Tides and Torment

by Caitlan Honer

“Has anyone ever told you that you look ravishing when you’re dying?”

Roisin—an indestructible, heavens-approved assassin—has once again found herself imprisoned. Luckily for her, she once tricked a god into servitude, and he now has no choice but to obey her every command, which includes a (relatively) swift rescue and escape. Thaddeus—aka Thadaryx, God of Sight—would love nothing more than to kill the girl holding his chains and be free to trick more souls into damnation. Instead, he’s forced to help her escape, posing as husband and wife aboard a ship that quickly takes a turn when someone starts killing the passengers one by one.

After Roisin is targeted, she realizes on a ship full of suspects that Thaddeus is the only one whose murderous intents she can trust. A deal is made to hunt down the Thaddeus helps Roisin play detective, and once a day he can test her indestructibility. Together, Roisin and Thaddeus must navigate murder, ocean storms, and the rising tensions beginning to infiltrate their fake marriage. Bodies are piling up, and time is running out to uncover the truth before they reach land.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Pirates

350 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication November 10, 2026

Reviews

[Taskin⋆彡⭒]

4.25/5⭐⭐⭐⭐
𓇼 ⋆.˚ 𓆝⋆.˚ 𓇼

Roisin is a literally indestructible, goddess bound assassin. Thaddeus is the nearly forgotten (and ironically blind) god of sight, bound to obey her after a bargain gone wrong years ago. They genuinely hate each other at first, which makes it so satisfying watching them slowly learn to depend on and care for one another.

The story kicks off with Roisin in jail, again, and Thaddeus reluctantly pulled in to save her. When the two escape and stow away on a ship, passengers start disappearing one by one, and they're dragged into a mystery just twisty enough to keep you guessing without being impossible to figure out.

But honestly, the real draw is the tension. The banter is phenomenal, the dialogue made me giggle more than once, and the yearning, especially from Thaddeus, hit exactly right. Both characters are carrying real trauma, and watching that complexity unfold alongside the slow burn felt genuinely emotional.

The worldbuilding, particularly the lore around the gods and forgotten gods, is fresh and inventive, even if it's a little hard to fully grasp at times. Also plus points for the GORGEOUS cover on this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Author for providing me with this ARC in exchange of an honest review

[fey]

⠀ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎.ᐟ‎‎🗡️ ♯ pre-read ‎ ᰋ
🌊 ── started on : 18.09.26, finished on :

i requested for arc cuz the story looks interesting and i liked the cover, it’s so pretty <3 eek i got the arc 💐😼 it will be the first book of the author's that i read, the universe looks beautiful 🏴‍☠️🛥️


‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎⚓️ৎ ⋆ ── ⟡ what to expect :
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ㅤ ㅤ ‎ 𑇛 fake marriage
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ㅤ ㅤ ‎ 𑇛 enemies to lovers
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ㅤ ㅤ ‎ 𑇛 dark atmosphere & angst
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ㅤ ‎ ‎ 𑇛 forced proximity
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ㅤ ‎ ‎ 𑇛 gods & assains
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ㅤ ㅤ ‎ 𑇛 nautical fantasy
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ㅤ ㅤ ‎ 𑇛 murder on the ship


ㅤ⤿ thank you to netgalley and turner publishing, for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

[jas ♡]

Review of advanced copy received from Netgalley

This book is what we call a true enemies to lovers. The story begins with Thaddeus despising Roisin, and his reason for doing so is completely valid. But I love them together so damn much. I was burning with anticipation the entire time waiting for that hate to turn into something else. It’s definitely a slow-burn though, and I can’t wait to see their relationship evolve further in the next book.

I won’t say what Roisin does at the end, only that I was hoping she wouldn’t follow through and I don’t know how I’m going to forgive her for it. A shame, because prior to that moment, I really liked her. But she has a lot of character development to go through, so I expect some major improvement from her in the next book. And Thaddeus got over what she did pretty much instantly, which doesn’t hurt.

Speaking of Thaddeus, I’m obsessed with this man. Fucking love him. Thaddy is damn right. One of the things that struck me the most about him is that when he was a full-fledged god worshipped by humans, he was a kind one. Watching him edge back towards who he used to be was wonderful.

The worst part about this book is that it doesn’t come out until November, meaning book two is even further away. Which pains my soul.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. It was well-written and the premise is just so damn cool. An indestructible assassin and an immortal god chained to her command? Say less.

I will note that there were some typos and numerous formatting errors, but that’s normal for this being an arc. And again, the book doesn’t come out until November, so there’s plenty of time to fix those.

This was a buddy read with my friend Cris who thankfully loved it just as much as I did. Because if she didn’t, it would have been on sight 😊🔪

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

thank you to the publisher for the arc♡

[Annabel (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)]

Thank you Netgalley and Turner Publishing/Keylight for the eARC!

𝙥𝙧𝙚-𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 ໒꒰ྀི ᴗ͈ . ᴗ͈ ꒱ྀིა
excited to start on this - first off, the cover art is so pretty!! and the premise does sound interesting omg the God of Sight butting heads with a deadly assassin 🤭

[Bethany Crow]

⋆ Thank you to Netgalley for this eARC! ⋆
| 4.25 ⭐️|
If I had to describe this book in one sentence, I would say it's an incredible fantasy book with enemies to lovers, mystery subplot- but make it on a pirate ship.
Going more in depth though, this has everything I loved. The tension was simmering, it was a true enemies to lovers, and it was written very well. They genuinely hated each other, then learned to depend and care for one another and there past and current struggles.
The yearning- especially from Thaddeus- was top tier. And it had forced proximity trope which I absolutely adore.
The banter was phenomenal, the dialouge sometimes made me giggle. And the scenes where they were getting to know eachother- amazing.
The mystery had me intrigued, and I was able to guess a part of what was going on.
All I'm saying is this book left leaving me wanting more. I really hope this author writes more in this world or with these characters, and if she does, I'll be lining up to read it.

[Jami Montgomery]

I was so excited to receive an e-arc of this book! I dove right in.

First of all, I loved the writing. There were so many moments that made me wish I had a physical copy so I could break out my highlighters and pens. The banter between Roisin and Thaddeus was so good. You can very clearly tell they have a long and complicated relationship with each other. I felt like their attitudes toward each other and themselves made a nice progression through this first book, and I'm looking forward to seeing how they grow in the next book!

I also loved the world building in this book. The magic was so cool. It's not fully.explained, but I think it leaves a lot of room to keep growing in the next installment. I can't wait to see what these characters get themselves into next.

The murder mystery aspect was also fun. Until the reveal, I really had no idea who I could trust and who I couldn't, which I think is good for a mystery.
Overall, a fun and entertaining read that kept me up until 2 am to finish it. Can't wait for more from
Caitlan 🩷🩷

[Bree Delgado]

I was not ready for how amazing this book was going to be. The god of sight being indebted a badass assassin?
The banter had me kicking my feet and giggling. I read it in one sitting! I also thought I was knew who the murderer was like 3 times. Wow! Can’t wait for the next one.

[Juls]

Good banter, a murder mystery, true enemies-to-…? and one of the best FMC ever!
That forced-proximity trope took an entire other level with a fake marriage AND a curfew. 👀
Had a difficult time rooting for the MMC but I think that was the point of his character so well done!

[little fox ⋆˚✿˖°]

4.5 🌟
I love when they serve genuine enemies to lovers that don't fall in love five chapters into the book, AND have an amazing plot
Roisin and Thadaryx, I can't wait to read more of you 😩

[Sunny]

Thank you to Turner Publishing Company, Keylight Books, and Netgalley for the ARC.

I don’t even know where to begin with how much I loved this book!!

Read this if you like: ACTUAL enemies-to-lovers, an indestructible assassin x a god tied to her and genuinely hates her, forced proximity, fake marriage, dual POV, murder mysteries, vicious banter, and slow-burn relationships where every tiny shift between the characters has you losing your mind.

Tides and Torment gave me ALL of that and more.

If you’ve read The Wicked King and loved the whole “she can command him and he HAS to obey her, but he freaking HATES that she has that power over him” dynamic? Then yes, you’re going to want to read this one.

Except here, that loss of autonomy isn’t just delicious fuel for the enemies-to-lovers tension—it becomes a genuinely important part of their relationship and the way trust, choice, and intimacy develop between them.

It’s basically fantasy murder mystery meets enemies-to-lovers romcom, wrapped up in a much larger story about gods, dangerous bargains, memory and the things people are willing to sacrifice for power.

And I ate it UP.

📚 So, what is Tides and Torment actually about?📚
“Has anyone ever told you that you look ravishing when you’re dying?”

Roisin Larke is an indestructible assassin in service to Ilenea, the Goddess of Souls. For decades, she has been carrying out the goddess’s orders, hunting down those who make dangerous bargains with the forgotten gods known as the Hidden Ones.

There’s just one slightly inconvenient complication: Roisin has a Hidden One of her own.

Thaddeus—or Thadaryx, God of Sight—is magically bound to her, forced to answer her summons and obey her commands despite the fact that he would very much prefer to see his captor dead.

So when Roisin gets herself imprisoned during an assassination gone wrong, she does what any reasonable person would do and summons the god who hates her to come rescue her.

One bloody escape and a set of stolen identities later, Roisin and Thaddeus find themselves aboard a ship bound for Zilwyn, posing as a perfectly ordinary married couple while surrounded by strangers and trapped together for the duration of the voyage.

And then someone aboard turns up dead.

What begins as an already rather inconvenient journey becomes a murder mystery as Roisin starts investigating the other passengers, secrets begin emerging, and it becomes increasingly clear that there may be far more happening aboard the ship than either of them realised.

All while Roisin and Thaddeus are forced into close quarters, pretending to be happily married and trying very hard to ignore the increasingly inconvenient chemistry developing between two people who, by all reasonable accounts, should absolutely fucking hate each other.

📚FMC: An indestructible assassin I ADORED📚
Roisin’s indestructibility could so easily have been nothing more than a cool supernatural ability, but I loved how deeply it shapes who she is. Because being indestructible does NOT mean being immune to pain. Roisin can still bleed, break bones and suffer horrific injuries. Her body simply heals and refuses to surrender.

And the price she paid for that ability when she made her bargain with the Hidden Ones as a child is considerably more devastating than she ever understood.

Roisin has lived longer than an ordinary mortal should, survived things nobody should have survived, and carries losses that all the supernatural healing in the world can do absolutely nothing about.

The more we learn about her, the more you realise how much grief and history sit underneath the personality she presents to the world.

Roisin is dramatic, clever, reckless, vicious when she needs to be, and catastrophically committed to looking fabulous at all times. She’ll make jokes while bleeding and prioritise pretty dresses at wildly inappropriate moments. Her own indestructibility has given her a completely warped relationship with danger, and I loved every second of it.

But what I especially loved is that she doesn’t suddenly stop being funny when the story reveals something painful about her. If anything, the more I understood what she has lived through, the more her humour, recklessness, and determination to enjoy beautiful things made sense.

She’s a badass. She’s vain, violent, ridiculous and funny. But she’s ALSO carrying an enormous amount of grief. Women can contain multitudes!!! And I loved her so much.

📚 Enter Thaddeus, the God of Sight📚
Thaddeus. The God of Sight… Who has no eyes. I LOVE THIS CONCEPT SO MUCH.

Because while Thaddeus has no eyes of his own, blindness means something very different when you’re the God of Sight.

Rather than seeing through his own eyes, he can borrow the vision of creations around him. A person, a bird… or a spider. Whatever happens to be watching. And I absolutely LOVED how creative the book gets with this ability.

Sometimes it’s genuinely useful, allowing him to gather information or notice things nobody else can. Sometimes it gives us fascinating glimpses into just how differently he experiences the world. And sometimes his best friend is a freaking spider sitting in the corner of the room giving him eight glorious angles of Roisin… in the bathtub (help).

His Sight makes for SO many excellent scenes because it actually influences how he experiences the story. What can he see? Whose eyes are available to him? What information does that give him? And what remains inaccessible?

And Sight itself means so much more in this world than ordinary vision. It encompasses perception, memory, imagination, dreams, and the ways people mentally experience reality. I loved gradually discovering what that means and getting little glimpses of just how powerful Thadaryx, God of Sight, once was.

Because the Thaddeus we meet is nowhere near his full power. Being bound has severely restricted his abilities, and I loved that those limitations genuinely matter. He might be a god, but he never becomes a convenient solution to every problem. There are established rules governing what he can see, how he can see it and what he is capable of doing, and the book continually finds creative ways to work within them.

I also loved the slightly devil-like quality of Thaddeus as a Hidden One. He loves to lure mortals into bargains with forgotten gods, tempting people with the power to get whatever they desperately want… for a price.

And I especially loved how this puts him directly at odds with Roisin, because those mortals who make deals are literally the people Ilenea sends her to kill. Thaddeus can tempt someone into making a bargain with a Hidden One, while Roisin’s job is to hunt down the people who make them. It’s such a clever two-birds-one-stone piece of worldbuilding: it tells us more about Thaddeus and his role as a forgotten god while simultaneously giving these two yet another very real reason to be on opposing sides.

Also, it made him super hot, why lie?

📚 He does not secretly like her. He HATES her📚
And THIS is where you need to understand what being bound actually means.

Knowing Thaddeus’s true name gives Roisin power over him (like in Wicked King, if you know you know!!!). When she commands him, he has to obey. If she summons him, he has to come—and resisting that compulsion physically HURTS him.

His autonomy is quite literally in her hands. And Thaddeus absolutely HATES her for it.

One of the first things we learn from his POV is that he would very much like his captor dead. He resents answering her summons and commands, and what being bound has taken from him. And the glimpses we get of his history make it very clear that his feelings about being controlled did not begin with Roisin…

I cannot express how refreshing I found that because THIS is the kind of antagonism I want when a fantasy romance is selling me enemies-to-lovers. He isn’t “grumpy MMC who claims to hate the FMC while internally thinking about how beautiful she is.”

Their conflict exists independently of their attraction. There is history between them. There is a serious imbalance of power between them. There are legitimate reasons Thaddeus cannot simply shrug off what Roisin has done just because she’s hot.

And crucially, the attraction develops INSIDE that conflict rather than replacing it.

The book allows him to become curious about her without forgetting that he resents her. He can be attracted to her and still want his freedom. They can have an unexpectedly vulnerable moment and then immediately return to antagonising each other because one conversation hasn’t magically resolved decades of resentment.

THAT makes every tiny change between them SO much more satisfying.

And the dual POV is absolutely essential to making it work because we know his hatred is real. We’re inside his head. We also get the full comedy of watching two extremely stubborn people gradually become more interested in each other while both remain committed to explaining away every single piece of evidence.

A look means nothing… A moment of concern means nothing. That weird little flicker of jealousy DEFINITELY means nothing. They are simply enemies who happen to be increasingly obsessed with what the other one is doing at all times. Obviously.

And because their starting point feels genuine, every tiny crack in that hostility feels earned, which makes the slow burn SO freaking good.

📚 The banter. THE BANTER!!!📚
I could probably recommend this book based on their dialogue alone. Their dynamic is hilarious!

Roisin knows exactly how much Thaddeus dislikes her and seems to take that as a personal challenge to become even more irritating. Thaddeus, meanwhile, has had centuries to refine the art of contempt.

Put them in close quarters and let them pretend to be married? Perfection.

The fake-marriage element works especially well because neither of them is remotely interested in making the experience easy for the other. I loved the constant competition to see who can make the other one more uncomfortable, except underneath all of it there is increasingly obvious chemistry that neither of them particularly wants to acknowledge.

And I especially loved how the book uses the rules surrounding Thaddeus’s autonomy to make that tension even better. Without getting too far into Thaddeus’s history, there are very good reasons why he doesn’t automatically trust Roisin when she tells him that she would never use their bond to force intimacy from him.

But Roisin is adamant. She would never do that to him. In fact, she makes it part of their deal—if she ever commands him to be intimate with her, the deal is off and he is free.

So naturally, Thaddeus decides he’s going to seduce her into asking. Because if Roisin asks HIM to do something intimate with her willingly, then surely that counts and he’d be free.

The absolute confidence with which this man embarks upon his master plan while apparently failing to consider the tiny problem that if HE willingly initiates something with HER without her asking for it, that is very much NOT the same thing??? And GOD, the scenes that come out of this…

It makes their flirting so much more entertaining because they’re not simply attracted to each other and refusing to admit it. Thaddeus is over there convincing himself that whatever increasingly questionable thing he’s doing is obviously part of a cunning strategy to regain his freedom, while Roisin is desperately trying not to let her VERY touch-starved heart fall for it.

📚 The romance has more going on than chemistry📚
As funny as all of that is, I think what ultimately made their relationship work so well for me is how seriously the book takes the idea of choice. Because for all the power Roisin technically holds over Thaddeus, what SHE desperately wants is for someone to choose her. To WANT to stay and WANT to help and WANT to care about her.

To do something for her not because a god, a bargain, a command, or an obligation says they must, but simply because they want to. And once you understand that about her, so much of the way she treats Thaddeus becomes more meaningful.

Despite how much she enjoys pretending to lord her control over him, Roisin actually avoids commanding him unless she feels she has to. She asks. She bargains. She gives him the opportunity to agree.

Because forcing Thaddeus to give her something might satisfy an immediate need, but it can never give Roisin what she actually wants from another person: willingness.

The murder mystery gives us possibly the best example of this.

Roisin needs Thaddeus’s help investigating. She could command him to cooperate and be done with it. Instead, she offers him a deal: Help me willingly, and in return you get one hour every day in which you’re allowed to try to kill me.

It is such an absolutely unhinged arrangement, and LET ME TELL YOU, the scenes this leads to!!! Gosh…

But underneath how entertaining it is, I loved what the bargain represents. Rather than taking away Thaddeus’s choice to get what she wants, Roisin gives him more freedom and offers him something HE wants in exchange for his voluntary cooperation.

And that distinction between obedience and choice continues to matter in increasingly emotional ways as their relationship develops.

A request means something different from a command. Cooperation means something different when he could have refused. An act of kindness matters because it didn’t HAVE to happen. A moment of vulnerability matters because neither of them can FORCE genuine trust. And affection means so much more when you know it was freely given...

So gradually, underneath all the insults, murder attempts, threats, and completely deranged flirting, you start noticing the things they do for each other when they don’t HAVE to.

Those were some of my absolute favourite moments in the book. It’s built through the increasingly obvious gap between what they SAY they feel and what they CHOOSE to do.

📚 I was obsessed with the worldbuilding📚
Some of the mythology confused me at first, particularly understanding the distinction between the Hidden Ones and the other gods, how the Immortal River worked, and exactly where everyone fit within it all.

But the more I read, the more everything started falling into place. And I actually really appreciated that!

Rather than stopping the story for massive infodumps or explaining every aspect of the mythology the moment it’s introduced, the book trusts you to learn about the world as you go. We pick things up through the characters, their histories, religious beliefs, divine bargains and the different things they encounter along the way.

It made discovering the world feel like part of the actual story rather than information I had to memorise before I could enjoy it.

And there is SO much here I found fascinating: forgotten gods, divine bargains and their consequences, the Immortal River, the complicated relationship between mortals and gods, and the underlying importance of memory and remembrance that just keeps becoming more intriguing the deeper you get into the story.

There are histories we’ve only glimpsed, questions about the gods I desperately want answered and parts of this mythology that feel like they could become SO much bigger.

So yes, I will be needing book two immediately, thank you very much.

📚 If you like actual antagonism in ETL-books...📚
READ THIS.

Especially if you’re tired of “enemies-to-lovers” meaning two attractive people exchange three sarcastic comments before immediately wanting to sleep together.

Roisin and Thaddeus’s chemistry is there, absolutely. But there is also a genuine reason for the antagonism between them. Or, more accurately, a genuine reason why he hates her. And the book never forgets that.

Their attraction doesn’t erase the resentment. Their resentment doesn’t prevent reluctant understanding. Their growing understanding doesn’t magically fix the much larger problems between them. And wanting each other certainly doesn’t mean they’re suddenly ready to admit that anything about their relationship has changed.

There is genuine emotional work left to do, which is exactly why I became so invested.

We get all those tiny shifts that I absolutely LIVE for in a slow burn. A moment of unexpected concern, an act of kindness neither wants to examine too closely, vulnerability that slips out before someone can hide it again… The increasingly flimsy excuses they make for why they’re behaving differently towards each other.

And those moments hit SO much harder because the book has actually convinced me of where these two started.

One tiny moment of softness can mean more than pages of romantic declarations when you know that earlier versions of these characters would rather have died than give it to each other.

And I think that sums up why Tides and Torment worked so well for me in general. It gave me all the things that made me want to pick it up in the first place—an indestructible assassin, a forgotten god, fake marriage, forced proximity, a murder mystery, vicious banter, and ACTUAL enemies-to-lovers—but there was so much more underneath all of it than I expected.

And when I finished, I immediately wanted more. So, yes. Five stars. I freaking loved it.

Now give me book two.

[Naomi Torres]

Okay, I sincerely hope there’s a book 2 because that ending 🤯

So we have an assassin who made a deal with the hidden ones (essentially gods who are like “fallen angels”) and was gifted indestructibility. Insert the god of souls, who decides to make Roison her personal assassin to aid in un-Aliving other individuals who call upon the hidden ones.

On a job Roison stumbles upon a fallen God, the god of sight, and after tricking him into revealing his true name she forces him to become her protector. At her beck and call Thaddeus found himself relieved of one captor and took by another. But when Roison is captured and commands Thaddeus to save her, they end up on a ship as their escape route, and smack dab in the middle of murder scheme thanks to their stolen identities.

I love how the author blended fantasy with the mystery element. I also really enjoyed the banter and tension between Roison and Thaddeus! It was gruesome, it was questionable, it was swoon worthy, and I was here for it all 🙌🏽 The end reveal was done fantastically, same as the extra plot twist!
A job well done.

[Sammy]

Review of an Advanced Reader Copy received from NetGalley. 📖✨

Enemies to lovers, a heaven-blessed assassin, the literal God of Sight AND immaculate pirate vibes? SIGN ME THE HELL UP. 🏴‍☠️

I really loved Roisin as our FMC. This woman is an absolute badass and can more than hold her own, but I also loved that she wasn’t afraid to be a little conniving when she needed to be.

But Thaddy Daddy… 👀🥵

This man absolutely stole the show because HOLY DAMN. He is every bit the god he’s supposed to be, and I was eating it UP.

The world-building and overarching plot were so gripping and incredibly easy to get lost in. This is definitely a slow burn, but it’s a GOOD slow burn. The kind where you’re happily sitting there waiting for everything to unfold because you know it’s going to be worth it.

Now… that ending. 😭

Let’s just say some of the choices that were made had me sitting there like EXCUSE ME?! I was definitely not on board with everything, and Roisin has some making up to do because, at this current moment, I am NOT rooting for her.

That being said, I’m still incredibly excited to see where the next book takes us and how everything resolves, unfolds and (hopefully) causes even more chaos.

I want to say SO much more, but I refuse to risk spoiling anything, so if this sounds like it’s up your alley, make sure you check it out when it releases November 10th!

As for me? I’ll be over here impatiently waiting for book two. 😭

[BookishKB]

🌊⚓ Tides and Torment ⚓🌊

📖 Bookish Thoughts

My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.

✨ What to Expect
• Fake Marriage
• Murder Mystery
• Forced Proximity
• God x Assassin
• Enemies to Lovers
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: November 10, 2026
Thank you to Turner Publishing Company, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

[Candice HappyCatastrophy]

Thank you NetGalley and Turner Publishing/Keylight for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this delightful book!
This appears to be Caitlin Honer’s debut novel and if so, I will be reading more of her future creations including the sequels to this fun book, Tides and Torment.

In this story, we are thrown into the wild life of Roisin, the mortal-but-unkillable assassin for the goddess Ilanae. This is a world where one can have a wish granted or gain special abilities via entering into a bargain with one of the gods, whether worshipped or forgotten. However, these deals are often full of pitfalls and trickery where the gods always come out far better than the mortals. Go figure. We mortals can be so dense.

Roisin is no exception and now she is forced to kill any human her goddess wishes, in exchange for the promise of a safe passage across a magical river and to a peaceful afterlife once she dies. But it’s beginning to look like she will never ever die and will be forced to kill forever.
So she’s one messed up girlie.

Enter stage right, one of the many forgotten gods in this world, called The Hidden Ones. These forsaken gods live in and under this river of souls- angry and forgotten - entertaining themselves by making their own deals with mortals and pulling any they find down into this hidden world with them. So having Ilanae’s protection across the river is a huge thing and this promise keeps Roisin going as she spends decades being a pet killer. On one of these assignments she ran into this Hidden god, the God of Sight - who is ironically blind- but has many wondrous and scary powers. However, he is being kept as a slave by the very king Roisin was sent to kill, and she makes a deal to free the god only to bind him to herself and force him to do her bidding.

Yeah. Trust no one in this book.

However, the banter and completely hate-hate relationship between these two is what gives this book wings. Honer describes the ridiculous predicaments these two find themselves in as “Scooby-Doo moments” and as I laugh until I cry, I couldn’t agree more. There is one point, where Roisin is having a bit of a moment, and promises the God of Sight that he can attempt to kill her once a day for one hour. And he definitely takes her up on it and what ensues is some of the funniest moments in the book.

Honer also promises absolutely no insta love and by all the book gods she keeps her word on this. Hallelujah. The fact that none of the more touching moments ended up as a jump in the sack, but more than likely ended in yet another hilarious conversation between the two was so refreshing! Slow burn? The slowest! But it’s the only way that makes sense when one is master and one is slave and both are completely maladjusted and slightly unhinged. It’s perfect.

What isn’t so perfect is the world building. It is obvious that Honer is a reader herself and has her finger on the pulse point of the reading community. She knows we all hate insta love. She also knows we prefer being shown the world and let it unfold with minimal telling. Too often, authors will feel the need to info dump and tell us in a long exposition exactly how their fantasy world works. Honer doesn’t do that. In fact she so avidly avoids telling us anything about this world that it is a bit confusing and I found myself lost at times. This world is so big, with so much history, with this fresh, new take on the gods-among-mortals trope, that I believe it would benefit greatly by a little more explaining. The chapters alternate between our two main character’s viewpoints, which I love, and we get puzzle pieces of this world via their actions and contemplations and conversations…but I needed more to really understand what was going on. Many important characters from their past are only just mentioned, and some names are very close to one another. Maybe it’s a me thing, but plot points would come up that were dependent on how this world works and I could not understand what was happening or why this thing was important to the character.

And there are a LOT of characters. And I loved them all. But they were also not very well explained so I quickly lost track of who was who. I was even surprised at the appearance of several who seemed to come out of nowhere and yet had a pretty big influence on the trajectory of the book.

All that feels to me like a first time author who hasn’t yet fine tuned their style of story telling and an editor that maybe should push harder for details and cohesion. I am hoping for her subsequent books to smooth out as she gains experience. Because making sure you explain a world enough is something that can be taught and learned. What cannot be taught as easily are all the things I love about this book and that Honer seems to be able to do consistently and with ease. Things like incredible banter and conversations between characters. The absolute hilarity of the situations Roisin and her god get themselves into. The eeeeevil tricks they plot and play on each other which have a spectacular ability to backfire. Balancing the characters’ immortality and superhuman abilities with real-life sticky situations, annoyances and danger. (There is a running joke about Roisin and her ability to ruin every dress she ever wears that is fantastically funny )

So although this book has some very real story telling flaws, the writing is so good and the humor so on point that these flaws are easily forgivable. They need to be fixed as we move on in the series but give me this “look what you got us into now” banter and the slow slow emergence of emotions and humanity in our superhero main characters and I will eagerly read whatever Honer writes.

[Bee]

I am grateful to have received this arc from NetGalley, Turner Publishing Company, and Keylight Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and writing are my own.

Tides and Torment was such a fun read! This book is for all the people who watched Pirates of the Caribbean and experienced either their bi awakening or confirmation with Elizabeth Swan and Will Turner! Caitlan Honer’s Tide and Torment is a swashbuckling murder mystery that will leave you searching for clues and motive among the passengers and crew on Samira’s Beloved. The main character, Roisin, loves wearing beautiful dresses that, may or may not, interfere with her job as a goddess-approved assassin; how could she not wear the perfect matching slippers to her lilac dress when death is on the menu? The second main character, Thaddeus, the God of Sight, has been forced into servitude by Roisin, whom needed rescue from said slipper-murder incident. However, as they were fleeing, they boarded a ship sent to sail a week away, and neither were expecting to be forced to reckon with each other in such close quarters. As if it couldn’t get any worse, the other passengers start to be murdered. Imagine: who could be better to solve the mystery than the literal assassin and God of Sight caught on the ship?

Honestly, when I saw the cover on Netgalley, I knew I had to get my hands on it. It is absolutely gorgeous, and the beauty does not stop at the cover. The inside has chapter illustrations that added to the aesthetic and atmosphere of the book. You should go look at the author’s instagram for more art from real human artists (love that!). Tides and Torment grasped my attention right away and did not let me rest until I finished the story. I loved learning how everything came together as the mystery unfurled. Caitlin Honer wrote complex, compelling characters that were very interesting to get to know as the story progressed, and it never felt like there were too many people introduced. Caitlin Honer does not shy away from making the characters experience hardship and have them question everything. It was so important to read about the master/servant relationship between Roisin/Thaddeus and Ilenae/Roisin (the goddess that Roisin works for). It will never matter if the person holding the chains is kind and does not demand a lot of you, they still hold the chains that keep you from freedom.

I look forward to reading more about how both main characters progress and grow individually and together as the story continues in book two. Plus, who would say “no” to more romance developing between the two hotties that are the main characters? Not I – which is why I will be waiting patiently for the release of this book in November and then the second book.

Things I forgot to mention that I loved: the world building and experience/emotions that come from loneliness.

[Caitlin]

Review of Advanced Copy Received from NetGalley

⭐ 4.5/5

I'll start by saying I absolutely adore the cover and artwork. It was one of the first things that drew me in and made me request an ARC. It dares to stand out in a genre where so many covers tend to look the same.

The story opens with our main female character, Roisin, in jail—actual jail—a place she unfortunately finds herself in quite often. The one man who absolutely despises her has no choice but to help save her. I love an enemies-to-lovers romance, but this takes it to another level. You genuinely believe these two cannot stand each other, and when they're forced into close quarters, the stakes become even higher. As bodies begin to drop, they're left with no choice but to work together to unravel the mystery.

Both characters are deeply tormented and carry their own trauma, each with very valid reasons to hate the other. Roisin is a heroine with real depth. During the first half of the book, she's portrayed as fearless, resilient, and seemingly unbreakable. As the story progresses, though, so does her emotional complexity. Watching her process everything happening around her and seeing the ways she copes felt incredibly personal and emotional.

Thaddeus initially comes across as broody, aloof, and emotionally detached. But the more you learn about his past, his motivations, and the weight he carries, the more layered he becomes. He ended up being one of my favourite characters. Everyone sees the gods as cruel, uncaring beings, and while he insists he shouldn't care what people think, a part of him still desperately wants to prove them wrong.

I absolutely devoured this book. The tension was razor-sharp, and watching these two slowly gravitate toward one another, only to be violently torn apart again, had me completely hooked.

I'm already sad that I probably won't be able to get my hands on the paperback since I live in the Netherlands, but hopefully it'll get a European release once it's officially published.

Was it perfect? No.
Was it close? Absolutely.

I genuinely think this has the potential to become an incredible series, and I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to read an ARC.

A few of my favourite quotes:

"This should be fun, don't you think?" Roisin whispered to him on the walk to their cabin. "Playing husband and wife?" He couldn't imagine a worse punishment for rescuing her.

"Has anyone ever told you that you look quite ravishing when you're dying?"

"'My husband is not a threat to me.' The stab wound implied otherwise. Luckily, wounds couldn't talk."

"Consent isn't a luxury afforded to the enslaved."

[Rebecca]

"Tides and Torment" is a debut novel from Caitlan Honer and book one in a series called Immortal Tethers. Roisin is an indestructible assassin, working for a goddess to kill mortals who make deals with the Hidden Ones. At the beginning of the novel, she finds herself captured and tortured after carrying out her latest kill. Luckily for her, she once tricked a god into servitude, and he has to come to her rescue. Thaddeus—aka Thadaryx, God of Sight—would love nothing more than to kill her and be free to trick more souls into damnation with the Hidden Ones. Instead, he helps her escape, eventually posing as husband and wife aboard a ship, when someone starts killing the passengers one by one. They make a new deal to work together to hunt down the killer and begin to slowly develop feelings for each other.

I want to start by saying I almost never read romantasy and I typically would say that I hate enemies-to-lovers. I was aware that this was the genre and trope upon picking up this book, but I interpreted the synopsis as much more of a mystery storyline and that is why I wanted to read this book. I thought that a locked-room mystery, so to speak, with gods and assassins was a great idea. And I think that it delivered on that. I loved the banter between Thadaryx and Roisin. These are both truly morally-gray characters who have done terrible things and are not good people, which helped me put them on the same footing. I liked the world building and I can see how the author left room to explain more about the Hidden Ones and the magic structure in the future.

I did find the story a little slow to start but really picked up in the second half and I loved the reveal of the murders. This is an extremely slow burn, which I think made me like it better because one of the reasons I don't like enemies-to-lovers is because they seem to fall in love so easily, and so quickly. That is not the case here. I will also add a couple of warnings. There are some fairly dark topics here and graphic depictions of violence, torture, and murder. Also, and this book ends with a type of cliffhanger. I normally loathe cliffhangers, but she did wrap up this plotline and explained the murders, ,so it wasn't that upsetting. But this is clearly setting up a much larger story and things between the main characters are in no way resolved or settled. Overall, I really did enjoy this book. I haven't read an eccentric, immersive fantasy in quite sometime and this was a fun trip.

Thank you NetGalley and Turner Publishing for a free eArc in return for an honest review.

[TB]

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing the opportunity to read this as an ARC 👏
(Note: for others downloading an ARC copy to their kindle, the formatting is off a little, meaning chapters are disjointed and paragraphs aren’t split - important for someone who relies on formatting to make reading an easier task)

It was the artwork that drew me into requesting this book and I was not disappointed by its content.

Young FMC unkillable assassin who happens to have entrapped a forgotten god into servitude. They find themselves seeking escape from a drama via a long boat ride. Unfortunately for them they stumble into a murder mystery unfolding.

It’s has a slow burn, enemies to (not quite) lovers and forced proximity storyline, where the characters come to find unbidden feelings coming to them as time goes on into their journey.

Whilst murder mystery is the plot (it gives murder on the orient express vibes - but on a boat), we have the undying FMC, an MMC who can see through the eyes of others and a detached god who keeps demanding people die at the FMC’s hand! I usually like a bit more fantasy and world building but that’s not really needed for this type of story line and I have to say i though this was written really well and captivated me in the story.

The writing is witty and funny, the characters give an appropriate level of snipey/sassy humour - you can’t help but not like the MMC to begin with but you start to see early on where he’s going to end up, as he starts to do things without command and pretending he’s trying to lure her into bed. Also, Sawyer felt like she was becoming hilarious and I hope we see the sequel to find out more about her and who Shamus and Tori really are. Feels like there’s more to them!

Is it utterly rediculous that she wants a relationship with a man who repeatedly tries to kill her, Yes. But, did I in fact enjoy that? Yes 🤣

My only (small) criticism was part of the ending felt unrealistic based on what we’d learned earlier in the book. He is capable of changing what people see, so how did it even get to the point of going overboard, why wouldn’t he have obscure their view whilst she did her last bit of masterful work, like he did with the Sirens? (I get that he was conflicted between escape and the feelings he’s denying but he did it before to save her, why not then, when his feelings had overtaken what he thought was his logic?)

[HB the Nocturnal Bookworm]

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun whodunit book. I loved the plot twists and turns of the murders and being trapped on a boat. The story had witty banter reminiscent of the movie Clue, and the FMC was enchanting. I kept wanting to know what was happening next, and I read it in a few sittings.

The more we got from how the FMC, Roisein became indestructible was so sad, and it made me invested in her journey. This am so happy to see this is a genuine enemies to friends type of book, and they still think they have a lot to go to become lovers. Friends with benefits sure, but they are still on the slow burn journey.

I think the MMC is a very interesting character. Hopefully his background will be expanded upon. He is very burly and I would love to know more about his and Roisein's interactions and what made their dynamic so surly. Additionally, it is eluded that being bound limits his power. Will we learn what that is? Is it just because she bound him or because he is a Hidden One?

I will say that the worldbuilding confused me at times. I wish we had more explanation into why the gods treated her and her followers the way that they do. Additionally, I was confused about the difference between the Hidden Ones and Gods and why there was continued animosity between them. By the end of the book, most of it made sense, but the trickle of information throughout left me disoriented.

There were so many characters and their descriptions were quick and not very detailed. I got a bit blurred on who some of them were, and was unable to picture them, or remember some of their ages. For example, Roisein's mother's name was introduced quickly, and when it was referenced later, I was not sure who they were speaking about.

However, because of the relationships Homer writes as the story unfolds, you become emotionally attached to the side characters and fear they might be a villain or in peril. This definitely kept me on my toes because I did not know who was to blame as the clues kept shifting. I really enjoyed the story and hope it continues. Personally, I might just need a bit more help following the worldbuilding as it develops.

I am looking forward to the next one the series!

[Allix]

I went into TIDES AND TORMENT not expecting much – I figured I’d probably have fun, but that the story and world would be simple and that the reading experience would be largely brain-off. I like books like that as much as anyone else does, and honestly, I was looking forward to an easy fantasy/mystery romp. I’ve never been so delighted to be wrong about a book!

TIDES AND TORMENT is definitely fun, and I would certainly class parts of it as an easy fantasy/mystery romp, but I was honestly enthralled by the tiny bits of worldbuilding we got throughout the book. The conflict between the gods and Hidden Ones was incredibly interesting to read about, and I found myself wanting to know more about Thaddeus’ “life” and Roisin’s memories re: her deal with the Hidden Ones. Roisin and Thaddeus are both interesting characters, and I hope future entries in this series focus on them and their continuing story because I was left with so many questions.

I did wish there was more worldbuilding in general. This story takes place almost entirely on a ship, so I think it makes sense that there isn’t much information about the rest of the world or society, but I was definitely left feeling kind of unmoored (pun intended?) by the lack of overall context. I don’t feel like I understand much of anything about the world itself, other than there are conflicting systems of deities, possibly some kind of accepted/understood magic and magical creatures, and there are different countries, some of which have monarchies. The issue is that I really enjoyed the bits we got, but I just really wanted more. I think the ending was also pretty rushed, and I know this is the first in a series, but when I’m reading a series I still want to feel some kind of satisfaction at the end of each book, and I didn’t really get that here.

I’d recommend this to people who are craving characters who are described as smart/witty/intuitive by other characters and whose actions actually reflect that characterization. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for Goodreads!

Thank you to Netgalley and Turner Publishing Company, and Keylight Books for the ARC!

[Misha]

3.5 stars

Murder mystery on a boat with a pinch of romantasy. Even though this book surely has its problems, I still call it a major win. Especially impressive for a debut.

Things I liked:
- Enemies to lovers done well. Even though this is only book 1, so they are more reluctant people attracted to each other than actual lovers, I still have to highlight the enemies part. He wants her dead, and you understand why.
- The one bed, fake marriage, and forced proximity tropes were all well executed. For a low-spice book, you can still feel the tension. There is a lot of one step forward, two steps back in the relationship progression, but it was not annoying or dragging. This is by no means just a bunch of tropes slapped together. They serve a purpose and feel well done and thought through.
- Roisin feels very human. You understand her motivations and past, and her thought process is pretty clear. I would say I expected a bit more character growth from her, especially because one thing happening at the end left me a little disappointed. But at the same time, there will be more books, and if she was already an enlightened girlboss in book 1, where would the fun be?
- The ship setting was great. It worked perfectly as the setting for a closed-room murder mystery and made for some amazing situations.

Things I didn't like:
- The lore was very unclear to me for the most part. There are two sets of gods, one of which are also demon-esque djinn, then there is a metaphorical but also real death river? I feel like all of this could have been explained much better.
- The murder mystery didn't leave enough foreshadowing for you or the FMC to figure it out for yourselves, and the reveal is basically a double villain monologue. It was pretty disappointing, and I definitely expected more.

I am definitely interested in book 2. The writing was good, I liked the characters, and the murder mystery was closed, while the wider story still feels like it has renewed potential. The ending is pretty satisfying, so the wait will not hurt too much.

ARC via NetGalley
I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Andie]

Thank you to Turner Publishing Company, Keylight Books, and Netgalley for the ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A true enemies-to-lovers, a VERY inconvenient journey, a murder mystery, AND meddling gods? Tides and Torment was truly such a fun and unique read. Roisin is an assassin that cannot be killed (at least not until the Goddess she's bound to allows it), and Thaddeus aka Thadaryx is the God of Sight, who also happens to be bound to Roisin. There's a bit of a tumultuous history between the two. The story starts out with Thaddeus breaking Roisin out of prison after she's been captured during one of her assassinations. In order to lay low after their escape, Thaddeus and Roisin assume the identities of Rosalyn and Harvey Hale, a married couple whose tickets they've stolen for a ship bound to Zilwyn. Unfortunately for them, seasickness is the least of their worries on this week long voyage as their fellow travelers begin to turn up dead.

Overall, I had a great time reading Tides and Torment. The banter between Roisin and Thaddeus was absolutely delicious. They're both begrudgingly stuck with each other and Roisin is absolutely keen on pushing Thaddeus's button. I also really loved the murder mystery at sea aspect of the story as it is something I have not seen before in this kind of fantasy/romantasy setting. The story played out in a way that the ending left me surprised at who the ~big bad~ was as well as VERY excited for the next book. The cast of characters added so much to the story with all their various backgrounds, and the different twists and turns that came about as the reader begins to see how they're all connected. And while this story takes places primarily on the ship, it's written in a way where you still get so much background and snippets of their lives outside the ship from not just the MMC/FMC but also the other characters.

If you're looking for a fun read with great banter, a unique murder mystery x romantasy story, and a quirky cast of characters on a ship, this is for you!

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

[Anna Grace Debiec]

Tides and Torment by Caitlan Honer is a fantastic spin on murder mystery with a splash of meddling gods, indestructible humans, and daunting tasks.


The book unfolds on a ship following a daring prison break orchestrated by Thaddeaus - the god of sight who is tied to Roisin. Roisin and Thaddy embark on the ship disguised as two different guests; however, a murder takes place the night they leave. Roisin begins to form relationships with several of the other passengers. She finds kinship with some of them but is soon betrayed and falls into a sense of despair. I felt deeply for Roisin and Thaddy. Both have had to struggle through the past and relieve treacherous moments while aboard the ship. Thaddy is a god who is stuck with Roisin because she was able to ensnare him during an assassination. He is a complex and interesting character, that I hope to read more about in the next books.


Meanwhile, Roisin is a passionate, lonesome, but kind soul. She yearns for connections and hopes to retrieve the memories stolen from her by a goddess. Roisin's loyalties are interesting throughout the story. She is indebted to Ilenae, the goddess, and forced to assassinate followers of the Hidden Ones, who are gods and goddesses forgotten by humans. She is loyal to Ilenae, but understands that theirs is not an equal partnership but rather a leader and a subject. Ilenae does not aid Roisin when she is in trouble, and she certainly does not help her through precarious situations. Instead, she uses her as a tool to find and execute those who are no longer her followers.


I believe the overarching plot will be interesting in the next books. The main focus in this story were the murders on the ship and the dynamic between Roisin and Thaddeaus; however, the epilogue reveals more about the next book. I am excited to continue this series and read more about Roisin and Thaddeaus.


Thank you to NetGalley and Turner Publishing Company for a copy of this book for an honest review.

[schniefelise]

Tides and Torment is a fantasy murder-mystery by Caitlin Honer. It is the first book in her Immortal Tethers series.

Roisin is an indestructible, gods-approved assassin. Whenever one of her missions goes awry she relies on Thadaryx to bail her out. Thadaryx is the forgotten God of Sight who resents Roisin for methaphorically holding his chains and repeatedly commanding him to rescue her. When one such rescue mission lands them on a ship posing as a married couple while other passengers start turning up dead Roisin and Thadaryx reluctantly work together to identify the murderer.

This book was an honest to god surprise for me. The world build by the author is quite unique and makes for a compelling background for the murder-mystery. The slow unraveling of the story keeps you guessing, I didn't know who the murderer was until the end which is quite a feat considering the limited suspects. I liked the complex personalities of our two main characters and I loved to see them start growing. At the end of the first book Roisin and Thadaryx have finally found some common ground. They still have lots of development ahead of them, individually as well as together. The book is described as enemies-to-lovers by some other reviewers. We do see that Roisin and Thadaryx are true enemies for most of the book. There are certainly hints that they might progress to lovers in a next installment. Anybody looking for a spicy romantasy in Tides and Torment will be dissapointed, this is more for the extremely slow-burn crowd. The handful oder side characters in this book are also very well developed. I can't wait to see some of them again in the next book. I liked the pacing and the writing.

Overall this was so refreshingly different from most fantasy books I have read lately that I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in this series. In the meantime I will recommend Tides and Torment to everyone who will listen.

[Kelly]

Gooooooooooooods, this book.

The story follows Roisin and Thaddeus ('Thaddy' for the enemies. It rhymes with Daddy. I was instantly sold). Roisin has enslaved Thaddeus, the God of Sight, and calls upon his aid whenever she finds herself in a bind. (Quite literally, too, as she's often found chained up in dungeons.) You'd think being a goddess-blessed assassin would be a glorious lifestyle, but alas... no.

When Thaddeus rescues her from her latest assassination attempt and subsequent dungeon stay, they wind up aboard a ship. A ship where people keep dying. After Roisin is targeted on their very first night aboard while the two are posing as newlyweds, master and god must rely on one another, put aside their differences, and look past their prejudices to survive.

This would have easily been a five-star read if the world had been fleshed out a little more. I loved, adored, worshipped Thaddeus as a character. Blind characters are my weak spot, as an optician, I simply can't help myself. Their banter was incredible. Roisin was a strong female lead whose reasoning I could rarely fault, and yet... I often found myself frowning at the pages, having missed a nuance or insight that wasn't revealed until several chapters later.

I think that's my one true complaint: the reader is often left to fill in the gaps. That's perfectly fine when it's done subtly, but here I was very aware of it. I kept wondering what this or that meant, or what the lore behind a certain phrase was, instead of simply trusting that everything would eventually click into place.

That didn't make the story any less compelling, though. On the contrary, I devoured this book and was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Easily one of my favourite reads of the year.

Thank you, NetGalley and Caitlin Honer, for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Yvoni]

Tides and Torment was an interesting read. It's part murder mystery, part fantasy, with a slow-burn romance woven throughout. Overall, I enjoyed it, but did it leave me desperate to immediately pick up the next book? Not quite. That's mostly because of where things ended between the two main characters. I wish we'd gotten just a little more emotional or romantic payoff before the final pages. One more spark between them would have been enough to make me need the sequel right away.

I honestly didn't expect a murder mystery going into this book. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but that aspect ended up being a pleasant surprise and kept the story engaging.

I did read an early Kindle copy, so some of this may already be fixed in the final edition. There were a few formatting issues, like chapter artwork spanning multiple pages and the beginnings of paragraphs being cut off awkwardly, which occasionally pulled me out of the reading experience.

One thing I struggled with was the "Hidden Ones." For a good portion of the book, I wasn't entirely sure what they were. I almost wish there had been a brief glossary or a one- or two-line definition at the very beginning. Every time they were mentioned, I found myself wondering what the term actually meant, which distracted me from the story. By the time it was fully explained, I was already much more invested in the slow-burn romance than in unraveling that part of the world building.

The enemies-to-lovers dynamic is genuinely well done. What I appreciated most is that both characters are morally grey. It's refreshing compare to the common trope where one character is ruthless while the other is completely innocent. Their chemistry is developed naturally, and watching two flawed characters challenge each other made the relationship one of the strongest parts of the book.

[Elis]

This book (which I thought was a standalone, but is in fact the first one of a series) seemed (and it was, indeed) perfect for a summer reading.

I didn't want to approach it with super high expectation (I could've done that, though, with the majestic cover this book presents itself with), but I have to admit that I was very well entertained.

This mysterious and thrilling story and its dark sea atmosphere captured me and all my attention. I loved to read about this worldbuilding with sirens, strange marine creatures, divine punishments, omicides, investigations, cruel worshipped and forgotten gods and goddesses.

The two protagonists are well described and structured, they don't come flat and boring to the reader. Finally, I found a female lead that I like: she's intriguing, sensual but fragile, with a strong appearance and an indestructible body, but also with a lot of trauma and sacrifices behind her; the male lead is really enjoyable too: his personality is strong and enchanting (really fitting with him being a god), his power is very particular and he's also willing to change and be more "human", as time goes by.

Their relationship isn't well defined (not yet, at least) and so the reader is always surprised when something (bad or good) happens between them. It's an enemies to... Friends? Allies? Lovers? Worst Enemies? We'll see. I like that they aren't very predictable.

Also, the other characters in this story are very good: they all look and act very different and they all have some sort of mysterious and ambiguous aura. When the culprit is discovered, also, the mystery isn't solved at all and this leaves the reader with doubts and willing to read the next volume (or volumes? I don't know how many book this series will have).

Trigger warnings: sexual abuse, omicides, torture, cruelty, loneliness, self harm, slavery. ⚠️

[Ura Bookworm]

My birthday was on the 27th(two days ago) and I'm so glad I read this because it's soooo good which led it being counted as a birthday gift for myself.


I would actually like to know if possible what condition of blindness Thaddeus has. I know this sounds disrespectful 🥲...but sometimes it's said that he has eyes, sometimes it's also said that he has scar tissue in his eye sockets while other times it's said that his eye sockets are completely empty which is confusing because at a specific event Roisin says that "usually his eyes are cold but now they were filled with heat" so how would that be possible if his eye sockets are empty??


This book truly understood the assignment of enemies to lovers because the brutality and cunning applied were wonderful. The banter had me struggling to contain my fits of giggles (I was so captivated that I read this in public). The characters are truly admirable example Roisin who's skilled, brave, deadly and pretty to Thaddeus who is blunt, charming when he wants to be and funny. But alas no one is perfect so there's Roisin's hard headedness in refusing to believe or speak ill of the gods even though she's a living proof of their two faced behaviors and there's Thaddeus whose experiences have left him reluctant to see the good in the world. Both of them can be justified with Roisin's fear and Thaddeus' trauma but already Thaddeus is beginning to slowly but surely soften. I can't wait to see what development Roisin undergoes but I hope whatever it is doesn't change her from being the badass that she is(I was a bit sad about sweet Elyon though😮‍💨.

There's slow burn, one bed, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, shadows, secret identities, and a "touch her and die" moment. I look forward to book two.


Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this opportunity.

[Julia Rachelle]

A romantasy murder mystery on the high seas? SIGN ME UP. Caitlan Honer’s writing reached through the page and grabbed me by the throat(a fitting comparison if you know Roisin Lark).

I loved this book so much. Our two main characters are Roisin, a (literally) indestructible goddess-approved assassin and Thaddeus, the (almost) forgotten god of sight who (ironically) is blind. He can, however, see through the eyes of others (and other creatures-like his seeing eye spider) and years before entered a bargain with Roisin that ended with her having the power to command him. Roisin, being an assassin, uses this to her advantage to force him to save her when she gets into too much trouble. This was already such a fun dynamic, but when the pair escape Roisin’s latest dungeon cell and steal passage aboard a random ship, they find themselves in the middle of a classic murder mystery as passengers begin to disappear.

The worldbuilding in this book was incredible-especially the lore between the gods and the forgotten gods(Hidden Ones). The plot balanced the worldbuilding perfectly with the murder mystery. I thought I had the killer figured out until I didn’t.

Thaddeus and Roisin’s character arcs go far beyond the typical romance normally found in romantasy (though there’s plenty of that too don’t you worry). They’ve both been taken advantage of by gods and hidden ones alike and the conversations about free will and self worth pulled my heartstrings.

The ending was satisfying AND set up the characters for further adventures in Book 2 which I CAN’T WAIT to read! Literally the last three sentences of the epilogue BLEW MY MIND. I definitely recommend Tides and Torment and the good news is that it is available for preorder now and releases in November!

[aria.roastandread]

5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"We're having a full conversation, and your eyes are elsewhere?" 
"Haven't any eyes, thanks very much for noticing."

Seriously, 5 stars to ETERNITY! I was initially drawn to the cover, but the content far surpassed my expectations. I finished this in just a day, finding myself hard to put this down. Right off the bat, I fell in love with our main character's dynamic. Without spoiling too much, their relationship was heavy on the forced proximity troupe done right, having to play husband and wife on a ship with literal murders happening. Caitlan Honer excels on creating funny banters as Thaddeus and Roisin interact, as well as creating heart-tugging scenes when it needs to be. The slowburn was so, so good and doesn't feel forced at all.

It was also notable that I found myself caring for the side characters, and they carried distinct voices of their own; their backstory, personality and actions feels like they truly have essences of their own. I think it's hard to pull off so many characterizations but somehow, Honer did it so seamlessly; it was easy to distinguish who is who, even though we're introduced with quite many characters at once.

Tides & Torment managed to make me feel a litany of emotions- giggly, impressed, funny, sorrow and grief. The murder mystery reminded me of a Detective Conan's setup where a murder takes place on a ship, and the passengers each are presented with strong alibis to connect with the murder. I had fun following the whodunnit story and trying to guess who's the actual perpetrator. In terms of worldbuilding, I think it's well done, and I cannot wait to learn more in the next installments. The ending was set up in a satisfying way to wrap the conflict in this one, but laid out an already strong foundation for book two.

I highly recommend this, and implore everyone else to try this out! I will be following Caitlan Honer's career closely. Definitely one of my favourite 2026 reads!