The Siren, the Song, and the Spy

Starred review from June 15, 2023
A tragedy upends the worldview of a handmaid to an Imperial spy in this follow-up to 2020's The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea. The Red Shore is home to the Wariuta, whose warriors fight alongside hyena familiars and whose alchemists hold the secret to kau, an explosive coveted by the Colonizers. When a girl dressed in Nipran clothing washes ashore and reveals her ability to speak the Wariuta's Sky language, Wariuta leader Ica spares the girl's life in exchange for her services as an interpreter. Koa, Ica's gentle, pacifist son, is relieved by this decision. But Kaia, his sister, makes clear her distrust of the girl, Genevieve, whom she views as simply another murderous Colonizer. A Nipran commander proposes a trade agreement with the Wariuta, which Ica accepts to prevent further bloodshed, but a betrayal leads to a massacre that leaves nearly all the Wariuta dead except Kaia, who is captured, and Koa, who takes a conscience-stricken Genevieve and a few survivors to a hidden oasis where there resides a siren whose blood holds the secret to the Nipran Empire's defeat. No one escapes the Sea's reckoning in this searing sequel. The cast is diverse in gender identity, sexual orientation, skin color, and socioeconomic status. Together, they tell a story in which justice isn't attained through a cycle of vengeance but with the truth laid bare, paving the way toward reconciliation. Powerful and emotionally gratifying. (map) (Fantasy. 13-18)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 6, 2023
Grades 9-12 Florian and Evelyn, the star-crossed lovers from Tokuda's The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea (2020) return in this second novel, which loosely continues their story and adds others: warrior siblings Koa and Kaia, shipwrecked Genevieve, and newly-betrothed Dai and Thistle. Genevieve starts the story, though her tale is quickly enveloped into Koa and Kaia's as they find her nearly dead on the red sands of the Wariuta shore. Fearing that she is a Colonizer, they take her prisoner and she accidentally begins to learn the secrets of the tribe. Thistle is visited by Lady Minami, who might not be who she says she is, and may know more about the Resistance than Thistle expects. There's a lot going on here, and while this is billed as a sequel in some ways and a companion in others, readers will be best served in reading The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea before delving in here. Buy where the first is popular.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 27, 2023

Gr 8 Up-In this companion to The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea, Tokuda-Hall presents a cast of characters fighting to find their own paths in a world of war and the destruction of the sea's creatures. When Genevieve, an outsider, washes ashore on Wariuta island, she's more than just a stranger; her appearance identifies her as hailing from the dangerous and powerful empire. Local residents Koa, known for his kindness, and Kaia, a fierce warrior, discover Genevieve and extend their help, albeit begrudgingly on Kaia's part. The question looms: should Kaia remain suspicious of this newcomer, and will their act of salvation alter the course of Koa and Kaia's family forever? The narrative weaves delicate intrigues, ever-shifting allegiances, and the evolution of identities as young allies band together to forge a new world and protect the sea's mystical inhabitants from falling prey to commercial endeavors. Due to the complicated story, this book will be much more appreciated by fans of complex and intricate fantasy worlds. VERDICT A high-fantasy novel that will resonate with those seeking an escape that also mirrors the complex realities of colonization and war.-DeHanza Kwong

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.