3.25 ⭐️ rounded down

After LOViNg Fathomfolk I had high hopes for this conclusion to the duology, and while the plot points themselves were satisfying enough the execution left me wanting. It felt like I was reading the screenplay of a movie adaptation and was lacking any of the connective tissue to have the emotional moments truly land. We were just jumping from climactic moment to climactic moment and it made the “payoff” lack any real oomph for me, unfortunately. I do still think this duology is fun and if you are weirdly obsessed with underwater folk creatures and settings, this is one of the few series out there. For a debut it was decent, and I am interested in seeing what the author does next.

I immersion read this book, and the audiobook narration was ok, it didn’t add to or hinder my enjoyment of the book itself.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me a copy to read on NetGalley to review.

DNF@ 24%. I just don't think I really care about this story anymore. The first book was alright but with this one I am just bored.

While I thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in the world of Fathomfolk again, there were some points of this that I didn't particularly vibe with - namely the fact that we kind of start the book feeling like we're in the middle of... something. And there's never really any feeling of urgency. The whole boat journey was something I could have done without, though I did like getting to see the change and development in some of the characters - namely Nami. I think there are a lot of fantastic conversations being had in this duology about segregation and discrimination, but there were times that I felt like we were trying to tackle too many things at once. But overall I enjoyed it, and I'm not mad that I read FATHOMFOLK and TIDEBORN back to back.

Returning to the world of Tiankawi, Eliza Chan resumes her story in Tideborn almost exactly where Fathomfolk left off.

In the aftermath of saving the humans from a giant tidal wave and gifting them with gills, Mira must deal with the fallout of her husband's actions while his sister goes off on a journey to prevent further destruction of the city. Full of politicking and social division, Tideborn is more of a standalone sequel rather than the continuation of a duology, if that makes sense.

The plot is more of a continued worldbuilding with little to no action until the last 15-20% of the book. Nami's journey seemed pointless and her relationship with Firth was one that anyone could see from a mile away. Most of the book was extremely slow moving for me with details about Tiankawi that had either been already covered in Fathomfolk or were just page filler.

From a social commentary stand point, Chan is very vocal about differences and divisions and the power struggle that those differences can result in. Although I agree with her sentiments, the messaging seemed a bit heavy handed and I felt that the humans who had had the gills imposed upon them were never empathized with, instead villainized and looked at as a "you reap what you have sown" attitude with how they had previously treated fathomfolk.

Overall, this book is worth reading if you have finished Fathomfolk and neatly ties up storylines by the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit, and Eliza Chan for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t realize this was the third in a series when I applied, I apologize. I’m somewhat new to NetGalley and finally getting the hang of things. If I can come back and edit this review I will!

3.75 stars rounded up.

I think that this series was such a unique and new reading experience for me. The world building, characterizations, political climate, and plot all felt like something I have not seen done this way before, and I really enjoyed this.

I also liked how this author was unafraid to make characters that were messy and often did the wrong thing, and it continued these characters' arcs in this book. I found that the endings and the characters' growth as people really stood out to me. You could see how the characters changed and worked towards being better people, even for that certain character who plays the villain often.

Now, I do think that many of the issues I had with the first book continued into this second book. Mostly, I found the pacing and structure to be rather jarring at times, and wished it flowed a bit better. I do think it slightly improved from the first book, but it still needed some extra work.

Overall, I really loved the uniqueness of this story and how expansive it seemed. I do plan on keeping an eye on this author's future books because there is a lot of growth in these books.

Tideborn by Eliza Chan is a rich and haunting continuation of the world first introduced in Fathomfolk. Where the first book whispered of ancient power and rising unrest, Tideborn roars. It is a story of transformation, reclamation, and reckoning, told with poetic precision and a deep sense of mythic weight.

Set once again in the island city of Tiankawi, where humans and fathomfolk uneasily coexist, this novel deepens the stakes both personal and political. Chan’s worldbuilding is immersive and effortlessly elegant, balancing folkloric depth with a sharp eye on injustice, exile, and what it means to return to a world that once cast you out.

What stands out most is the emotional resonance. Chan explores generational trauma, identity, and the cost of survival with a tenderness that never shies away from brutality. The characters, dragon queens, sea witches, tidewalkers, and mortals, are each fighting their own currents, and the choices they make ripple far beyond them.

Eliza Chan’s prose is luminous, often aching, and always precise. She does not simply conclude a story here. She pulls the reader through a riptide of grief, legacy, and hope, and leaves them gasping in the best way. Tideborn is a powerful finale to a duology that deserves a permanent place on the shelf beside authors like R.F. Kuang, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and Tasha Suri.

Chan has proven herself a masterful voice in speculative fiction. I will follow whatever she writes next.

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Tideborn, the sequel to Fathomfolk, builds on the strengths of book one and brings this duology to a satisfying, thoughtful conclusion.

Eliza Chan is a master of worldbuilding. Her setting is rich, immersive, and unafraid to reflect real-world struggles—bigotry, homelessness, radicalization, and the grinding machinery of bureaucracy. The characters she crafts are equally compelling: fully realized and refreshingly flawed. Mira remains the emotional anchor of the story, holding the narrative threads together with quiet strength. Nami, who I struggled with in book one, grew on me immensely. Cordelia verged on unlikable, but by understanding her journey from Fathomfolk, her perspective made sense.

This book starts in a tough place—one that mirrors the murky aftermath of political “progress” that often does more harm than good. Where Fathomfolk left us sad but hopeful, Tideborn reminds us that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Policies meant to unify only deepen divides. I wasn’t sure how a satisfying ending was even possible—but Chan had a plan, and she pulled it off. The resolution isn’t wrapped in a shiny bow, but it feels earned. It’s not all happy, but it’s hopeful. And that’s sometimes the most powerful kind of ending.

3.75 stars, rounded up to 4. I can’t wait to see what Eliza Chan writes next.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!
After reading the first book I was so thrilled to get this arc of the sequel to continue to dive into this enchanting world, and it didn’t disappoint.

First, a big thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Eliza Chan’s novel “Tideborn" – “A dragon queen, a vengeful sea witch, and a mythical titan converge on the underwater city of Tiankawi in the sequel to the international bestselling epic fantasy Fathomfolk.”

Tideborn picks up a few months after Fathomfolk left off. The city of Tiankawi is reeling after the effects of the dragon pearl saving them all from a massive tidal wave. Humans now have gills, and many are deeply unhappy about it. Pair that with the fact that the god that was bonded to the sand god is now on its way to Tiankawi, presumably to destroy the city for good.

In this final installment in the Drowned World Duology, Mira and Nami part ways to simultaneously try and save the city, while balancing their duties and dealing with the loss of a loved one.

The characters really grew in this novel. You see Mira as she tries her hardest to cope with grief, balance her duties as a city leader, and navigate the tenuous relationship she has with her mother-in-law. At the same time, we see Nami fighting to free herself from her toxic relationship, while attempting to lead a mixed group of humans and fathomfolk on a mission to speak with the god bent on destroying them all. I felt each character arc was done extremely well, showing both the morally grey and righteous sides of each. They all stood out on their own which doesn’t happen often. Even though each of the main characters makes morally grey decisions, you as the reader can still root for them to succeed in their mission.

The worldbuilding in this duology is unique and intricate. I really felt like I got a grip on the tensions between the fathomfolk and humans, about the strife the majority of the fathomfolk population had gone through, and the justifications for many of the violent but inexcusable actions each group takes throughout the book.

I do feel like there are a few ends that could have used a bit more explanation, especially near the end, but overall this was a satisfying end to the Drowned World Duology and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who is interested in a rich, water based world.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Orbit Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

With Kai gone Mira, Nami, and all of Tiankawi must deal with the changes his pearls brought. Mira is trying to help the humans deal with the new gills and also try to uncover a new conspiracy to divide the fathomfolk and the humans even more. Nami has been tasked to find the titans' mate and beg for forgiveness before it reaches and destroys Tiankawi.

Well I gotta say Nami was definitely my favorite part of this book. After the angsty teen vibes I got from her in Fathomfolk her growth was great to see in this book. Although it was a bit frustrating watching her with Firth, knowing how manipulative he was. It was too bad she went along with him as long as she did. And my heart broke from Mira. She was broken from Kai’s death and had to step up politically and it never seemed like she had proper time to grieve. I was so happy with her decision at the end of the book, and I’m glad she gets some sort of peace. All in all I feel like this wrapped up the duology beautifully and I will be keeping an eye out for what the author does next.

Rating 3.5 stars
*I received a review copy from NetGalley for my voluntary and honest review

I actually really did enjoy this, especially after Fathomfolk. I love the worlds Eliza Chan creates; they are so well thought through and feel like a warm hug. The book had all the same things we loved from Fathomfolk, in addition to ripping out your heart at times. I think this sequel honored the first book, and it was a worthy addition to the duology.

Gede has my heart.
It was hard for me to love this without Kai and the messiness but I think that’s the point. Change is hard. Change isn’t straightforward and people are always going to complain.
Nani has change that’s really hard to achieve and while I wish there wasn’t so much about her new love life but instead her personal growth.
Mira is trying her best and I really enjoyed her pov and life after grief.
Cordelia was hard to love. She’s messy and doesn’t give room to think about change and always wants to be in control.
Overall, it was really interesting how the different povs show different sides of change.

I was given a free advance review copy of Tideborn by Eliza Chan from Orbit Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Orbit!

A quick note: If you have not read the first book, Fathomfolk, in the Drowned World duology, do not read this review!! Due to the nature of the ending of the first book and where the second book picks up the story, it's impossible to discuss this book without spoiling the end of the first book. You have been warned!

Tideborn picks up several weeks after the end of Fathomfolk. Everything has changed, and everyone is dealing with these changes in their own ways. The city of Tiankawi is reeling from the tsunami that destroyed much of the city at the end of the first book. Humans and folk alike are trying to rebuild the city. Humans are also dealing with the results gaining gills thanks to the wish Mira made using Kai's pearl. Thanks to Kai's sacrifice, many people in the city were saved from drowning.

However, Mira and the other folk quickly learn that the rescued aren't always grateful to their rescuers. On top of working as the Minister of Fathomfolk to rebuild the city, Mira is now faced with a growing group of humans who hate the folk even more now that they all have gills. These "Cleaven" seek to upend all the positive changes Mira is helping create in Tiankawi. This is just one side of a three-sided conflict that occurs throughout the book. Each side is covered through the perspective of one of three characters: Mira, Nami, and Cordelia.

In Mira's chapters, the political environment of Tiankawi is explored alongside Mira's grief at losing her husband Kai at the end of Fathomfolk. Kai's mother, Jian-Li dragon matriarch of one of the Havens, is visiting Tiankawi, and on the surface, she is visiting as part of the memorial service for Kai. However, it quickly becomes apparent that she has more up her sleeve than a simple visit to pay her respects. Jian-Li blames Mira for the loss of her son and the upheaval in Tiankawi that also threatens her Haven. Mira not only has to navigate her own grief, but she has to deal with this new facet of political intrigue while everyone around her works against her.

Meanwhile, Nami has been sent along with a ship's crew to find and attempt to stop a titan sand god. At the end of book one, Firth and the Drawbacks managed to kill the sand god on which Tiankawi is built. Each sand god has a mate, and the Tiankawi titan's mate is on its way to exact revenge on the city. Thus Nami's chapters follow this desperate journey to stop the titan. She also has to learn to lead others, and she works to get the human and folk members of the ship's crew to coexist. Out of all the characters in this book, I feel Nami had the most growth, and I really enjoyed seeing her finally grow into her powers and personality.

Finally, the third conflict is led by Cordelia. She lost her family when she revealed her folk nature to her husband. He shunned her, and he is teaching their daughter to hate everything about fathomfolk, even though she is folk herself but doesn't know it. Cordelia is doing everything she can to reach her children and teach them about their true nature, but it may be too little too late. Additionally, Cordelia has managed to build a drug empire, and she's taking every opportunity she can to get revenge on Mira. Even though Cordelia manages to somewhat redeem herself by the end of the book, I still don't like her much. She was so intent on making sure she got what she wanted, she ended up hurting those she cared for most.

Tideborn was a wonderful follow up and conclusion to the Drowned Worlds duology. This book explored so many different themes. It explored grief and how different people experience and process it with Mira, Nami, and Jian-Li all grieving Kai. It also explored what happens when people lose all empathy for others, and the actions they are willing to take as a result with Firth. There are also a lot of parallels in the story to issues we face in the world now, such as racism and how accepting, or not, cultures are about mixed relationships. How children born to folk parents are born between two worlds and accepted by neither outside of their families. It also explored feelings of not belonging or being accepted for who we are. But, ultimately, this was the story of three women and the obstacles they faced, and how they conquered societal expectations, self-doubt, and misogynistic adversity to overcome them.

I gave Tideborn by Eliza Chan four out of five stars. This book was amazing in how it addressed all of these complex issues and created these multi-layered characters. Eliza Chan made me care of every single one of these characters, even the ones I didn't like. I still wanted them to be better or do better even though I knew that's not where the story was taking them. I also really enjoyed the story being focused on women and their strengths as well as weaknesses being integral to the story. Anyone looking for a deeply emotional and well-written fantasy story based on mythical creatures should give this book a try!

Frustratingly good. Nami drives me nuts, so does Cordelia, but that's just due to good writing. Mira deserves the world and her ama Trish is the best, hands down.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit books for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

I loved this book SO much more than Fathomfolk - I didn't really think that was possible - but this book truly had me gasping at the end.

I love how the Tideborn (the humans that have gills!), and the fathomfolk, and even the freshwaters talk together about racism and how they handle that entire storyline. I really enjoyed how it was all coupled with the overall political theme. It made the book so much more enjoyable and really had my brain working.

I flat out loved every single thing about Nami's arc - she was this radical who loves to jump in and fight before she ever listens or ask questions. Seeing her grow from that, and become this strong woman whom loves to ask questions, and her entire romantic storyline was VERY well done. Cordelia's storyline was also another favorite of mine - I loved her motherly rage, her motherly instincts, and just how she plays into so many family dynamics.

I also really enjoyed how they managed the grief from Mira so very well - Kai was still felt in this book and I'll say that I honestly didn't expect that he would be. But it was there, and it was evident in what every single character did and I just really enjoyed it all so much.

This was the perfect conclusion to such a fun and exciting world and book.

When readers last left the beautiful and troubled, half-submerged city of Tiankawi, everything had changed. At the end of Eliza Chan’s Fathomfolk, the murder of a god causes the city to nearly collapse—and the sacrifice of the dragon Kai fundamentally changes the humans of the city. To save the humans from drowning, a wish on Kai’s pearl granted humans gills; they now have the ability to breathe underwater. Though it saves their lives, it makes them one step closer to the second-class citizens who have literally sacrificed their magic to power the city: the fathomfolk.

As Tideborn opens Mira, siren, Minister of Fathomfolk, and head of the border guard (as well as Kai’s wife), and former radical activist Nami, a water dragon and Kai’s sister, are trying to put the damaged city back together. Despite Kai’s sacrifice, not everyone is pleased with the changes. The fathomfolk radicals Nami used to think had the right ideas about tearing down the city are promoting not just equality for fathomfolk, but positions of rule over humans. The Cleaven, a group of human radicals, are seeking to surgically remove the gills they never asked for. All Mira has ever wanted is for Tiankawi to be a better place for everyone, especially for the have-nots who grew up poor, like she did. And though Kai’s sacrifice looked like it would be the beginning of a good thing, instead, she’s still dealing with the wealthy and powerful who think they can ignore change, keep the status quo, and not be troubled by the knowledge that the dead god’s mate is out there, likely on the way to destroy Tiankawi.

Nami isn’t sure what her new role should be in Tiankawi, but she finally believes in Mira’s vision, and she wants to see a future where fathomfolk and humans can share the city together. When her mother, the dragon queen of Yonakuni, Jiang-Li, arrives for Kai’s memorial, it becomes clear that her mother doesn’t hold the same vision. Jiang-Li will always want what’s best for Yonakuni, no matter the cost to humans or to Tiankawi, and Nami’s inability to side with her is a disappointment. That fraught relationship only puts Nami more firmly on Mira’s side, so when Mira asks her to undertake a dangerous mission to intercept the mourning god, Nami agrees, putting together a crew she thinks will give her the best chance not only at succeeding in saving the city, but in forming a brighter future. The problem is, not everyone on her crew feels the same way—including her toxic boyfriend and head of the fathomfolk radicals, Frith, who seems determined to undermine any authority Nami might possess.

Cordelia, a sea witch, was instrumental in saving the city from the last disaster, but it cost her access to her two children. Her human husband, a politician whose career she bolstered over their marriage, gave her an ultimatum: stay human and stay trapped, or leave and never see their children again. As he poisons their daughter against all fathomfolk, Cordelia expands a criminal empire, finding herself more prosperous than ever before. She even discovers a way to go legit, help people, and still profit. But what she wants is her daughter back. With help from her son, Gede, the Minister of Defense and the head of the city’s guard, she manages a brief reconnection—but she believes that the sea witch killed her real mother and that Cordelia is lying.


These three women were the center of Fathomfolk, and now they are Tideborn’s future, driving the story and their lives, and mourning their losses each in different ways. For Mira, her grief is physical; she’s running herself ragged trying to make Kai’s sacrifice worth it when she can’t truly imagine anything being worth losing him, not even the city they both loved. Nami has no tears, though she misses her perfect brother, but she’s finding that she’s not sure how to get out from the shadow he cast when he was living, let alone the one he left when he died. And Cordelia is fueled by rage, insisting her motives are selfish, but almost accidentally doing good for the larger community. All three of these perspectives show the dynamics of the city, the fate at stake, and the futures that could be, both good and bad. Through their points of view, readers see that between the two sides of extremists, there’s possibility. There’s a narrow line where things could get better for everyone if only people can accept good things for those they’ve traditionally hated.

Chan’s world is pushed and pulled by extremes, by groups who declare there’s only one group who should be considered people. While it’s understandable that those who have been harmed and downtrodden for so long should want to rise against the system that oppressed them, Chan’s protagonists make it clear that the tactics of destruction aren’t acceptable. Even Nami comes to understand that fighting her way through a problem with violence isn’t the best answer—or even the answer at all.


Part of the way that Chan bolsters this perspective is through characters who were introduced in the previous book, who rise into more prominent positions. Eun, the human librarian determined to preserve the city’s true history, doesn’t shy away from the bad things that happened. She wants to see a future where they have learned from the mistakes they’ve made, the hurts they’ve caused. Gede, the sea witch’s son, has a chance to finally come to terms with his own heritage. He’s lived disguised as a human for so long, that he felt he never lived up to Cordelia’s harsh standards for him as a sea witch, and he stopped trying. But now, when everyone has gills, he starts to believe that there might be a way for him to truly be himself. Others—Mira’s mother, Nami’s friend Dan, even a disgraced minister—add their own stories to the layers of Tiankawi, giving readers a sense of how deep the city goes.

The second book in a duology, especially one that follows a truly brilliant opening, can be difficult to write well. Readers come in with sets of expectations, as well as a need to see their investment in the characters pay off. Tideborn is a sequel that successfully draws all its loose ends together, braiding them together in an utterly satisfying way. It’s a novel of hope, of not giving up, and of showing that people are better when they work together. While much of both Fathomfolk and Tideborn shows a divided community, as the duology concludes, the sense that coming together is possible, both in the face of disaster and in times of peace, permeates the ending. There can be forgiveness, there can be healing, and there can be a future worth working for.

Tideborn is available now wherever books are sold.

In true duology form this next and last follow up to Fathomfolk brings together the rich worldbuilding and promised plot into a nicely rounded finale. This fantasy world has a unique mix of underwater mythology and post-climate crisis that creates an interesting look at societies, inequalities, and culture.

My real rating is a 4.9. But most places won't let me actually rate to that level of precision. So this gets a 4.

The only reason this doesn't get a perfect 5 is because Firth exists in this book and I had to endure his fictional existence for 300 some odd pages. The reason I dislike this character so strongly is because he suffers from what I call Sasuke Syndrome: a super attractive and super cool bad boy with a tragic backstory that's hellbent on pointless revenge, to the point of sociopathy. This could have been a better character if every page where he's insufferable mentioned or on didnt come with lengthy descriptions about how cool and hot he is and how everyone just spoons over him and that everyone buys into his charm. If it's not that it's how strong and awesome he, how persuasive he is, and how so god damn everything he is. Instead of telling me show me. Instead of declaring give me something to believe in. Ontop of it was so obvious from the first book at his introduction what a complete and utter sack of shit he is.

Anyways. Moving on. To the actual positives. Firth is my only gripe. I promise.

Everything else about this story? Immaculate. Wonderful even. The storytelling is rich, emotional, and immersive. Where Fathomfolk was a slog full of pacing issues and suffered from too much immediately without time to reallt get invested in the characters; Tideborn perfected and wove artfully and beautifully. The stakes were high and established instantl and didnt require an entire 3rd of the book to understand or start to piece together.

Where Fathomfolk struggles to establish believable, rich, and emotionally complex relationships: Tideborn absolutely blew it out of the water. The chemistry between unlikely allies and even more unlikely lovers is tangible and delicious. Previously flat and 2 dimensional characters absolutely spring to life and grow into their own. Characters I expected to hate became my favorites. I adored Gede, the way he came in swinging as a major character and continued to establish himself and grow was so satisfying.

The theme and emotionality of this book was striking and brought me to tears several times. The grief and anguish is palpable. The destructive nature of grief was on every page and find the characters through understandable and maddening lengths. And I loved that the ending really solidified the theme of going with the flow and learning how to rebuild in the wake of your grief and devastation. That it is isn't over it's just changed. Each expression of grief was unique and intensely human.

The ending was satisfying and worth binging for. Honestly Cordelia and Gede stand out to me personally. And I love how the complex socioeconomic dynamics continued to evolve and change believably throughout the narrative. I really enjoyed how the story navigated such immediate and complex change. Honestly i rarely see the unnamed and background society characterized and given real weight in narratives beyond filling the world. But here they're real living and breathing communities with stories and feelings. Which, I deeply enjoyed. Top tier worldbuilding.

Thank you to both NetGalley and the publisher for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story follows the events of the first book and has Nami and Mira going on different journeys to protect the city they both call home.

I liked this book a lot better than the first but I did find Firth to be insufferable and he is definitely the reason that I could not enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. I did have the same issues with this book as I did with the first book. There was as much characters continued to be inconsistent and their roles still confused me.