Lore of the Tides (The Lore of the Wilds Duology)
Hey, I’m not even going to hold you. I DNF’d this at Chapter 28. The writing still has that rambling style from the first book, but this time it just felt like too much. Maybe I’ll try it again someday, but right now? I’m going to pass.
First off, if you haven’t read Book 1 of The Lore of the Wilds, skip this review because there are spoilers.
I actually thought the setup was interesting. We’re back with Lore after being captured by Asher and, surprise surprise, he’s the bad guy. Honestly, that reveal was beautifully done. Justice for Fin.
I think what really made me drop the book was the way Fin started feeling like a rebound. At the beginning, there’s still this “will Lore and Asher work things out or not?” tension hanging over everything. Meanwhile, Fin who originally had his own opinions and pushback suddenly becomes willing to go along with basically anything Lore wants.
And then his character kind of shifts into the stereotypical overly sexual love interest. With Asher, there was at least some romantic tension and emotional complexity. With Fin, I loved the softer moments, him being protective, doing her hair, caring for her but I never fully felt the romance between them. Then he gets powers and can suddenly communicate with Asher too? It just felt kind of random to me.
Again, this is just my personal opinion. If you enjoyed it, that’s totally fine. I’m just a girl on the internet complaining about a story because I genuinely loved the first book. Lore was exactly the stubborn, hardheaded princess type of character I wanted but now in book too it feels like Lore herself never really grew as a character.
I honestly wish the first book had just been a little longer and wrapped everything up there. I didn’t hate the mermaid storyline, but by this point I was kind of over it. The story kept bringing up Lore’s family, but outside of Gray, we barely spend time with any of them and Gray was more important in the first book anyway. Where is everybody else?
That being said, the opening chapter was genuinely strong and emotional. The writing itself is still good too. This sequel just didn’t work for me the way the first one did.
Either way… later.
From my own experience diving into duologies like The Lore of the Wilds, sequels can be tricky to navigate, especially when the first book sets a high bar for character depth and plot engagement. The 'Lore of the Tides' tries to expand the world with a fresh antagonist reveal and introduces new relational dynamics, which is commendable. However, I found that some character changes felt abrupt or less authentic, similar to what's described about Fin's sudden shift into a stereotypical romantic interest. In many fantasy series, sustaining emotional complexity between characters is crucial for reader investment—something that seems more developed in the first book with the Lore-Asher tension. When new romantic elements appear without gradual buildup or convincing chemistry, it can disrupt the story’s flow and reader connection. This aligns with the mixed feelings about Fin's evolving role and powers, which, without clear grounding, can feel random or forced. The mention of Lore’s family background being underexplored is also a common pitfall in series expansions. Background characters or family can add significant emotional weight and context if woven cohesively into the plot. It reminds me of how I sometimes felt with other fantasy duologies where subplots or secondary characters are introduced but not fully integrated, leaving a sense of missed opportunity. Despite these issues, it's valuable to acknowledge that the sequel’s strong opening and overall good writing demonstrate the author’s skill and potential. For those who appreciated the first book’s stubborn, hardheaded princess Archetype of Lore or the mermaid storyline, 'Lore of the Tides' might still offer moments worth reading. Personally, I’ve found revisiting such sequels after some time can also provide a fresh perspective. In summary, while 'Lore of the Tides' may fall short in character development and plot consistency compared to its predecessor, it highlights important challenges in sequel writing — balancing character arcs, maintaining tension, and fully developing subplots. If you enjoyed Book 1, it could be worthwhile to explore the sequel with tempered expectations and an eye for the story’s broader worldbuilding.
