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pages_with_a_preoccupied_prin's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
alliesrecentreads's review against another edition
5.0
Full of suspense, folklore and magic, The Water Witch is not a book you'll want to miss. I absolutely adored this story from page one. It is beautifully written and gripping in a way that made it impossible to put down. I read the entire thing in one evening.
Ariadne begrudgingly returns to Brittany, France to assist her brother with his quest to uncover the lost underwater city of Ys. Ari swore she'd never return after she lost her fiancé to the sea as part of the very same expedition but when her brother called and begged, she couldn't resist.
Rafael has found himself back home to care for his aunt, who holds onto the stories about Ys with a passion. He does not know how to handle his aunt's insistence that Ys be found because the stories cannot possibly be real - or can they?
Ari was a well written character with whom I really connected. I found her to be relatable and felt each and every one of her emotions right along with her as she confronted her part and tried to figure out how to move forward. Her brother and his best friend, Jason and Nico were great supporting characters who truly added to the story. Rafael, too, was well-written and full of unexpected depth. I found myself loving him a bit more with each and every layer that was peeled back to reveal his deepest desires and character.
Check out the Water Witch if you are a fan of any of the following:
- Vengeful witches
- Magical realism
- Love after loss
- Found family
- Costal French towns
- Lyrical prose full of lore
- Treasure hunting
- Light academia
- Lost cities
- Family drama
- Suspense-filled stories
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Ariadne begrudgingly returns to Brittany, France to assist her brother with his quest to uncover the lost underwater city of Ys. Ari swore she'd never return after she lost her fiancé to the sea as part of the very same expedition but when her brother called and begged, she couldn't resist.
Rafael has found himself back home to care for his aunt, who holds onto the stories about Ys with a passion. He does not know how to handle his aunt's insistence that Ys be found because the stories cannot possibly be real - or can they?
Ari was a well written character with whom I really connected. I found her to be relatable and felt each and every one of her emotions right along with her as she confronted her part and tried to figure out how to move forward. Her brother and his best friend, Jason and Nico were great supporting characters who truly added to the story. Rafael, too, was well-written and full of unexpected depth. I found myself loving him a bit more with each and every layer that was peeled back to reveal his deepest desires and character.
Check out the Water Witch if you are a fan of any of the following:
- Vengeful witches
- Magical realism
- Love after loss
- Found family
- Costal French towns
- Lyrical prose full of lore
- Treasure hunting
- Light academia
- Lost cities
- Family drama
- Suspense-filled stories
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
readergurl59's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
oneanjana's review against another edition
4.0
Devoured this in just two days. It’s fast-paced, utterly enchanting and unputdownable. The Water Witch is a book that has many elements inside, and the fusion is working perfectly. The book explores themes of treasure hunt to find a lost city with many spices as cursed family stories, folklore, romance, and historical mystery.
First of all, hands down, for the melancholy French coastal setting and also the folklore/mythology part! It’s beautifully described, and they have many historical landmarks with magical-sounding names. The best part about the folklore part is: most of them inspired by real folklore. Such as Ankou, the servant of death, is a Breton, Cornish, Welsh and Norman French folklore. Some place mentioned such as Ile Tristan is also real.
The story told from 2 POVs, Ariadne (Ari) and Rafael. I love Ariadne the most. She is smart, sassy, and works in details. Every scene when Ari immersed with her work and investigation was fascinating to read. Like Jason (Ari’s brother) said about her: “She follow the breadcrumbs left in place names and stories.” It's not that I didn't love Rafael, but there are times when his personality can be contradicted. Yet, I can’t lie that I enjoy their chemistry and their character development.
Although I enjoyed Ari and Rafael's chemistry, I'm not a fan of the romantic part. Ari is mostly in her sad state, grieving for the dead fiancée. Often their relationship feels stagnant, I can't see whether their romance will go well or not. But then, at some point, suddenly it escalated quickly. Another downside, at least for me, is the identity of The Witch herself can be guessed easily from the start. In other words, a less revealing surprise. Some description of Rafael’s family tree was also quite difficult to understand.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and highly recommended if you like reading folklore/mythology, treasure hunt, and French coastal waves.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
First of all, hands down, for the melancholy French coastal setting and also the folklore/mythology part! It’s beautifully described, and they have many historical landmarks with magical-sounding names. The best part about the folklore part is: most of them inspired by real folklore. Such as Ankou, the servant of death, is a Breton, Cornish, Welsh and Norman French folklore. Some place mentioned such as Ile Tristan is also real.
The story told from 2 POVs, Ariadne (Ari) and Rafael. I love Ariadne the most. She is smart, sassy, and works in details. Every scene when Ari immersed with her work and investigation was fascinating to read. Like Jason (Ari’s brother) said about her: “She follow the breadcrumbs left in place names and stories.” It's not that I didn't love Rafael, but there are times when his personality can be contradicted. Yet, I can’t lie that I enjoy their chemistry and their character development.
Although I enjoyed Ari and Rafael's chemistry, I'm not a fan of the romantic part. Ari is mostly in her sad state, grieving for the dead fiancée. Often their relationship feels stagnant, I can't see whether their romance will go well or not. But then, at some point, suddenly it escalated quickly. Another downside, at least for me, is the identity of The Witch herself can be guessed easily from the start. In other words, a less revealing surprise. Some description of Rafael’s family tree was also quite difficult to understand.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and highly recommended if you like reading folklore/mythology, treasure hunt, and French coastal waves.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
jesserbessers's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.0
tleigh206's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.
An interesting and unique read! The setting was beautiful and well-described, and I became invested in the lives of the characters. I would highly recommend for anyone wanting a romance with a thrilling, fantasy feel!
An interesting and unique read! The setting was beautiful and well-described, and I became invested in the lives of the characters. I would highly recommend for anyone wanting a romance with a thrilling, fantasy feel!
sonyayx's review against another edition
3.0
The Water Witch was a cute story about love, mysteries, and the supernatural. The folklore element together with the setting in France brings a unique and comforting vibe. I liked the narrator and the story was pretty easy to follow. If you feel like going on an action-filled treasure hunt in Europe, with a splash of romance and ancient curses, this book is for you!
brandyk13's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bolttasreads's review against another edition
4.0
The water witch by Jess Thorne
Publication date 5th August 2022
Brittany, France. Ariadne Walker’s fiancé Simon drowned in the stormy Atlantic Ocean doing what he loved: searching for the lost underwater city of Ys. Local legend says it was destroyed centuries ago when the princess of Ys became a water witch, cursing the name of the man who betrayed her.
What would you do if love of your life dies when looking for city that is actually underwater? What if your brother is still looking for it? And there is this man, who believes that he is cursed and you are his only chance to live?
Book started as a slow read, but as soon as I got more into it I couldn’t stop reading it and put it away. All story is so perfectly written that when you read you see it all visually in your mind, thinking “did I just watched it or read it” I could definitely see it as a movie or series !!!
The Water Witch is mystery combined with fantasy, slow burn romance between Ari and Rafael even though their love interest isn’t fully open and explored.
Jessica Thorne wrote this book as retelling of one of The Brittany, France folklore stories and I loved how it turned out.
The only thing that turned my 5 starts to 4 - loads of French words and names that I had no clue what they meant.
Over all, good and enjoyable read, would definitely recommend to those who loves fantasy, mystery and maybe a little bit of detective type of books !
Thank you NetGalley for this arc and opportunity to read this beautiful work!!
I voluntarily read and reviewed copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Publication date 5th August 2022
Brittany, France. Ariadne Walker’s fiancé Simon drowned in the stormy Atlantic Ocean doing what he loved: searching for the lost underwater city of Ys. Local legend says it was destroyed centuries ago when the princess of Ys became a water witch, cursing the name of the man who betrayed her.
What would you do if love of your life dies when looking for city that is actually underwater? What if your brother is still looking for it? And there is this man, who believes that he is cursed and you are his only chance to live?
Book started as a slow read, but as soon as I got more into it I couldn’t stop reading it and put it away. All story is so perfectly written that when you read you see it all visually in your mind, thinking “did I just watched it or read it” I could definitely see it as a movie or series !!!
The Water Witch is mystery combined with fantasy, slow burn romance between Ari and Rafael even though their love interest isn’t fully open and explored.
Jessica Thorne wrote this book as retelling of one of The Brittany, France folklore stories and I loved how it turned out.
The only thing that turned my 5 starts to 4 - loads of French words and names that I had no clue what they meant.
Over all, good and enjoyable read, would definitely recommend to those who loves fantasy, mystery and maybe a little bit of detective type of books !
Thank you NetGalley for this arc and opportunity to read this beautiful work!!
I voluntarily read and reviewed copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.