I love H.M. Long's fantasy world-building and they are quickly becoming one of my favorite fantasy authors.

Mary and Samuel set out to rescue Sam's amoral twin brother from prison, not just due to brotherly love but also because he needs Benedict to participate in the cure for their magical corruption or he cannot be healed himself. Near death happens many times, many people are captured many times, and loads of battles and swashbuckling ensues. So much action here! I did get a bit lost with regard to the character names, and I think partly that was due to the length of time between reading this one and the previous title. I think it would be difficult to follow the story without having read the first installation.

Mary and Samuel continue their slowest of slow burn romances, due to Samuel's overactive sense of morality. He was a bit too much of a goody-two shoes in this book and I was ready for Mary to ditch him for something moving faster than a dead snail. I hope the next book in the series follows Benedict on his shenanigans, because there was clearly more to come from this story based on the ending.

I was so excited to return to the wintry seas in this sequel to Dark Water Daughter, but it fell a bit short of my expectations. The characters still feel underdeveloped to me now nearly 1,000 pages into the story. The pacing of this book also failed to draw me in with its constant jumping around from mini action scene to mini action scene, though the big battle at the end felt more true to a high fantasy finish. My favorite part of this series is still the world building, but even the addition of new creatures and magic systems wasn't quite enough to prevent this from feeling like a slog.

I received an ARC from NetGalley.
The wait is over! The sequel I've been eagerly anticipating, the follow-up to the fantastic pirate adventure Dark Water Daughter (which I devoured last year!), has finally arrived. The first book completely hooked me, and I couldn't wait to see the characters' journeys continue.
The world-building expands beautifully in this sequel, offering even richer lore. The story retains that epic sense of adventure that makes the series so captivating.
My only critique lies with the character development. While I found them engaging, I would have loved to see a deeper dive into their personalities. Mary, who stole the show in the first book, felt almost sidelined here. Perhaps this is because the focus has shifted to Samuel and his brother's storyline, which is intriguing in its own right.
Despite this minor critique, I'm thoroughly invested in the series and excited to see how this trilogy wraps up.

High seas adventure, espionage, and romance in the sequel to to the Winter Seas series. Mary and Samuel are working together to navigate the high seas, their growing bond, and maintain the sails of the Hart. When Mary and Samuel get news of Samuel's brother Ben, they'll have to decide whether or not to serve their nation or to go and save Ben. Not to mention the fact that they are now on a prison break mission in enemy territory and that they are being hunted by a new mysterious enemy. Mary and Samuel are working on their relationship as Samuel is dealing with trying to maintain his sanity and keep Mary safe. This was definitely an interesting second book in the series and there are more books to come. I did like the progression of the relationship between Mary and Samuel but i kind of wish the story picked up the pace in this one but I do get that it was setting up for the third book as well. It's a fun high seas series perfect for fans of Pirates of the Caribbean and pirate fantasy stories.

Release Date: July 9,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Titan Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

4.5
A strong sequel that builds upon the unique magic system, naval politics, and slow-burn romantic subplot of the first book. Love these characters and can't wait to get more from this unique fantasy world!

Mary and Sam must work together to free his twin brother from a notorious prison. While doing so, Sam must come to terms with the powerful but ultimately horrific magic that was forced upon them as children. Mary and Sam also have to decide how far to take their relationship and maintain a professional relationship as captain and storm-singer. Hopefully there's a wee bit more romance in book three, otherwise, I've got no complaints!

A swashbuckling journey picking up right where Book 1 left off, with even more tension and raised stakes

I want to thank #netgalley - #TitanBooks for the kindle & #RBMedia for the audio- I realize it’s nerdy gluttony, but I love to go back and forth btwn both mediums so I can hyper focus on a story.

And woo- Long builds a rich world* full of politics, layered magic systems, and yessss– even a slow burn romance** & it demands your attention. Did I mention intriguing gray characters that you *need* to keep your eyes on? TBH, it contains every fantasy element I crave for bookish escapism.

But TBH, I can’t believe it took me till book 2 realize Moira Quirk was on this- she’s one of my favorite narrators!

In book one, I was unsure how I felt about Tane/Mary relationship, in book 1 it felt creepy, but in book 2 it proved itself mores empowering.

I’m looking forward to book 3 (Red Tempest Son slated for July 2025).

Don’t sleep on this series! Highly recommend- 4/5

*At the start of book 3, can there be a series recap so far (the Rook & Rose series by M.A. Carrick does this and I wish this was a standard practice 😩.)

** Though I am begging for a little more spice in book three. (Pretty please!)

deeply enjoyable!!!! was pleasantly surprised with how much i liked dark water daughter, so to get the sequel a bit early was very exciting and soooooo worth it. can't wait for the final book

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for sharing this ARC!

I feel the same way about Black Tide Son that I felt about Dark Water daughter...something just does not connect with me. Yes, the writing is beautiful and lyrical but in terms of the story I can't find anything that grasps me and keeps me from putting the book down. I'm glad that this does resonate with so many people but I'm not sure if it's a series I will continue with in the future.

This is more like a 4.5 stars if I'm being nitpicky. The middle didn't hold together quite as well as it did in book one. However, this was a really enjoyable return to the Winter Sea universe. Mary, Sam and Benedict have come a long way since book one - each following their own arc to show believable character development. It was also an interesting take to have Mary know exactly what she wanted and Sam to dither over choices.

This is just as action packed as Dark Water Daughter, with a series of high stakes sea faring adventures along the way. The story is engaging and I actually found myself rooting for the romance (which is quite unusual for me!) I especially like the way the folklore of this world is woven into the story but also used as world building - you feel that you've never seen everything and that there could be more adventures in this universe.

This series has completely captivated me! Not only do we have pirates and weather witched but we also have such a compelling and intriguing plot! I'm such a fan of this author's work and i feel like every book of hers has only gotten better. Highly recommend this one!

This is a difficult review to write, because I LOVED 'Dark Water Daughter' and eagerly awaited this sequel so much. I am rounding up from 3.5 stars because I love the author and the characters, and I do think that if you enjoyed 'Dark Water Daughter', this is worth reading to give the story closure. That said, this story is disappointingly slow and tedious. It lacked the action and suspense of the first book, and parts felt very repetitive. Sam's character in this book lacks the spark that made Mary shine in the first book. I found the first book unputdownable, but I took much longer to finish this one. Again, I do recommend it for fans of the first book.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.

Finally a second book in a series that does not fall short of what the first book set up! Sometimes it’s so hard to have a strong second book when the first was so good. While this one can’t ever hit quite as hard as the uniqueness of finding the first last year, it is just as enthralling and captivating. I love the world this author has built and the characters are very easy to want to see more of.

Four sailors sit at a table, tap the aging wood, and allow the ethereal ghistings within them to commune. Such a small scene, yet the moments like this, of spirits and humans mingling, remain for me the heart of the series. Mary's powers as Stormsinger and ghiseau connect song and storm, spirit and nature, creating beautiful stillness and amazing power that captivate on the page.

I'd recommend refreshing on the events of Dark Water Daughter before starting this sequel. Since it's been over a year for me, I wish I had a better memory of those events, particularly the ghistings and Sam's connection to the Otherworld, which are both integral to the continuing adventures.

As with the first book, I was a little too aware of the narrative style to be fully immersed (Mary and Samuel both tend to archly describe their feelings more than letting them be felt) but behind the mechanics, I love this mystical world of magics and mayhem and I'm excited that this novel both resolves a chapter and opens a door for further adventures in the Winter Sea.

Welcome back to the Winter Sea!! In this spectacular follow-up to the first book, Dark Water Daughter, Black Tide Son is a swashbuckling good time. We are reintroduced to a full cast of characters as our MCs, Mary and Samuel, receive startling news that Samuel’s twin brother, Benedict, has been captured. In this heart pounding sequel, our beloved duo must now fight through extracting Ben, but also learning there is more afoot than what meets the eye.

OH MY GOODNESS!!!! This series is going to be one of my favorite of all time. I cannot wait for book 3 and Black Tide Son was just published TODAY!! Long is an amazing wordsmith. Her ability to verbally paint a picture is unmatched. Her characters a beautifully written and there is so much life to them. I feel like I’m reading a story written about friends rather than fictional characters. I can almost taste the salt in the air and feel the wind on my skin. I can’t believe how emotionally attached I am to these characters and this world. Bravo H.M. Long. You’ve now made it onto my “auto-buy authors” list!! 5/5 stars. I loved this so much!!

So thrilled to be back in this world. Amazing worldbuilding - where I feel like every facet of the society is so well aligned to the characters and the magic. And every magical element is so unique while being so cohesive. And the slowest of slow burns, for perfectly sensible plot reasons.

https://onereadingnurse.com/2024/07/09/book-review-black-tide-son-by-h-m-long/

Also posted to GoodReads today, Amazon, X, and Instagram will be tomorrow - thank you!

I think it’s common knowledge that Dark Water Daughter was my favorite read of last year. I love dark pirates, strange magic, and partnerships that don’t turn into romance, so the book had all the right parts for me. It was just excellent and had all my favorite elements so naturally I had (unrealistically) high hopes for Black Tide Son.

I feel spoiled because I had both advanced reading and listening copies, so thanks very much to Titan Books and Recorded Books for those. Both were received for free in exchange for an honest review, and as always all opinions are my own ⚔️

Black Tide Son was still a very good read despite not quite hitting as hard. The atmosphere remains thick and the magic stays strange, but the plot itself just wasn’t an engaging for me. As you can guess by the title, this is Samuel and Benedict’s book more than Mary’s. We learn how their magic became corrupted and explore the brother’s complicated relationship. It’s not easy, it’s not happy, but is there a cure to their condition? Could Benedict ever not be a monster and can Samuel have a chance at sanity?

The other part is that of course now Mary and Samuel are exploring their feelings. Thankfully there’s blessed little pining and not much repetition, plus I respect his sense of honor. I am never a fan of romantic plots but I’ve seen much much worse.

Anyway, as much as I love swirling tides and the gistings and such, I didn’t think the espionage and war was as engaging of a plot. I also got sick of main characters getting casually shot, like how many bullets can people take before they can’t shrug it off and start acting injured?

Regardless, this is another action packed book and Long is wonderful at creating high stakes and urgency. I love her descriptions of the ice and tides and general setting too. I def wasn’t ever bored while reading or listening.

One thing I’m excited about is that it seems like Benedict is going to have a big role in the next book. He’s a morally questionable character at best and I’m interested in knowing more.

Finally regarding the audiobook… I learned something new. Sometimes the narrators would repeat sentences multiple times with different pronunciations, which I’ve never heard before so it must have been a very early version. Anyway, I am glad that Moira Quirk and Samuel Roukin are back and at top form. They are cast perfectly for these characters and do wonderfully clear accents. I would totally recommend Black Tide Son in both audio or book form.

Long story short:
Everything I said about Dark Water Daughter is true here for it’s sequel. I just personally wasn’t hit as hard by the plot. Long is a great writer and I would totally recommend Black Tide Son if you liked Dark Water Daughter. The series is excellent for fans of nautical fantasy with dark currents. Thanks so much for checking out my book review and thanks again to the publishers for the early copies 🖤⚔️🖤

(4.5 stars rounded up)

H.M. Long has done it again!

Black Tide Son is the sequel to Dark Water Daughter, featuring a Stormsinger named Mary and a Sooth mage named Samuel. This time, they are on a quest to save Samuel’s twin Benedict from prison, but in the process they find themselves in webs of conspiracy, politics, and magical peril. Up against foreign powers and dangerous cults, they face destiny at the crossroads of life and death with looming war on the horizon.

I just posted my review of Dark Water Daughter, and I couldn’t put down this sequel. I’m officially pulled out of my reading slump! I felt like this sequel did justice to the storyline, and continued the story of these characters with excitement and flair. There is excellent pacing, as there was in the first book, which adds to the action-packed plot and draws you in. I found myself unable to stop turning the pages (even when it was nearly midnight) because I was just so invested in what happened next.

The characters themselves are given more opportunities to grow and solidify who they are (we see this a lot with Benedict in particular), which really drew me in. I also felt like the alternate POVs really worked well in this story, and added a duality that was needed for this dynamic plot.

As far as the plot itself, I found it to be really satisfying, but this is with the previous knowledge of this being part of a trilogy. I didn’t necessarily expect everything to be tied up and concluded, but I will admit the ending did feel a bit clipped. I was left with questions and intrigue for the next book, which I think is kind of the purpose of the second book in a trilogy, but I wonder if the ending could have been more climatic.

All in all, I loved this book, and, if you are a burgeoning fantasy reader who wants all the drama of a high fantasy without being overwhelmed with the details, I would read this series immediately!

Black Tide Son is out today wherever books are sold!

Black Tide Son is a fantastic sequel to Dark Water Daughter and has a real swashbuckling feel to it. The main thing I love about this series is Long’s writing. It’s so immersive, vivid and drags you into the story. This also helps with the characters which are developed amazingly well including their relationships. The world-building is also top tier. I liked the mixture of points of view throughout but I do feel this one was more focused on Samuel and Benedict but that isn’t a bad thing at all.

We get to view two sides of the tale as it were still with alternating between Mary and Samuel which I think helps move the novel on and keeps you engaged. I really enjoyed this one and I think I will reread both in the near future.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and was so excited when I was sent an early copy to read. Sadly, this one fell a bit flat for me…

I reread the first book in this trilogy, Dark Water Daughter, so that I could be fully immersed in the story but it just made the differences in book two very obvious. I felt like the tone and character development from the first book was completely lost and the romance fell apart and felt forced at times. Without giving too much away, the story felt extremely repetitive and plot lines that were developing since book one were wrapped up in 1-2 pages at the very end of the book. Most of the plot that I was interested in just didn’t go deep enough for me and often felt rushed to wrap up.

Some aspects I did enjoy and wish we had gotten more of
• the battle scenes on the ships
• the magic and lore around the Ghistings
• interactions with the side characters
• the romance is very slow burn and I did enjoy the scenes where it worked. I don’t mind slow burn at all! But when the fmc is begging for any scrap of love from the mmc it just didn’t sit right with me 😭

Book 3 has already been announced and I will likely continue the series and hope that this was just a case of middle book syndrome 💛

Thank you Titan Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review