Dark Tides is book two of the Fairmile Series. Twenty one years have passed since where the first book, Tidelands, left off and it felt good to be reunited with the characters again.

I’ve always loved historical fiction novels by Phipps Gregory. She excels at creating strong female characters and examining England’s complicated past. I appreciate all the work she puts into researching for these books and loved learning about life on the banks of the Thames River in 1670. I also liked the added mystery and drama of Rob’s widow coming on the scene.

However, I felt like something was missing from this story and it fell a bit flat. I wanted more atmosphere and emotional involvement. I think my bar is just set very high for Gregory novels and while this book wasn’t bad, it just didn’t quite measure up to her novels about the royals. I’m still interested to see where this series goes and want to stick with it to find out how it continues to evolve.

I highly recommend getting book one in addition to this, because you’re going to want the story building that provides before heading into the sequel.

Dark Tides by Philippa Gregory was a terrific story with two storylines. One was of Ned Reekie who had gone to the New World in search of freedom. He had been a part of the revolution against the king and had been pardoned but he wanted to live as he saw fit, not hurting anyone else, and having a minimum of rules. The other was of the family he left behind: his sister, Alinor; his niece, Alys and her twins: Sarah and Johnnie. A new arrival was the widow of his nephew, Rob, Alinor's son, and her baby, Matteo. The reader watched as Livia manipulated and cheated everyone except Alinor who had suspected her from the beginning, especially her story of Rob's death. It made no sense, but she bided her time. Another important character was Sir James Avery, who had been Rob's tutor years ago, and Alinor's lover, pregnant with his child. He denounced her but has now come looking for her and for his son. Livia manipulates him, as well.

This was not a terrible story. In fact it was interesting and good, although it was easy to see much of what was coming, although not all. The problem was, it took was it took way longer to read because it kept putting me to sleep. One issue was that she used too many words. I typically love her books so this was somewhat of a disappointment to me. Good characters, good story, should have been a good book, but something kept it from being. I recommend it only if you are a diehard Gregory fan.

I was invited to read a free ARC of Dark Tides by Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #darktides

Thank you, Atria Books, Philippa Gregory, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

Dark Tides by Philippa Gregory is book two in the Fairmile Series. Possible Spoilers Ahead if you have not read book one, Tidelands. Twenty-one years after the events in Tidelands, Alys and Alinor are set up at a wharf along the river. James Avery has had his lands returned to him after the restoration of the King, and now he needs his heir–an heir that he believes the Alinor carried all those years before. But James Avery isn’t the only visitor. Livia is the grieving widow of Alinor’s son, Rob. Alinor cannot believe her son is gone, but that would mean Livia is betraying them. However, she has always had the sight and she must trust it now more than ever.

I had such high hopes for this book. The first book was good, slow but good. But it was the ending that made me desperate to read this book. Unfortunately, it failed. It is hard to imagine but it is even slower than the first book. It also lacks the historical detail and aesthetic that the first one. I was hoping for Alys and Alinor to be fierce women who survived the garbage men of their past. Sure, they survived but they are still idiots. Good god. My 5 year old wouldn’t believe Livia for a hot second. It was PAINFULLY obvious from the first moment she arrived. There was absolutely no mystery to her, she isn’t clever…everyone around her is just an idiot. So I spent most of the book just angry at the stupidity. Oh, and also how unbelievable this plot actually is, it did not feel realistic to the time period in the slightest.

Then don’t get me started on the random Ned storyline that takes place in the Colonies. While I did appreciate the plot of how the Colonies took over the Indigenous Peoples land and how cruel the Colonists were to them. The problem is that it did not fit in with this story in the slightest. It would have made a phenomenal spinoff story and I would have much preferred it as its own story.

Needless to say, this book just didn’t work for me, which is a shame because I was really looking forward to it. I rate this book 2 out of 5 stars.

This book will be released tomorrow (11/24) if you are a Philippa Gregory fan!!

“We were always on the edge, between poverty and surviving, between friends and enemies, in the tidelands between water and fields. We were on the edge of everything.”

The second novel in this series picks up 20 years after Fairmile #1, in 1670, and the saga of the Ferryman Family now straddles The Atlantic Ocean. Beloved brother Ned has settled in New England to start a new life beyond the grip of the re-established monarchy of King Charles II. His allegiance to his English compatriots and his new Native American friends, tests his loyalty, his faith and his desire to earn a simple living. One thing that never waivers however, is his love and concern for his family back in England.

There, along London’s south bank of the Thames, Alinor, her daughter and her grandchildren are just scraping by, financially and emotionally. They manage a small warehouse on the wharf, which Ms. Gregory vividly brings to life with her eloquent prose. A stranger from Venice and a gentleman from Alinor’s past arrive in London to disrupt and deceive in multiple ways. The web of lies is intricate and far reaching, and friends and enemies are often disguised.

“For some people, this world is not quite . . . watertight. The other world comes in . . . sometimes we can reach out to it. It’s like Foulmire—sometimes it’s land and sometimes it’s water. Sometimes I know this world, sometimes I glimpse the other.”

I enjoyed getting reacquainted with these characters but would not recommend this novel as a stand alone. The lengthy first half perhaps could have been edited to move the plot along, but the final few chapters created a satisfying finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Review will be posted on 11/24/2020

The last thing readers remember about Alinor is the fact that she is leaving her home for good. She was tried as a witch and after a near death experience, her and her family make their way to London. Readers meet the Reekie family again in the bustling city of London, but twenty some years later. Not much has changed except for the fact that they run a warehouse that helps them pay the bills. They still struggle a bit, but are able to keep a modest roof over their heads. Since twenty years have gone by, Alys is now a mature woman and Sarah and Johnnie are adults working to bring home money for the family. There are two unexpected visitors. First in walks James Avery back into their lives with the hope for redemption and then walks Livia; she is claiming to be Rob's widow and says that she is lost without him as he has drowned in Venice. Alinor knows her son and she finds it very odd that Rob, a physician and someone who grew up by the water, could have possibly drowned. However, Livia swears it, is clearly distraught, and brings Rob's son with her. Alys falls immediately for Livia's charms and the family now has to provide for yet another person. Livia has big plans for the family and hopes to get them out of what she declares is squalor by selling off her dowry from her first husband who is a renowned art collector. There are also many chapters dedicated to Alinor's brother, Ned, who now lives in the New World and his section includes many of his adventures there with Native Americans. Dark Tides by Philippa Gregory is a somewhat satisfying addition to the Farmile series. While I didn't enjoy it as much as Tidelands, I am still very much invested in the world and the characters that Gregory created.

In Tidelands, Alinor plays a major role in the story, but in Dark Tides she is more of a secondary character. She still hasn't recovered from her near drowning and her health struggles. What remains strong is her psychic ability; she doesn't fully believe that Rob has died. In addition, she doesn't trust Livia, much to Alys's dismay.

Alys plays a major role in Dark Tides. She completely falls into Livia's web as she is longing for companionship and another adult to help bear the burden of everyday life. However, she is completely blind to Livia's motives and allows herself to be treated in a very unhealthy manner. Alys seriously frustrated me to no end in Dark Tides. On the other hand, Sarah is a secondary character in Dark Tides that towards the end of the novel ends up playing a stronger role in the story. I truly enjoyed her section of the novel. I don't want to give too much away, but I was definitely drawn to her story more than the other characters.

Ned's sections in Dark Tides felt like an entirely different novel. I wasn't interested in the least bit regarding his adventures in the New World or his interactions with the Native Americans. I just felt like it didn't really add to the story or push the plot along. I am sure maybe in book three there will be more of a connection to this, but for now it just felt really disjointed.

Gregory does a great job of bringing London and Venice to life in Dark Tides. Gregory is masterful at what she does and creates such a vivid world. Even though I felt some parts of the story were slow, specifically Ned's, and some other parts were a bit repetitive, like Livia's blatantly obvious lies, I still really enjoyed Dark Tides and look forward to book three.

So, are you a fan of Philippa Gregory's novels? Did you read Tidelands? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Don’t worry. If you haven’t read the first book in the Fairmiles series, you will still enjoy this book. I love a book with a clear villain in it and Livia, a widow from Venice, who has come to live with her mother-in-law and family in London. Livia is a conniver and she’s out to take advantage of her in-laws as she seeks to sell antiquities. But Livia fails to recon with her mother-in-law who doubts Livia’s tale and send her intelligent granddaughter to Venice to find Livia’s husband. While Livia ensnares people in her trap, a second story is taking place in New England. Ned, a son for Grandmother Alinor, has fled to New England because of his ties to the Roundheads and Oliver Cromwell. While I’m not sure how this fit into this story, other than to continue the characters from the first book, I enjoyed reading about a Puritan sympathetic to the Native way of life in the 1670’s. But the best part of the book is the end when granddaughter, Sarah, shows her iron strength and Livia gets her come-uppance. I really enjoyed this book. So often, historical fiction set during the 1600’s focuses on royalty and this book focused on strong women finding a place for themselves in business. I hope there’s a third book in the series, focusing on Sarah and where she directs the family fortunes.

I usually really like this author’s books. I had not read the previous book in this series which might be part of the problem. It’s told by alternating characters which made it a bit hard to follow, at least for me. There were times during the book I thought were really good and others kinda boring.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early

Philippa Gregory does it again!

Dark Tides is a multi-POV historical fiction novel that takes place in 1670’s London, New England, and Venice. This is Book two in the Fairmile series, picking up 20 years after the first book, Tidelands left off.

Alinore Rikke and her family are living in London after fleeing Fairmile in a dramatic fashion in the first book. Her family has made a meager but honest living running a business dockside in Southwark.

I enjoyed that we get to experience this richly detailed historical fiction though several characters’ POVs. I preferred Sarah’s POV because she is such a strong and resourceful character. I really hope we get to hear more from her in the next book of the series.

And James, what are we going to do with that guy? I was rooting for James in the first book and he let me down. Dark Tides was his opportunity to do right by Alinore and make reparations. Instead he is just as big of a gullible, cowardly, selfish fool as he was in Tidelands.

The genius in Philippa Gregory’s writing is that she provides such rich detail swirled amongst the fascinating lives of these characters. I learned about the London shipping trade and the sufferance wharf business of Alys and Alinore. The chapters about Venice had such a strong sense of place that I felt the intrigue of Venice in the 1670’s. Ned’s chapters in Colonial America were richly detailed with information about how Ned hunted, grew crops, and survived in the rugged new land.

I highly recommend Dark Tides to readers who enjoy richly detailed historical fiction with vivid well-developed characters. 4.5/5

Dark Tides picks up the story of the characters from Tidelands, though they no longer live in Foulmire. Most of the Reekie family lives in London, while Ned has moved to New England and Rob to Venice. The book begins with the news that Rob has died and his widow and child are coming to live with his family in London. Sir James Avery is also back, seeking reconciliation with Alinor and a relationship with his child.
I found the part of the story that followed Ned in New England particularly boring. Just by looking at the dates, I knew that nothing interesting was going to happen, and the story added nothing to the main plot. I will say, though, that I was nervous when I saw this section of the book took place in 17th c New England and featured Native people, but it wasn’t that bad (though Ned’s attitude seemed rather ahistorical). Historians who know a lot abt the era could read it and not be too upset.
The main part of the story was also rather annoying and boring, as it is evident early on what was going on, and the reader just has to sit around and watch characters make bad choices until they figure it out.

It’s important to note that Dark Tides is the second installment of The Fairmile Series. If you have not read Tidelands, it would be super helpful, and will give a better understanding of the back story and the characters. You can read my review of Tidelands here.

After reading Tidelands, i was left somber, very sad, but grateful. The tone of the first novel was very different compared to how I felt after reading Dark Tides. I don’t think I have ever read anything quite like Philippa Gregory’s work, and in a way I would describe it as beautiful in its own way. It will make you feel so many emotions. ALL at the same time.

In Dark Tides, the past has a way of staying very present in the lives of the characters. Even though it has been over 20 years. By this point, our main characters had pretty much made peace with the past, and were moving on, although not forgetting what happened either. As a reader I was tested many times, there are some important twists I hadn’t expected, but understood. The novel felt very long at moments, but I think it was the tone of the writing.

If you read Tidelands, and were left with questions, and yes concerns.. You’ll want to read this one, I felt like I finally got some answers, and am happier on the stance of the story now, then I was after the first book.

Philipps Gregory has been a favorite author of mine in the past and I was excited to catch up with her again. I did not realize that DARK TIDES was the second in a series, so that is entirely my fault. I read the first half of the book. I read other reviews on goodreads. Frankly, I have no idea what is going on in this story. The women’s names are much too similar and the descriptions not different enough to make any sense to a new reader of this series. I learned more from other reviews than I understood from the book I was reading. There is a letter in the beginning of the book, written in penmanship and language that appears entirely modern. If there is a reason for it, I don’t know what it is. This is not a stand alone book. But I don’t have the motivation to start the first one. Other readers seem to love it, though. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

I was excited to start Dark Tides, Philippa Gregory’s second book in her new series. I was particularly interested in getting reacquainted with Tidelands, main character Alinor, a midwife and herbalist. It is now twenty-one years later and the setting is moved to the river in London. She runs a business with her daughter, Alys. Answering a knock at the door, we find Livia, a young Italian dressed in black and carrying a baby. She professes to be Alinor’s son Rob’s widow. Something about her story does not sit right with Alinor but Alys gets along well with Livia. Soon, James Avery shows up to try to make amends with Alinor.

The starts of a good story. I found the first half of the book to move slowly even though the chapters are short. Gregory is a very good descriptive writer and the reader has “you are there feel” which I appreciate. And then there is Alinor’s brother Ned’s story. He is settled in New England. I felt like there were two different and independent stories. It didn’t add to the story other than maybe Gregory is preparing us for the third book.

I liked the last part of the book. I just think there needed to be some more editing in the first half of the book to improve the flow of the story. I will be interested to read the next installment. Thank you Atria Boks and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the first book. It was a nice change of pace from royalty stories. This sequel did not disappoint. We pick up twenty years later and quickly get answers to what happened to everyone. The scene has moved to the city from the marshes. The story is full of romance and deceit and adventure. One of the highlights was hearing about Ned's time in Hadley as I grew up not far away. It just felt good to be back in this world and I want more.

21 years after Tidelands comes Dark Tides. A masterful tale that will grab you in immediately and you never want to put it down! Only thing that bothered me was the main protagonist in Tidelands becomes a weaker character and stays in the background of Dark Tides. Not to bother! Her daughter and grandchildren step up nicely. There are new characters that are deeply enriched and turns this into a tale that twists and turns and shocks! This one is HIGHLY recommended. It could be a stand alone.

I’m going to start this review of Dark Tides by Philippa Gregory with a short review of the previous book, Tidelands.

Tidelands begins Ms. Gregory’s newest Fairmile series. Tidelands begins on Midsummers Eve as Alinor Reekie hopes to meet the ghost of her husband, Zachary, who has deserted his family. If his ghost is met, Alinor will know she’s a widow and her life can move on. Alas, Alinor does meet a man but not her missing husband. Tidelands is set during the Cromwellian era in British history. The man she meets is a Catholic priest who she hides for a night before taking him on to his assignation. This act will change the course of her, and her children’s lives. Tidelands is a very descriptive, beautifully told story of a woman who is neither wife nor widow, who lives at the edge of Britain at a place neither land or sea, set in an ever changing climate.

Dark Tides begins 21 years later. Set primarily in London and New England, it continues the story of Alinor Reekie, her daughter Alys Stoney and Alys’s twins, Sarah and Johnnie. Alys runs a successful wharf. While the family is not as poor as they were in Tidelands, they are still just barely breaking even. The priest who changes Alinor’s life in Tidelands returns at the beginning of Dark Tides hoping to reclaim what he believes is his from Tidelands. But instead he meets Livia, Alinor’s now deceased sons widow, who will turn all their lives upside down and make everyone question what is true and what is false.

Dark Tides is faster paced than Tidelands, but it’s still a slow stroll through a good, well told, story. Ms. Gregory leaves no detail untold. She is masterful at creating a vision with her words. Sometimes, though, I think a tree can be a tree if it propels the story. But I do appreciate all the effort that Ms. Gregory gives all her books.

While the ending was not what I had hoped for, it was satisfying. I look forward to the next story in this series about very independent women and how they shape British history.

Thank you to #netgalley and #atriabooks for the advanced copy of #darktides!

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Midsummer Eve 1670. Two unexpected visitors arrive at a shabby warehouse on the south side of the River Thames. The first is a wealthy man hoping to find the lover he deserted twenty-one years before. James Avery has everything to offer, including the favour of the newly restored King Charles II, and he believes that the warehouse's poor owner Alinor has the one thing his money cannot buy—his son and heir.
The second visitor is a beautiful widow from Venice in deepest mourning. She claims Alinor as her mother-in-law and has come to tell Alinor that her son Rob has drowned in the dark tides of the Venice lagoon.
Alinor writes to her brother Ned, newly arrived in faraway New England and trying to make a life between the worlds of the English newcomers and the American Indians as they move toward inevitable war. Alinor tells him that she knows—without doubt—that her son is alive and the widow is an imposter.
Set in the poverty and glamour of Restoration London, in the golden streets of Venice, and on the tensely contested frontier of early America, this is a novel of greed and desire: for love, for wealth, for a child, and for home.

Dark Tides is the second book in the Fairmile series, it could be read as a standalone but I recommend reading Tidelands first.
Another beautiful and captivating story from this author, this story was intriguing and heartbreaking. I loved reconnecting with Alinor and Alys, we also hear from Ned, but his story feels completely irrelevant to this book, it was like reading two different ones.
For fans of historical fiction this is a great series, I can’t wait to continue reading.

Dark Tides releases November 24, 2020.

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I'm a big fan of Philippa Gregory, so when I saw she had a new series - starting with TIDELANDS - I was honestly really excited. I loved TIDELANDS. I thought the protagonist was spunky, thoughtful and believable. I loved the ending, and found all of the characters extremely compelling.

Unfortunately DARK TIDES - out November 24th - suffered from second book syndrome, which was very disappointing. If you haven't read Tidelands and want to, be aware that inevitable spoilers are coming.

At the start of DARK TIDES, we find the main characters in new life circumstances in 1600s Restoration London. James Avery is hoping to find Alinor after years apart, and years of regret. Alinor and her daughter Alys have worked hard for their middle-class security and success, gaining respectability and mobility for their family.

When Livia, the dramatic, beautiful Italian widow of Alinor's son Rob sweeps into their life with a baby in tow, it turns their lives upside down. Alinor can't believe Rob is actually dead, but Alys is swept into Livia's dramatic orbit...as is James, the romantic interest from the first book. Livia is cartoonishly seductive, lacked any subtlety, and maybe that was the point. I also took offense at her bisexuality used as a trope - furthering the misconception that bisexuals are manipulative and use their sexuality for their own gain.

There's also a frankly unnecessary storyline involving Ned in New England, where he's still a ferryman, but is on the fringe of new, bold society. His storyline felt like a bit of an early American history info-dump, honestly. It felt like Gregory really wanted to insert a frontier plot line, and gave Ned very open-minded beliefs about indigenous Americans that were nice, but felt more pointed than convincing. I think ultimately that entire story could have been cut out and the story would have been improved - I ended up skipping over many of the pages.

Ultimately, I wished the storyline and character development had a bit more substance over its 400+ pages. While I did finish Dark Tides, I'm not sure I'd pick up the third in the trilogy, unless I hear it's significantly improved. I give this one 2 stars because of the Restoration London setting, and Johnnie and Sara, characters I really enjoyed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the gifted copy in return for an honest review.

This book is the second in a series, takes place 21 years after Tidelands. Alinor and Alys have moved to the outskirts of London and they are eeking by. Rob has gone to Venice and Ned is in New England. This book goes back and forth between these three locations, weaving the stories of the family. There is a lot of family drama and intriguing things to keep you turning the pages of this book, and hoping that there will be a book 3.

Caught up within the Dark Tides..........

Philippa Gregory casts her story within the deep rushing waters of characters transfixed on deviously dark motives. I would suggest reading the first book in this Fairmile Series,Tidelands, first in order to get a feel for what has already transpired in the past. A change of setting for these multi-layered characters will bring on even more adventures.

Alinor Reekie has left her home in the Tidelands and is now living along the River Thames near London in 1670. Alinor, a renowned herbalist and midwife, is now an invalid from a near death drowning. Her daughter, Alys, and Alys' teenage children, Sarah and Johnnie, run a warehouse along the wharf. They live month by month with very little profit.

Gregory spotlights two incredibly different individuals who will enter into their lives. Sir James Avery wishes a meeting with Alinor. He and Alinor had a past relationship which James desires to rekindle. He is up in years and wants a family to bestow his estate to. Alinor wants nothing to do with James and refuses his offer. But this will not be the last of James.

No sooner does James take leave of Alinor when a fashionably dressed young woman with a newborn shows up at Alinor's door. She claims to be the widow of Alinor's son, Robert. Nobildonna Livia da Ricci of Venice brings shocking news. Robert has died and she is his widow with their son, Matteo. With no other recourse, they take the young widow and baby into their home. Oh, Momma. This is the beginning of a wild ride. You'll never sweep Livia into a corner. Not ever.

To magnify situations even higher, Gregory does a split-screen here with a corresponding storyline of Alinor's brother, Ned Ferryman. Ned had left England and traveled to New England. He was a follower of Oliver Cromwell and can no longer tolerate the reign of Charles II, son of Charles I who was beheaded. He only wishes to have a plot of land and run a ferry as he did in England. We will experience the escalation of broken treaties and land grabbing by the settlers. Because of this, resentment is building up by the Native Americans and war may be eminent.

Dark Tides is heavily cloaked with historical and religious situations of the time period. That's Philippa Gregory's strong suit and she doesn't disappoint in this one. Dark Tides has spirit as you'll experience as these characters are prone to antagonizing one another. Mind battles will dominate as craftiness comes into play. We'll find that high energy brain cells have been gifted to the poor as well as the privileged. Let the games begin........

I received a copy of Dark Tides through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Atria Books (Simon & Schuster) and to the talented Philippa Gregory for the opportunity.

This is the second book in Philippa Gregory’s Fairmile series and this time Gregory takes readers away from the tidelands of Sussex and into London, Venice and New England. I must admit, the descriptions of Venice were so interesting that I think this was my favorite part of the book.

After the catastrophe at the tidelands in the first book, Alinor, her daughter Alys and her brother Ned all move away in order to start a new life. Alinor and her daughter end up running a warehouse on the wharf in London. Ned decides to leave England and try his luck in America.
Alinor’s son Rob goes to train to become a doctor and ends up practicing in Venice.

Ned’s storyline puts him in close contact with the Native Americans and he is soon conflicted over which side he must be on if the English and the Indians are to battle. I didn’t feel like Ned’s storyline tied in very well to the story, but I did enjoy it on it’s own.

In London, Alinor and Alys have two unexpected visitors. One is James Avery, the man Alinor loved who betrayed her when she needed him most. The other is a woman from Venice claiming to be Alinor’s daughter-in-law. She brings a baby with her that she claims is Alinor’s grandson.

What transpires when the two visitors meet is nothing but the best dose of karma ever inflicted on two richly deserving individuals. I was a bit shocked at how Gregory wrapped up the ending. It was a bit unbelievable, but still satisfying.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read an advance copy and give an honest review.