I received a copy of All the Tides of Fate, by Adalyn Grace, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the second book in the series All the Stars and Teeth, picking up the story a couple of seasons after the first one ended. (Ended as if this was the last book in the series, but left open so there could be another.)

The first thing I must mention, that like the first book the MC liked to whine, but it wasn’t as bad as the first, but it still got irritating having the same things talked about as if it was being beaten into my head.

That said, it was an okay story, started off with adventure, assassination attempts, and the such, but sadly towards the end, it lost its substance as if the author decided that was enough story, it needed to end.
It wasn't that bad of an ending, there was a surprise there, but how it was wrapped up, I had already figured that was what was going to happen.

This one, as the first, I give three stars, and it is a book I would recommend to others. It’s suitable for readers, 14 and up. There were some fights that got a little bloody.

***I received an uncorrected proof of this ebook from netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

"I am not just Visidia's queen, after all. I am its protector. Its monster."✝

I am having a hard time articulating exactly /why/ I don’t love this duology. It’s well written. It checks all my boxes. BUT...?? I was super excited to read this, but I just couldn’t stay interested. I would read a chapter, get distracted on instagram, read a chapter, wander off to tumblr, repeat.

I think a major part of it is definitely Amora. I just don’t like her, like, at all. She’s got a wild temper, and some of her internal thoughts are a LOT. I just wanted to be like SIS, RELAX. You don’t need to maim people just because they were rude. This might also be why the romance is lackluster. I just... don’t understand why Bastian wants anything to do with this woman. That goes for Ferrick and Cas too... RUN! I get Vatea and Shanty because ~bad bitch squad~ and all that.

Amora’s motivation throughout this entire book is fueled by her feelings on her father and... I just don’t buy it. It contradicts her other motivation, so-called “greatest love”: her kingdom. So which is it ma’am? I’m confused. Her repeated refusal to let anyone in and spend so much time thinking about it (the other half of the text when she's not thinking about her father)... is very grating. WE GET IT. You're a strong independent woman who don't need no man, or anyone else for that matter.

"How am I supposed to lead a kingdom that tries to poison me? Who wants me dead and gone? If I had my father here … he could help. The kingdom would feel safer.”✝ BOO FUCKING HOO. Ma'am you are a monarch, and people don't generally like monarchs. This also feels like a complete 180 from book 1, where Amora believed herself to be what's best for Visidia. We all knew (readers & Amora) from the start of book 1 that her father was a horrible ruler. I *think* this entire book was meant to showcase Amora dealing with her grief and PTSD, but it was poorly executed. There wasn't much of a recovery. She was just in a really bad place until another moment of trauma provided clarity.

The stakes don’t seem high enough with Amora’s final *choice*, because there is only one she can make or this whole duology is pointless.

-10 points for a pointless death at the end... what a stupid way to kill off a main. And then erasing everyone’s memory of them? -1000000000. [I also just don’t understand how we can regrow hacked off limbs and cure poisoning, etc, but a knife to the side is death? In a self-healing being? I- (hide spoiler)]

WHEW that ending.... For the majority of the book, Amora whined about her people not being able to handle the speed of change going on in Visidia. So, her solution is to [absolve the monarchy and announce each island is going to elect a ruler biannually...? (hide spoiler)] L-O-L... what kind of cheesy children’s movie ending did i just witness with this final chapter? Make it make sense.

Look, I like Adalyn Grace's writing style. I will for sure be reading Belladonna, her next book. But this just didn't do it for me and earned itself a space on the disappointing sequels shelf.


✝check against final text

Rating: 3.5 stars

Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the ARC and Adalyn Grace for the sleep-deprivation.

You'd thinking after vanquishing an centuries'-old curse, restoring a lost island, and becoming queen, life would be a little easier for Amora Montara. Unfortunately, even as she tries to prove to her people and herself that she's a strong, independent woman who don't need no man, her first order of business is to appease the kingdom by producing an heir. She's sent on a reverse Cinderella-tour through the islands to find a husband. She uses tour as an excuse to look for a way to break the curse that ties her with Bastian and finds that the world can be an even more dangerous place for a reigning queen than for a runaway princess.

The pacing was similar to the first book, but the story felt a bit more disjointed this time around. Instead of creating a seamless, complete story, different parts of the story were like pieces of a puzzle that don't quite fit together. Because there weren't really transitions to bridge the various storylines together, the plot was kind of all over the place and there was major part of the ending that I'm still not convinced needed to happen. I'm hoping some of that will be fixed up before final book is published because it really detracted from what was otherwise a pretty interesting story.

My biggest issue with the book was the fact that the main source of conflict is Amora's lack of communication and refusal to let people help which is not my favorite, It's a shame because the end of her character arc in All the Stars and Teeth was heading in such a promising direction, and this felt like such a huge step backwards. It was especially frustrating to see it play out in her relationship with Bastain. I already found the romance fairly unconvincing, and the supposed objections Amora kept bringing up felt like a cheap ploy to create unnecessary drama.

That being said, this was still a great book that kept me up until the wee hours of the morning. It was fun visiting the different islands: Kerost, the new Vegas (or Macau, if we're sticking to the island theme) of Visdia, Curmana, the island getaway of my fictional dreams, and let's not forget Valuka, the diverse land with major ATLA vibes. The biggest disappointment was the fact that we didn't get to go back to Zudoh. I'm not a fan of unnecessary short stories, but I almost want Grace to give us a "bonus scene" where Amora and Bastain visit the formerly banished island. I need to see for myself they're doing okay. I also loved Ferrick's character arc in this one. He was my least favorite crewmate in the original, but Grace converted me in All the Tides of Fate and I'm now 100% Team Ferrick,

Magic, pirates, mermaids, sailing adventure...need I say more?

I loved All the Stars and Teeth and was beyond excited to get my hands on this one! It didn't disappoint. There was even more action, adventure, romance, heartache, secrets, and more!
My only complaint would be that I wished it could have been longer or even another book. It wrapped up almost too quick and I would have loved to see more in the conclusion of this amazing story!

Through blood and sacrifice, Amora Montara has conquered a rebellion and taken her rightful place as queen of Visidia. Now, with the islands in turmoil and the people questioning her authority, Amora cannot allow anyone to see her weaknesses.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow wow wow. Where to even begin? I love this book, it exceeded my expectations in every way. Amora is such a complex character, and at times her life choices infuriated me. I yelled at her several times over the course of this story because she was making decisions that I would not have made. It's frustrating when you are mad at the main character of a story! But I also saw a lot of myself in Amora: she is stubborn, strong-willed, and feels like she is the only person who can get the job done. Her character is so well-written that it was very easy to put myself in her shoes and understand her thought process.

I think as a woman we often are called weak and emotional, especially women in positions of power. Amora's struggle to seem kind, but firm, approachable but not a push-over is something I think every woman has faced at some point. Of course, the stakes are much higher for Amora but I appreciated the parallels between real life, whether they were intended or not.

The cast of characters that help Amora along her journey are just as fun and interesting this time as they were last time. They are vibrant and witty, and Grace makes us feel like we are part of the crew. Amora is the main character of this story, but we are never made to feel that the others only exist as plot devices. They are all main characters in their own story. They led complex lives before they met Amora, and will continue to have adventures of their own.

Also, I didn't know it was possible to fall in love with a fictional character, but who wouldn't fall in love with a dashing pirate?

The journey across the kingdom was delightful, and it was a joy to experience the other cultures and landscapes that Grace has created. I didn't want to leave! Absolutely wonderful book and I was very sad to finish it.

I have to say, I was both extremely excited to read this book as well as dreading it. I LOVED the first book and normally, when I love the first book, the second book just doesn't hold up. I will say, with All the Tides of Fate, this was not the case. I was immediately pulled in from the first chapter. I highly commend Grace for keeping us all on our toes until the very last word; I was NOT expecting any of it. We get to meet so many new characters while staying true to the ones we fell in love with the first time around. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves a good book with a strong female lead, someone who loves a little adventure, a little romance, and a little mystery. Bravo.

Sequels sometimes fall flat but this one exceeded my expectations. Adalyn Grace returns to the beautiful world she created and brings back all of the characters readers have already grown to love. In this sequel you find things picking up a short piece in time past the ending of All the Scars and Teeth. Trying to heal her country and herself from the curse that plagues her, this story takes Amora and Bastien on another unforgettable adventure. Full of mystery and magic and passion and friendship, this book had me from the start and hit me in the feels a few times! A well written story. I can't wait to see what Grace writes next!

I really enjoyed the first book in this series so I was excited to be able to read this one. It did not disappoint! I flew through this book and the plot was so good! I will be recommending this book to the teens at my library. Awesome read!

This book was received as an ARC from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group - Imprint in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am a huge fan of the fantasy adventure novel and had high expectations of this book and surely I wasn't disappointed. I am all about female empowerment and female protagonists and Amora was not only the exact description to both of those characteristics but I loved her passion and determination to save Visidia and regain her confidence as queen. In search for the artifact that will save her and Visdia, Amora learns that power comes with a great sacrifice and she learns what truly is important to her. I can't wait to have this book at our next teen book club and I know the discussions that will arise will be enlightening.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.