A Magic Deep and Drowning by Hester Fox

Pub date - 6/24/25

Clara looks forward to being married. Not for love, but for escape.

A retelling of The Little Mermaid (with a twist), set in the Netherlands in the 1600‘s, full of folklore and allegory, A Magic Deep and Drowning was so well written and obviously well researched, it succeeded in pulling me in right away.

I didn’t love the instalove between Clara and Maurits, but I did really like the story.

This was my first time reading the author, and I enjoyed this so much, I can’t wait to read more.

Recommended for those who love fairy tale retellings, Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid this is also well suited for tween and teen readers.

Thank you to Graydon House and NetGalley for the DRC