The drawings are very beautiful, particularly the detailed renderings of the steam ships themselves - really quite masterful. The charcoal palate adds to the eerie tone of the book as well. Story wise, I did enjoy it, but I feel a little as if the ending went by too fast compared to the pace of the rest of the book. I really want to give this 3.5 stars, but figured I'd rather round up than round down. ( )

There are rumors that a mermaid lives in the Hudson River. It is whispered among the sailors to explain all the mysterious disappearances of men and women alike. Sailor Twain is the captain of the Lorelei. The man has a dark secret. The owner of the steamboat is a French man named Lafayette, a living stereotype obsessed by the legend of the mermaid, as he is sure his brother was charmed underwater by the legendary being. He exchanges letters with a mysterious author, specialist of the creature. As the story goes, the three destinies collide. And the mystery of the water nymph is unveiled.

I loved Sailor Twain Or: The Mermaid in the Hudson ! The atmosphere is wonderful, and the story is worthy of the best folktales. The art and absence of colors give a unique, and mysterious atmosphere to the story. It is original, unexpected and really well written. If you love classical 19th century novels by Poe, Twain, Hemingway, or Greek mythology, it is really worth the discovery. ( )

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Netgalley. Content warning for suicide.)

Set on the steamboat the Lorelei, which is navigating the Hudson River circa 1887, SAILOR TWAIN is an odd and enchanting story about a melancholy captain named Twain; the seemingly impossibly randy owner of the steamboat, a Frenchman named Lafayette; a reclusive author known as C. G. Beaverton; a cursed mermaid; and the humans she condemns with her song. Their paths all converge along the Hudson, often with deleterious results.

Having arrived at the story with misguided expectations - for some reason, I thought SAILOR TWAIN was historical fiction - I wasn't always sure what to make of it. Part fantasy, part murder mystery (on a ship, at that), part romance, SAILOR TWAIN is a tricky beast. I guess it doesn't help that the digital ARC I received was highly pixelated, making both the dialogue and action difficult to follow. At one point, I hopped on over to the Wikipedia entry on the book for guidance.

There are a lot of interesting threads to sift through, even if they don't always come together to form a satisfying whole. For example, the mermaid's story is captivating, though I don't feel like we - or South - really get a satisfying ending. Likewise, the half-people trapped underwater with South ... it's an interesting idea that also resulted in a ton of confusion (for me, anyway).

Tbh, I also found it impossible to muster up much sympathy for Twain, who left his wife - a newly ill wheelchair user, at that - for South. Seemingly of his own free will, to boot. Gross.

I wan't crazy about the art, either; most of the characters feel (and look) like caricatures and, with one exception, the women are all one-dimensional ... fitting, I guess, since most of the women aboard the Lorelei have little meaning outside of being Lafayette's conquests. ( )

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/daW4lPAAyHY

Enjoy! ( )

I liked it pretty well for the most part--intriguing plot, fun characters, the murky folklore of the Hudson--but as it came to a boiling point at the end, it became hard for me to follow and was crazy enough that I wasn't sure if I cared to try. I may think better of it as time passes though. ( )