16 Aug Review: Curious Tides
Curious Tides
Series: Drowned Gods Duology; 1
Written by: Pascale Lacelle
Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2023
ISBN: 9781665939270 (hardcover)
$24.99 CAD
529 pages
Ages: 14 years old and up
Review by: K. Joan Harrison
This debut fantasy by Pascale Lacelle, a French-Canadian author, tells the story of students who attend a school for young people who have magic powers, determined by the phase of the moon under which they were born. The story is written in alternating perspectives of two characters, Basil (Baz) and Emory, interspersed with text from an ancient story, the Song of the Drowned Gods. The ancient text is written in negative text (white on black). There is a fair amount of world-building, aided by maps and a description of the Lunar Houses and their Tidal Alignments. The main characters are searching for answers to a tragedy from the previous year, taking different paths which cross throughout the book. The plot is dense and unfolds slowly, peppered with secrets, attraction, and taboos. The climactic and heart-wrenching end is followed by an Epilogue which foreshadows the next title in the series (to be released November 2024).