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Drowned Gods #1
Curious Tides
Ein Buch wie eine Flutwelle - bildgewaltige Dark-Academia-Fantasy um eine junge Mondmagierin
Emory war bisher höchstens eine mittelmäßige Heilerin, und dass sie einen Platz am renommierten Aldryn College für Mondmagie ergattert hat, verdankt sie allein ihrer besten Freundin Romy. Romy war immer die mächtigere Magierin, die Klügere, die Hübschere, der niemand widerstehen konnte. Doch nun ist Romy tot. Ertrunken in einer Meereshöhle, bei einer dummen Mutprobe, zusammen mit acht anderen Erstsemestern. Nur Emory hat überlebt, und seither hat sich ihre Magie in etwas Mächtiges, Dunkles verwandelt. Niemand darf je davon erfahren. Doch die Blicke des undurchschaubaren, attraktiven Keiran treffen Emory mitten ins Herz: Ahnt er etwas?
Emory war bisher höchstens eine mittelmäßige Heilerin, und dass sie einen Platz am renommierten Aldryn College für Mondmagie ergattert hat, verdankt sie allein ihrer besten Freundin Romy. Romy war immer die mächtigere Magierin, die Klügere, die Hübschere, der niemand widerstehen konnte. Doch nun ist Romy tot. Ertrunken in einer Meereshöhle, bei einer dummen Mutprobe, zusammen mit acht anderen Erstsemestern. Nur Emory hat überlebt, und seither hat sich ihre Magie in etwas Mächtiges, Dunkles verwandelt. Niemand darf je davon erfahren. Doch die Blicke des undurchschaubaren, attraktiven Keiran treffen Emory mitten ins Herz: Ahnt er etwas?
644 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 3, 2023
1640 people are currently reading
80787 people want to read
About the author
Pascale Lacelle
6 books856 followersPascale Lacelle is the New York Times bestselling author of Curious Tides and Stranger Skies. A longtime devourer of books, she started writing her own at the age of thirteen and quickly became enthralled by the magic of words in both French and English. She lives in Ottawa, Canada with her loving dog and an ever-growing library of books waiting to be read. You can find her online at PascaleLacelle.com or on Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,081 reviews
September 15, 2023
i've finally found the feeling i've been chasing in dark academia books. how do i put into words how ecstatic i was to finally find this gem😭 dark and gloomy academy vibes, perhaps the characters are all hot and sleep-deprived (maybe that bit is just my imagination), secret societies, myths & legends, a touch of forbidden magic, immaculate world-building, and sooo much more. this was one of the few books that i fell in love with on the first page.
i love that the chapters alternated between emory and baz (also one of the rare times i enjoyed the love interest's pov more). this book has a love triangle (not a spoiler) but the other dude doesn't even have a pov sooo LMAOOOO i was baffled. so we know who's endgame already ??? :^ (unless the author is trying to bamboozle me...)
baz's pov oh my godddd HE IS SO IN LOVE WITH HER !! the way he describes and thinks of her is poetry
"The images were imprinted on his soul, how the light hit Emory's face and made her hair shine like gold. He remembered the sound of her laugh and the way she smiled...how everything had felt right in the world..."
so in this universe, you only get one power manifestation. emory is a Healer, so when she discovers she has Reaper magic the night a missing classmate washes ashore, she seeks Baz, her best friend's older brother's for help, to teach her how to harness her powers. THEN THERE'S ALSO THIS ELITE SECRET SOCIETY where the other love interest is... i wish i could share more but it's honestly best if you experience it yourself!
at times i thought the world-building was a little repetitive (but i'm also slow so maybe that was a good thing). i also saw part of the ending coming !! which should say a lot since i have two brain cells and foreshadowing isn't a concept it knows. that being said, i was still gasping like a fish out of water in the last ten or so chapters. absolute whiplash.
something about the myths and stories remind me so much of rebecca ross' writing which i LOVED. also the writing was so poetic, reminded me a bit of chloe gong's! ty netgalley for the arc !! i cannot wait for book 2 ♡
i love that the chapters alternated between emory and baz (also one of the rare times i enjoyed the love interest's pov more). this book has a love triangle (not a spoiler) but the other dude doesn't even have a pov sooo LMAOOOO i was baffled. so we know who's endgame already ??? :^ (unless the author is trying to bamboozle me...)
baz's pov oh my godddd HE IS SO IN LOVE WITH HER !! the way he describes and thinks of her is poetry
"The images were imprinted on his soul, how the light hit Emory's face and made her hair shine like gold. He remembered the sound of her laugh and the way she smiled...how everything had felt right in the world..."
so in this universe, you only get one power manifestation. emory is a Healer, so when she discovers she has Reaper magic the night a missing classmate washes ashore, she seeks Baz, her best friend's older brother's for help, to teach her how to harness her powers. THEN THERE'S ALSO THIS ELITE SECRET SOCIETY where the other love interest is... i wish i could share more but it's honestly best if you experience it yourself!
at times i thought the world-building was a little repetitive (but i'm also slow so maybe that was a good thing). i also saw part of the ending coming !! which should say a lot since i have two brain cells and foreshadowing isn't a concept it knows. that being said, i was still gasping like a fish out of water in the last ten or so chapters. absolute whiplash.
something about the myths and stories remind me so much of rebecca ross' writing which i LOVED. also the writing was so poetic, reminded me a bit of chloe gong's! ty netgalley for the arc !! i cannot wait for book 2 ♡
Want to read
September 21, 2023i would sell my soul for the cover.
October 13, 2023
3.5 because I'm intrigued by the magic system and secret societies.
I do not recommend this if you're a character-driven reader, and also I would like fourth wall breaking superpowers so I can step in the book and strangle the FMC a good 50% of the time, thank you.
I do not recommend this if you're a character-driven reader, and also I would like fourth wall breaking superpowers so I can step in the book and strangle the FMC a good 50% of the time, thank you.
January 3, 2024
4.35!
“There is a scholar on these shores who breathes stories. He inhales all manner of them, holds each one in his soul, and when his lungs are too full of words, he exhales at last, daring to breathe his own stories to life. Thus he breathes in words and breathes more out, in and out and in again like the measured rhythm of the sea, until one day he finds a peculiar book that sets even the tides off their fated course.”
The writing style was amazing. Literally so immersive and oh my god the world building was so enhanced, I fell in love with the world too easily not to mention how in depth the magic system was like the author really outdid herself. Now i'm not gonna lie but i have to say that this book was super slow. I liked the pacing because it went perfectly with my busy schedule but I wouldve enjoyed it less if i read it without anything occupying my time.
The characters were really well written too and in depth as well. I liked how the twists were revolving around them and how they shaped the plots. They were some aspects in them that i found frustrating but it was truly a joy to read about them. It was well balanced between the plot i'd say because the characters were there and they made the book a little light and brought emotions into it but it was mostly plot driven and i did not mind that factor because it was crafted brilliantly.
The romance. im still confused on this. It was there but it wasn't clear i was very confused. Hopefully we get a better insight on this part of the book.
__
A pretty cover and Lunar magic?? sign me up...
“There is a scholar on these shores who breathes stories. He inhales all manner of them, holds each one in his soul, and when his lungs are too full of words, he exhales at last, daring to breathe his own stories to life. Thus he breathes in words and breathes more out, in and out and in again like the measured rhythm of the sea, until one day he finds a peculiar book that sets even the tides off their fated course.”
The writing style was amazing. Literally so immersive and oh my god the world building was so enhanced, I fell in love with the world too easily not to mention how in depth the magic system was like the author really outdid herself. Now i'm not gonna lie but i have to say that this book was super slow. I liked the pacing because it went perfectly with my busy schedule but I wouldve enjoyed it less if i read it without anything occupying my time.
The characters were really well written too and in depth as well. I liked how the twists were revolving around them and how they shaped the plots. They were some aspects in them that i found frustrating but it was truly a joy to read about them. It was well balanced between the plot i'd say because the characters were there and they made the book a little light and brought emotions into it but it was mostly plot driven and i did not mind that factor because it was crafted brilliantly.
The romance. im still confused on this. It was there but it wasn't clear i was very confused. Hopefully we get a better insight on this part of the book.
__
A pretty cover and Lunar magic?? sign me up...
March 5, 2024
This isn’t particularly cohesive but my notes while I was reading will have to suffice as my review —
Exposition so excessive it made me want to apologise to my critiques of The Scholomance
It’s 520 pages, nothing happens until 120 pages before the end!!! It needed to be 300.
Dark Academia where????
The most surface level attempt at addressing inequality and bias in institutions I’ve ever read
Involvement with the secret society ended up being sooooo minimal - all so passive and in the background until the last 50ish pages
Do they ever actually even go to class? Did she ever pass that really important test that just got forgotten? I feel like the author forgot the book was even set in a school
Literally sooooo obvious from first conversation which character was going to betray her
The obsession with calling back to this ‘fiction’ book was so overused to the point where we’re being hit over the head with it, & it just got tedious. I literally don’t give a shit about the fucking epilogue
Kai was probably the only character I actually felt engaged with
Desperately frustrating to throw in a non-binary character with such a cool backstory and give them absolutely ZERO personality
Dismayed a little by the amount of reviews saying MC was manipulative and leading Baz on as if it was abundantly clear that she liked Baz and was being manipulated by Kieran?? Starved for attention and praise and drawn in????
She might as well be saying “Romie’s sooooo cool and I’m soooo boring I am but a tiny sapling in the shadow of her tree” for the whole book
This was SUCH a cool concept and it was so tedious I’m so annoyed
Exposition so excessive it made me want to apologise to my critiques of The Scholomance
It’s 520 pages, nothing happens until 120 pages before the end!!! It needed to be 300.
Dark Academia where????
The most surface level attempt at addressing inequality and bias in institutions I’ve ever read
Involvement with the secret society ended up being sooooo minimal - all so passive and in the background until the last 50ish pages
Do they ever actually even go to class? Did she ever pass that really important test that just got forgotten? I feel like the author forgot the book was even set in a school
Literally sooooo obvious from first conversation which character was going to betray her
The obsession with calling back to this ‘fiction’ book was so overused to the point where we’re being hit over the head with it, & it just got tedious. I literally don’t give a shit about the fucking epilogue
Kai was probably the only character I actually felt engaged with
Desperately frustrating to throw in a non-binary character with such a cool backstory and give them absolutely ZERO personality
Dismayed a little by the amount of reviews saying MC was manipulative and leading Baz on as if it was abundantly clear that she liked Baz and was being manipulated by Kieran?? Starved for attention and praise and drawn in????
She might as well be saying “Romie’s sooooo cool and I’m soooo boring I am but a tiny sapling in the shadow of her tree” for the whole book
This was SUCH a cool concept and it was so tedious I’m so annoyed
January 3, 2025
The vibes were immaculate and the magic system is one of my favourites but unfortunately the characters fell flat for me, I guessed the twist from early on so it made the reading experience predictable for me.
Quite a few things were repeated but presented as if it was new information which irked me
It was also very long and nothing really happens until the last 100 pages, unfortunately I’m not intrigued enough to continue the series
Quite a few things were repeated but presented as if it was new information which irked me
It was also very long and nothing really happens until the last 100 pages, unfortunately I’m not intrigued enough to continue the series
February 16, 2024
4.75!
Oh my goodness I stayed up way too late to finish this. Though slow paced it is super fun to read especially with how well written it is and how exquisite and complex the magic system is. The plot gripped me in enough and the characters all flawed had such depth that I found myself falling for them and the sense of mystery was another thing that I appreciated.
I can't wait for the sequel to see how the events unfold.
Oh my goodness I stayed up way too late to finish this. Though slow paced it is super fun to read especially with how well written it is and how exquisite and complex the magic system is. The plot gripped me in enough and the characters all flawed had such depth that I found myself falling for them and the sense of mystery was another thing that I appreciated.
I can't wait for the sequel to see how the events unfold.
July 26, 2025
« It’s always the quietest minds that hide the worst sort of violence. »
Dark academia mixed with mysteries - sprinkle eerie setting & creepy vibes and you have a masterpiece.
« Because this book is magic. It’s like a portal, you see. It lets you step into other worlds and exist there for a time. »
The magic system was THE MOST unique I’ve read so far this year. The magic inherited is linked with the lunar cycle. I was so hooked on this magic system I kept thinking about it even when I wasn’t reading.
« He needed the people around him to stop leaving. »
This book is multi layered, the plots are absolutely brilliant. I don’t normally like cults in my books but this was very well handled.
« She was the sea, moving in an out of his life, between this world and the next. But what was the sea if it had no shore to return to? »
We follow a vast set of characters but the POV of Bas & Emory. Bas had massive character development in this one - whereas Emory was vulnerable for the vast majority. Which all comes down to say we don’t move at the same pace.
I personally didn’t like Keiran upon meeting him and so sometimes, Emory’s POV were hard to get through but the mystery pulled me through. What’s a bit out of character for me is I couldn’t pinpoint what was making me despise Keiran so much. Call it gut feeling!
There’s only one twist I saw coming, and the others BLEW ME AWAY. I actually had chills & cried at some point because it was just THAT GOOD. I really can’t wait to get to the second book! I highly recommend it. This one will sit with me for a while.
From the acknowledgment; « I wrote it looking back at my early twenties, a time that feels like a crossroads between who you are and who you want to be. I lost sight of who I was then, and writing this was a bit like finding my old self again. » ❤️🩹
—-• preread/reading
Only 100 pages in (on a total of 530) but I can tell this is going to be a winner for me
Dark academia mixed with mysteries - sprinkle eerie setting & creepy vibes and you have a masterpiece.
« Because this book is magic. It’s like a portal, you see. It lets you step into other worlds and exist there for a time. »
The magic system was THE MOST unique I’ve read so far this year. The magic inherited is linked with the lunar cycle. I was so hooked on this magic system I kept thinking about it even when I wasn’t reading.
« He needed the people around him to stop leaving. »
This book is multi layered, the plots are absolutely brilliant. I don’t normally like cults in my books but this was very well handled.
« She was the sea, moving in an out of his life, between this world and the next. But what was the sea if it had no shore to return to? »
We follow a vast set of characters but the POV of Bas & Emory. Bas had massive character development in this one - whereas Emory was vulnerable for the vast majority. Which all comes down to say we don’t move at the same pace.
I personally didn’t like Keiran upon meeting him and so sometimes, Emory’s POV were hard to get through but the mystery pulled me through. What’s a bit out of character for me is I couldn’t pinpoint what was making me despise Keiran so much. Call it gut feeling!
There’s only one twist I saw coming, and the others BLEW ME AWAY. I actually had chills & cried at some point because it was just THAT GOOD. I really can’t wait to get to the second book! I highly recommend it. This one will sit with me for a while.
From the acknowledgment; « I wrote it looking back at my early twenties, a time that feels like a crossroads between who you are and who you want to be. I lost sight of who I was then, and writing this was a bit like finding my old self again. » ❤️🩹
—-• preread/reading
Only 100 pages in (on a total of 530) but I can tell this is going to be a winner for me
December 8, 2025
|🖤| post~read |🌊|
this was absolutely incredible. The writing style, the world building, the characters. It was one of most well written books I’ve ever read, and the setting and descriptions were perfect. The only thing wrong with it to me it that the first half of it was extremely slow and it was kind of hard to get into
rtc
|🌊| pre~read |🖤|
I’m literally so excited to read this! I’ve seen some bad reviews so im trying to go in with low expectations but omg this looks so good. Dark academia books will forever be my favorite thing to exist, and I’ve heard it’s similar to a study in drowning which I absolutely loved, plus it seems so perfect for November, so yeah I think I’ll love it! Also the cover is absolutely gorgeous
this was absolutely incredible. The writing style, the world building, the characters. It was one of most well written books I’ve ever read, and the setting and descriptions were perfect. The only thing wrong with it to me it that the first half of it was extremely slow and it was kind of hard to get into
rtc
|🌊| pre~read |🖤|
I’m literally so excited to read this! I’ve seen some bad reviews so im trying to go in with low expectations but omg this looks so good. Dark academia books will forever be my favorite thing to exist, and I’ve heard it’s similar to a study in drowning which I absolutely loved, plus it seems so perfect for November, so yeah I think I’ll love it! Also the cover is absolutely gorgeous
December 21, 2025
*WARNING! - This is a negative review. Like, really, negative. Like, when I'm stopped at the gates of hell, they’re pulling this out as evidence.
First of all, whoever wrote “Ninth House meets A Deadly Education in this gorgeous dark academia fantasy following a teen mage who must unravel the truth behind the secret society that may have been involved in her classmates’ deaths.” into the blurb needs to be taken outside and shot. As those are two very beloved reads, I skipped my happy ass down to the bookstore on release date and purchased this book. I OWN THE EBOOK AND THE AUDIOBOOK as well, that’s how confident I was.
Well, stupid is a disease and I’m suffering from it because this was dogwater. I should have known. It doesn’t make sense to expect topics that inherently belong in adult fiction to condense well in YA. The right idea, the wrong bitch.
Emory. Emory. Emory. What did I do wrong in my past life to be punished with her point of view? And don’t start, because clearly, Lacelle can write compelling characters (BAZ) so why were we stuck with EMORY. One of the most annoying, whiney, bitchy FMC I have ever had the displeasure of reading. I know, I know, she’s like a teen, and she like just suffered the horrible loss of her best friends, BUT THAT WAS BAZ’S WHOLE SISTER BITCH. She insisted on playing the “but I suffered MORE” game the entire book. Girl. Get a grip. Bless Baz and his patience, because all Emory proved to me was that the wrong twin took the forever swim.
I also didn’t like how she was constantly narrating her own romantic interactions? Instead of describing her own emotions and reactions to things that are happening to her, we get weird out-of-body descriptions of how the other person is feeling? EX: “She didn’t miss the way that he tracked a shaft of her unbound hair as it fell forward on her bare shoulder, shimmering golden in the candlelight. His hand twitched as if he yearned to run his fingers through it.“ Like adding the “as if” made it her own original thought. Also who the fuck talks about their own hair like that? Very much Y/N and I was gagging. I can excuse girl bossing, but she was just fucking pathetic.
Now, I won’t lie, I read until exactly 50% and then skipped to part 4 (that’s 84%, don’t say anything, this book is 530 fucking pages) because I had a feeling I knew how the ??plot twist?? was going to go. This shit was predictable as fuck. Where was the mystery I was promised?? The murder?? The secret society?? Let me tell you, the secret society was like 7 dudes wearing towels on their heads and brandishing driftwood (not really).
Lastly, the world-building. Lacelle wrote THE FUCK out of the magic system. But sometimes, less is more. As in, less time spent coming up with the 47 different names for all the magic, and more time spent on… well, the plot.
First of all, whoever wrote “Ninth House meets A Deadly Education in this gorgeous dark academia fantasy following a teen mage who must unravel the truth behind the secret society that may have been involved in her classmates’ deaths.” into the blurb needs to be taken outside and shot. As those are two very beloved reads, I skipped my happy ass down to the bookstore on release date and purchased this book. I OWN THE EBOOK AND THE AUDIOBOOK as well, that’s how confident I was.
Well, stupid is a disease and I’m suffering from it because this was dogwater. I should have known. It doesn’t make sense to expect topics that inherently belong in adult fiction to condense well in YA. The right idea, the wrong bitch.
Emory. Emory. Emory. What did I do wrong in my past life to be punished with her point of view? And don’t start, because clearly, Lacelle can write compelling characters (BAZ) so why were we stuck with EMORY. One of the most annoying, whiney, bitchy FMC I have ever had the displeasure of reading. I know, I know, she’s like a teen, and she like just suffered the horrible loss of her best friends, BUT THAT WAS BAZ’S WHOLE SISTER BITCH. She insisted on playing the “but I suffered MORE” game the entire book. Girl. Get a grip. Bless Baz and his patience, because all Emory proved to me was that the wrong twin took the forever swim.
I also didn’t like how she was constantly narrating her own romantic interactions? Instead of describing her own emotions and reactions to things that are happening to her, we get weird out-of-body descriptions of how the other person is feeling? EX: “She didn’t miss the way that he tracked a shaft of her unbound hair as it fell forward on her bare shoulder, shimmering golden in the candlelight. His hand twitched as if he yearned to run his fingers through it.“ Like adding the “as if” made it her own original thought. Also who the fuck talks about their own hair like that? Very much Y/N and I was gagging. I can excuse girl bossing, but she was just fucking pathetic.
Now, I won’t lie, I read until exactly 50% and then skipped to part 4 (that’s 84%, don’t say anything, this book is 530 fucking pages) because I had a feeling I knew how the ??plot twist?? was going to go. This shit was predictable as fuck. Where was the mystery I was promised?? The murder?? The secret society?? Let me tell you, the secret society was like 7 dudes wearing towels on their heads and brandishing driftwood (not really).
Lastly, the world-building. Lacelle wrote THE FUCK out of the magic system. But sometimes, less is more. As in, less time spent coming up with the 47 different names for all the magic, and more time spent on… well, the plot.
September 13, 2024
4.7 stars
This book was so slowly paced but it read so good. The writing was so exquisite and i believe Pascale will be etched into my auto-buy authors. the world she built weaved with lunar magic and the depths of Baz and Emory that were explored and the betrayals and twists were something that kept me intrigued throughout the book.
This book was so slowly paced but it read so good. The writing was so exquisite and i believe Pascale will be etched into my auto-buy authors. the world she built weaved with lunar magic and the depths of Baz and Emory that were explored and the betrayals and twists were something that kept me intrigued throughout the book.
December 21, 2023
i wish everyone drowned in the cave
November 5, 2023
Why do authors always underestimate how boring and uncomfortable it is to watch the protagonist be dumb and naive for 80% of the book?
August 27, 2025
Beautifully written.
A love letter to the art of detailed whimsical prose.
Sometimes all I want to do is read about things on a level where the imagery has me swooning and living in different worlds ✍️.
Some pacing flaws and repetition, but the magic system with its metaphorical characters had me in awe 😍.
A love letter to the art of detailed whimsical prose.
Sometimes all I want to do is read about things on a level where the imagery has me swooning and living in different worlds ✍️.
Some pacing flaws and repetition, but the magic system with its metaphorical characters had me in awe 😍.
November 20, 2024
I started off thinking that this was another entry of ‘books that did not achieve the potential of their parts’, and honestly I maintained that opinion throughout most of the book but I definitely saw the vision by the end. The first 70% of this was a 3 star read with the last 30% or so being a 4 star ending. I feel happy settling on 3.5 stars (rounded down for exposing me to another main character who makes me want to commit violence).
This book features an interesting magic system based on lunar cycles of the moon which I found to be fairly unique. I know that this is marketed as being dark academia, but in my opinion it’s really more dark academia adjacent given the heavy presence of secret societies in the plot and its setting in a college. However, the actual classes and academy itself doesn’t really play a major role in the plot.
The actual writing craft of this book is pretty well polished and I have no complaints about the pacing or dialogue. Every now and again I would get glimmers of being sucked into this world but inevitably something would happen that would make me roll my eyes and pull me out of it. I’ll be honest, I found Bas’s POVs to be significantly more pleasant to inhabit and his storyline more interesting.
Unfortunately, finding Emory to be a pretty insufferable character ruined my time with her and her story. Emory is cut from the cloth that a lot of female YA protagonists are- it’s giving Bella swan. Emory is also meant to be 19 but read significantly younger and kind of felt like it’s included just to allow for a very mild sex scene. It became tedious with how often she refers to herself as mediocre or plain or a wallflower or reserved or shy and yet somehow we are meant to believe that she has all these love interests following her around? Emory also presented with this kind of immature victim mentality and rampant insecurities causing a doozy of an inferiority complex of her own abilities and for her to be jealous and covetous of other people’s powers, which I did not enjoy at all.
Emory also did that thing, which I’m coming to realise is a cardinal sin of character work for me, where she emotionally manipulates, hassles and cajoles a more experienced character into helping her AND THEN IMMEDIATELY starts complaining about how they help and starts trying to push the boundaries to get her way. Absolutely Infuriating.
Also the way that Emory just intentionally engaged in emotional manipulation and leading Bas on just gave me the biggest ick and was pretty irredeemable for a character. If you can’t tell by my little rant she was just TRULY THE WORST and I hope she wakes up to soggy socks every morning.
The book seemed to be trying to sell me a love triangle that I struggled to buy into from the get go. In part because the chemistry between Emory and Baz came so much from telling the reader about their attraction, rather than letting the reader feel it and just relied on REPEATEDLY mentioning how often Bas blushes around her and his childhood crush on her. However the biggest factor that lead me to not buy it, was because Baz was very clearly in love with (or at least infatuated with) his friend Kai (and for the record he has significantly more emotional chemistry with him than Emory). So I guess like, they hooked me in with a love triangle but it kind of feels like the wrong one lol. Kieran-Emory-Bas, couldn’t care less, Kai-Bas-Emory, I will chuck an almighty fit about
I listened to this by audiobook and thought the narrators did a great job. Every book I’ve listened to narrated by Gary Furlong has been done so well and I think he was a great fit for Bas. The narrator for Emory also did a fabulous job and it’s not her fault I couldn’t stand her chapters lol.
Somehow, despite my numerous grievances and near ocular dislocation caused by all the eye rolling I did at Emory’s constant references to how mediocre she is whilst actively being an idiot, I find myself wanting to continue on the story. Which even I’m confused about. Its worth noting that this story exists in a queer normative world and there is a nonbinary character as well as mentions of sapphic and achillean relationships. Thank you for coming to my TED talk
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen and review this audiobook.
(Once again, If they make Emory and Bas end game I will literally throw a riot. Give Bas the hot shadow boy he deserves.)
This book features an interesting magic system based on lunar cycles of the moon which I found to be fairly unique. I know that this is marketed as being dark academia, but in my opinion it’s really more dark academia adjacent given the heavy presence of secret societies in the plot and its setting in a college. However, the actual classes and academy itself doesn’t really play a major role in the plot.
The actual writing craft of this book is pretty well polished and I have no complaints about the pacing or dialogue. Every now and again I would get glimmers of being sucked into this world but inevitably something would happen that would make me roll my eyes and pull me out of it. I’ll be honest, I found Bas’s POVs to be significantly more pleasant to inhabit and his storyline more interesting.
Unfortunately, finding Emory to be a pretty insufferable character ruined my time with her and her story. Emory is cut from the cloth that a lot of female YA protagonists are- it’s giving Bella swan. Emory is also meant to be 19 but read significantly younger and kind of felt like it’s included just to allow for a very mild sex scene. It became tedious with how often she refers to herself as mediocre or plain or a wallflower or reserved or shy and yet somehow we are meant to believe that she has all these love interests following her around? Emory also presented with this kind of immature victim mentality and rampant insecurities causing a doozy of an inferiority complex of her own abilities and for her to be jealous and covetous of other people’s powers, which I did not enjoy at all.
Emory also did that thing, which I’m coming to realise is a cardinal sin of character work for me, where she emotionally manipulates, hassles and cajoles a more experienced character into helping her AND THEN IMMEDIATELY starts complaining about how they help and starts trying to push the boundaries to get her way. Absolutely Infuriating.
Also the way that Emory just intentionally engaged in emotional manipulation and leading Bas on just gave me the biggest ick and was pretty irredeemable for a character. If you can’t tell by my little rant she was just TRULY THE WORST and I hope she wakes up to soggy socks every morning.
The book seemed to be trying to sell me a love triangle that I struggled to buy into from the get go. In part because the chemistry between Emory and Baz came so much from telling the reader about their attraction, rather than letting the reader feel it and just relied on REPEATEDLY mentioning how often Bas blushes around her and his childhood crush on her. However the biggest factor that lead me to not buy it, was because Baz was very clearly in love with (or at least infatuated with) his friend Kai (and for the record he has significantly more emotional chemistry with him than Emory). So I guess like, they hooked me in with a love triangle but it kind of feels like the wrong one lol. Kieran-Emory-Bas, couldn’t care less, Kai-Bas-Emory, I will chuck an almighty fit about
I listened to this by audiobook and thought the narrators did a great job. Every book I’ve listened to narrated by Gary Furlong has been done so well and I think he was a great fit for Bas. The narrator for Emory also did a fabulous job and it’s not her fault I couldn’t stand her chapters lol.
Somehow, despite my numerous grievances and near ocular dislocation caused by all the eye rolling I did at Emory’s constant references to how mediocre she is whilst actively being an idiot, I find myself wanting to continue on the story. Which even I’m confused about. Its worth noting that this story exists in a queer normative world and there is a nonbinary character as well as mentions of sapphic and achillean relationships. Thank you for coming to my TED talk
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen and review this audiobook.
(Once again, If they make Emory and Bas end game I will literally throw a riot. Give Bas the hot shadow boy he deserves.)
October 11, 2023
A delightfully lush, dark academia debut teeming with forbidden magic, mystery and secret societies—that fans of Lev Grossman’s The Magicians or Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House are sure to enjoy.
Set in a world full of magic (and told through alternating, dual perspectives) we follow Emory, a teen mage still grieving the loss of her best friend, Romie, to a tragic drowning accident. And Baz, Romie’s reclusive brother still coming to terms with her loss.
Estranged since childhood, the pair haven’t spoken in years. But when the drowned students start to wash ashore—with bodies that aren’t as dead as they should be. Emory and Baz must reunite once more.
Working together, they hope to uncover the truth behind the drownings, and the shady secret society that shares ties to the all the missing students. But time is of the essence and they must solve the mystery before the magic that claimed Romie and the others, decides to claim the lives of anyone else.
I loved every exquisitely detailed second of this! The world-building was breathtaking, with prose that practically swam off the page — and in a very Erin Morgenstern fashion, submerging us in a world of intricately woven lore and lunar-based magic that I found fascinating. Though I did find the pacing (particularly the first half) a little slow.
However, I was really fond of the excerpts we encounter (from MC Baz’s favourite book, Song of the Drowned Gods.) Which I thought were really reminiscent of the interconnected stories I fell hopelessly in love with, in Morgenstern’s The Starless Sea.
Our protagonists, Emory and Baz were likewise incredibly fascinating too. Suffering from survivor’s guilt (having followed Romie to the sea cave, and being present moments before the tragedy occurred) Emory’s emotional response was quite heartbreaking. However, some of her choices had me seriously questioning her decision making skills.
I do admit, that of our two main characters, it was Baz that I felt the most connected to. Being born with Eclipse magic (the most stigmatised branch of magic), Baz has endured a lifetime of vitriol. And yet, his determination to help Emory, (and risk having his own magic bound if they’re caught) was incredibly endearing. Especially after witnessing the depth of his compassion and his unwavering drive to do the right thing—even if it means breaking the rules.
Overall, a magic and mystery filled, YA fantasy with a sprinkle of romance and dark academia deliciousness.
Also, thanks to Rachel Quin, Simon & Schuster UK & Netgalley for the e-arc.
Set in a world full of magic (and told through alternating, dual perspectives) we follow Emory, a teen mage still grieving the loss of her best friend, Romie, to a tragic drowning accident. And Baz, Romie’s reclusive brother still coming to terms with her loss.
Estranged since childhood, the pair haven’t spoken in years. But when the drowned students start to wash ashore—with bodies that aren’t as dead as they should be. Emory and Baz must reunite once more.
Working together, they hope to uncover the truth behind the drownings, and the shady secret society that shares ties to the all the missing students. But time is of the essence and they must solve the mystery before the magic that claimed Romie and the others, decides to claim the lives of anyone else.
I loved every exquisitely detailed second of this! The world-building was breathtaking, with prose that practically swam off the page — and in a very Erin Morgenstern fashion, submerging us in a world of intricately woven lore and lunar-based magic that I found fascinating. Though I did find the pacing (particularly the first half) a little slow.
However, I was really fond of the excerpts we encounter (from MC Baz’s favourite book, Song of the Drowned Gods.) Which I thought were really reminiscent of the interconnected stories I fell hopelessly in love with, in Morgenstern’s The Starless Sea.
Our protagonists, Emory and Baz were likewise incredibly fascinating too. Suffering from survivor’s guilt (having followed Romie to the sea cave, and being present moments before the tragedy occurred) Emory’s emotional response was quite heartbreaking. However, some of her choices had me seriously questioning her decision making skills.
I do admit, that of our two main characters, it was Baz that I felt the most connected to. Being born with Eclipse magic (the most stigmatised branch of magic), Baz has endured a lifetime of vitriol. And yet, his determination to help Emory, (and risk having his own magic bound if they’re caught) was incredibly endearing. Especially after witnessing the depth of his compassion and his unwavering drive to do the right thing—even if it means breaking the rules.
Overall, a magic and mystery filled, YA fantasy with a sprinkle of romance and dark academia deliciousness.
Also, thanks to Rachel Quin, Simon & Schuster UK & Netgalley for the e-arc.
October 2, 2024
I should’ve known I wouldn’t break the 3-5 curse (I read 3 books that are 5 stars in a row but never a 4th that also is) but had fun still.
This is the perfect book for people who liked If We Were Villains but then became interested in witchcraft.
It got a little boring by the end but honestly, I think most people would see it the other way around
(Hi, nice to meet you. I don't like action, description of physical movements, etc)
This is the perfect book for people who liked If We Were Villains but then became interested in witchcraft.
It got a little boring by the end but honestly, I think most people would see it the other way around
(Hi, nice to meet you. I don't like action, description of physical movements, etc)
September 19, 2023
Allured by the premise of a magical college, tidal/lunar magics, a secret society, and a mystery to be solved I was very excited to dive into Curious Tides. What I was hoping would be a transfixing story, instead wound up being a never ending trudge. If I had not kindly been given access to an e-ARC by the publisher, I would have thrown in the towel very early on.
With incredibly lengthy chapters, immense description, and a very slow moving story, my interest was never grasped. The magic system while very creative, felt needlessly complex (especially for a YA novel). The book alternates between two POVs, Emory and Baz, though for most of the book they are not in each other’s presence. We then wind up following two different storylines that seldom cross paths. Based on the information given in the blurb, this played out very differently than how the I anticipated Emory enlisting Baz’s help, and thus the story proceeding.
As slow as I found the world building and plot to move, I kept hoping to find something exciting within these pages, but it never came. Our MC was infuriating, the plot twists felt obvious, and it felt like simply too much was trying to be tackled. I think streamlining the ground covered both in side plots and length, would have lended itself greatly.
All in all, this was an ambitious debut. The beauty of books and opinions is that they vary so greatly between readers. It appears from other early reviews that this book is finding, and likely will continue to find its target audience. I, however, am not part of it.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
With incredibly lengthy chapters, immense description, and a very slow moving story, my interest was never grasped. The magic system while very creative, felt needlessly complex (especially for a YA novel). The book alternates between two POVs, Emory and Baz, though for most of the book they are not in each other’s presence. We then wind up following two different storylines that seldom cross paths. Based on the information given in the blurb, this played out very differently than how the I anticipated Emory enlisting Baz’s help, and thus the story proceeding.
As slow as I found the world building and plot to move, I kept hoping to find something exciting within these pages, but it never came. Our MC was infuriating, the plot twists felt obvious, and it felt like simply too much was trying to be tackled. I think streamlining the ground covered both in side plots and length, would have lended itself greatly.
All in all, this was an ambitious debut. The beauty of books and opinions is that they vary so greatly between readers. It appears from other early reviews that this book is finding, and likely will continue to find its target audience. I, however, am not part of it.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 23, 2023
my first unintended 1 star book of the year is HERE!!! at first, i was about to give the book 2 stars, i really did, because i like baz and i like the magic system. but any book that evoked so much rage in me that i rant and scream about it in personal chats and on more than one twitter accounts only deserved one star. this book tries to tackle too much, which makes the plot so predictable and lackluster, not to mention how repetitive the world-building is.
let's not even start with that "plot twist" that i can already see happening the second that character was introduced. you don't need to be a genius to know it. hell, even a 10 years old would be able to pick it up that quickly lmaooo and it didn't even feel satisfying. when it was revealed, i just wanted the book to be done as quickly as possible.
last but not least, and most importantly, i need payment from the author for making me suffer through emory's pov. amazing how this girl is stupid, idiotic, dense, hormonal in a way i absolutely do not respect, have no self-preservation, useless, annoying, i can keep going but it'll be too much for the masses. baz is the only decent character and while i tolerate the story from his pov, the fact that emory spends her time lying and using baz for her own gain and trashing him to another love interest that's so bland and to climb up the stupid social ladder makes me hate the book even more. have i mentioned how much i hate the love triangle? baz absolutely deserves so much better than emory, and keiran is a boring opportunist piece of shit that's so self-absorbed. that romance with keiran is entirely unnecessary and speaks more about the staggeringly high level of incompetence that emory possesses.
p.s. the AUDACITY in mentioning ninth house in the description of this book when it can't even live up to nh whatsoever
let's not even start with that "plot twist" that i can already see happening the second that character was introduced. you don't need to be a genius to know it. hell, even a 10 years old would be able to pick it up that quickly lmaooo and it didn't even feel satisfying. when it was revealed, i just wanted the book to be done as quickly as possible.
last but not least, and most importantly, i need payment from the author for making me suffer through emory's pov. amazing how this girl is stupid, idiotic, dense, hormonal in a way i absolutely do not respect, have no self-preservation, useless, annoying, i can keep going but it'll be too much for the masses. baz is the only decent character and while i tolerate the story from his pov, the fact that emory spends her time lying and using baz for her own gain and trashing him to another love interest that's so bland and to climb up the stupid social ladder makes me hate the book even more. have i mentioned how much i hate the love triangle? baz absolutely deserves so much better than emory, and keiran is a boring opportunist piece of shit that's so self-absorbed. that romance with keiran is entirely unnecessary and speaks more about the staggeringly high level of incompetence that emory possesses.
p.s. the AUDACITY in mentioning ninth house in the description of this book when it can't even live up to nh whatsoever
December 12, 2023
This was a delicious setting and magic system. I loved the college, its secret society, and the house affiliations dependent on moon phase and birthdate. The moon phase and tide alignments were clever and created not only a structure but a mood for the story as well. I ate it up.
The characters are in college, and the overall themes and development of the story definitely feel young adult with a predictable plot outline. What strengthened and matured the narrative was Baz's POV chapters. His backstory, relationships, management of his magic, grief, loss, and subsequent need for emotional and magical control, were very compelling. The conversations with his mentor Jae and scenes in the institute were a fascinating part of the narrative.
The aspect that drew me out of the story was how convenient things were for the characters. Their access and authority seemed unrealistic. They can access Dovermere whenever they want to even though students regularly drown there—seems like the adults would make it more difficult, with wards, curfews, etc. The institute also seems incredibly easy to infiltrate. Their access to magic feels very overpowered; awesome, but without enough limits to make any plights carry weight. If glamours and illusions can disguise people so absolutely, and power over light can make people invisible, and time can be undone so that misfortunes are reversible, what challenges are left? As it is, it seems the characters' only limitations are their own beliefs. While this is a really solid message thematically, I need magic systems to have some clear limitations, or the world becomes too ungrounded for me.
Overall, this is a strong and entertaining YA story, and I will definitely pick up the next book.
The characters are in college, and the overall themes and development of the story definitely feel young adult with a predictable plot outline. What strengthened and matured the narrative was Baz's POV chapters. His backstory, relationships, management of his magic, grief, loss, and subsequent need for emotional and magical control, were very compelling. The conversations with his mentor Jae and scenes in the institute were a fascinating part of the narrative.
The aspect that drew me out of the story was how convenient things were for the characters. Their access and authority seemed unrealistic. They can access Dovermere whenever they want to even though students regularly drown there—seems like the adults would make it more difficult, with wards, curfews, etc. The institute also seems incredibly easy to infiltrate. Their access to magic feels very overpowered; awesome, but without enough limits to make any plights carry weight. If glamours and illusions can disguise people so absolutely, and power over light can make people invisible, and time can be undone so that misfortunes are reversible, what challenges are left? As it is, it seems the characters' only limitations are their own beliefs. While this is a really solid message thematically, I need magic systems to have some clear limitations, or the world becomes too ungrounded for me.
Overall, this is a strong and entertaining YA story, and I will definitely pick up the next book.
June 30, 2025
6/5
Całkowicie przepadłam. Wody Tajemne stały się moim faworytem tego półrocza.
Emory jako jedyna przetrwała przypływ w jaskini. Tajemnicze wydarzenie jak i śmierć studentów wśród których była jej najlepsza przyjaciółka, poruszyło całą uczelnią magii. Dziewczyna stara się rozwikłać zagadkę ich śmierci, odnajdując sobie nowe pokłady mocy, w której okiełznaniu ma pomóc jej brat zmarłej przyjaciółki - Baz. Jednak jej zdolności przykuwają uwagę także innego studenta...
To był przepiękny rejs ale z gatunku tych spokojniejszych - gdzie napawałam się klimatem, historią i bohaterami, a nie scenami akcji.
Wody Tajemne skrywają pod powierzchnią idealny klimat dark academia - Uczelnia dla czarodziejów na klifach, ciemne biblioteki, tajne stowarzyszenie oraz tajemniczy tekst książki będący mantrą tej historii:
Są wody, co więżą, i wody, co śmierć niosą.
Cudownie wykreowany system magii bazujący na fazach księżyca - rodzisz się w danej fazie, otrzymujesz przypisane do niej zdolności i żadne inne, oraz możesz korzystać z nich tylko w czasie tej fazy. Rewelacyjne światotwórstwo wraz z legendą, której okoliczności badają bohaterowie.
Styl autorki także mnie zachwycił, liryczny i wprost stworzony pod klimat dark academia.
Bohaterowie to w tym wszystkim wisienka na torcie- namacalni i autentyczni. Przygotujecie się na radzenie sobie z traumą, poczuciem przynależności, konfliktami z innymi. Na każdym kroku skrywają tajemnice, manipulują czy grożą, byle by ich sekrety nie wyszły na jaw.
Zaskakiwała mnie na każdym kroku - zwrotami akcji i coraz bardziej pochłaniała mnie falami oryginalnej fabuły, dokładając kolejne do wciągające wątki, a gdy sądziłam, że już wiem wszystko, zalała mnie nowym światem topiąc w nadziei, że szybko dostanę kolejny tom.
Całkowicie przepadłam. Wody Tajemne stały się moim faworytem tego półrocza.
Emory jako jedyna przetrwała przypływ w jaskini. Tajemnicze wydarzenie jak i śmierć studentów wśród których była jej najlepsza przyjaciółka, poruszyło całą uczelnią magii. Dziewczyna stara się rozwikłać zagadkę ich śmierci, odnajdując sobie nowe pokłady mocy, w której okiełznaniu ma pomóc jej brat zmarłej przyjaciółki - Baz. Jednak jej zdolności przykuwają uwagę także innego studenta...
To był przepiękny rejs ale z gatunku tych spokojniejszych - gdzie napawałam się klimatem, historią i bohaterami, a nie scenami akcji.
Wody Tajemne skrywają pod powierzchnią idealny klimat dark academia - Uczelnia dla czarodziejów na klifach, ciemne biblioteki, tajne stowarzyszenie oraz tajemniczy tekst książki będący mantrą tej historii:
Są wody, co więżą, i wody, co śmierć niosą.
Cudownie wykreowany system magii bazujący na fazach księżyca - rodzisz się w danej fazie, otrzymujesz przypisane do niej zdolności i żadne inne, oraz możesz korzystać z nich tylko w czasie tej fazy. Rewelacyjne światotwórstwo wraz z legendą, której okoliczności badają bohaterowie.
Styl autorki także mnie zachwycił, liryczny i wprost stworzony pod klimat dark academia.
Bohaterowie to w tym wszystkim wisienka na torcie- namacalni i autentyczni. Przygotujecie się na radzenie sobie z traumą, poczuciem przynależności, konfliktami z innymi. Na każdym kroku skrywają tajemnice, manipulują czy grożą, byle by ich sekrety nie wyszły na jaw.
Zaskakiwała mnie na każdym kroku - zwrotami akcji i coraz bardziej pochłaniała mnie falami oryginalnej fabuły, dokładając kolejne do wciągające wątki, a gdy sądziłam, że już wiem wszystko, zalała mnie nowym światem topiąc w nadziei, że szybko dostanę kolejny tom.
November 30, 2023
3 Reasons to Read
1: If you are looking to swept away by a more lyrical-feeling audiobook. (And you’re not in a rush.)
2: When you’re looking for more complicated world-building in the YA space. Like… You’re a fan of Leigh Bardugo. & Naomi Novik’s dark academia vibe.
3: You like stories within stories, woven throughout.
3 Reasons to Pass:
1: If love triangles aren’t your thing.
2: You need all action. Lacelle has a dreamy voice.
3: You were looking for spicy- it’s more pg- 13.
——
3.75 (This felt like a decent win for #nohypeNovember )- I’ll look forward to the next book- it will definitely be on my audiobook TBR.
1: If you are looking to swept away by a more lyrical-feeling audiobook. (And you’re not in a rush.)
2: When you’re looking for more complicated world-building in the YA space. Like… You’re a fan of Leigh Bardugo. & Naomi Novik’s dark academia vibe.
3: You like stories within stories, woven throughout.
3 Reasons to Pass:
1: If love triangles aren’t your thing.
2: You need all action. Lacelle has a dreamy voice.
3: You were looking for spicy- it’s more pg- 13.
——
3.75 (This felt like a decent win for #nohypeNovember )- I’ll look forward to the next book- it will definitely be on my audiobook TBR.
December 27, 2023
Ahoy there mateys! I picked this one up because of its focus of tide based magic and dark academia. Sadly I abandoned ship at 23%. Frankly, a quarter of the way through a book, I expect to be rapidly moving through the pages to find out what happens next. I was bored and confused. The pacing was slow and I did not care about the main character, Emory, at all. I didn't really like the other POV, Baz, either. He seemed like a caricature. There was a mystery and a secret society but a lot of the story was told in flashbacks that bogged down the writing. Ye were supposed to sympathize with Emory's grief but she just came across as self-absorbed and silly. The academia setting was basically irrelevant to the plot. The magic made no sense. If ye have magic from childhood, then why do the students not seem to understand how it works. Also the world building was light despite so much descriptive narrative. I stopped where I could feel the love triangle forming. I cannot recommend this one at all. Arrr!
July 19, 2023
That. Was. Phenomenal.
I don’t even have words to describe how much I loved this book. I received an e-ARC yesterday and already finished it because I could not put it down. The mysteries are so compelling. The characters are rich and complex and disasters in their own ways and I loved them! The magic system and world building were so unique.
This was so perfectly unpredictable. Normally, I figure out the twist early on but I never saw these twists coming (but in the best way). I was sitting here saying “OHHHH THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE” right after a reveal.
If there isn’t a sequel I will be DEVASTATED. This is what dark academia should be. This debut was perfection in a book. I already can’t wait to reread it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I don’t even have words to describe how much I loved this book. I received an e-ARC yesterday and already finished it because I could not put it down. The mysteries are so compelling. The characters are rich and complex and disasters in their own ways and I loved them! The magic system and world building were so unique.
This was so perfectly unpredictable. Normally, I figure out the twist early on but I never saw these twists coming (but in the best way). I was sitting here saying “OHHHH THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE” right after a reveal.
If there isn’t a sequel I will be DEVASTATED. This is what dark academia should be. This debut was perfection in a book. I already can’t wait to reread it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 20, 2024
I hate myself for putting this book off for such a long time! It was everything I needed but so much more as well. I don't want to say anything because I want everyone to feel what I felt by experiencing it but I'm just going to say everything was done perfectly!
January 9, 2024
reading this book was literally the most magical experience of my life
October 15, 2023
I would give this book 10 stars if I could. Wow! It's been so long since I have felt like a book was written for me. This book was written for me or at least that is how I feel. I loved this with my whole soul. The world, the atmosphere, the characters, the fact the book centers on the moon and its' cycles...the main characters even love coffee. I couldn't love a book more if I tried. And what's amazing is I had no idea this book was coming. It was nowhere on my radar. I found it on a whim and it's now one of my favorite books ever. Sometimes the universe blesses me. I am so glad I found this book. A little Dark Academia, a little Fantasy, add some mystery and a splash of celestial magic and you have my favorite book I have read this year so far. Fantastic, this book is just fantastic.
November 26, 2023
4/5 stars, the vibes in this book were impeccable
Thank you to Simon Teen for the arc through netgalley and a physical arc in exchange for an honest review, as well as a finished copy!
"She was drowning in a sea of stars" (1)
Even from the cover of this book, the map, and the gorgeous little set that Simon Teen sent to me I knew that this book was going to be gorgeously written. I am such a sucker for unique magic systems, magical schools, and dark academia and all of those things are perfectly aligned in this book (like the moon phases haha). I really think that this book was so much fun and it kept me entertained the entire time, with an interesting mystery plot and fun characters.
This book is quite thick, so there were times that I was worried the plot would be boring at times. While there were moments that it was repetitive, as the main driving plot point was figuring out a mystery and oftentimes both main characters stumbled upon similar information separately, I didn't really mind it. Usually, this affects my opinion more but because this was a magical school and there was a very cool magic system that helped make sure that the rest of the story was very interesting, and helped support the plot. There were some plot twists that I saw coming so not everything was a surprise, but I did really enjoy following along with the mystery.
My favorite part of this book was definitely the magic system, having powers people are granted depending on which moon they are born under is so cool. The lunar houses were all so unique too and I was really glad that there was a guide at the front of the book to help me remember. Beyond the really interesting powers, there was also some amazing lore surrounding a set of gods and the little stories from a "book" scattered throughout the book, they signaled when a new part of the book was starting and that was so fun.
The cast of characters was also very fun to follow throughout the whole story. Emory was arguably the main character even though Baz got a point of view as well. Everything in the story though revolved around Emory, her connection to the death of the other students, and the consequences of it on herself and others. She was a little naive and fell into the "chosen-one" trope but I honestly like that trope so I was pretty much good with it. Baz was a great character too and I loved him from the first moment that he was on the page, he's exactly my type of book character. Then as well Kieran was an important side character, along with many others who are mysterious and I cannot name haha. They were interesting to see develop too.
In this book the romance appears like enemies to lovers, but then maybe a love triangle but then mutual pining but then friends to lovers? It's very complicated and I don't always like reading love triangles so that was one thing that I just took a little bit off for. But I do think I am excited for the future of the romance in the rest of the series, even if I'm not sure how it will end up.
[TW: death of loved ones, drowning, trauma depicted, blood and gore, murder]
Thank you to Simon Teen for the arc through netgalley and a physical arc in exchange for an honest review, as well as a finished copy!
"She was drowning in a sea of stars" (1)
Even from the cover of this book, the map, and the gorgeous little set that Simon Teen sent to me I knew that this book was going to be gorgeously written. I am such a sucker for unique magic systems, magical schools, and dark academia and all of those things are perfectly aligned in this book (like the moon phases haha). I really think that this book was so much fun and it kept me entertained the entire time, with an interesting mystery plot and fun characters.
This book is quite thick, so there were times that I was worried the plot would be boring at times. While there were moments that it was repetitive, as the main driving plot point was figuring out a mystery and oftentimes both main characters stumbled upon similar information separately, I didn't really mind it. Usually, this affects my opinion more but because this was a magical school and there was a very cool magic system that helped make sure that the rest of the story was very interesting, and helped support the plot. There were some plot twists that I saw coming so not everything was a surprise, but I did really enjoy following along with the mystery.
My favorite part of this book was definitely the magic system, having powers people are granted depending on which moon they are born under is so cool. The lunar houses were all so unique too and I was really glad that there was a guide at the front of the book to help me remember. Beyond the really interesting powers, there was also some amazing lore surrounding a set of gods and the little stories from a "book" scattered throughout the book, they signaled when a new part of the book was starting and that was so fun.
The cast of characters was also very fun to follow throughout the whole story. Emory was arguably the main character even though Baz got a point of view as well. Everything in the story though revolved around Emory, her connection to the death of the other students, and the consequences of it on herself and others. She was a little naive and fell into the "chosen-one" trope but I honestly like that trope so I was pretty much good with it. Baz was a great character too and I loved him from the first moment that he was on the page, he's exactly my type of book character. Then as well Kieran was an important side character, along with many others who are mysterious and I cannot name haha. They were interesting to see develop too.
In this book the romance appears like enemies to lovers, but then maybe a love triangle but then mutual pining but then friends to lovers? It's very complicated and I don't always like reading love triangles so that was one thing that I just took a little bit off for. But I do think I am excited for the future of the romance in the rest of the series, even if I'm not sure how it will end up.
[TW: death of loved ones, drowning, trauma depicted, blood and gore, murder]
November 15, 2023
"The drowned gods are calling; will you answer?"
The first half of this book was veeeery slow paced with a lot of info dumping. It was difficult to read. The magic system was overly complicated to the point of being boring, in my opinion. However, I liked the characters enough to keep reading, and the second half did improve. By a lot. The pace got better, I started to like Baz more, and got invested in the story. I loved Keiran as a character, he was incredibly well written, and completely stole the show for me. I liked Emory, too, she was complicated and flawed and entertaining. Virgil was great too. And Kai–I loved how he was described with his sharp, slanted smiles and midnight voice, etc.
Overall, this book was flawed, but with occasional moments of brilliance, and was a decently enjoyable read once the pace picked up in the second half. The atmosphere was enticing, the dark academia aspect did appeal to me and if it weren't for pacing issues and too much info dumping, I definitely think this book could have been brilliant. As it is, it wasn't bad, it just wasn't incredible either. I genuinely enjoyed the second half of the book which redeemed it for the boring first half. I don't regret reading this book. At the 20% mark I was worried I might, and considered DNFing. But I'm glad I finished this and I'll take that as a win.
Quotes:
"But books allowed Baz to dream without fear of falling.
"Evil awaits the careless."
"...with the stories he inhales and the words he exhales, as much sustenance to him as air."
"The thought was at once thrilling and unbearable."
"You underestimate how tireless I can be when I chase after something I want."
"But don't confuse his interest in you with his obsession with power."
"Besides, there was the Keiran Dunhall Thornby of it all." 😂
"What if in pretending to be mediocre, he had become so?"
"I've got you, Ains." ����
"Power unrivaled."
"Blood and bones and heart and soul."
"Kai smiled, a dangerous thing."
The first half of this book was veeeery slow paced with a lot of info dumping. It was difficult to read. The magic system was overly complicated to the point of being boring, in my opinion. However, I liked the characters enough to keep reading, and the second half did improve. By a lot. The pace got better, I started to like Baz more, and got invested in the story. I loved Keiran as a character, he was incredibly well written, and completely stole the show for me. I liked Emory, too, she was complicated and flawed and entertaining. Virgil was great too. And Kai–I loved how he was described with his sharp, slanted smiles and midnight voice, etc.
Overall, this book was flawed, but with occasional moments of brilliance, and was a decently enjoyable read once the pace picked up in the second half. The atmosphere was enticing, the dark academia aspect did appeal to me and if it weren't for pacing issues and too much info dumping, I definitely think this book could have been brilliant. As it is, it wasn't bad, it just wasn't incredible either. I genuinely enjoyed the second half of the book which redeemed it for the boring first half. I don't regret reading this book. At the 20% mark I was worried I might, and considered DNFing. But I'm glad I finished this and I'll take that as a win.
Quotes:
"But books allowed Baz to dream without fear of falling.
"Evil awaits the careless."
"...with the stories he inhales and the words he exhales, as much sustenance to him as air."
"The thought was at once thrilling and unbearable."
"You underestimate how tireless I can be when I chase after something I want."
"But don't confuse his interest in you with his obsession with power."
"Besides, there was the Keiran Dunhall Thornby of it all." 😂
"What if in pretending to be mediocre, he had become so?"
"I've got you, Ains." ����
"Power unrivaled."
"Blood and bones and heart and soul."
"Kai smiled, a dangerous thing."
July 25, 2023
Why had she gone into those caves? How had she survived what others more magically gifted than her had not?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.75
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for providing an arc in exchange for a review!
Five students ventured to the depths of caves. Only Emory returns. The rest drowned in the murky deeps and presumed dead. Only Emory believes her best friend is still alive and calling for her in a place no one has ventured except for in myths and legends.
A school where those with magic in their veins learns to control and excel. A secret society dealing in odd magics and rituals. Caves that have a dark mystery and an even darker past of drowned students and monstrous nightmares.
”Because this book is magic. It's like a portal, you see. It lets you step into other worlds and exist there for a time."
I loved the relatable feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness the cast of characters felt. There was academic competition, but more poignant was the social pressure. The need to fit in, the desire to be seen, the wish for identity, belonging, and community.
It was all she'd ever wanted, to be seen. To have someone see her for everything that she was and wasn't and deem it enough.
The push and pull of being your own person where you’re constantly compared, or think you are. Where you measure yourself up to others, putting them on a pedestal so you’re always looking up from afar, unable to see your own worth and sense of self.
This leads nicely into another important theme: manipulation. How we lean on others and rely on them to build us up… or tear us down.
”But don't confuse his interest in you with his obsession with power."
I would recommend this if you enjoyed The Atlas Six, Ninth House, and Legendborn!
Bookstagram
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.75
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for providing an arc in exchange for a review!
Five students ventured to the depths of caves. Only Emory returns. The rest drowned in the murky deeps and presumed dead. Only Emory believes her best friend is still alive and calling for her in a place no one has ventured except for in myths and legends.
A school where those with magic in their veins learns to control and excel. A secret society dealing in odd magics and rituals. Caves that have a dark mystery and an even darker past of drowned students and monstrous nightmares.
”Because this book is magic. It's like a portal, you see. It lets you step into other worlds and exist there for a time."
I loved the relatable feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness the cast of characters felt. There was academic competition, but more poignant was the social pressure. The need to fit in, the desire to be seen, the wish for identity, belonging, and community.
It was all she'd ever wanted, to be seen. To have someone see her for everything that she was and wasn't and deem it enough.
The push and pull of being your own person where you’re constantly compared, or think you are. Where you measure yourself up to others, putting them on a pedestal so you’re always looking up from afar, unable to see your own worth and sense of self.
This leads nicely into another important theme: manipulation. How we lean on others and rely on them to build us up… or tear us down.
”But don't confuse his interest in you with his obsession with power."
I would recommend this if you enjoyed The Atlas Six, Ninth House, and Legendborn!
Bookstagram
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