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.

I adored Lore of the Wilds and could not wait to read Lore of the Tides, as it was one of my most anticipated reads for this year.

That being said, I don't think yall understand how devastated I am to not have loved this. I was so excited to see how Lore's story would come to a close, especially after how Wilds ended.

I think the pacing of this is what really tanked it for me. The plot was repetitive and dragged on for so long only to rush the conclusion—which left a lot to be desired.

I see Sbrana's vision, but the execution let me down.

Thank you to NetGalley, Analeigh Sbrana, Harper Audio, and Harper Voyager for an eARC and ALC of Lore of the Tides in exchange for an honest review.

Okay I read Lore of the Wilds and I was not wowed but I did enjoy it and the cliffhanger left me wanting to keep reading. However, I had a lot of issues that affected my enjoyment of this book. I felt like even though Lore was 21 a lot of the dialogue and her inner monologue was incredibly juvenile. I feel like a prime example of this was when she referred to her toes as “toesies” a word I have only ever used when playing with my toddlers. That honestly made it impossible for me to overlook any of the other shortcomings. I realize it is one word and seems nit-picky, but Lore is an adult with intimate scenes in this story. It seems wildly inappropriate and infantilizing. On top of that very minimal plot development occurs in the first 40% of the book. This led to a lot of boredom and disinterest on my end. I then felt like too much happened in the last 60% that none of it had enough information and was very rushed. I don’t know, give it a read if those things don’t bother you?

As far as the audio goes I thought the narrator, Marcella Cox, did a fantastic job!

I’m really glad I read book one first because I absolutely fell in love with it—it completely stole my heart. That’s probably why book two felt like a bit of a letdown in comparison. Throughout the story, I kept waiting for those intense, emotional highs or challenges that would shake the characters to their core, but they just never came. There were several moments where I thought, “Wait… that’s it?” It felt like everything wrapped up a little too neatly. Fights were resolved quickly, problems were handled almost effortlessly, and the stakes I was expecting never fully materialized. The journey to get from point A to point B was long, sure, but the payoff didn’t feel worth the buildup.

Don’t get me wrong—this author still has a beautiful writing style, and I genuinely enjoy how she tells a story. She's firmly on my auto-buy list. But I really wanted more from this book: more tension, more depth, more emotional investment. I ended up giving this one four stars, mostly because of how much I adored the first book. If this had been my introduction to the series, though, it might’ve landed closer to three stars. I’m still hopeful for what comes next, but I’m crossing my fingers that the magic of book one returns in full force.

I really enjoyed Lore of the Tides and felt like this duology hit the perfect sweet spot. It didn’t drag out over three or four books, it gave me everything I wanted in two perfect length books.

There were a few moments where the pacing slowed a bit in this one and some of Lore’s inner monologue got repetitive, but overall, the story kept me interested.

The magic system continues to be interesting, and I loved getting to see more of Lore’s power unfold. There’s betrayal, found family, and a love triangle that’s very done well, to the point where I was rooting for them both to be honest.

The new setting and magical creatures we meet in this one were a fun expansion of the world, and I liked how the stakes felt high, especially toward the end, without losing the heart of the characters.

Also, I switched between reading and listening to the audiobook, and the narrator, Marcella Cox, was amazing as always. I’ve listened to her narrate a few books now and she consistently nails the emotion and pacing. If you’re into romantasy with heart, magic, and love triangles, I think you’ll enjoy this duology as much as I did.

Also want to add this book compared to the first is 🌶️🌶️🌶️.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio for sending this ALC for review consideration. And thank you to Harper Voyager for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

This book is a storm: magic, betrayal, found family, and a love triangle that emotionally body-slammed me.

Lore? She's the powerful, soft-hearted heroine of my dreams. Strong. Kind. Protective of her peace. And the men in this book?? Analeigh, you did that.

“He called you a witch, so I broke his jaw.”
Yes. Just… yes.
It’s romantic. It’s angry. It’s beautiful. It talks about trust. It’s fantasy, but it feels like healing.

And the writing??

“Some women are more moth than butterfly… Unveil your mosaic wings.”
I’m unwell.
Read it. Cry. Scream. DM the author. Heal. Repeat.
✨10/10 duology, no notes (except one, which I already messaged her about 😅).

I received the e book as well but I could not wait to get the audio of this one. As a blind reader I really utilize audiobooks as my main source of readings and this book had been high on my priority list!

I really loved the narration. The world-building is both expansive and immersive. The inclusion of diverse characters and cultures adds depth and authenticity to the fantasy setting.  
Lore’s character development is a standout aspect of the novel. Transformed by grief and betrayal, she evolves into a formidable protagonist whose journey is both heart-wrenching and inspiring.

I really can’t wait for everyone to read this one! What a great Duology!


Lore of the Wilds (book 1 in this duology) was cute and somewhat unique, but I liked this second one better. I liked the atmosphere in both of them, but the at-sea swashbuckling aspect of this one was a lot of fun and felt more unique than its predecessor. Great duology!

Thank you to NetGalley for this gifted audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review. I appreciate it!

I absolutely LOVE a good duology. This was the perfect conclusion. I am obsessed with Analeigh Sbrana! Marcella did an amazing job narrating Lore of Tides!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for this advanced copy! You can pick up Lore of the Tides on July 8, 2025.

What a fantastic ending to an incredible duology! I really loved the direction Analeigh Sbrana took with this book, as Lore and her companions explored new regions of the world and made some wonderful new friends. The side characters (such as the siren Queen and Prince Hazen) really stole the show whenever they appeared on page, and I appreciated how these relationships showcased that Lore being human shouldn't differentiate her treatment from other creatures. They liked Lore for her own merits, including her ingenuity and bravery.

This might be one of my favorite adult love triangles I've read thus far. As the story went on, the reader really flip-flopped with Lore between Syrelle and Finndryl. Each of them showed up for her in different ways, but I'm not upset about the choice she made (okay maybe a little bit). We see her handling the betrayal from the end of Book 1 throughout the first third of Lore of the Tides, and despite seeing how this male shows up for her and tries to protect her, it's impossible to forget the role he played in all the hurt that she endured. Plus, the offhand mention of how they could have all been together... Analeigh, polyamorous epilogue WHEN.

All in all, if you enjoyed the first book, I think you'll eat this one up just as much (if not more)!