This book…omg…THIS BOOK. Sarah Tolcser once again delivers a high stakes adventure at sea as Caro and Markos fight for love, power, and treasure. Picking up almost exactly where Song of the Current left off, Caro and Markos are quickly faced with a tough choice that will put them on the path to heartbreak or sovereignty. What follows is a fast paced thrill ride full of old enemies, magic and mayhem, and a swoony romance that gave me all the feels.

Caro is just as fierce as ever, even when she doubts the person she’s becoming. Her relationship with Markos is something completely new to her and she worries that the promise she made him at the end of book one will leave her feeling caged and unable to take to the seas, adventuring as she so wishes to do. Along the way, she realizes who she’s meant to be and how Markos plays into that, especially once he reveals vital information in regards to how he feels about his own future.

The best parts of these books most definitely are when Caro and Markos are sharing the page, bantering and bickering and pushing each other’s buttons. Their relationship is so fun and realistic feeling, which is really cool to see set against the backdrop of pirates and monarchies and politics and fantasy. I love getting to see how much they’ve grown across two novels and I can only hope someday there might be even more to their story, even though this appears to be only a duology and the ending is oh so satisfying.

Another pleasant addition to this book was Diric Melanos. He was present in Song of the Current, but was villainous and made to be unlikeable. I loved that we got to uncover who he really was in Whisper of the Tide, and see the redemption he had always secretly been seeking.

The plot is very well done, the female villain introduced in this book is quite adversarial, and the ending is everything fans of this series could hope for. Song of the Current was one of my favorite reads of 2017 and I can already say that Whisper of the Tide is one of my favorite reads of 2018.

*Thank you to Bloomsbury YA and Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

WHISPER OF THE TIDE was as fun as its predecessor--SONG OF THE CURRENT. The romance, the adventure, and the characters reminded me of why I love this series so much.

This series is AMAZING. And Whisper of the Tide only got better with this series.

Summary:
Swashbuckling pirates
Lost treasure
Thrilling and unpredictable story

Review:

Pirates, treasure hunts, and sailing on the open sea what more could you want from a book? How about a beautifully designed map? Well this book delivers all that and more!

Our story begins with a glimpse into the future with our favorite Captain Caro Oresteia on a pirate island about to be betrayed, but more on that later. Jump back three months, we are reunited with Markos trying to fight for his rightful title of Emparch by gaining the nobles support. Spoiler...it’s not going well. Markos then receives an offer that he cannot refuse if he wants his country back and sends Caro to deliver his message. She is returning from delivering the message when the god of the sea has a little fight with Caro and it does not end well for her or her crew. She ends up trapped on a desert island, with no land in sight and someone she never thought she’d see again. This is where the story really starts to get interesting and I’ll leave you to read the rest.

Throughout Caro’s journey we encounter some old familiar faces and some new interesting characters. One of my favorite new characters (though we don’t see nearly enough of her) was the Queen of Brizos, Dido Brilliante. She was so mysterious and dangerous and well...different! I want to know more about her story and how she came to be Queen. But by far my favorite character, other than Caro of course, was Kenté. She has come a long way in her shadowman (or woman in this case) training since we last encountered her in Song of the Current. She is constantly supporting Caro and helping her get into, but mostly out of, trouble. The relationship between the two cousins reminds me more of sisters and I love seeing them together!

Now onto our love birds, Markos and Caro. I absolutely loved their relationship in this book, it felt so *real*! They weren’t this perfect couple living happily ever after, they had fights and doubts and were constantly getting in their own way. Caro in particular was constantly doubting herself and her relationship with Markos. Just a little sneak peak into Marcaro (or is it Carkos?)

“As his careful fingers washed and dressed my cut, I realized this was what I’d feared the most. I’d been afraid if I allowed myself to be vulnerable with him, I’d lose a part of myself. But right now I didn’t feel lost at all.”

Talk about swoon worthy!

While I loved almost everything about this book, I felt as if the world building took a bit of a back seat. It didn’t feel it was as descriptive as Song in the Current but there also was only a couple new places visited. But what this book lacked in world building, was completely compensated for with a thrilling plot line. I was continually trying to guess what Caro and her friends were going to do next and utterly failing a good portion of the time! I loved not knowing what was going to happen and being constantly surprised! It made this book a quick and entertaining read! But by far my favorite part of Whisper of the Tide was the ending. No spoilers here but I was not disappointed!

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to continue on Caro’s journey! It was a entincing tale that left me wanting more but strangely satisfied at the same time. Current carry you!

I received an eARC from Netgalley. These opinions are my own. The quotes above were taken from an eARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Song of the Current was a book that caught me by surprise. I was shocked at how much I enjoyed it. And to be able to read Whisper of the Tide was amazing. Caro is a special kind of heroine. She reminds me alot of Aelin. Caro knows that's she's a great captain and thnks for herself. Being a woman does not deter her from being the very best captain. While she's super strong, I also find her to be real and personal. She questions herself and her ability to help others and Markos. Her relationship with Markos is just so great. She doesn't know if it's in her and Markos best interest to be in a relationship and I love that. I loved reading Whisper of the Tide and can't wait to add it to my collection come May!

Pirates, Gold, and a Amazing Female Protagonist! This is sequel you won't want to miss. The characters will capture your heart from the first chapter and the world will captivate you until the end.