A review by thedevilsivy
The Water Witch by Jessica Thorne

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. 

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