I really enjoyed Dark Water Daughter so I was excited to read this second installment. The book was an overall good time. My only complaint with the first book was that it was a bit slow in the middle, so I was glad that Black Tide Son had a better flow. This second book brings us back to Mary and Sam and it was nice to see their relationship blossom. I loved the character of Mary even more than the first book and it was great to see her come into herself as a character. Without giving anything away, this book also involves Benjamin and I was so intrigued by his character and look forward to learning more about him in the future. The writing was great, the plot flowed well and the ending was pretty satisfying.

I cannot say enough good things about The Winter Seas series. These books are the gripping the edge of your seat, anxiety reading as fast as you can, stay up all night kind of high fantasy novels. The world building is immaculate, the characters are so complex and nuanced, and the fantasy world and creature are like nothing I've ever read before. These books are highly immersive for me. I feel like I'm in the book - which sometimes is concerning because her fight/battle scenes are insanity. This is NOT just another pirate adventure.

Where Dark Water Daughter was centered around Mary's journey to find her mother, Black Tide Son is centered around Samuel rescuing Ben and trying to find a solution for their corrupt magic. I anticipate the next book will be about Ben's journey. Which suits me just fine, as I really love the morally grey brother.

I am so thankful to be able to get an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 10/10 no notes. But don't go in thinking this is going to be romantasy, because it is not. We get slices of a very complex romance, but it is not the focus of the stories.

This continuation from Dark Water Daughter is gripping and adds a world of lore and depth that i truly appreciated!

All of the relationships between the characters (both platonic and romantic) are extended and have so much more to them which i loved, all of the characters are more fleshed out and fit the world so well. The world and magic continues to grow and the lore of this world is so cool, the monsters and creatures are more present in this which helped to add to the tension

The combination of narratives from past and present really helped add to my understanding of the characters and add complexity to them and how they act within the world.

This series is heading in such an interesting way, the relationship have been cemented and we are left with multiple routes for all the different characters which i’m so excited for!

The relationship between Sam and Mary makes my heart melt, they work so well together and understand and care for each other in such a beautiful way

I do wish we had spent more time on the battle that the book leads up to - there was lots of lead up and tension yet i feel like the battle was over so quickly and we didn’t have the time to appreciate the tension within it

I cannot wait to continue with this series as it comes and the potential of this will keep me on my toes for future books!

4.5! Thoroughly enjoyed this.
Black Tide Son picks up where Dark Water Daughter left off- and we finally get to see the elusive Benedict Rosser.
I LOVED the banter between the characters in this book. I loved the little quips from Charles, and the tension between Mary and Samuel was perfection. Their relationship felt realistic (as much as a magical pirate relationship can), and Samuel is just such a stand up man. 🥲 Mary’s sarcastic wit was fun to read and I thought the interactions between her and Benedict were equally as enjoyable.
I’m looking forward to the third installment in the series as we were left on a bit of a cliffhanger; but nothing so drastic that it didn’t feel as if the story wasn’t concluded enough, if that makes sense.

Thank you to NetGalley, HM Long, and the publisher, for the opportunity to read the ARC! Here’s to waiting for the next book 🤪

My review was left on Goodreads and Amazon serval weeks ago. I’m not sure why it didn’t post here but…..


I just finished reading this and just as I knew I would, I loved it. This review might contain spoilers so please read with caution.

First and foremost I was excited that we got to learn more about Ben. I hated him in the first book, but there was something so intriguing about him that left me wanting more. Long did not disappoint with his story and character development. He has quickly become one of my favorite characters. The relationship he forms with Mary was unexpected but I loved the partnership they developed. His relationship with Charles has me cackling half the time. (Charles comment at the end that Ben was kidnapping him made me giggle. After he sold Mary off in DWD this felt full circle lol)

Mary. My gosh she has turned into quite the power house. We saw in DWD that she was a strong woman, but seeing her unleashed in BTS was perfection. Long continues to captivate me with her work. It’s compelling, stunning- it takes hold of you like a fairy tale full of dark magic and spell binding visuals that I adore. I love Mary’s character development. I love that we saw such strength between her and Tane and I’m looking forward to what she will unleash in the next book.

Sam, endearing as ever and stubborn to a t. I love him too. Through him we got to see and learn more of what happened to him and Ben to make them what they are today. The creatures in the Dark Water were absolutely wild! (Speaking of which the implings are terrifying. If you wanted to creep out your readers you did it. I hate them.)


All in all I loved Black Tide Son. It did not disappoint in any aspect and was jammed packed with action and suspense that… as I always say… was cinematically written that it jumped off the pages.

Please read this series. Immediately. Add it to your TBR, buy and preorder. You will not be disappointed.

Once again, H.M. Long has written and absolutely AMAZING tale! If you are a fan of the MAGIC in Two Twisted Crowns, and appreciate the complexity of such a unique and one of a kind magic system, you will absolutely LOVE this series. Not only is the magic unique, the entire story is as well. Yes, it is a pirate story but not like any pirate story I have ever read. This pirate story has magic, mages, monsters, morally gray men AND woman, fantastic mystical creatures, water witches called storm singers, that control the storms. There is romance but it is a very slow burn (no spice) which is my personal favorite. If you read Dark Water Daughter, you know of Mary and Sam’s relationship, and all about Sam’s twin brother Ben. Well, in this second installment, there is a LOT going on, I actually found it even more captivating than the first book. Mary tries many times to get Sam to give into her in the bedroom, but Sam is as stubborn as ever, in trying to maintain Mary’s good reputation. And although I pretty much hated Ben in book one, I actually think I like Ben now, although I have to admit, I do love a morally gray character. Mary and Ben have to go off on their own for a while and I actually wondered for a moment, if this story might become a love triangle. There is SO much to this story but I don’t want to say too much and give anything away.
All in all, this story is brilliant! With the most amazing magic system, characters I immediately fell in love with and visuals so detailed; I could easily envision it all. I just adore H.M’s writing and look forward to reading all of her future works.

This was an epic adventure, between Sam, the mage and Mary, the storm singer. Just their abilities alone I found intriguing to read about. In this second book, they both struggle between serving their ship or bailing out Sam’s twin brother Benedict. Who just happens to be locked in the most secure prison. Overall, I thought this was great second book in the series. In general I the story has a low has more of a side plot of romance, but I don’t even mind because the story has kept my interest peaked. Excited for book 3!

Such a fun sequel!

It’s not unusual for the second book in a trilogy to feel like filler, but that wasn’t the case here at all. Black Tide Son is a well-rounded, action-packed story in its own right. I loved getting to know more about the characters and the world.

I don’t know how I’m going to wait a year for the next one.

Thanks to Titan Books and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy to review!

The Winter Sea series by H.M. Long is just getting better and better, Black Tide Son ups the stakes and develops the characters to whole new levels. Thank you to Titan Books for bringing me back on board of the Hart to travel the Winter Sea.

The dynamics that drive Samuel and Mary to aid Benjamin are intriguing, Ben whom you dislike greatly to begin this book but have a highly different perspective of his personality, character, and what drives him by the end.
Charles is a very intriguing character and I think there is more to him than we know so far, I could be wrong, but I think in the future of this series Mr. Grant will play an even more pivotal role, I also love his almost brotherly connection to Mary and the banter that comes with it.
While Samuel seems to be a bit rigid and prudish I guess someone in this cast of characters must be, but Mary's desire to tease and fluster him are a great play between characters.
The "Other" is an interesting place and I'd love to see it fleshed out more, with more understanding for the reader and the history of the connection between the two worlds.
The Navy higher ups are exactly what I expect them to be, regimental buffoons who can't get out of their own way...I love the mystery created in this book with the introduction of the Essa Noti.

I'm very excited to see where this takes Benedict and Charles and the camaraderie that is surprisingly growing between the two of them.

The Black Tide is rising, the Mereish are coming, the Essa Noti are lurking, the cult is manipulating, and the Other is closer than ever...where will it take our crew as Hart sails the Winter Sea!?

Hm long always kills it, creating a fantastic world that it's original and familiar in the same way. You almost feel like you on the frozen seas with her characters.

Honestly ive lived her worlds for years and am grateful when I get a chance to explore them early.

Swashbuckling adventure on the high-seas, full of magic, betrayal, redemption and fearsome women, in the second book of the Winter Sea series, for readers of Adrienne Young and Naomi Novik.

A captured pirate reveals shocking news to Mary and Samuel that sends them in urgent pursuit of Samuel’s twin brother, Benedict, but their search uncovers much more than they bargained for. While evading a cunning new foe, Mary and Samuel must navigate the complexities of their own growing bond as they launch a rescue mission within one of the most secure fortresses on the Mereish Coast.

I really enjoyed book one, but this installment improved on it in almost every possible way. Great, fast pacing, interesting characters. I like a lot of action in my fantasy and I was enthralled with this one. I also am a sucker for pirates so this was always going to catch my eye. I wasn't really thrilled with the romance plot, but other than that, this was a great read. If you liked book one, you'll love this one!

Black Tide Son by H.M. Long is the second installment in the winter sea series. This title as a direct sequel is best read and enjoyed by those who have already read the first book in the winter sea series.

-Pacing was masterfully done
-Dialogue was excellent
-World-building and character development continue to keep my attention

I am very excited for July 9th when I can go nab a finished copy of this wonderful read and hope that we will get news on future installments soon.

Thank you to Titan Books for my arc!

I'm gonna politely start this review off by saying " WHAT THE HECK.?" so much happened during this. That we have a lot to unpack. In Black Tide Son we mainly follow Samuel's character arc where he was the main focal point such as his relationship with Benedict as well as Mary following the vents of Dark Water Daughter to which i really grew to love him. We see him start to accept his mistakes and really make a name for himself and some of my favorite lines came from him that had me giggling and kicking my feet because he just had heart eyes for a certain storm singer and I loved it.

I was really disappointed with how Mary was handled. in Dark Water Daughter you really see her grow and accept who she is and in this she was reduced to a damsel in distress by constantly getting kidnapped and I would've liked to see her kind of stand on her own. granted she did save herself but it grew exhausting to read her getting kidnapped over and over throughout the course of the book.

I'm really excited to see more of Benedict's perspective in the next book. He grew on me throughout Black Tide Son and I find him so intriguing and i hope we get more of his perspective.

Thank you SO MUCH NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a chance to read this book!

I was a big fan of the first, so when this popped up I had to request it as soon as possible. I dove into it just quickly and came out absolutely on the edge and needing to have book two as soon as possible.

The book picks up almost instantly where the first book left off on. Samuel is looking for his brother (attempting to find a cure for them), Mary is assisting him, while dangerous forces are trying to take control of the seas and the Stormsingers (and others like Mary with powers). We add new friends, old friends, and realize some may not be the villains we thought they were.

It is SO REFRESHING TO HAVE MATURE CHARACTERS. I can't say it enough. Samuel and Mary have developed deeper feelings and never do they have misunderstandings and if they DO have any issues they talk it out like adults. Mary is never sheltered by Samuel, nor is Samuel sheltered by Mary. They assist one another and boost each other up.

Ben who we met in the first book has become my anti-hero fave. I absolutely love his character and how damaged he is, and yet... he wants to be a good man and somehow keeps falling right back into needed his powers. The chapters of him with Mary or Samuel are interesting because as twins (Samuel and Ben) you can see how alike they are on the outside but how much they differ once you get to know Ben. I love how dangerous he is but how determined he is as well. He is just a very broken, layered character. I am excited to see book three and where it takes him.

I love this series and I think there is enough to write about explore that can be more than three books. Of course when the author gets tired of the world they can close up shop on it, but the lack of reads ./ reviews has me sad. Oh well, I'm a picky reader to begin with and this is my first pirate series that makes me feel like there is something there.