A review by alliesrecentreads
The Water Witch by Jessica Thorne

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.