Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was unexpected. The story started with a bit of lore: A magical island named Ys, the water witch, Dahut, her former lover and the right hand of death, Ankou, and a mask that would kill any man who was untrue to her about his feelings.

Then we're dropped back down to earth and meet sibling archaeologists Ariadne (Ari) and Jason Walker. They're searching for proof of Ys, the last project of Ari's fiance, Simon, before he was found drowned in the treacherous waters off the coast of Brittany. Enter into the picture Raphael Du Lac, a very wealthy man with a vested interest in Ys since all male members of his family have drowned or in some way been killed by water before age 35 due to a curse from Dahut.

This turns into a story steeped in lore, mystery, and treasure hunting, which was wholly unexpected for me. There were parts that I wish were fleshed out more, particularly the last quarter of the book felt rushed to me and left some unanswered questions. However, I enjoyed the characters, particularly Ari and Jason's sibling dynamic. And at the end of the book, I was left with an enjoyable feeling (half my books get thrown against the wall, so this is very good).

The Water Witch is a captivating, mysterious, and intriguing fantasy novel. Saint Serine is a town plagued by a curse with mysterious water related deaths. Ari’s fiancé, Simon, was one of those. Simon was obsessed with finding the lost city of Ys and that obsession took his life. When Ari’s brother, an archaeologist, calls her and says he’s found a clue to Ys she gets pulled back to the cursed town. Along the journey she meets Rafael from one of the most prestigious families in the area. With the clues Simon left her, Ari and Rafael try to uncover the city of Ys and stop the curse on his family that is soon coming for his life.

I found myself really enjoying this story. It did start off a bit slow but around chapter 10 the plot really kicks up and I couldn’t put it down. With a description of a fantasy romance novel, I anticipated there being more spice. We are given a good build up slow burn between Ari and Rafael but when it comes down to it, it’s completely fade to black. There is a lot of mystery in this story that takes quite a few turns but all wraps up nicely in the end.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookoture for the eARC and the opportunity to leave a voluntary and honest review.

Memorable fantasy, search for a lost city

Wow! That prologue! The lush description of an innovative fantasy setting pulled me in: a stormy night, lashing waves. A beautiful princess whom every man desires appears holding a gorgeous gold and lapis lazuli mask. She sets her eyes on the handsomest man you've ever seen. This fantasy world was in the past.

I was looking forward to more of the princess' story. Instead, we fast forward to the present, real world. To Brittany, France. Much of the novel is told in the third-person POV of the 2 protagonists, Ari and Rafael.

Ariadne (Ari) Walker’s myth-loving fiancé, Simon, drowned in the Atlantic Ocean 2 years ago, while following his passion of searching for the lost underwater city of Ys. Breton legend had it that Ys was destroyed centuries prior, the princess of Ys simultaneously becoming a water witch. She disappeared kicking and screaming, cursing the succeeding generations of the man who betrayed her; the Mac'htiern, protector, of his people.

Ari is pulled to Brittany, and finds herself furthering Simon's search. She is rapidly fuelled by clues, the princess' mask no less, during a deep sea dive in the Atlantic.

Ari meets Rafael Du Lac after he emerges from his dive, also looking for the city of Ys. Rafael believes in the legends of Ys, the princess, the curse. For him, it's personal. For centuries, his male ancestors have been cursed to die by their 35th birthday by the water witch. His thirty-fifth birthday approaching, Rafael's mortality is at stake. The stakes couldn't be greater. With Ari's help, he urgently sets out to undo the curse, the mystery of which he is convinced lies in the hidden city of Ys.

Page turning, fascinating. Unputdownable. Highly recommended.

#TheWaterWitch #NetGalley

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC of The Water Witch by Jessica Thorne in exchange for an honest review. My review can be found at https://thereadersvault.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-water-witch-jessica-thorne-5.html?m=1 and https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4915617304

Romance, mystery, fantasy, adventure all found in the pages of The Water Witch.

I loved the setting of the book and the author’s detailed description of people and places. I could almost feel the ocean breeze. The folklore and the characters felt real, and I couldn’t help but root for Ari & Rafi.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Bookouture for a copy.

The Water Witch, Jessica Thorne

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Romance, General Fiction, Sci-fi and fantasy

I loved Jessica's The Bookbinder's Daughter, so when I saw this I had to read it. Its a very different style of story though, another five star for me but I enjoyed it for hugely alternate reasons. The romance here is very to the fore, where the BBD it was much more muted backstory.
I used to read a lot of Susanna Kearsley and Barbara Erskine stories way back and this reminds me very much of that style, the past present connections, fantasy and reality weaving into one. It has some great characters, not least my favourite Unpleasant People, I love a story with some good nasties in ;-)
It takes a while for everything to begin to mesh, t first I was unsure what was going to happen, but I loved the way the story unfolded, releasing tiny clues, little bits of info that later become very important.
I wasn't sure about Ari at first, she feels lost, drifting almost, but when she meets Raphael its as if they have a visible connection. Her brother is a typical rush in, all in person, the excavation and adventure is all to him. Though he finally finds that actually there are more important things. I loved that. Raphael is a confusing person, dogged by this family curse, busy with the family business, and its problems, and concerned for his aged but adored Meme.
There's lots going on here, a magical mix of real and fantasy, done in a very believable way, with an fab romance running through.


Stars: Five again, but a very different five to The BBD. Fantastic escapist read.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

This book was so magical and enchanting. I loved it and didn't want it to end.
I was swept away with the turn of each page. So fascinating that I could not put it down. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!!!!

“Call it what you will, the groac’h, the mari-morgen, the water witch… If you cannot believe her, at least humour her. She has the sight, and the knowing, your great-aunt. The Walkers can help because they’re touched by loss as well.”

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Water Witch’ by Jessica Thorne.

I found this an enchanting romantic fantasy. Within it Thorne blends myth and legend with a contemporary love story.

Dr. Ariadne Walker is grieving the death of her fiancé Simon. Two years ago he drowned in the stormy Atlantic Ocean doing what he loved: searching for the lost underwater city of Ys. Local legend states that it was destroyed centuries ago when the princess of Ys became a water witch, cursing the name of the man who betrayed her. Yet Ari isn’t the kind to believe such fanciful tales.

Before his death Simon sent Ari a letter ending their relationship. She remains haunted by it though has told no one. Now she has returned to Brittany where her brother, Jason, is continuing with the search for the lost city.

On the beach she encounters the dishy Rafael in unusual circumstances. He is the great-nephew of Madame du Lac, whose foundation is funding Jason’s explorations. She believes that the legends are true and that their ancestor had been cursed by the water witch. As a result she feels that Rafael’s life is in danger.

The secret to breaking the curse is said to lie hidden in the lost city. When Ari finds a cryptic map and a golden mask of a woman’s face amongst Simon’s things, she is intrigued. Ari is herself an expert on marine archeology, which is how she initially met Simon. After his death she had turned her back on academia, though now with the urging of Madame du Lac, Jason, and Rafael she joins the team. The race for answers is on….

I appreciated that Thorne didn’t seek to rationalise the mythic and paranormal elements of her tale. Of course, there is Ari’s scepticism that provides a counterpoint to those characters who are more open to the unexplained.

I felt that the romantic elements of the novel were handled well, being part of the narrative yet not overwhelming other aspects. That Ari is coming to terms with her loss as well as struggling to understand Simon’s final communication is not brushed aside even with Rafael on the scene.

Overall, I was very impressed by ‘The Water Witch’. I had previously enjoyed one of Jessica Thorne’s YA fantasy titles and was pleased that she had moved into writing for an older readership while continuing to capture the mythic and fantastical with skill and confidence. It was a memorable tale and I certainly plan on reading more of her work.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

This would make such an epic film!

A beautifully written story of folklore and legend with a sprinkling of magic. An absolute page turner of a read, that started off a little slowly but soon picked up pace as Thorne took us on a treasure hunt like no other.

It has a great cast of characters, and the imagery is spot on, it allowed me to visually transport myself to Ys, revelling in all of its glory and magnificence.

A highly immersive and entertaining read which I would recommend to lovers of anything witchy.

Many thanks to Bookouture for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Water Witch is a wonderful mix of mystery and legend with a dash of fantasy. Both the legend and hint of fantasy just made me even more involved in the story. I couldn’t wait to see if the lost city of Ys would be discovered. Then add a curse into the mix and you get a very intriguing premise.

The author carefully crafted a story that held a mystery that captured my attention. I was kept on my toes wondering how all the pieces were going to fall into place. The characters were also an important part of that puzzle. I couldn’t help but like Ari, she was determined but her past also made her vulnerable. I was rooting for her to find peace and happiness.

It is safe to say that The Water Witch was a very easy story to be pulled into especially seeing the connection between Rafael and Ari unfold. For me there was a winning combination of a lost city, legends and romance. All of which came together to create a magical and adventure filled story.

This was my first book to read by this author and I really liked it. I will be reading more by her. I enjoyed her writing and how she weaves together the legends and folklore that surrounded Brittany, France and the search for the lost city of Ys.

Adriane Walker, still grieving over the loss of her fiancée, Simon, is called by her brother to come see what he has found and to help in the search for the lost city of the Ys. Her fiancée dedicated his life to finding the Ys and died trying to find it, leaving Adriane broken and betrayed. Adriane does not want to help but keeps being pulled into the mystery surrounding the search for the Ys and the du Lac curse. With help from Rafael du Lac, she unravels the mystery surrounding the lost city of the Ys and discovers herself at the same time. The whole journey helps Ari come to terms with what happens with Simon and who she is. There is romance but I felt that was secondary to the mystery and legend of the Water Witch and the Ys.

This books has it all - mystery, folklore, adventure, heartbreak, betrayal, and love and the adventure was a nail biting journey to go on with these characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Jessica Thorne for this Book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this beautifully written, quietly magical story of grief and love. The theme of fidelity underpins the whole novel, with the water witch of the title possessing a magical mask that kills her unfaithful lovers. I loved that Thorne named the family that betrayed the water witch du Lac, bringing to mind one of myths great adulterers, Lancelot du Lac.

Ariadne, of course, helped Theseus solve the riddle of the labyrinth (before he abandoned her on an island), and Jason sought the Golden Fleece. Appropriate names for a woman who must break a curse, and her brother who seeks mythological treasure.

I wasn’t familiar with the legend of the lost city of Ys before reading this book, but I love that the author used a real Breton myth to build the foundation of her novel. Her love for the region is obvious in the beautiful descriptions of the area and the warm way she depicts the people. I was particular drawn to the Celtic connection between the Irish siblings and their Breton friends.

I loved the magical elements of the plot and how well they tied into the theme. Ariadne’s grief and hurt are easy to understand and emphasize with.

The archeological aspects are no less interesting. There is something about finding lost cities and making myth fact that is just as magical as water witches and magic masks.

Overall this is a charming, immersive, emotional book. Be prepared to start planning a trip to Brittany after reading it.

Thank you to the author and Bookouture for providing me with an ARC. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This book is a treasure hunt story filled to the brim with legends and history, in a contemporary setting. I particularly enjoyed the Breton legends and was fascinated with the history of the Breton names, and was hooked almost right away.

The characters are well-fleshed-out, they are believable, filled with flaws but still worthy of the reader’s emotional attachment, and I followed them with pleasure on their thrilling quest and witnessed very moving moments.

I was a little disappointed to have guessed almost right away the connection between the witch and a certain character, but it was still enjoyable to pick up the clues along the way. I wish we had seen more of Nico and Jason and felt like their secondary story could have been developed more.
I greatly enjoyed that, although the main characters fall into the dreaded miscommunication trope, it doesn’t last too long and I was willing to forgive that.

The attention to details and credibility of the description is really nice, and you almost feel as though you are in Sainte Sirène yourself while reading this book. If you don’t like books with a lot of description, I felt it was rather nicely balanced considering the genre of the book. It actually almost felt like reading a French book, between the writing style and the setting.

Thank you to the publisher Bookouture and to NetGalley for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

The Water Witch is a romantic fantasy set in Brittany, France which follows the life of Ariadne "Ari" Walker in the aftermath of her fiance's drowning while diving for the lost mystical city of Ys. Convinced by her brother to come to France and continue the search, Ari soon discovers that the stories Simon told her about Ys might be more than just local legends. At the same time, Rafael du Lac- a successful CEO and descendant of an ancient family- is waiting for the day when he will drown like every other man in the family before him. After meeting Rafael, and finding a mask apparently matching the local legends of the Water Witch in Simon's things, Ari begins to believe that the city of Ys might be real. As time runs out on Rafael's life, they rush to find Ys and end the curse for good.

This was a well written and incredibly detailed romantic fantasy with a wonderful focus on the search for Ys. Rafael and Ari are strong characters on their own, but I did feel like the romance moved too quickly for a woman who was mourning her lost love. However, the storytelling and side characters (especially Ari's brother and Rafael's great aunt) made up for this quick love. I do wish there'd been more of a focus on Ari's life before Simon, and what drew her into archaeology, but that's a minor issue. The highlight for me was the setting, which is gorgeously described throughout the entire book. Ys might not be real, but Jessia Thorne made it feel as if it is.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Water Witch follows Ari Walker in search of what really happened to her fiance, Simon, who supposedly drowned while searching for the lost underwater city of Ys. When she arrives in Brittany, she meets Rafe, who swears by local legends of the water witch, as his own ancestor was cursed by her. In order to break the curse, and to find out what really happened to Simon, she and Rafe set out on an adventure to find the lost city.

I loved the worldbuilding. Every time the author wrote about the water witch, about the underwater city, you could see that she had gone to painstaking trouble to create an eerie, whimsical atmosphere that definitely jumped off the page. I would say that this worldbuilding/subplots was the most compelling part of the story. I also enjoyed Rafe's character, as someone whom the local legends affected directly, and who was conjoined to this new world that Ari entered. If I'm being honest, I didn't find the plot all that compelling or suspenseful in the end. And while I appreciate the reasons for the slow burn romance (obviously both parties are contending with a LOT), I felt like maybe if that had been ramped up, I could've remained engaged.

The Water Witch was an enjoyable read, but it was not a personal favorite. This is primarily because the book is described as romantic fantasy yet those were subplots.

To me, it was more focused on finding the Lost City of Ys, therefore, it would be more accurate to describe it as a book about archeology or treasure hunting with romance and fantasy subplots.

What I liked the most is that Ari, the female MC, is an academic.

Things I struggled with:
-How quickly the attraction between the two main characters, Ari and Rafael, developed because Ari was so still so impacted by the death of Simon, her fiancé. Ultimately, it didn't feel genuine to me. (Side note: For those looking for steamy romance, this is not your book; the only intimate scene is fade-to-black.)

-Characters' emotions and harrowing scenarios were underdeveloped. Many big things happened in the book yet nothing was emotionally wrenching.

-Very little time is spent in Ys and/or interacting with The Water Witch which is a huge bummer! Especially after a really gripping prologue about both.

[Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the advanced reading copy! My opinion is truthful and my own.]

The Water Witch
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Mourning the death of her fiancé, Ariadne (Ari) Walker is hesitant to assist her brother, a treasure hunter, continue his search for the mythical city of Ys.

But what started as a simple diving adventure turns into more as legend and intrigue have Ari not only looking into the lost city of Ys, but racing against the clock to stop the curse of The Water Witch.

This was the first book I’ve read by Jessica Thorne and I was pleasantly surprised with how much I loved it! Fools Gold meets The Mummy, I was hooked on the mystery that Jessica expertly researched and took the time to weave into the legend of Ys.

The book itself wasn’t necessarily a quick read for me, and I did feel that it started to drag towards the middle but I pushed through and found myself flipping through the last pages, reading as quickly as possible to find out what happened!

The romantic angle didn’t play as large of a role in the book as I expected but I didn’t need it to feel connected to the story or the characters!

Definitely worth the read!

The synopsis of this book sounded very interesting to me. A lost city and a witch?! Secrets and curses. Folklore. Ari’s fiancé has gone missing, presumed dead. She meets Raphael who tells her all of the legends are true. That his family and he are cursed. She goes looking for a way to break this curse. I really enjoyed the story building in this book. There were several twists and turns I didn’t see coming. The romance in the book was a bit more than I expected but I really enjoyed it as well.

*thank you to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was boring and a bit campy at the end. I was 65% of the way through when I feel like it finally picked up but then the whole climax was campy predictable and weird. Not the best thing I’ve read.

A new Author to me and I am hooked.

This was an excellent book from start to finish. If you love a book with Paranormal aspects, suspense, romance and a few twists and turns then The Water Witch by Jessica Thorne is a must read for you.

The main characters Ariadne Walker is an archeological researcher and for a time she lived with her Fiance Simon Pouillain at Saint Sirene but the offer of her dream job was too good to not take so she left. Tragedy occurs and when Ari's brother Jason lures her back to help look for the lost Undewater City of Ys Ari finds herself involved not only in murder but intrigue, add into the mix jealousy and greed and you have got yourself a book that is nearly impossible to put down until the last page.

Absolutely loved this book.

Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Jessica Thorne for the opportunity to read and give an honest review.

A gripping story about love, betrayal and the fragility of the heart.

Dr Ariadne Walker is heartbroken. Mourning the death of her fiancé Ari is a mess when her brother, a treasure hunter, calls for her expertise. He's in Brittany and has found proof the mythical city of Ys exists and needs a credible archaeologist to prove its realness.

But when Ari gets there she gets far more than she bargains for, all the while dealing with her traitorous, traumatised heart and a mystery that has spanned generations.
I am writing this about 5 mins after finishing this book because I am a mess. This is a gorgeous love story with mythical magic at its heart. Ariadne and her brother Jason are some of the most bullhead characters I have come across in quite some time and both annoyed me in equal (well maybe Ari annoyed me more) measure. Rafael Du Lac is a gorgeously written character who is just as traumatised as Ari is but for different reasons. He's so interesting, gentle and understanding that he had me melting at every chapter. He's my new book boyfriend.

The writing was detailed and fast paced in such a way that I didn't feel that i was being rushed along so that we could get to the next big event. I loved that I never felt the need to skip whole paragraphs just to find out what happened next, it was super satisfying. And on top of that there were mysteries and clues peppered throughout which made me feel great when I figured it out 😁

I also really appreciated how atmospheric this story was, I definitely dreamt I was on the cliffs in Brittany at some point this week and was thoroughly confused when I woke up somewhere totally different 😂