Set against the historical backdrop of 1758 Saint-Malo, Brittany, Lucinde "Luce" Leon is a refreshing and spirited character who defies the conventions of her class, gender, and time. Instead of yearning to marry like her sisters, Luce wants to sail the sea, where she feels truly alive. Samuel, an English smuggler and her best friend, secretly teaches her sailing lessons. When she struggles with familial duty, women's societal roles, and desires, she sets herself apart as a brave and fearless character.

The book expertly balances the enchantment of fairy tale magic with the rawness of betrayal. Luce's gradual discovery of her power adds another layer of depth. This transformation of her character proposes that her true power lies in embracing her true identity. The romance storyline blurs the line between love and manipulation. I will let you decide the complexities of Luce's relationships and the power dynamics. It also emphasizes the novel's theme of breaking free from societal or self-imposed restrictions, creating a gritty retelling than most with character depth and tension.
It's a story of love and the lust for power wrapped in the seduction of the sea.

I received an ARC ebook for my honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group, Tor Books.

Upon a Starlit Tide combines Cinderella and The Little Mermaid in an 18th century Fae-touched Bretagne to create an atmospheric and vibrant story. Lucinde is the young adult daughter of a shipping magnate who took her in during his travels as a privateer, to be raised alongside his two biological daughters. Luce is his clear favorite, as she has an affinity for sailing and the sea. She sneaks out regularly to a cove next to that of a sea-witch, to meet with Samuel and Bones: smugglers who also dabble in scavenging through shipwrecks. The novel begins with Luce rescuing a handsome young man from a shipwreck—Morgan de Châtelaine, the youngest son of another, wealthier, shipping magnate. She finds herself torn between her attraction to Samuel and Morgan, the former her longtime friend, the latter an incredibly advantageous (and, baseline, acceptable) marriage for her family. Ultimately, Lucinde learns more of Morgan’s true character and of her own personal history, and she has to choose between loyalty to the family that raised her and faithfulness to her own identity.

I found this novel beautifully written and utterly engrossing—the setting, on the shores of Bretagne and in shipyards and grand mansions, was so well described that I could almost smell the salt air or feel the texture of the wood of the ships. The story is brutal at times, no one safe from familial jealousy or a spoiled young man’s wrath. It takes place in two worlds, as Luce does, balancing between the society of Saint-Malo and the wildness of the Manche. The groac’h—the sea-witch—was my favorite figure within the novel; I genuinely gasped when she stepped in. I really enjoyed Upon a Starlit Tide, and would recommend it to readers of historical fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, and those who, like me, have been subconsciously seeking a Pirates of the Caribbean version of The Tail of Emily Windsnap.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for providing me an advance copy of Upon a Starlit Tide in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I loved this! Woods' writing has come a long way since After the Forest, which I felt pretty neutral towards. I liked the combination of both The Little Mermaid and Cinderella that was present in the story, although it was so unique that it wasn't a true retelling. I loved Luce and Samuel, and I thought their romance was realistic and not rushed at all. There are such complicated themes of family in this book, I felt like I was a fly on the wall listening to a real family.

It was overly narrative for my personal taste, and I stopped after chapter 1 (5%). I don't think it's the right fit for our libraries.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC.

4.5 stars If you are looking for a story with strong women, deep emotions, abd a story as moving and unforgiving as the sea, this is it. Highly recommend.

Kell Woods has wonderful writing and I can see this being very popular, especially with such a gorgeous cover, but for me, the melding of two fairytales felt forced rather than creating something more than the sum of its parts. As I read more fairytale retellings, I find I am gravitating more toward fresh takes or things that go in unusual directions. This felt very by the book, the setting more an excuse to give us lots of beautiful gowns than a chance to really place the characters somewhere in history. There are so many intricate nuances to trade in the 1700's, many of them ugly. A few hand-waving paragraphs at the 40% mark to extricate our protagonist from direct involvement in the slave trade felt both too late and unsatisfactory when so much of the book is based on the character's desire to set to sea and her father's many trading ships. For adult fantasy, I want more than that.
There were also moments when the protagonist judged her sisters harshly for doing exactly what she herself wanted to do that struck a sour note. It felt hypocritical in a book meant to be about discovering who you are and living for yourself and, if not out of character, then an unpleasant aspect of someone who we were meant to wholeheartedly root for and relate with.

I really enjoyed this book!! The plot was so interesting and full of adventure that I was never bored. The author did a great job with character development because I was full invested in there stories. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends and family.

This book was almost impossible to put down. I was drawn into the story so quickly that I barreled through it because I had to know what happens!! I'm not overly familiar with the time and place in which it takes place so I had to do some Googling and looking at maps, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the novel one bit. It does try to do a lot of things and sort of drags in places, but I was so engrossed in this world that I didn't mind spending more time in it. And the ending is also very satisfying. I enjoyed this author's debut well enough, but I think Kell Woods has definitely leveled up with this one! We love to see it!