Firth is the absolute worst. I just want to punch him.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this after Kai’s sacrifice. That there would be some sort of fixit and just kidding he’s not dead? To spend the book with Nami and Mira grieving his loss? That the city would be miraculously fixed and everyone would be happy and okay? Okay, not that last one.

This was a beautiful conclusion that made me cry more than once. Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the review copy. I’m going to go stare into the distance and cry for a bit longer.

Tideborn is the second and final book in the Drowned Word duology. I truly enjoyed the conclusion of this story. In this book, we follow our characters through the aftermath of the first book. One thing for sure is that I really enjoyed the rich worldbuilding Eliza Chan created. Tideborn is more heavily political than the first book too. The character development was also exceptional. Overall, it was such a great duology, and I can't wait to read more from the author. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the early copy. All opinions are my own.

Tideborn sets out to wrap up the story told in Fathomfolk, while building on it and having the characters continue to develop. Mira is trying to help the world she lives in and her people while mourning the loss of her love, Nami is trying to find her identity and know where she fits in while mourning her brother, and Cordelia is trying to find a way to have everything she wants. The journey that these women go on while trying to keep their city from being destroyed both internally and externally is extremely well-written and will make you want to keep reading the story. I would absolutely recommend this duology.

First and foremost as always thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. This was an incredibly good read! The story was beautifully written and the characters were flushed out really well! Loved this! Definitely worth the read!

Rating: 4.25⭐️/5

I thought the sequel was a MAJOR improvement to the first book. There was much more depth in the characters and many of the characters actually had a really good arc in this story. There was definitely some unexpected twists and turns and a lot more action than last book. The political intrigue was better thought out and actually made sense and the world building was again fantastic! I am super happy with how this sequel turned out and bought a special edition of the duo because I loved the sequel.

Some of the characters feelings were a bit impersonal still at times but I think that’s what might come with a third person novel most times. I definitely am a first person POV girl. I also do think that having the person’s name before each POV change would have been helpful. The transitions were a lot less confusing in the sequel though.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc.

I really wanted to get into this but I DNF’d at 50%. I was extremely bored. Everything felt overly detailed and it just confused me. I remember it taking awhile to get into book one as well and it was worth it for the ending, but I just can’t do it for this one.

At times, Fathomfolk felt like it was struggling to find its footing, and I think Tideborn finally finds it. This was a stronger entry in the series and did a good job of wrapping up various plotlines from the first book. I loved the world in the first book and it is only made deeper and richer here, which is so interesting to read about. Fathomfolk bounces between multiple POVs to build a picture of a society fractured by political differences and prejudice. Mira and Nami remain a highlight as complex characters who I still want the best for. The handling of the extremist groups definitely felt very realistic, if a little lacking in subtlety. Overall, this is a darker conclusion to a book that already had a bittersweet ending, but not without hope.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Tideborn by Eliza Chan is the third person multi-POV conclusion to the Drowned World duology. After the death of Kai, Mira and Nami are trying to move on but are struggling as friction between the different factions in Tiankawi continue. Cordelia isn’t willing to let things go between her and her ex-husband and she wants her daughter back, but her ex is determined to poison their child against all fathomfolk.

The book opens with grief and the thread continues throughout. There’s a large, opulent funeral held for Kai which touches on the different cultures of the world Eliza Chan has created and the different ways that they express loss. One thing I really liked was how the trope of a female lead finding out she’s pregnant after the death of her partner is subverted, as it adds an extra layer of tension between Mira and her mother-in-law and the fate of the dragons. Nami is not dealing well with the loss of her brother either and falls further into Firth’s schemes.

There is a very exciting slowburn brewing between Nami and Eun, a librarian. It takes most of the book to come to fruition, but it’s so different from Nami’s relationship with Firth and has a tender quality built on mutual respect that feels much healthier for Nami. The yearning on Eun’s part comes through and so do the complicated feelings that Nami is experiencing as she figures out if this is something she wants to pursue and what that could mean.

What I wasn’t expecting was for Mira and Gede’s friendship to develop further. It doesn't turn into a romance, and I didn’t want it to so soon after Kai’s death, but it does deepen into one of trust. Cordelia, Nami, and Mira’s lives are intertwined and Tideborn shows just how small the Tiankawi actually is. Mira’s mother knows Cordelia and Mira works with Cordelia’s son so there is no escape for these two women from each other. This creates some complexity when Cordelia kidnaps her daughter and plans to expose her husband’s bigotry as Mira is struggling with conversations around identity that are directly tied to Gede and him reclaiming his own heritage that Cordelia hid from the world.

I would recommend this to fans of climate fiction set in secondary worlds, readers who want a fantasy that blends Asian and Celtic mythologies, and those who loved Fathomfolk and want to see what happens to Mira, Nami, and Cordelia

So this starts right were the first book ends and deals with the repercussions of the death and the actions of everyone, The politics and race/species tension remain strong as does Nami radical ideals even after the death of her brother, I liked the resolution and how once gain the pearl comes in clutch and saves the day.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the eARC!

Overall, this was a satisfying conclusion to a great duology. I do think this duology would've done better as a longer standalone, since there were times when the pacing was a bit off in both instalments, but I can see how doing a really long book for a debut novel could be challenging to get approved. It did split nicely in between the two books, but again, just a few pacing issues.

The character growth in this one was phenomenal. I remember being constantly annoyed with Nami in the first book, but she had some wonderful growth this time around. She truly learned how to be her own person, and not just an extension of her family or love interests. She learned some hard lessons, acknowledged her privilege, and became one of my fav characters. Mira truly had to process a lot of grief, and she wasn't given the time or space to do that. She overcame so many struggles, and I was proud of her for standing her ground.

Seeing more of Cordelia and Jiang-le was really cool. Seeing the different kinds of mothers through them and Trish, seeing their parenting strategies based on their positions and circumstances, and how them doing what they thought was best affected their relationship with their children was a very interesting comparison.

The high stakes continued, as did the themes of racism and privilege, which were all very well done in my opinion. The world was beautiful, and it was cool seeing more of the world outside of Tiankawi!

Overall, I loved this duology and will definitely be buying my own copy (preordered already!) and recommending it to others!

In complete honestly, I did not realize which book this was when I requested it and was not a fan of the first book. But I did try to give this one a fair shot. However, my problems with the first did bleed over into the second. While the world Eliza Chan designs is fascinating and beautifully described, the politics fall flat. In a duology so dependent on the politics of colonization and its violence, the book felt, to me, to barely touch the surface of those realities. I'm not sure I could go so far as to call it an introduction to those ideas. This book could have been so much more if given more than a veneer of reflection.

3.75, rounded up

thank you to orbit books for the e-ARC!

Tideborn, sequel to Fathomfolk, builds on book one to form an ultimately satisfying conclusion. I really enjoyed the bittersweet ending of book one, and we pick up in the rubble established there to eventually reach a pleasing end to the duology.

the world continues to be rich, interesting, complicated, and ripe with the kind of bigotry and bureaucracy and tensions that real-life societies struggle with. the food, the people, the neighborhoods- all well-crafted to add color and interest to the world.

the characters are flawed but ultimately sympathetic to varying degrees. the varying POVs helped the different parts of the story tie together, though they did make it harder to grow attached to any one of the main three. I especially liked Mira, while Nami was sometimes fun and sometimes annoying, and Cordelia was extremely flawed to the point of being barely sympathetic. for me, Mira and her struggles were the heart of the story, especially because we got to see the emotional impact of book one most poignantly through her.

my largest complaint is how bleak this book is, especially in the beginning. there really is no solace- not in the world nor in the relationships, for any of our characters. this made it really hard to want to keep reading. I do think it paid off eventually and grew more balanced in mood, but it took effort to keep going.

I also think the commentary got a little clunky in places. I enjoy political commentary when it’s subtle, and I felt that the subtlety was lacking in places here. I get that this is a trade off made for audiences who might not understand the point being communicated if it isn’t explicitly stated, but it makes for a less enjoyable read for me.

overall, Tideborn improves significantly on the world and story told in Fathomfolk to bring these books to a realistic and satisfying conclusion.

This book was a definite improvement for the author in terms of writing, character development, and plot pacing as compared to Fathomfolk. It had the distinct advantage of already having done a lot of the character development in the first book, but it did hold its own. The challenges and plot in this sequel were much more compelling and it still kept with the important themes of classism, environmental responsibility, and hope for the setting aside of differences. I liked that it had strong female characters at the forefront and that the characters decisions were more understandable and believable. It also had a pretty satisfying conclusion for each of its POV characters and the story as a whole.

That being said, it still fell victim to confusing writing at points, especially around describing fights or surroundings. I would have preferred a bit more depth to the characters overall as I didn't really start caring about them enough until near the end of the story. We could've done with a little less politicking instead. Overall, a solid read, but maybe not one I'd pick up again.

This book is a sequel to Fathomfolk. The cover is beautiful! After the heartbreaking ending of the first book, this story takes place a few months later and provides a deserving conclusion.

<i>Tideborn</i> by Eliza Chan is the sequel to <i>Fathomfolk</i>. After the crushing ending of book 1, the city has been saved from the worst of the tsunami and are preparing for an angry titan's arrival. To make matters more complicated, the people are still divided even after the sacrifices at the end of <i>Fathomfolk</i>.

I do think this duology could have fit in a longer single installment. I found that certain plot details are left out for the reader to interpret or assume. <i>Tideborn</i> is more political than <i>Fathomfolk</i>, and it felt like the beautiful descriptions of folk and architecture were skipped over. But where <i>Fathomfolk</i> failed to deliver on character development, we finally see some excellent character growth in Mira and Nami.

Overall, <i>Tideborn</i> was a thrilling and satisfying conclusion to this duology. I would definitely read more from Eliza Chan and would be especially interested in a prequel! The history that has been hinted at and an almost post-apocalyptic Earth setting in this <i>Drowned World</i> duology is so intriguing.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

With Kai gone Jiang-Li and a contingency from Yunakuni ascend to Tiankawi for his memorial and Mira hopes to negotiate new deals between Tiankawi that would give the Fathomfolk more freedoms and hopefully help the humans that now find themselves part Fathomfolk as well deal with this. While Mira spends endless days politicking, she sends Nami off on a mission to hopefully quell the newly awakened Titans' anger at their partner being killed. As both women try desperately to bring Humans and Fathomfolk together a new threat arises that is just as dangerous as any Titan, two groups of extremists, one group human, one group fathom dedicated to destroying everything Kia, Mira, and Nami has worked for both groups backed by powerful figures human and fathomfolk alike. As they become bolder, it becomes clear to Nami and Mira that in order to save both peoples, a little blood must be shed.

Cordelia said, "Poor, Unfortunate Souls." Okay, she actually said, "Poor, Unfortunate Humans," but it's definitely close enough for me. And if that doesn't get you to read this, I don't know what will.

I'm kidding, of course, but this 100% exceeded my expectations. I loved Fathomfolk, but this was so much better. Whatever tiny complaints I had with this first one were non-existent here, Chan has wrapped up this Duology, beautifully reminding us that love and acceptance are sometimes difficult but so much better than hate.

Tideborn hits the ground running and simply doesn't let up, with all of the politics and the introduction of two terrorist organizations that are far worse than the Drawbacks could have ever hoped to be this isn't surprising. Mira and Gede (which was a happy surprise) are constantly putting out one fire after another (quite literally). Mira's political acumen becomes razor sharp here, too, which was absolutely necessary to move this forward. Cordelia is, of course, playing games in the background as usual, but I tell you what, I love her so much after this book. She is damn near the most perfect sympathetic bad guy. She also does some incredibly wonderful things in this one, and the world is definitely a better place because she existed in it by the end.

But, all that really matters is Nami because omg she grew up so much in this one. I am so proud of her! I wish I could go into all of it but it would definitely be a spoiler, but I will just say that watching her bloom was simply wonderful and I cried at her happily ever after at the end.

Actually, I cried a lot at the of this (I'll wrap back to this at the end). Chan did such an excellent job showing how extremists work up crowds of people with half truths and lies that just like the first book, in which she discusses Asian diaspora on a level that is simple and easy for people to understand, she explains the use of misinformation, scare tactics, and shock and awe tactics in a way that's easy to relate to our own current political climate. And in Nami's case especially she drives home the point that more than anything a community of individuals coming together to say no to the fear and hate these types of politicians spew is the most effective weapon we have in our arsenal and I can't think of a better reason to cry than that right now.

Of course, I recommend this one. It is truly a wonderful series that has genuinely given me hope. Sure, these are just characters in a book, but I see communities like these forming in real life every day to protect those who can't protect themselves and to strive for something better.

As always thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for the eArc!

Thank you net galley for this arc!

First off I absolutely loved the addition of the story so far at the beginning of the book, it helped summarize all the events that happened in fathomfolk for those who read it sometime before tideborn.

I definitely had a hard time connecting to the characters in the first book but I loved the setting and storyline that I wanted to finish this series and I’m very glad I did! Tideborn was the perfect book to end this sequel on, I felt way more connected to the characters and there was a ton of character growth for all of the characters we met in fathomfolk. With a satisfying conclusion to this series it’s a definite must read for those who love political heavy books mixed with some magic and sea creatures.

As far as sequels go, it took me a while to get into Tideborn. Like, until the 40%-ish mark. The pacing in the early half felt stilted to me. A lot was happening for the characters, but at the same time it felt like they were doing nothing and going nowhere.

I don’t think it helped that, for almost all of the book, I was really confused as to the timeline. Each time we went back and forth between Nami and Mira (the main protagonists) POVs, some number of weeks seemed to have passed. Additionally, there was one point early on in the bookwhere it was noted that the ship had only been at sea a few days when a character showed up as a stowaway, yet a few pages later what was supposed to be the following day, they’d been at sea for weeks.

From about midway on, the story really picked up, plot and all moving along toward what seemed to be the endgame: finding the Titan God and unwinding the unrest in the city. It just really irked me that it took so long for things to be moving in that direction.

Additionally, in regard to character development… Nami’s fell a bit flat for me. I really liked her character in the first book, and while I get she needs to face conflict and grow as a person, I felt like we’d already seen her go through this growth to find her place and her voice before. So having to watch it happen all over again, without her even gaining ground until the last quarter or so of the book, made me more than a little frustrated.

Overall, I’d say I’m fairly satisfied with how the book wrapped up the duology. I enjoyed the world immensely through both books and am happy to have read them both.

Even better than the first! The story of grief for Mira and character growth for Nami were the highlights of this book.

Tideborn begins several weeks after the events of Fathomfolk, the aftermath amplifying social and political unrest in the community.

The writing is lovely and the world building is as strong as the first book. Tideborn further illustrates the diversity of the Fathomfolk, featuring different cultures and traditions, and continues to focus on themes of prejudice and racism. Mira, who is biracial, faces prejudice from Fathomfolk as well as racism from Tiankawians.

The exploration of complex political and social issues presents much to consider, with morally gray characters whose beliefs evolve throughout the story. Well meaning characters make decisions that harm people, anger is misguided, and there are often situations where there isn't a "right" decision. There is a spectrum of views, from Fathomfolk radicals ready to destroy the entire city to Tiankawians supremacists who intend to enslave Fathomfolk.

The believable growth and arcs of these characters is fantastic, and I loved how well developed they are. I grew to really love Nami and even gained a better understanding of Cordelia, who I despised in the prior book. And while I am adamant that this is NOT romantasy, there is a beautiful slow burn romance subplot that made me tear up.

I always appreciate a sequel that includes a recap of the previous book, so bonus points for including such a great summary to refresh my memory! This was a fantastic sequel.