Dark Tides, book two from The Fairmile series by Philippa Gregory, was a pretty good read. I am giving it four stars.

This book was everything I was hoping for as a sequel to Tidelands. I loved Tidelands and I couldn't wait to read Dark Tides to find out what happened to Alinor and her family. It was even better than I expected!

The story picks up 21 years after Tidelands ended. Alinor and Alys run a warehouse in a poor neighborhood in London. Sir James visits Alinor for the first time since the witch-test because he is widowed, wealthy, and looking for their child to be his heir. At the same time, Rob's Italian widow seeks Alinor to live with her after Rob's death. Ned is living in America trying to find a balance between his loyalty to his people and a respect for the Natives. Sarah and Johnnie, Alys' "twins," are all grown up and finding their ways. The drama that ensues is intense! It reminds me of another Gregory series- Wideacre (which I loved and recommend also). There is so much deception, sneakiness, love, struggle, and cleverness. The twists are surprising and the ending is incredible!

I liked the first book much better. Here, the characters are all black and white. Bad guys only do bad things. Good guys only do good things, and oh, so graciously. There is one less important character who "reforms" just to contradict my opinion, lol. The word "reformed" is repeated a few times, just to make sure we got the point. It was not a bad book, but it is much less than the first book in the series.

A sophomore book in a series is more known for its placeholder position than moving the story forward, which is partially true in Dark Tides. The twenty-year time jump does little to answer what happened to Alinor and Alys at the end of Tidelands. Alinor is a shell of her former self. However, she still has some tricks up her sleeve, while Alys appears to tap down her impulsiveness from her earlier years but soon puts her trust in all the wrong places. Nonetheless, Dark Tides adds new characters that are compelling and provoking, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. Still hooked.

I'm torn on what I think of this book. I loved some parts of it, some storylines, and yet others I really didn't. The characters didn't improve all that much and we added in a few more that I just couldn't stand. If that was the goal, it worked, but it's hard to like a book when a majority of the characters are awful. In all honesty, if the book had focused solely on Ned, I'd have been fine with it. I would have loved to have gotten more details on his story and just left the others in the background. The other storylines did, at least, have some characters getting what they deserved but Alys is still but an awful character for no reason and I do wish we heard more about what happened with her marriage but apparently its something that they don't talk about and that we also don't learn about. If you read the first book in the series, then I would read this one, if only to continue on Ned's story.

Philippa Gregory always has such great books. Her in-depth research is evident when you read the book. This was a great sequel to Tidelands and I look forward to more in this series. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this! Highly recommended especially for book clubs.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. I read Tidelands and looked forward to reading this but with over a year since I read the first one, I really struggling with feeling like I was missing too many connections by not remembering the first one that well. Read them in order. I think you will enjoy it better that way. That said, interesting story line. Good period piece. And I'm reminded again that sometimes, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Also, on a side note, I ended up looking for it on NetGalley because my library system didn't have a print copy and when I thought I was getting it from them for kindle they only had it for ebook, which doesn't work for me for something this long. Hopefully others are having an easier time locating it.

Dark Tides is the second book in acclaimed historical fiction writer Philippa Gregory’s “The Foulmire” series. It is set in 1670, 21 years after the events of The Tidelands, which I am glad I read first as it provided background information that helped me enjoy this story more fully.
Dark Tides rejoins the lives of Alinor and Alys Reekie, who now run a warehouse in London on the south side of the River Thames. Although far from rich, they are living happily when two unexpected visitors appear at their door: Lord James Avery, whom they know from the past, and a Venetian woman named Livia da Ricci, who claims to be the grieving widow of Alinor’s son, Rob. Can these two individuals be believed, or are they attempting to deceive and take advantage of the Reekie women?
The book also rejoins the life of Alinor’s brother, Ned. He now lives across the ocean in New England, where he is trying to make a new life for himself after fleeing from England when Cromwell was defeated by King Charles II.
Gregory has clearly done her research on the time period, and as always, she has penned a story with intriguing characters and great depth of historical detail. Even so, the book does move a bit slowly. Also, I found the switching back and forth between the Reekie women’s story and that of Ned to be a bit confusing and feel that, although I was interested in both storylines, perhaps they should have been told in separate books.
All in all, I am glad to have read Dark Tides and would recommend it to fans of historical fiction looking for something a little different. I am looking forward to reading the next installment in this series.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this work. The opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.

Good read, but the end was too abrupt and rushed over. Was looking for more conclusive ending.
Loved to learn about Venice and the plague island. Would read more about that.

This is a well written story filled with intrigue and lots of twists and turns. It focuses on one very unlike able Countess from Venice, who shows up dressed in black mourning clothes, with babe in tow, claiming to be the widow of the family’s son, and brother. She is out for fortunes gain and proves to be unscrupulous and manipulative throughout the story, with no one ever calling her out on her schemes. Only the missing boy’s mother is skeptical of her claims and believes her son to be still alive. Written on three different plains, we jump back and forth from England, to Venice, and New England. I enjoyed the story, but was so hoping to see the evil doer get her comeuppance.

I haven't read any of Phillipa Gregory's books since The Other Boleyn Girl. When I got an email about this book, I thought it was time to give her stories another chance. Did the pitch mention this was part of a series? I don't remember.

I was 100 pages into this book before I realized it was the second book in a series. To be sure, there's plenty of backstory hinted at throughout but Gregory does such a good job of making it seem to be part of the way she wanted to tell her story that it never appeared to be an attempt to catch readers up on a first book. Except...

There are two story lines here, that of Alinor's family in London and that of Ned in the New World. As they summary says, they're brother and sister who write to each other and Ned occasionally sends boxes of herbs. And that is as close as the two stories ever come to intersecting; it was obvious about half way through the book that that would be the case. Alinor's family's story was much more interesting to me and I raced through those chapters, although Ned's might have been a fine story if I were reading it in it's own book. Gregory makes both locations come alive and there are some really terrific characters in both story lines but Alinor's story is the story that has the action and the suspense.

And in the end? Dark Tides is literally the The Empire Strikes Back of this book series. We only ever get the barest glimpse of the entire backstory and the stories more or less just drop off at the end of this book. There may, in fact, actually be more loose ends by the last page as there were at the beginning.

If you're a fan of Gregory's, I think you'll enjoy this one. And if you've already read Tidelands, I think you won't be disappointed in this next installment of Alinor's story. If you haven't read that one, read it first.

As a thank you to netgalley and the publisher ( Simon and Schuster) I write this review.**** This book review contains spoilers**** If you have not read #tidelands you may want to before reading #darktides. The reader is re-introduced to the woman Alinor has become twenty years later and the series of events that happened between that time including the birth of Alys’s children and Alinor’s brothers (Ned) leave for America. The novel takes place twenty years later in the poverty of London, the artistry of Venice, and the tension-filled frontier of early America. Along the River Thames and far from the Tidelands she knew so well does Alinor now live with her family and is the owner of a Warehousing business. Alinor and her family are reintroduced to James Avery, Alinor’s lover and reported father of her child. He appears in the novel once more and plans to reconcile his past wrongs and marry Alinor. For he believes the child she was pregnant with twenty years before has grown and plans to acknowledge this child his own thus making them heir to his family’s fortune. Is he? Alinor refuses Avery’s plea neither acknowledging a child nor not. During this exchange is a woman accompanied by him named Livia. She is reported to be Alinor’s sons’ (Rob) wife and mother of his child. The child's name is Matteo. Livia introduces herself to Alinor and Alys ( Alinor’s daughter) and tells them the news that her son Rob has died by drowning in Venice. Alinor whose gift of sight knows in her heart that her son is not dead but alive and this woman who reports being his widow is an imposter. Alinor has always believed in her sight and the visions given to her. Will this time be any different? Phillippa Gregory’s writing is lyrical and adds to the juxtaposition experienced by Ned Alinor’s brother. The beheading of Charles I has occurred and because of his allegiance to Oliver Cromwell cannot support the reign of Charles II. He decides to move to New England and recreate his ferry business. He corresponds to his sister monthly and depicts his experience communicating with indigenous people near the colony he has moved to. It is his responsibility he feels to bring an awareness of truth to his brethren and give voice to a group that has been silenced. This is something that could be expanded on in another novel. However, the novel addresses questions surrounding Robs reported drowning in Venice, and the child left behind with his mother who is now widowed and impoverished. How Livia navigates her journey as a widow in this novel is worth looking into for its entertainment value. The novel was enjoyable as it took the reader to varied parts of the world culminating in the conclusion of this tale of determination, manipulation, and intrigue. Alinor’s family is one I grew close to while reading this novel and am glad I was able to learn the conclusion of their story. . I recommend it to those who enjoy historical fiction and hope to return to this series if the author chooses to continue it. Of five stars on Goodreads, I gave this novel four out of five.

I am a big fan of this author and when this new series came out, I could not wait to get my hands on the first book. When I found out that I was lucky enough to receive an early copy here, I could not wait to start reading it. While this book may seem slow paced to some people, there is really a lot more going on than meets the eye. There is a mysterious widow that shows up at the house of our lovely mother and daughter pair from the last book. They are much older than when we last saw them and there are layers and layers of different things to keep you guessing. The book starts with a letter stating that Alinor's son is dead, soon followed by the arrival of the widow. Before that, James Avery shows up hoping to win back his old love and hopes that he will have a grown son to inherit the family fortune and houses. No one is as they seem in this book. Do not trust a mysterious widow, an old lover, or what the world wants you to believe. This mother and daughter duo will have to keep their wits about them and follow their gut if they want to get out of the impending disaster unharmed. Things start to get gray and shady and emotions tend to get in their way of what is right or wrong to do.
I adored this book and will continue reading all of this author's books. A full, more thorough review will be posted on my blog CelticsLibrary.com by the second week of January.

I love Phillipa Gregory and she is one of my favorite historical authors. That being said, this was not my favorite book by her.

Only after beginning it, did I realize that it is second in a series. After reading several reviews, it doesn’t seem like that really mattered. Some of the reviews stated that the characters seemed so different in this book.

My issue with the book is that it basically tells two stories. One story takes place in London and one takes place in New England. They are connected in that the man in New England, Ned is the brother of Alinor, the mother of the family in London.

Other than the family connection, the stories aren’t connected in any way. Ned is living his life and Alinor and her family are living their lives. It’s two different stories taking place at the same time.

Ned’s story is all about the colonists and the native Americans. Ned is friendly with the native Americans and hopes that they can live together without war. It was an interesting storyline and would have made more sense if it had been it’s own book, I can’t figure out why it was included in this story.

Alinor’s story is about her son’s wife, Livia, suddenly showing up at her door with a baby, claiming that her husband is dead. Livia comes in seducing everyone with her charm and manipulative ways, except Alinor has her doubts.

I felt the story in London was a little more fleshed out than Ned’s story, but I found the characters weak and annoying. I would love to see Ned’s story developed in another novel.

I am a huge fan of Phillipa Gregory's work. I love historical dramas. And anything to do with the Restoration period but this one wasn't up to par with the rest of her books. I had a hard time getting into the story. It did not keep my attention either. I voluntarily read this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Dark Tides is a wonderful finish to The Fairmile duology. Tidelands laid the foundation for what was to come in Dark Tides. Twenty years later the Reekie family have gone in different directions. Rob to the new world, Alys and Alinor to London and Rob to Italy. Philippa Gregory weaves a story that makes the heart race for the Reekie family as they are told Rob has drowned and his young widow and son have arrived to find comfort with them at their small shipping warehouse. The reader immediately are let in on the secret the family is not, that Livia is not a good person and only wants to use people for her own advancement. I found myself wanting to not put the book down as the story progressed. Is Rob really dead? Will Livia use the Reekies and make them penniless? Will Sir James Avery see through Livia's lies? Will Sarah find the truth about Rob? These are many questions that I wanted answers to and couldn't wait for the end to see how everything played out. Well done!

Dark Tides by Philippa Gregory is the second book in the Fairmile series. This tale is set in the gorgeously described locations of London, Venice, and America. This is a fast-paced entertaining read by a masterful historical fiction writer. Read and enjoy!

'Dark Tides' is the sequel to 'Tidelands' in the 'Fairmile' series. It follows Alinor, her daughter Alys, and her grandchildren in London, 21 years later. They are running a small warehouse business on the pungent south side of the River Thames. They are getting by, when they have unexpected visitors, which turns their lives upside down.

We also follow what her brother Ned is doing in New England. He went there so he could live in freedom, but it looks like there are tensions rising between his fellow settlers and the American Indians.


Looking forward to the next installment in this series to see what happens with these characters.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DARK TIDES
By Philippa Gregory

If you are a historical fiction fan like I am, you read Philippa Gregory for the absolute best in this genre. I have not been disappointed by anything Gregory writes. In the Dark Tides, the follow up to the Tidelands, the second book in The Fairmile series, we are transported to 1670's London, Venice and the early frontiers of early America, in New England. In a story told through multiple POV's we learn about the characters and the rich historical detail of the story line of this book.

This was a fantastic and well-written historical fiction novel that is both intriguing and heart breaking. For historical fiction fans, this is a must read and could not be missed.

I didn't realize that this was the second in a series, and while I was still able to loosely follow the story/plot, I felt as if I was missing some vital information to really enjoy it. This could be my fault so I will be lenient on the rating.