There was no second book slump here! Vale comes in swinging with pirates, a similar-but-new threat due to consequences of actions in the last book, great characters, and a big ole cliffhanger.

I didn't reread the first book before starting this one, so I was worried that I'd be lost, but after a few chapters I was settled back in to the story and characters like no time had passed. There is just enough callback to how the first book went without it being a full-on recap. There was also plenty of world-building without it feeling like a slog. So excited to see what comes next!

Also, justice for Csillia! I don't know that I can bear to watch her hurt anymore!

Thanks to Wattpad Books and Netgalley for the e-ARC!

Dark Tides by Kimberly Vale @kimberly.vale

Book 2 in The Kingdom of Bones series

Out today!

Thank you to @wattpadbooks and @netgalley for my review copy!

Let me tell you I love this series! The character development between this first and second book is awesome! You see the growth as each character steps into next stage. I loved that we get more of Kane in this one. Romances that you are rooting for, that are tested. The friendships 🖤 these characters will do anything for their crew. The action is none stop on the seas or islands! And that ending 😱 I’m already dying for the next one! 4.5☠️

After reading Cross Bones last year I didn't see how Kimberly Vale could capture the magic of the first part of this mystical trilogy but she has and I can't wait to read more.

With a cast that's as complicated as it is intense we have everything in this book I didn't know I needed. From wars with gods to pirate politics, this book is fantastic in so many ways,

While reading this book I found myself even more invested in our main characters, Csilla, Kane, and Lorelei we also see even more of what makes the world of Cerulia such a fantastic yet terrifying place to be.

With stunning imagery, breathtaking twists, and brilliant characters I can't wait to see what happens next for our beloved characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad Books for providing an advance copy of this book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such a phenomenal read! I think I enjoyed this one even more than Crossbones, which by the way, was amazing! Told in Multi-POV from Csilla, Kane, Loreli and Jaron. Jaron, the new addition to the book, so his parts were really interesting. Even the world-building was fantastic! If you love fantasy and pirates, snarky comments, then pick this up!

Multiple POV
Slow burn

Dark tides is the second book in the kingdom of bones series. We follow Kade, Lorelei, Csilla, Flynn and their crew in the after math of crossbones. Their journey is full of choices that post the ultimate question, would you do what needs to be done if it mean protecting those you love?

I was so excited to dig into Dark Tides after getting approved on NetGalley and I was not disappointed! Dark Tides continues the action we grew to expect in Crossbones; right away there was a zombie pirate battle! We’re also introduced to a new POV character who is deliciously morally grey and I think I smell an upcoming enemies-to-lovers romance! There is a nice little twist revealed to the reader and then…a cliffhanger! In the end, Dark Tides gets another four stars from me. I’m not the biggest fan of a cliffhanger ending, depending on how it’s done, and in this case it’s all climax with no denouement. Call me picky, but I like my cliffhanger after a denouement; not only does that lend to a feeling of closure, but it also causes a punchier shock of the open end. (Yes, I know by definition a cliffhanger does not have closure, but there’s that completed story feeling if there’s a denouement before the cliffhanger, whereas all climax does not feel like a finished story).

Dark Tides is the second installment in author Kimberly Vale's Kingdom of Bones trilogy. Vale’s swashbuckling pirates return for another high seas, high stakes adventure where Csilla and the Bones crew must battle more otherworldly creatures seeping in from Limbo, and threatening to swallow them whole. As the war between gods and mortals builds to a crescendo, Csilla, Kane, and Lorelei must not only protect their world from destruction, but also their hearts from looming devastation. The seas darken and not everyone will survive the rising tides.

The story alternate's between three main characters: Csilla Abado, Kane Blackwater, Lorelei Storm, as well as Jaron (an emberblood) Thorne who tosses a monkey wrench into everyone's lives. Especially after digging up a weapon in a box which leads him to believe that if he follows his new master, he will be the champion of a God and he'll be able to see his brother again once he kidnaps Lorelai and brings her to his master. Jaron's whole existence is to reign revenge down on the pirates he blames for destroying his life.

Csilla Abado has a full plate after becoming the first Queen of Bones. While leading Cerulia, she needs to find a way to mend the lingering crack between Limbo and the mortal realm. She also has reoccurring nightmares over the loss of her sister who seems to be haunting her after the events of Crossbones. And when Lorelai and Nara go missing, the crew takes to the seas once more to try and find them . . . facing the worst of the villains and even more otherworldly creatures spilling in from the crack.

Kane Blackwater, desperate to find Dominic Rove, comes face-to-face with creatures who have no place in this world while in Death's Cove. When he’s wounded, his magic-laced injury seeps throughout his body, spreading an unknown evil into his veins. His time is running out and he must decide what's more important to him: Lorelai’s life or his own, especially when Lorelai is seemingly kidnapped by Jaron and the world is about to get a rude awakening by a God who has been locked away in Limbo.

Lorelei Storm (Stormblood) isn't the same since her return from the realm of Limbo after she died. A menacing and powerful magic rests under her skin, and she fears it as much as she craves its potential. When captured and taken prisoner by an Incendian Scout (Jaren), he promises to teach her how to control her powerful new magic. It may be the only chance she has at saving her own life. Especially after Magnus forces her to make a choice between her friends, and her powers.

This story is a bit more darker than Crossbones. The world gets bigger, there are new characters introduced like Jaron, and each of the primary, as well as secondary, face their own legacy when Magnus leaves everyone's lives hanging in the balance. In other words, yes, there is a huge cliffhanger ending. Especially the final chapter!

I had a really good time with this book. I really enjoyed the first one, I loved the competition element so I was a little hesitant for this one because the competition ended in the first one.
We get 4 POVs, Csilla, Kane, Loreli and Jaron. Since we already knew the first 3 characters, it was never confusing and Jaron was a great addition. His POV was very interesting and mysterious, especially at first. I liked all 4 of these characters and each story that they had. They each had an important part to play and each POV was necessary.
The plot was really interesting and kept my attention. At the very beginning, Kane and Flynn are looking for Rove and instead, they find terrifying creatures that have escaped Limbo and zombies on an abandoned ship. They then return to Baltessa and Lorelai gets kidnapped. While we get the 4 POVs, we get the storyline of Lorelai and Jaron traveling to who knows where and Csilla and Kane trying to follow them.
It did seem like this book was more of a lead up to the last one in the trilogy, but it definitely hit the mark of not being a dreaded book 2 slump. It ended at the perfect place to begin the third and final book and I already can't wait for it!

Fantasy, pirates & mythology oh my what a perfect combination of my favorite genres! I was very pleased with this story the plot was outstanding with some amazing characters too.

Rating: 5/5
Pub: 10/18/22
I was gifted eARC for my honest review

If you love pirates, Fantasy, adventure, action, Gods against mortals, creatures from another world and YA books then this is your book

This book was absolutely a perfect sequel to Crossbones. I was a little worried that this book wouldn’t live up to the first book, but I am pleased to say that this book really delivered.

The Characters in this book went deeper with their development, and we really got to see them all shine. I think Lorelei and Csilla developed beautifully, we really get to see both strong women bloom into their roles and bring their characters to life. Kane and Alrik are some of my favorite male characters in this book, I do like Finn as well. With Kane you get the strong broody type but deep down you know he can be the sweetest thing in the world to the right girl and he would go to the ends of the world for her as well. Alrik is the goofball, with all his banter in this book had me laughing, I loved how he is never scared to ask the questions that everyone else is thinking. I love how Vale was able to blend the plot and the characters so perfectly.

The overall feel of the book was much darker with little twists in the book, and that just made it even more exciting to read and having to know what was going on next had me going turning pages like no other. I loved how we got to see how everyone was doing after the first book and how some were dealing with not being a pirate anymore, but in the end, you can never really take a pirate from the sea they belong there. I can not wait to see what the last book will bring us; will it be an epic battle between the gods and mortals or will there be a world of destruction before some find redemption and others find what is holding them back in the world. 10/2023 is SO far away, but I can not wait until it comes out and we get to know how everything will finally come together.

I want to thank NetGalley and Wattpad Books for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this amazing book.

Kimberly Vale has done it once again! The mythology is expanded, new characters are introduced, and time is spent in new settings within this world. I loved returning to the characters and pirate lore of this series! This book has a darker tone than the first one but the found family dynamic of this pirate crew is able to balance it out while simultaneously making the already raised stakes even higher. Each of our characters gets more development especially Lorelei, who we really see grapple with what happened to her at the end of Crossbones and find new sides of herself. The ending, ESPECIALLY the last paragraph, have me so excited for the conclusion of this series!!!

3.5 stars
Dark Tides is unquestionably a strong addition to the Kingdom of Bones Trilogy. The plot and character arcs were expanded upon in interesting ways and new characters were introduced. This sequel also has a much darker tone and atmosphere than it's previous entry, which I really enjoyed. And of course, the pirate lore and adventures were great. I'm not sure if I plan on continuing this series, as I'm starting to become more picky with my YA reads as my reading preferences change and mature, but I would definitely recommend this book to current YA fans.

“But they have a particular liking for human flesh”
“You know, Borne, you could have mentioned that before I tried to pet the thing”

This book is fantastic! Humorous, snarky moments mixed with impending death… amazing! The creatures in this book sound creepy and awesome. I would love to have some illustrations of them. And of course you can have a novel about pirates with lots of trickery.

“This isn’t a kingdom anymore. It’s a queendom” 🖤🖤🖤🖤

That ending though! 😲 I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Loved loved this one!! Gripping and exciting and as always a fab read and can't wait to see what this author does next :)

This book was not at all what I expected, and I am so glad for that! From the first pages I was drawn into Vale's deeply immersive voice and the dark tone she set instantaneously. From there, we get an ensemble of characters, each with such distinct voices and mannerisms that I could feel them lifting from the page. I was enthralled by the action, the twists and turns, but most of all by the characters themselves, their motivations, their arcs and development. It was truly a movie in my head and the perfect blend of plot and characters. As someone new to the world of pirates and fantasy novels set in that world, I can now see the allure and will be searching for more in this subgenre. I can't wait to see what is next from Vale.

The second book in the "Kingdom of Bones" series is action filled and does not disappoint! We find our group of pirates settling into their newly won Queen's reign with a banquet. Unfortunately trouble is afoot and Lorelei Storm and the Queen's first mate, Nara, are taken prisoner by the Fire god's champion an Incendian scout, Jason Thorne. On learning that the two have been kidnapped the entire troup including the Queen take to the sea to rescue them.
All this leads to a war between the gods and the mortals to protect the mortal world from destruction. Some will find redemptiom , some love and some will not survive.
This was a fast paced enjoyable read. I enjoy this author's writing style and look forward to the next book in the series.

I thought this was an amazing addition to the first book - everything I loved about crossbones I got more of in dark tides! A win for sure 😊

"And one more thing, General," she said. "This isn't a kingdom anymore. It's a queendom."

WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW. I read Crossbones last year and adored it, and Dark Tides definitely rose to the occasion of being a fantastic sequel. This is definitely one of my favorite sequels of all time and I'm so happy we will be getting a third book. Kimberly Vale definitely had my emotions in a chokehold with this one.

The relationships have grown so much deeper, the character's have grown into their roles and powers and the arcs are just *chefs kiss*.

THAT ENDING THOUGH! It has been a long time since I read a book with an ending that shocking, I literally had my mouth wide open when I read it.

I cannot wait for the third book to come out!

Dark Tides was such a thrilling second installment to the Kingdom of Bones Trilogy. Part of me was nervous when I started reading because I was afraid it wouldn't live up to the thrill of the first book, but it was pretty awesome. As we progress further into the story, characters become more complex and deeper and evolve in new and interesting ways. There's a lot for the character's to contend with a and a certain darkness that is ever present throughout. I love how the story continues to give multiple POV narration, adding to its depth and complexity. This book is such a hit and I'm highly anticipating the final installment!

***I received an arc in exchange for an honest review
I really enjoyed this book! I didn't read the first one but it was easy enough to jump into and understand everything that had taken place. I loved all of the different creatures that appeared and I'm excited to continue to read about the group and their adventures!