Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods [Fantasy Review]

Summary 💬

Saint-Malo, Brittany, 1758.
For Lucinde Leon, the youngest daughter of one of Saint-Malo’s wealthiest ship-owners, the high walls of the city are more hindrance than haven. While her sisters are interested in securing advantageous marriages, Luce dreams of escaping her elegant but stifling home and joining a ship’s crew. Only Samuel—Luce’s best friend and an English smuggler—understands her longing for the sea, secretly teaching her to sail whenever she can sneak away. For Luce, the stolen time on the water with Samuel is precious.

One stormy morning, Luce’s plans are blown off course when she rescues Morgan de Chatelaine, the youngest son of the most powerful ship-owner in Saint-Malo, from the sea. Immediately drawn to his charm and sense of adventure, she longs to attend the glittering ball held in honor of his safe return and begins to contemplate a different kind of future for herself.

But it is not only Luce’s hopes at stake—the local fae are leaving Brittany and taking their magic with them, while the long-standing war with the English means Saint-Malo is always at risk of attack. As Luce is plunged into a world of magic, brutality, and seduction, secrets that have long been lost in the shadowy depths of the ocean begin to rise to the surface. The truth of her own power is growing brighter and brighter, shining like a sea-glass slipper.

Or the scales of a sea-maid’s tail.

Goodreads

Review ✍🏻

Sophomore Release

I read Woods’ debut After the Forest at the end of 2023. I only finished it since it was year end and I didn’t have any other pressing reads at hand. Otherwise, it may have been a DNF. When I received an ARC offer for Woods’ new novel Upon a Starlit Tide, I planned to decline. However! I decided to give it a shot since I do love fae stories and sea stories. And this time around, I could adjust my expectations regarding any possible romance within. I’m glad I gave this book a chance, as it grew on me by the end. It’s a marked improvement over After the Forest. While it’s not too exquisite, it’s got a good dose of entertaing and dramatic moments to keep you reading.

Characterization

I began as a wary reader, acknowledging I may be a harsh judge after my experience with After the Forest. Protagonist Luce proved insufferable at first. She comes across a perfect little Mary Sue, whose greatest hardship in life is the bullying inflicted on her by her sisters for being ‘not like other girls’, as well as being too loved by her father. I could not wrap my head around her father gifting her a brand new ship, no matter how much she may the favoured daughter.

But the story rewards patience, as it progresses to reveal darker secrets and violence at play between Luce and her family. Near the end of the book, I noted “I have to give credit to this story building to this kind of depth”. (I also noted somewhere close to the end “Her Mary Sue life isn’t so rosy now…” lol.) Shout out in particular to sister Charlotte, who develops beyond stereotype despite being a relatively minor character.

For a comment on another side character which includes a spoiler, see the PS at the bottom of this post.

Romance

As with After the Forest, there is romance here, though I didn’t find it as prominent as in After the Forest. Perhaps that’s because I was more prepared for it. Interestingly, the jacket copy of Upon a Starlit Tide references romance while After the Forest‘s copy doesn’t. I wonder if that’s a sign of the increasing prominence of romantasy even since the publication of After the Forest.

Maybe if I read more romantic storylines, I would have better predicted the direction of the romance in this book. Or maybe that’s part of the romance storylines appeal – how it plays with expectations. Either way, I was way off base as to where it was headed until maybe 50% of the way through. Then I was surprised yet entertained to see how my opinions were turned around. I found the pairing worked much better in this story than that of Greta and Maurice in After the Forest. It comes across more grounded and believable.

Worldbuilding

Now, what about the fae and sea elements that originally prompted me to pick up this story? I’m happy to report that both play prominent roles throughout the story. I enjoyed the encounters with fairy folklore of Brittany. (Not to mention the reworking of two well-known fairy tales in the plot of the story!) The fantasy elements integrate well with the plot and characters, and made more sense to me than in After the Forest. While most of the story takes place along the coast rather than at sea, that setting remains integral to the storytelling.

The Bottom Line 💭

An entertaining sophomore effort, Upon a Starlit Tide is a solid historical fantasy with a refreshing coastal setting.

Further Reading 📰

🍂 Read an excerpt
🍂 Author website
🍂 Interview @ The Avid Pen
🍂 Reviews: Jordan @ Forever Lost in Literature, Mogsy @ The Bibliosanctum, Amanda @ Amanda’s Book Corner, Serena @ The Library Ladies
🍂 Related: My full review of Woods’ debut After the Forest

Do you have any recs for historical fantasy with unique settings, or historical fantasy that incorporates folklore?

PS – the below note includes a spoiler for one of the side characters.

There is one character whose purpose I wondered from the moment they were introduced. My initial thought was “I bet this person is just here to die later to heighten the stakes and make the protagonist sad without actually being too devastating.” I was correct. Ah well.