This book was everything I wanted it to be. Dark Academia (for fans of Ninth House or A Deadly Education) with detailed and beautifully dark world-building. I enjoyed the shifting perspectives of the main characters, Emory and Baz. Emory is a young collegiate-type trying to solve a mystery behind the death of several students, including her best friend, while developing powers that she shouldn't have. Baz is the brother of that best friend, reclusive and treated as a pariah for his own set of magical powers that don't abide by the accepted rules. Toss in a secret society, rituals and history, and it has everything a fan of this genre enjoys while still keeping the world seeming fresh and unique. I read it in a weekend and I'm looking forward to book two in the duology. I can see this as a book that I would highly recommend to many of my patrons, adults and young adults.

A special thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy of this book.

This book is melodious and addicting. It haunts my thoughts. I think everyone should read this. It should become a movie or series. It ended unfinished and I don’t know how I will survive waiting for the rest of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of Curious Tides in exchange for my honest review!

A magical and delightful fantasy filled with dark academia and mystery. I genuinely enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see where the series goes next!

The publisher's description of "dark academia fantasy" fits perfectly. The author has built an entire world based on lunar magic where everyone has some power, but those with promise get the opportunity to attend a specialized college. Emory is somewhat mediocre with her healing magic, but she worked hard enough to earn a place at Aldryn College with her best friend. During their first year, tragedy strikes, killing a group of students and leaving Emory changed in ways she could never imagine. There are definitely glimpses of other fantasy series, everything from Ninth House to Shadow and Bone to Harry Potter with a few others thrown in, but the story stands on its own with enough twists and turns to create its own storyline which you will want to see continue once you set down this book. I've heard this is part of a series, and I certainly hope so. I'd love to see more of these characters, at least those who survived the first book, but no spoilers from me.

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advance copy. My opinion is my own.

This was a very interesting read! It's a pretty good Dark Academia novel, containing all the vibes and the main elements this genre has, such as secret societies, myths, secret magic and a lot of mystery!
The characters are also well-built, being quite dynamic in terms of actions and thoughts.
The worldbuilding is very complex! I really appreciated how much info there was about this world.
The plot twists are also quite interesting, even if you can predict them.
Overall, this is a great Fantasy Dark Academia post and I reccomend it for fans of this genre!

In a world where people are gifted with different types of magics that correlate with the tides/moon phase, a teen mage must unravel the secret behind the death of her former friend and the secret society that she was caught up in. Emory is a student at the prestigious Aldryn College for Lunar magics, yet her healing magic is mediocare at best. Yet what happened to her the previous summer haunts her, what happened when she stumbles in on her ex best friend and a group of the most talented students committing a ritual that results in everyone dying but Emory.... she can't remember what happened or why and she'll do anything to figure it out. The only problem is that her own magic has changed since that incident and now she is discovering she has forbidden magic and that the only person to help her is the school's most reclusive student and her former best friend's brother. As Emory seeks answers she'll find herself drawn into the secret society and a world of privelege and power. Unfortunately for me this book fell completely flat after the 30% mark. I tried and tried to make this book work but I was completely bored and it was such a trudge to make it to the end. This book was SLOW and so long for no reason whatsoever. It's the first book in the series and I am not interested in continuing it at all. Emory is so annoying and there is literally NO chemistry between any of the characters. The mystery itself was boring and I really wish it wasn't. This book was advertised as Ninth House meets A Deadly Education, two book series that I absolutely adore and yet this one completely missed the mark in all cases. The characters weren't interesting, the mystery felt lacking, the pacing was clunky and slow, and honestly this kind of felt like a mess. I pushed myself to finish this books in hopes that it would get better, yet it didn't. Maybe it's a case of "its me not you" but for a book that features a magical school, murder mystery, and some romance, it should have been perfect for me yet it just wasn't. If you enjoy super slow magical school mystery stories then give this a go, maybe it'll work for you.

*Thanks Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Magic.
But make it dark. And intricately linked to the moons, and tides, and sea.

Last year, I read My Dearest Darkest during October. This book gave me the same vibes. Creepy magic school, public deaths and disappearances, and darker undercurrents.

The world building and unique magic system creation is what really makes this book stand out. "We are born of the moon and tides, and to them we return."

I'm a big Baz fan (the books!) and hanging out with Emory in the library! -- The Scholar, The Witch, The Warrior, The Guardian. --

This is a heavy read, though. Lots of content warnings. But the darkness and the ghosts and the nightmares are the point. (Oh gods, the ending.)

"Justice and revenge are the same when you're willing to sacrifice lives for it."

"Follow the song."

Maybe not for everyone, but a good read for October lists!

Review courtesy of an ARC from NetGalley.

This YA fantasy takes place in a world where magic is determined by the moon phase on the day you are born. While all 4 phases have their place and values, individuals born under an eclipse face fear and often mistreatment. Aldryn College is the center for magical education for all with enough skill, but is reeling from the recent loss of 8 students in a tragic drowning. The sole survivor, Emory, is wracked with guilt and the pain of losing her best friend- and determined to find out what the students had been doing in the cave she followed them to just before the accident.

When a student reappears who was thought drowned, things get more complicated. Emory is shocked to learn that her healing magic has morphed into something much more intense - and dangerous if discovered. She must balance her quest for knowledge, her need to avoid detection, and a pull between 2 love interests who both seem key to solving the puzzle.

The characters were engaging, as was the plot. While a bit predictable, it was never the less a captivating and engaging read. I could have done without the romance, but it was a relatively small part of the overall tale.

2.5

I overall enjoyed the story by the end, but I personally thought it dragged on slightly too long and many of the side characters blended together. The worldbuilding also felt muddled to me until the last third or so, and it felt like new concepts were being introduced all the way to the end as a tool of convenience, which is one of my main fantasy pet peeves. However, the vibes were definitely on point—it just didn't really scream 'dark academia' to me, as the academic setting is more of a backdrop than anything.

LOVED Baz and Romie, greatly disliked Emory.

Compared to two dark academia novels that I loved, I wanted to read CURIOUS TIDES as soon as I heard about it. I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that Emory and Baz's storylines ran parallel to lore from a fictional title created by Lacelle, SONG OF THE DROWNED GODS. The lunar magic was well developed, and it was one of the most unique magic systems that I've encountered in a long time. I'm intentionally keeping some of this vague to avoid spoiling anything, but the world itself was fascinating, especially the dreamscape.

The romance subplot wasn't my favorite. I didn't care for either prospect in the romantic context, but that may have been because I wanted to see Emory focus on becoming her best self. Lacelle created a relatable character in Emory; her actions were age appropriate, but this didn't make them any less frustrating. Additionally, the internal thoughts and feelings of inadequacy from both narrators began to feel repetitive at times, tipping just past the fine line needed for me to grasp the full scope each character's motivations and growth.

I'm looking forward to additional character growth in both Emory and Baz in the next installment, and I hope that the storylines surrounding the order, institute, and lore are expanded upon. Right now, I feel that there a few loose threads. The book itself is beautiful, and I'm happy that I have a copy for my shelves. I will definitely be picking up the conclusion of the duology when it's released.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars (Released 10/3).

This is such a vibe for autumn and dark academia. I didn't really know what to expect (um, like, it's a SERIES?) so I went in with no expectations. I instantly fell in love with the world and the magic (although, I'm confused because does everyone have magic in the world or just this place or whatever it may be) and the creepy cult vibes of the groups. I also like how it revolved around a fairy/folk tale and a myth of how they all got their tide powers.

While I was upset with how quickly the end unfolded and how unsatisfied I was with the ending because of the cliff hanger, I didn't realize there would be more books so...

though she attends the prestigious aldryn college for lunar magics, emory’s healing abilities have always been mediocre. but when a treacherous night at dovermere sea leaves emory the only survivor from a group of classmates, she is left with strange powers that no healer should possess. she asks her (now dead) best friend’s brother, baz, for help with these new powers. as she searches for answers, more questions begin to pop up, such as why her once-dead classmates begin washing ashore…only to die terrible deaths once again.

this was such an interesting concept so i was excited to see how it all played out. the magic was really interesting and i liked reading about how emory got to know her powers. in my opinion, this is a great read for fall!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book before it's publication date.

I love a good dark academia novel, and Curious Tides hit the spot. It had the mystery and intrigue that keeps you turning pages quickly, and the confusing love stories that make you want to turn the pages slowly. With each chapter you learn more about Emory and her life at college, her complicated magic, and the feelings she has for her friends. There are twists and turns and betrayals. There is heartbreak and death and love.

I truly hope that there is another book on its way.

Pascale Lacelle's debut novel, Curious Tides, is a YA, dark academy, fantasy, thriller. Significant detail is put into the setting and magical elements. The magic system places students in different lunar houses based on the phase of the moon in which they were born. I loved the symbolism of the moon, and the coordinating magics. Even though it was in depth and detailed per character, I didn't find it difficult to follow. The love triangle and mysterious deaths keep the plot moving forward. I kept my eyes peeled for clues along the way, never knowing what magical secret would be unlocked next. This was a gripping story that kept me enthralled page after page. I thoroughly enjoyed it. My only complaint is the cliffhanger. Just bear in mind it is coming and its pretty brutal. I hope the next book picks up where we left off. I felt like it was more open ended than anything. We aren't waiting to find out a single plot progression. It was like the whole story just stopped. I found the ending very unsatisfying. Overall, it is a well written, thought out, engaging story. I will definitely pick up the next book to see what happens.

When I first picked this up and read the synopsis, I got major Shadow and Bones vibes - girl with light(er) magic and a boy with dark(er) magic. Plus it's all set in a school? Yes please!
I was not disappointed, though it was different then I thought it would be. This is a mystery story and I was ALL FOR IT.
Please let there be a sequal!

Not only did this stunning cover draw me in but have the book be dark academia/magic related and I’m hooked! The first book in the Drowned Gods series is very heavy on world building and introducing you to the complex magic system centered around the tides. You have a dual POV from Emory and Baz who both are grief stricken and trying to make sense of their lost loved ones adds to the moodiness and gloominess of the book, which made me turn the pages so quick! Also, you can never go wrong with a cheeky love triangle - like a cherry on top of such a captivating, well crafted book.

It took me six very long days to finish this book, a book that normally I would finish in a day or two. I wanted to like it, and I really did like the idea of the magic in the cave, but so much of the beginning of the book was spent explaining moons and tides, and none of it seemed necessary in the end. On top of that the repetition of her inadequacy and basses worry about his magic was just too much. There is no need to repeat it as much. There’s no need to dedicate pages to it over and over again. I’m happy for this author that the book was selected as a Barnes & Noble, young adult book club pick, but it would not be a pick for me. .

This book was great but very dense with info. I feel like I need to take a break and read it again to really fully appreciate it. It's a fantastic world and magic system with great character development.

Super interesting! This book was so appealing to me from the summary and I was lucky enough to get an eArc from NetGalley. This is for anyone who loves YA dark academia books with magic and a bunch of mystery. Who is behind all of these horrific and mysterious deaths, well Emory makes it her mission to find out and avenge the death of her classmates.

A world where everyone has magic, each person a specialty designated at birth. But what if they could have more?

Emory isn't special, until the fateful day she follows her best friend into the caves. Now two students are dead, two are missing and Emory has transformed.

What a wild ride - secret societies, deception, unrequited love, everyone has their own agenda.

It started off strong, got a little slow in the middle and finished off with a bang. Can't wait to see what comes next!