This was very clearly an adaptation of the Little Mermaid from the beginning, but I loved the use of Dutch mythology and the strong environmental messaging.

Such a unique retelling of the Little Mermaid. The characters and world were so beautifully developed.

I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Potential for spoilers below!

I sat with this book for a few days to decide between a 2 and 3, before deciding on a 2.5 leaning more towards a 2. To start off, I really enjoyed the first 1/3 of the book! This might be a bit of an unpopular opinion, as I imagine most people prefer the final 2/3’s of the book once the magic/fantasy plot elements start to kick in.

In the first part of the book, we meet Clara and learn about her childhood and her upcoming wedding. I enjoyed getting to know her as a character, and liked her initial interactions with the mysterious love interest Maurits. Navigating her complicated relationship with her abusive parents and her betrothed that she does not want to marry was the most interesting part of the book for me.

At the 1/3 mark is when the plot really starts to kick in and unfortunately this is where the book lost me. I didn’t dislike Clara as a character at all, her interactions with all other characters just weren’t interesting to me from this point on, and I felt like we moved on from the first 1/3 of the book and its characters way too quickly. I saw someone mention in their review that this should’ve been a duology and I couldn’t agree more! I needed more time with Clara and with Maurits and his world remaining a mystery.

As others have mentioned, if you don’t like an instant love connection you will not enjoy Clara and Maurits. I don’t necessarily hate that trope, but I didn’t believe it at all for Clara and Maurits. They barely interacted throughout the entire book but when they did they were completely and fully in love. I would’ve been okay with them falling instantly in love if they actually spent any sort of meaningful time together before being constantly separated.

As for the non-romantic elements of the plot, everything was way too smashed together in a way that somehow felt like too much was happening and at the same time not much happened? Clara and Maurits just kept going back and forth between being captive and being freed. I wanted to enjoy the court politics aspect of it, but would’ve enjoyed it way more if it was more spread out and the book stuck with its initial “villain”. In the moments Clara was free, I didn’t feel enough growth from her as a character, and her interest in art felt very forced and sudden. A strong ending could’ve really bumped up the rating of this book for me, but without spoiling it I will just say that the end reveals didn’t satisfy me.

To sum it up, my main issues with this book were that all the characters I found interesting were moved on from too quickly or not focused on enough, and the events of the book happening so fast did not really give me enough time to actually care about what was happening. I would like to say again I don’t think this was a bad book, just personally not for me!

This story relies heavily on the insta love trope which I can’t stand. Love that the story is gender-bent but I felt the characters and lore and fantastical aspects fell flat. Quite a few loose ends left by the end as well. The descriptions of the Dutch people and customs of the time were interesting, but didn’t save the tale.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, the narrator, and Harlequin Audio for a copy!

I struggled with this. On one hand, super good world-building, a setting I don’t see often, and I love a fairytale retelling. On the other hand, the characterization was WILDLY inconsistent, the magic/power didn’t have any sort of consistency either, and the number of deus ex machinas was so egregious I kind of had to laugh.
I wish there had been more focus on the bits that worked (new mythology!) and less time shoehorning in imagery to remind people of DISNEY’S “Little Mermaid” in particular. Or just another read-through to see if a particular item had changed from a pearl ro a marble to a bubble from chapter to chapter. Or figuring out how to foreshadow big reveals at ALL.

A truly beautiful and meaningful story. A little mermaid retelling (among others as stated at the end by the author) that has a deeper meaning. I truly loved this book and the narrator did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life. I already do what I can to save the waters but this story makes me want to do even more!

I have mixed feelings about A Magic Deep and Drowning. Overall, I enjoyed the story and the content, but felt like the characters needed a bit more fleshing out. I know that this is a fantasy book and therefore, things tend to work differently, but the immediate obsession of the female and male main characters didn't feel authentic. We aren't given much backstory on the FMC prior to her meeting the MMC so it just doesn't feel real. I felt like the book was like "and then this happened", "and then", "and then"...over and over. I'm a big proponent of show not tell, and this was the opposite. That being said, as mentioned before, I did enjoy the story outside of the misgivings. The narrators did an awesome job of storytelling while maintaining specific characters voices for each character, which made dialogue easy to follow. While it wasn't my favorite read this year by any means, I know several teen patrons at my library who would love this, and I wouldn't mind recommending it to slightly younger teens as well since the content is pretty clean.

*A Magic Deep and Drowning* by Hester Fox is a gothic, atmospheric tale steeped in secrets, family curses, and whispers of magic. Fox’s prose is lush and haunting, drawing readers into a New England setting full of eerie charm. While the pacing can be slow at times, the blend of romance, history, and the supernatural creates a captivating read for fans of gothic fiction.

Such a unique and enchating tale steeped in magic, this was an unexpected pleasure to listen to, the narration was lovely. Thank you so much for the ALC.

It has its charms. There were issues but for the most part it's a fun read and interesting story. Narration was great!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I typically love fairytale retellings, but this felt a little dry to me- I would say it picked up a bit in the second half though.

I found Clara’s character to be very “Mary Sue”. The same for Maurits too honestly. They both felt like conglomerations of little bits and pieces that didn’t really fit together to make up a full character, and because of that they didn’t seem to have chemistry with each other. The only thing that their relationship is built on is that they’re attracted to each other. It never seems to go deeper than that. Something else that bothered me was Clara saying, “To love means to allow the possibility of being hurt again.” Um, what??? Sounds like the grounds for an abusive relationship. In fact a lot of their relationship feels manipulative.

I also think the story itself could’ve been more fleshed out. I want to know more about Clara’s parents and their past. I wouldn’t mind hearing what happened to Fade either. This could’ve taken a turn closer to A Cruel Prince, and it really feels like there were some missed opportunities.

I did enjoy hearing all of different folklore, and I thought the second half did a bit better as far as making Clara’s character a little more real and likable, but as a whole this just fell flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the advance listener copy of A Magic Deep and Drowning! This story is set in Friesland, in the Dutch Republic in 1650. Clara is 20 years old and though her family is wealthy they are cold to her and she longs to be free of them. This freedom arrives from a wealthy suitor who offers her his hand in marriage and as Clara begins to learn how to manage a household so she can be a dutiful wife, she meets Maurits, who she cannot get out of her mind. 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.

This was my first book by Hester Fox but it certainly will not be my last! I was so drawn in by this story and I loved all of the mythical creatures Clara encounters in and out of the sea. I highly recommend this gender swapped Little Mermaid retelling for anyone interested in historical fantasy, retellings, fairy tales, and strong women. The narration of this one was excellent and definitely added to my enjoyment of the story.

This was such a captivating story, It reminded me of a different version of the original little mermaid. Sad and hopeful at the same time. The characters are so well written that you find yourself getting attached to their story. Full of old magic, myths and legends come to life with a small but not obtrusive caution about the overreach of humanity and mer-kind alike. I highly recommend this read and have already read it twice.

This was a fascinating gender-swapped reimagining of "The Little Mermaid," set in the 17th-century Dutch Colony. Although it was not my favorite work by Hester Fox, I still appreciated her writing style. While I typically enjoy fairy tale retellings, I found it challenging to remain invested in this particular story, and I also did not feel a strong connection with the main character. Overall, despite not being my favorite, it certainly had its moments.

This review is for the audiobook version of this book. The narration was well performed and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

3.5 rounded up. I loved the danish mythology. I thought this version of the little mermaid quite interesting, especially the gender swap. I also enjoyed the fact that the romance was almost a secondary plot point, not the main like in the traditional telling. I even enjoyed the discourse regarding how the humans have taken advantage of the land, and an agreement with the merfolk to be stewards of the ocean, though it was a bit heavy handed at times. The discussion of the agreement and the leaders of their people, and what the humans are willing to do for money and capitalism definitely hit a little close to home, given today’s politics climate.
The audio narrator was lovely to listen to and the production was well done.
Thank you netgalley for the audio arc

I would like to thank Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for gifting me this audio book in exchange for an honest review!

🧜🏼‍♀️The little mermaid🧜🏼‍♀️ is and always will be one of my most treasured childhood memories, so of course when I saw this on my Netgalley page I just had to request it! I am so very glad I did! This was such a good retelling! I love the mirror effect.
In A Magic Deep and Drowning, unlike The Little Mermaid, it is our MMC who is our beautiful sea dweller, and it is his mother who is the queen, and his brother who is the main antagonist (although I did agree with Fade on certain things 😂) It is our FMC who is the land dweller which our merman is enamored with.
The story begins with a tragic beached whale and our FMC coming face to face with the results of the "Dutch Golden Age"
Clara, who is our FMC, is a demure dutch young woman trying to survive a cruel mother and a cold father and reach her freedom by marrying a gentleman picked for her. She coincidentally runs into this alluring young man who she feels drawn to the same day that she is to be matched. Thus begins the story and from there we are pulled deep below the surface of the water. It was a journey full of danger, angst, love, hate, fear, happiness, and mourning. There were some moments so endearing and sweet that I found myself tearing up, especially between Clara and her nursemaid (who is more like a mother to her). Clara finds herself caught up in a dangerous world where a terrible bargain has been struck that might just cost her life. Clara and Maurits journey together to try to stop a tragic flood, and save the land and the sea from Maurits's cruel and jaded brother.

However, I have one issue with our lovely merman story. At times, it felt a bit too one-dimensional. I so wish that the backstory of the humans/mer-folk had been delved into a bit deeper. The book felt rushed, or sort of just glossed over. A fellow reviewer mentioned how the author seemed tentative to stray from the original "Little Mermaid" story. I would agree with this, in that the story was not flushed out to its fullest. There was so much we are left wondering.
Why was Clara so drawn to Maurits, and why was this an insta-love (My LEAST favorite trope)
How did Fade overthrow the queen?
Why did Clara believe she saw an apparition of her dead friend?
Where did the children actually go?
What did the dire whale do to Fade? (I think thats how it is spelt, I listened to the audiobook so I have not seen it typed out)
Where does the ending of this story leave the merfolk?
Why were the Dire Whales portrayed as villains throughout the book, and then seen as the benevolent bringers of justice?
How did Maurits survive?
This is the reason I had to remove a star, I truly feel that this would have been better as a Duology. I really enjoy Hester Fox's wiring style, but the world building is so minimal, the entire coup that happens in the smack middle of the book is confusing and left unexplained. It left the reader to wonder and make up their own parts of the story, which perhaps this is what Hester Fox was wanting. I just would have loved to see more depth.
Over all this was such a good read. I thoroughly enjoyed myself in this story. I look forward to reading more of Hester Fox's books.

Thanks @htp_hive and @harlequinaudio for the advanced access!

Quick and Dirty
-gothic AF
-historical fantasy
-1700s setting
-lush and magical

The latest from one of my favorite authors, A Magic Deep and Drowning sadly just didn’t hit the mark for me. 🧜‍♀️ This one leans heavily into fantasy with lots of world-building and a big ask for suspension of disbelief—which isn’t usually my jam.

It’s a dark retelling of The Little Mermaid set in historical Holland, and while the vibes are definitely eerie and atmospheric (classic Hester Fox), I struggled to stay fully engaged. I did the audiobook, which was well done, but overall this one just wasn’t quite for me. That said, if you’re a fan of darker fantasy or mermaid lore, it might be worth checking out! 🐚

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for providing me with an ALC.

I liked the theme of merging a fairy tale retelling with Dutch folklore. It's what pulled me into the book. The setting was described quite well and the beginning of the book was quite alluring. Despite being a huge fan of both retellings and historical fiction/fantasy, I just could not get into this book, the primary reason being the insta-love. I also felt that their romance was so on and off, with so many betrayals and plots in between. I personally couldn't distinguish the folklore additions from the fantasy because I don't know much about the era. It would have been nicer if that was more clear (The author's note helped a bit though). The plot itself felt very typical of this genre and didn't necessarily blow my mind but was entertaining enough. I would recommend this to those interested in historical fantasy retellings featuring insta-love.

The narrator did a great job of bringing the story to life, although it would have been even better if stronger emotions had been expressed at the required places.

This was a fun reimagining of The Little Mermaid with the twist of the mermaid actually being a merman in love with a girl from the land.

Clara is stifled by her life and thinks she can feel free by marrying and running her own household. She isn't prepared for the feelings brought on by the appearance of a mysterious man or the tragedy that strikes on her wedding night. Clara has to come to terms with secrets learned, magic revealed, and learning how to make her own way. There was tension and resolution and magic and romance, everything you need for a fun read.

The story is overall enjoyable and I enjoyed the parts where we go both Clara and Maurits's points of view. I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator was excellent.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.

What a beautifully sweet story of love and lesson of the effects we humans have on the environment and the wild things within it.
Thank you to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for gifting me the audiobook. The narrator was hypnotic and did a great job keeping me interested and not sleepy.
Moritz watches Clara for a time, much longer than she is aware, and falls for her before she even sees his face. They are from different worlds, but none of that matters when you love so deeply.
I really enjoyed this book, it made my heart feel so much all at once. A beautiful retelling, read it!!