Dark Tides: The compelling new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Tidelands

This is the sequel to Tidelands which was completely engrossing. I loved this story too - so much so that I read on into the wee hours, because I didn’t want to put it down. Finished the book in a matter of days as a result! Gregory writes so well. It is a romance story at heart but characters are intriguing and its set in a fascinating time of English history so well worth a read.

This is the second book in the authors "Fairmile" series. It kicks off 21 years after the last book. Alinor and Alys now own a run down warehouse on the river in London. I am confused as to whether Alys had twins or if one of the children belongs to Alinor! Lord James Avery, having been widowed, searches out Alinor with the hope of rectifying the hurt he caused her 21 years ago. This does not do down well and he is told he is not welcome and to leave. But not before he has met Livia who having travelled from Venice with a child is claiming to be the widow of Alinor's brother Rob. Livia entwines herself into Lord Avery's life whilst at the same time Alinor has sent Alys's daughter Sarah to Venice to see if Livia's claims are true. Running parallel to this story is Ned's (Alinor's brother) adventures in New England where he has emigrated to avoid being the subject of the new King in England It does get a bit soap opera and far fetched at times but I enjoyed the historical descriptions of life in London, Venice and New England in the late 1600's The ending seemed abrupt and I was disappointed that Livia did not get her comeuppance and that Ned survived but perhaps this is for the follow up book. Overall a good read, recommended as long as you have read the first book

I nearly didn't read this because of the negative reviews but I really enjoyed it and, for me, the portrayal of the characters and their circumstances 20 years on from the events of Tidelands seemed like a believable progression. Great evocation of life in 17th Century London and, I think, a very plausible look at how the events of Tidelands has affected the characters over the years and left some of them open to the machinations of the clever and conniving Livia. I also enjoyed the separate, though loosely connected, narrative that followed Ned in New England (again I think this was a natural progression for his character). It was fascinating to read about the lives of the early settlers and their relations to the Native Americans, and the author places Ned into a real historical situation with the same skill she uses in her other historical novels. The later narrative that takes place in Venice is also historically fascinating and has a wonderful, menacing atmosphere about it. On the whole, a really cracking, page-turning read - I'm looking forward to the third book.

After finishing Tidelands by Philippa Gregory I went straight into the sequel, Dark Tides. I was desperate to know what became of Alinor and her daughter Alys, both pregnant and virtually cast out of the village they had lived in all their lives. I wasn't disappointed in this second book. Gregory is an incredible writer and never lets her readers down. I have read another review before penning my own and have to agree with the comment that the 'back and forth' coverage of both Alinor's life and that of her brother in the new world was distracting. I suppose this is down to my being totally immersed in what was happening to Alinor in London and not to any shortcomings on Ms Gregory's part. There are some dastardly characters in Dark Tides but all described with such relish, I couldn't put the book down. I could write so much in this review but that would be a novel in it's own right. Suffice to say a worthy FIVE STARS. I loved it.

I have read all of Philippa Gregory's novels, all of which I have thoroughly enjoyed. I love her skill in story-telling and she has the gift to keep me hooked right up to the end. I delayed buying Dark Tides, as I was amazed to read numerous bad reviews which is a rare thing for her books. I decided to read the book myself in order to make my own decision and sure enough was hooked for most of the way through the book. However, it seemed to go downhill after Rob was rescued and brought back to London. We never got to know him properly and he came over as a bit insipid. It would have been much better if we had been able to get to know him while he was still a prisoner on the island, treating sick plague victims. We also missed out on the reunion between him and Alinor and Alys which was a shame. Sarah declared her love for Felipe who had admitted all sorts of previous crimes, including that of conniving to get Rob imprisoned (a death sentence considering where he was sent), being involved in the murder of Livia's former husband, not to mention theft, grave robbing, dealing in counterfeit goods, etc! I assume there will be another episode in this family saga, as Livia needs to get her just rewards and Rob's family need to benefit too. James needs a good kick up the pants and Rob needs to man up.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Tidelands, so came to purchase the sequel, and was surprised to see very mixed reviews. So I downloaded the free sample, which is a generous one and gives a good indication of the book. I wanted to read more after the sample, and I deemed that worth 3.99. The book has provided me with eager, engaging reading for 6-7 bedtimes in a row, and I would get the next one if it was out - which is pretty much all I ask from a book. (Spoiler warning for next paragraph.) I can see that this is not of the stellar quality of other Gregory novels I've enjoyed, though. The main thing is that it is very derivative from her earlier works - the New England sections are very similar to Virgin Earth, though I definitely applaud Gregory raising awareness the experiences of aboriginal Americans in this period, which is much glossed over on both sides of the pond. But more annoying is the central widow character, who seems almost completely lifted from the last Wideacre book, and was unconvincingly two dimensional in both. The final action scenes in Venice seem absolutely preposterous, and as others have noted, the character of Alinor, so strong and haunting in Tidelands, is barely in it. However, I was interested to learn something about Venice in this period, and it was nice to see at least a mention of the consequences of trauma - that characters who go through dreadful ordeals, though survive or even triumph, do not then just 'live happily ever after' but live with long term fallout, both emotionally and physically. If you want an entertaining read and haven't read, or don't mind, the repeat from other books (also very readable in their own right) then I'd say go ahead. If you are finnicky about literary quality, maybe not.

Where do I start to review this 2nd book of a trilogy by Philippa. Philippe writes such great historical novels, literally taking you back in time. I chose this book due to the current offer, and although I don't always like buying into trilogies, after finishing this , I wish I had! Dark Tides can be read as a stand alone, but it does leave you wondering how it all started, and then wanting to know what the future held in the final book! (Very clever of Amazon offer this cheaper, to then encourage you to obtain the other 2 books). One thing Dark Tides has left me with, is a wanting to know more about American Indian history. We can all say we know the basics, but do we truely know and actually understand.......

A wonderful follow up to Tidelands, I absolutely loved it. The characters are so real and the story intertwines all their lives.