Tide
by Lacy Sheridan
Published March 6th 2020
541 pages
Genres: Fantasy Action & Adventure

Synopsis:

Content Rating: YA romance (kissing but no sex), Action/adventure, Slavery and Physical abuse.

When the tides roll in, death follows.

That is what eighteen-year-old Hania has been told all her life. For the depths of the sea hide the cruel and magical tidespeople, strange gods and creatures of the water who see human life as nothing more than a game. When they sweep her brother away with them, a new pet for their queen, she knows she has no option but to get him back. And her one hope is Aven, a lonely, imprisoned selkie desperate to return home. So she strikes a deal.

She will return his skin, and his power with it, and in exchange Aven will take her to the Realm of Tides.

But once there Hania finds a world unlike any she imagined. A world of beauty and danger, of magic beyond any the old tales could have prepared her for. The longer she finds herself there the more fear of the undersea realm turns to awe–and an uneasy alliance with Aven turns to something far more thrilling and far more damning. But here deadlier creatures than Aven lurk, eager to kill her, claim her, or break her.

Her brother’s capture is only the beginning of the game. A game of hearts and lives, loyalty and cunning. And to save them all she must be willing to play it and win–or die trying.

Review:

• I received this book free from the author.

This book was so much fun! I’m so glad the author reached out through my blog and gave me the chance to read her story. It was unlike any other YA book I’ve read. Also can we take a moment and acknowledge the beautiful cover? 😍 Wow.

The world you first enter is rather familiar for YA fantasy readers. Middle ages setting, small village, the market square, the baker’s son, a heroine that loves her home and has a tragic backstory. You even first enter the story with Hania getting an archery lesson. It was easy for me to think, “Ah, I know where this is going….”

I was so, so wrong! Happily so.

Once the story gets rolling it becomes something totally unique.

I’m not even sure how to review it without spoilers. So be forewarned there may be slight spoilers ahead, although I have done my best to minimize them.

The world of Tides is an amazing place full of amazing settings and creatures. I want to go back and reread the descriptions of the forest where they enter the land of Tides. I was engrossed in the action and hungry to know what was going to happen that I didn’t fully take them in.

Hania grew on me, I was afraid of another oh-so-special-chosen-one type heroine or the possibility of that she’d be the girl everyone falls in love with so they will do anything for her. In the end Hania was her own person who gains friends by being frank, but courteous, carefully thinking through situations and sheer will. She stands out from the other humans the Tidespeople meet because of that she is just too determined to quit. 

This book touches on some deep issues of slavery, revenge, loyalty and family.  I was impressed for what at first seemed like a typical YA fantasy and  a debut none the less. On the one hand the story had so much action and adventure but on the other it really resonates.

Bottom Line:

A treat of a read! World building, beautiful settings, strong characters and surprising twists make this a great YA book.

Goodreads / Amazon

Make Your Myth Taker

The story continues see my previous posts here.

Johanna knew that in order to free her people from the hand of the Frank’s that she’d need allies. There was a tournament announced at Ipswich. She had just a fortnight to make it there and that would mean chartering a boat to take the way through IJsseloog. It wouldn’t come cheap though.

Sailors claimed those waters were haunted. Ships sailing near those waters disappeared.

She found a drunken Captain with enough debts to make him desperate enough to attempt the straight.

The weather was pleasant but as they approach the small rocky islands near the center of the straight the ship grew silent and the sailors pensive.

It wasn’t long before  the singing began. At first a low hum, then a sweet melody swept over the deck. “Siren” someone whispered, but it was too late.  The men were now calm, their eyes glassy, each one was now starring to the North, to the rocks.

Johanna began to panic if they steered the ship in that direction the boat would be dashed to pieces.

The Second Adventure

How will Johanna escape the Siren?

1. The Captain may be a drunk but he wasn’t a fool. He hired a deaf helms man. With a nod the new helms man steps forward and steer the ship on course. He can’t hear the Sirens song nor the pleas of the crewmen. (If so my next post will be a continuation of the 40 Series with 40 Myths, Monsters and Legends.)
2. A sudden squall sweeps the ship past the rocks and the Siren. (If so my next post will be a review  a review of Feast of Phantoms.)
3. A mermaid comes along to intervene. (If so my next post will be a review of NeverSea.)
4. Nothing works! The ship is steered onto the rocks and destroyed and Johanna is the only survivor. (If so my next post will be a tour of my TBR shelves.)

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