The first 50 pages are great, but then it tails off. I felt the connection between the main characters could have been fleshed out more.

I was so excited about this book. I always want more sapphic stories, especially starring messy, “evil” characters. But this book just did not work for me, as many times as I tried starting it. I hope it finds its audience, but that’s not me.

This was a beautifully written tale with a lot of potential. I adored the dark world, the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ characters and romance, and I loved the witchy storyline and the magic system. The characters were all wonderfully written and full of emotion, and the romance between Lina and Eva was so lovely. The reason for 3 stars is the pacing was a bit off kilter for me and I found myself struggling through the slower parts. Still, it’s one I would definitely recommend because there is a lot to enjoy.

I really enjoyed the storyline in world building in the novel. I also really liked the characters. I thought this was a solid read, and I will definitely be reading more by this author.

I was super interested in this book based on the summary. I also enjoyed the wicked deep a ton so I really wanted to try this. I think this story had the potential to be amazing but fell just short.

This was a really solid YA lgbtq dark witchy fantasy! A dark witch queen, sacrifices, sea monsters, and lots of action. The writing was really beautiful, and the story very intriguing. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves witchy reads, as it’s sure to satisfy.

The Dark Tide excels in building up atmosphere through its prose and the potential of the overarching plot. While the characters and direction of the plot didn't entirely work for me, there was still a lot to like here.

I have elected not to read and review this book due to time constraints. Thank you for the opportunity.

I had super high expectations starting this title and I gotta be honest - they were met. The Dark Tide is such a breath of fresh air in fantasy story telling. Dark, swoony and twisted. Highly recommend.

The Dark Tide is a very atmospheric read based on an island where every year the witch queen must choose a boy to sacrifice to save the island. This story follows Lina who is a very empathetic, brave character who is ready to do absolutely anything for the people she loves.

Lina is also quite a naive character, she doesn’t really know much about the world she lives in so when she jumps into a stupid situation she has no idea what shes getting into. I really enjoyed Lina as a character because she is a very funny character, she is very sarcastic and I love it as I am quite a sarcastic myself.

We also get Eva the witch queen’s perspective throughout this story which was a very different look at the world. Eva is under so much pressure because she has to try and save the island by killing men from the island. She is on a mission for revenge due to the boy who escaped her sister.

Eva is going through a lot of grief and is holding in a lot of anger. This story explores grief, the process of grieving. It also explores trying to move on from a loved one's death.

This story is promoted as an LGBTQIA+ enemies to lovers story but I didn’t feel like the two characters really got to know each other or know each other long enough to be enemies to lovers. I would have loved for it to be a more drawn out angst filled very tense relationship. I would have felt a lot more for the relationship.

The story moves in a different direction than I thought it would. It took a darker twist than I expected and explored betrayal. Although I wasn’t expecting the turn I did guess how it would end.

The Dark Tide is beautifully written and I really related to both of the main characters in one way or another and I highlighted a lot of quotes that hit harder than I expected. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Oh my word the DESCRIPTIONS alone were enough to make me say READ THIS NOW. I don't really even care about anything else because the prose was so gorgeous! Also the fact that this book just tips all the tropes upside down! yes please!

Beautiful, atmospheric, enemies to lovers, with lots of interesting and unexpected twists. A thrill to read, and I can't wait for more.

Lina has lived her life on an island that is surrounded by a curse; a dark, evil tide that requires human sacrifices to keep it from rising. Lina is convinced that her brother is going to be chosen this year. Desperate to keep her brother safe, Lina enlists the help of her secret crush and only person who has escaped the palace after being chosen, Thomas. Eva was forced to watch her sister die in exchange for letting Thomas live, making her the new queen. After several unsuccessful sacrifices, the water has been rising, and everyone is blaming Eva. Determined to prove herself worthy as queen and set things right, she chooses Thomas as the sacrifice. Lina convinces Eva to take her in exchange for Thomas and when an undeniable connection is made between Queen and Sacrifice, they must choose between their lives, their happiness and the fate of their island.
This world had me wrapped up from the very beginning! An island surrounded by evil darkness that craves the hurt of the loss of a loved one; a Witch Queen struggling to keep her coven in line and her home above water; and a simple girl caught in a battle between her head and her heart. No one willingly offers their life to try to satisfy the rising tide, no witch can find another way to keep the water from rising so tensions are high. So many layers of hurt and frustrations are sharing this sinking island and it was intense to read!
Lina is an amazing character. We see her grow in so many ways as she fights for what she believes in. First, she fights to save the boy she loves, then she fights to save the family she loves, then she fights to keep unexpected happiness that she has found within Eva, the witch Queen. I loved how Lina evolved, but she always remained a total badass. Eva was an interesting character as well because she is meant to be the antagonist but she adds so many layers to the story, about loss and love and standing up to those who doubt you.
My only negative about this story was the relationship between Lina and her brother, who was physically and emotionally abusive to her. While the story does address this, it seems to be brushed off and the end, which didn't sit well with me.

Given the way this book was promoted, I expected that it would be a juicy, witchy queer romance but it really wasn’t. The protagonists spend hardly any time together and when they do talk, they are mostly hostile. Despite this they start to feel twinges of lust when they’re together which culminates in one passionate kissing scene, which is immediately interrupted by plot. The POV switches back and forth between the two women but this only serves to illuminate each one's internal struggles with a variety of other issues they’re facing - it makes them feel even more separate. Their stories aren’t terrible individually but I felt like it was a bait-and-switch, not at all the romance I was promised. It’s more a coming-of-age story in which Lina realizes that a teenage crush is not actually love, and also she may be bisexual. But in this world, being LGBTQ doesn’t seem to have any social stigma or other repercussions, so that's not a big deal.

There was some nice world-building in how the witches conduct their magic, but it was a bit underdeveloped. It seemed to me that if their magic was fatally finite, the witches would not expend it so carelessly (or if they did, that would be a main story point). In the end it felt like all of the drama was plot-related and not enough energy or tension was focused on the romance. There was so much urgent peril which kept interrupting the development of any actual relationship between the protagonists which might lead to ACTUAL love, which was supposed to be the point all along, what the dark tide truly demanded… It’s only in the last few pages of the book that Lina and Eva start to create any real bond, which was far too late for my taste. So I was disappointed. Perhaps the problem is that I am not 14.

This cover is stunning! I enjoyed this story for the most part. The unraveling of this tale was intriguing. Strong based characters and firm plot. I wish I wouldve learned a bit more of the origins of everything. I am a sucker of the how of things. I still loved this read! Definitely recommend!

This book reminded me of Hunger Games and every good fae sacrifice story in all the best ways. There was enough plot in here for a duology at least.

I only wish that the author had spent more time on the characters. As it was, I felt like this novel reminded me of In the Vanisher's Palace both because of the folklore inspired storyline and the f/f romance lead.

Thomas Lin is the character around which the novel removes, which is interesting in a way because he isn't the main character. Before this novel started, he was the sacrifice so that the dark tide wouldn't swallow up the island that our main characters live on. He is also the only sacrifice to have ever escaped.

Lina, who actually is our main character, has been in love with Thomas Lin forever. They really haven't had much in the way of interactions, though, by Lina's own recalling. What I found interesting was that her 'romance' with the witch Eva was much the same. They didn't have much to do with each other--except share enmity--and then suddenly they were kissing each other.

The weakest part of this novel is definitely in the romantic arc and development of the character. Its strengths are in both setting and plot.

This story is very transparently a Tam Lin retelling; it even includes the famous part of that story where Thomas Lin is changing into various shapes due to magic and Lina has to keep hold of him in order to help him escape. In this case, it's for the second time, although in the original ballad it is the first and only.

This was just what I was looking for.

I really enjoyed the story and the characters. The plot kept me entertained too.

I recommend this to fans of ya fantasy!

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Thank you for this arc of The Dark Tide by Alicia Jasinska to read and review. I want to start off with the things I did really enjoy about this book. First of all, it had really good rep for both POC and LGBTQIA+. The wold building was so fun, and I absolutely love the world she brought to life. Caldella definitely gave me Venice vibes as I’ve seen other reviewers point out. I also really loved the magic system, I thought it was super unique!

The premise of the story is super intriguing and I really wanted to love it. While I did enjoy it, It didn’t capture my interest the way I hoped it would. I wasn’t able to connect with the characters, they just fell a little flat for me. I also felt like plot wise, there was too much going on all at once right form the start, which made it hard to get into. Overall I felt like it was a good story, but not perfect, and could have used another few rounds of editing.

Okay, so I’m still behind. That’s my life, haha! But I finally got around to reading this one, and I’m really sad that I waited, but also happy that it brightened my week.

Every year, a boy’s life must be sacrificed by Caldella’s witch queen to keep the city from sinking below the dark depths of the sea. It’s been that way forever, and this year, Lina Kirk is convinced it’s her brother’s turn. In trying to save him, she sets in motion a series of events which will result in her being the sacrifice. It’s never been a girl, but things are changing, and if things can be changed, Lina can find a way out of it. Witch Queen Eva watched her sister sacrifice herself for the boy she loved, and she’s not going to lose anything else. She’s determined to do whatever and sacrifice whomever she needs in order to protect herself and her family.

I’ll admit, I waited for this one on audio, because I’d be able to get to it more quickly than in print, and it was not a mistake. Lori Prince is one of my favorite narrators, and she did an excellent job. The book jumps back and forth between Lina and Eve’s povs, and I never once lost the thread. I loved their enemies to…friends? Lovers? Something else? Relationship. The banter was on point, the female friendships and characterizations were rich and deep, and I feel like the dude characterizations were on point. They weren’t debonaire, chivalrous, selfless heroes, and they weren’t pure garbage, flawed men who were trying to be decent. I really appreciated that.

Did not like the writing style and could not get past the first few chapters. Felt strained and not well developed.