I liked it! I felt like it was a great follow up to Fathomfolk and allowed me to get more emotionally invested in the characters and their prospective storylines. Cordelia is a personal favorite. I look forward to continuing the series if it does / checking out her other works.

This book tackled the continuation of tough subjects in such a thought provoking and engaging way. We again follow Mira, Nami and Cordelia in the sequel to fathomfolk as they try to solve the problems that crop up at the end of the last book. This time Mira is having to deal with grief while leading in her position and nami is now having to realize that despite the fact that she might not be as perfect as her brother Kai she has her own strengths and can handle her own. She gets tasked with essentially trying to save the city by Mira and takes a team of people who she thinks will be able to help her. All the while she is dealing with the same prejudice that we were seeing in the city. Throughout the story we are shown the different struggles of the city and how the characters are navigating it and how they handle the prejudice that had never really gone away and only got worse. The story is moving and really enthralls you in the world that was created. The parallels to our own world are so poignant and well done. Overall the book was a great read.

Tideborn, the compelling sequel to Eliza Chan's Fathomfolk, delves deeper into the intricate dynamics of Tiankawi, a city teetering on the brink of disaster. As Nami, the water dragon, embarks on a perilous oceanic expedition to avert an impending catastrophe, tensions between humans and fathomfolk escalate within the city's walls. Chan masterfully portrays these societal fractures, presenting a narrative rich in political intrigue and character development. While some plotlines resolve more effectively than others, the novel's exploration of prejudice and unity is both timely and thought-provoking. Fans of immersive fantasy worlds and complex character arcs will find Tideborn a satisfying and insightful read.

Thank you Netgalley and Orbit Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A selfless act may have saved the citizens of Tiankawi, but the city is not out of danger yet. A deadly force is heading towards the city, and this time, it may be unstoppable. Nami the water dragon must lead an expedition out into the open ocean in an attempt to stop the disaster before it's too late. But dangers lurk within the city as well. Tensions between fathomfolk and humans are even worse than before. If Mira the half-siren doesn't find a way to unite the people, the city may tear itself apart from within before any outside force can destroy it.

TIDEBORN is a bit of a muddled mess as it tries to make sense of a city crippled by prejudice as an impending disaster approaches. Smartly, the magic that saved the city from destruction at the end of FATHOMFOLK did not also magically solve racism overnight; if anything it made it worse, causing even more fracturing in a populace grappling with dramatic change. But now nearly all of the protagonists' victories are tied to solving racism in some way, and they have to do it in the space of one book.

The author has mixed success in portraying effective resolution of these tensions. Ironically, Nami the water dragon's storyline, which I was less interested in overall, has perhaps the most realistic storyline. She is sent on a mission on a boat with roughly a dozen other people, both human and fathomfolk. Within this microcosm is a range of prejudices and acceptance; in order to achieve her mission, Nami has to find a way to get her crew to set aside their fears and prejudices about each other, while also dealing with her own insecurities. It's not an easy task, but winning the hearts and minds of a handful of people is much easier than that of a whole city.

The rest of the characters are left to deal with the political turmoil in Tiankawi, and this happens less effectively. On the one hand, this makes sense. You can't make the population of an entire city set aside their individual fears and hatreds with the snap of your fingers. But that also means that it's hard to get a satisfying sense of victory. Mira and her allies can triumph over some figureheads, but they really haven't solved the root of the problem by the end of the story. It leads to a somewhat messy finale as none of these internal problems are really resolved, even if the biggest threat was eliminated.

The lack of a cohesive end goal is, at the end of the day, what causes this story to feel a bit scattered. Nami has a clear goal in her mission, but Mira's is a bit more nebulous. She is basically simply trying to hold the city together long enough for either Nami to succeed or for the city to be destroyed. The result is Mira is dealing with several different forces trying to undercut both her and any attempts at peace, leaving her fighting enemies off on all sides. Cordelia the sea-witch, on the other hand, has an even less clear goal, turning her aims this way and that in pursuit of her personal whims.

(And yes, Nami's toxic boyfriend is still around, and yes, you will still want to drop kick him into the sun.)

It's hard to sum up my final thoughts on TIDEBORN. On the one hand, I really appreciate the themes the author is grappling with. But because these themes don't have an easy answer, there's no clear resolution at the end of the day. Yes, some villains are thwarted, but as the story shows, that doesn't dissolve the beliefs of their followers. While I do enjoy the world the author created and the characters that inhabit it, the city at the heart of TIDEBORN is perhaps too realistically riddled with prejudice for the duology to have a satisfying resolution.

Note: I was provided a free ARC by the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.

A spectacular finale to one of 2024's most ambitious new series. Eliza Chan sticks the landing, and if you're a fan of the first book you're only going to find more things to love here.

Tiankawi was saved from the brink of destruction, but at terrible cost. The sand god the city was built on is dead, and its mate has awakened. As destruction approaches, Nami must find a way to avert it. But with the chaos and social upheaval that has gripped the city following the lat book, Mira's going to have her hands full ensuring there's a city left standing to need saving.

Fathomfolk was a very creative, ambitious debut novel, and in Tideborn Eliza Chan runs with it in all the best ways possible. Let's talk about it.

Following the changes that happen at the end of Fathomfolk, the city has become that much more ravaged by racist divides and partisan politics. People are grieving their losses, and that hurt turns to rage as they look for someone to blame, ignoring the priviledge of their survival given what happens. The social tensions in the city become that much more strained, as fathomfolk and humans change against each other and then there's the new element to mix, of both worlds and rejected by both. The injustice, the fear, the pain and propaganda of leaders push tensions to breaking point. On top of that, we have the political upheaval that's happening, adding another complex layer to the story. It's all the best themes of the first book given a twist with a new factor to consider, and the choice the characters make to consciously side step the hate and fear of everyone surrounding them is something we need more of in our world.

And then there's the primary characters of Mira and Nami. In Mira's case, we find her struggling with grief and loss while attempting to continue the work, often to minor success and against fierce bigoted opposition. As she becomes more worn down, whittled away by the personal and professional challenges, we see a person pushed to the edge of their breaking point. How that plays out will be for you to read and find out. And then we have Nami, who has internalized the events and lessons of Fathomfolk and it has forced a maturity on her that she still struggles to accept as who she is. As the expedition she leads encounters unexpected challenges, she's given opportunities to rise to the them and make different choices from what she's made previously, reflecting the growth of who she is now. And of course, there are numerous side characters whose stories manage to add to the emotional charge and weight of the novel, with three different cases being used to touch on the sacrifices of mothers for their children. It's not light reading.

It all culminates in an intense ending that will and wont work for some folk, but one where the messaging is clear and something we'd all do well to think on when the opportunities come for us to make choices of similar natures in our lives. A spectacular wrap up to what's been a spectacular series, and I look forward to what the future holds for us from Eliza Chan.

NOTE: Video review will go live on March 3rd, 2025.

I hate saying this but I really really really didn’t like this book. Book 1 was a struggle but I was hoping it would get better in Tideborn…it did not. There’s so much potential here!! I feel like it needs a few more rounds of editing and things to help. The story felt jumbled and it just didn’t flow. The pacing had my brain stopping every few paragraphs to reconnect to the story. I wanted to like this because I think the idea could be something amazing. Unfortunately it just wasn’t.

First off I did not realize upon requesting it that it was a second book. So I bought the first book and made my way through it. It took me a long time. It was an okay book and I probably should have maybe read another book or two in between before starting the this one. But I didn't and forced my way through. I just didn't like it. I did not like the story and I could not get all the way into it.

I was really looking forward to this sequel to Fathomfolk. While book one had its chaotic moments, I still found it an engaging read and was eager to see how the duology would conclude. However, after two attempts at restarting, I ultimately wasn’t able to finish, stopping at 37%.

In this case, I believe it was more about my personal reading experience than the book itself. The pacing in the first quarter felt slower than I had expected, which made it difficult for me to stay engaged. I also went in with high expectations after the political unrest of book one, and I don’t think I was in the right headspace to fully connect with the story.

That said, if you enjoyed Fathomfolk, I still encourage you to give this sequel a try!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think I'm one of a few people here who didn’t realize this was part of a sequel. That being said I really enjoyed the small recap at the beginning of the book and that really helped me jump into the book. I thought a lot of the details and world building seemed really interesting and I love the underwater and marine creature aspect. I mean yeah we've been seeing more mermaids and dragons, but there's so much variety here!

I think all the politics is interesting but the writing itself seems a little choppy, and I wish I had connected with the characters a little more (which is probably my bad because I missed the first book.) However, despite that I think it was a fine book. (Also, thank you god for the 3rd person perspective!!!)

Thank you NetGalley, Eliza Chan and Orbit Books for the e-ARC.

Taking place a few months after the events of Fathomfolk, we aren’t out of danger yet! The plot of this book sounded really great! The aftermath of book 1 leads us on an interesting journey. I really enjoyed the character growth of everyone between the beginning of book 1 and even just the beginning of book 2, but of course, it’s the end of the story where you see who they are overall. This author is a fantastic storyteller.

Fathomfolk was the 1st in this duology, and I absolutely loved it. Tideborn was fantastic! The world building was excellent (especially in Fathomfolk, being the first book) and the character development of this book made it an absolute gem. Tiankawi is rebuilding, both physically, from the destruction of the massive tsunami and metaphysically, as its human population now deals with the effects of the dragon pearl which granted them gills.
"Mira, a siren and activist, must uncover a deadly conspiracy while persuading her divided people to band together to rebuild their city after a tsunami. And dragon princess Nami must undertake a daring sea voyage to do the to find a way to convince a Titan not to destroy their city for its crimes."
I have to say that the parallels this has to what is going on the world, and specifically the country (USA) are hauntingly similar, especially when it comes to the people. I absolutely enjoyed this duology and am looking forward to reading more by Eliza Chan.

The world building in this book series is so fascinating. It’s very immersive and I feel like I’m able to get a good sense of the look and feel of the world. I love all the variety in the fathomfolk and I thought the way they were described was also really interesting.
Much like the first book, there was a lot and yet not a lot going on at the same time. This is very much a political fantasy but with the tension of a HOA disagreement. It feels like a lot of petty arguments between the groups rather than high stakes political drama. I personally don’t mind that but I know from reviews of the first book that it’s not everyone’s vibe.
I also would have liked a little more depth into the characters. We see a lot about what they are doing but I would love to get to know more about how they think and feel. There’s a lot of room to build up these characters so I hope we get to see that.
All in all I thought this was a fun second book in the series and I loved all the magical vibes and drama

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC!!

After Kai’s sacrifice, the city now preparing for a confrontation with another leviathan.

I thought this was good but it didn’t quite measure up to fathomfolk for me. I thought Nami showed remarkable emotional and personal growth, and it was absolutely heartbreaking to see Mira navigate her grief. I still hate Cordelia with my entire being and Samnang even more. I also think the way Eliza Chan handled the speciesism between the tideborn and the folk was extremely well done. I think the main issues I had had and why I didn’t like it as much as fathomfolk is Eun falling a bit flat, a few loose ends, and a lack of the imagery we got previously.

The story begins a few months after the events of Fathomfolk. Tiankawi is rebuilding, both physically, from the destruction of the massive tsunami and metaphysically, as its human population now deals with the effects of the dragon pearl which granted them gills. There’s an underlying tension in the city, as the populace once again finds themselves divided despite their shared experiences. Nami and Mira work in their separate ways to save the city and its population, the fate of both balanced precariously on a precipice, either total destruction or a new beginning for both fathomfolk and human.

Like its predecessor, the world building was the story’s major strength. While there wasn’t as much imagery compared to the first novel, the focus was more on the tensions building between the various factions in the city — the Council set in their ways, the newly risen Cleaven group, humans resentful of their new gills, and the Yonakuni contingent led by the dragon matriarch Jiang-Li, grieving the loss of Kai, her firstborn and now determined to see Tiankawi fall and the fathomfolk rise. It’s not easy to be sympathetic to any one group, the actions they take are deplorable and sometimes violent, but at times justifiable.

The character arcs of the major players are much more developed in this novel. Mira, coping with heartbreaking loss, is thrust into the political spotlight and at the same time must come to terms with her bi-racial (species?) heritage. For so long, she had attempted to mold herself into the image of what the humans deemed palatable and now must reckon with her siren abilities and willingness to employ them to get what she wants. Nami, at the same time, comes to terms with her relationship with Firth all while tasked with leading a motley crew of humans and fathomfolk on a mission to appease the titan sand god bent on destroying Tiankawi for its partner’s death. The most intriguing character arc was of the seawitch Cordelia, clever, resourceful, and always ready to strike a bargain, she’s the ultimate survivor, determined to play both sides to ensure she comes out on top and yet not above some petty revenge. They aren’t always right but nor are they necessarily in the wrong in the actions they take. They work with the hand they are dealt and hope to make the most of it.

Once again, the rich, mythically waterbased world of Tiankawi and its people are not so dissimilar to our modern times. It’s easy to allow our differences to divide us and justify our misdeeds. While I do feel like there were a few loose ends that needed to be tied up, overall, this was a satisfying conclusion to the Drowned World Duology.

Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

An amazing sequel, it focused more on the political part but even with that this book hit all my marks

I really liked Nami in this one - she’s grown so much since her naive thrashing in book one, and it all feels very natural as she struggles against the familiar as well as the heavy expectations (and trust) others have placed on her. There was also a very good balance between Mira, Nami, and Cordelia as our POV characters.

This did however lack a lot of the gorgeous imagery that was liberally sprinkled throughout book one. It focused very heavily on the political situation, which was necessary for the overarching conflict but it really slowed down the pacing.

I said it at the end of my review of Fathomfolk, but I’m really glad we got more of Eun in this book! Though her role here sort of muted most of her charm, it was still very very important in Nami’s journey. I was also very pleasantly surprised by Gede’s role and growth between last book and this book, even if most of it happened off-page.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit books for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

RATING: 3.5/5

Although this story got off on a rocky start, the final act really brought the story together in a satisfying way for both this book and the series as a whole, though I will say I'm a little sad to be saying goodbye to the "Drowned World" universe.

The world building is without a doubt the strongest part of this world; from the architectural infrastructure as a means of showing wealth divide to the fashion choices as a means of showing differentiation between the Yonakunish and the Tiankawian, each element that built upon the world also felt like it served a purpose in showing readers the rich diversity or conflict that marred this world. I especially enjoyed the exploration into all the different type of mythical creates that populate this world, and the intricate lives they experience whether that be kelpies or sirens or human.

As was the case with "Fathomfolk," Cordelia remains my favorite character into book 2, her complex character arc and the struggles she faces as a sea witch are fascinating, and I love the ways in which her entrepreneurial spirit drives each of her motivations. The arc she receives in this "Tideborn" is bittersweet, as she leaves book 1 on the dregs of having left her children in the hands of the monstrous Samnang, but the ways in which her character shifts throughout this story had me aching for more of her perspective chapters.

In terms of the other cast of characters, I found Mira and Nami's stories fairly weak and lacking in this story. For Mira, I enjoyed the ways in which her grief was initially explored but the inconsistency of her development, with her grief disappearing and reappearing throughout the story, led to some abruptness in characterization that did not flow organically throughout her story. Her actions at the end of the book are interesting and morally the best choice, but I question whether the choices she made necessarily line up with who she is as a character.

For Nami, I feel like her story is constantly driven by having a person be an anchor for her emotions, motivations, and actions; this never shifts from book 1 to book 2, though there is a moment at the end of Fathomfolk that feels like a moment of growth for her, Tideborn felt like a complete erasure of any growth she might have had. Her character arc made more sense in terms of linearity, especially when compared with Mira's, but I feel like the choice to have her constantly latching on to a partner severely weakened her overall character, though I did enjoy the overall community/found family unity in her arc.

However, the element that grated me the most about Tideborn was the lack of extrapolation on heavy political structure changes throughout the entire plot. The citizens of Tiankawi would peacefully protest, the protest would dissolve into violence, and the protesters would be punished, all in the span of a sentence (and this is just one example of many!) For a book that began as heavy political machinations, the glaring lack of exposition into these areas really felt like a gaping weakness in the author's writing abilities, where energy was diverted instead to a heavily singular character narrative. Which, as a result, clashed heavily with the unity/community driven narrative that the story was clearly aiming to achieve, meaning that there were multiple moments where the plot felt pulled in too many random and meaningless diversions to be a story of substance.

All in all, there are portions of this story that were compelling enough for me to see this story through to the end, but I think Tideborn definitely feels a step down from Fathomfolk.

Was I a bit hesitant in reading this book after the first book left me in scrambles? Yes, I was. I was very scared to read it because the first book left me in tears, especially that ending. I still don't believe it. But I got to keep moving and continue Mira and Nami's story.

I will warn you that this book is more political fantasy than romance. It's more about finding the right balance for everyone no matter what. It's going to be challenging. Thankfully, we have Mira and Nami willing to do so. I will also say that Mira and Nami have changed a lot throughout this book. Mira is still recovering from her loss, and she just isn't in the best mindset while we have Nami willing to set it up and be like her brother. Nami has always been compared to her brother, but this time she is more than willing to prove that her brother's sacrifice was worth it. It's always worth it.

What a delight to be back in this magical world created by Eliza Chan! It was so exciting to read this second book in this magical duology, and I loved the character development of both Mira and Nami.

I felt slightly lukewarm about the first book, but I loved the world building so much that I decided to give the second one a shot. I felt like I got to know the characters much better in this second book and that the story was overall more fleshed out and interesting. However, some of the slow pacing got to me, and I still didn’t connect with the plot as much as I normally hope to when reading a fantasy novel. But, if you enjoyed the first one, you’d definitely love the sequel!

Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!