Book Review: A Magic Deep & Drowning

On June 28, 2025 By whitreadslitIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

A Magic Deep & Drowning by Hester Fox ~ 352 pages ~ published 6/24/2025 by Graydon House

Goodreads Synopsis:

Set in the waning days of the Dutch Golden Age, this enchanting, lush reimagining of The Little Mermaid is perfect for fans of Jesse Burton’s The Miniaturist and Leigh Bardugo’s The Familiar.

The Dutch Republic, 1650. One fine spring day in Friesland, twenty-year-old Clara van Wieren is faced with an ill omen: a whale, beached and rotting in the noonday sun. But Clara doesn’t believe in magic and superstition, and this portent is quickly dismissed when a proposal from a wealthy merchant arrives, promising Clara the freedom she seeks from her mother’s overbearing rule.

When her attempts at overseeing the household at the family’s estate lead to her chance encounter with a young man with russet hair and sparkling eyes the color of the sea, she finds herself strangely 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.

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Mini Reviews: Second half of January 2024

On February 4, 2024 By whitreadslitIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

I have had a good start to the year, reading 11 books in January. Here are my thoughts on the books that I have read in the second half of the month of January!

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Blog Tour: A Lullaby for Witches

On February 4, 2022February 4, 2022 By whitreadslitIn Book Reviews2 Comments

A Lullaby for Witches by Hester Fox ~ 320 pages ~ published 2/1/2022 by Graydon House/HarperCollins

Goodreads Synopsis:

Two women. A history of witchcraft. And a deep-rooted female power that sings across the centuries.

Once there was a young woman from a well-to-do New England family who never quite fit with the drawing rooms and parlors of her kin.

Called instead to the tangled woods and wild cliffs surrounding her family’s estate, Margaret Harlowe grew both stranger and more beautiful as she cultivated her uncanny power. Soon, whispers of “witch” dogged her footsteps, and Margaret’s power began to wind itself with the tendrils of something darker.

One hundred and fifty years later, Augusta Podos takes a dream job at Harlowe House, the historic home of a wealthy New England family that has been turned into a small museum in Tynemouth, Massachusetts. When Augusta stumbles across an oblique reference to a daughter of the Harlowes who has nearly been expunged from the historical record, the mystery is too intriguing to ignore.

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Monthly Wrap-Up: March 2021

On April 2, 2021April 1, 2021 By whitreadslitIn Monthly Wrap-Ups3 Comments

This month I read a total of 18 books! I honestly didn’t think I would ever surpass last month’s total, but I guess I proved myself wrong haha (To be fair, a couple of these books were less than 50 pages…but I think they still count!)

While I am aiming for 150, I am also aiming to diversify my reading. I am trying to break into genres I don’t typically gravitate toward. I am hoping to read more non-fiction and classics. And, as always, I am taking part in several reading challenges.

Let’s get into it!

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Monthly Wrap-Up: February 2021

On February 28, 2021February 27, 2021 By whitreadslitIn Monthly Wrap-Ups5 Comments

This month I read a total of 16 books! I have been on fire these past two months, and I’m hoping this will continue to be the trend. I’m a little worried that I’m going to burn myself out, but I guess that’s future me’s problem 😂

Let’s get into it!

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Monthly Wrap-Up: November 2020

On December 2, 2020December 1, 2020 By whitreadslitIn Monthly Wrap-Ups3 Comments

Hello everyone! This month, I read a total of 5 books! My monthly total has been down the past few months, but I am way ahead of my yearly goal, so I’m trying not to be too anxious about it haha

I’m going to try to do things slightly differently this year. I am going to keep y’all updated on how my various book challenges are going in each of my monthly wrap-ups.

Let’s get into it!

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