Book 3 is Bluebeard and the Outlaw (5 Stars)
Book 4 is The Stepsister and the Slipper (4 Stars)
Book 5 is The Goblin and the Dancer (4 Stars)
Book 6 is Hansel and the Gingerbread Queen (5 Stars)
Book 7 is The Dark King and the Eternal Dance (4 Stars)
Book 8 is Gothel and the Maiden Prince (4 Stars)
Book 9 is The Sorcerer and the Swan Princess (3 Stars)
Book 10 is The Baker and the Wolf (4 Stars)
Book 11 is The Prince and the Sea Witch (5 Stars)
Book 12 is Carabosse and the Spindle Spell (5 Stars)
Check out Goodreads for the full reviews and more info on each story. These are standalone and do not need to be read in order.
On GraceBought
If you missed my thoughts on the previous books in the series, check them out below!
The Beast and the Enchantress, The Sultan and the Storyteller, Bluebeard and the Outlaw, The Stepsister and the Slipper, The Goblin and the Dancer, Hansel and the Gingerbread Queen, The Dark King and the Eternal Dance, Gothel and the Maiden Prince, The Sorcerer and the Swan Princess, and The Baker and the Wolf