Witchy pirates? Say no more!

This book delivers a fierce crew of women who not only command the seas but own every man who crosses their paths with power, loyalty, and witchcraft. Give me strong female leads any day, but a whole band of sea faring witches… I'm obsessed!
This book is packed with action, witty banter, and a spicy slow burn romance. I love this book's themes that center around sisterhood and a woman’s strength. I especially loved the role reversal in the steamy scenes, where the woman takes the lead and does the teaching. It was refreshing and empowering.
That said, some of the spicy moments fell flat for me. I'm not sure if it was the narrator’s somewhat monotone delivery during high intensity scenes or simply my lack of connection with the characters in those moments, but some parts didn’t land as emotionally as I’d hoped. The language used was a little awkward, and those scenes didn’t hit as I had hoped. Still, the overall themes, character dynamics, and pirate adventures more than made up for it.

*Thank you to Eva Leigh, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Harlequin Audio and Netgalley for the ARC/ALC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

The Sea Witch by Eva Leigh is a third person dual-POV historical fantasy romance set on the high seas in the Caribbean during the seventeenth century. Alys becomes the captain of the Sea Witch after fleeing Puritanical New England when she’s accused of witchcraft. On a ship with other witches, she’s able to live a life full of freedom like she never could have imagined. When Ben, a navigator, is captured by the Sea Witch, he and Alys realize that they have unintentionally communicated through their dreams and that their connection could grow into something much more.

I was not expecting how action-packed this would be. There are a lot of fight scenes and sea monsters and battles between witches and mages on top of swordfights. A lot of fantasy romances tend to be very focused on the interior of the lead and action takes a bit of a backseat, so this was a very welcome change and exactly what I wanted from the premise. It’s kind of like if Pirates of the Caribbean had a different magic system and flipped the gender and positions a little bit.

Alys and Ben’s relationship is not a slowburn, but it’s not instalove either. They are attracted to each other pretty quickly and do share a bed, but not a lot happens for a bit and the first spicy scene comes at roughly the fifty percent mark, which felt about right given their characters. Both of them have experience with partners, but in different ways. Alys was married back in New England but, for all intents and purposes, is now divorced and she has taken on several lovers since. Ben has never been married or even been in a romantic relationship, but he has had one night stands over the years. If anything, this means Alys has more experience than Ben and he doesn’t judge her for it though many of his time might have.

The magic system and the monsters exist in a very different manner to Pirates of the Caribbean. They are integrated within the world more firmly and everyone seems to know magic exists in some capacity, though maybe not to the fullest extent. There’s dragons and krakens and I cannot see how the world opens up in the next book.

I would recommend this to fans of Pirates of the Caribbean who want a fantasy romance series not a standalone and readers of historical romance who want an action-packed fantasy twist

I’m here for my faves trying something new. I love Eva Leigh’s historical romances and was taking my Dramamine as soon as she said her latest involved pirates and witches.

This was very cinematic - I could see all the fight scenes on a big screen which was really fun. It was like Salem Witches x Pirates of the Caribbean.

The magic system wasn’t clear to me but I think this is one of those romances with fantasy elements and not a fantasy with romance elements, if that makes sense. So set your expectations accordingly.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. The Sea Witch is out August 26.

From the first few pages, I knew that I would enjoy this. Alys is a strong woman, but I loved that even as a pirate, she wasn't actually arrogant or foolish about her abilities. She was a very relatable heroine, as she worked towards being the woman she wanted to be, shedding the concern for opinions she didn't care about. Her rag-tag crew of similar, but different, women from all over the world took that and ran with it in all the best ways!

I did also like Ben quite a lot, as the British Royal Navy Sailing Master, who knew more about maps and less about battles. His character development was my favorite, as he had his eyes and mind opened.

This is more historical fantasy, with some romantic elements, so the world building was similar to the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, where there are a lot of elements taken from the real world. It was still very immersive, but familiar as well. I do wish that the tension was stronger between Ben and Alys, as it sort of felt a bit sudden at times when something would happen between them, especially the first half. Without giving anything away, I did enjoy their interactions in the last half a lot, especially the unexpected role reversal!

The magic system could have been fleshed out a bit more for this, as there were witches (who were persecuted), and mages (men who were taught and rewarded), who seemed to be born with their magical abilities but needed to hone their skills. There were mentions of the women picturing animals while performing magic at times to replicate the animal's perceived skill set. There were also times the magic just seemed to be something they had figured out and practiced. I liked the earthy, pagan connection to magic, but wanted something a little more.

All in all, I really did enjoy this, and look forward to learning and experiencing more I'm this world in the next book!

I’d first like to thank; NetGalley, Harlequin Audio & publishing for giving me the amazing opportunity of reading/listening to this book before its release date. I am forever thankful and review is a honest reflection of my feelings towards this book. What do you get when you get bada$$ Pirate & naval navigator and mix in a unique magic system, enemies to lovers and a high stakes plot?
Get the Sea Witch.
This book was for sure a surprise of a book that left me craving more. The slow burn romance for sure was my favorite part. Alys was a very fiery main character that had me saying, “you go girl!” And Ben was a tortured do gooder that you were like, I want you to be bad 🤭
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an engaging book with a unique take on magic and fully realized characters.

Slow to start this book, but the background info at the beginning is so important. I enjoyed the all female pirate ship and the witches vs mages fights. Super slow burn (no kiss until like 60%!!). Cliffhanger ending, I am excited to see how this series progresses. I hope Captain Tanner can heal from past trauma and that everyone aboard the Sea Witch is safe until next time!

✨ 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 ✨

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐⭐💫/🌶️🌶️.5/💎💎

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭: Colonial-ish witch (I'm not a historian, give me a break) Alys Tanner escapes a community of fire-happy misogynists to captain a women-only pirate ship in the Caribbean. Turns out, they don't like women there either, and she's a social pariah of sorts in the pirate world. When a deceased pirate leaves behind a scavenger hunt to find the key to defeat the British Navy, Alys is forced together with a naval navigator, Ben Priestley, (unrelated to Miranda), who manages to steer her heart off course.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬:

🤔 Thinking wtf have I gotten myself into with this storyline
👭 Loved the female camaraderie between the pirate witches and the very clear difference in how females work together vs men
🤷🏼‍♀️ Feeling like certain magical elements were rushed, like dream-walking, making it hard to connect to
🗡️ Action packed the whole way through
🏴‍☠️ Loved the transition of Ben from stuck up prude to pirate bad boy
🦜 Felt like it was missing something that made me feel truly connected to the story

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲: I truly think this is well written and genuinely unique. The magic felt really cool, despite there being some plot holes in the story otherwise (a year out at sea is all it takes to be an expert pirate captain apparently). The pacing was good, though a bit slow for my taste. The love interests came together in an appropriate amount of time (no insta-love) but they didn't sizzle as much as I would have wanted. Ultimately I think there are many people who will enjoy this story, but it just wasn't for me.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧/𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: Available today August 26th via e-book, paperback & audiobook.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I will also be sharing my review to Amazon as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC of this. Prepare yourself because this is in third person. Which isn’t bad but it’s not my favorite. This is a historical Romantasy with pirates and witches set on the sea. There are also magical elements and I enjoyed how that was weaved throughout the book. I will say the pacing can be a little off. Sometimes the engagement falls off and then it picks back up, so I didn’t like the pacing because that made me feel like I was reading it longer than it should have been. The plot was interesting because I haven’t read anything like this so I did enjoy that. The world was pretty interesting and you will get immersed in the story, you just have to stick with it.

Reading this story made me even more excited for my Special Edition from Litjoy crate. I absolutely loved it. Pirates, adventure, action, one bad mamma jamma FMC who is also a witch, and a bit of romance this story was amazing! The romance blended perfectly with the plot it wasn’t forced in. If you’re looking for a pirate romantasy where the FMC is also a Witch this is the story for you! As long as you can bare the jaw dropping the cliffhanger…🤣🤣 Thank you Harlequin Publishing/The Hive for an eARC!

Witches and pirates and magic, oh my! I am a huge fan of Eva Leigh’s historical romances and knew I’d follow her into this world of romantasy even if it isn’t my typical cup of tea. And she did not disappoint. Alys Tanner has fled to the Caribbean from her New England town after a witch hunt attempts to hang many women for their magical nature. Commandeering a ship with other women seeking refuge and freedom from Puritanical ideology, Alys captains The Sea Witch, a rarity of a woman run ship. As to be expected with any story set at sea, rules do not exist, there are travels aplenty, enemies at every turn, and mythical sea beasts that keep the story quite entertaining. When the Royal Navy attempts to capture Alys’ ship, they inadvertently lose navigator Ben Priestly to Alys and her crew, causing a battle of capture or be captured.

The storytelling is fun and there is never a dull moment for Alys and her lady pirates. Having a man (and a good looking in at that) aboard the ship creates some interesting power dynamics. This book has feminist undertones through and through and it’s no surprise that the worst enemies of the Sea Witch are the men who seek to control them and enslave their magic. Ben is a pretty unique hero. He’s curious enough about Alys that he doesn’t write her off immediately like his fellow sailors have, and he see’s and appreciates Alys’ strength for what it is without trying to control it. As you can imagine, close quarters on a ship provide for some interesting intimate scenes and I enjoyed the playfulness between Alys and Ben.

As a romance reader firstly, I would’ve loved to see more of Aly’s and Ben’s relationship, but to be fair to the nature of the story, that’s just not the entire focus. The plot drives the story more so than the romance and that is just true of fantasies in general. Reader be forewarned, there’s more to come from our lady pirates and the fate of the Sea Witch as the book ends on a bit of a “to be continued” (less of a cliffhanger personally), but I foresee victory for Alys, however that may look. I received an early copy from Canary Street Press Thank you to the publishers, all opinions are my own.

I love this book! It exudes female empowerment! Alys Tanner , condemned as witch and facing execution she uses her innate magical power to flee Puritanical New England, stealing a ship.
Alys , becomes captain of The Sea Witch, with an all-female witchy pirate crew.(impressive).
The colonial British navy is in hot pursuit. The navy fights for a choke hold on the Caribbean and will use unconventional methods to destroy anything they cannot control, especially witches.
Alys pirate life takes a turn after Ben Priestley, a headstrong naval navigator, is inadvertently captured by the lady pirates. Leading to perilous quest, treasure hunts, devious pirates, sea monsters, slow burn-enemies to lovers, and lots of magic.
This was such an amazing read! The cliffhanger ending, left me in anticipation for the next book.
Thank you Eva Leigh, NetGalley and Harleyquinn trade publishing for the opportunity to read this advance reader copy.

Thank you to HTP Hive for the free book and audiobook. These opinions are my own.

Plunder the Patriarchy!

I definitely needed a book in my life about a group of female witches who steal a ship and become pirates to escape the misogyny of where they were raised. Just that set up alone is enough to capture my interest. And then the pirating adventures are so good.

I really enjoyed reading about captain Alys and her entire crew. The safe space and found family they created on board The Sea Witch is magical in ways beyond the surface level magic they can wield. And I appreciate that the book actually talked about pirates in terms of the slave trade, rather than overly romanticizing pirates.

The romance set up with Ben, a naval navigator, is delicious with all the forbidden and enemies tension you can imagine. I was increasingly intrigued the more we learned about magic and their world.

That ending though... I am going to need the next book in the series really quickly.

4.25 stars

The Sea Witch by Eva Leigh
Series Salt & Sorcery #1
eBook Length Approximately 445 Pages
Published by Canary Street Press, an Imprint of Harlequin Trade Publishing
Release date August 26, 2025

This book was mostly a good time. I love the idea of late 18th century witches fleeing their small town, stealing a ship and sailing off to their new life of piracy in the Caribbean (and if you think I didn’t hear Jack’s theme in my head while reading them stealing the boat – and a lot of the other action sequences – you would be wrong!). This book has everything. Witches, pirates, a “treasure” hunt, the royal navy, evil mages, Tortuga, a leviathan, a kraken and so much more.

Alys is a witch in a small colonial town where men, but not women, practice magic. Her husband is dead. Her sister, also a witch, is dead. Alys hides in the forest and mist and overhears the plan to arrest her and her friends for witchcraft. She knows what will happen after that, so, Alys sneaks around and lets her friends know they are coming for them and the only way out of town is the water. They arrange a meeting spot and head off to gather the rest of their friends. In the dark of night, they survey the options for stealing a ship, as Alys’ husband’s boat is now entirely too small, so they steal the giant navy ship that is docked for the night. Everyone is in town drinking except for a couple of guards. They take them out, swing around on ropes and masts, cut the ship from the dock and off they go. A year later, they are well known pirates and at the funeral of a particularly rotten pirate. As it turns out, he had been helping the navy control the leviathan and the information to end that connection is hidden. Just as we hear that, the navy barges into the saloon.

This story is very well written for the most part. It is my understanding that this is Eva Leigh’s first fantasy romance book and that she is usually a historical romance author. I don’t believe I have ever read any of her other books, but if they are this believable and well written, I may have to start reading.

The story doesn’t hit you over the head with history or explanation. You are immediately immersed in this world and it’s fantastic! I have no idea how the magic system works, but the witches don’t seem to know either, so that’s fine with me. We learn as they do. They seem to be really accomplished pirates within a short period of time, as the jump from stealing the ship to where our story really begins is about a year. I’m going to assume witchcraft has somehow benefited them in this success and let it go.

The male love interest in this story is named Benjamin Priestley. He is the sailing master of the Jupiter and seems very eager to get off the ship and hunt pirates. When the plan to arrest all the pirates goes sideways, he manages to chase Alys through the port town, to the water and on to a naval ship. She manages to make it to the other side of the ship and steal a dinghy to escape. When she gets back to The Sea Witch, he climbs aboard, letting her know that he hung on to her little boat all the way there. He is of course immediately taken prisoner, and the shenanigans will quickly begin. During his time on the ship with Alys, they manage to fall in love with each other, or something like love. There’s quite a bit of spice between them, but there is romance here and some longing. It’s not the best romance I’ve ever read, but it was interesting.

I’m going to rate this book 3.5 stars (so on the sites that do not take partial stars you will see 4 stars). I think the story is great and the setting is immersive, and we get just enough information so that we can imagine it without the narrator hitting us over the head with it. However, I felt that the characters were flat and while I’m generally interested in their survival and the chaos of the battles, I’m not emotionally invested in them. They could have killed Ben or the first mate, and I don’t think I would have been that put out.

All in all, I think if you like pirates, witches and romance, you will like this book. I was able to read it in a day, so it’s not a long read at all. There’s so much action you can’t help but keep turning pages. Thank you to Canary Street Press and Harlequin Trade Publishing for granting me this early edition via NetGalley. I truly appreciate it and look forward to reading more in the future. As usual, my opinions are my own and if I don’t like a book you will definitely know it.

In book one of the Salt & Sorcery series, Alys Tanner is condemned as a witch and sentenced to die. She gathers the other witches in her small town in Puritanical New England, and they use their powers to escape. Stealing a ship, Alys becomes captain of The Sea Witch, leading its all-female, sorcery-wielding pirate crew. In their travels they cross paths with the colonial British navy, who is determined to kill the witches. Ben Priestley, a headstrong naval navigator, is inadvertently captured by the lady pirates. He eventually enters into a reluctant partnership with the fierce witch pirate captain. While they brave backstabbing pirates, perilous tropical islands and monster-filled seas, Alys and Ben’s mistrust grows into unexpected desire as they battle an enemy that will stop at nothing to rule the waves.

I normally do not enjoy books about pirates, however I love books about witches, so I decided to give this a try. I was pleasantly surprised how well I enjoyed it. There was non-stop action, a bevy of steamy moments between Alys & Ben, and a myriad of mythical creatures that they had to battle. I will be interested to see where the series goes from here!

+ Enemies-to-lovers
+ Forced proximity

A pirate crew of witches, monster-filled seas, and a race to outwit the colonial British navy? Yes, please, sign me up. I wasn’t sure what to expect beyond a fun witchy time, and while this swashbuckling romantasy is packed with adventure, it’s also a sharp commentary on power, gender, and freedom. At its heart, The Sea Witch is more than fantasy. It’s political and feminist.

Alys Tanner, condemned as a witch in Puritanical New England, seizes her own destiny as captain of The Sea Witch and leads an all-female, magic-wielding crew across the Caribbean. When by-the-book naval navigator Ben Priestley is captured, their reluctant alliance ignites with forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers tension, and high-stakes danger.

Some of my favorite moments were the searing truths woven into the dialogue:
✨ “I've learned they’ll always find a way to come for witches no matter how much we subdue and refuse to acknowledge our power. It just takes a look, a whispered word, a grudge against a woman who rejects a man's advances, or the insistence that we bow our heads to any man — and then we're swaying at the end of a rope like so much dried fish.”
✨ “Laws that benefit some but harm more are no laws to me.”

*snaps fingers and gives a round of👏🏽*

I wasn’t fully sold on Ben as a character. His arc of unlearning and his own quest for revenge felt a bit clunky. That said, he works as a love interest for Alys, and their romance has undeniable sparks.

What really hooked me, though, was the larger world. I’d love to see more of the other witches’ backstories (Olachi 👀), and I’m already looking forward to the next book in the Salt and Sorcery series. Eva Leigh has gained a new reader in me!

📚 The Sea Witch releases 8/26/25. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press for the eARC.

A witch sentenced to death steals a ship and becomes a pirate queen. That alone would’ve sold me. But what makes The Sea Witch stand out isn’t just the premise, it’s the fire that runs through every part of it. Alys leads with teeth bared and zero interest in earning anyone’s approval. The vibe here is gloriously defiant, and the crew of women around her makes it even stronger. They’re sharp and unruly, with no interest in playing small.

There’s action and magic, of course, plus a romance that builds with some genuinely great banter and real emotional stakes. But the power of this book is how it lets its characters rage, grieve, and fight without softening any edges. It’s bold and witchy and sometimes a little chaotic, but that chaos feels deliberate.

The worldbuilding skims light in places, and a couple plot turns might stretch belief, but the energy never drops. If you like your romantasy with salt air, shipwrecks, and women who burn down the systems trying to contain them, you’ll probably have as much fun with this as I did.

3.25 stars

I didn't love this, I didn't hate this, it was ok. I agree with most reviews that the third person was pretty annoying. I don't read a ton of pirate romances, so I did enjoy that aspect. Also, I enjoyed the combination of witches and pirates! The spice was well written. I will probably continue series.

I received both ARC and ALC of this book. I liked the narrator, but always prefer 2 narrators with multiple perspectives so I would have loved a male narrator more. Thank you to Harlequin audio for the ARC, and thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ALC. This is my honest opinion.

Wow this was not only beautifully written but also with great characters and plot. This had the whole package for me, I loved the romance, the magic system and couldn’t read this fast enough. The plot was thrilling, the romance was tasteful. I also enjoyed the important conversations like how women had to live during this time and how the justice system and men viewed them and the dangers women had to endure.

Absolutely loved! Could not put this book down once I started! Gave me pirates of the carribean nostalgia in the BEST way. This had such a unique story and unique romance, such a breath of fresh air! Pacing was PERFECT!

I found the story captivating and beautifully written, easily drawing me into its enchanting world. This tale of magic and mystery kept me on my edge from beginning to end. Ultimately, "The Sea Witch" is a delightful read that I would gladly recommend to anyone seeking a good fantasy book.