I unfortunately missed getting this book through here, however I wanted to say how much I enjoyed this recently!

It's such a great story and I plan to read so much more from this writer!

I thoroughly enjoyed this piece of escapism and my time out from a hectic world. The story grabs you from the outset and pulls you in and the storytelling really made it worth reading. Characterisation was on point and I know I will be looking out for new publications from this author or similar reads in the future. A recommended read.

One of the best books I read last year, and one of the strongest debuts I’ve read in an extremely long time.

Shea Ernshaw is an author who really makes the setting into a character in itself, and that is one of my absolute favourite things in books.

The Wicked Deep tells the story of three sisters who are drowned because they are accused of being witches, and due to that they come back every year, possessing the bodies of three girls from the town to take boys from the town and murder them. Our protagonist, Penny, falls in love with a boy whose brother was taken after he comes to town to try and get his revenge, but it’s not going to be as easy as he first thinks.

There is a twist which I saw coming, but it paid off so beautifully that I was beyond excited that I’d worked it out – I was literally screaming because the reveal was handled so beautifully. As I said, this was one of the best books I read last year (with Shea Ernshaw’s second novel Winterwood, being even better).

I loved the setting of this book and the legend created by the author. It moved back and forth between the past and present with ease. The love story was believable and engrossing. Everything came together in this book.

Wicked Deep was a wonderfully dramatic and beautifully written novel. It follows Penny Talbot, who lives in a town cursed to have the spirits of three sister witches return to get their revenge - by taking the lives of three boys before the summer is up. It is full of twists and turns, unexpected surprises and some beautifully eloquent writing. I adored this book so much, it may be one of my favourite reads of the year, and if you haven't checked this out, I would totally advise that you do as soon as possible!

Two hundred years ago, the three Swan sisters arrived at Sparrow, a small town on the coast. The sisters were tried as witches and drowned in the sea. Every summer since they have returned to Sparrow, each sister taking over the body of a girl to lure boys into the sea as revenge.
Penny Talbot lives on a small island near Sparrow. She has accepted Sparrow's fate and avoids the Swan Season as much as she can.
Then Penny meets Bo, a boy from out of town who has no idea the danger he's in. Penny invites Bo to stay on the island, intending to keep him safe from the Swan sisters.
Can Penny and Bo trust each other when they're both hiding secrets?
Will Bo fall victim to one of the Swan sisters?

The Wicked Deep was an intriguing read that drew me in.
I liked Penny and found her relatable. I would have liked to have seen more of Rose. Bo was quite an interesting character.
The romance wasn't one of my favourites but I didn't dislike it.
The plot held my attention but I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't guessed the twists.
The writing style was easy to follow and I would be interested to read more by the author.
I was slightly disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more.

Overall this was an enjoyable read.

I'm sorry it took me so long to pick this one up because when I did it swept me away with its beautiful prose and haunting intrigue! Shea Ernshaw's writing is atmospheric and the tale unravels beautifully keeping the reader on the edge of their seat and mesmerised.

Wicked deep is akin to an eerie fairytale with a love story that will sink its teeth into you. I can;t wait to see what Shea Ernshaw does next!

I enjoyed this book and found it a really interesting concept. I'd like to read more from this author.

I read this quickly in about two sitting so I'm not quite sure why it's taken me so long to review this title except perhaps that after I finished reading it I wanted to mull it awhile.

On the whole, I enjoyed the Wicked Deep very much- it was engrossing enough to hold my interest for long periods of time and much of the writing was captivating. The author sets the scene beautifully and at least for the first part of the book it felt extremely authentic- both creepy and beguiling at the same time. I loved the premise of the book- a witch's curse set on a town and the consequences of a terrible act reverberating through the centuries. It was cleverly and vividly told. At the same time, there was, for me, a major flaw in the plot and I had some trouble suspending disbelief that the townspeople would essentially ignore the annual problem. As others have said, I also had some issues with the insta-love romance between the two main characters. This was partly the result of trying to shoehorn a story within a set timescale of three days but it felt a little forced. I also saw the twist coming way in advance, which took some of the urgency out of the reading for me. But ultimately I liked it so much I was willing to overlook its relatively minor flaws.

A properly creepy story, with a nice helping of romance on the side. The Swan sisters are somewhere between ghosts and sirens, all the horror of being able to bewitch men with a touch whilst the awfulness that three girls are being possessed to make this possible being an ever-present concern. Engaging set of characters that you can't help but become invested in them. Not one to read if you like your romances with an unquestionably happy ending, though.

This book was a dark and atmospheric delight. Ok so everything about it was in my wheelhouse so I'm clearly exactly in the target audience for it. That said Ernshaw has written one of the finer books in this particular subgenre and it was beautiful.

Two centuries earlier, the three beautiful and alluring Swan sisters arrived at Sparrow, causing a stir amongst the town folk and bewitching the men, married and unmarried alike. Accused as witches and drowned in the harbour, a curse spreads over Sparrow and every year for one month the Swan sisters return, borrowing the bodies of girls foolish enough to enter the water and luring boys out into the sea to drown them. Penny Talbot has always feared the Swan sisters and believed they are real, a fear that has only grown since her father disappeared. Then a stranger arrives in town looking for work, a boy who is not one of the yearly tourists, and Penny offers him a place to stay on the island where she lives with her fey mother, operating the light house. Penny hopes to protect Bo from the curse but this year it will all be different, because this year Penny will fall in love...

I don't think I've read a YA book written quite like this. It had the feel of Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman and Chocolat by Joanne Harris, and even The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender. And yet it's not really like any of these books either. Unlike other magical realism narratives, while The Wicked Deep shares the lyrical language, there's a firmly rooted, down to earth feel about it too that really lets you enter the MC's head. As I said, it was very atmospheric - I love books set by wild coastlines - and the set up with the light house and the ghost stories reminded me a lot of where I grew up. I worked out the big reveals halfway through the book but I didn't care because I was enjoying the journey so much.

And then there was the underlying theme of women being punished for enjoying and embracing there own sexuality, conversely actually turning them into predators and dangerous succubus like creatures, motivated by revenge. Beyond that it's a story about love and sacrifice, and facing death not by stagnating but by living as fully as you can despite loss and the awareness of death.

I think if you're looking for something a bit more highschool witches and less concepty, or you don't enjoy lyrical prose, then this might not be for you. It bears no resemblance to The Mortal Instruments for example. But this was a quiet thrill ride with a poignant yearning at it's heart and it was absolutely beautifully written. A proper ghost story and probably one of my top reads of 2018.

A very atmospheric book! The plot kept me hooked to the very end, with twists that I genuinely did not anticipate. The only thing that let it down was the insta love, which I personally very rarely enjoy.

Great world building which draws you in to the world and keeps you invested through the story's intense climax. A must read for YA fantasy fans particularly those who loves magic and witchiness.

The town of Sparrow is cursed. It has been cursed for centuries-ever since the small and isolated town drowned three girls they deemed to be witches. They tied stones to their ankles were thrown into the depths of the sea to drown. And every year since the girls come back, their song drifting over the sea trying to lure girls into the sea to steal their bodies. With these bodies they get their revenge, they drown boys, dragging them to their watery depths. Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town, but when a stranger called Bo Carter, Penny has a strong urge to protect him from the sisters. The townspeople turn against each other trying to find the sisters before more men drown.

The Wicked Deep was a beautifully haunting read. Atmospheric, lush writing, and a brilliant witchy vibe. It was full of witches, revenge, secrets and murder, and if that is your thing then I do highly recommend that The Wicked Deep goes to the top of your TBR shelf. One of my favourite things was the small town atmosphere, it really added to the story.

I loved the idea of the Swan season when the swan sisters came back to haunt the cursed town, seeking revenge for the pain they suffered at the town’s hands. What I really would have seen more of though, is more development for the sisters. I really loved the flashbacks to when the sisters were alive and the events that led to their deaths, but honestly, I would read a whole book about the sister’s lives two centuries ago.

What I felt was lacking, was the romance. They had some chemistry but yeah, not my favourite romance but it was nice. I did see the big twist coming, but, I did love it nonetheless. Also, this book reminded me why I love the paranormal genre and WE NEED MORE WITCHES IN YA PLEASE!

The writing is lovely. It is atmospheric, whimsical but dark, and it is what really drew me into the story. Shea Ernshaw is definitely on my list of authors-to-keep-my-eye-on. I will read whatever she writes next.

Overall, a book that I would highly recommend if you are looking for a dark and atmospheric read full of witches, secrets, and murder.

An intriguing premise and gorgeously slow built story that deteriorates with a rushed reveal and climax that leaves the reader feeling a bit cheated. Almost excellent.

I enjoyed this book and felt I wanted to keep going swiftly to find the conclusion. I wasn’t that shocked by the twist but was pleased it didn’t turn into a twilightesque love story with no substance. I wasn’t that happy with the ending. Perhaps a little too neat.

This book will stay with you forever...

I am breathless from the beauty of this novel. Last night I just finished the most wonderful, beautiful and magical YA book of all time. There was something about this book when I first heard about it from the publishers, I don't know what it was, it could have been the cover, the description, the pitch from the publicist or it could have put a spell on me, you never know. I more inclined to the latter if I'm honest. But I've never read anything like it, I'm not talking about the plot or the characters, I'm talking about this new voice to YA, I'm talking about Shea Ernshaw.

Penny Talbot lives on an island with her mum called Lumiere Island and just a stones throw away, over the ocean is a small town called Sparrow. Sparrow has a curse, three witches, the Swan Sisters, steal the bodies of three girls, seduces and drowns three boys every summer. They are out for revenge and they have done so for two hundred years. You do not know that you have been claimed by the Swan Sisters, they steal their memories and life of the girl they've inhabited. So when a boy named Bo, arrives in town just as the Swan season begins, Penny feels compelled to protect him because you are vulnerable until the summer solstice and those sisters will do anything to seduce and claim their revenge.

This is a story of love, revenge, sacrifices and secrets twisted into the tales of witches and curses. Penny and Bo as main characters, grow for strength to strength, but they are driven by secrets; too grave for me to share. There was so much love, swooning even, both for the characters but more for the book. The more pages I turned the more my heart was just bursting at the seams with pure joy, light and absolute love.

Shea Ernshaw is a beautiful storyteller, her writing has this tranquil effect on you and she literally just immerses you into the story. The world-building, the way the story was told, you could see it playing out before you. I kind of felt that the physical book was like the portal to the story and if you looked around you it was it was right in front if you. It felt so real, I imagined it from when I was on holiday in Cornwall, and the atmosphere, from the smell of the orchids and apple trees to the spirit of the sea. I could even sense the Swan Sisters song, which was very eerie - it's like The Wicked Deep had a natural musicality to it's words. You are entranced by the dark, haunting and chilling words that will transform into something truly magical.

This book is like one of Alba's Forgetful Cakes, because you forget everything around you and it's just you and this book. You will get the reference when you read the book. But that's the thing about The Wicked Deep, even now 24 hours after finishing the book I still can't get over it, it's like it's permanently with you. The Wicked Deep has put a spell on me, and will to you too.

Absolutely loved this and read it in two days. Perfect for anyone who’s obsessed with practical magic/hocus pocus/YA/and all things witchy.
I’ve already recommended it to most my friends.

This book took me by surprise on multiple occasions. Most importantly my opinion of the book from start to finish changed drastically. At the beginning, I thought this was going to be a standard ‘oh there are witches and our plucky young protagonist has to deal with it and fall in love’ kind of book. This story does have elements of that trope in it, but it does have a lot more depth to it than that. It takes character development to the next level and it will certainly blow your socks off if you give it time.

As I say, I thought these characters were well written and that they developed well. I will say that, in terms of characters you get to know anything about, the ‘cast’ is small and there are quite a few individuals who you never really get to know on anything more than a superficial level. However, in a short story such as this one, it makes sense to focus on a select few.

This book is dark, be forewarned. It isn’t dark in a gory sense as many ‘trendy’ books are at the moment. It’s darker in the sense that it is genuinely spooky. I was reading this while home alone and started to regret it somewhat. If you enjoy the eerie you will find this worth the read. It is also worth noting that if you aren’t comfortable reading about deaths/murders, in particular, drownings, then don’t read this book.

I think this is a great example of this kind of paranormal story and I’m excited to see what Shea Ernshaw writes in the future.

Ok I’m going to do something a little different now, I have a question I want to pose about an element of the book to my dear readers but it is quite the spoiler so, if you want to avoid spoilers then click away after my rating and go read the book (but then come back and let me know what you think! (You have been warned).

My rating: 5/5 stars

I received a digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Ok, Spoiler alert!!!

So Penny’s body isn’t her own and for pretty much the entire book that is the case. But how does that work for consent? Because obviously Hazel is consenting and so is Bo but it isn’t Hazel’s body? I’m not sure there’s a right answer to this and consent always gets harder to talk about when magic is involved. I’m not asking for a legal definition (because I don’t think current laws take possession into account) I’m just interested in your take on it? I think there might be a wider blog post on magic and consent (it was one of the problems I had with The Goblins of Belwater) but I don’t have time for that here. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below!