Review Detail

Starless Sea meets Ninth House in a haunting YA novel about academia, friendships found and lost, and secrets it hurts to find.

This book is built on atmosphere. Aldryn is misty and eerie, and honestly, you should probably expect to find a dead body or two in the caves near the seaside college. Snippets of lore woven into the story explain bits and pieces of the tides and their magic and set up a much bigger world to be explored as the trilogy unfolds. And I enjoyed Emory as a character, as she grapples with overcoming grief, the allure of power, and, slowly, knowing that she has become a part of things that are way over her head. Other highlights include the unique magic system, a side of government conspiracy, and a pretty boy you just know is going to be trouble but can't help rooting for anyway.

I first picked this up at the library and had to return it halfway through, but I got the chance to finish the book and I'm so glad I did. Looking forward to where the series goes next!