Book Review: High Seas, Dark Secrets, and Unique Magic, Black Tide Son is a Fantasy Sequel You Can’t Miss
I was so happy to be back in the world of the Winter Sea trilogy with this second installment, Black Tide Son by H.M. Long. I thoroughly enjoyed book one, Dark Water Daughter, and was super interested to see where this one was going to take us, and wow was it another adventure upon the winter seas. There are rescues, a seemingly impossible task of searching for a cure, a sinister magical organization, and a will they, won’t they slow burn romance that was driving me up the wall (but so perfect)! I absolutely loved getting to see some of the characters arcs and unexpectedly finding new favorites. If you want a plot first fantasy with a slow burn romance subplot, this is the series for you. While I did feel like this book took me forever to read, it wasn’t because it was boring at all. There’s plenty of action, but the pacing is a bit slower. I do wish there would have been some more interactions with Mary’s mother and Demery, but perhaps that may come in book three? Speaking of which, I need that book in my hands right now! Red Tempest Brother is going to be such an epic conclusion to this series, I just know it.
Things to Know:
Book two in an unfinished trilogy
Weather magic
Romance subplot (no spice)
Winter Sea setting
Magical beings
Multi-POV
If you would have told me I would be a Benedict fan after his behavior in book one, I would laughed you off. How did this happen?! I loved his character arc in this book, and Long does a phenomenal job of writing complex, morally grey characters. The fact that even after all he’s done, he does ultimately love his brother. And the snark?! His snark was impeccable, and provided some much needed comic relief. In fact, there were even some moments with Mary where I was like, “Sir?!”
Sam is the steadfast brother ruled by duty and honor, to a fault, and sometimes you just want to shake him and tell him to kiss her already! I did love Sam and Mary’s relationship in this book, and especially how protective he is of her, while also wanting her to be free and her own person. This was the slowest of slow burns, but absolutely worth it.
The magic, again, was fascinating. I’m obsessed with all of the creatures and still love the Ghistings best. There was even more magic explored in this book, and we see the impact of the Black Tide Cult, and the Ess Noti, which definitely make you want to rage. In fact, this book has much more political intrigue and trauma, and very few pirates. But I loved exploring the different cultures and the looming war as a result of these groups lurking in the background.
Overall, the pacing keeps this one from a perfect five stars, but I still loved it, and would absolutely recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy in a sea setting.
A note on the narration: I received an audio ARC of the audiobook from Netgalley, and absolutely love the dual narration. I would highly recommend it as a way to read this novel and the series. The accents are wonderful! All opinions are my own.
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