Tokuda-Hall, Maggie - The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea

In a world shaped by colonialism and magic, a fierce young pirate named Flora (who disguises herself as a man) and a rebellious imperial daughter named Yumi forge an unlikely connection on the high seas. Their journey is filled with adventure, danger, and the exploration of their feelings for each other.

A desperate orphan turned pirate and a rebellious imperial daughter find a connection on the high seas in a world divided by colonialism and threaded with magic.

Aboard the pirate ship Dove, Flora the girl takes on the identity of Florian the man to earn the respect and protection of the crew. For Flora, former starving urchin, the brutal life of a pirate is about survival: don’t trust, don’t stick out, and don’t feel. But on this voyage, as the pirates prepare to sell their unsuspecting passengers into slavery, Flora is drawn to the Lady Evelyn Hasegawa, who is en route to a dreaded arranged marriage with her own casket in tow. Flora doesn’t expect to be taken under Evelyn’s wing, and Evelyn doesn’t expect to find such a deep bond with the pirate Florian.

Soon the unlikely pair set in motion a wild escape that will free a captured mermaid (coveted for her blood, which causes men to have visions and lose memories) and involve the mysterious Pirate Supreme, an opportunistic witch, and the all-encompassing Sea itself.

LGBT Themes:

• Lesbian romance 
• Gender identity exploration 

Relevant Tags:

• Young adult fantasy, LGBTQ+, genderqueer, pirates, adventure, high seas, magic

Book Details:

• Title: The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea
• Author: Maggie Tokuda-Hall
• Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
• Publisher: Walker Books
• Release Date: September 3, 2020