The third book in The Princess Swap series has arrived, and it might be the most surprising swap yet!
Like the stories you’re familiar with, Rapunzel and the Sea Witch (or, The Little Mermaid and the Tower) finds our girls exactly where you’d expect them. Rapunzel is cursed never to leave her tower, or she’ll bring misfortune to anyone she gets near. Princess Hana is under the sea, dealing with a mysterious storm and a best friend who’s been captured by sailors. Tensions loom between the humans and the merfolk, each believing the other is responsible for the storm – but as they’ll discover, there’s SO much more at play.
When Rapunzel unexpectedly ends up in a sea witch’s lair, she’s hoping she’s found the key to lifting the curse and finds herself challenging everything she was taught to believe. All the while, Princess Hana is trapped in a tower with no door, wondering how she’ll ever be able to find her friend – and save her kingdom!
What would happen if Rapunzel made a deal with a sea witch, and The Little Mermaid wound up at the top of a very tall tower? Fairy tales meet Freaky Friday in this series, where there’s a magical mix-up for every princess!
All Rapunzel wants is to explore, but she can’t set foot outside her tower without triggering her curse. At least, that’s what her mother tells her, and she has no reason not to listen to her mother, right? But when Rapunzel suddenly winds up in a sea witch’s lair, she wonders if this could be her chance: not only to see the world, but also to break the curse that’s always hung over her. . . .
Princess Hana, meanwhile, has her hands full with this mysterious storm wreaking havoc under the sea. As a mermaid, she’s pretty sure humans are at fault—especially after her best friend is captured by sailors. But how is Hana supposed to save him when she suddenly finds herself stuck in a very tall tower with no door?
Happily-ever-after couldn’t feel farther away. Can Rapunzel break her curse before it is triggered? And can Hana escape the tower in time to save her kingdom?
For other Princess Swaps, don’t miss:
Cinderella and the Beast (or, Beauty and the Glass Slipper)
Snow White and the Dragon (or, Sleeping Beauty and the Seven Dwarfs)
The Princess Swap: Rapunzel and the Sea Witch (or, The Little Mermaid and the Tower)
AUTHOR: Kim Bussing
PUBLISHER: Random House Books for Young Readers
DATE: Nov 11, 2025
We promise no spoilers, but Rapunzel and the Sea Witch might just be the most exciting, twisty, turny story yet, filled with fairy tale magic, surprising secrets, and even glimpses at characters from the previous Princess Swap books! (PSST: You can read these books as standalones, but reading the series makes it more fun.)
One other thing that Rapunzel and the Sea Witch is full of? Nods to previous versions of the fairy tales that came before it. That’s why we asked Kim Bussing to share 6 magical facts about Rapunzel and the Sea Witch and the inspiration she pulled from the existing versions of these fairytales, so you can learn even about Rapunzel, Hana, and their journeys to happily ever after!
Author Kim Bussing Shares 6 Magical Facts about Rapunzel and the Sea Witch:
Rapunzel is actually a type of edible green
“Rapunzel” refers to a type of wild green once foraged in Europe, similar to lettuce or spinach. It’s also called rampion, and it’s very nutritious. (If you’re a fan of Into the Woods, the word “rampion” makes its way into the witch’s portion of the opening song).
This name makes sense, considering in some of the older versions of the story, Rapunzel’s mother was craving greens while pregnant with her. The king steals rapunzel for his wife, and the witch takes the baby as payment. AKA, she takes “back” the rapunzel.
Because of this, the fairy godfather makes multiple jokes throughout Rapunzel and the Sea Witch about her name. How many can you spot?
This little mermaid is named after the creator of the “original” Little Mermaid
If you’ve watched the Disney movie, you might know the little mermaid as Ariel. However, in the story that inspired the movie, The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen, she’s never given a name.
Since Ariel is Disney’s character, in Rapunzel and the Sea Witch, the little mermaid is called Hana, paying tribute to Hans Christian Andersen.
Why is Rapunzel’s name still Rapunzel? Because that’s what she’s been called for hundreds of years!
In some versions of Rapunzel, Rapunzel is banished from her tower
There are countless versions of every single fairy tale. And in many retellings of Rapunzel, like that from the Brothers Grimm, our favorite long-haired heroine doesn’t escape her tower. She’s forced to leave after the witch discovers she’s fallen in love with the prince. The witch is also responsible for cutting Rapunzel’s hair.
The witch wants to protect Rapunzel from the world, similar to how Lady Grimm wants to “protect” Rapunzel from how her curse might hurt others.
Of course, in this book, Rapunzel takes matters into her own hands. Even if it means striking up a dangerous deal with a sea witch…
In Andersen’s Little Mermaid, the story ends with (spoiler) her drifting into the clouds
Unlike the Disney movie, where Ariel happily ends up with Prince Erik, in Andersen’s tale, the little mermaid ends up becoming one of the “daughters of the air,” or beings that live in the skies. A very different outcome than what we’re used to!
This was part of the inspiration for Rapunzel’s adventure into the clouds in this book. And, of course, that led to the thought…you know what other fairy tale creatures live high in the sky? Giants. And what character is known for sneaking into the giant kingdom?
If you’re thinking what I’m thinking, then you might know who makes an appearance!
The sea witch in Andersen’s story isn’t evil…at least, not completely
Ursula might be one of the best Disney villains, but Andersen’s sea witch actually warns the little mermaid about the dangers of becoming human before agreeing to help her. Naturally, she does end up stealing her voice in exchange for a magical potion, as witches do.
However, that murkiness around whether or not the sea witch is evil inspired Madame Divine in Rapunzel and the Sea Witch (and other Princess Swap books). She has her own secrets behind the deals she makes.
Lady Grimm, Rapunzel’s mother, is named after some of the most famous people in fairy tale history
You may have heard of The Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, who were scholars (they’re even mentioned earlier in this list!). In the 1800s, they traveled around what is now Germany, collecting tales from local people. They edited those stories and put them into collections, which they sold. If you’ve read older versions of the fairy tales, like Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood, they might be by the Brothers Grimm. However, there are many, many, many, and many more tellings from different cultures and centuries.
Like the Brothers Grimm are powerful figures in the world of fairy tales, so is Lady Grimm the most powerful figure (or so she thinks) within a fairy tale world. And she likes getting creative with stories that aren’t hers, until it gets hard to tell truth from lies…
👑FEELING ENCHANTED?: Author Kim Bussing spilled enchanting secrets about Cinderella and the Beast HERE!
