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thedevilsivy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Water Witch is a wonderfully thrilling tale of adventure, danger, with healthy dollop of angst-filled romance, all wrapped up in rich Breton lore.
We follow the brilliant Dr Ari Walker on a journey back to a place she had thought never to return to, and through a whole heap of grief and heartache. We meet her treasure-hunting brother, Jason, and his team of divers, as they search for evidence of a mythological city rumoured to have been lost beneath the sea. Along the way we gather additional interested parties; Madame du Lac, who has been financing the investigation, her handsome grandson Raphael, and Gwen, the local historian.
The story keeps a reasonable pace as the urgency to find the lost city seems to swell, and the risk to the main characters grows more and more pressing as we learn of a deadly curse that poses a threat to one of the main characters. I particularly enjoyed the way the magic elements of the mythology didn’t clash with the modern setting and technologies in the book. The characters had various levels of scepticism/acceptance, which felt very realistic for a contemporary story. Overall it kept my interest up throughout and was a thoroughly enjoyable story.
I listened to the unabridged audio version of this book and have to say that Helen Keeley’s narration was a perfect complement to the story. Her accent changes for Ari’s Irish lilt, and the various French characters really brought the story alive.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Murder
anapthine's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Thank you Net Galley and Bookouture for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this book was brilliantly written, it certainly was a thrilling fantasy novel. A lot of people said that the excitement drops after about halfway in the book, but I didn’t find that to be the case. The characters were easily lovable and any book about Atlantis is definitely a book I will enjoy.
This novel follows the grief of Ariadne after the death of her fiancé Simon when she has to return to the place where he died and carry on with what he failed to do. Here she unexpectedly finds Rafael who helps her move on and find what she came out to do.
Parts are heartbreaking, exciting and sad, whilst others are you wanting to scream at the characters who seem to go towards danger even though that is clearly not a good idea. This book was so easy to read and Jessica Thorne’s writing style makes me want to read more by this author.
I would recommend this to anyone who loves underwater fantasy, magical realism, thrillers and mysteries - it is such a great book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity, Blood, Alcohol, and War