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bookcaptivated's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Self harm, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol, Sexual content, Death of parent, Abandonment, Vomit, and Cursing
emwith's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Found this book difficult to get through even though i really like it. I just spent sooo long on it and i don’y know Why it was such a struggle to get through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Body horror, Death of parent, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Torture
piperclover's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This was so painful to listen to. I very quickly became resentful listening to it and every 2-3 minutes would convince myself that I needed to quit reading because I was disliking it so much. And then I would convince myself that I needed to listen to a little bit more just to see and I ended up listening to the whole thing out of sheer stubborn will. I took 3 pages of notes on my phone's note app bc I needed someone to yell at at so I just had to yell back at myself.
The most notable thing is that I think this is a case of an author who fell victim to having too many ideas and not understanding how to sort through them and pick the best ones for this book. There's 2 main plots going on and while they do intersect, I think they should have been 2 separate books. I think the first book should have been about Emory and Romi and the second book should've been about Baz, Kai, and Jay. I think having an entire book dedicated to Baz, Kai, and Jay's plot line would make it less rushed and shallow. I really only want to read this book about these 3 characters because I find this plot line so fascinating and I absolutely adore Baz and Kai as characters.
I found myself listening to Emory's plot and povs at 2.5x- 3x times speed but would slow down Baz's. I think splitting it into 2 separate books with Romi and Emory in the first book would give you context and understanding for Baz's plotline while also giving each plot its own space without making a book so long that it was nearly unbearable. I just think that there were better ways for this author to handle the amount of story that they wrote into the single book.
There's so much you have to remember and understand in order to even decently understand this book. So incredibly dense with context and lore and you're listening to chapter exerpts from an in story inside the story that is important to the plot so there's a ton of moving pieces. I swear it took 10 minutes to listen to a single percent of this audiobook because of how dense it is. I just could not outright enjoy it. I was intrigued in the overall plot line and I was super intrigued in anything to do with Baz and Kai but anything to do with Emory or Romi bored me.
I was really excited when I first started listening to realize that it's dual POV but then I realized that I would honestly rather it be just Baz's because I hate Emory with a burning passion. I just cannot stand this character. There was one side character in her plotline that I would have loved to have a POV from and would have even loved to read everything happening to Emory through this side character's eyes because that's how much I hated our main character. I think the characterization is completely intended and I don't think you're supposed to think that she is a good person or a lovable person but because of that I could not care about her and honestly I just wanted her to die. And everything she touched and she ruined every person that she interacted with and I just hate her. It's hard to enjoy a story when you downright hate one of the main characters especially when you're in their head so much. She's such a greedy power hungry selfish person eve and sheltered and doesn't understand how anything works and doesn't research or figure out anything for her own. She discovers she has these incredibly rare powers that are mythologized and feared and so she immediately outs herself to an entire room full of people who are terrified of the type of magic she has. She has no idea who these people are and has been thrust in front of this group in the secret order and has no idea if they're going to kill her for having this magic but she does it anyway because she's so blinded by her own insecurity and what's to be fanned over. She does stuff like this all the time and trusts people with no proof that they're not going to hurt her and everything she does is to further her own gain and her own power but in such a naive way that I genuinely think she's just a stupid person. She's mean and manipulative and heartless to Baz, using his lingering childhood crush and trust in her to get him to help her hurt people unknowingly. And then Baz is left to pick up the pieces. I also don't like Romi and she's the entire reason for Emory's motivationsnbut I don't thinks she deserved it .
I've seen people say that they enjoyed the way that queer relationships are alluded to in this book, how this book handles the complexity of queer relationships and crushing on people when you're queer. I don't want to undermine the people who believe that but personally I don't think that's what this book does. It frustrates me that there are 2 same-sex relationships in this book and both of them are off screen with dead or perceived dead characters. I don't think that's representation, I think that's a tragic form of queer baiting or something adjacent to it and it bothers me a lot. It's also implied that Kai has a romantic interest in Baz but is never confirmed with words or actions but I desperately want Kai and Baz to get together. They have such a fascinating dynamic as friends and as the last of their house. </Spoilers> when the second book comes out and if these 2 characters do not get together I'm not going to bother listening to it. This book is very plot-driven and not so much character-driven and I need intense character-driven stories in order to care about the plot.
I could go into such detail about all the things that bothered me or disappointed me or liked but wasn't given enough of. The last things that I'm going to mention is that this book has so much blood in it. I'm absolutely horrified by descriptions of blood so when blood letting magic and taking blood became progressively more present, I was getting worried. There are entire scenes that feature blood being drawn or injecting into blood etc. This alone nearly made me dnf at 28%.
There are 3 narrators and I think all 3 narrators did fantastic jobs, particularly Gary Furlong.
The most notable thing is that I think this is a case of an author who fell victim to having too many ideas and not understanding how to sort through them and pick the best ones for this book. There's 2 main plots going on and while they do intersect, I think they should have been 2 separate books. I think the first book should have been about Emory and Romi and the second book should've been about Baz, Kai, and Jay. I think having an entire book dedicated to Baz, Kai, and Jay's plot line would make it less rushed and shallow. I really only want to read this book about these 3 characters because I find this plot line so fascinating and I absolutely adore Baz and Kai as characters.
I found myself listening to Emory's plot and povs at 2.5x- 3x times speed but would slow down Baz's. I think splitting it into 2 separate books with Romi and Emory in the first book would give you context and understanding for Baz's plotline while also giving each plot its own space without making a book so long that it was nearly unbearable. I just think that there were better ways for this author to handle the amount of story that they wrote into the single book.
There's so much you have to remember and understand in order to even decently understand this book. So incredibly dense with context and lore and you're listening to chapter exerpts from an in story inside the story that is important to the plot so there's a ton of moving pieces. I swear it took 10 minutes to listen to a single percent of this audiobook because of how dense it is. I just could not outright enjoy it. I was intrigued in the overall plot line and I was super intrigued in anything to do with Baz and Kai but anything to do with Emory or Romi bored me.
I was really excited when I first started listening to realize that it's dual POV but then I realized that I would honestly rather it be just Baz's because I hate Emory with a burning passion. I just cannot stand this character. There was one side character in her plotline that I would have loved to have a POV from and would have even loved to read everything happening to Emory through this side character's eyes because that's how much I hated our main character. I think the characterization is completely intended and I don't think you're supposed to think that she is a good person or a lovable person but because of that I could not care about her and honestly I just wanted her to die. And everything she touched and she ruined every person that she interacted with and I just hate her. It's hard to enjoy a story when you downright hate one of the main characters especially when you're in their head so much.
I've seen people say that they enjoyed the way that queer relationships are alluded to in this book, how this book handles the complexity of queer relationships and crushing on people when you're queer. I don't want to undermine the people who believe that but personally I don't think that's what this book does. It frustrates me that there are 2 same-sex relationships in this book and both of them are off screen with dead or perceived dead characters. I don't think that's representation, I think that's a tragic form of queer baiting or something adjacent to it and it bothers me a lot. It's also implied that Kai has a romantic interest in Baz but is never confirmed with words or actions but I desperately want Kai and Baz to get together. They have such a fascinating dynamic as friends and as the last of their house. </Spoilers> when the second book comes out and if these 2 characters do not get together I'm not going to bother listening to it. This book is very plot-driven and not so much character-driven and I need intense character-driven stories in order to care about the plot.
I could go into such detail about all the things that bothered me or disappointed me or liked but wasn't given enough of. The last things that I'm going to mention is that this book has so much blood in it. I'm absolutely horrified by descriptions of blood so when blood letting magic and taking blood became progressively more present, I was getting worried. There are entire scenes that feature blood being drawn or injecting into blood etc. This alone nearly made me dnf at 28%.
There are 3 narrators and I think all 3 narrators did fantastic jobs, particularly Gary Furlong.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Medical trauma, and Murder
Moderate: Medical content and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Death of parent
bibliofrog's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you so much to Simon and Schuster for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Curious Tides has everything I love in a book-- a magical school setting, exploration of female friendships, a diverse cast of characters, a textured and interesting romance, and heaps and heaps of whimsy. Pascale Lacelle managed to include well-loved tropes while writing a book that feels fresh and unpredictable.
To start, the magic system in Curious Tides is so well thought out and compelling. The moon and the tides hold power over the character's magic. This system works for me in two big ways. First, intangible magic being tied to something tangible in the book's universe rather than just being an inexplicable ability makes the whole magic system and world at large feel more real and plausible. Second, the limits to the magic characters are able to wield at any given moment keep the plot and characters grounded and the stakes of the book believable. Too often in fantasy, characters (especially protagonists) are able to access limitless stores of power, giving them the upper hand in every battle and making every obstacle they face obsolete. This was not a problem in Curious Tides, as even after Emory uncovers her greater tidecaller powers and Baz discovers the truth about Eclipse-Born, there are still limitations to how much power they can wield.
Now, about the setting. It's clear that Pascale Lacelle set out to write a dark academia book that would scratch that itch for those of us who simply cannot get enough of that genre, and she executed it wonderfully. The descriptions of the commons and libraries made me feel so warm and at home, which balanced perfectly with the sense of foreboding coming from the nearby caves and rising tides. The result is a beautifully atmospheric campus that I can so vividly picture myself walking through at this very moment.
Each character in Curious Tides was given the grace and time to become rounded individuals. This is rare, especially with side characters. Of course some characters are more explored than others, but I really felt a sense of understanding of each side character. Kai, Virgil, and Jae are some of my favourite side characters that I've read in a long time. Even Romie, who for the majority of the book is revealed to us through flashbacks and memories, feels like a friend I've known my whole life. The exploration of Emory and Romie's friendship especially felt very personal and real to me. I think the complications of female friendship-- oscillating between fierce love and shameful jealousy-- is a very common experience for women and Lacelle hit that bittersweet feeling right on the nose. The love triangle is the only thing that I had reservations about, since that's a trope I don't usually love (despite my formative Hunger Games obsession), but I actually ended up quite enjoying it here. I think it illustrated really well how power-hungry men often take advantage of women's love in order to get what they want, and the shame and regret that comes with realizing you've been taken advantage of by someone you trusted. I slightly suspect Kieran's betrayal but found myself questioning my judgement often while in Emory's POV chapters as he continuously lied to her to get his way. And Baz-- I'm not sure if I can put into words how much I love his character. He is so sweet and curious and good. I cannot wait to read more of these characters in the next book (please, please, let there be a next book!!!)
Finally, the plot. I was kept on my toes the whole time and by the end of the book there were enough questions answered to satisfy me, but enough left up in the air that I am itching to get my hands on a sequel to find out. As soon as I see any announcement of a sequel ARC I will surely be first in line to request it.
I will absolutely be hand-selling this book to every customer I see lingering in the YA section, every person picking up other dark academia and romantasy reads (The Atlas Six, Fourth Wing, etc), and babbling on about it to my co workers until they have no choice but to read it too. This has been one of my favourite reads of the year and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to read the ARC before release.
Curious Tides has everything I love in a book-- a magical school setting, exploration of female friendships, a diverse cast of characters, a textured and interesting romance, and heaps and heaps of whimsy. Pascale Lacelle managed to include well-loved tropes while writing a book that feels fresh and unpredictable.
Now, about the setting. It's clear that Pascale Lacelle set out to write a dark academia book that would scratch that itch for those of us who simply cannot get enough of that genre, and she executed it wonderfully. The descriptions of the commons and libraries made me feel so warm and at home, which balanced perfectly with the sense of foreboding coming from the nearby caves and rising tides. The result is a beautifully atmospheric campus that I can so vividly picture myself walking through at this very moment.
Each character in Curious Tides was given the grace and time to become rounded individuals. This is rare, especially with side characters. Of course some characters are more explored than others, but I really felt a sense of understanding of each side character. Kai, Virgil, and Jae are some of my favourite side characters that I've read in a long time. Even Romie, who for the majority of the book is revealed to us through flashbacks and memories, feels like a friend I've known my whole life. The exploration of Emory and Romie's friendship especially felt very personal and real to me. I think the complications of female friendship-- oscillating between fierce love and shameful jealousy-- is a very common experience for women and Lacelle hit that bittersweet feeling right on the nose. The love triangle is the only thing that I had reservations about, since that's a trope I don't usually love (despite my formative Hunger Games obsession), but I actually ended up quite enjoying it here. I think it illustrated really well how power-hungry men often take advantage of women's love in order to get what they want, and the shame and regret that comes with realizing you've been taken advantage of by someone you trusted. I slightly suspect Kieran's betrayal but found myself questioning my judgement often while in Emory's POV chapters as he continuously lied to her to get his way. And Baz-- I'm not sure if I can put into words how much I love his character. He is so sweet and curious and good. I cannot wait to read more of these characters in the next book (please, please, let there be a next book!!!)
Finally, the plot. I was kept on my toes the whole time and by the end of the book there were enough questions answered to satisfy me, but enough left up in the air that I am itching to get my hands on a sequel to find out. As soon as I see any announcement of a sequel ARC I will surely be first in line to request it.
I will absolutely be hand-selling this book to every customer I see lingering in the YA section, every person picking up other dark academia and romantasy reads (The Atlas Six, Fourth Wing, etc), and babbling on about it to my co workers until they have no choice but to read it too. This has been one of my favourite reads of the year and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to read the ARC before release.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm, Blood, Death of parent, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting
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