Curious Tides is a truely thrilling debut novel from Lacelle. The premise of the novel - magical powers based on the lunar alignment during one’s birth - is a unique take on the fantasy genre, and one that was more than welcome. Everything was carefully thought out and I found myself swept away by this seamless world.
The story itself was equally as enthralling. From the start to the end, everything was perfectly worked out. Captivating at the start, and beautifully wrapped up at the end!

Given a physical copy from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review <3

Phenomenal world building, interesting premise. My first foray into the dark academia side of the literary world and I think I’m hooked

Curious Tides by Pascale Lacelle has firmly cemented itself as one of the best books I have read in 2023. I went in blind when I started reading this book, drawn in by the Title and Cover Art. The book follows Emory, who attends Aldryn College for Lunar Magic, and she accidentally finds herself involved with Secret Societies, mysterious deaths, and a side of romance.

The writing of the story was phenomenal and the author created such a unique magic system that developed throughout the story. This kept the reader guessing throughout the book and I didn't see the twist coming.

I am so grateful that I received an e-ARC of this book and I thoroughly enjoyed the book so much, that I will be heading out to purchase a hard copy once the book is released. I can't wait to see what Pascale Lacelle has in store for future books.

This is a brilliant dark academic fantasy, which entails a hidden secret society, an FMC attempting to unravel the truth, and so many different forms of magic.

Totally different to every other fantasy or magical novel that I have read. In this novel we dive into an academic world of lunar magic, After a tragic event takes the lives of several students, Emory returns to Aldryn College to attempt to reveal the secrets that took the life of her best friend Romie.

This book has many many layers, it takes you into a dark magical world, it is whimsical storytelling, with beguiling magic, it’s a fantasy world that reads almost like a dream - and I for one, was not keen to leave.

There is a hidden and secret society at the heart of the school, which is dark and dangerous and draws only the powerful.

Excellent world building, fully immersive characters, twists and turns and a thrilling plot - a reader will be drawn to and captivated by this story.

An interesting and well written book. It did take me a little longer than usual to get into as the world building was quite intense towards the beginning but I enjoyed it quite a lot in the end.

This book will appeal to all the fantasy lovers our there!

I look forward to seeing what else this author publishes in the future.

This book is truly magical! It was refreshing to read something so different and unique to other fantasy books. I could picture it all inside my head and could easily see this book turned into a popular tv series. I'm looking forward to book 2 to continue this world's story.

I love the dual pov between emery and baz and speaking of baz HE IS SO IN LOVE!!! The way he speaks about her like poetry omg I love!! Perfect dark magical academia vibes

*4.5
Thank you to the team at netgally for providing me with an eARC of this novel.
The whole celestial concept of this book really intrigued me and the way the magic system was intertwined with celestial properties was insanely creative and beautiful. The pacing of this book was extremely fast, but the world building was never overwhelming, it was developed extremely clearly and smoothly. The mystery, and secret society's in this book created so much intrigue and complexity to the plot, and it left me not knowing what was going to happen. The whole boarding school setting was really fun to read about, it was written so well I didn't feel any confusion about how it worked. Emory's relationships with all of the characters were so deeply explored and I loved how there was slight mystery with her past which lead to some amazing plot twists. Baz created so much emotion into the book, the devastation he faced due to loss created such a deep character. I loved how Baz was used to show that taking risks, and being confident can lead to extraordinary self discoveries. The ways love were discussed throughout the novel was beautiful, the expansive romantical and family journeys that were explored made the story so complex, and made the twists towards the end so much more impactful. I have to recommend this to all fantasy readers because the celestial magic is so unique, there are so many relationships that will hook you in, and have you rooting for the characters, and there is an insane ending that just has me needing the sequel right now, I NEED to know that all of the characters are safe, and happy. Overall this was an outstanding start of a YA fantasy series, I definitely think other readers will love this!

Ok first of all, can we all agree on how stunning this cover is? I will be definitely buying a copy of both books, I cannot wait to have them on my shelf!!!
I really love this take on magic, it’s always interesting to read a book where there is a different concept of how magic would work, and how it would exist in the world.
Pondered for the whole book and I still don’t know what magic I would want for myself!
And the concept of collapsing was both terrifying and fascinating.
The author has made it really relatable, in a sense that the characters remind you of someone you probably knew at school….
Of that friend who you loved but also envied….
Of that person you were so drawn to, whether a good thing or not…..
And the person who always made you feel at home.
We have so many themes in here, including but not limited to:
- Love, unrequited, new, familial and platonic
- Friendship
- Self worth
- Confidence
- Family
- Prejudice
- Manipulation
- Loyalty
- Trauma
Did the standard thing where I am mentally yelling at characters, telling our girl that real love doesn't isn't the inferno that burns and devours. Its the flame that warms and nurtures.
Also made me think of that fact that romantic love is really only a small step away from friendship, it’s the sweetest thing.... the friendship the blossoms.
Its heartbreaking how often our girl thinks of herself as mediocre…. That just because things perhaps didn’t come as easily, that makes her lesser. The she doesn't stop thinking she’s Inferior until she's a Tidecaller.
Lizaveta.... love that she said something. Hate that it wasn't enough.
Jae, Theodore & Kai……. Love them all. Absolute gems.
I had 2 main loves in this book…..
The first was the language…. My gosh, I swear I felt the magics during the equinox celebrations, the descriptions were beautiful, and so easy to lose yourself in the rhythm of them.
The second was that even thought I guessed some bits, the book still surprised me with some solid plot twists. And I love it!
Final word is Baz is Bae: "Because this was madness and he was unravelling and she was holding all the strings and he was absolutely, foolishly, maddeningly fine with it"
I don’t hesitate to give this a 5 star rating, I will be rereading it and recommending it endlessly.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishing team for giving me the opportunity to read this!

Review:
One of the best and most unique fantasy books I've read so far! As someone who fawns over anything dark academia AND fantasy related that is written well, had good character progression and a beautiful magic premise, this was exactly what I needed to fall back into reading.
Emory, Baz, Romie and the entire band of characters felt real and unique in a way that brought fresh air to what many would say is a standard plot structure but the premise is really what makes it shine! Dovermere caves are as fantastical and wonderous as I can imagine but have a haunting quality to them - which obviously makes for one hell of a conclusion! The way that the characters view magic, their place in the magic system and those around them feel real and is just a beautiful thing to see. My favourite moments between the characters are when they are using various parts of the school groups - from the greenhouses to the common rooms to the depths where the secrecy society hides. It's all so wonderfully described and interwoven. The only downside is that I know this book won't be for everyone and I felt that the end didn't have enough closure (even though I know it'll HAVE to get a sequel) and that more mentions of Clover would have made this book soar even more.
5/5 deffs going to buy a physical copy and reread.I mean, even the cover is stunning😍

Firstly, I love a good detailed map, and we got a great one of not only Aldryn College but also part of the world that shows different islands and isles where this story takes place.

The magic was incredibly unique and I enjoyed reading how it all works and how the different moon phases not only determines the types of magic but also the usage and effects of the magic.

The whole book feels really thought out, from lots of different plots and storylines to the world building. We have our main character Emory dealing with so many internal issues, including two potential love interests as well as the changes to her magic and dealing with grief. I also really like the passages written from the ‘Song Of The Drowned Gods’, it adds another layer to think about while continuing the story. We also get dual perspectives which were written so well, with the main characters having their own seperate journeys while also dealing with some things together.

Only downside of reading this digitally was that I couldn’t easily flick back to the front and look at maps and the other bits of information that was found at the start of book, which made it a little hard trying to remember which moon phase had which powers.

Overall I really loved reading this and I cannot wait until the second book is released! Curious Tides was compelling and I could not put it down. The magic was not like anything else I’ve read and there are a few surprise twists and turns that sneak up but make complete sense afterwards.

Thank you Netgalley for a digital copy of this book!

Emory is returning to Aldryn college after a devastating incident that saw a group of her classmates (including her best friend) ended up dead. Prior to this incident Emory was a healer, and a pretty average one at that. Something has changed though and Emory needs help working out what is going on with her new power. There are several people who try to help her, but who can she really trust?

Curious Tides did take me a little while to actually get into. But once I did I couldn't put it down. It's got dark academia, complex magic systems, secret societies, dynamic characters, and twist after twist.

Definitely recommend this for fans of dark academia and interesting magic systems.

4.5⭐️

Rating 3.7 Stars

Thank you so much Simon and Schuster for allowing Curious Tides to be my first approved ARC read in return for a review.

Curious Tides is a YA dark fantasy academia book that contains luna magic. Through this book we follow the point of views of Emory (New moon born, Healer) and Baz (eclipse born, time wielder). Last semester Emory follows her best friend and a group of students into the depths of the forbidden caves. Everyone apart from Emory, either drowns or is presumed dead. How did she escape when she was the lowest ranking mage out of them all? Is Emory truly seeing her best friend in her dreams, could she truely still be alive?

From Baz’s point of view we learn he is a control freak concerned about collapsing and hurting everyone around him. Does he decide to help Emory to find his sister or find the missing epilogue to the book of the Drowned Gods, containing myths and legends.

Pascale Lacelle has done an astronomical job of world building in this novel. They also have played on the use of luna magic and the tides, by using phrases like “tides’sake” or “how in the deep”. This book contained so many thrilling mysteries and plot twists I didn’t know what was next.

I must note that if you’re new to fantasy I think this book may not be for you. As someone who loves fantasy I found the world building quite overwhelming at times making the book drag on. I was also somewhat disappointed with the end of the novel in a way. I expect something so much more, I presume this ending may be a chance for a sequel, which I definitely will be reading!

Overall, this book is phenomenal and I would recommend if you love YA and fantasy to definitely give this book a crack when it is released!

Kindle version:
- big issue is the drowned gods section of the book is unreadable on kindle. The black pages are corrected by the kindle back to paper so the writing is invisible.
- I did find a few spelling/grammatical errors at: LOC 939 needs a full stop, LOC 1088 should be unaware not unawares, LOC 1115 should be was instead of were, LOC 1346 Cloverdid should have a space, LOC 2809 meselfish should have a space, LOC 4572 asecret should have a space, LOC 4707 wantedto needs a space, LOC 4811 methe needs a space, LOC 5087 alreadyhadhis needs spaces

Honestly when I saw the cover and blurb on Netgalley I instantly clicked request, this book both looked and sounded like it had manifested out of my wildest dreams. Almost as if Romi had plucked it straight out of my dreamscape. Like look at this cover guys, it is BEAUTIFUL. I was immediately tempted to buy a physical copy regardless of if I ended up disliking/DNFing this book, just because it would look so Tides-damn good on my shelf. Thankfully though, I absolutely loved this book. The concept of the magic system had me instantly curious, lunar magic that is heavily based around the ocean tides?!? Such a beautiful concept and as a major greek mythos/Artemis girlie I was vibing out.

The world that Pascale Lacelle has created for this book is SO Deep, you can really tell that she has put everything she has into it’s creation. The political system, the different regions, studies, mythology, multiple books both fiction and non-fiction within the world, as well as an entire magic system that has strengths, variety, as well as reasonable limitations. These are all really hard things to combine without plot holes or inconsistencies but it has been a really solid foundation for this book, and I would’ve expected much worse for a debut novel.

As usual for me with a new fantasy world to delve into, the first 100~ pages went by a little slower paced just as I wrapped my head around how the world worked, but once I got into it I struggled to put it down. I forced myself to put the book down a few times, just so I could savour it for a few more days. I ended up reading majority of the book during a Full/Blue Moon, which honestly just felt so fitting and wonderful.

The characters within Curious Tides are brilliant, as I’ve seen from a few reviewers most of us seem to have preferred Baz>Emory whilst reading the two perspectives. I am also within that boat, however I am prepared to eat my words as I feel like Book Two will be where Emory really develops into a character we all will love. Absolutely loved Baz and Kai, their friendship is just so great and you can really tell how well thought out their characters are.

There were a few plot twists, some definitely more predictable than others. SPOILERS - (view spoiler)

Also for anyone interested in a good LGBT+ read, this book features an expansive range of diversity. Whilst not the biggest theme in the book, there is gay/lesbian, bisexual, nonbinary/trans representation. There was only one moment where it was directly pointed out in an internal monologue about a characters sexuality, otherwise the rest was just very subtle with mentions of a partner or ex partner and the pronouns used when discussing. I personally prefer this more casual approach of mentioning sexuality/gender diversity while reading, as it doesn’t feel like a character is surrounded by large neon signs of ‘TOKEN GAY’ but rather just like in the real world there is a diverse range of people that are just existing all around you.

I am sorry that this has been a crazy long review, I am just so enthralled with this book and universe. I cannot wait for it to be released so I can get a physical copy or two up on my bookshelf, as well as for book two as I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT! Thank you so much Pascale for writing such a wonderful book, as well as putting up with my Instagram DMs while I read.

Content Warnings are for the following, and if you have any triggers within this list I’d be wary about reading the book as some are major topics/frequently mentioned: death, grief, branding/tattoos, body horror, mild panic attack, anxiety, depression, bloodletting, self-harm, alcohol/drugs, magical substance abuse, magical asylum/prison.

Curious tides is a new and exciting dark academia book in the Drowned Gods series by Pascale Lacelle. Reading this story made me want to curl up on the couch on a stormy day with a hot cup of tea and dive into world of Aldryn college. This book is filled to the brim with lunar magics, tidal gods, secret societies and mysterious caves. Follow Emory and Baz from a dual point of view as they work to uncover the mystery of Dovermore cave and the unexplained deaths that follow those who enter its depths.

Lacelle’s ability to intertwine intrigue and mystique into her world building is so well done that I felt as though I too was a student at Alydrn college walking the halls with its fellow occupants. This is fantastic writing that takes you on a plot full of twists and turns that you too feel as if you’ve been pulled out into the tides and unsure which way is up. The concept Lacelle uses to explain characters magical gifts is a bit complicated but so unique, thankfully she’s given us readers a breakdown of these magics at the start of the book!

I give this book 4/5 stars I cannot wait for further books in the Drowned Gods series! Curious Tides leaves you on a spooky cliffhanger that leaves you wanting more! I shall eagerly await book two but in the mean time I will be ordering my own physical copy of Curious Tides so I can revisit Aldryn College while I wait

Unfortunately I decided to DNF this book about 1/3 of the way through. While the writing style was truly beautiful, the amount of world-building was a bit too overwhelming for me. I do really want to finish this book at some point because I enjoy the concept, so I may revisit it once it’s released.

I really enjoyed this one. The worldbuilding at the beginning of the book was a little overwhelming, but by chapter 5 onwards it was pretty smooth sailing towards the end. The plot was really well done, and the prose was really nice. As a bookseller this title is going to be really easy to sell to fans of most fantasy books. Theres a lot to love in this book and I’m looking forward to the next one!

Absolutely beautiful story - the writing pulled me in and kept me tightly wrapped in the vivid imagery. The development of the main characters was well balanced, with there being just enough information for me to care but not overly heavy deposition to cover their past. I received an ARC and the detail within the ebook is gorgeous - black print pages, the images of the Moon phases, the maps and the interwoven story of Song of The Drowned Gods. So much attention to detail is really appreciated by me as a reader. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy and read it all again. Then get lost in the other half of the duology!

This was beautifully written, with what I would describe as poetic world building.
It started off and played right through as a mystery, building off of relationships and character developments. It was a slow building story, but with with a large crescendo.
The last 30% of this book became a really page turner and I couldn’t put it down but for more coffee.
It has a very unique magic system, that was easy enough to understand, and made me excited to explore.

A thoroughly enjoyable read 5/5

I’m looking forward to seeing what else this Author puts out into the world

3.9⭐️

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this to review!

In the Curious Tides world, people have powers based on the moon’s position at the time of birth. There are four lunar houses (new moon, full moon, waxing moon and waning moon), and people’s powers are dependent on their tidal alignments within their lunar house. For example, those born during the rising tide of a new moon are healers, while those born at the ebbing tide of a new moon are seers.

Of course, as well as the above four lunar houses, there is the rarer, “outcast” house, which is for anyone born during an eclipse. Their powers are feared and although they are not completely ostracised from society, they are not welcomed by any means, and are often the subject of discrimination.

This is a dual POV book. We first meet our FMC Emory, who says she was born during a new moon at rising tide, making her a healer. She is a quiet, reserved person who has always found herself living in the shadow of her best friend, Romie. From Emory’s perspective, Romie is the classically charming and charismatic girl who everyone loves. Of course, things happen along the way which change the way Emory sees herself (and the way others see her), but she goes through a big (sometimes painful to read) learning curve before this can happen.

Our MMC Baz is eclipse born (so part of the “outcast” house), and it’s really interesting to see how he’s treated by others within the world, and how he internalises that treatment.

As a reader, I could see the writing on the wall for the way certain things were going to play out and it got a bit frustrating to read Emory’s internal monologue at certain points. However, the reason I say these events are sometimes painful to read is not because it’s badly written. Rather, Emory is almost painfully human. I may have disagreed with some of her actions based on what I thought was likely to happen, but came to an understanding of why she thought or acted in particular ways - she has been through trauma, and others in the story can see this, and take advantage of it to further their own interests.

There is also some beautiful prose in this book. I sometimes find that prose can be written in a pretentious way (like it’s included just for the sake of being “flowery”), but I didn’t find that to be the case in this book.

Overall, I enjoyed getting to know the characters. I think I would say I preferred the chapters which were from the MMC’s point of view (only because of the frustrations I had with the FMC’s internal monologue, as I mentioned above). And the ending definitely leaves me wanting to read the sequel to see what’s going to happen next!