I will be honest that I did not read the summary or blurb before picking up this book, I've read Hester Fox before and trusted she would present a well written story. I was pleasantly surprised this evolved into a retelling/ reimagining of The Little Mermaid and was uniquely different from ones I've run across in the past.

Clara is the daughter of a well-to-do family and seems fairly content with her life. Though she feels her parents do not love her much, she is happy enough to join into the arranged marriage they have in mind for her with a wealthy merchant family. Once they inform her of the upcoming wedding, she takes it in her mind to start learning what it means to keep a house and starts helping in the kitchen. One day, she is trying to make bread when a mysterious man comes to drop off some fish but Clara is instantly drawn to him. In secret she starts trying to meet with him and even sneaking a kiss with him. We learn he is also drawn to her and there are secrets swirling around why he seems to be near her.

So much happens in the first half of the book but I do not want to spoil the second half but it is certainly a good book. I am so glad I picked it up. I think Clara is a strong character though a bit naive. I suppose that is to be expected from a character who has lived a sheltered and privileged life. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a new twist on an old story.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Graydon House. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Fantasy, Mythology, Fairy Tale Retelling, Little Mermaid Retelling, Historical Fantasy, Romantasy
Spice Level: Kissing on the page

A MAGIC DEEP AND DROWNING twists the Little Mermaid into a darker tale of power dynamics.

I enjoyed this book and wondered where it would go next. That's always a good sign that it's twisting in way I didn't expect.

Clare is innocent (naive) but when she is confronted with the consequences of living a privileged life, she is willing to see things in a new way and learn. This theme resonates with current trends in society.

There is death, deception, love, suffering, and lies in this book. It's very much a good against evil story.

The Dutch setting is a lovely backdrop for the story, and I loved the tie to painting.

I think fantasy and fairy tale lovers will want to drown in this book.

Happy reading!

“A Magic Deep and Drowning” by Hester Fox is a fairy tale retelling with a twist. It’s inspired by The Little Mermaid, but set during the Dutch Republic’s Golden Age. The setting felt unique, and I liked how it leaned into Dutch folklore. Clara, the main character, has grown up surrounded by these stories, and just as she’s about to get married, her life is turned upside down after a strange encounter. From that point on, things take a darker, more dangerous turn.

What stood out to me most was the magical realism throughout the book. The fantasy elements and world-building were done really well, and I appreciated how the story wove in themes like colonialism, climate change, and environmental responsibility without it feeling forced. It added depth without taking away from the story.

That said, I did get a little frustrated with Clara at times. Her constant inner turmoil made some parts feel repetitive, and the back-and-forth wore on me. While there’s character growth overall, the romance didn’t fully land for me. It felt a bit flat and hard to root for.

Still, if you’re into fairy tale retellings with rich atmosphere and a bit of a darker edge, this book might be worth picking up.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, The Hive and Graydon House for the copy.

A Magic Deep and Drowning is a historical fantasy that combines an important story about proper stewardship of the environment with Dutch folklore and a genderbent Little Mermaid rethinking. This was a reflective and enjoyable read that managed to include the best parts of everything it drew from to tell the story.

For a story about mystical Old Ones under the water, and interstitial chapters detailing the folk creatures of the area, this book stays remarkably grounded in the real world and in real world issues. I felt like the author did a lot of research to flesh out the family structure, economics, and climate issues of the Dutch Golden Age (which, to be fair, I do not know a lot about). I requested this ARC because genderbent Little Mermaid retelling sounded like something I would enjoy, and as much as this book was that, it felt deeper and more meaningful that my expectations gave it credit for. The main character starts the story realistically immature and selfish, looking to escape her parents in a way that feels very normal for her age group. Her initial attraction to the main male character is given room and time to grow, which keeps the story from feeling too insta-love. I also felt like the author did a really good job of addressing the main character’s trauma from her childhood and using her fears to help her become a more capable person with her own agency who sees that the world is much more wonderful and valuable than she originally new.

Other fans of retold fairy tales or historical fantasy will absolutely enjoy this book. It was an excellent example of both genres and I am so thankful for the chance to have read it as an ARC.

A Magic Deep and Drowning by Hester Fox
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

From the get-go, I was into it. We follow Clara, and honestly… she’s been through a lot. Even though she comes from wealth and a stable home, there’s this constant awareness that her parents never really loved her. The “discipline” she experienced growing up definitely crosses the line into abuse, and now she’s just trying to find a way out, freedom, even if it means marrying someone she barely knows. She ends up engaged to Hendrix Meener Edena, someone who can offer security, which feels like more than she’s ever had. But the whaling? The sea? Everyone knows there’s something dangerous lurking there.

I have such a soft spot for anything ocean-related, real or mythical and this book played right into that. The sea lore, the magic, the eerie mystery of it all… I was all in. The way the author took familiar pieces of undersea myth and made them her own had me hooked. If you’re into The Little Mermaid but crave something darker and with a twist, this is it.

I’ve been reading slower this year, but this one pulled me in like a siren’s song (see what I did there 😏). I flew through it. It gave me that haunted, curious feeling that keeps pulling you in page after page

Big thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Hester Fox for giving me the chance to read this early. I’m so glad I picked this one up.

3.5 stars

This is a gender-swapped reimagining of The Little Mermaid, with more political undertone, environmental themes, and old-world magic. It’s not strictly a romance.

The premise is about Clara, a privileged young woman on the brink of an arranged marriage, who crosses paths with the mysterious Maurits and begins to unravel not only his true identity, but her own place in a world much bigger and darker than she imagined.

I loved the aesthetic, all the folklore, and the vibe of something ancient lurking just offshore. It’s not only a romance - it’s a story about power, corruption, and how easy it is to look away until the sea starts swallowing everything. I also liked the moral grayness incorporated throughout the story.

Where it fell short for me was parts of the execution. The romance felt rushed (insta-love, never my fav) and I never fully bought into the connection between Clara and Maurits. Their relationship lacked the emotional build-up I wanted, which made their love feel unearned. If you’re reading for the fantasy aspect and not the romance, then this may not bother you. I also felt like it shifted from more romance to more political, and I would’ve liked it to be both, just better interwoven.

Still, the writing is rich and atmospheric, and the concept is compelling enough to pick up the book. If you’re drawn to historical fantasy with a gothic sort of tone, this one is worth a read.

It’s book review time! This month, I decided to go with a fairytale retelling of the Little Mermaid (one of my favorite fairytales), though it’s more rooted in Disney than Hans Christian Andersen, which is fine. I like both. Anyway, A Magic Deep and Drowning by Hester Fox was released yesterday (the 24th) from Graydon House (part of HarperCollins). As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s get to it!

A Magic Deep and Drowning follows Clara, a young woman from a well to do family who wants nothing more than to escape her cold, abusive parents. An arranged marriage offers that escape, but the appearance of a mysterious and attractive young man has her questioning everything. Throw in a flood and tensions between beings of the land and the kingdom of the sea and Clara gets thrown into the middle of a deal gone wrong. The problem… she’s the last sacrifice needed to fulfill the deal her ancestors made. How can she save herself and her homeland?

So, the plot is great with a lot of potential. My biggest issue with this book is that Clara is presented as the protagonist. The heroine. But she never actually does anything aside from pine for some dude that she’s known a whole hour. Love at first sight, I know. It’s a fairytale. Fine. But every time she says she’s going to do something or every time she has to make a difficult decision, someone or something else does it for her. Don’t want to sleep with your new husband? Magical flood! And it just keeps going from there. She gets herself into trouble and is saved every time. Even when she specifically says she’s going to do something to help herself be the hero, everyone else jumps in to fix it for her. It’s annoying and super unsatisfying. Like… let her do the thing! But no. The damsel can’t do anything. Ugh.

The characters are fine in the beginning, but become annoying about halfway through the book. I think if Maurits and Helma had actually let Clara do something for herself, I would’ve liked them a lot better. I definitely would’ve liked Clara better. She was decent, but she wasn’t allowed to actually grow despite what the narration says. The sea queen was probably the most interesting character. She was powerful, but flawed. I’m still not entirely sure how Thade did what he did while the queen just kind of let it happen. The whole “he honed his powers so much that he could do it” thing is not convincing at all given her powers. But yeah. Most of the characters had potential that wasn’t really brought to fruition.

A random thing that bothers me: the author’s note. You know how sometimes an author will leave a little note explaining something about the book or the research or whatever? There’s one of those. It starts off talking about the mythology used in the book, which is awesome because it’s a subject I’m interested in. Then the note goes on to explain what the book is supposed to be about. An allegory for climate change? You don’t say. I always find notes like that condescending and/or desperate. Either the writer doesn’t trust the reader to be smart enough to “get it” or they don’t trust their writing enough to convey the thoughts they desperately want to share. Either way, it’s ick.

As far as the writing goes, I enjoyed it. It was lyrical and had lovely imagery. The writing was basically what made the story worth finishing.

Ultimately, I wanted to like A Magic Deep and Drowning more than I did. It was just too annoying for me.

Overall, I gave it 2 out of 5 stars. I waffled between 2.5 and 2, but the more I think about it, the less I enjoyed it. If you like pretty writing and don’t mind a useless heroine, check it out. Otherwise, you’re not missing much.

🧜‍♂️ A Magic Deep & Drowning 🧜‍♂️

Fantasy ✅ Romance ✅ Historical ✅ Fairytale Retelling ✅

Okay, the Little Mermaid obsessed 5 year old in me completely glitched over this book.
It is simply ✨MAGICAL✨

Clara is a young woman born into wealth and privilege but despite all of her fineries she lacks loving parents and friendship. She once had a friend that she lost to the water. Clara remembers this not only in fragments but in vivid nightmares that refuse to let her forget. Clara is older now, though, soon to be wed. She should be safe from the dangers and rules that confined her in her youth… but is she?

With atmospheric scenes and folkloric interstitials, I was hooked and I absolutely could not put this one down. The soft thread of romance was perfectly balanced, and the fantasy world was both lush and immersive. I loved the undersea scenes and the creatures of lore that are prevalent throughout the story.

This book is absolutely scrumptious. I don’t think my words can do it justice, so I’ll just say: read it. It might just be my favorite of the year. 😍

TechaBooks Review Rubric:
🎭Narrative Elements (Characters, Plot, Pacing, etc.,) - 4.9 STARS
💕Genre: Romance (Chemistry & Tropes) - 5 STARS (light romance and closed door hints)
🦄 Genre: Fantasy (Magic System & World Complexity) - 5 STARS
⭐️ Overall - 5 STARS

❓ Q O T D ❓- If your next read had to feature a folkloric creature (trolls, nix, elves, tree spirits, etc.,), which one are you hoping shows up?

👏👏Much appreciation to Hester Fox, HTP Books, Graydon House, and Netgalley for the advanced e-copy. The opinions and review provided are my own.

#bookstagram #amagicdeepanddrowning #netgalley

This was a beautifully written reverse Little Mermaid. Set in 1560 in the Dutch Republic, Clara is the daughter of a wealthy merchant. Her parents have arranged her marriage to a wealthy man, only Clara longs for more. She meets a young man named Maurits and suddenly, her life is looking up. There is an instant spark and now Clara wants nothing to do with her fiance. What Clara doesn't know is that Maurits is not what he seems and their romance might be doomed from the start. Clara must forge her own path and discover hidden depths of strength to deal with the many strange twists and turns her life is about to take.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Graydon House for this digital e-arc.*

liked this book Clara is a sheltered girl who longs to break free of her parents strict upbringing. She is engaged to be married when she meets a strange young man that shows her that a different world exists outside her scope.

When the two world collide both of them try to bring together 2 worlds that were never supposed to know the other exists.

As we are in peak Pirate Romantasy, there have been many retellings of The Little Mermaid on my TBR - this is the one that I think most embodies the original context of the story (a Netherlands which knew that only the dikes stood between them and the sea) and the first one in which I was genuinely unsure what would happen in the story.

Clara is the daughter of a wealthy trader, soon to be married to a wealthy whaler until the day that she both sees a beached whale and meets a boy, which sends her on the path which will lead out of her quiet life and down, deep under the sea.

I loved that this book was interested in a lot of things I care about: about the balance between the land and the sea, about how loss as a mother can lead to a cycle of trauma that resonates through the generations and how easy it is to take our lives for granted. I think this is a great one for teenagers to read, and I'd really recommend to fans of Rebecca Ross or Lauren Roberts.

I love a good fairytale retelling, and A Magic Deep and Drowning promises just that—a genderbent version of The Little Mermaid (or at least, I think that’s where it’s headed). To be honest, I haven’t made it far enough to get to the really interesting parts.

The pacing is kind of slow, and by the 20% mark, not much has happened plot-wise. I keep waiting to feel hooked, but the story just hasn’t grabbed me yet, and I find my attention drifting.

That said, I don’t dislike the story—I actually think I’d enjoy it more in audio format. So I’m not dnfing it completely! I’m putting this one back on my radar for when I can grab a copy of the audiobook.

Thank you to Hester Fox and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Graydon House for the ARC copy of the ebook!

A reimagining of The Little Mermaid, A Magic Deep and Drowning: A Magical Historical Romance of Love and Betrayal in the Dutch Golden Age is set in 1650 in the Dutch trepublic. I found this book to be creative, well thought out, imaginative and enchanting. A Magic Deep and Drowning: A Magical Historical Romance of Love and Betrayal in the Dutch Golden Age is a wonderful mixing of historical fiction and fantasy. A bargain made long ago between the people of the sea and the land. When deals are not kept, there is a price to be paid!!!!

Clara van Wieren is twenty-years old practical young woman. She has her own ideas and goals but unfortunately, she lives in a time where her parents and society dictate how her life will be lived. Her marriage has been arranged to a wealthy man, but before her wedding day she meets Maurits, a handsome and intriguing young man and is drawn to him. He is a unique individual in more ways than one!

I found this book to be entertaining, creative, engaging and fun to read. I loved The Little Mermaid, and I am a fan of retellings and reimagining's, so this book was right up my alley. I enjoyed going under the sea, to the deep dark land of the creatures who live there. I also enjoyed how Clara proved to be a strong female character in a time where society punished women for being strong. She showed both compassion and strength and was a likeable character as was Maurits.

This book touches on family, relationships, family obligations/expectations, the environment and romance.

I enjoyed Hester Fox's wonderful writing, her well thought plot, the vivid descriptions, the characters (both likeable and unlikeable), and the plot. This book is quite different from the other books Hester Fox has written, and I enjoyed her historical fantasy romance!

This was a clever gender swapped reimagining of the Little Mermaid tale set in the 17th century Dutch Colony. While it wasn't my favorite Hester Fox book it did keep me entertained and I would recommend it for fans of that era or anyone who enjoys fairy tale retellings. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 rounded up: I loved the worldbuilding and the intricate blend of folk lore with the Dutch imperial history (a rare setting to read about!). I was not sure which folk creatures are specific to the Netherlands since some same familiar from other European legends, but it only encouraged me to read more about them later.
The land, including land folk creatuers, and the water were linked in a smart way, and I liked how the system of bargains which magical creatures reflected the mercantile system of the society. I also loved how I could feel the historical atmosphere in the authors' voice, from the descriptions of merchants' estates to the protagonist herself. When Clara's story begins, she is an obedient daughter, brought up by the expectations of her society towards woman; she is looking forward to an arranged marriage and sees it as a path to more independence than at home. It was refreshing to read about a heroine who does not rebel for the sake of rebellion and embraces hobbies and customs of her epoch (even if an oppressive one): during the plot, she is thrust into events that motivate her to find her own voice and independence.
My main criticism are the characters themselves: this strong plot would benefit from more engaging personalities and more believable relationships. We don't know enough of Clara to discern which of her initial decisions are based on personality, vs. on being in love vs. on naivete. Maurits, a mysterious stranger who stirs her heart and keeps his secrets, was my biggest disappointment: initially he seemed to have a feral spark and dangerous magic that would be interesting to explore (in his contrast to other characters) but the chapters from his POV demonstrated that he's quite flat and passive and his insta-love was not believable. They really needed to get to know each other better before the plot thickened, though there was a sense of pressure on Maurits' end from the beginning that prevented them to have more time with each other. My favorite characters were two secondary mother-figures - I won't spoil whom, but you'll see more mystery and depth to them than to the main protagonists.

What a cool take on the mermaid mythology!! Hester Fox is a master at creating such atmospheric fantastical romances and this is no different. I was on the edge of my seat, and so completely immersed in this story.

A Magic Deep and Drowning is, first and foremost, a retelling of The Little Mermaid--but with a twist. The book centers around Clara, a wealthy young woman with two cruel, overbearing parents who have little use or care for her beyond what they may receive in exchange for her marriage to some local man of status. When her betrothal is announced, Clara is grateful, though largely for the fact that she can finally be free of her parents and the confining existence she finds monotonous. But her world as she knows it comes to a halt when she meets a young man who gives her a false name and a lot to hope for, even if he was sent by his mother to claim Clara to finish repaying the debt humans long ago once paid in settlement with the sea...

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. It was slow going at the start, but I did enjoy the moments where we learned a bit more about Dutch folklore. This, however, stopped about halfway through the book, which is also when I feel the plot started to fall apart. While I did find the story entertaining, and I did eventually find enough of a pace to keep going, I never fully connected with the characters. The book did make good points about the encroachment of humanity on nature, but that particular point is hammered into the reader as more of a lecture from the villains of the piece and felt forced as a result. The romance never really landed, and the emotions and personalities of the FMC and MMC never seemed clear enough to justify their actions. Our FMC Clara also made some astonishingly illogical decisions (well, one in particular) that instigates much of the second half of the plot, which completely goes against much of what she's said previously. The pacing of the novel also felt quite stilted to me; mentions of time passing would occur but then be contradicted several lines later, making it seem that what initially read as a bit of a time jump had actually only been a day or a matter of hours. The ending of the story was also something of a deus ex machina, especially with one of the character revelations that had absolutely no foundation previously in the book. The fact that Clara's abuse is barely even glossed over kind of infuriated me, especially when it was the source of the most emotion I felt while reading the entire book. (Apologies if my previous thoughts are a bit incoherent, as it's quite late in the day/early in the morning; that, however, does sort of fit in with how I felt about the book as a whole).

Overall, I was largely frustrated with the inconsistent characterization, plotting, and emotion of everything.

While it wasn't to my taste, if you are looking for a darker take on a classic fairy tale--and want to consistently surprised about how it alters from the source material--pick this up! I'm definitely more eager to pay attention to the Dutch masters and history outside of the art of the period now.

Thanks to NetGalley and Graydon House for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review posted to StoryGraph: June 22, 2025 (https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/8fed5c06-6524-46a6-baf3-d96392fba888)
Review posted to Instagram: PENDING

eARC Review: I really enjoyed this gender-bent retelling of The Little Mermaid. I'm a sucker for historical fantasy romance, although the romance was definitely a smaller part of the story. I liked the inclusion of other magical creatures in the story other than merfolk such as elves and basilisks. I didn't really connect much with the characters and I felt the plot was was circuitous at times. I liked the allegory to climate change and the underlying message that we should take care of the land we live on because our actions affect all living creatures.
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book takes place in the Dutch Republic, 1650. One spring day in Friesland, twenty-year-old Clara van Wieren discovers a beached whale rotting in the sand. She knows this is an ill omen, although she doesn't really hold much stock in magic and superstitions. When a proposal from a wealthy merchant arrives, promising Clara the freedom she seeks from her mother’s overbearing rule, the bad omen is quickly forgotten. As she is attempting (and failing miserably) at trying to learn how to bake bread, she has a chance encounter with a young man with russet hair and sparkling eyes the color of the sea. She immediately finds herself drawn to him. As Clara grows closer to Maurits, she must choose between the steady, gentle life she has been raised for and the man who makes her blood sing. But Maurits isn’t who he seems to be, and his secrets, once hidden beneath the waves, threaten to rise up and drown them both. And when an ancient bargain, forged in blood between the mythical people of the sea and the rulers of the land, begins to unravel, Clara finds herself at the heart of a deadly struggle for power.

I am a huge fan of this author's books. I believe this is the first book she has written that wasn't centered around witches, but rather around a variety of mythical creatures. I loved how there were pages sprinkled throughout that focused on the different mythical creatures and gave a diescription and told a little bit about them. I loved Clara and felt sorry for her.... she had a horrible mother, and the man her parents had chosen for her was so ill-suited for her that she would have been miserable, but she was desperate to get out of the house. I had mixed feelings about Maurits. They seemed to ebb and flow with the tide. The book started a little slow, but by the end I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen next. If you love fantasy fiction, then you should definitely check this out.

I had to DNF this book. I got to 53% and I thought about trying to power through but I just have too many other books to get to. I enjoyed the first 20% but at this point I got so bored that I feel lost in the store. The instalove was unbelievable and I’m not even an instalove hater. The romance takes a back seat because of there being too many plot lines. Overall, I was excited but this book really disappointed me.