Lore of the Tides: A Magical Journey of Love, Betrayal, and Dangerous Quests on an Enchanted Ocean (The Lore of the Wilds Duology, 2)

🌊📖 Lore of the Tides — Book Review ⚠️ Possible Spoilers Ahead After reading Lore of the Wilds, I was excited to continue the duology with Lore of the Tides. Overall, I liked the book, but I definitely have a few criticisms. One of my biggest issues, similar to the first book, was the pacing and the way time moves throughout the story. There were moments where time seemed to jump ahead quickly, but then there were other parts where I felt like we stayed in one place or scene for a very long time. For a fantasy story with such an interesting world, I really wanted to explore more of it. I wanted more scenery, more locations, and more opportunities to actually experience the world instead of spending so much time in one particular setting. My other issue was the romance. I actually liked the second male love interest a lot more than the first one, and I think he was a much better match for her. However, I felt like their relationship developed way too quickly. Especially after everything she experienced in the first book, I expected her to be a little more guarded and less trusting. I wanted to SEE them fall in love. I wanted the conversations, the little moments, the growing trust, the tension, and the gradual realization that they cared about each other. Instead, it sometimes felt like they went from barely knowing each other to being completely devoted and willing to do anything—even die—for one another. I just needed more time with them before reaching that level of love and commitment. I also think this story could have worked really well as a YA fantasy without the spicy scenes. And trust me, I love a good spicy book! 😂 But the spice has to feel like it belongs in the story. There are really only about two spicy scenes, but they felt unnecessary to me. The rest of the book had such a cozy, cute, romantic-fantasy feeling that when the spice appeared, it almost felt like it had been added simply to make the book more adult. Maybe I would have felt differently if we had gotten more development between the characters beforehand. I think that was ultimately my issue—not necessarily that there was spice, but that I wasn't emotionally invested enough in their relationship yet for those moments to feel earned. With all of that being said, I still enjoyed the storyline. I wouldn't call this a bad book at all. It was a cute and cozy fantasy read with some interesting ideas, and the ending was nice, even if it didn't completely blow me away. I also want to keep in mind that this duology is still early work from the author. I would definitely read more from her in the future because I think there's a lot of potential here. I'd especially love to see deeper world-building, more exploration of the fantasy settings, and relationships that are given more time to naturally develop. Overall, I liked Lore of the Tides. It wasn't perfect for me, but I'm glad I finished the duology, and I'm interested to see where the author goes next. 🌊✨📚

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Analeigh Sabra for the ARC.

I read Lore of the Wilds shortly after its release, so I revisited it before diving into this ARC of Lore of the Tides. I’d definitely recommend a refresher, as this sequel picks up immediately where book one left off.

While this duology doesn’t break new ground in the romantasy space, Lore of the Tides does shift noticeably in tone from book 1; it leans more adult than its predecessor which skewed more YA, both in language and mature content.

What stood out once again was the representation. The cast is entirely made up of characters of color, and the rich descriptions of skin tones and hair textures bring a refreshing layer of inclusivity that’s still too rare in the genre.

That said, the pacing felt uneven. My main critique is the rushed resolution of the final battle. After significant buildup across two books, the climax felt too abrupt and underwhelming, leaving the ending without the emotional payoff I’d hoped for.

Overall, this is a cozy, character-driven read. The stakes may be light, but the relationships and sense of community shine. For fans of softer fantasy with inclusive casts, this series may be worth checking out.

This book was provided to me for free in exchange for my honest review. Rating: 3.5/5

<spoiler> This sequel was so well done. I was iffy on Lore in Wilds both times I read it, but with this one I really grew to fw her so heavily. Not me rooting for Sylorinn/Floryelle (yes I made that up) 😂🫣 Lore’s disdain for Syrelle had me dead because her snarky remarks were perfect, but I won’t lie, my favorite scenes were the spicy scenes! I swear a good tease and praise kink does it for me everytime! The scene where Lore confronts with Syrelle’s uncle reminded me of Breaking Dawn’s scene with Alice and Arro but the King was in control of the visions. I was so mad but happy when I realized that it wasn’t real. Best believe I’ll be reading again when my Libby hold comes through!! </spoiler>