I have read 2 other Hester Fox books, The Last Heir to Blackwood Library and The Book of Thorns, and enjoyed both very much. Upon reading about the author, I found her background to be remarkably interesting, which helps explain how her writing style developed. Hester Fox comes to writing from a background in the museum field as a collections maintenance technician. This job has taken her from historic houses to fine art museums. She is a keen painter and has a master's degree in historical archaeology, as well as a background in Medieval studies and art history. I like her even more after reading this information!
A Magic Deep and Drowning is a reimagining of The Little Mermaid without Disney! We follow twenty-year-old Clara van Wieren, a woman of privilege whose comfortable existence rests upon foundations more precarious than the cliffs surrounding her family’s home. When a beached whale appears on her family’s estate—an omen her rational mind dismisses—Clara’s ordered world begins its inexorable collapse. The arrival of Maurits, a mysterious young man with sea-green eyes and impossible warmth, catalyzes revelations that will shatter everything Clara believed about her people’s prosperity.
The supernatural elements seep into your mind slowly. The magic feels organic, rooted in Frisian folklore rather than contemporary fantasy conventions. Clara’s discovery that her family’s wealth stems from an ancient bargain—seven hundred children traded for Dutch prosperity—transforms what could have been simple romance into a meditation on complicity and inherited guilt. Clara emerges as a compelling protagonist, a woman caught between worlds in ways both literal and metaphorical. Her transformation from dutiful daughter to someone willing to confront uncomfortable truths feels earned rather than imposed. Fox skillfully navigates Clara’s journey from ignorance to awareness without allowing her to become either a passive victim or an anachronistically modern hero.
A Magic Deep and Drowning succeeds as both entertaining fantasy and thoughtful historical fiction. Fox has crafted a story that honors its fairy tale origins while addressing contemporary concerns about environmental justice and historical accountability. The novel’s flaws—occasional pacing issues and underdeveloped supporting characters—pale beside its considerable achievements.

A Magic Deep and Drowning tells the story of Clara Van Wieren. She doesn’t believe in magic, even though she’s surrounded by proof it might exist. She’s recently engaged to a wealthy merchant and while spending time in the kitchens preparing to run her own household, she meets Maurits. He is enchanting and makes her question everything about the life she knows. Maurits is hiding a pretty big secret and Clara quickly gets wrapped up in things that she only knows from her dreams - or maybe her nightmares.

I thought this was such an interesting take on the story of The Little Mermaid! I loved the setting of the Dutch Golden Age. It was so unique for a historical fantasy. I thought Clara and Maurits’ story was a little too “insta-love” for my taste, but as the story went on I started to believe their connection more. I loved the descriptions of the Old Ones and the way they interact with the world around them. I was especially drawn in by the descriptions of the water folk and thought the part of the story spent underwater was the most compelling. I found the pacing a bit inconsistent at times, but overall I really enjoyed it! Such a whimsical, dark take on a well-known fairytale. And the cover is so beautiful!

One thing that my 2025 reading adventures have taught me is that I don't hesitate anymore with books that are 2 stars. They are okay reads, but they are missing a particular sparkle for me. With A Magic Deep and Drowning, I am very disappointed because Hester Fox has been a consistent 4-star author for me up to this point.


Things I liked:

(1) This is a Little Mermaid retelling. I am always game for an author's take on a popular story. I liked how the author had little "slices" of folk tale information between the novel's chapters.
(2) The story takes place in the Dutch Republic in the 1600s, a period I am not familiar with but which I found was very interesting. But Hester Fox's descriptions made me feel like I time-travelled back to this era.
(3) The water folk people were great. Maurits, his brother, and his mother loved their scenes. Great rivalry dynamic. The conflict they created was great.



Things I didn't like

(1) Clara, I don't have to like all my protagonists, but I couldn't find even something about her that I liked.
(2) When Clara becomes an apprentice to the artist, my interest goes way down.
(3) The love story- snooze.


*Sigh* It left me feeling very disappointed and jaded. But I cannot wait to see what the author writes next because her books are great. However, I wouldn't recommend this one!


Publication Date 24/06/25
Goodreads Review 09/08/25

Sometimes I couldn’t tell you what drew me to a book if you asked. When I saw A Magic Deep and Drowning on NetGalley, where I received review copy, I was intrigued, but I’m not sure why. It might be the setting—the Netherlands in the early seventeenth century—or that it’s a very loose reimagining of The Little Mermaid. Whatever the reason, as I started reading, I deflated: I wasn’t enjoying it. Then … suddenly … I was? Hester Fox slow-rolled me, and literally in the turn of a page I went from “I might DNF” to “I must know how this ends.”

Clara is the daughter of a modest merchant and has led a very sheltered life. When her parents betroth her to another merchant, she is prepared to meekly accept the arrangement, desperate to escape her mother’s abusive reach. Then she meets a mysterious young man, Maurits, who seems to be more than he appears—but who swears he is no good for her. Soon, we learn that Maurits is far more magical than he appears, and Clara’s life changes irrevocably forever.

I didn’t like this book at first because I didn’t understand where the magic was. The first few chapters are mundane and seem to be setting up the love triangle between Clara, her betrothed, and Maurits. It isn’t until a tragedy alters the entire trajectory of Clara’s life that the book metamorphoses into something grander, weirder, and far more fascinating.

Clara is a frustrating protagonist at first because she is rather useless, and a lot of things happen to her. She grew on me, however, and by the end of the book, I really enjoyed her obstinacy and tenacity. I really wish, however, that we had seen more of her painter phase!! It was such a neat little moment, but Fox didn’t allow us to pause and enjoy it much before she thrust Clara back into danger. Fair enough.

I wasn’t as sold on Clara and Maurits’s romance. Similarly, the political machinations underwater felt flaccid and predictable. Maurits spends a lot of his time imprisoned with very little to do.

Overall, A Magic Deep and Drowning is fine, and if you like love-at-first-sight romances or fairytale retellings more than me, you’d probably like this more. But it just didn’t have that spark I need. I kept reading because, after the slow start, Fox’s pacing and penchant for plot twists really worked well for me—and I will give her all the credit for that. I just wish the characters had made the same kind of impact.

DNF at 16%. Pacing was so slow, one page felt like reading fifty with how slow it went. I couldn’t get even a fourth of the way through the book because of how it dragged and didn’t pull me in. Plus the main character’s naivety bored me.

This book was so unique and the magic was so intricate that I was intrigued from the very beginning. I loved reading and listening to the audio!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
4/5 stars
This was so atmospheric and read like an old period novel. The retelling of the little mermaid with some other folklore was enough to make the story unique in its own way. I gotta say, I did not expect some of the things that transpired, and to feel the dark, damp, chilled mood that came through in the writing. I was frustrated with Clara a lot but appreciate her growth throughout.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for providing me an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

There were plenty of elements in this whimsy Little Mermaid retelling that I enjoyed, but ultimately, this didn't live up to my expectations.

I really appreciated the setting and the depictions of the Dutch Golden Age, which we don't get to see that much in English fiction. I thought that the depictions of society, their clothing, and how houses reflected social status were well executed, transporting me to these places successfully.

I also like the fantasy elements. The Old Ones were whimsical and eerie, but their unique magic and societies ultimately made this book a lot more interesting. Since we spend a considerable amount of time underwater with the water folks, their depictions felt the most exciting. I liked how the author described them in all their diversity, some looking more human and others more on the creature side of things. They felt like folk tales come to life in a way that made me feel giddy.

These two aspects of the book deserve the three stars I'm giving it. They single-handedly got the book this rating. The atmosphere is hands down my favorite thing about this book. Because the actual plot, the romance, and the main characters were the letdown.

This is a very action-packed book, and would work best as a duology in my opinion. Too much goes on, and nothing is deepened enough to allow me to connect with the characters nor the romance. I'm not a reader who can just believe two people are in love if there's no yearning. I need that to feel natural because as much as I love a simp, I need to believe they have reason for it.

Clara and Maurits fall deeply in love so quickly, and then we are just meant to believe their yearning, even though there wasn't enough time for it. Clara goes from not trusting him to trusting him several times in the book, and we get no reason as to her change in mood. It felt like the author just wanted to write these beautifully romantic scenes, but didn't know how to craft the buildup.

Finally, the plot felt convoluted. There is a major coup that is rather unexplained. I feel like it was too simple and not believable. Then, the whole revenge plotline that made no sense... I really feel like nothing had time to brew properly, so it wasn't as impactful as it should have been.

Overall, love the lore but didn't care for anything else.

A Magic Deep and Drowning

First my thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC copy of this novel 🫶

I’ve been impatiently waiting for this book ever since I first read Book of Thorns by Hester Fox and found out she was working on a gender bent retelling of The Little Mermaid! I put in my pre-order and then prayed that I could get an ARC to read early.

Needless to say this surpassed all of my expectations— I loved it SO much!

A perfect blend of The Little Mermaid combined with Dutch folklore, this captivated me from the start and I couldn’t put it down. You think you’ve got all the characters figured out? Wrong. You think you know where the plot is headed? You’d be wrong again!

While the romance is seemingly at the forefront of this story, I urge readers to pay attention to what else is going on. We live together with the earth and the other creatures who share this plant. Respect each other. Respect nature. We need to take care of our one and only little blue home floating in space.

Hester's genderbent take on The Little Mermaid felt fresh and original. However, as much as I wanted to love this, it unfortunately fell a bit flat for me—and almost read more like young adult than adult historical fantasy.

My biggest gripe was the romance between Clara and Maurits. They fell in love far too quickly. The book didn’t give them enough time to really know each other or build a believable connection before they were separated. After that, they spent most of the story pining for each other, convinced they were deeply in love—despite sharing, maybe, four conversations total.

Clara’s naivety also grated on me at times. While I can see how her sheltered upbringing played a role, it was frustrating how she constantly assumed the best of Maurits, even though he lied to her every single time they spoke.

The plot was fine and I appreciated the environmental themes tied to the ocean, but I never felt fully immersed in the setting. It could have been any generic historical fantasy world rather than distinctly 17th-century Netherlands.

On a brighter note, Lauren Ezzo did a great job with the narration. I especially enjoyed the distinct voices she gave the characters, particularly the Old Ones.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

You guys! You guys! This may be my favorite read of the year. I LOVED everything about this. So excited to recommend this from the rooftops…and seriously…it might be my favorite of 2025. Time will tell but it sits there now. I loved the climate change discussion. The colonization discussion. Helms. HELMA! My goodness this was a joy ride.

I love how new and different this book is! Dutch folklore is not something I have come across before so I really enjoyed exploring some new non-human characters in a setting that was also new to me. I was also impressed by the underwater world-building. I thought there were a lot of clever touches with how the merfolk lived. As usual for Hester Fox, the romance was strong and Maurits was a great male lead. It was nice watching Clara grow and mature. She seems like she has little substance to begin with, so it’s even more satisfying to watch her grow into a cool, confident woman. Great story!

This was such a fun retelling of “The Little Mermaid”.
I really enjoyed all of the characters and can’t wait to sell it to my customers.
#indigoemployee

A lush and deeply felt retelling of a classic tale that will inspire readers of romantasy and historical fiction lovers alike. With her trademark knack for deeply invested research and her poetic turns of phrase, Fox is at the top of her game.

A retelling of the little mermaid will always be a hit for me. I loved the setting and the atmospheric so much! The actual story missed the mark just a bit, but overall this was a fun story for anyone who like mermaids, historical setting, and romande

A #FabulousFantasy selection for you with 𝑨 𝑴𝑨𝑮𝑰𝑪 𝑫𝑬𝑬𝑷 & 𝑫𝑹𝑶𝑾𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝒃𝒚 𝑯𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑭𝒐𝒙, read by Lauren Ezzo. A big thanks to @htpbooks @htp_hive @htpbooks_audio and @netgalley for access to this title that published June 24th!

This is at its base a Little Mermaid retelling, but it does capture so much more.

I was instantly captured by the 1600's Dutch atmosphere. It felt so perfect for this story and as the author's note shares, there is more folklore included and weaved beautifully within. I was hoping for a bit of a darker tale than the versions on film, and I am happy to have it here, but rest assured it is not as hopeless as the original!

This story follows Clara who is a good girl and seemingly happy with her lot until one day she meets an intriguing fellow who stirs in her something new. He isn't what she thinks, however and his secrets and plans pit Clara in the middle of a long standing struggle for power.

I loved the layers of mystery, fantasy, and a thinly veiled look at climate & colonization. The issues of revenge and generational wrongs are not avoided and I felt they lent itself so well in this tale. This was a great layering of story of which I thoroughly enjoyed.

The audio added much as I perused the pages. I only now wish I had a physical copy, as it is a beautiful book and I would love to share it.

I am escaping to stories a lot lately and what I am consistently encouraged by are the tales of courage and standing up for deeper rights beyond what is just in front of us. I am not hopeless, and stories like this are a balm. And entertaining!

A Magic Deep and Drowning is a gender bend Little Mermaid retelling that centers on characters Clara and Maurits. Clara is a human girl, naive and spoiled, who knows nothing of the magical creatures that exist in her world. She also longs to leave her home where she has a complicated relationship with her parents. Maurits is a mermaid prince who longs for the human world, originally on a mission to capture Clara, they fall in love.

One thing I did not enjoy about this story is how instantly the two characters fall for each other, especially when it comes to Clara's feelings for Maurits. I understand Clara is supposed to come off as young, naive and maybe even slightly desperate but it felt like too much instalove for me. Anytime two characters become infatuated with each other without little context, I can already tell I'm going to dislike the romance. As gorgeous and complex as the author tries to portray Maurits, I still didn't like him as the MMC. He's dishonest and the story ends, still leaving me feeling like I barely know anything about his character. As much as I loved the authors use of magical realism in this novel, I would have appreciated a bit more backstory and world building. I personally would have loved more description during the scenes where she's underwater exploring Maurits world.

While I did enjoy the addition of multiple magical creatures, I did feel that the story suffered from pacing at times and the resolution at the end felt a little rushed. Kudos to the author for discussing environmental issues and the disastrous effects of colonization in her novel, overall I would give this book 3 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and Graydon House Original for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I just couldn’t get into this book the way I wanted to. I’ll try again when I’m in a different reading mood!

A slippery retelling of the fairy tale The Little Mermaid. Clara, a young heiress, meets a handsome fishmonger in the kitchen of her parent's estate. She is immediately attracted to him. Yet every time she encounters him, she catches him in a lie. Despite this she yearns for him, as he does for her.
A richly imagined of the Netherlands at the height of empire. The magical realms of the withering kingdom under the sea are still-lifes of earlier folk tales. The magical creatures have more depth than the lovers which are conventional--even with the male and female roles reversed. The pacing is a slow which might discourage some readers. I received and ARC copy in exchange for this review.

This was a very interesting take on the classic tale of The Little Mermaid that we all know and love. The time in which is was set made for a unique story line and the writing was well done.