Book Reviews

Review: All the Tides of Fate by Adalyn Grace

Reeling from the events of All the Stars and Teeth, Amora and her friends are struggling to move forward. All the Tides of Fate is a book driven by themes and questions. While it may lack the character space I loved from the first, I enjoyed the ways it delves into issues of power and the past. Keep reading this book review to find out my full thoughts.

Summary

Through blood and sacrifice, Amora Montara has conquered a rebellion and taken her rightful place as queen of Visidia. Now, with the islands in turmoil and the people questioning her authority, Amora cannot allow anyone to see her weaknesses.

No one can know about the curse in her bloodline. No one can know that she’s lost her magic. No one can know the truth about the boy who holds the missing half of her soul.

To save herself and Visidia, Amora embarks on a desperate quest for a mythical artifact that could fix everything―but it comes at a terrible cost. As she tries to balance her loyalty to her people, her crew, and the desires of her heart, Amora will soon discover that the power to rule might destroy her.

Review

(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

All the Stars and Teeth is one of those books that swept me off my feet. I remember being so engrossed in the world, enjoying the character dynamics, and the sea adventures. So All the Tides of Fate was one of my most anticipated releases of 2021! But I found myself missing what captivated me from the first. I enjoyed the ways All the Tides of Fate discussed the path for the future. The themes are my favorite element of this sequel – discussing our need to let go of the past and not let fear control us.

All the Tides of Fate felt more focused on the future of Amora’s power. The ways our expectations can hold us back from the future. We can be locked into believing there’s only one way forward. However only we hold the key to our own future. Should Amora be queen? Reeling from the grief and trauma, Amora needs to figure out a way to come to terms with the past. All the secrets her ancestors created. As I said, I enjoyed the ways Grace discusses these themes, but I found that I was less captivated by the characters and action in this sequel than the first.

Characters?

Part of my frustration with some of the characters certainly stems from their choices. Yet at the same time I felt like in the first book the balance between Amora and the side characters allowed them more space to shine than in this sequel. It’s been a while since I read All the Stars and and Teeth, so I’m just judging this based on my memory from the first. I missed the attention and intrigue of the side characters in All the Tides of Fate. Additionally, the ending was incredibly abrupt, I actually thought around 80% that this had to be a trilogy. There’s a poetic sense to the ending, I just was shocked at how quickly it was wrapped up.

Overall,

It’s an ending that felt satisfying, I just wish there had been more space devoted to the consequences and crescendo. We can change our future and even our present. But living in the past keeps us caged in a trap of our own making. It’s a difficult lesson to learn. One that is motivated by our fears and doubt. Our pain, loss, and love. If you loved All the Stars and Teeth and wanted to find out where our characters are bound, you should definitely read this one! The themes are thoughtful and emotional and the ending will make you gasp.

Find All the Tides of Fate on Goodreads, Amazon (US) (UK), Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.

Discussion

What is your favorite thematic sequel?


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