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Happily Ever After Dark #1
Of Tides and Snow
A runaway priestess. A pirate with a deadly curse upon her heart. Will they be able to save each other before the hourglass runs out in this steamy, sapphic Snow White retelling?
Gwen
I've spent my whole life preparing for one moment, but on the night I'm supposed to commit myself to the Moon Coven, a murder attempt has me fleeing the safety of the only home I've ever known. I run straight past the safe cottage in the woods and right into the arms of a most unlikely hero—a ruthless pirate captain. As I board The Ruined Soul , I can't be sure if I'm a passenger or a captive, but as the tides grow more dangerous, I begin to suspect there's more to the cold-hearted captain than meets the eye.
And my magic just might be the thing to help her thaw out.
Morgen
The wall of ice I keep between myself and everyone else is meant to protect my cursed heart. No one can get too close to me.
But my walls start to crumble when a runaway priestess stumbles onto my boat and into my life. I only need to remind myself that she's a bag of gold to be protected at all costs and nothing else—I won't give in to the temptation to risk my soul for a taste of her. With my crew of misfit pirates, we'll make it across a sea full of monsters and get her to safety, so we can claim our sweet reward.
This book is intended for adult audiences. Please check the author's website for detailed content darvagreenthewriter.com
Gwen
I've spent my whole life preparing for one moment, but on the night I'm supposed to commit myself to the Moon Coven, a murder attempt has me fleeing the safety of the only home I've ever known. I run straight past the safe cottage in the woods and right into the arms of a most unlikely hero—a ruthless pirate captain. As I board The Ruined Soul , I can't be sure if I'm a passenger or a captive, but as the tides grow more dangerous, I begin to suspect there's more to the cold-hearted captain than meets the eye.
And my magic just might be the thing to help her thaw out.
Morgen
The wall of ice I keep between myself and everyone else is meant to protect my cursed heart. No one can get too close to me.
But my walls start to crumble when a runaway priestess stumbles onto my boat and into my life. I only need to remind myself that she's a bag of gold to be protected at all costs and nothing else—I won't give in to the temptation to risk my soul for a taste of her. With my crew of misfit pirates, we'll make it across a sea full of monsters and get her to safety, so we can claim our sweet reward.
This book is intended for adult audiences. Please check the author's website for detailed content darvagreenthewriter.com
362 pages, Paperback
First published May 19, 2023
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1971 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
January 27, 2025
➥ 4.5 Stars *:･ﾟ✧
Buddy read with Jackson! 😊 Back on the review grind purely because this book deserves it. I've been aching for a good pirate tale, and Of Tides and Snow was exactly what I needed. If you seek...
...you've come to the right place. We're first introduced to our protagonist, Gwendolyn (h), which, to put it frankly, is very mindful, very cutesy, very demure. But also kindhearted and endearing.
No but really, she's part of a sort of moon-worshipping cult, and her cult leader orders her assassination. She narrowly escapes and encounters the love interest, Morgen (h). And can I just say that in my opinion these names are very well-chosen. Morgen is the perfect name for a pirate captain. She was quite charming.
Dreamy 🤭🤭🤭 I mean!...
Beyond the romance there was lots to love! I actually think the adventure and action outshone it. There are moments of serenity, where everyone aboard enjoys each others' company and has a laugh. I actually wanted more of that humour, lightheartedness and playfulness, because I know Green is very capable of it.
But those moments are followed by intense, well-thought-out plot points that made the book such an addictive read!
I also really liked that both women were sure of their sexuality from the beginning of the novel, it wasn't even questioned or poked at, it was just accepted as the norm. There's also a side gay couple and a pretty cool non-binary character! I'd love a sequel on their love story 👀 but I'm not sure if the author will linger in the pirate world, as much as I love it.
There were a couple things the rounded the rating down for me. Although I've never been one to complain about plentiful and consistent sex scenes, I wish they had been a bit more playful and challenging, and had a bit more build-up. There is a fun little detail, that Gwendolyn's magic is enhanced by orgasms, which easily facilitates the sex scenes. But I wished there had been more teasing and less acceptance of "ok let's do it and get it on now for the magic". Although it makes sense for it to sometimes been functional, sex is always an opportunity for 2 things.
One, for characters' personality to shine through. I feel like Gwen could have played with the irony of her "damsel in distress" situation and teased Morgen with it. And on the contrary, I think the dynamic of captain and captive could have been more emphasised, but not in the way you're thinking. Unfortunately, the use of "captain!" was prevalent at times during the sex scenes, but that's not quite what I was looking for. I wish Morgen would have taunted Gwen a bit more with the situation itself, and played with the power she held as captain. Instead, the sex scenes felt a bit detached from the situation at hand, and could almost be written out of context and inserted into the story. This could have been an opportunity to plant the seeds of a fun push-and-pull dynamic that we didn't see to much of. We mainly just saw plain apprehension from both characters.
Two, sex scenes are always an opportunity to explore new vulnerability and intimacy . Toward the very end, we got more hints of tenderness in their relationship, but I think it would have made a tasteful addition for certain moments to be treated a bit more sacredly than they were. There was of course the detail that Morgen couldn't kiss anyone, but more softness and openness could have worked between the characters. It also could have served as a way to bridge the gap between their dynamic of captor/captive, because suddenly they're just two girls that want each other. It could have been a key part of their relationship development. Something more like the .
Regardless, I'd say the sex scenes were decently well written. I liked that the author was considerate of the setting and how the sex scenes could fit into that (captain's quarters 😛) but I think that, too, could have been lingered on.
It happened twice where Morgen demanded Gwen "wait" for her either on the bed or doing something in particular, and it was just a bit too macho for me. I didn't find it attractive, and instead it affirmed the distance between the characters. In attempt to create a protective quality to their dynamic, Green begins to plant seeds of possessiveness but it just doesn't work for me. Maybe it's me not the book? But at some point she says "you come only for me now" and I'm like....ok??
Interestingly, though Gwen is from this cultish upbringing, she's not really virginal...at all. I liked that that detail was subverted. She wasn't clueless.
Next, I'd like to emphasise how impressed and captivated I was with the plotline. I assumed that the plotline would be more the backdrop of the romance, but was pleasantly surprised that it was not the case. The romance and adventure was well intertwined, which made it so there was not a dull moment! I don't want to spoil anything about it, but the plot just kept thickening, it was sooo good.
Sure, like Jackson said, the ending was a little fairy-tale like but I didn't mind it so much. In my opinion, it worked and the epilogue was absolutely darling. If this author wouldn't mind stepping back into the nautical part of this setting, I would love to have some closure or another story based on the sirens and the sea witch, Cosette. I'd also be interested in what happened to Shiloh.
Gosh this book would make an excellent, thrilling movie! I truly think so many readers would delight in this book as much as I did and I hope you'll give it a go! It was a lovely book to buddy read with Jackson. Overall, loved it.
"I don’t think it works like that,” she breathes against my mouth. I open up, trying to drink her in. “I don’t think you’ll like me when I’m like this.” Her nail scrapes the line of my jaw, and I let out a low moan.
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
Buddy read with Jackson! 😊 Back on the review grind purely because this book deserves it. I've been aching for a good pirate tale, and Of Tides and Snow was exactly what I needed. If you seek...
1. A nautical setting with a pirate crew you grow fond of
2. Adventure and high stakes: sirens, storms and action aplenty!
3. A steamy sapphic romance between the captain and a princess she's foolish enough to save
4. Cleverly interwoven Snow White references
...you've come to the right place. We're first introduced to our protagonist, Gwendolyn (h), which, to put it frankly, is very mindful, very cutesy, very demure. But also kindhearted and endearing.
"You should get some sleep," I mumble, realizing I'm still leaning over her. Gwen presses her fingertip to my nose.
"Boop. You should get some sleep."
I jump back, holding my face where she touched it. "Stop that."
"Or what? You'll tie me to the bow of the ship?"
"I'm considering it."
Her eyes go wide, then her nostrils flare and she bursts out in a trill of laughter.
No but really, she's part of a sort of moon-worshipping cult, and her cult leader orders her assassination. She narrowly escapes and encounters the love interest, Morgen (h). And can I just say that in my opinion these names are very well-chosen. Morgen is the perfect name for a pirate captain. She was quite charming.
“Fuck. I missed.” Skye shakes out their wrist.
I lift my skirt and remove the pistol strapped to my thigh, straightening my arm over Gwendolyn’s shoulder to mark my target.
I don’t miss.
Blood pools on the dock.
Dreamy 🤭🤭🤭 I mean!...
“Yes, you did tell the gents back there that your family would pay your expenses once you arrived in Gentrilly.” Morgen steps around me, twirling her knife. “And your family is very wealthy, right?”
Beyond the romance there was lots to love! I actually think the adventure and action outshone it. There are moments of serenity, where everyone aboard enjoys each others' company and has a laugh. I actually wanted more of that humour, lightheartedness and playfulness, because I know Green is very capable of it.
But those moments are followed by intense, well-thought-out plot points that made the book such an addictive read!
I also really liked that both women were sure of their sexuality from the beginning of the novel, it wasn't even questioned or poked at, it was just accepted as the norm. There's also a side gay couple and a pretty cool non-binary character! I'd love a sequel on their love story 👀 but I'm not sure if the author will linger in the pirate world, as much as I love it.
There were a couple things the rounded the rating down for me. Although I've never been one to complain about plentiful and consistent sex scenes, I wish they had been a bit more playful and challenging, and had a bit more build-up. There is a fun little detail, that Gwendolyn's magic is enhanced by orgasms, which easily facilitates the sex scenes. But I wished there had been more teasing and less acceptance of "ok let's do it and get it on now for the magic". Although it makes sense for it to sometimes been functional, sex is always an opportunity for 2 things.
One, for characters' personality to shine through. I feel like Gwen could have played with the irony of her "damsel in distress" situation and teased Morgen with it. And on the contrary, I think the dynamic of captain and captive could have been more emphasised, but not in the way you're thinking. Unfortunately, the use of "captain!" was prevalent at times during the sex scenes, but that's not quite what I was looking for. I wish Morgen would have taunted Gwen a bit more with the situation itself, and played with the power she held as captain. Instead, the sex scenes felt a bit detached from the situation at hand, and could almost be written out of context and inserted into the story. This could have been an opportunity to plant the seeds of a fun push-and-pull dynamic that we didn't see to much of. We mainly just saw plain apprehension from both characters.
Two, sex scenes are always an opportunity to explore new vulnerability and intimacy . Toward the very end, we got more hints of tenderness in their relationship, but I think it would have made a tasteful addition for certain moments to be treated a bit more sacredly than they were. There was of course the detail that Morgen couldn't kiss anyone, but more softness and openness could have worked between the characters. It also could have served as a way to bridge the gap between their dynamic of captor/captive, because suddenly they're just two girls that want each other. It could have been a key part of their relationship development. Something more like the .
Regardless, I'd say the sex scenes were decently well written. I liked that the author was considerate of the setting and how the sex scenes could fit into that (captain's quarters 😛) but I think that, too, could have been lingered on.
It happened twice where Morgen demanded Gwen "wait" for her either on the bed or doing something in particular, and it was just a bit too macho for me. I didn't find it attractive, and instead it affirmed the distance between the characters. In attempt to create a protective quality to their dynamic, Green begins to plant seeds of possessiveness but it just doesn't work for me. Maybe it's me not the book? But at some point she says "you come only for me now" and I'm like....ok??
Interestingly, though Gwen is from this cultish upbringing, she's not really virginal...at all. I liked that that detail was subverted. She wasn't clueless.
Next, I'd like to emphasise how impressed and captivated I was with the plotline. I assumed that the plotline would be more the backdrop of the romance, but was pleasantly surprised that it was not the case. The romance and adventure was well intertwined, which made it so there was not a dull moment! I don't want to spoil anything about it, but the plot just kept thickening, it was sooo good.
Sure, like Jackson said, the ending was a little fairy-tale like but I didn't mind it so much. In my opinion, it worked and the epilogue was absolutely darling. If this author wouldn't mind stepping back into the nautical part of this setting, I would love to have some closure or another story based on the sirens and the sea witch, Cosette. I'd also be interested in what happened to Shiloh.
Gosh this book would make an excellent, thrilling movie! I truly think so many readers would delight in this book as much as I did and I hope you'll give it a go! It was a lovely book to buddy read with Jackson. Overall, loved it.
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
June 1, 2023
Listen, anything Darva Green puts down, I am picking up at some point. From sapphic monster romance, to pumpkinhead fucking, to this wondrously sapphic pirate retelling of Snow White, I've enjoyed it all.
If you like Snow White retellings, this is for you. If you like pirates and sea witches and creatures of ocean lore, this is for you. And if you're simply here for some steamy f/f times, this is very much also for you. There are claws.
Full of action from the start, this book has everything I enjoy in a fantasy romance. There's someone on the run, there's curses, there's longing, and really cool elemental magic. The added bonus is endearing characters. I particularly enjoyed the nonbinary character Skye, and the camaraderie that comes with a pirate crew.
The book is dual POV, serving to flesh out both main characters as well as their romance. It's more than a convenient hookup below decks - it's about protecting each other and throwing themselves into harm's way for each other. And I found the retelling of Snow White unique and refreshing.
Full marks!
[Full disclosure: I wrote this review before reading the end notes and realizing I'm thanked in the acknowledgments. What an honor.]
If you like Snow White retellings, this is for you. If you like pirates and sea witches and creatures of ocean lore, this is for you. And if you're simply here for some steamy f/f times, this is very much also for you. There are claws.
Full of action from the start, this book has everything I enjoy in a fantasy romance. There's someone on the run, there's curses, there's longing, and really cool elemental magic. The added bonus is endearing characters. I particularly enjoyed the nonbinary character Skye, and the camaraderie that comes with a pirate crew.
The book is dual POV, serving to flesh out both main characters as well as their romance. It's more than a convenient hookup below decks - it's about protecting each other and throwing themselves into harm's way for each other. And I found the retelling of Snow White unique and refreshing.
Full marks!
[Full disclosure: I wrote this review before reading the end notes and realizing I'm thanked in the acknowledgments. What an honor.]
May 25, 2023
Kindle Unlimited.
A very erotic fantasy adventure story, with fairy tale elements!
This was very well written and told, with a good mix of mystery, adventure, fantasy and fairy tale all put together inside a lesfic! with quite a number of raunchy naughty scenes!
It's got that snow white/ beauty and the beast retelling theme threads, but it 's never too 'on the nose' either, being very unique in its own way. There are curses and kingdoms that pose more questions and stories that could come from this creative world the author has made!
I'd highly recommend it!
A very erotic fantasy adventure story, with fairy tale elements!
This was very well written and told, with a good mix of mystery, adventure, fantasy and fairy tale all put together inside a lesfic! with quite a number of raunchy naughty scenes!
It's got that snow white/ beauty and the beast retelling theme threads, but it 's never too 'on the nose' either, being very unique in its own way. There are curses and kingdoms that pose more questions and stories that could come from this creative world the author has made!
I'd highly recommend it!
January 16, 2024
10 out of 5 Stars
So far, 2024 has been embracing fantasy lesfic for me and this, THIS, Of Tides and Snow has the MOST dopamine inducing storyline in the realm of fantasy I am slowly consuming...so far. This is supposed to be a retelling of Snow White, right? Let me tell you, it has the barest of bare bones of the fairytale. Like the TV Show Fixer Upper, the author demolished the sht out of the bs of the fairytale and built the most beautiful, most awe-inspiring story off the foundations.
“Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory.”
-JRR Tolkien
It is the most glorious, indeed. This story made want to sail with pirates, learn spells and incantations from the witches and watch the sirens from afar work their magic on sorry sailors.
I’ve read a number of Snow White retelling and Of Tides and Snow is THE best so far and in my nobody opinion, should replace the Disney version. Sign my petition.
So far, 2024 has been embracing fantasy lesfic for me and this, THIS, Of Tides and Snow has the MOST dopamine inducing storyline in the realm of fantasy I am slowly consuming...so far. This is supposed to be a retelling of Snow White, right? Let me tell you, it has the barest of bare bones of the fairytale. Like the TV Show Fixer Upper, the author demolished the sht out of the bs of the fairytale and built the most beautiful, most awe-inspiring story off the foundations.
“Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory.”
-JRR Tolkien
It is the most glorious, indeed. This story made want to sail with pirates, learn spells and incantations from the witches and watch the sirens from afar work their magic on sorry sailors.
I’ve read a number of Snow White retelling and Of Tides and Snow is THE best so far and in my nobody opinion, should replace the Disney version. Sign my petition.
October 21, 2023
4.50 ⭐️
I did not cry at all while reading this book (I’m not lying)
Seriously how come no one told about this book??? And AGAIN why is not more popular?
A princess and a pirate???????
Anyway no need to say more, Anyone who would like to read a sapphic snow white retelling, I highly recommend this book
Everything about this book is SO GOOD: the writing, the plot, theworld building, THE ROMANCE! The chemistry between Gwen and Morgan is off the charts 🥵, Both of them have my heart
Especially Morgen (swoon) 😮💨😮💨
Also this book? Is really SPICY 🥵🥵🥵.
“How could I toss my heart to the tide when it’s belonged to you since the moment I first saw you dressed in your snow whites?”
I did not cry at all while reading this book (I’m not lying)
Seriously how come no one told about this book??? And AGAIN why is not more popular?
A princess and a pirate???????
Anyway no need to say more, Anyone who would like to read a sapphic snow white retelling, I highly recommend this book
Everything about this book is SO GOOD: the writing, the plot, theworld building, THE ROMANCE! The chemistry between Gwen and Morgan is off the charts 🥵, Both of them have my heart
Especially Morgen (swoon) 😮💨😮💨
Also this book? Is really SPICY 🥵🥵🥵.
December 2, 2025
I might spend an eternity deep beneath the sea, my mouth filled with blood and briny water, but I know I will never stop searching for another taste of this moment.
REREAD 2025. 4.5 stars. Lovely! I had almost the same experience, reading this for the second time. It took a while for the world-building and magic to really grow on me, but I was soon swept away by the romance of it all. I think for it to be perfect, we needed just a BIT more build up to the relationship, and a few more quiet moments between Gwen and Morgan. I like the pirate found family, and I wanted a bit more of that too. But all the same, the author managed to leave me spellbound. I love their love, the way it's expressed, the way they yearn, the way it manages to feel slow, even though it's steamy right off the bat. This incorporates some of my very favourite tropes, and does it so well.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Sophie Hunter White. I did like it, though I think I probably preferred the reading experience with my eyes? Nothing at all wrong with the audiobook, but I think it's just one of those cases where the voices I had for these women weren't the same as what the narrator delivered. Still really lovely. I can't wait to read more sapphic romance from Green.
--
“Beautiful women and the deep blue sea. That’s my religion.”
4.5 stars. Okay, this did sometimes make me feel like my heart was being carved out of my chest but like, in a good way. It's a f/f retelling/reimagining of Snow White in a fantasy world with magic, pirates, curses and the fairy-tale promise of true love. And I fell in love with this so hard.
It had a great start, but it took a while for me really sink into the world and get a handle on the history and worldbuilding and types of magic. But as soon as I did... augh, I was swept away. Gwen is running from the evil priestess queen who has been like a mother to her, hoping to get back to her birth mother in another kingdom. Morgen is a pirate captain labouring under a curse that she has to keep secret from everyone, and agrees to take Gwen back home. Their romance was sooooo good. Steamy from the get-go, but slow on the emotional front, and the reasons for that made my heart hurt. When the details of Morgen's curse start coming to light, and we see the things that are happening to her, and we see the herculean efforts she has to put herself through to keep it at bay... it's SO GOOD. Thematically, I was eating so well. Like, a woman who has trained herself into cruelty, into ruthlessness, into never wanting anything too much, and then she's suddenly presented with another woman she can't stop herself from wanting? A woman who nurtures her urge to be kind, a woman who she can't help but want to protect?? Ugh, too good. The romance was achingly written, from the earlier push and pull, to their inevitable capitulation to each other. I'm always a lot more forgiving of love at first sight/insta-love stories when they're written in a fairy-tale-ish realm like this. But while the attraction was instantaneous, the love wasn't, and I adored the ways they had to work for it. It's a relatively average length book, but it still did manage to break my heart a few times. And the bits of body horror were soooooo delicious. And the parallels/call-backs to the original fairy-tale were so creatively done!
It probably wasn't written in the most cohesive way; some things, I felt like we learned too late, or we learned certain things in big chunks that made it a little hard for me to digest. And there were lots of smaller technical things that I wish could have been changed to give this just a bit more polish. But the romance made up for all those little flaws. Both Gwen and Morgen were soooooo swoony in different ways, with Gwen's softness between the perfect complement to Morgen's coldness, and they changed each other for the better. And whoa, this was really sexy. I ended it with a big sappy smile on my face. Definitely want to read the upcoming novella, and I'm hoping the author has more sapphic stuff in her future!
“Being ruthless means taking what you want, so take me if you want me.”
June 27, 2025
I liked this book a lot more than She Came from the Swamp, way more. The mixing and reworking of all the fairy tale elements worked very well, giving it the familiarity, while standing in their own footing. Neat.
did-not-finish
June 21, 2025DNF at 25%
June 27, 2023
3.5
the main issue i had with this book is that it would’ve worked 100x better as a duology. the ending felt so rushed and it would’ve made 10x more sense if it ended with snow and morgen being separated. then the second book could’ve dealt with the curse and then the ultimate fight would’ve been against the sea witch.
we spend 80% of this book travelling with not much conflict and then in the last 20% of the book we have everything expected of a snow white retelling thrown at us and resolved. so this book definitely would’ve worked better as two books but what do i know?
other than that i did enjoy the book. it’s not really as dark as what the book is made out to be, i think a lot of the time people say dark and they just mean spicy with a bit of violence and that’s what this is.
but overall an enjoyable read, just a bit rushed.
the main issue i had with this book is that it would’ve worked 100x better as a duology. the ending felt so rushed and it would’ve made 10x more sense if it ended with snow and morgen being separated. then the second book could’ve dealt with the curse and then the ultimate fight would’ve been against the sea witch.
we spend 80% of this book travelling with not much conflict and then in the last 20% of the book we have everything expected of a snow white retelling thrown at us and resolved. so this book definitely would’ve worked better as two books but what do i know?
other than that i did enjoy the book. it’s not really as dark as what the book is made out to be, i think a lot of the time people say dark and they just mean spicy with a bit of violence and that’s what this is.
but overall an enjoyable read, just a bit rushed.
August 17, 2024
Lesbian pirates.
August 4, 2024
The first 4 star book I nearly DNF'd at 25%.
What it's about: when she finds out that she's about to be murdered on the night of her initiation, Gwen flees for her life and ends up on board the Ruined Soul, a pirate ship of ill repute. The Soul's captain, Morgen, agrees to help Gwen escape for a hefty bag of gold - but neither woman can anticipate the attraction between them.
What I thought: there is a lot of sex in this book - so much so that I got bored. Gwen uses sex to charge her magic, so during the first quarter of the story, she is soliciting it anywhere she can. This made for a bizarre 'insta-love' dynamic, where Gwen's character development was limited to 'scared and thirsty' and Morgen's to 'broody and horny' and I was just thinking seriously??? most of the time.
Things began to change at the ~27% mark. Morgen and Gwen both received a ton of character development, and their relationship went from shipmates-with-benefits to omg-I-really-like-you-and-I-am-totally-freaking out. From there, the story got really good.
We had mysteries, witches, pirates, royal navies, sea battles, curses, angst, adventure, longing, found family and lots of other things. When I finally got to the end and gave it 4 stars, no-one was more surprised than me.
TL;DR: the struggle was worth it.
PS: also, not a criticism, but this barely qualifies as a retelling - you're better off expecting a wholly original story with some Snow White motifs.
What it's about: when she finds out that she's about to be murdered on the night of her initiation, Gwen flees for her life and ends up on board the Ruined Soul, a pirate ship of ill repute. The Soul's captain, Morgen, agrees to help Gwen escape for a hefty bag of gold - but neither woman can anticipate the attraction between them.
What I thought: there is a lot of sex in this book - so much so that I got bored. Gwen uses sex to charge her magic, so during the first quarter of the story, she is soliciting it anywhere she can. This made for a bizarre 'insta-love' dynamic, where Gwen's character development was limited to 'scared and thirsty' and Morgen's to 'broody and horny' and I was just thinking seriously??? most of the time.
Things began to change at the ~27% mark. Morgen and Gwen both received a ton of character development, and their relationship went from shipmates-with-benefits to omg-I-really-like-you-and-I-am-totally-freaking out. From there, the story got really good.
We had mysteries, witches, pirates, royal navies, sea battles, curses, angst, adventure, longing, found family and lots of other things. When I finally got to the end and gave it 4 stars, no-one was more surprised than me.
TL;DR: the struggle was worth it.
PS: also, not a criticism, but this barely qualifies as a retelling - you're better off expecting a wholly original story with some Snow White motifs.
March 12, 2025
it started off rocky (no pun intended) that it got steady to where i thought it’d be okay, then it went sideways for me.
there was no emotional connection between the two women and instead was just a pair put together because of circumstances. there wasn’t anything there for me as a reader to see and believe what i was being shown.
the writing is alright, good in others, choppy in some parts. the action scenes were done well enough to keep my attention. the plot was also pretty nice along with the cast of characters. but again, the romance really brought this down. it was as if there was a chunk missing from the middle, no connection. this story wasn’t as strong as i’d have liked it to be.
there was no emotional connection between the two women and instead was just a pair put together because of circumstances. there wasn’t anything there for me as a reader to see and believe what i was being shown.
the writing is alright, good in others, choppy in some parts. the action scenes were done well enough to keep my attention. the plot was also pretty nice along with the cast of characters. but again, the romance really brought this down. it was as if there was a chunk missing from the middle, no connection. this story wasn’t as strong as i’d have liked it to be.
September 2, 2023
A great romance between a pirate and a princess, a snow-white retelling that has enough aspects of other fairy tales (not complaint). I really liked it, but I can’t give it 5 stars, because the ending is too rushed, it unfolds in the final 15% of the story, and it leaves more doubts than answers. But overall it’s a pretty compelling read, quite recommended.
April 8, 2025
"I will look at the full moon as I always do, knowing you are bathing in her light. The moon, she always comes back. And I'll come back for you"
I had practically no faith in it when I started reading it, thinking it would be just another book that I wouldn't like or wouldn't get me attached to the characters like others; but by the second half of it, it became one of the most romantic books I've ever read ahaha
And I always like a good retelling lol.
The only problem is that it felt kinda rushed, so 3.75 stars
I had practically no faith in it when I started reading it, thinking it would be just another book that I wouldn't like or wouldn't get me attached to the characters like others; but by the second half of it, it became one of the most romantic books I've ever read ahaha
And I always like a good retelling lol.
The only problem is that it felt kinda rushed, so 3.75 stars
June 8, 2025
Wonderfully done mix of fairytales with a unique spin and glorious sapphic romance! There is Snow White which is the main fairytale, however, I felt a bit of Sleeping Beauty and the Little Mermaid was mixed in as well. Morgan and Gwen were very well developed and their connection was pure and palpable. The world building was fantastic where I could not only envision but I could almost taste and smell as well. I love sapphic fairytales and this retelling was amazing. Highly recommend!
May 24, 2025
Continually impressed by Darva Green's stories. It's not one of those books that gives you the feels. You won't get a hangover from it. You won't remember it six months from now, but while you're reading it you'll become immersed in her vivid story. In the scenes. The world. You'll crave more. You'll want to know what happens next. So yeah, 4 stars and a pleasant two days
July 7, 2025
"How could I consider it a failure when I know your light will live on?"
This book was better than I thought it would be. Snow/Gwen & Morgen are perfect and the dynamics are gold. Alba, read this right now.
This book was better than I thought it would be. Snow/Gwen & Morgen are perfect and the dynamics are gold. Alba, read this right now.
did-not-finish
July 3, 2023DNF @ 23%
I'm not sure what happened but once I put OF TIDES AND SNOW down I lost all the momentum on reading it and just didn't pick it back up. This is probably mostly me, though I will say that I wasn't loving how young Gwen felt in the book, especially because she'd go from the naiveté of a young teenager to being this sex kitten so she could get a magical boost. It was a weird dichotomy.
I'm not sure what happened but once I put OF TIDES AND SNOW down I lost all the momentum on reading it and just didn't pick it back up. This is probably mostly me, though I will say that I wasn't loving how young Gwen felt in the book, especially because she'd go from the naiveté of a young teenager to being this sex kitten so she could get a magical boost. It was a weird dichotomy.
March 5, 2024
this was exceptional, such a fun read! I tried to really draw out my reading of the last 100 pages because I didn’t want it to end 😂
July 13, 2024
An epic adventure fairy tale with mixes of several elements.
September 23, 2024
3.25 Stars
March 6, 2025
4.25 stars
Sapphic love just hits differently. Especially when it's told like an adult fairytale retelling.
Sapphic love just hits differently. Especially when it's told like an adult fairytale retelling.
November 16, 2025
Genuinely such a fun sapphic Snow White retelling with elements of The Little Mermaid thrown in. Loved it honestly!
February 22, 2025
Went looking for some spice and cried at work instead- 5 stars!
June 17, 2023
I was surprised of how much I liked this book. Not my normal genre but this was something special. Love, revenge, intrigue, fear, PIRATES! The characters, for the most part, are well rounded and relatable. Well, except for me not personally being a pirate. Pity that. Don't forget about the naughty bits. The foreshadowing was a little overkill. Overall, I enjoyed it and will look out for more from this author.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 8, 2025
I need more sapphic love stories in my life. This was wonderful and beautiful.
April 18, 2025
A solid sapphic fairy tale that blends so many amazing elements. You’ve got pirates, princesses, ancient curses, fae courts, sirens, and, at the heart of it all, two girls who fall deeply in love.
After this book I’m literally trying to read all of Darva Green’s other books. Every scene was painted so clearly I could see it play out in my head. I was completely immersed, and honestly, I never wanted it to end. The emotional connection felt so real and layered, and even the side characters had arcs and depth that made the whole world feel alive. (Sometimes they show up in the other books)
The plot kept me on my toes, weaving magic and tension without ever losing that intimate, character-driven heart. It’s rare to find a story that balances adventure and emotion this well, but The Book of Tides and Snow pulled it off.
The romance is soft but intense, with smut that feels earned and grounded in vulnerability rather than just spice for spice’s sake. It enhances the bond between the characters instead of overpowering it.
Smut: 3/5
After this book I’m literally trying to read all of Darva Green’s other books. Every scene was painted so clearly I could see it play out in my head. I was completely immersed, and honestly, I never wanted it to end. The emotional connection felt so real and layered, and even the side characters had arcs and depth that made the whole world feel alive. (Sometimes they show up in the other books)
The plot kept me on my toes, weaving magic and tension without ever losing that intimate, character-driven heart. It’s rare to find a story that balances adventure and emotion this well, but The Book of Tides and Snow pulled it off.
The romance is soft but intense, with smut that feels earned and grounded in vulnerability rather than just spice for spice’s sake. It enhances the bond between the characters instead of overpowering it.
Smut: 3/5
November 30, 2023
Okay, listen, the only reason for the 3 stars is because of the writing. I've seen some reviews that it's well written, however, about the 50% mark I had to put it down because the writing was driving me up the wall.
Now, the story itself... that was *chefs kiss*. I devoured it once I picked it back up, loved the characters, loved the romance. With the right editing, this would truly be a masterpiece!
Now, the story itself... that was *chefs kiss*. I devoured it once I picked it back up, loved the characters, loved the romance. With the right editing, this would truly be a masterpiece!
December 9, 2025
Bear with me, it’s really late when I finished this book but I wanted to write down my thoughts before I forgot them. I really wanted to at least like this book if I didn’t love it. It should have been right up my alley, sapphic romance, pirates, fairytale retelling, magic…but the execution left so much to be desired 😬.
1) The world building was held together by a thread and a prayer.
2) how the magic works wasn’t clearly explained (Gwen’s magic at first seemed limited to water only, and then it turned into anything the book needed. It didn’t feel like there were any clear rules or limitations. Gwen says she doesn’t need words or rhymes to help her magic work, but she says them anyways because it feels right. There are other things throughout the book related to her magic/the magic of the world that just seemed inconsistent to me, naturally, I am blanking on them now that I am writing my review of the book).
3) The writing was choppy and inconsistent throughout the book (I had to drag myself through the book because it just didn’t flow well for me. It was so rapid fire, it felt like there needed to be more descriptions, character, movement directions, and more mid chapter breaks (which the book did have they just weren’t used often) so the words could have time to breathe. It was also very…procedural in the way the first person perspective was written. “I did this, then this, then this”.).
4) The romance fell into a category that I don’t usually ever like because it’s so overdone, one character is a innocent bleeding heart and the other character can’t have room for love and emotion because there is something wrong with them (it was also very Insta-lusty and that was the entire foundation of their relationship. It just makes their relationship not feel real or very grounded to me personally.).
5) I wish the fairytale references had a bit more subtlety (at the beginning of the book she’s listing out the brothers of her now ex-girlfriend fondly when deciding whether or not she can take refuge at their house because those brothers are the seven dwarfs reference in the book).
6) story pacing, the book just takes off running and I honestly wish we could’ve seen a little more buildup to the Huntsman incident. I wanted to, as the reader, experience more of this stories stand in for the evil stepmother first hand. Later in the book, it’s clear how manipulative she is, but it’s all just character recollection., I would have preferred to be shown and not just told so much.
7) the villains motivations honestly just felt messy, confusing and were so easily resolved.
8) “Matey” was the in-universe way pirate captains claimed a person as their partner. It annoyed me so much. It feels very juvenile, like something you used to say playing pirates with your friends not like the very serious, universally acknowledged claim it’s made out to be. The characters just run around saying “my matey” a lot, I guess it supposed to be a play on “fated mates” in romantasy calling each other “my mate”.
9) mound was use multiple times. This is a descriptor word I despise
All in all, the book just felt so empty to me. I didn’t connect with their characters because of their classic, very boring, archetypes and I had so many questions the entire time that it just distracted me from the story.
1) The world building was held together by a thread and a prayer.
2) how the magic works wasn’t clearly explained (Gwen’s magic at first seemed limited to water only, and then it turned into anything the book needed. It didn’t feel like there were any clear rules or limitations. Gwen says she doesn’t need words or rhymes to help her magic work, but she says them anyways because it feels right. There are other things throughout the book related to her magic/the magic of the world that just seemed inconsistent to me, naturally, I am blanking on them now that I am writing my review of the book).
3) The writing was choppy and inconsistent throughout the book (I had to drag myself through the book because it just didn’t flow well for me. It was so rapid fire, it felt like there needed to be more descriptions, character, movement directions, and more mid chapter breaks (which the book did have they just weren’t used often) so the words could have time to breathe. It was also very…procedural in the way the first person perspective was written. “I did this, then this, then this”.).
4) The romance fell into a category that I don’t usually ever like because it’s so overdone, one character is a innocent bleeding heart and the other character can’t have room for love and emotion because there is something wrong with them (it was also very Insta-lusty and that was the entire foundation of their relationship. It just makes their relationship not feel real or very grounded to me personally.).
5) I wish the fairytale references had a bit more subtlety (at the beginning of the book she’s listing out the brothers of her now ex-girlfriend fondly when deciding whether or not she can take refuge at their house because those brothers are the seven dwarfs reference in the book).
6) story pacing, the book just takes off running and I honestly wish we could’ve seen a little more buildup to the Huntsman incident. I wanted to, as the reader, experience more of this stories stand in for the evil stepmother first hand. Later in the book, it’s clear how manipulative she is, but it’s all just character recollection., I would have preferred to be shown and not just told so much.
7) the villains motivations honestly just felt messy, confusing and were so easily resolved.
8) “Matey” was the in-universe way pirate captains claimed a person as their partner. It annoyed me so much. It feels very juvenile, like something you used to say playing pirates with your friends not like the very serious, universally acknowledged claim it’s made out to be. The characters just run around saying “my matey” a lot, I guess it supposed to be a play on “fated mates” in romantasy calling each other “my mate”.
9) mound was use multiple times. This is a descriptor word I despise
All in all, the book just felt so empty to me. I didn’t connect with their characters because of their classic, very boring, archetypes and I had so many questions the entire time that it just distracted me from the story.
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