I have not read or listened to the first book in The Winter Sea series. However, I did not find it a big hindrance when listening to the audiobook version of Black Tide Son. Learning the characters others already knew may have taken me a little time, but that wasn't a big stumbling block.

The 'universe' H.M. Long has created is rich and detailed. The characters are layered, too. The plot moves along at a decent pace.

For lovers of fantasy, this would be a great read. I'll be looking to read the original book as well as anticipating the third in the series.

The chapters are each written from the point of view of either Mary or Samuel. Moira Quirk narrated the chapters for Mary and Samuel Roukin narrated the chapters for Samuel. I enjoyed both of their approaches to the narration and felt they helped move the story forward.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia | Recorded Books for an advance audiobook copy to review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley, RB Media, and Recorded Books for this arc!

4.5/5 stars rounded up!

I was soooooo excited for this book, and it did not disappoint! It was full of the magic and mystery like the first one, but the way the story went was a complete surprise - which I liked!! The only thing that annoyed me was how much Ben was in this, but thats a me problem lmao. I just don't like him and I know that like you're not supposed to, but dammit is don't like him 😤😤😤 😂 some things that happened at the end were a little confusing, but I feel like they'll be explained more in the next book as it feels like that's how the story is leading us. I can't wait for the next one!! Definitely going to read Long's other series this winter, yes yes

Once again, Moira Quirk and Samuel Roukin knock it out of the park with this audiobook. Their voices and shifting accents are perfect, i could listen to only them narrate audiobooks forever tbh. I highly recommend listening to this while playing Skyrim, the vibes between the two are ✨️ perfection ✨️ Plus, it helps Moira Quirk was a voice actor in that as well, so it just matches, ok??

I love this series so much and I was very excited for this book, it did not disappoint. Loved the story and the narration was great the narrators did a great job. Can’t wait for the next one!

I love this series. I'm not sure how to even put coherent words together about this book really. The characters, the setting, the audiobook.. every aspect is perfect.

I love Sam and Mary. He is rigid in his morals and Mary is much more flexible. They are so clearly into each other, but he's so worried about their professional relationship being above board. It's equally adorable and frustrating.

Benedict, wow. We learn so much about him in this novel. I really enjoyed his personal arc and growth in this novel. I was a little bit worried about him having so much focus, but it was amazing.

And the audiobooks lift this series to even greater heights. I think Moira Quirk might be my favorite narrator out there right now. I could listen to her endlessly. And the male narrator also does a fantastic job. I'll never pick up the physical copies of this series because I love these audiobooks so much.

H.M. Long tackles everything in the Winter Sea series masterfully. I can't wait for book 3, Red Tempest Brother next year! Thanks to NetGalley and Recorded Books for the early audiobook copy.

This story has the vibes of an fantasy/action/adventure movie, but in a book. I read the audio version, and wow, it really shone with narration. This was a worthy sequel to its very fun predecessor, "Dark Water Daughter," and continues the stories of Sam, Mary, and Ben. I will say, this was billed as a duology so I thought that things would be pretty well wrapped up at the end of this one and... they definitely are not. But that's alright. Mary and Sam's stories feel complete, all the characters have undergone growth, and most importantly, I had a good time reading it. Pick this up if you want pirates and magic in a fast-paced story with a fun world that has the feel of YA but with adult themes.

H. M. Long is a master at creating worlds and stories that feel real immediately, have details that latch onto your imagination, and really allow you to feel the tension. motivation, and emotions of the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review!

I can always count on HM Long’s Winter Sea series to give me a pirate book that doesn’t make me feel disappointed. This sequel was great and though I didn’t think it was as strong as Dark Water Daughter, I still had a good time and I liked hanging out with all of the characters again. Long’s writing is readable and I loved the expansion of the world in this book. It’s impressive how you really can feel the cold, bitter winds and dampness from the sea. In this installment, I don’t think I felt like the characters were as strongly fleshed out as in Dark Water Daughter, but Mary and Samuel are still strong narrators and I’m so excited to see where this series will go.

Moira Quirk is, of course, one of my favorite narrators, and she does a wonderful job here. Samuel Roukin also does a great job and I love the audio for this series.

Author H. M. Long has a whole cast of character’s that are very interesting and atypical for this genre. So interesting!

I am pleasantly surprised with how much I like this audio book after my first confusion. To be fair I started with this book 2 of the series and I was not aware of the Book 1 story line and there are so many active characters involved that I had to repeat the first three chapters till I got my listening groove.

Black Tide Son is very fast paced and complex. Sometimes with everything going on in the storyline I would repeat parts of the audio to get a thorough understanding of what was happening. My brain likes puzzles a lot so this was fun for my brain to figure out and analyze where the author was leading the reader.

Some of the outstanding characters are Samuel and Benedict who are twins. One trying to be good and worthy while another heading to darkness and uncaring. Benedict always getting into mischief of some sort while Samuel is always trying to save him and not become dark.

Mary is the main female character and I loved her strength and dedication to Samuel. I do feel that the interaction between them could of been a little hotter but their relationship fit with the plot.

As far as narrators go I didn’t feel connected to either of them but eventually I got over my opinions of them and enjoyed the storyline.

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This was a good follow up to DWD, not my favorite but still good. The narration is wonderful. I am looking forward to the conclusion of this trilogy!

I love a good pirate story, and this series delivers just that! <3

The story picks up some month after the end of the first book. Mary and Samuel set out to find Benedict, and the story takes off from there. The world these characters move in is further established and together with the rich and unique magic system it makes for a great reading experience.

This sequel puts a bit more focus on character development imo and excels on that front, but it's action packed nonetheless.
Both Mary and Samuel are complex, fleshed out characters who have great chemistry. Their love story is very much a slow burn, which I love! But it might be a bit too slow for others, as the focus isn’t overwhelmingly on the love story. In my opinion, though, it’s perfect because it makes the relationship development feel more organic and real.
The same goes for the side characters and their growth, especially Benedict, who is such a great addition to this story.

I listened to the audiobook and while I loved the female narrator, I unfortunately didn’t like the male narrator, he just wasn’t the right fit for Samuel imo. And that took me out of the story sometimes..

Overall, I had a great time with this and will for sure continue this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

What an exciting fantasy audiobook! I was so into it, I didn't even take the time to realize it was book 2 of a series so now I gotta go back and listen to Winter Sea book 1. It's prison break, pirates on the high seas, fleet battles, and intrigue. What a great ride!

Thank you to NetGalley for the copy of this ARC audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

"Black Tide Son" by H.M. Long is a thrilling continuation of the adventure that started with "Dark Water Daughter." This time, we dive deeper into the magical, seafaring world with Mary and Samuel as they embark on a quest to find Samuel's brother, Benedict. The world-building is superb, blending strange magic with a richly detailed maritime setting, making you feel like you're right there on the ship with them.

The narrators, Moira Quirk and Samuel Roukin, bring the characters to life perfectly. Their performances enhance the experience, making the audiobook an absolute treat. The story itself is packed with action and suspense, though it can be a bit predictable at times. Despite that, the atmosphere and character dynamics keep it engaging. I especially loved the exploration of Samuel and Benedict's complicated relationship and the magical elements that added a unique twist to the plot.

A captivating sequel to Dark Water Daughter, we got a more expansive world and brilliant character growth. I cannot wait for the next book. 4.5 stars.

The vibes were immaculate for book two of The Winter Sea! We picked up right where we left off after Dark Water Daughter - Samuel and Mary are navigating their new relationship (SLOW BURN!). The political intrigue, magic system, accessible writing style, and fantastic execution of character and world development kept me tethered to this book - I finished it in one sitting. I did notice that the pacing was a bit uneven throughout, but that didn't get in the way of how much I enjoyed this book.

I'm obsessed with this story and characters. The fact that this did not suffer even a little bit from second book syndrome makes me even more excited to dive back into this world when book three comes out. H.M Long is easily one of my favorite discoveries of the year!

Thank you so much RBMedia for providing an ARC through NetGalley!

I really couldn’t get into this. When I’ve listened to other books in the past I couldn’t take my headphones out. This wasn’t for me

This was such an amazing follow-up to Dark Water Daughter! There was so much character development for all of the characters, but especially for Benedict. I really liked how the author wrote and developed his character in this book, and I can't wait to read the next book :)

4.5/5 stars.

I've had the privilege of reading everything H.M. Long's published since the description of Hall of Smoke piqued my interest. I can say with no uncertainty that she's found her stride with the Winter Sea Trilogy. She recently spoke about how the story has evolved over time (r/Fantasy AMA) and I am so happy where it landed (though fiddler Sam would be good iykyk).

Black Tide Son picks up where Dark Water Daughter leaves off and the plot is quick. This absolutely does not fall into middle book syndrome at any point. The characters are compelling, especially Benedict but catch me interested in the darker characters, always. I don't want to get into the plot since it's a sequel but rest assured it's fast-paced, completely captivating. Long's prose is perfectly crafted to suite the world she's crafted. In my mind this is very much Kiera Knightley and Orlando Bloom from Pirates of the Caribbean adjacent which I am absolutely in love with.

The audiobook is incredible, Moira Quirk (one of my all time favourite narrators) and Samuel Roukin do an incredible job of bringing the characters to life. If you haven't yet, I highly recommend checking out Dark Water Daughter (which does start a bit slower, but stick with it!) and then continuing on the series.

HOLY SMOKES. Honestly this review is for book 1 and 2 cause i read them with about a 5 minute break in between so can hardly tell them apart. But I think that says a lot right there. As a series so far, perfection. Its giving me the best pirate feels and heisting and interesting characters who do shitty things, as we all do. Spoilers ahead.

I LOVE it when an author can redeem a seemingly irredeemable character in a realistic way that doesn't take them from asshat to loveable hero in one chapter and spends some time in the grey. And yes I am talking about a side character but that is because i am hoping beyond all hope that book 3 is all about him and whatever the heck he is up to.

Black Tide Son by H. M. Long was a very entertaining listen. Both narrators, Moira Quirk, and Samuel Roukin, do an excellent job. The plot is quick and interesting. Some aspects of the story were a little too convenient, but overall an enjoyable audiobook for summer. Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the advanced copy.

This is how you do a fantasy sequel. I appreciated the authors effort to jog the reader’s memory without info dumps. (I recently had a less than optimal experience with this lol) The audiobook narration brings back the full cast from the last book with a sort of northern UK accent that’s right at home with this Jacobean inspired pirate fantasy. I especially loved the female narrator and her comedic timing with the hilarious Mary Firth.
This novel was really for character development more than anything and I loved that. Benedict’s growth from 2D villain to guy with a heart and then healing as we get to know him better really had me so emotional. I also adored Mary’s transparency and Samuels tortured disposition it was such a cute little untraditional romance with the actual world against them.
Mary is such a complex character, you can’t really put her in a box. She’s absolutely not evil and her morality holds her back from quite a bit, but at the same time she’s totally fine doing what she needs to to survive and for the well-being of her loved ones. All that whole being genuinely hilarious and powerful. An Icon.
There were, of course, plenty of battle scenes but I found myself sort of zoning out during most of them. I’m not sure that this is a fault of the book as much as it’s my disinterest in that aspect. I also think that this book was more lucid about the realities and impacts of the war than the last book, this obviously being because the characters were in the midst of it. But the ethical implications and struggles were also interesting to me.
My favorite part about this authors work in this book and the last is the effortless layering of beautiful prose and ambiance with the wittiness of characters who have actually been through hell and back.
While I didn’t love this installment as much as the first book, I love the characters more and I can’t wait for the next one!