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Tidestep: The Water Anchor
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Tidestep: The Water Anchor is the kind of fantasy that rewards sticking with it. I enjoyed following Zaphiel as what starts as a simple errand turns into something much bigger, and the mysterious dog leading him through the deadly fog was one of the moments that really hooked me. F.A. Calder builds an interesting world without slowing the story down, and the characters kept me invested. A solid five-star read that left me looking forward to the next book.
Review of advance copy received from Author
F. A. Calder’s Tidestep: The Water Anchor is an expansive epic fantasy built around two intertwined narratives. The central adventure follows Zaphiel, a restless blacksmith’s apprentice whose simple errand leads him into a poisoned settlement, the theft of an ancient Water Anchor, and a widening conflict involving the warlord Kaelor, the Pale Keeper, and forces older than recorded history. Interspersed chapters present an instruction manual addressed to the amnesiac Evelyn, preserving knowledge about immortal Seers, enigmatic Liminals, cosmic Thresholds, and artifacts whose purpose has been obscured across thousands of years. This layered structure gives the novel the immediate momentum of a pursuit while steadily revealing that the pursuit belongs to a much larger struggle over mortal freedom and the shape of history.
The novel’s strongest element is its evolving company of companions. Zaphiel begins with confidence in his strength and practical knowledge, but the journey repeatedly requires him to depend on qualities he doesn’t possess. Verlin’s theatrical bravado conceals pain and considerable ability, Alenya’s guarded intelligence grows from a history of manipulation, Marek communicates through writing and gesture while perceiving possibilities hidden from others, and the Liminal Rylor introduces a form of wisdom that’s playful, evasive, and often incisive. Nara, the mysterious dog who gathers and guides them, provides the group with both emotional warmth and narrative direction. Their conflicting temperaments produce humor without weakening the danger, and their gradual bond gives substance to the book’s recurring idea that burdens become bearable when they’re shared.
Calder’s worldbuilding is concerned with knowledge itself: how it’s recorded, distorted, forgotten, and used to control. Alenya’s observation that “Magic is what people call a thing when they’d rather wonder than learn” captures the book’s preference for inquiry over easy mystification. The Anchor Stones, rune-marked chain fragments, masks, dreams, and historical annotations operate as parts of a coherent cosmology rather than decorative lore. This makes the explanatory passages substantial, sometimes deliberately so, but their cumulative effect is important. By the final chapters, questions of memory and identity have become inseparable from the physical conflict, especially when Zaphiel pays a devastating personal cost for resisting the mask’s influence.
Tidestep is a novel about agency, responsibility, and the consequences of choosing a path without complete knowledge. Its opening instruction, “Make the choice and bear the consequences of the path,” becomes the governing principle of both the adventure and the cosmic history surrounding it. Calder combines quest fantasy, philosophical speculation, encoded mysteries, and an affectionate ensemble story in a novel that rewards close attention. The conclusion resolves the immediate fight while deliberately enlarging the conflict, leaving the companions united by grief, inherited purpose, and an oath that will carry them into the next volume.
The novel’s strongest element is its evolving company of companions. Zaphiel begins with confidence in his strength and practical knowledge, but the journey repeatedly requires him to depend on qualities he doesn’t possess. Verlin’s theatrical bravado conceals pain and considerable ability, Alenya’s guarded intelligence grows from a history of manipulation, Marek communicates through writing and gesture while perceiving possibilities hidden from others, and the Liminal Rylor introduces a form of wisdom that’s playful, evasive, and often incisive. Nara, the mysterious dog who gathers and guides them, provides the group with both emotional warmth and narrative direction. Their conflicting temperaments produce humor without weakening the danger, and their gradual bond gives substance to the book’s recurring idea that burdens become bearable when they’re shared.
Calder’s worldbuilding is concerned with knowledge itself: how it’s recorded, distorted, forgotten, and used to control. Alenya’s observation that “Magic is what people call a thing when they’d rather wonder than learn” captures the book’s preference for inquiry over easy mystification. The Anchor Stones, rune-marked chain fragments, masks, dreams, and historical annotations operate as parts of a coherent cosmology rather than decorative lore. This makes the explanatory passages substantial, sometimes deliberately so, but their cumulative effect is important. By the final chapters, questions of memory and identity have become inseparable from the physical conflict, especially when Zaphiel pays a devastating personal cost for resisting the mask’s influence.
Tidestep is a novel about agency, responsibility, and the consequences of choosing a path without complete knowledge. Its opening instruction, “Make the choice and bear the consequences of the path,” becomes the governing principle of both the adventure and the cosmic history surrounding it. Calder combines quest fantasy, philosophical speculation, encoded mysteries, and an affectionate ensemble story in a novel that rewards close attention. The conclusion resolves the immediate fight while deliberately enlarging the conflict, leaving the companions united by grief, inherited purpose, and an oath that will carry them into the next volume.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I really enjoyed this book because it had me curious from the very beginning. It starts out feeling like a classic fantasy adventure, but then the mystery keeps getting bigger with the stolen Water Anchor, the strange blight, the mysterious dog, and all the questions surrounding Kaelor and the ancient stones. Every chapter seemed to answer one question while creating two more, and I kept wanting to read "just one more chapter" to see where everything was leading.
What I liked most was that there was always something new to discover. The world is interesting, the characters are easy to like, and I enjoyed watching Zaphiel slowly piece together what was really happening. I also loved that the story didn't give everything away too quickly, so it kept me guessing the whole time. If you enjoy fantasy with adventure, mystery, and plenty of secrets to uncover, I think you'll have a hard time putting this one down.
What I liked most was that there was always something new to discover. The world is interesting, the characters are easy to like, and I enjoyed watching Zaphiel slowly piece together what was really happening. I also loved that the story didn't give everything away too quickly, so it kept me guessing the whole time. If you enjoy fantasy with adventure, mystery, and plenty of secrets to uncover, I think you'll have a hard time putting this one down.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an ARC copy of this book and am leaving a review voluntarily.
This book is heavy on worldbuilding which I adore. It uses a layered method which is awesome. We aren't slammed with an info dump but rather things get revealed as it's relevant. And the characters don't know everything! They aren't experts on everything about their world; they have pockets of expertise.
The characters are very well crafted and while you might enjoy some more than others, (I really like Zaphiel) you see the need for all of them. The strengths of each character is relevant and I love when the reader realizes this before the characters do!
There is a large focus on how history is drafted and lost and how knowledge is precious, all wrapped up in a mystery and a mysterious dog!
It might take a bit for the reader to find their footing but it's absolutely worth the journey.
This book is heavy on worldbuilding which I adore. It uses a layered method which is awesome. We aren't slammed with an info dump but rather things get revealed as it's relevant. And the characters don't know everything! They aren't experts on everything about their world; they have pockets of expertise.
The characters are very well crafted and while you might enjoy some more than others, (I really like Zaphiel) you see the need for all of them. The strengths of each character is relevant and I love when the reader realizes this before the characters do!
There is a large focus on how history is drafted and lost and how knowledge is precious, all wrapped up in a mystery and a mysterious dog!
It might take a bit for the reader to find their footing but it's absolutely worth the journey.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Excellent! That's the best way to start this review. First, I'm a BIG fan of books that create circles without you noticing, then close those circles later in the book. This one has so many that I lost count! Very satisfying. Second, the journal. It's brilliant. Read carefully, especially the marked out parts. Third, the scope is amazing. It starts small and cozy, then it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. And thanks to the journal, you feel like you know A LOT of things before the characters. Fourth, the emotion was much more than I expected from a fantasy book. There are many places where I was feeling everything the characters were. Summary: Absolutely a must read. I'm looking forward to the next book! (I got a free Advance Reader Copy from BookSirens)
Review of advance copy
A most unusual story, and one that I wasn't sure I would like when I first started reading it. But then I found as characters were introduced, and their roles were clarified, the novel took on an appeal that I wasn't expecting. And the side notes took me somewhat by surprise, as they are very steeped in secret and hard to unravel. Then I began to honestly join the travellers in their journey to stop the darkness. A book that is more involved and deeper than first thought. I have to admit that in the back of my mind, I found this novel a little unsettling particularly the side notes. Was I meant to read them, are they really there, am I the only one seeing them?? All in all I very much enjoyed riding along.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The coolest part about the book is how the author tells the story. Besides following Zaphiel and his crew in the present day, there are sections of the book written from a 15,000-year-old journal. It’s written by this mysterious woman who has been watching the world for thousands of years. Reading her entries makes you realize that what’s happening to Zaphiel isn't just a random robbery it’s part of a massive, ancient loop that has threatened the world before. It takes the story from a simple village mystery and blows it up into a giant cosmic battle
Review of advance copy
Definitely worth giving it a read. I do wish there had been a little bit more world building before Zaphiel starts out on his journey, as you are kind of immediately thrown into the plot, but after that the pacing evens out and it becomes a very interesting story. I found myself getting sucked into it easily. The characters are entertaining, each with their own level of mystery, and backstory, which you get to learn as the it progresses. If you like fantasy adventure stories, this one is a good choice.
Review of advance copy
This was a wonderful book. I really enjoyed the character development. I feel like I really got to know them well. The storyline read well. I don't think there were any points when I felt it went slow. It was engaging the entire time. I am not sure the ledger excerpts were entirely necessary. They seemed superfluous and didn't really add to the story. In fact some were downright confusing. This book is a good choice for anyone who enjoys fantasy, especially stories of the underdog
Review of advance copy
This story was great! A slow start, but once it started going, I was hooked. An adventure from start to finish with lots of mystery. Questions asked at the beginning that remain in the back of your mind and slap you in the face once they're answered. I also love all the symbolism and the "Torvenisms" thrown in throughout.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I really enjoyed the ever growing mystery that kept making me want to read more. It was hard to put the book down each night before bed, I had to set an alarm after the first night when I read hours past my sleeping time. I do think it could have had a little more back story/history at the very beginning, but I got over that quickly as I was sucked into the story evermore.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Received a free copy. As a Norse Pagan, I love the runes and that what made me want to read this story and I couldn't put it down. Fantastic book!!!!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews