Better Read Than Dead February Book of the Month: Sea Hearts by Margo Lanagan

After the first section of Sea Hearts I was curious. After the second section I was intrigued. After the third section I was absolutely hooked and had no intention of putting the book down until I’d finished it. If this review sounds sycophantic at all, it’s because I am completely head over heels for this book.

Rollrock Island is a rather desolate place to live. Foggy and bleak, the island is host to a remote village of fishermen, their wives and children. Misskaella, a sea witch, discovers she has the power to coax a girl from the heart of a seal. For a price (to be determined by Misskaella) the men of Rollrock may get a seal-wife. The moment she emerges from her skin, her chosen man will fall under her spell and she won’t return to the sea so long as he keeps her from her sealskin.  Once one man has a sea-wife brought up from the waves, the other men are powerless to resist the temptation. 

Told through many different eyes, in segments which are beautiful enough to be short stories on their own, we witness a few generations pass as Misskaella works her magic. We see the effects of her work on the men, women and children of Rollrock Island. This one is not just for fantasy readers but for anyone in search of stunningly beautiful prose. Sea Hearts is a haunting tale which will enchant all who read it.

RRP: $19.99   Online Price: $17.99 Click Here to Buy Now