3.5 stars

Stranger Skies is book two in the Drowned Gods series. The magic system and world building continued to be highlights for me. I absolutely love the magic system! There were some new and very interesting characters introduced in this book which I loved. I was a little confused by Romie and Emory's suddenly complicated relationship, but loved seeing Baz and Kai develop more. I do think this book was a little long and had some pacing issues, but it was still a really enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to book 3.

Stranger Skies is the expansive sequel to Curious Tides, which sees Romy and Emory on their own journey through the unexpected multiverse hinted at by Cornus Clover and Kai and Bas on their own unexpected journey to save the girls and improve life for eclipse-born.
The things I liked: the magic system was the same as book one, which is to say interesting. The dive into mythology was neat, the other worlds were interesting, the Keys were good characters. I wish that the new characters and other worlds would have been explored more. The main problem is that this maybe should have been two books. This was just so much to try and lodge into one book. It did a bit of a disservice to things that could have been fleshed out into really interesting things. On top of that, the ending felt almost rushed. It left a few too many threads open for me. I really enjoyed it, but it set up a lot and didn't deliver all the way.

The characters are multifaceted and deeply human, despite the fantastical situations they find themselves in. Emory and Romie’s bond is tested as they face unimaginable challenges, while Baz and Kai bring a different dynamic to the group. Their relationships evolve throughout the book, shaped by trust, betrayal, and the quest to understand the forces beyond their control. Each character’s journey of growth, from innocent curiosity to facing the darkness of their own decisions, adds emotional weight to the story.

The central theme of Stranger Skies revolves around the price of unlocking forbidden doors and the cost of knowing too much. It’s a narrative that challenges the traditional roles of hero and villain, as the characters must grapple with their own sense of morality. Who gets to decide who is the hero? And when the line between good and evil becomes blurred, who truly holds the key to salvation?

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Stranger Skies is a rich and engaging fantasy adventure that takes readers on a whirlwind journey through time, space, and myth. With its complex world-building, thought-provoking themes, and well-developed characters, it’s a novel that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. Pascale Lacelle’s exploration of the consequences of wielding power and the blurry line between heroism and villainy makes this a standout story for those who enjoy immersive, multi-layered narratives. Fans of high-stakes adventure and philosophical questions about fate, free will, and identity will find Stranger Skies an unforgettable read.

Stranger Skies is book two of the Drowned God Trilogy and you’ll definitely want to read book one, Curious Tides, first. I am blown away by Pascale's writing! She has created a magical place with different worlds and it is so easy to visualize! Paired with narration by a full cast, reading this series is a full on experience!

Picking up where Curious Tides left off, we continue following Baz and Emory on their quest to find the truth about their magic. This time, they have the help of two friends from their past and they’re on separate journeys. Both in different worlds…and times. Baz goes back in time and makes friends with Cornus Clover, the author of the books that started everything. Emory finds herself in Wychwood and has to find the key to the door back to the dream realms. Danger is around every corner and the four friends have to fight for their lives to get back home.

As with the first volume in this series, this novel is based on astrology, and yet, it isn't - at least, not the astrology that is commonly known. There is magic in this world, based on the date and time of a person's birth, determined by the exact phase of the moon. The only exception is those born during an eclipse, whether solar or lunar; the powers held by such people are of a class a part, and much more likely than others to Collapse - to lose total control over their abilities in a cataclysmic fashion, for which the rest of the populace fears them.

Stranger Skies picks up where Curious Tides left off, and adds a second plot line; one is focused on Romie and Emory and their travels across multiple worlds, while the other is focused on Baz and Kai and their travels through time. The events in the two plotlines are intertwined, and reunite at the very end, in a way that only the intricacies and paradoxes of time travel can explain. I enjoyed this novel, which is set in four parts, and introduces new characters in each section, and yet, I felt as if the introduction of new characters so far into the novel added complications that made the plots hard to follow in some places. It's clear, from both the introduction of these new characters and the epilogue, that the author intends to extend this novel into a series, the length of which appears to be as yet undetermined. I will be looking for the sequels as they come out.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such a great follow up to Curious Tides. I really enjoy this series. The books are very long but they are so fast paced that the pages just go by in now time.

A fantastic follow up to Drowned Tides, which mostly avoids the pitfalls of being the bridge book in a trilogy. Very much looking forward to the next volume.

This book was sooo much better than Curious Tides. I thought the world jumping was so cool and I love how the different groups of friends were off on their own adventure. I don’t usually enjoy more than 2 POVs but having Emory, Baz, Romie and Kai’s views was really enjoyable. They all think so differently so I loved seeing that. Baz and Kai’s part kind of reminded me of HP and the tri-wizard tourney which was cool. My criticism of both books is my god they are long. But that’s okay because they ended up being great reads.

I was between a 3.5 and 4 on this one but rounded up. I think the story started off strong, dragged a bit in the middle, but the ending left me wanting more. The addition of new characters and POVs was great. The chapters were shorter and the storyline in this one was a bit more exciting than the first. 70% hit and we had our plot twist and I knew I was in for a good ending. I will definitely finish this series.

**4.25 stars**

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC of this book that I accidentally waited until after release to read....oops!

This book was a wild ride. I didn't expect this series to become what it is when I started book one--and I'm having a blast!

This book reminds me a lot of the Magicians--the book and the show, honestly, but less campy and much better done in my opinion. It's marketed as dark academia over and over but honestly that's such a small part of it, it's crazy.

I loved the expanding world and characters in this book. The returning characters go through so much development and then we also get some super fun new characters.

The way the threads of the book all come together at the end felt so masterful. I couldn't see where it was going for the longest time, but by the end it all came together in a way that has me FERAL for book 3. There are several things at the end that made me go "UM WHAT??"

My biggest issue(s) with the book and thus why it isn't 5 stars: first and foremost, some of the main characters and relationships from book one just...didn't go where I wanted. I don't want to spoil anything but one POV character in particular was just so disappointing on the page and with their attitude the whole book it really took me out of it.

Another issue I had is that a good portion of the book feels clunky. And while everything tied together at the end, it took a LOT to get there and some things could have been tied together sooner and maybe some things could have been left out. The pacing was off for much of it, but I get it because there is a LOT of ground to cover!

Lots of other thoughts but they're all spoilery, so I'm off to find someone to shout about the ending with!

In 2023, Pascale Lacelle enchanted lovers of dark academia-flavored fantasy with Curious Tides, the first entry in the Drowned Gods Trilogy. Set in a world where magical practitioners take their powers from the phases of the moon, this first novel introduced us to a unique and intriguing cast of characters. While practitioners born under the four common phases of the moon are at the height of their powers during said phases, “Eclipse-born” are shunned for their increased powers and potential to Collapse. This overclocking of their powers turns their blood silver and leads to massive destruction… or so the people of this world are led to believe.

It behooves anyone to read Curious Tides before diving into Stranger Skies, as these books are inextricably linked. And, while one could potentially enjoy what Stranger Skies brings to the table without what comes before, it won’t hold nearly the same emotional impact. This is a story meant to be read in full—so know that coming in.

The Story
One of the major unseen characters of Curious Tides was Cornus Clover: an author from hundreds of years ago who penned a novel about a scholar who traveled between many worlds. Much of the action of this first book hinged on the belief that the events of Clover’s novel either had happened or would happened. Stranger Skies, the middle book of the trilogy, is the upshot of this.

Four main characters, who also serve as rotating narrators, return for this book. Emory was initially believed to be a Healer, but discovered over the course of Curious Tides that she is Eclipse-born. Not only that, but she is a Tidecaller: able to use the abilities of others. She and her friend Romie, reunited during the events of the first book, now find themselves moving through many different but parallel worlds. A dying forest houses witches who take their powers from the ground; an arid wasteland is inhabited by people who augment themselves with draconic powers; yet another world has banned all music for fear of upsetting its gods. But all these worlds have similar symbols, legends, and traditions that seem to link them.

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As Emory and Romie travel the multiverse, their friends Baz and Kai slip backwards through time thanks to Baz’s Timespinner abilities. But they end up somewhere very specific: in the time of Cornus Clover, seemingly before he’s begun to write his legendary story. The two time travelers discover secrets about their family’s pasts, unfortunate truths about the status of Eclipse-born, and the truth behind Clover’s influence in this time.

Across both settings, the world laid out in Curious Tides grows ever more expansive. The truth behind the gods known as the Tides becomes apparent, overturning the mythology of the first book and paving the way for something grander still.

What Works
One of the best things about the Drowned Gods Trilogy so far is the aesthetic. The vibe, as they say, is impeccable, full of fancy old-timey literary salons and parties and dusty libraries. Referring to things as “dark academia” doesn’t always hit the mark, but both Curious Tides and Stranger Skies bring that feeling home. It’s not just about setting the action in a school, although that is certainly there as well. The whole story is grounded in the desire and passion for knowledge, and the many directions that can take a person. That alone can make this a dense read, but not an unrewarding one.

With Stranger Skies in particular, there’s also a great deal of worldbuilding—a building of several worlds, in fact. This could go horribly awry, as Emory and Romie and their companions jump from plane to plane, with each having its own vast history and mythology. While we only see a couple of these other worlds (the rest will have to wait for the third installment), they are well built-out. Everything feels as though it could very well have existed underneath the world of Curious Tides for an eternity; none of these worlds feel appended.

Just as each world feels unique, each point-of-view character feels unique. It’s a common trend to throw the narrative back and forth between or among characters, but this only works if the characters are unique enough in their thought processes to justify this perspective switch. In the case of Stranger Skies, this is completely valid. Romie and Emory travel together, but they have very different views of Emory’s growing Tidecaller powers and a growing distrust between them. Baz and Kai go back in time together, but each boy’s powers give them very different perspectives into what’s happening around them. And, without giving away the end game of this book, it’s definitely wise to let each of these four have a hand in showcasing the action.

It’s also worth mentioning that the print version of this book is gorgeous, with really lovely moon phases accompanying the page numbers and some fantastic typography for each section. If at all possible, treat yourself and get this one in hardcover.

What Doesn’t Work
So much of Stranger Skies is extremely strong, to the point that there’s very little to criticize about it. If there is one problem, though, it is that it suffers from a somewhat bloated supporting cast. This was an issue also present in Curious Tides, but it was a bit more excusable as the action took place within a school broadly and within a secret society with a variety of differently-powered members narrowly. As the action is divided across time and space, though, the cast creep becomes a bit much.

In Baz and Kai’s half of the story, things aren’t too bad. There are a few minor characters in addition to their core supporting cast, but they’re never really built up to be more than a supporting cast. Emory and Romie, on the other hand, are building up a large following by necessity. By virtue of the prophetic story they are fulfilling, they gain three more companions (two of whom we get to know in depth in this book); one more, equally important, also joins in. That’s a sizable cast weighing down this half of the book, but they’re well developed. But then two more characters from Curious Tides are added in, one as a love interest for Romie, as well as more characters from one of the realms through which the group travels. Which is not to say Romie’s romance should be abandoned; if anything, it should have more focus, perhaps putting aside one or two of the hangers-on. This important relationship, especially placed opposite her failing friendship with Emory, feels rather sidelined.

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A cast of thousands is hardly a problem in a fantasy epic, but it does feel a bit like some characters are there who don’t need to be, leading to others not getting as much spotlight as they ought to.

Final Score
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Stranger Skies is absolutely stellar as a book: the story, the characters, the worldbuilding, even the book as you hold it in your hands. If you are a lover of Victorian/Edwardian vibes, dark urban fantasy, and sprawling magical worlds you can get lost in, you owe it to yourself to dive into the Drowned Gods Trilogy.

The only thing working against it is the occasional imbalance of the cast. With one more book to go and the cast list already bursting at the seams, it’s starting to get a little worrying. But even that can’t ruin this read. It’s a perfect book for the lengthening autumn evenings.

Stranger Skies builds on an already solid fantasy foundation of book 1. I loved how the characters grew and complicated, but still were what I loved from Curious Tides. I particularly enjoyed how much it kept me guessing! I wanted to unravel each new mystery. Overall, I would highly recommend if you’ve read book 1 to keep going and pick up Stranger Skies!

3.75 rounded up

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s for this e arc in exchange for an honest review.

In a sweeping sequel to Curious Tides, Lacelle takes us through space, time, and into other worlds. Although the book was incredibly fantastical, with a rather complex and intriguing overarching plot, I find myself with mixed feelings. At times, it seemed almost as if this book was trying to do too many things at once. I found the relationships jumbled a bit the B plot more interesting than the A plot (which dragged just a little), and the ending to be FASCINATING and thrilling but a bit improperly set up/rushed.

Where this book shines is Lacelle’s complex and magical worldbuilding. It’s almost too many pieces to keep track of, but she does it in a way that is entertaining and unexpected. I also love the characters she creates, particularly Baz (I will say Romie irritated me she was lowk a terrible friend), and the tension is built well.

Overall , this was an enjoyable, compulsive read and if you liked Curious Tides, I would recommend Stranger Skies.

I struggled getting through this one, especially the second part. I felt like there was a lot going on (traveling through new worlds, adding time travel, expanding histories, increasing the romance), but it progressed slowly. I'm not sure all the added elements were needed for this story. I'm wondering if it would have been better to push some of the elements from this novel into the first one. I think there could have been a better starting off point. I like the characters, but I'm not completely won over by them. I'm not sure how much I'll actually get to see of my favorite character based on where they end up at the end of this one. I didn't love this one, and I'm not sure I'll continue the series.

I loved the second book in the Drowned Gods series! The continued dark academia and mystery vibes was great but I loved how much the world expanded in the sequel. There's more magic and fantasy elements making this even better. I was surprised by all of the new pov's but thought the parallel storylines worked really well together. I loved the new perspectives! One of the best things in this book was the character development. Across the board the main characters really start to accept who they are and they will become. I also really enjoyed the complex concepts we saw in this book. They were handled really well and were quite emotional at times. Overall I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for to see what comes next!

Amazing book. Love the story line and the character development. Love the plot line amazing job. Will def Recommend to friends and family

Stranger Skies is an exceptional sequel that picks up right where Curious Tides left off, delivering non-stop adventure and intrigue. This series, which blends elements of dark academia with fantasy, is truly underrated and deserves more attention. The characters, beautifully complex and imperfect, continue to grow in depth through their difficult friendships and budding romances. I was initially apprehensive about the series expanding from a duology to a trilogy, but Pascale Lacelle exceeded my expectations. This book isn’t just filler; it expands the world, plot, and characters in meaningful ways.

The inclusion of multiple POVs, particularly Kai and Romie, significantly enriches the narrative, offering fresh perspectives and enhancing the intricacy of the world. The dual timelines add an exciting layer to the storytelling, allowing for fascinating character development and unexpected twists. The tension between Romie and Emory feels authentic, especially after the events of the previous book, and the time-travel adventure introduces new characters and complexities.

While the pacing occasionally falters, particularly in the Romie/Emory chapters, the book ultimately weaves together its many threads with skill. It leaves readers with plenty of questions and an eagerness for the conclusion. I’m already looking forward to rereading this to prepare for the next installment, as it’s a lot to remember! This series deserves a wider audience—its dark academia elements paired with rich storytelling make it a hidden gem in the genre.

Baz and Kai - my goodness - you have my heart.

After that cliffhanger in Curious Tides, we find that Emory and Romie have traveled across realms to the worlds described in Song of the Drowned Gods, albeit not exactly as they were in that book. Meanwhile, Baz and Kai have traveled back in time and end up meeting Cornus Clover himself. And again, not quite the Cornus Clover of legend.

This book takes its time, and I will admit I enjoyed the Baz-Kai chapters more than that Emory-Romie chapters, but as our protagonists begin to understand what is actually happening and what Clover has set in motion, the stakes just keep getting higher. This book ends with yet another cliffhanger, and I cannot wait to find out just where Pascale Lacelle is taking us.

**3.5 STARS**

Content Warning: violence

I enjoyed Curious Tides, which is the first book in this series so I was very curious to see where this story went. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ I like the dual stories going with Romie and Emory in one place and Kai and Baz in another. I think it worked well seeing both worlds happening at the same time. I thought the world building was really good and expanded.

+ There was a little romance stirring in this book between two people that was hinted in book one. I love to see it, but it definitely comes at the end of the book and we’ll see what happens in book three. It’s definitely a slow burn. On the other hand where Emory had all the romance in book one, her relationship with Romie is what needs to be fixed and I liked to see their friendship journey.

+ There is magic, lots of action and so much going on in both worlds. Baz as a Timespinner even gets to go into the past with Kai to the point where I’d say things really changed for these magic wielders. I thought that part was very interesting and realized how large this world building is.

Dislikes:

~ I found this one a little too long and the pacing was off and there were parts that dragged. I do think it’s long because there was so much happening with the story, and lots more characters being introduced. But I did take a few weeks to finish this one.

Final Thoughts:

I did like how this world opens up in this book. There is so much going on and different worlds to explore. There is also a lot more characters introduced but at times I felt it dragged and was a bit too long for me. I think people who love fantasy though will love this one.

This book was SOOOO good! The plot was very well thought out and the story flow was easy to follow. I enjoyed being able to read additional characters point of view that we missed out on in the first book. There were also many surprises and I now have so many theories and questions that I cannot wait for the third book! I loved being able to meet new characters that helped build the story and gain more background on some we already knew from Curious Tides. 10/10 would read again.