'Tears and salt. Sorrow and sea. There is magic in such meetings'.

Of course, Lucinde had never truly felt a part of the Leon family. Whether it was because she was adopted, or her ghastly, gnarled feet, or perhaps her unyielding longing to be near the sea, it's clear her mother and sisters think of her as a hopeless cause. Only her friend Samuel seems to understand her yearning. However, when she happens upon a sailor, unconsciously clinging to the remnants of shipwreck, her decision to save him not only alters the course of her life but that of her family. In 18 century, Saint-Malo, where fae folk live among humans and the very walls of the city are enchanted, nothing is ordinary and being rich isn't necessarily about being wealthy.

Told in three parts, Upon a Starlit Tide, will slowly wind its spell around you. With notes of Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Bluebeard and Breton folklore, a complex story evolves, taking you through a maze of tales. While the first part sets the scene, the story really takes off in the second and third. I don't read much fantasy but I adored this blend of historical fantasy: realistic enough to believe but magical enough to be spellbound.

If you love fairytales, if you're captivated by the romance of the sea and believe in true love and destiny, then pick up and read this book.

'What kind of magic? The kind that comes when the moon is full and rising fast, painting a path of silver across the water'.

Lucinde Leon is the youngest daughter of a wealthy French shipowner in 18th century Saint Malo. Luce feels a connection to the ocean and often looks for a chance to escape to the beach and spend time with her friends Samuel and Bones, English smugglers who live in Saint Malo. Luce comes across a man in the ocean one day and saves him, which takes her on a journey, seeing all that society offers, while discovering her own power. This is a historical fantasy, with world building effortlessly woven into the text. The real world setting with the addition of the different types of fae is charming and makes you wonder if you really might find a rose lutine in your garden.
Luce is a young woman wanting to please her family but also wanting freedom, and her struggle to choose between two pathways is genuine, I loved her friendship with Samuel and Bones, and I felt the same butterflies she did when she thought that her relationship with Samuel might become something more. The man she saves, Morgan, is charming and wealthy and Luce is swept off her feet by his interest in her. She is increasingly pulled in two directions as she tries to decide what the right choice is. I could feel the struggle she felt with her sisters, wanting a strong relationship with them and feeling out of place.
The plot was well paced and the author has a way of describing things so poetically without the writing feeling over the top.
I am very interested in reading more of Kell's stories, I loved the callbacks to Cinderella, the Little Mermaid, and even the Bluebeard references, but this story is definitely its own and has its own charms and merits.

Thank you so much to Harper Voyager Aus and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited for this book and I’m so glad it didn’t disappoint.

Kell Woods writes so beautifully, I was instantly captivated, drawn in by her prose, the setting, the main character Luce, and all it promised.

This book has a slow start, which I didn’t mind. I enjoyed getting to know Luce and the people around her, slowly settling in to the rhythm of this story, working out which direction certain things would go.

Things pick up suddenly in the second half, and there is so much happening, so much uncovered, and I was taken on an incredibly emotional journey. I could not put this one down in its second half. I had to keep reminding myself to slow down and take it in rather than race ahead, enthralled.

I ADORED the romance. I don’t want to say too much for fear of ruining some moments, but all I can say is these two captured my heart and I genuinely cried during the epilogue. The love interest is just such a beautiful, wonderful character. Top tier book boyfriend.

This story is a combination of The Little Mermaid and Cinderella, borrowing from both tales as well as countless bits of folklore, fairytales and history to create a luscious, rich historical fantasy. I loved the way Woods wove parts of familiar tales into this one while making it her own.

I really recommend this one to fans of historical fantasy with emphasis on the historical. This book is wonderful and fantastical and there’s all kinds of fae creatures and magic at play, but it has more of a historical/literary vibe in its structure and prose.

UPON A STARLIT TIDE - KELL WOODS

It's the middle of January and I'm already calling one of my favourite reads of 2025? Yes, I definitely am; Upon a Starlit Tide is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read, never mind the year. Here's a synopsis:

Saint-Malo, Brittany, 1758. To Lucinde Leon, the youngest daughter of a wealthy French shipowner, the high walls of Saint-Malo are more hindrance than haven. While her sisters are busy trying to secure advantageous marriages, Luce spends her days secretly being taught to sail by Samuel, her best friend - and an English smuggler. Only he understands how the waves call to her. Then one stormy morning, Luce rescues a drowning man from the sea.

Upon a Starlit Tide falls within my favourite fantasy genre: historical fantasy. The setting is a historically accurate version of our world, yet this is a St Malo where fae, an array of magical and powerful beings, live alongside the human characters. This is masterfully done, and St Malo is transformed into a place that has magic in its very foundations, and where myth and superstition come to life.

From the first page to the last, I was completely engaged. And I think this is partly due to Luce, the lead character. She's a strong and endearing figure, and the way she's written makes you feel like you're experiencing every secret she discovers right alongside her. 

Kell Woods' writing is exceptional and immersive, making Upon a Starlit Tide feel almost sensory. And this book truly has a little bit of everything: there's a core romance that feels powerful and believable; influences of famous tales like Cinderella and The Little Mermaid; secrets and brutal betrayals; adventure both on and off land; and an overwhelming feeling that you're reading a new and essential fairytale.

I truly didn't want this story to end. Kell Woods, you've created a masterpiece. 

Release date: 12 February 2025

Review score: 5/5

TWs: Injury detail, d*ath, s*xual content, torture

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins Australia & Kell Woods for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5 stars.

Overall impression: like After the Forest and Before the Forest, Upon a Starlit Tide is a beautifully constructed dark fantasy novel by Kell Woods blending folklore, fairytales, history and romance. I was so excited when I saw that I was approved for the eARC and spent every spare minute reading it until I finally reached the end. It was an emotional rollercoaster and will probably have you in tears when it's released. But it was equally inspiring, hopeful and comforting. I just know anything Kell Woods writes in the future will be incredible read, so she'll definitely be an instant-buy for me from now on.

Tropes:
➵ Cinderella x The Little Mermaid dark retelling
➵ Pirates & mermaids
➵ Sailor superstitions
➵ Feminist undertones
➵ Slow-burn romance
➵ Opposites attract
➵ Love triangle
➵ Friends-to-lovers
➵ She falls first
➵ Masquerade ball
➵ Hidden identity
➵ Jealous step sisters
➵ Betrayal, betrayal & more betrayal
➵ Death of core characters
➵ Plot twists

⤷ Plot:
I thought I knew which direction the book was leading me in but I was wrong...multiple times. The plot twists were cleverly crafted and had me guessing at who the love interest and bad guys were the entire time. I was SHOCKED and felt the betrayal when some of the secrets about Luce's past and who was hurting her finally came to light. The ending was bittersweet and tied up most of the loose ends - but it wasn't a perfect HEA. People were still hurt and the fate of some of the characters was left unanswered, leaving me wanting more chapters.

⤷ Characters:
Kell is really good at crafting strong female characters in an otherwise oppressive period of time. Despite the expectations from her adoptive family to secure an advantageous marriage, Luce fights for her freedom and desire to explore the world. She is able to do this through disguising her identity and sailing around the cove with her friends Samuel and Bones. They had a very strong bond of friendship and their banter, care and protectiveness over each other was another big highlight of the story.

Luce's family were all well-developed characters too, with different personalities and motivations that created sub-plots that were enjoyable to explore.

And like every good book with a love-triangle, I couldn't actually work out which MMC Luce would end up with. They were both given plenty of page time and you could see why she might fall for either one of them. In the end, the romance was sweet and tied the story up nicely.

⤷ World-building:
Very strong world-building with detailed scenes, locations and lore. I only wish that some of the fae species were introduced a little bit more because I was having trouble working out what they actually were and how they were different from each other.

The mermaid and sailor lore was very detailed - a kiss bringing good luck, brushing their hair at night causing storms, looking through a hand mirror allowing them to see visions, and a soul taken from the sea must be repaid. They even sang some sea shanties which was fun!

⤷ Writing:
Despite being set in the 1700s and feeling like it was historically accurate (at least, to someone who hasn't read many books set in this time period), the writing was surprisingly easy to follow. There were rarely words that I didn't understand, so I was able to get fully engrossed in the story and never felt like I was jarred out of it by difficult language or sentence structure. It had great flow and felt lyrical, adding to the enchantment of the novel.

4.5/5 ✨ Upon a starlit tide was magical! And I ugly cried through the whole epilogue at the end which was a bonus!

This felt like a beautiful, adult nod to nostalgic fairytales from childhood, using aspects of the Little Mermaid and Cinderella to make a new story of its own. It reminded me of Juliet Marillier’s whimsical writing style, with the added bonus of feeling like a period drama.

Like all fairytales, it was so fun trying to figure out where the magic and the true story was. This so cleverly hinted at it without falling into the common trap of making the MC seem silly for not seeing it. The romance was absolutely beautiful and had me in tears. I was SO upset when I thought the story finished and I could have happy danced when I saw the epilogue!

The descriptions of surroundings (and the listing of items upon items upon items) were sometimes overwhelming and I had to fight my brain to retain of information. The first 80 pages almost lost me, but by the second and third parts I was fully immersed in the story even if I was skipping landscape descriptions. This swept me up (almost) from start to finish.

—-

So very thankful to Kell Woods, Harper Collins and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The writing is undeniably beautiful and lyrical, wow. I was entranced from the first page. I enjoyed the historical fantasy and fairytale retelling vibes from this book. If you like The Little Mermaid and Cinderella, you will enjoy this story. I did find the pace to be slower than I usually like, but it was still engaging. I loved the way the characters were fleshed out, even the minor characters found their way into my heart. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical romance and fantasy or fairytale retellings.

4.5 stars!
This is a multi-faceted, cleverly interwoven historical romantasy based on a mix of The Little Mermaid and Cinderella. This book strays from the well worn path and forges its own story, breaking away from typical trends. The characters had so much depth to them, the prose was absolutely beautiful, I cried.
The only reason this wasn’t 5 stars was that it was a bit slower paced than I normally like and I do wish a few things had been explained a bit more.
I highly recommend this to readers who are fans of historical romantasies and are looking for a book that pays homage to the classics while still being very unique in it’s own right.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me this Ebook ARC to review.

This book is so freaking good 😍

Full of mesmerising prose, enchanting characters, and ancient magic, I was spellbound from the start.

It’s a mix of historical fiction and fantasy, marketed as The Little Mermaid x Cinderella, and while there were definitely recognisable elements from both old fairytales (which I adored) this novel is so much more!

I loved reading about Luce, the FMC, who has always been strong throughout the book, and only gets stronger. She craves the sea and the freedom she feels it gives her, whilst maintaining a pretence of high society decorum. With fae-folk, magic, and hot smugglers/sailors, this book was everything my brain needed😍

Tropes/themes:
🧜‍♀️ love triangle
🌊 family betrayal
🧜‍♀️ slow burn/tension
🌊 powerful FMC

“Her tail flicked of its own accord, and she surged through the water, faster and stronger than she had ever thought possible.”



What happens when you blend historical fantasy with fairy tales, romance and poetic descriptions? You get Kell Woods’s second genre-blurring novel, Upon a Starlit Tide. Following on from her successful debut novel, After the Forest, based on the Brothers Grimm’s Hansel and Gretel, Woods uses her wickedly dark and enchanting style to create an adult fairy tale filled with magic, mystery and romance in Upon a Starlit Tide.



“She wore it like a shell, that coat; a briny leather casing that hid the soft, female truth of her.”



Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid and Charles Perrault’s Cinderella, Upon a Starlit Tide follows Luce as she discoverers her truth and power. Luce has always felt a little different from her sisters, Veronique and Charlotte, and the people of Saint-Marlo, Brittany. As her wealthy ship-owner father’s favourite, she longs to escape her sheltered life for an adventure at sea. But her world begins to change when she rescues Morgan de Chatelaine from the sea. Soon Luce is swept up in his charm and an extravagant ball, but she is torn between the excitement of new desire and her love for her friend Samuel. As the war with England escalates and fae begin to leave Brittany, Luce discovers her difference is actually her hidden power.



“The sun slid above the storm clouds tattering the horizon, washing the water in weak spring sunshine.”



Although Upon a Starlit Tide is only Woods’s second novel, she clearly has a talent for weaving fairy tales into historical fantasy romances and building magical and captivating worlds. For readers familiar with the fairy tales the novel is inspired by, there are key plot points connecting to the original texts, as well as quotes from each at the start of certain chapters. However, Woods has created something more than just a retelling of these well-known tales; she has crafted an immersive adventure with an intelligent, complex protagonist who swishes her tail at the original texts.



“Luce waited for the sea-dead to spy them. To change their staggering course and come ever closer.”



Integrating fae and other magical creatures into the story adds a darker layer that will satisfy lovers of adult fairy romances and fantasy tales. Instead of a fairy godmother, Luce has groac’h, a sea-fae who helps her get ready for the ball (complete with glass slippers) after her dress and mask are ruined. Woods’s imagery of the groac’h is as far from a Disney fairy godmother as one could get with her “terrifying tusks.” Each mythical creature is to be feared by the humans, but who could blame them when the sea-dead (those who died at sea) come to life like zombies.



“She felt the change this time: the magic slicking over her, head to toe, as cool as the green-blue sea.”



A particular stand out was Woods’s beautiful prose and poetic descriptions. Her way with similes, metaphors and descriptions adds to the epic romance and lingers like a fine perfume long after the reader puts the book down. If there is an audiobook version in the future, I would highly recommend this as a companion to the physical book to tap into that childhood whimsy of having a fairy tale with evocative prose read to you.



Woods’s Upon a Starlit Tide is for lovers of historical fantasy, fairy tales, magical and fairy romances and anyone who loves to escape into an epic adventure. Get swept up in the sea of romance and mermaids, and add Upon a Starlit Tide to your 2025 reading list. With many more fairy tales in the canon, readers are sure to be in for more of Woods’s beautiful prose and fantasy interpretations in the future.

An incredible story. Atmospheric, captivating, immersive and exquisite. It’s meticulously researched and I simply devoured it. The prose is lyrical and beautiful. Kell woods is a very talented writer and I will read anything she writes.

4.25 stars ✨

Upon a Starlit Tide is dark fairytale retelling with elements from The Little Mermaid and Cinderella, beautifully appointed in a regency era France. Luce Leon, the adopted daughter of the region’s wealthiest shipowners, has a habit of escaping the walls that contain her to seek out the ocean and spend time with her best friend, Samuel. Luce dreams of sailing away from the life of high society she is trapped in, and Samuel indulges her dreams by teaching her to sail. Luce is doted on by her adopted father, much to the dismay of her sisters and mother.

The story opens on Luce rescuing a shipwrecked man from the sea and saving his life. After it is discovered the sole survivor of his wreck is a member of another affluent family, a ball is held in his honour, with the hopes we will be a marriage match for one of the Leon daughters. After spending her whole life near the water aware of the dwindling fae around her, this ball brings Luce face-to-face with one for the first time. As Luce discovers the truths that have been hidden from her, she must choose whether to fight or follow prophecies, and forge her own path that she has so far been denied.

Historical fiction/fantasy is very hit or miss for me, but I absolutely loved the setting and details that built this world. The entire book was rich in atmosphere and I felt lost in the pages. I loved the way nature and elemental magic was weaved into this book, it created some beautifully eerie scenes.

The characters really cemented this book for me. We have the classic archetypes you expect from a retelling (evil stepsisters for example) but every character surprises you in one way or another. The author puts a large emphasis on motivation, or at least how Luce perceives the motivations of others, and it’s very compelling. Side characters are well utilised and developed, you couldn’t have this story without every single one of them and I really appreciate that, as opposed to feeling like a book has been filled out with unnecessary background characters. I surprisingly really enjoyed the love triangle dynamic too!

The only downside for me was that for the first 80% of the book, it felt like it was constantly building to something, and right when it seemed like you were about to get some meat, it would redirect and start building something else up. That’s not to say nothing was happening, there’s just a lot of pieces that have to fall into place and I don’t think it needed to be as long as it is. This isn’t necessarily a bad quality, it’s just not my ideal narrative style. The writing and prose was beautiful throughout, and I LOVED LOVED LOVED the ending. This is my first read from this author and it won’t be my last.

What a wonderful book and one I enjoyed immensely. 1650: The Black Forest, Wurttemberg. This book is the story of Hans and Great, it is a fairy tale and it is dark and atmospheric. It has a bit of a slow start but persevere and once it and you get into it it is an intriguing read.

This is a story where Hansel and Gretel left off rather than a retelling and it is a very interesting read. This book has a bit of everything and kept me reading. Loved the depiction of Hans and Greta and there story moving forward. Was a bit different than I thought it would be and I have to say there were parts that weren't as good and interesting as other parts but all in all a quirky and interesting tale.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was an absolutely beautiful and incredible read.
You can quite literally feel the magic radiating from its pages.
This felt like Pride and Prejudice meets Cinderella and I can’t think of a better duo. So grateful to have been honoured with this ARC and will recommend this to any readers with similar interests in this genre.
Fantastic read.

Captivating, atmospheric and relentlessly enchanting, I couldn’t put this book down! Luce was such a refreshing fantasy female lead. Although strong and incredibly capable, she was innately kindhearted, even to those who were unkind to her. The writing itself was also deeply beautiful and whimsical, making my whole experience with this book even more darkly magical.

While her sisters are bust trying to secure advantageous marriages, Luce spends her days secretly being taught to sail by Samuel. Her best friend and a smuggler. Only he understands how the waves call to her. Then one stormy morning, Luce rescues a frowning man from the sea.

Immediately drawn in by the starter’s charm, Luce is plunged into a world of glittering balls and faerie magic, seduction and brutality. Secrets that have long been lost to the shadowy depths of the ocean begin to rise again to the surface. But as Luce wrestles with warring desires, she finds that her own power is going brighter. Shining like sea glass or the scales of a mermaid’s tail.

A wonderfully captivating novel that will have you enchanted form the very first page. Whimsical prose that builds the world, explores the characters and creating a story that moves and shifts like the rising of the tides. This is a story that will stay with you long after you read the last page: it’ll leave you dreaming of faerie balls, underwater magic and you passions can lead you anywhere.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚 | 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐕𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐀 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐖𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬

I honestly love Kell Woods, I've read her other book After the forest and it had me hooked. Upon a starlit tide is no different in terms of my love for the book and how it captured my attention from start to finish!

I love the old world vibes of this book, I felt transported back in time alongside the FMC Luce in her magical fairytale 💫🏚⌛️⚓️🥿

Honestly this was always going to be right up there for me with how I rated it as for one I LOVE Kell's writing and for two I ADORE mermaid books 🧜‍♀️ I love the relationship between the main characters and it just felt like the most magical read ✨️🥰 . If you're a fan of beautifully written fantasy books then this is the book for you 💚

Thankyou to the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review and advanced copy of this book!

Thank you NetGalley & HarperCollins for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Wow what a journey that was! Kell Woods is the master storyteller! Although I must say, the first 40% is mainly world building, understanding the characters and setting the story up for that ending, not much really happens, although I found myself thinking about the book when I wasn’t reading it and wondering where the story was going. It’s one of those books you can picture vividly in your mind as you read it!

Mainly reading in the FMC Lucinde “Luce” perspective, we go on a wild journey of self discovery, found family, love & war, betrayal’s, secrets, battles and death!

This book is a little mermaid/Cinderella historical fantasy retelling. It’s very whimsical & magical. I really enjoyed reading it!

Upon A Starlit Tide was wonderfully captivating, I felt myself not wanting to put it down at all! The writing was smooth and easy to read, whilst remaining beautiful prose. I would give this book 5 stars, however, I truly felt it's lack of diversity while reading, and that was furthermore highlighted by the 2 pages that told us our heroine detests slavery. The fact that it, nor any characters of colour, never came up again, made the scene feel very token, given that this is a fantasy novel and anything can and does happen. I am, however, keen to try other books by Kell Woods!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollinsAustralia for the ARC!

This was such a great book! If you’re looking for Cinderella and the little mermaid you’ve come to the right place. It’s a perfect mixture. This book kept me so entertained and had me running back to my kindle for more.

Kell Woods also knows how to write a FMC so well! I feel like a lot of times lately people have been writing ditzy and not flushed out FMCs but it’s done wonderfully in this book!