Loved this sequel so much! writing and character work improved so much! An engaging, thought-provoking story with a captivating plot. Highly recommended!

Tideborn picks up right where Fathomfolk left off - with a city and a group of people reeling from an immense change forced upon them. This book improved on the already fantastic first book though also similar to the first book. It does have a bit of a slow pace. A great deal of the time with the beginning is focused on the adjustment of this group to change that happened in the first book. Additionally, it’s more of a diplomatic solution oriented book rather than an adventurous type. This series has beautiful messaging and this book was a delight to read just as the first was as well.

I want to start out by saying that this is one of the most unique worlds I’ve ever read.

A ok conclusion to this duology but I did find the pacing to drag in this with not much happening plot wise.

Overall 3.5 stars for this series.

Second book after Fathomfolk and after that ending in Fathomfolk I'm so glad that I got to ARC Tideborn.

I really like Nami in this one. She has grown so much from her naive self in book one. She's set in her mission to fixing everything in Fathomfolk. She's strong and still learning about herself and struggles with relationships and always needing fix what's wrong. Mira, after her conclusion in the first book, we see her grow in this book and it's amazing to see how confident she becomes. I'm was so curious about how Cordelia's story would end and it did not disappoint. Book 2 I felt tied everything well for the duology.

I really enjoyed this adventure. It made me feel all the feels. I'll definitely have a physical copy of this book on my shelf.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC!

While I appreciate the politics and themes of this book, I found them to be a bit too obvious and not as subtle as I would have liked for a fantasy story. I did really enjoy the dual POV and the world building, as well as the character development and growth.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I was disappointed by Book 1 and was iffy about requesting this arc, but decided to give the author a 2nd chance. While not terrible, it was about the same as Book 1 for me - a solid meh.

4 Stars

Tideborn is a compelling and emotionally charged sequel that delivers a satisfying conclusion to Fathomfolk, though it has some pacing issues along the way.

Picking up after the events of the first book, Tiankawi is teetering on the brink of chaos. Mira, still reeling from devastating loss, struggles to navigate both her grief and her leadership role. Nami, once impulsive and reckless, finds herself stepping into a new kind of responsibility. Meanwhile, Cordelia continues to manipulate from the shadows, ensuring her own survival in a city that remains deeply divided.

One of the strongest aspects of this book is how it expands on the themes of prejudice, identity, and political unrest. The way Eliza Chan mirrors real-world tensions in this fantasy setting is thought-provoking, and I appreciated how no easy answers were given. However, the pacing lagged in the middle, and at times, I found myself simply going through the motions rather than being fully engaged. I also wished that Mira’s grief had been explored more deeply, particularly toward the ending, where I was hoping for a more pivotal emotional moment.

Despite these issues, I loved seeing the growth of the characters, especially Nami, who had one of the most compelling arcs. The worldbuilding remains rich and immersive, and the mix of mythological sea creatures continues to be a highlight.

Overall, Tideborn is a solid conclusion to the duology, blending political intrigue, personal stakes, and magical rebellion into a story that will leave readers satisfied. Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Tideborn by Eliza Chan is an absolute adventure that captured my heart! After the heartbreaking journey in Fathomfolk, this book came as a breath of fresh air, mending my spirit along with Mira’s. Each character’s journey of growth and resilience is truly inspiring, and the narrative beautifully explores themes of found family and rebirth. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend this captivating tale to anyone seeking an uplifting and unforgettable read!

Thankful to have been gifted an eARC via NetGalley to review.

With the beautiful storytelling and political climate in Fathomfolk, I was really excited to see how this duology would end in Tideborn and unfortunately, I was left extremely underwhelmed. In many ways I felt like this book was written as if it was intended to be the second book in a trilogy, and not a duology, as it focused on small inconsequential details that did not go anywhere, and included a journey that felt rushed to complete at the end. Up until the about 80% mark the book meanders throughout its storytelling, and then suddenly everything is wrapped up in a weird nice little bow as everything resolves itself because the author remembered this book was the ending and not the middle.

I also noticed how inconsistent the characterization was throughout. For instance, Kai’s mother, Jiang-Li, was constantly fluctuating on her treatment of Mira. She would treat her poorly for not being “pure folk” and for marrying her son and being the cause of his death - but then, the next chapter she would be silently supportive or openly friendly with her. I kept mixing up this character with someone else as I was reading because her characterization was so inconsistent that I kept thinking “no, surely this is some other dragon matriarch” because that made more sense than her character simply…doing whatever was needed to move the plot forward. In the same way, Cordelia randomly decided to take “revenge” on Mira randomly throughout the book, but her reasoning was flimsy at best, and she would be doing this while also being friendly and helpful to her. It made absolutely no sense.

I also felt like the author focused too much on keeping the same POV characters from Fathomfolk, as Cordeilia’s entire subplot with her daughter and drug-smuggling had no point to it. Instead, we have her son Gede having - apparently - a TON of growth and characterization that we never see happen! It’s just there! He is the character I found the most interesting, and we never get any chapters focused on him, or his thoughts.

Nami’s entire plot also did not go anywhere at all. To avoid too many spoilers, her character arc was clumsily done and Firth only showed up to force her hand into actually developing as a character. However, the journey that she goes on, that is so important for her to do? Meaningless. Absolutely nothing comes from it, and her entire goal fails entirely. She’s supposed to find the other titan and try to keep it from destroying Tiankawi - but when she fails at doing this spectacularly, she acts like Jiang-Li’s plan to use her pearl to destroy the titan is the worst possible thing that could happen. And I’m reading this like, well? Okay, then? What’s your plan, because otherwise only one of you isn’t killing everyone in the city, and it’s not you!

This book was too ambitious, had too many unconnected plots, and doesn’t solve any of them - but rather, just…ends. The book ends and everything is “resolved” because this is supposed to be the ending to a duology, and so this story has to be resolved. I was left extremely disappointed, because - while I did have some issues with Fathomfolk, I could see the potential and was hoping this ending would deliver. Instead, it meandered, focused on unimportant characters and plots, and then suddenly ended without warning.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for providing this e-ARC.

Eliza Chan is an amazing author! She never disappoints! This book was very well written and the world building was very well done!

*Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Thank god for the recap at the beginning, because I'd forgotten everything about Fathomfolk. We're back in Eliza Chan's aquatic world, but dealing with the fallout from the previous installment. The highlight of this book was getting to see Nami strike out on her own with everyone's favorite historian. The topics covered are certainly timely as well.

I don't know if I'll be continuing with this story, however. It seems like there's so much bureaucracy and politics now, but without the requisite intrigue... (Is there more to this series? I don't even know!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit and author Eliza Chan for the eARC of Tideborn. 🩷

Tideborn is the second book in the Drowned World duology, the first book Fathomfolk came out in 2024. Tideborn's pub date is March 25th 2025.

Like Fathomfolk, Tideborn has us following a few different characters. Normally I'm not a huge fan of multi pov BUT The Drowned World duology does it really well! And honestly we would not get the same story (obviously) or same impact without all our characters pov's.

We follow Nami and young female Water Dragon, Mira a slightly older female Siren and Cordelia our oldest female character who is a Seawitch. I always love when we have older characters in a story, it's refreshing to hear from their pov!

Nami is set on her mission to fix everything that went wrong in Fathomfolk. She's young, but strong and learning more about their world and herself everyday. She struggles with a toxic relationship and with the pressure of needing to right the wrongs she did previously.

Mira is reeling after the events that concluded Fathomfolk. She's struggling with her emotions and grief and feeling lost. We see her grow and come into herself a lot over the course of Tideborn and it's really wonderful seeing her find her confidence!

Cordelia is hurt but not allowing herself to show it. Her previous life was shattered and more importantly to her the relationship with her children is in ruins. (I normally don't care about mother's and their plights but Cordelia really tugged on my heartstrings and is my second favorite character!). I really thought what we got was the perfect story arc and ending for her.

Tideborn is a delightful conclusion to the duology and does not suffer from second book syndrome. It sings us a story of grief, loss, and fear. But also hope, love, and new beginnings!

I really loved this book and think others should read the series as well! 🩷

DNFed at 50% - This duology should have been a longer standalone imo. This story felt scattered and a bit hard to follow, and I feel like combining the two stories would’ve made a more focused story

This was good, but I felt that book one was so much more intriguing and really hooked me more. This was filled with more of the world building and the adventures of the group since they're all split up. It worked well, but it didn't read as strong as the first book. Though I did enjoy it. It rounded out the duology really nicely.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Tideborn releases March 25, 2025

3.5

After being hit by a tsunami, the inhabitants of Tiankawi are learning what it means for human and folk to coexist now that everyone has gills.

The main plot follows Nami and Co. as they journey to the epicenter of the earthquake, with the intentions of seeking out the life partner of the deceased titan.
Meanwhile, back in Tiankawi, Mira is grappling with the loss of Kai, and Cordelia is trying to navigate being cut off from her children, all while a critical election year is underway.

Fathomfolk was such a rich debut filled with depth and nuanced themes, and I think it was inevitable that its sequel would fall short in comparison.
Tideborn is much more subdued in terms of its plot and character arcs, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does make the duology feel imbalanced.

I liked it, but I was hoping for a lot more. Hot take: I think this duology would’ve performed better as a 650+ paged standalone.

I liked it! I felt like it was a great follow up to Fathomfolk and allowed me to get more emotionally invested in the characters and their prospective storylines. Cordelia is a personal favorite. I look forward to continuing the series if it does / checking out her other works.

This book tackled the continuation of tough subjects in such a thought provoking and engaging way. We again follow Mira, Nami and Cordelia in the sequel to fathomfolk as they try to solve the problems that crop up at the end of the last book. This time Mira is having to deal with grief while leading in her position and nami is now having to realize that despite the fact that she might not be as perfect as her brother Kai she has her own strengths and can handle her own. She gets tasked with essentially trying to save the city by Mira and takes a team of people who she thinks will be able to help her. All the while she is dealing with the same prejudice that we were seeing in the city. Throughout the story we are shown the different struggles of the city and how the characters are navigating it and how they handle the prejudice that had never really gone away and only got worse. The story is moving and really enthralls you in the world that was created. The parallels to our own world are so poignant and well done. Overall the book was a great read.

Tideborn, the compelling sequel to Eliza Chan's Fathomfolk, delves deeper into the intricate dynamics of Tiankawi, a city teetering on the brink of disaster. As Nami, the water dragon, embarks on a perilous oceanic expedition to avert an impending catastrophe, tensions between humans and fathomfolk escalate within the city's walls. Chan masterfully portrays these societal fractures, presenting a narrative rich in political intrigue and character development. While some plotlines resolve more effectively than others, the novel's exploration of prejudice and unity is both timely and thought-provoking. Fans of immersive fantasy worlds and complex character arcs will find Tideborn a satisfying and insightful read.

Thank you Netgalley and Orbit Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A selfless act may have saved the citizens of Tiankawi, but the city is not out of danger yet. A deadly force is heading towards the city, and this time, it may be unstoppable. Nami the water dragon must lead an expedition out into the open ocean in an attempt to stop the disaster before it's too late. But dangers lurk within the city as well. Tensions between fathomfolk and humans are even worse than before. If Mira the half-siren doesn't find a way to unite the people, the city may tear itself apart from within before any outside force can destroy it.

TIDEBORN is a bit of a muddled mess as it tries to make sense of a city crippled by prejudice as an impending disaster approaches. Smartly, the magic that saved the city from destruction at the end of FATHOMFOLK did not also magically solve racism overnight; if anything it made it worse, causing even more fracturing in a populace grappling with dramatic change. But now nearly all of the protagonists' victories are tied to solving racism in some way, and they have to do it in the space of one book.

The author has mixed success in portraying effective resolution of these tensions. Ironically, Nami the water dragon's storyline, which I was less interested in overall, has perhaps the most realistic storyline. She is sent on a mission on a boat with roughly a dozen other people, both human and fathomfolk. Within this microcosm is a range of prejudices and acceptance; in order to achieve her mission, Nami has to find a way to get her crew to set aside their fears and prejudices about each other, while also dealing with her own insecurities. It's not an easy task, but winning the hearts and minds of a handful of people is much easier than that of a whole city.

The rest of the characters are left to deal with the political turmoil in Tiankawi, and this happens less effectively. On the one hand, this makes sense. You can't make the population of an entire city set aside their individual fears and hatreds with the snap of your fingers. But that also means that it's hard to get a satisfying sense of victory. Mira and her allies can triumph over some figureheads, but they really haven't solved the root of the problem by the end of the story. It leads to a somewhat messy finale as none of these internal problems are really resolved, even if the biggest threat was eliminated.

The lack of a cohesive end goal is, at the end of the day, what causes this story to feel a bit scattered. Nami has a clear goal in her mission, but Mira's is a bit more nebulous. She is basically simply trying to hold the city together long enough for either Nami to succeed or for the city to be destroyed. The result is Mira is dealing with several different forces trying to undercut both her and any attempts at peace, leaving her fighting enemies off on all sides. Cordelia the sea-witch, on the other hand, has an even less clear goal, turning her aims this way and that in pursuit of her personal whims.

(And yes, Nami's toxic boyfriend is still around, and yes, you will still want to drop kick him into the sun.)

It's hard to sum up my final thoughts on TIDEBORN. On the one hand, I really appreciate the themes the author is grappling with. But because these themes don't have an easy answer, there's no clear resolution at the end of the day. Yes, some villains are thwarted, but as the story shows, that doesn't dissolve the beliefs of their followers. While I do enjoy the world the author created and the characters that inhabit it, the city at the heart of TIDEBORN is perhaps too realistically riddled with prejudice for the duology to have a satisfying resolution.

Note: I was provided a free ARC by the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.