A big thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted copy of the eARC! Lore of the Tides is now available for purchase, having officially released on July 8th. This is the sequel to Lore of the Wilds and the final installment in the duology. I covered Lore of the Wilds last week.

Content Warnings have moved to the bottom of the page.

Summary

In Lore of the Tides, Lore thought that she was finally figuring things out. She was beginning to get a handle on her newfound powers. She thought she knew what her enemies wanted and who she could trust. It turned out that she was wrong about the last one and the rug has been torn out from under her.

Just when a better life for her people seemed within reach, she’s ripped even further away from them. This time, she finds herself captive on a ship already far out to sea and still sailing onward. She is parted from the book that started it all, and told it has a sister volume. Lore must track down the second book using her new powers, or else. After all, she’s not the only one they’re holding captive.

My Thoughts:

I tore through this second installment of the duology even faster than the first. Its page count is notably longer, but I felt like I breezed through so much more quickly. To my great relief, the cliffhanger from the last book is clarified in a satisfying way. This one is also divided into three sections, but since it is a longer work and the sections are designated at titled parts, it felt much more clean and intentional.

On the other hand, there was so much condensed plot in all three parts that each could have become its own novel. It read much like three novellas bound into one edition. That likely contributed to how quickly the book seemed to fly by. It also cemented this duology more firmly in the New Adult genre in my mind. A resulting effect of the speed was that several of the major challenges Lore faced came across as “too easy” for the Adult space. A longer work would have provided more room for additional complications, but would have also aged up the voice of the narrative. However, there is also a ramp up in spice level from the last book that I would argue takes it out of the Young Adult space.

As it stands, the character voice remained extremely engaging. Lore’s emotional response to having been betrayed is deeply layered, complex, and at times even self-conflicting. It’s realistic. It is achingly relatable to anyone who has experienced a similar breach in trust. Watching it fuel her character arc is very gratifying. It seeps into all of her relationships, whether they be romantic, familial, or platonic. Her emotions become truly visceral in her most intense moments.

Once again, the portrayals of magical beings drew me in. The fae still fascinate, and this installment adds sirens to this world as well. They have an equally unique portrayal while also remaining recognizable from mythology. It’s clear that Sbrana designed a very full and robust world for Lore. While her story may have come to an end with this duology’s completion, I would be very curious to see whether there will be future books in this same setting.

Content Warnings: Classism, Death of Parent, Large-Scale Natural Disaster, Captivity, Parentification, Kidnapping, Blood, Graphic Depictions of Violence and Injuries, Gaslighting, Drugging, Graphic Sexual Content, SA, Slavery, Forced Pregnancy, Eugenics, Betrayal, Genocide, Drowning, Torture, Vomit, Child Death, Famine

After I Finished Lore of the Tides

I’d done a few digital reads in a row, and I needed a physical book next, so I picked one up off the TBR pile. I picked it up a long while back. Although it’s from one of my favorite authors and one I’ve been extremely excited for, I’ve had to keep putting it off for one reason or another. Finally I got the chance to dive in and so far it’s everything I was hoping for and more.

The book I’ll be writing about next is I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin.