The Weeping Tide

Wilderlore #2

by Amanda Foody

Barclay and his friends must save an island city from the Legendary Beast of the Sea in this second book in the Wilderlore series.

Something is wrong at the Sea. The weeping tide, a carnivorous algae bloom, is eating up all the fish. Beasts are terrorizing the nearby Elsewheres. And Lochmordra, the Legendary Beast, is rising at random and swallowing ships whole.

Barclay’s teacher, the famous Guardian Keeper Runa Rasgar, has been summoned to investigate, and as her apprentice, Barclay gets to join too. But Runa’s nemesis has also been called to the Sea, and he’s brought apprentices of his own. When the not-so friendly competition between them grows fierce, it’s Barclay—the only one from the Elsewheres—who can’t seem to keep up.

The key to stopping Lochmordra lies in his mythical home, but as the flood of the weeping tide encroaches, time is running out to find it. If the rival groups can’t cast aside old grudges and learn to work together, soon the Sea will be destroyed completely. And all the while Barclay must ask himself: is there truly a place for him in the Wilderlands?

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Magic, Fiction, Adventure, Young Adult, Audiobook

352 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2022

About the author

Amanda Foody is the New York Times, USA Today, and indie bestselling author of All of Us Villains (with C.L. Herman), the Wilderlore series, the Shadow Game series, and more. Her work has appeared in publications including Buzzfeed, Popsugar, Culturess, and Amazon selected All of Us Villains as the Best Young Adult Book of 2021. Originally from Pennsylvania, she lives in Boston, MA with her partner and their orange tabby, Jelly Bean. When not writing, she unironically loves to cook.

The Night Compass, the fourth installment in the Wilderlore series, releases on March 5, 2024. A Fate So Cold, her next novel with C.L. Herman, follows in Fall 2024.

Reviews

[b. ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

wilderlore is really shaping up to be a new favorite middle grade series for me! i can’t wait for the third installment next year :”) i miss my kids already

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book but this one didn't compel me at all. Wasn't as invested in the characters nor the adventure. Might have been because I read the first and listened to this one. Sometimes the enjoyment of a series is dependent on one particular format either reading or listening. Might see if I can borrow the next one on my library

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

this series is super cute and fun and I really liked all the envriomental and ocean themes in this one!!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun!! New Beasts, new Lore, new friends, new adventures -- all the things you want from book 2!

[Adela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 🌊🌴🪸🪼🐠

[Cassandra Hamm · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my new favorite middle grade series. I mean, Pokémon meets Nevermoor meets HTTYD meets Harry Potter??? Where can you go wrong???

I loved the new characters introduced in this story. Shazi and Hasu and Cecily have my heart. (I also thought their rivalry with Runa’s apprentices was very accurate and fun. The race was especially fun.) I also love the worldbuilding with the lures and the lovable Pokémon-like creatures and how each book is set in a different Wilderland. I’m having a bit of a hard time keeping track of the beasts, but fortunately there’s an index in the back. (I want images of all the beasts.) I started to wonder about the a person possibly being the traitor but didn’t fully think about it until it happened, so I guess Amanda Foody did a good job misdirecting me. Also, Barclay’s wind lore and how he can run super fast with Root is just so fun. And his relationship with Tadg was really interesting this book. I appreciated the development.

And this one introduces the main villain of the series, which is great. Rereading it, I can see the clues.

I just love this series so much!!!

[Megan Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I finished The Accidental Apprentice last year, then learned there would be a sequel, I immediately began looking forward to this one. I absolutely loved the concept of Keepers and their bonds with beasts. It reminded me of a heavily fantasized version of Pokemon, which I thought was so cool. While I did prefer book one in this series, I did still greatly enjoy the Weeping Tide, and I truly can’t wait to see what other adventures Barclay, Viola, and Tadg get up to in the future. And hopefully we’ll get to cross paths with some of the new apprentices as well, because I would love to learn more about them.

The Weeping Tide was full of adventure and non-stop action. Not only that, but there was also a mystery aspect to the book as well, and a shocking reveal at the end that I simply had not seen coming. There was one character I had thought to be suspicious, but the other reveal took me by surprise. Knowing what I do now, I’ll be interested to reread this before the next one comes out and figure out where hints and clues were dropped that I clearly missed while reading. It was pretty exciting, because there was clearly something more going on that nobody knew about, which caused a lot of the action, but I thought it was all balanced really well.

My only wish is that we’d gotten to know the new characters a little better. Since there were several new ones introduced, and at the same time no less, I felt that we didn’t get a good feel for who each character was. I especially wanted to know more about Yasha, but unfortunately, we didn’t get to know him all that well. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing him in future books, though, so here’s to hoping there’s more development on that front.

This book, while full of excitement and adventure, was also a self-discovery journey for Barclay. During the first book, he’d been kicked out of his home and thrust into a new world with hardly a moment to come to terms with all of it, so it made sense that he hadn’t really processed what it meant to leave that world behind. In this book, however, Barclay struggled with his two identities, and he wondered whether he even deserved to be there, because he felt so behind his peers, and that he didn’t measure up. Barclay grows so much through the story as he comes to terms with being a part of both worlds, and it was really well done. I enjoyed going on this journey with Barclay, because I think it was so important to the story and to his character. While I know he wants to be a Keeper desperately, I do hope he at least considers becoming an apothecary, because he was really good at that, and I quite liked those scenes. I would’ve liked to have seen more, even.

The Weeping Tide was a fun book and a great sequel to the Accidental Apprentice, and I’m so glad I was able to read it. I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in this series, because I just know they’ll be amazing!

Thank you to Turn the Page Tours, NetGalley, and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Chris Hirschfeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing sequel to a beautifully evolving series. Foody’s world-building is excellent just like the first in the series, but her character work in this one is one of my favorites in a middle grade book.

I loved how she took time to focus on each character’s unique backstory and how that contributed to the person they are in the story. It opens up a ton of unique conversations when reading aloud as you can talk about motivations, backgrounds, and not judging a book by its cover while also enjoying a great fantasy world with tons of mysteries!

Personally, I think some of the descriptions could be more specific especially since it’s quite fantastical but I don’t expect a kiddo to mind in the slightest. There’s a lot of very realistic pain from life and our characters struggle with issues that everyone can empathize with. That’s where this series shines brightest, small human moments of very nuanced disagreement, bonding over shared struggles, and friends laughing so hard they forget why they were upset.

I hope more people (adults & children) get the chance to read this series as I think it can remind us all the importance of friendship, listening, and the magic of empathy.

[akacya ❦ · Rating 5 out of 5]

2023 reads: 212/350

this is the second book in the wilderlore series.

barclay and his friends are tasked with saving an island city from the legendary beast of the sea. the key to stopping the beast is in his home, but the weeping tide makes the timeframe to find it smaller and smaller.

i can absolutely see this series becoming a comfort series for me. like the first book, there was so much action, which is, of course, always interesting. additionally, all the relationships in this book were so interesting. from friends to mentors, i appreciated how these were represented.

i can’t wait to dive into book three!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barclay and his friends have to save the sea in this second installment of the Wilderlore series. There's adventures and excitement and fun animals and mysteries to solve. There's also new characters and stress on the old friendships. While I enjoyed this book well enough, and will probably continue the series, I didn't find it to be nearly as compelling as the first book. 3 solid stars

[Arabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad 👍

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

loving this series

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

As amazing as the first one!

[Enairolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quand on entre dans Les Royaumes Sauvages, on s’attend à de la magie, des bêtes fabuleuses, des quêtes, et des révélations ce deuxième tome confirme ces attentes et les amplifie. Alors que le premier livre servait à poser le décor, les personnages, les règles du monde et le poids de la destinée (et de la marque, et du pouvoir des bêtes), ce second opus force les protagonistes à sortir de leur zone de confort, à prendre des décisions plus tranchées, et à découvrir que le danger ne vient pas toujours d’où on croit. L’enjeu est plus grand, plus immédiat, l’océan, le kraken, la colère des forces de la nature, et la tension monte. C’est une aventure qui se déploie en tempête, tant sur le plan physique que sur le plan moral. Ce qu’on attend d’une fantasy jeunesse, mais aussi ce qu’on espère : qu’il y ait des surprises, des choix difficiles, des doutes, et des moments de bravoure.

Amanda Foody continue ici à user d’une écriture élégante dans sa simplicité. Elle sait jongler entre plusieurs registres, scènes d’action puissantes, description de phénomènes fantastiques, instants de calme permettant aux personnages (et au lecteur) de souffler, moments d’humour. Elle ne s’embarrasse pas de lourdes digressions ; les descriptions servent l’immersion mais ne l’alourdissent pas. On visualise les tempêtes, l’eau furieuse, les vagues, le sang de la mer et la peur qu’inspire le kraken Lochmordra, sans perdre le fil narratif. Un autre aspect de sa plume est sa capacité à cultiver le mystère. On sent qu’elle sait garder des cartes cachées : certains indices sont semés, mais jamais de façon trop explicite, ce qui pousse à douter, à se poser des questions sur les motivations des personnages comme Ansley ou Cyril Harlow.

Cet univers de Les Royaumes Sauvages est riche, structuré, mais avec des zones d’ombre : il y a les Royaumes eux-mêmes (Bois, Désert, Mers, Jungle, Toundra, Montagnes), les Gardiens des Légendes, les Bêtes fabuleuses, la magie, les marques, les traditions, les règles interdites. Tout cela compose un ensemble cohérent mais pas figé : il évolue, il se débat avec ses propres contradictions. Dans ce tome, l’univers s’étend : on passe plus intensément par les mers, dont l’océan devient un personnage presque à part entière, furieux, imprévisible, capable de tendre des pièges, de révéler des secrets en profondeur. Le kraken Lochmordra représente cette force de la nature mythologique, ancienne, puissante, presque divine dans sa présence, mais aussi terrifiante. Il y a aussi une vraie interaction avec l’environnement : la magie n’est pas abstraite, elle touche les éléments (le vent, l’eau, la tempête), les bêtes, les humains. Les apprentissages, les règles, les traditions, celles des Gardiens, celles des apothicaires, font partie intégrante de ce monde. Et on voit que ce monde a des fractures : les peurs anciennes, les suspicions, les interdits, le lien (et le conflit) entre ce que la nature veut (ou ce que les bêtes veulent) et ce que les humains font. On sent que l’univers est vaste, qu’il y a beaucoup à explorer : non seulement géographiquement (les mers, les profondeurs, les royaumes lointains), mais aussi psychologiquement (les secrets, les trahisons, les responsabilités).

Dans La première quête, l’histoire s’ouvre sur une menace immédiate : Lochmordra, le kraken fabuleux, semble être hors contrôle, et l’océan est devenu un élément dangereux pour les royaumes. Ce qui démarre comme une mission pour stopper la créature se transforme rapidement en enquête : qu’est-ce qui a attisé la rage de la bête ? Est-ce purement naturel, purement magique, ou y a-t-il des mains humaines derrière ce chaos ? Barclay, Viola, et Tadg, désormais apprentis de Runa Rasgar, doivent non seulement affronter la tempête et la puissance du kraken, mais aussi faire face à la complexité des motivations des personnes autour d’eux. Ansley, la gardienne apothicaire, fait des expériences douteuses : ses connaissances et ses manipulations de la magie / des bêtes posent question. Cyril Harlow, quant à lui, ennemi de longue date de Runa, apporte une tension politique et humaine : jusqu’où va son grief, ses rancœurs, et enveloppe-t-elles quelque chose de plus sombre ?

Au cœur de la tempête physique (vagues, danger, immersion maritime) se superpose la tempête intérieure : loyauté, confiance, trahison, la question de ce qu’on est prêt à sacrifier pour sauver le royaume. Les héros, plus encore qu’au tome précédent, ne peuvent pas juste compter sur la force ou la magie : ils doivent savoir choisir, savoir s’ils peuvent faire confiance à des alliés dont les paroles ou actes sont ambigüs. Et cela pèse. L’intrigue progresse avec des moments de suspense certain : des tournants inattendus, des doutes accentués. On se demande à chaque fois si le danger ne vient pas de l’intérieur, de ce qu’on croyait acquis. Et bien sûr, l’élément du kraken est plus qu’une menace physique : il devient symbole, miroir des peurs, de la colère, de la responsabilité collective.

Pour que l’histoire fonctionne, les personnages ne sont pas juste là pour faire avancer l’action, ils portent les dilemmes, les contradictions, et ils évoluent réellement. Barclay est toujours tiraillé entre ce qu’il voudrait être (simple, sans responsabilité, loin des conflits) et ce qu’il est obligé de devenir. Son parcours dans ce deuxième le met face à ses limites : peur de l’échec, crainte de perdre ceux qu’il aime, peur de ne pas être à la hauteur. On le voit aussi apprendre à gérer l’incertitude : ne pas savoir qui est digne de confiance, ne pas savoir quelle vérité croire. Ces doutes le rendent humain et attachant. Sa loyauté envers ses amis et envers le royaume est souvent en conflit. Viola, elle fait office d’ancre, de soutien, mais pas de personnage passif. Elle a ses propres peurs, ses propres mystères. Son attachement à la magie / aux bêtes, sa vision de ce que devrait être un Gardien des Légendes, ce qu’elle accepte ou refuse, la rendent complexe. Elle aide Barclay, mais aussi l’influence : elle le pousse à voir ce qu’il ne voudrait pas toujours voir, à accepter que la magie et le pouvoir comportent des zones d’ombre. Tadg est souvent moins mis en avant dans les résumés, mais dans ce tome, il gagne en densité psychologique. Il est celui qui voit peut-être mieux que les autres les conséquences de certains actes, les conflits internes du groupe. On ressent ses hésitations, ses doutes, ses propres conflits internes (loyautés, peurs, ce qu’il est prêt à risquer). Le trio fonctionne parce que leurs dynamiques ne sont parfaites : ils se disputent, se corrigent, apprennent les uns des autres. Runa Rasgar est leur mentor, figure d’autorité, forte, mais pas dénuée de zones d’ombre. On devine que son passé, ses ennemis, ses choix antérieurs ont des conséquences dans ce tome. Elle représente le pouvoir, le savoir, la tradition, mais aussi les contraintes de ce rôle de Gardien / maître. Elle inspire confiance, crainte, respect mais aussi questionnement. Ansley est une gardienne apothicaire et un personnage ambigu. Ses connaissances et ses expériences éveillent la méfiance. Est-ce un esprit curieux au-delà du convenable, ou quelqu’un prêt à franchir des limites dangereuses ? Elle incarne le thème de l’éthique dans l’expérimentation, dans la magie, dans le “jusqu’à quel point” on pousse le savoir au risque des conséquences. Cyril Harlow est l’antagoniste visible, mais dans ce tome son personnage est moins caricatural que “simple méchant”. Son comportement suscite suspicions, mais aussi interrogations : pourquoi agit-il comme il le fait ? Son antagonisme envers Runa Rasgar, ses actes, ses alliances, ses non-dits, le rendent intéressant. Il est l’une des forces qui permettent de complexifier l’histoire, il y a danger, mais pas toujours certitude, ce qui rend son personnage plus vivant.

En conclusion, ce second tome est une très belle suite qui ne se contente pas de répéter les éléments du premier tome, mais qui les approfondit, les complexifie, les met à l’épreuve. On a plus d’action, plus de danger tangible, plus de suspense moral, plus de dilemmes. On voit bien que l’autrice ne laisse pas ses héros grandir théoriquement : elle les pousse à affronter ce que cela signifie réellement d’avoir du pouvoir, d’être responsable. Il nous donne envie de continuer, de découvrir le tome suivant, de comprendre quelles vérités seront révélées, quelles alliances se formeront ou craqueront, et surtout, comment les jeunes héros vont affronter ce qui se révèle être plus que ce qu’ils pensaient. Si tu aimes la fantasy, l’aventure, les mystères et les mondes où la nature n’est pas un simple décor, ce roman est une très bonne lecture.

[Alex Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not believe in the existence of an objective review of literature, because each individual reader brings pre-existing biases, baggage, and a unique lived experience while processing a book. That being said, the reason my review of the Wilderlore series is so high might be because I've been reading them with my second grader who absolutely loves these books and each time we would finish a chapter, he would talk about his favorite characters, share his theories on what might happen, and beg me not to stop reading.

I do think Foody has found a nice groove with the second installment in this series after a first book that used the Harry Potter orphan/"chosen one" trope set in a very Pokemon-esque universe. In The Weeping Tide the Wilderlands are more fully realized fantasy settings and the conflict was about the difficulty of building trust in friendships - for both adult and children alike. There are some enjoyable new characters (we were particularly fond of Ulick and Cecily) and we get new dimensions on some of the favorites from the first book.

We are hooked on the Wilderlore series and can't wait to see which Wilderland we get to explore in the next one!

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written for children who are between the ages of 8 and 12, and it is in the fantasy adventure genre. It's a fun story! Since I am not used to this genre, I had to adapt to the jargon, but that will probably not be a problem for children who enjoy this kind of story. The main character is 11 years old, and the story includes how he relates to his peers as well as adults who are authority figures in his life. The story demonstrates that it is a bad idea to undermine others and the importance of working together toward a worthwhile goal. I think that it is best to read book #1, The Accidental Apprentice, before reading this one. I did not do that. The author does give enough background information so that the reader should know what is going on, but there are a lot of characters, and I had to make notes to keep them all straight.

[Emma Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are SO many types of Lore and I'm excited to see more. This installment of the Wilderlore series was a little bit more subtle in terms of the plot, leaning into that their readers are growing older with each installment. We get to watch Barclay mature and grow into himself a bit, something desperately needed at times. I found the sea as a biome to be far more interesting than the woods and can't wait to see the desert next! Steve West as a narrator was phenomenal, bringing a new aspect to each character he voiced. Plus he helped me realize that it's WILL-derlore, not WILE-derlore. Mind blown!!

*Thank you to Simon Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review*

[P M · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Weeping Tide by Amanda Foody is the second book in the Wilderlore series, and this one is just as good as the first one, if not better. It builds upon the storyline of the last one and connects different elements that you would recognise, so I greatly recommend getting book #1, book #2, and book #3, because you will want to continue straightaway (right after giving it a 5-star review anyway). It is a great read that has many twists and turns, and well, not to spoil it, the end feels like such a moment where your brain just clicks and you realise everything. If you like fantasy, or even just adventure, this book is a great read for you.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book has been the one my two littles have hassled me to read to them the most in the last two years. I can not tell you how many times there was a lurking 5 and 8 yr old, staring at me expectantly while I was mid-anything, demanding to have “mom… book-o please?”. I have one teenie request that I hope will be considered; could a pronunciation guide please be included in the next book? I got hung up constantly on some of the character and beast names. Aside from the read out loud name shenanigans, this was a lovely story :D Can’t wait to see what comes next with my spawn.

[Lire-une-passion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mais qu'est-ce que c'était bien ! c'était chouette de retrouver ce petit groupe, cette intrigue. J'ai adoré l'évolution des personnages et surtout le lien de Barclay avec Roc. Si dans le premier tome, il Barclay ne supportait pas sa présence, ici, il lui est devenu indispensable, et j'ai adoré découvrir ça ! Bref, j'ai très hâte de lire le tome 3, maintenant !
La fin de ce tome promet une intrigue de qualité et un final rempli d'émotions et d'aventures !

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that this series has found its stride.

I think it is partly because we are in the second book and know more about the world/lore.

But I also just really loved the old characters, new characters, friendships, adventure… just everything really.

I’m so looking forward to continuing in this series.

Also, I think I’m getting used to the audio narrator now.

[Alexandra]

DNF at 56%. I really enjoyed the e-book for book one in this series, but listening to the audiobook for this one I kept getting distracted and losing interest. Maybe it’s just the narration that didn’t work for me, I might try the e-book instead at some point.

[Gretal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really great. Of course, I loved that this one was set in the Sea, and all in all it was just great fun. I'm really excited for the next book.

[Allie Kilduff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great continuation of this series; I love how Amanda Foody is able to develop a mythical world filled with "beasts" while still implementing dramatic situations.

[Angel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was good... And also not good. Sometimes my attention was unbreakable when I was reading and sometimes it was straight up bland. I really just feel 50/50 about this

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

¹

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adventurous and mythical, I loved the way this author wrote it in the perspective of the main character’s thoughts and Root’s feelings.

[Soleil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good! Barclay in this book is a good example of what having anxiety as a mental illness is like.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Alexandra Overy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series so much!