Tideborn picks up a few months after Fathomfolk left off. The city of Tiankawi is reeling after the effects of the dragon pearl saving them all from a massive tidal wave. Humans now have gills, and many are deeply unhappy about it. Pair that with the fact that the god that was bonded to the sand god is now on its way to Tiankawi, presumably to destroy the city for good.

In this final installment in the Drowned World Duology, Mira and Nami part ways to simultaneously try and save the city, while trying balance their duties and dealing with the loss of a loved one.

I found that the characters really grew and developed in this novel. You see Mira as she tries her hardest to cope with losing the love of her life, balance her duties as a city leader, and navigate the tenuous relationship she has with her mother-in-law. At the same time, we see Nami fighting to free herself from her toxic relationship, while attempting to lead a mixed group of humans and fathomfolk on a mission to speak with the god bent on destroying them all. I felt each character arc was done extremely well, showing both the morally grey and righteous sides of each character. Even though each of the main characters makes morally grey decisions, you as the reader as still routing for them to success in their mission.

I love the worldbuilding in this duology-it's so unique and intricate. I really felt like I got a grip on the tensions between the fathomfolk and humans, about the strife the majority of the fathomfolk population had gone through, and the justifications for many of the violent but inexcusable actions each group takes throughout the book.

I do feel like there are a few ends that could have used a bit more explanation, especially near the end, but overall this was a satisfying end to the Drowned World Duology and I would absolutely recommend to anyone who is interested in a rich, waterbased world.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Orbit Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

5/5 stars
Recommended if you like: underwater myths, political intrigue, urban fantasy, multiple POVs

This review has been posted to Goodreads and Instagram as of 1/13 and will be posted to my review blog on 1/30.

Fathomfolk spoilers!
The ending of Fathomfolk left the characters in what was essentially a new world. Only...it is a world built on a wish and not the time and energy it usually takes to produce meaningful change. It was really interesting to see how Tiankawi and its citizens dealt with this new world and how that played into (or around) the politicking we saw in book 1.

Once again the fate of the city is at stake. On the one side Kai's mother, the Yonakuni ruler. She lost her son, the golden child, and was already dissatisfied with Yonakuni-Tiankawi relations. She comes to the surface for his funeral, but she and the rest of the Yonakuni representatives have more than just that up their sleeves. From another side, there's a new group of dissidents in Tiankawi. The Drawbacks are done for, their leader dead, the rest of them arrested, scattered, or also dead as a result of the tsunami. However, not all humans are thrilled or indifferent about getting gills, and they become quite vocal, and at times even violent. Then on the other side there's the sand god whose mate was murdered at the end of Fathomfolk and who is traveling to Tiankawi for yet-to-be-determined reasons. Needless to say there are a lot of moving pieces at play and any one thing could tip the balance.

In Fathomfolk, I couldn't help but feel annoyed at times at how Nami was behaving. I know she's a teenager, but she just acted so recklessly and without any forethought, believing herself to know best. My dislike of her was tempered by the fact that she was smart some of the time, but also by the fact that it was obvious she was being very carefully and very skillfully manipulated into doing things. As I hoped, the ending events of FF woke her up to what was happening and even by the opening of Tideborn (not long after the end of book 1) she's already gotten better at recognizing her faults and thinking more about the whole picture before acting. I ended up liking Nami a lot more in this one as she starts to grow as a character and really come into herself. She still has growing to do, and at times swings too far into doubting herself, but overall I enjoyed her character a lot in this book.

Poor Mira is going through so much. Still reeling from Kai's loss, she's been thrust into the position of Minister of Fathomfolk. She has the opportunity to finally change things for the better the way she's always wanted, but at the same time she's haunted by the events of FF and dealing with both the new civil unrest and with the Yonakuni representatives jockeying for change of their own making. As shown in book 1, Mira isn't always the best at politicking, that was Kai's strength, but since she's now in his position, she has to make do if she wants to get anything done. A lot of Mira's journey is about overcoming the obstacles and unrest in Tiankawi, but it's also about grieving and processing her loss. She definitely fumbles at times, doing things I don't see her FF self doing, but times have changed and she's changed along with them.

Much like with Nami, I wasn't a huge fan of Cordelia in Fathomfolk, but I came to really enjoy her POV in this book. While I didn't like her, there were definitely times where I found her sympathetic, so the groundwork was there for me to start liking her character. She's a shrewd business woman, both cunning and cutthroat, and she's willing to be ruthless to get what she wants. At the same time, she clearly cares deeply for her family and would do anything in order to keep them safe and secure. Her human self is 'dead' in Tideborn, and so she can really only watch her family from afar. Her son, Gede, is old enough to know the truth about her, and I enjoyed reading the interactions between the two of them. Her daughter, Qiuyue, however, believes her father's lies hook-line-and-sinker, and so we see a good amount of tension there are Cordelia's true self and business side battle with the side of her that just wants her family to be protected. Cordelia is definitely still an anti-hero (anti-villain?) and I loved seeing her various sides in this book.

We get to see more of Gede in this book as he steps into his father's role as Minister of Defense. He's young but means well and is well-balanced to see things from human and Fathomfolk points of view. That being said, he's dealing with a tough situation and has little support from the various factions. He and Mira are allies, though the latter is sometimes a little too harsh on him. I do wish we got to see more of Gede, I found his character to be really interesting and I'd love to get to know him better and see more of his development.

Eun is another side character that gets more of a spotlight in this book. She's an archivist and goes along with Nami to try and find the other sand god, the one who is grieving their mate. Eun knows about all sorts of things as a result of her work and it was nice to have a character who could reasonably provide additional information and context for various things in the world. She also served as a good ally to Nami, who, while experiencing positive growth, is still surrounded by some hot-head, so Eun provided some much needed calmness and rationality. Like Gede, I wish we got to see more of Eun and had more time to know her.

Overall I enjoyed this book and thought it was the perfect sequel to Fathomfolk. The characters are dealing with the aftermath of the first book in various ways, and we really see some character growth as well some new sides to the MCs.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
I was so excited to read Tideborn by Eliza Chan, and it didn’t disappoint! This was one of my most anticipated reads, and I loved it. The story was captivating, with a rich, unique world that pulled me in right away.

The characters were so well-developed, and I felt completely invested in their journeys. Eliza Chan’s writing is beautiful and full of detail, making every scene come alive.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down. If you’re looking for a story that’s fresh and unforgettable, Tideborn is definitely one to read!

I love a good duet and the Drowned World duology is no exception. Incredibly well written, with a fantastic end. I will absolutely be buying these and I can’t wait to have them on my shelf

Tideborn concludes the Drowned World duology that started with Fathomfolk in a most corresponding fashion. From the cover that is even lovelier and in the same style of the first book in the series to the tone and style of narration, there is a good harmony in the two parts of this series. For anyone who isn't reading these two books back-to-back and needs a refresher, this second part starts with a nice "The Story So Far" summary. Then, the story picks up just after the previous one left off, returning to familiar characters and completing their stories. Anyone who enjoyed Fathomfolk should appreciate this ending to the tale. (3.5/5)
I received advanced digital access to this book thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Orbit Books) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.