Enemies to Lovers, Rewritten Tales, and Queer Romance – A Review of The Isle in the Silver Sea

What if you could rewrite your fate—even if your story was meant to end in tragedy?

Synopsis

From World Fantasy Award-winning author Tasha Suri comes The Isle in the Silver Sea, a heart-shattering romantasy of sapphic longing, medieval folklore and a love that spans the centuries.

In a Britain fuelled by stories, the knight and the witch are fated to fall in love and doom each other over and over, the same tale retold over hundreds of lifetimes.

Simran is a witch of the woods. Vina is a knight of the Queen’s court. When the two women begin to fall for each other, how can they surrender to their desires, when to give in is to destroy each other?

As they seek a way to break the cycle, a mysterious assassin begins targeting tales like theirs. To survive, the two will need to write a story stronger than the one that fate has given to them.

But what tale is stronger than The Knight and the Witch?

Review

4,5 stars

This was my first time reading Tasha Suri, and I didn’t know what to expect.

What I got was gorgeous, lyrical penmanship and a story that feels like a true fairytale—tales coming alive, their characters reincarnating over and over to fulfill their roles. All set against a backdrop of sapphic love, fae bargains, sprawling libraries, and a deadly quest to save a kingdom from an assassin bent on erasing stories forever.

I won’t lie—the opening was confusing. Is she Isadora or Simran? Was she reincarnated already? But once I got into the rhythm, the “story system” made sense and completely captivated me.

The narrative alternates between Simran and Vina (Lavinia). They are tied to the same tragic tale: Vina is the knight destined to slay the witch—Simran. But when their story begins, instead of enemies, they become reluctant allies in the fight against a greater threat: an assassin destroying incarnates and erasing their tales, unraveling the Isle itself.

And what if, along the way, the knight falls for the witch? What if they dared to rewrite their fate? What if the true villain wasn’t who they thought at all?

The penmanship is poetic, powerful and absolutely mesmerizing!

This tale is divided in two parts, rich with myths, legends, and even a leap into the future. It can feel tangled at times, but the lush prose and inclusive, queer love story shine brilliantly.

Read this if you love:
Gorgeous, poetic prose
Unique reincarnation & “story incarnate” system
Sapphic & queer love
Cat companions
Fae bargains & trickery
Sprawling magical libraries
Quests, sacrifice, bravery

This book is atmospheric, queer, and utterly enchanting—a true tale spun with heart and beauty.

(Thank you so much, Orbit Books UK, for my copy!)

Thanks for reading.