Dark Tides is a historical fiction novel by Philippa Gregory and is the second book in the Fairmile series.
Set 21 years after the events of Tidelands, the story picks up as we follow the Reekie family, once again navigating the turbulent and ever-changing landscape of 17th-century England.
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Midsummer Eve, 1670. A turbulent time to seek the truth . . .
A wealthy man waits outside a poor London warehouse to meet with Alinor, the woman he failed twenty-one years before. He has everything to offer: money, land, status. He believes she has the only thing he cannot buy: his son and heir.
Meanwhile in New England, Alinor’s brother Ned cannot find justice in the New World, as the King’s revenge stretches across the Atlantic and turns the pioneers against each other and against the American Indians.
Then, a beautiful widow, Livia, arrives from Venice. She claims Alinor as her mother-in-law and has come with the news that Alinor’s son Rob has drowned in the dark tides of the lagoon. But is this true or could this woman be an imposter . . . ?
Dark Tides Book Review
I really enjoyed reading Dark Tides, possibly even more than Tidelands. It’s a brilliant continuation of the Reekie family saga, set across three locations: London, Venice, and colonial America.
I loved the scenes set in Venice but I was much less interested in the sections set in New England with Ned. While they provide interesting historical context about the early settlers and their struggles, I felt they didn’t connect as well with the main storyline.
Livia’s character was a fantastic addition to the story. She was so manipulative and scheming that I was left questioning her true motives and what really happened to Rob.
Alinor continued to be a formiddable character, despite her ailing health and I enjoyed reading more from the perspectives of daughter Alys and grandaughter Sarah. James, meanwhile, is as weak and disappointing as ever.
The novel’s ending is slightly unsatisfying, as it’s clearly left open for the next book. However, since I plan on reading Dawnlands soon, I’m hopeful these loose ends will eventually be tied up.
