A brilliant thrill ride of a sequel to a powerhouse of an outstanding Book One. I loved every moment of this and can't wait to see what happens next.

This was good - though I did realize I don't think I like pirate stories as much as I thought I did. That's on me, not the book! I thought this was really well done.

Hello again dear reader or listener, I hope your summer is going well! And if you’re in one of the countries that have only been seeing rain, my condolences.

With thanks to Titan Books for once again granting me an arc, this time to the next entry in this series, come along with me while I share my honest and happy ramblings.

Now, where to begin? With a warning for veeery mild spoilers for book one, I suppose. Though I’m not going to go in any detail and I’ll avoid some names so fear not! Brace for it though, it’s gonna be a long one. I’m not even a bit sorry cause I need to rave.

In Dark Water Daughter, Long introduced the reader to this magical and unforgiving world she’s created for the Winter Sea, she brought action and nuance to multilayered characters, be they primary or secondary.

She also gifted us a mesmerizing magic system, interwoven with political intrigue and impeccable character work and chemistry. The high stakes never ceased and the pace of the story was optimal to keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time without tiring you out.

I’m happy to say, then, that Long kept at it, sailing majestically into a relentless and action packed sequel that had me hooked (and only a tiny bit stressed – who am I kidding, the last 25% had me sweating) from start to finish. Sophomore slump? Long doesn’t know her.

In fact, I would only leave this out of my hands because I was needed for chores or to walk the dogs.

Black Tide Son begins about a year after the events of book one, since Long wrapped up that main story very nicely, with more looming on the horizon. Something she also does with book two but more on that in a moment. I admittedly had a bit of a hard time at the very beginning because it had been a year since I read the first and I was trying to remember some of the secondary names and events, however said struggle didn’t last long at all because the author wove in seamless recaps in those first chapters that caught me up with everything I needed and I was ready to keep going full tilt once again.

Amping up everything I loved in book one, tensions where higher, problems bigger, foes more inscrutable and insidious, but our characters were stronger as well, more sure of their respective powers, but also still not overpowered and invincible. Everything and everyone leveled up accordingly, to put it another way, while also meeting new struggles or the worsening of previous fears. And once again, the specific events of this book wrap up most satisfyingly (with an excellent epilogue to boot -Omg the unexpected pov had me cheering) but leaving over the final struggle that is yet to come in the final book which I’m already *dying* for!!

Mary, our badass and sassily practical queen once again served in any which way possible, and I loved how she developed into a more confident and rounded up character than who we met in book one. From brave but unsure and flawed young woman, who we rooted for like hell anyway, she well and truly embodied her Fleetbreaker title in this sequel. No stranger to sacrifices, she bore the brunt of a lot that happened in this story but she did so in ways that not only showed her development brilliantly but still highlighted all those qualities we loved in her from the beginning and allowed her to be the stalwart support Samuel and others needed for this story. And the sass is still hella strong which we always approve of.

Basically, when it comes to Mary, I’m just the Pedro Pascal meme of stupidly grinning at her in admiration because she is very much the MVP.

As for Samuel, the tired man just needs a hug and a stiff drink. Finally a privateer captain of his own vessel, and redeemed from previous false accusations, he is at last able to shed part of the weight that haunted him in book one, properly revealing a capable tactician and honorable captain who is no longer bound by blind duty but has also grown and learned what it takes to survive in this world without sacrificing one’s values. His misplaced idealism was cracked in book one and any vestiges of it were shattered with this one. I also loved seeing his background be the primary focus in this installment as well as his internal growth and fears. Also the lack of worry or self consciousness about leaning on Mary in times of need. My poor shipper heart isn’t strong enough for this man and all the respecting women juice he drinks. Moreover, the amount of comedic relief we get from his gentlemanly ways, and how unimpressed Mary and other characters are by them, is good for the soul honestly.

I had missed these characters so much and I only truly realized the extent of it when I saw them again on the page, facing new struggles and building relationships I had hoped for in the first book. Long does a slow-burn oh so well and I hated it as much as I loved it. Seriously this book was killing me softly a solid 80% of the time and not just from a romantic perspective but an intrapersonal and platonic one as well.

Moreover I’m the biggest sucker for villain decay. Even more so when it comes for characters I never expected might redeem themselves, which even then, was way more nuanced than a simple redemption arc.

That’s some insane skill right there and I truly applaud Long. It is possibly one of the best parts of this book.

Why? Well, Long makes her characters work for it! It’s not a simple “oh there’s an even bigger bad on the horizon and this character’s previously horrible actions seem small in comparison, so let’s pretend they didn’t happen and let’s forgive and forget”.

Oh no. They’re held accountable, they themselves fight their own redemption because they don’t see a need for it, and the others they have harmed don’t let bygones be, they work (however begrudgingly) to rehabilitate in a manner that I could get behind fully. And I’m notoriously difficult on forgiveness, dear reader.

It’s a rare author that doesn’t simply demand of their reader to go on and accept that this character is now one of the good guys and they need to deal with it.

I was ecstatic to say the least, my feels were going through the wringer and I concurrently felt as vindicated as those that had been wronged in the previous book did.

It was simply majestic. Long has earned a life long reader in me from this bit of character work alone and my words here today cannot possibly do this character arc justice.

I’m wrapping this up, I promise.

Finally, I have a single, teeny, tiny, and very personal peeve with this book. Indeed, while all of the above worked wonders, with the action, the naval battles, the jailbreaks, the ambiance and the plot pace, feeding yours truly to near perfection, one small resolution that had been built up for the whole book, felt a little rushed and glossed over. I realize this might’ve been to save on the word count or even down to personal preference of the author, which I’m in no way judging. But after all the teasing and building expectation throughout the story, a scene which I was rooting for the whole time was very tight and not even fade to black as much as it was nearly skipped ahead entirely. While I should’ve been cheering for this moment and I did in part, I felt a little let down and rushed. But oh well. The rest was so good, that I can live with it and other readers might not even care as much as I did!

If you made it this far, huzzah! To keep with the naval theme, you see? Thank you for humoring the ravings!

If you haven’t read Dark Water Daughter yet run, just run, and if you have read it and are wondering whether the sequel will live up to the awesomeness of the first, I’m here to tell you that yes, yes it does and more. So much more.

H. M. Long raises the bar on what epic high seas fantasy and character work are supposed to be. And she does so spectacularly, by grabbing you by the proverbial lapels and flinging you into edge of your seat action, humor, and so much heart.

Black Tide Son comes out tomorrow, July 9th!

Until next time,

Eleni A. E.

P.S: special mention goes to Charles, the eternally lovable and iconic side character who, in this book, gets even more of the subtle hints of character depth that I always love.

Release Date: July 9, 2024
Date Read and Reviewed: July 8, 2024
Ratings: 4⭐️


°


As expected of author H.M. Long's writing, you will easily be captivated and compelled in the storytelling. As for Black Tide Son, the characters were what really endeared me so and what I was looking forward to.

I was so happy to have experience having Charles once again in this story. He was such a delight. The same goes for the existing characters. Although I was quite worried about their well-being, considering all the things that happened in this instalment.

I was also very surprised to care so much of Ben. He was such a compelling and kind of a complex character for me. Charismatic, sarcastic, and a good amount of sassiness. I did enjoy the journey of his character arc. For some reason, I just thought of Charles when writing this part 😆 I was also glad for Ben's development, which I was really rooting for his character as well aside from Sam and Mary.

As for Mary and Sam, this pairing frustrates 😆 I mean I love these 2 so much, but the level of miserable and kind self sabotaging and the push and pull going on with their romance stresses me so much that I wish I could just locked them myself since Ben didn't do that when they were in that scene. Long story short, I want a whole arc of these pairing being happy and lovey dovey. So I'm definitely hoping for the next to have Mary and Sam's romance be developed more.

Now, onto the main plot, Black Tide Son, finding Ben, the Ess Notti, the breaking in the prison, the running arc, and the finding cure. I'm not gonna lie, THEY DID STRESSED ME SO. So many intense events did happen here that I wondered how I was able to remember them. I would say this is a mix of character - and plot driven type of novel.

For all of that, I would like to point out the issue or the things that, in my opinion, did bother me a little. The storyline and the storytelling were a little bit slow and dragging for my taste, or it did seem like it.

Overall, I enjoyed it so much. It was compelling and a page turner. Highly recommended and so excited for the next instalment, especially for Ben and Charles duo and his crew 🩷

Thank you once again, Titan Books and author H.M. Long for the e-arc opportunity via Netgalley ✨️.

"Black Tide Son" by H.M.Long was one of my most anticipated 2024 sequels, and H.M.Long did not disappoint! The second book in her nautical fantasy series was amazing. I would even go as far as to say that it was even more fun than the first book, "Dark Water Daughter."

Picking up after the end of the first book, we continue to follow Mary, a Stormsinger/weather witch, and Samuel, a Sooth, as they now are captain and stormsinger in the same ship. The focus slightly shifts to prioritise Samuel in this book, allowing the reader to unearth more about his past, family, and internal struggles.

Like all of Long's other books, this novel is fast-paced, a swashbuckling sea adventure with a romantic subplot that had me cheering for the protagonsit duo as they navigated their personal relationship and the external forces that circled them. It was so wonderful to watch Sam let go of the perfect naval man and embrace his desires and strive for them by the end of the book.

My favourite character in the book was Ben, Samuel's twin and a corrupted magni (a magician who could control others' emotions). We met Ben in the first book, but he took the centre-stage in many ways in this onw, and his character forced the story forward, posing ethical dilemmas about responsibility. Although Ben is not especially likeable in terms of personality, I found him charming and lured by his charisma, even dueing the moment I disagreed with his actions and motives. Not quite a redemption arc, but I loved the way he changed throughout the book. To be fair, the brothers' relationship had been one of the things I enjoyed in book one the most, too. I am a sucker for dysfunctional family dynamics.

This book also focused heavily on expanding the world building that "Dark Water Daughter" built, adding nuance and expanding the religious element of the world and its ties to the main characters. It was, amid the action and excitement, fascinating to watch how religion corrupted order and usurped powers. Or rather, how individuals justified their personal ambitions through religion. It worked beautifully alongside the political subelements of the story, which touched on worker's rights, slavery and the usurping of laws by governments.

I have no doubt that if you enjoyed the first book in the series, "Black Tide Son" will love the follow-up instalment, too. It is a fun, fast-paced fantasy novel with loads of characters, ranging from incredibly likeable to deliciously morally grey.

I received a free ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

5 ⭐
0 🌶️

Once again, I was swept away to the Northern Seas with Mary, Sam, and their crew. Silly me, I thought we would be getting the swashbuckling adventures of Mary and Sam privateering and enjoying their life. Not so much, I'm not complaining, because Black Tide Son impresses the immediacy of Sam's plight, the power Mary has accrued as a stormsinger, and all the other dangers and conspiracies surrounding the Hart. This book, although chunky, is well-paced and keeps the reader engaged with the constant moves to escape danger, daring rescues, and the building tension between characters. Sam is so honorable, so he's frustrating at times, but he is still a hero you can admire. The descriptions and atmosphere in this book are so well written and vivid that half the time, I felt like I was freezing in the cold, dark waters of the seas. The final battle sequence was brilliant and had me flipping pages as quickly as possible. Please, please, please, although the ending isn't what I would call a cliffhanger, it did leave doors open for more about all the characters in this world. I sincerely hope that means we've got more books coming in this world with Mary, the Rossers, and the rest of the crew.

Thank you, NetGalley, Titan Books, and HM Long, for the eArc. These opinions are mine.

I absolutely loved HM Longs first, Dark Water Daughter and was so excited to see it getting a sequel but I picked it up and put it down so many times before deciding it was going over my head and I wasn’t as invested in the characters as much as I wanted to be. I found myself skimming and not being able to follow what was going on.

I do love HM Longs writing and I think she’s a great world builder but this is not a summer read and one where the first in the series set the bar too high, making this one a bit of a let down.

That being said, I do think come winter I am going to try and pick this one up again and see if that changes my mind about it. For now I think I am settling on about 3 stars with the intent to give it another shot down the road.

Black Tide Son, the second book in The Winter Sea series, begins months after the conclusion of Dark Water Daughter, and it’s a swashbuckling adventure from the start! I love the author’s writing style and how vivid and immersive the story is.  The world-building, the characters, the relationships – all are dynamically developed, much like the first book. 

While the first book focuses more on Mary trying to find her mother, this one focuses more on Samuel and Benedict and their corrupted magic.  Early in the story, Mary and Samuel learn of Benedict’s location and go in search of him.  Their story, especially their past and what led them both to this present, is intriguing.    

The chapters alternate between Mary's and Samuel’s perspectives. I liked getting into both of their heads, and loved how much they learned and grew over the course of the story.  Ben’s story is really interesting, too, as are the redemption arcs.  I love a good redemption story, and there are two that I found compelling.  And I was really intrigued by the magic system and some of the character’s potential corruption by it.  This is a dark and dangerous world, with magic, political intrigue, terrifying creatures, unique magical beings, and so many unknowns.   

My favorite part, no surprise, is the relationship between Mary and Samuel. They have the best banter and so much chemistry. Samuel is especially determined to preserve their reputations since they are working together, and Mary is the first commissioned Storm Singer ever.  And Mary is fabulous. The way she keeps trying to fluster Samuel cracked me up.  They have a delicious, slow-burn romance, and I was so rooting for them to give in to their feelings!

I thought this was a great sequel to Dark Water Daughter. It’s action-packed and suspenseful, and the world is so fascinating, not to mention the compelling characters and dynamic relationships. I enjoyed it all and am so thankful to Titan Books for sending me a copy of the book.  All thoughts are my own.

I was very much looking forward to this book after reading Dark Water Daughter. I did enjoy this second installment of the series, however, it did feel a little like middle book syndrome.

We begin this story months after the events in the first and find out the romance between Mary and Samuel has been put on the back burner (for reasons we discover). I truly wish we could have been included during that development instead of reading about it after the fact.

The first book drew me in with the way the author used references throughout the story to give you more depth to the story! I was sad to learn that this one did not include near as many. I loved the flashbacks and wish there were more of them!

I loved where the plot line went! The pacing was fast and kept you wrapped up in it. Because of the quick pace I do think that some events ended in a nice little bow and did not get explored near as much as I think they could have been. (All the escaping and Sam & Ben getting cured).

The ending left me curious to see where they will end up next!! Overall I did enjoy this book and will be looking forward to the third installment!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

As someone who absolutely adored Dark Water Daughter, I was thrilled to receive this eARC and dive further into this world. This entry into the Winter Seas series focuses more on Samuel and Benedict's corrupted powers. As Samuel and Mary now sail for the Usti crown, they encounter old friends, make new enemies, and are constantly faced with daunting odds. This book was hard to put down and constantly kept me reaching for it to find out what happened next. It's hard to review this book without giving too many spoilers about what happens, but if you were a fan of Dark Water Daughter, the sequel does not disappoint! I'm already looking forward to Long's next book in this series!

Dark Water Daughter and Black Tide Son give me the same feelings of then I read The Dark Shades of Magic series. The writing is lyrical and lovely, the characters are well developed, and the action is well balanced with the world building. I'd highly recommend for readers of VE Schwab, Naomi Novak, and Katherine Arden.

I love this world so much. The blend of fantasy and historical elements are unique and fascinating, and I never grow tired of learning more of it. The characters were also a delight to return to, and the dynamic of the main group is always an excellent source of entertainment. The development of the relationship of Mary and Samuel is wonderfully slow burn. I don’t know for sure if this is a planned trilogy, but H. M. Long definitely ended the book with the possibility of more story. With that in mind, I feel as though this book might have suffered from middle-book syndrome, in which there is somewhat of a lull in pacing. The middle dragged a little for me, but still not enough to prevent me from thoroughly enjoying the book as a whole.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mary and Sam are now under commission of the Usti Crown, with Mary being the very first Stormsinger to ever have a contract. As a captain, Sam doesn’t want to tarnish their reputations and the work they’ve done to give Mary a contract by becoming romantically involved, much to his and her dismay. They are sent to hunt a pirate, but instead find out where Sam’s brother, Ben, is being held prisoner. They end up finding out a whole lot more on their side quest to rescue him and end up with a dangerous new enemy.

I loved how Mary was constantly trying to fluster Sam. This is the slowest of the slow burns, so be aware. To be honest I don’t know if I’m really sold on their romance still.I really enjoyed the plot and how we got some insight into Sam’s past, including the cult that wrongly amplified him and his brother to corruption. I still wanted a little more depth from our two main characters though. Grant and Mary’s friendship and banter is still my favorite. I’m also loving the friendship between Grant and Ben, and can’t wait to see what they get up to in the next book.I love that we got to see Mary becoming more powerful and I can’t wait to see what feats she pulls off in the next book.

While I enjoyed dark water daughter more I still lover this one. I love Mary so much. And samuel. Didn’t always hate Ben’s presence in this one either.

This series is my ideal pirate epic fantasy(with a minor romance.) I love the magic system and just find the world to be so interesting. Hannah’s writing is perfect and she can do no wrong.

While I still loved Black Tide Son, I did not love it as much as I loved Dark Water Daughter. I loved Mary and Samuel’s relationship. I did feel like some of the side characters lacked the depth I wish they had. The tension was palpable and I loved how they developed individually and together. The writing was very easy to understand and was accessible. I did struggle a bit with the pacing - things would ramp up and then the conflict would end rather quickly. The setting is still so wintery and cold, I love it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I truly love the world and the characters in this book. H.M. Long has beautiful prose and I loved being back in this world and seeing how all of the characters and relationships developed. I listened to DWD before reading the arc and I will say I think I prefer the audiobook experience because of the way that the narrators bring this story to life and I may end up rereading via audiobook when this book is out next week

“We will endure. And we will break fleets upon the water.”

Thank you NetGalley for the arc! Black Tide Son is the sequel to Dark Water Daughter, one of my favorite books of 2024! This second installment of The Winter Sea series was everything I wanted and now that I’m done, I’m right back in the same boat as last year where I NEED the next book!

The pacing was well done and there was much swashbuckling action. This is such a good pirate book, but I also find the magic and fantasy aspect to be so unique! We get more creatures, scheming, bits of romance, and redemption.

I was so happy to be reunited with the characters from book one. Mary and Samuel had me kicking my feet! I love the magic and how this book took what we knew from book one and went deeper. There are epigraphs before each chapter that strengthen the story and provide more insight to the lore, I couldn’t get enough! Each character was well fleshed out. I loved the bromance growing between two particular characters and honestly found myself so surprised at the end with all the feelings I had for Benedict. I love a morally grey character, especially one I thought I knew, but turns out to be much more complex.

I can’t wait to see where book 3 will take me next!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Slightly let down, but still addictive.
Mary Firth, Stormsinger, and Captain Samuel Rosser of Hart, privateer and a South, are under commission of the Usti Crown.
On the side, they are searching for Samuel’s twin Benedict who is a Magni who can control the minds and actions of others. However, both brothers’ ability to manipulate the Other is corrupted and could easily lead to their death without a cure.

They are also being hunted by the Ess Noti who are willing to kill for the knowledge and skills mages have.
And the division between worlds is at its thinnest during the Black Tides.

The wind did not care for distant threats— it cared only for swiftness and freedom. "Part of me is ready for a new adventure."

Samuel and Mary’s relationship must be carefully drawn as the Captain and Stormsinger is a relationship traditionally fraught with abuse and Mary is the first contracted Stormsinger in centuries. They had to be different to set an example to the world.

We do see more tension and development between them and their characters are fleshed out, especially Samuel’s through flashbacks to his and Ben’s past.

”We are the sum of our choices, and what are we to do when all those choices are evil? When the powers who govern us push us away from peace, and into further violence?"
“We heed our consciences," I replied.

The writing is fast paced and very accessible. This might be an adult fantasy, but the writing makes it easy to understand and gripping for all.

I did find that the characters still lacked that depth I want to latch on and despite the promising and tease of great worldbuilding, it feels like a lot of it happens in the author’s head rather than being shown on the page.

I felt freezing cold and wet throughout this book. The Black waters are encroaching and I’m surprised our characters haven’t caught frostbite yet.

Thank you to Titan Books for providing me with the physical arc!

Dark Water Daughter was one of my top reads of last year, a million out of five. I loved the magic system and the characters and the setting and the tension and ugh, it was amazing. You should ABSOLUTELY READ IT.

I felt like Black Tide Son was DWD on maybe 50% power.

1) I hated that by the time we pick up with Sam and Mary at the beginning of BTS (fourteen months after the events of DWD) they have already fallen for each other. I was so looking forward to watching them fall for each other and I felt a bit cheated. And worse, they like each other and want to be together, but Sam can't because "it would look bad". Mary keeps trying to come onto him and he won't because he's just so virtuous and it would compromise her. I realize it was meant to be part of his character arc, but it felt horribly infantilizing to Mary who didn't care about being compromised and said so repeatedly.

2) Sam was a bit of a nothingburger character in this. I somehow ended up liking his evil twin brother - who very much got a woman pregnant by pretending to be Sam and let Sam take the fall for it - better than Sam. Ben was interesting and had his own agenda and weirdly seemed to suit Mary better than Sam at various points? To the point where I was considering shipping the FMC with the evil twin brother of the clearly endgame MMC. That was weird.

3) I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll be vague, but the ending was just toooo effing easy.

All of this being said, I still want to read the 3rd one and will definitely be getting it. I'm just desperately hoping this was just a bad run of second book syndrome. I was so so so looking forward to this one and I was definitely disappointed, but that may be due to my expectations being so high considering how much I loved DWD.

I'll be interested to see other peoples thought's.

3.5/5

2.5 rating - I don't think I read the same book as everyone else??

This was such a disappointing sequel in my opinion! And trust me, I HATE to be saying that but it's honestly how I feel.

I'm convinced H M Long did not write this... I felt like all the characters. became so dull and frustrating. The plot was mostly a cat and mouse chase for the majority of the book that felt like it had no stakes, no tension, and frankly... it felt pointless.

I did appreciate that it was faced paced and the flashbacks from Samuel's pov were interesting! But... that's it? Oh I did love the wintery atmosphere and descriptions though just like in the first book.

The first 20% was pretty good too, the set up was well done and I was intrigued to see where it was going to go but then it just completely fell off and sadly, couldn't recover.

This was truly so bogged down, and I felt no change in character dynamics/relationships,

I'm actually SO sad this has turned out this way I don't think I have anything else to say.

I'm going to hang onto this book though and possibly give it a re-read at another time and see how I get on. But for now, I probably won't be continuing on with the series.