Thank you NetGalley for the Advanced Listener Copy!

This story was a fair conclusion to the Lore of the Wilds. I love the character Lore- she’s wild and real. She complains when reasonable and pulls strength from her family and friends when she needs. The overarching story about the humans being oppressed and their pathway to freedom is wrapped up in this story, though I feel like it didn’t take the forefront in the storytelling for this book.

Without spoilers- what I felt was a side quest ended up being the main focus of this book. It felt weird, like the quest for human freedoms took a back seat. And then when it was time to wrap it up, it felt rushed.

As with the last book analeigh does a good job with tastes and smells, making me feel like I actually want to eat the meals.

The romance part of this felt a little weird as well, I don’t think I clicked with the actual love interests. I think she even mentions in the book that in another lifetime she wouldn’t have had to choose and they could all live together. And I feel like that would have made it a better story for me because it felt like that was the initial plan and AS was being forced to keep them away from polyamory.

Overall it was a fine story, and the audiobook narrator’s voice was pleasant to listen to. She really did a fine job separating the characters.

This was a great ending to the Lore of the Wild duology! This book was great because it didn't drag scenes out like some other fantasy novels. It was well-paced, and we got to know the characters more, especially after how the first book ended. We find out there is a 2nd grimoire, and Lore tries to find it in this book. The revelations that were made about family, characters, etc. were jaw dropping! I love that this story cleaned up nicely, and Lore was becoming such a strong FMC while facing many harrowing events in this book.

I am such a a huge fan of this duology! Sbrana writes in a nearly lyrical way which really comes to life in the audio rendition. I enjoyed every moment of this world, story and these characters!!

The first book ended on a cliffhanger and while I had some issues with book one, I was still interested in seeing where this went.
It was a bit predictable & the romance didn’t feel fully believable. There were parts I really enjoyed, but overall this isn’t a series I would necessarily come back to. The narrator was fantastic though.

After the cliffhanger that was the first book, I was excited to have received the ALC for the sequel, but I unfortunately, it left me unsatisfied.

Firstly, I am very confused about whether this duology is considered YA or NA because the first book with Lore at 19, reads strongly as a YA novel. But in this novel, there is significantly more on-page spice and she's only a year older.

Which leads me to the 'romance' of it all. Though I applaud the portrayal of conflicting feelings for Asher, I didn't buy the romance between either Asher nor Finn. All of it was a bit unconvincing. Romance aside, I did enjoy the new setting on boat/sea where we meet sirens and a lot of interesting new creatures.

This was a bit dulled by the pacing of the book which consisted of long chapters of nothing happening then a huge thing happening within a span of a few minutes of narration. <spoiler>This is most evident at the end of the book where there was only 27 minutes left and nothing was resolved but by the end of it, everything was.</spoiler>

The writing and narration were great and though I wouldn't recommend this book specifically, I think this series as a whole is a decent debut/adventure, especially for those who want a character-driven romantasy with a simple plot line.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the ALC. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio for the ALC

This was so good, it immediately picks up where book one leaves off and I absolutely loved the new characters and worlds that we got to explore. Marcella Cox does an amazing job narrating and you can feel the devastating heartbreak, and joy come through her performance. There were times the pacing felt a little rushed, but I could just be greedy wishing this was a trilogy.

I really enjoyed this book! It picks up immediately where book 1 ends and we take off from there.

We see old faces, new faces, and more in this journey with Lore. Her ultimate goal remains the same - save her people, the humans, but she still stops along the way to help others in need.

Overall I really enjoyed the characters and story here - the challenges Lore & crew face were unique and the fact that Lore struggled through the ups and the downs was refreshing to read. I was not sure there was going to be a way to forgive/like Syrelle in the end but Analeigh surprised me with how she tied all that u

What an ending to my (now) favorite duology! We pick up very soon after Lore of the Wilds ends and everyone is still reeling from the adventures in the previous book. What we get here is a tale of adventure, self-love, social justice, and romance. The new places, characters, and adversaries we meet along the way weave together to show Lore that she is not JUST a human, but a beacon of strength and magic to those around her. I will be thinking of this series for a long time.

I did listen to the audiobook version and I was very impressed with the narrator. I will seek her out in other books. She had good tone, differentiated the voices enough to know who was speaking when, and added excellent thematic elements to her storytelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really love the audiobook narrator on this one. The story had some really interesting parts but as a whole, it did not keep my interest. I wanted there to be better pacing. And it just felt a little bit disjoint from the first book. There was some good character development for the main character but by the end it did feel a little bit too predictable for my taste.

It was out of rooting for this author—and honestly, general curiosity on how the series would wrap up—that I carried through to read Tides. An underwater setting & seafaring adventure sounded promising. Unfortunately, Tides struggled in ways similar to Wilds, namely in plot, character development, and tone.

First, a few positives: There’s some nice character development here with Asher, and I wish she’d gone deeper on building out his family dynamics. I also liked the Sirens, and felt that world was visual and interesting.

I also switched between reading and audio for this one, and really liked the narrator. The story came to life more to me with her emotional read and characterization. I also felt she did a nice job of differentiating the voices in a way where I could easily follow the dialogue. I would definitely look for her on audiobooks again.

Once again, though, this book reads like YA up until almost jarring sex scenes are thrown in. I really wish someone had encouraged Sbrana to just keep this story YA. While there’s spice, there’s really no tension here. I couldn’t’ve been less invested in Lore’s relationship with Finn—there’s no chemistry and he doesn’t seem to have much of a personality other than being a grump.

This book also struggles with the same pacing and plot issues of the first. The beginning felt so slow again, with waffling that made me like Lore a lot less. In other climactic moments, you don’t once have a feel or sense of stakes - everything just resolves easily. It makes it hard to invest in the characters—you’re expecting the resolution and so when you get it, there’s nothing really to celebrate.

The ending here, too, felt predictable and honestly, a bit boring. I actually think the other choice romantically would’ve been more compelling had she developed it well.

Look: I think Sbrana has so much potential. The ideas, the creativity, it’s all there. Fantasy needs more authors who can bring this authentic and genuine a perspective into injecting fantasy with much-needed diversity. It’s just a shame she wasn’t given a stronger editor and team to help her shape this one better.

Note: This was a two-star physical read, but three-star listen, given the particularly strong narration.

This one picks up immediately after book 1 ended, with Lore reeling from Asher's betrayal. For some reason I had a little bit of a harder time getting into this one. I found myself more attached to Lore in this book than I was initially, and felt like she had some solid growth. The world-building and imagery were solid and pretty immersive, but I wasn't quite as invested overall, and the pacing was a bit slow. The banter was pretty fun! The narration brought it from a 3 to a 4 for me.

Similarly to the prior book in this duology, this book grew on me about 50% of the way through but I struggled with the pacing and choppy directions of the plot.

Lore is a strong character and compelling narrator, but I think the book would have benefitted from multiple POVs, helping us understand the perspectives of her romantic leads and what compels them throughout the layers of plot beyond proximity to Lore.

Ultimately, I wanted more from this! But I can see a lot of reasons why folks may enjoy it: love triangles, mysterious enemies, magic, determined and nuanced FMC, etc!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up

I enjoyed Lore of the Wilds, and was curious to see how the story continues after plot twist ending in the first book. The second book in this duology is a lot more action and adventure with new places and new characters. I found the ship plot to be interesting, and I really liked Lore’s strength being shown in one of the scenes. I also thought the underwater world and characters to be fascinating and would love to read more about that world. Overall, I enjoyed the book, and I would be interested to see what else Analeigh writes. Also, as a nod to the narration, I thought Marcella Cox did an excellent job narrating the various characters and really nailing Lore’s character.

For me, the romance felt a little flat and a bit forced, though at least part of that is likely due to that I personally dislike ‘good girl’, and I really dislike when it is shoehorned, especially several times, into books. If that’s your yum, you may enjoy the romance more than I did.

Thank you to Analeigh Sbrana and HarperAudio Adult | HarperAudio for providing an audiobook. I am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

𝙴𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 & 𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠
🌟🌟🌟🌟
I have mixed emotions and mixed reviews about this book. I have been going back and forth if I should rate it 3 or 4 stars! But I went with 4 stars; the cover art and the spicy content in this book were chef's kiss.
This is book two in the Lore of the Wilds Duology! I really wanted to love this book, but I felt like it dragged, and it just didn't give me those feelings I wanted. The romance was good; I can't talk too much about it, as I don't want to spoil it.

The audiobook is narrated by Marcella Cox, and she honestly saved the book for me. She was amazing and easy to listen to and understand, and gave the characters so much depth. I listened at 2x speed.

Thank you, NetGalley, Avon and Harper for the ebook, and Harper Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Analeigh Sbrana's Lore of the Tides offers a promising premise, diving into a world where ancient oceanic magic clashes with human ambition. The opening chapters are particularly captivating, with Sbrana painting vivid pictures of a mysterious underwater realm and its enigmatic inhabitants. Her prose has a lyrical quality, especially when describing the ebb and flow of the tides and the creatures that dwell within the deep. The world-building, while not entirely groundbreaking, has some intriguing elements, hinting at a rich history and complex power dynamics.

However, as the narrative progresses, the initial sparkle begins to dull. The pacing becomes somewhat uneven, with stretches that feel a bit slow and others that rush through potentially interesting developments. While the main characters are likable enough, their motivations occasionally feel a little thin, preventing a truly deep connection. I found myself wishing for more nuanced emotional arcs and a greater sense of urgency in their journeys. Some of the plot twists, while present, felt telegraphed rather than genuinely surprising, diminishing their impact.

Ultimately, Lore of the Tides is a decent read with flashes of brilliance, especially in its imaginative setting and descriptive language. It has the potential to be truly enchanting, but it just doesn't quite reach its full stride. Fans of watery fantasies might find enough here to enjoy, but those looking for a truly immersive and gripping experience might find the current a little too gentle. It’s a solid effort, but left me hoping for a bit more depth in the next wave.

What an ending to the duology. Analeigh has written a fantastical tale of adventure, trusting your instincts, and falling in love. I love Lore's characters and how she feels for others and works out problems. This was a fun book and I appteciated the new characters there introduced. Solid 4 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was not blown away by the first book, but figured I would give the second a try to see if the story improved. Unfortunately it did not. I felt rather bored throughout the story and the entire plot was very all over the place. Also, while I like YA books, this is marketed as an adult romantasy, but minus the explicit scenes it reads a little too young adult and the writing did not flow well. Adding the smut scenes just made it extremely awkward. The magic system is lacking in explanation and things are often so convenient it's just not believable. The romance was also quite dull with little development. Give the books a try as you may like them, but I personally wish I had passed on this duology.

Book 2 of Lord of The Wilds started off with Lore coming to consciousness on a boat out at sea. Her captor is the man she thought she loved, who lied about everything. The underwater world she discovered it magical, and was my favorite part of this story. The love story between Lore and Finn just wasn’t adding up for me. I always have a hard time believing you could be totally in love with one guy in book 1, then a different guy in book 2 (although SJM pulled it off in ACOTAR).

Overall this was a fun duology and I recommend! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced release copy in exchange for a honest review

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to listen to this book!
This is the second book of a duology.
I had so many questions at the end of book one and glad I devoured this book as it answered them and more!
I really enjoyed this read!

Sadly this book did not work for me and so I had to DNF. I didn’t love how book 1 was but I was interested enough to continue based on how it ended but I think too much time has passed and I wouldn’t want to reread book 1 to understand book 2.