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

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.