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natashasnextchapter 's review for:
Lore of the Tides
by Analeigh Sbrana
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was just okay for me. It just felt vastly different in tone from Wilds to me. Lore of the Wilds was cottage core. Whereas Lore of the Tides felt like it lost that trying to be an epic adventure but falling juuust short of that, if that makes sense?
Let’s start by shouting from the rooftops how much I love the representation in this duology!!! I especially love that the color of their skin isn’t a plot point or device. They’re just brown people who exist in a fantasy world. Groundbreaking.
I also loved (but also struggled with) the world building in Tides. Learning more of the lore about the grimoires, the magic, the legacy/curse. I ate it UP.
And seeing Lore grow into her powers and role as a leader? Get it girl. She didn’t need a man to save her. She was too busy saving them.
All that said, I struggled with how swiftly Lore shifts from loving Asher/Syrelle to being head over heels for Finndryl. I mean, I get that Asher/Syrelle betrayed her. And I saw the attraction to Finndryl in Wilds. But the shift was so fast it almost felt like a rebound. It also made their spicy scenes feel a bit forced.
I also felt like some things came too easy:
Let’s start by shouting from the rooftops how much I love the representation in this duology!!! I especially love that the color of their skin isn’t a plot point or device. They’re just brown people who exist in a fantasy world. Groundbreaking.
I also loved (but also struggled with) the world building in Tides. Learning more of the lore about the grimoires, the magic, the legacy/curse. I ate it UP.
And seeing Lore grow into her powers and role as a leader? Get it girl. She didn’t need a man to save her. She was too busy saving them.
All that said, I struggled with how swiftly Lore shifts from loving Asher/Syrelle to being head over heels for Finndryl. I mean, I get that Asher/Syrelle betrayed her. And I saw the attraction to Finndryl in Wilds. But the shift was so fast it almost felt like a rebound. It also made their spicy scenes feel a bit forced.
I also felt like some things came too easy:
Restoring the magic to the Mother Pearl without any fight or failure Getting the second grimoire because she asked nicely? Syrelle and Finndryl are dead. Just kidding! It was just an illusion from the king. Shake it off.
Finally, I really struggled with Marcella Cox’s narration. I usually listen at 1.0x but I had to speed it up to 1.5x to stay engaged. There were a lot of awkward pauses that jolted me out of the story. I mean, mid-sentence pauses that had me imagining her being unsure of what to say next until she physically turned the page. I did love her vocal range and will probably check out some of her other work. But it was really hard to find a rhythm with her in Wilds and in Tides.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the advanced listener copy in exchange for my honest opinion.