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being_b's review against another edition
4.0
Three and a half stars, rounded up to four. Very little really happens in this book, but it has such a sideways perspective from the usual that it was worthwhile anyway.
skycrane's review against another edition
3.0
Instead of dealing directly with the horror of the unknown, this book is more about the damage that can be caused by those lashing out at what they don't understand. What is strange and terrible to us might be familiar and comforting to someone else, and attempts to control or destroy the unknown causes real damage to people. The author explores this concept through the fictional lore of the Cthulu mythos, and by drawing direct comparisons to actual human history, particular the widespread mistrust and suspicion that contributed to mass arrests and mass killings during WWII and the Cold War.
In many ways, this series is the opposite of the Lovecraft stories it borrows from. The main character isn't a scientist or researcher plumbing the depths of the occult seeking forbidden knowledge, she's a woman who had been labeled a monster and had everything taken away from her, just trying to reclaim a little bit of what remains of her home and family. Instead of being driven mad by the revelation that humanity is not alone, she takes comfort in the knowledge that all our pains and struggles are insignificant. However, I wouldn't say that the author is solely trying to criticize Lovecraft, since she makes so many detailed references to his works. I think readers will enjoy this book more the more Lovecraft they've read. Though she changes a lot things, or reexamines ideas from other perspectives, she commits to the sense of isolation in the face of an uncaring world, a major theme of the original stories.
Anyways, that's enough about Lovecraft. Regardless of any references or shared settings, this book is very much its own story. Aphra Marsh is an engaging main character. She bears scars from her treatment by the US government, but is willing to cooperate with the FBI when she agrees with their goals. This is in contrast to her brother, Caleb, who at first is so consumed by anger at the way he was treated that he can't stomach any kind of cooperation. As the book continues, there are many examples of a group closing ranks when threatened and rejecting anything unknown. Aphra and Caleb's people, the Deep Ones, are guilty of this as well. They treat outsiders with suspicion, and have in the past eliminated innocent people to protect their secrets. One example that disgusts Aphra is the way they condemned Daniel Upton (the main character of "The Thing on the Doorstep") to spending the rest of his life in an asylum after he learns too much about the case of Ephraim Waite, even though he essentially did them a favor by killing Ephraim.
The main plot initially deals with the threat of Russian spies using body-switching magic to infiltrate the US government, but this kind of fades into the background very quickly, and much of the tension in the plot revolves around the actions of a rival group of FBI agents. I think this is meant to reflect the main theme of the book, that suspicion itself is often more dangerous than whatever threat initially provoked it. These agents, hoping to catch Russian spies, take more and more drastic actions that threaten the lives of many innocent Americans, and the main characters are forced to put their own goals on hold just to deal with the danger posed by people who are ostensibly on their side.
Along with Aphra and Caleb, the other main characters are all outsiders in their own ways. Neko, Charlie, Audrey, Deedee, and Trumbull have all been discriminated against because of their "differences". Spector, their FBI contact, is himself under suspicion because higher-ups in the government fear that his Jewish faith will make him more loyal to the new state of Israel than to his own country. What's also interesting is the way this suspicion goes both ways. Having been discriminated against and treated as outsiders, each of these characters tends to react with varying degrees of mistrust or resentment towards those they see as related to their persecutors. For Aphra and Caleb, this includes (to one degree or another), basically every single human being, since they're the last of their kind remaining on land. It takes time for these characters to trust one another, and much of Aphra's development is the slow realization that she could've prevented some of the horrible events that occur if she'd been a little more open (though honestly, I think she accepts far too much blame for other people's terrible decisions).
The magic in this book is mainly used for insight, not power. The ritual that the characters use time and again is called "The Inner Sea" and involves becoming aware of one's own blood, and the blood of the other participants. They use it as a form of meditation, but also as a way to form bonds with one another. There are other spells mentioned or used, summonings, protective charms, mind control, but I think the Inner Sea ritual is highlighted because of its thematic importance. Through it, the characters come to understand themselves, and then to understand each other. It ties them together and makes these disparate characters into a family. Essentially, the ritual represents the opposite of the main threat, our natural suspicion of the unknown.
I didn't love this book. There was certain amount of awkwardness in the way characters interact. Sometimes someone will just be hanging around with the others, but silent for hours, so it's hard to remember who's where at any given time. In a way, the other characters often seemed like an extension of Aphra, without really having their own motivations or personalities. At times it reminded me of a party-based computer role-playing game, where the player character is obviously the main character, and the non-player characters you pick up all seem just happy to tag along where ever you go. Sometimes it seemed like what should have been major events ended up having very little impact. And occasionally it was hard to tell exactly what was going on.
But these are all minor complaints. I did like this book, and I think it's worth a read if the summary sounds at all interesting to you.
In many ways, this series is the opposite of the Lovecraft stories it borrows from. The main character isn't a scientist or researcher plumbing the depths of the occult seeking forbidden knowledge, she's a woman who had been labeled a monster and had everything taken away from her, just trying to reclaim a little bit of what remains of her home and family. Instead of being driven mad by the revelation that humanity is not alone, she takes comfort in the knowledge that all our pains and struggles are insignificant. However, I wouldn't say that the author is solely trying to criticize Lovecraft, since she makes so many detailed references to his works. I think readers will enjoy this book more the more Lovecraft they've read. Though she changes a lot things, or reexamines ideas from other perspectives, she commits to the sense of isolation in the face of an uncaring world, a major theme of the original stories.
Anyways, that's enough about Lovecraft. Regardless of any references or shared settings, this book is very much its own story. Aphra Marsh is an engaging main character. She bears scars from her treatment by the US government, but is willing to cooperate with the FBI when she agrees with their goals. This is in contrast to her brother, Caleb, who at first is so consumed by anger at the way he was treated that he can't stomach any kind of cooperation. As the book continues, there are many examples of a group closing ranks when threatened and rejecting anything unknown. Aphra and Caleb's people, the Deep Ones, are guilty of this as well. They treat outsiders with suspicion, and have in the past eliminated innocent people to protect their secrets. One example that disgusts Aphra is the way they condemned Daniel Upton (the main character of "The Thing on the Doorstep") to spending the rest of his life in an asylum after he learns too much about the case of Ephraim Waite, even though he essentially did them a favor by killing Ephraim.
The main plot initially deals with the threat of Russian spies using body-switching magic to infiltrate the US government, but this kind of fades into the background very quickly, and much of the tension in the plot revolves around the actions of a rival group of FBI agents. I think this is meant to reflect the main theme of the book, that suspicion itself is often more dangerous than whatever threat initially provoked it. These agents, hoping to catch Russian spies, take more and more drastic actions that threaten the lives of many innocent Americans, and the main characters are forced to put their own goals on hold just to deal with the danger posed by people who are ostensibly on their side.
Along with Aphra and Caleb, the other main characters are all outsiders in their own ways. Neko, Charlie, Audrey, Deedee, and Trumbull have all been discriminated against because of their "differences". Spector, their FBI contact, is himself under suspicion because higher-ups in the government fear that his Jewish faith will make him more loyal to the new state of Israel than to his own country. What's also interesting is the way this suspicion goes both ways. Having been discriminated against and treated as outsiders, each of these characters tends to react with varying degrees of mistrust or resentment towards those they see as related to their persecutors. For Aphra and Caleb, this includes (to one degree or another), basically every single human being, since they're the last of their kind remaining on land. It takes time for these characters to trust one another, and much of Aphra's development is the slow realization that she could've prevented some of the horrible events that occur if she'd been a little more open (though honestly, I think she accepts far too much blame for other people's terrible decisions).
The magic in this book is mainly used for insight, not power. The ritual that the characters use time and again is called "The Inner Sea" and involves becoming aware of one's own blood, and the blood of the other participants. They use it as a form of meditation, but also as a way to form bonds with one another. There are other spells mentioned or used, summonings, protective charms, mind control, but I think the Inner Sea ritual is highlighted because of its thematic importance. Through it, the characters come to understand themselves, and then to understand each other. It ties them together and makes these disparate characters into a family. Essentially, the ritual represents the opposite of the main threat, our natural suspicion of the unknown.
I didn't love this book. There was certain amount of awkwardness in the way characters interact. Sometimes someone will just be hanging around with the others, but silent for hours, so it's hard to remember who's where at any given time. In a way, the other characters often seemed like an extension of Aphra, without really having their own motivations or personalities. At times it reminded me of a party-based computer role-playing game, where the player character is obviously the main character, and the non-player characters you pick up all seem just happy to tag along where ever you go. Sometimes it seemed like what should have been major events ended up having very little impact. And occasionally it was hard to tell exactly what was going on.
But these are all minor complaints. I did like this book, and I think it's worth a read if the summary sounds at all interesting to you.
hauntedpostalworker's review against another edition
5.0
Winter Tide is such a breathe of fresh air compared to the books predecessor. Tying both the Eldritch into the modern(ish), Winter Tide gives us a look at how sometimes the monsters we see are more human than we thought.
violetshemitz's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
khuizenga's review against another edition
3.0
To be clear, sci fi is not my usual read, but I was intrigued by the premise of this book and it was very atmospheric. The narrative wrestles with loss and home and family and legacy and rebuilding what has been destroyed. In a way it is weighty, but I had a hard time wanting to come back to this book. There is a LARGE ensemble of characters who each represent a different aspect of society, but we never really got to delve into any of the characters or get to know them. The plot is also not compelling enough to be a driving force, although this may be different if you are already heavily invested in HP Lovecraft's mythology. I like my books a bit heavier on the plot and characters, so ultimately this one didn't do it for me, but it was a good way to get a bit out of my comfort zone.
kleonard's review against another edition
5.0
Innsmouth has been bombed by the US military, Deep Ones live among humans, and they'd like to rebuild their city and civilization. They need help, though, from a few allies on land.
vilekstyle's review
DNF at 65%. Didn't finish before book club and don't care to read after.
sarahskorupa's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
crowlandrew's review against another edition
4.0
Manages to simultaneously rebuke and revere Lovecraft, offering an alternate viewpoint of his world that fits seamlessly within even as it promotes an inclusiveness that would shake Howard's tender xenophobic sensibilities. My only complaint would be the system of magic, which pushed an otherwise grounded story a little too close to conventional fantasy for my tastes. Lots of plots unresolved, here's hoping for a series.