Upon a Starlit Tide

With this book I'm a little torn. The first half dragged a bit and a few things annoyed me, mostly the inconsistent writing of some characters and the slow-ish plot-progression. I also was bored by the protagonist being from a wealthy, high society background preoccupied with balls and finding husbands and picking out dresses - maybe I've just had enough period drama for now However, the further it progressed the better it got. The story became more and more gripping and I was invested in the relationship dynamics and the mysteries behind Luces origins. The setting was again superb, as in Wood's first book "After the Forest". You could definitely tell that a lot of research and care went into portraying a historical Saint-Malo and its society. The fairytale-mashup was great again as well, just as the implementation of fae-creatures, though they could have had more page-time for my taste. Towards the finale the book took surprisingly brutal and angry turns, which I enjoyed. The very ending then left me teary-eyed and I loved the resolution. So all in all an enjoyable read, even though the beginning could have been more streamlined for my taste. Still, everyone who loves a good historical fantasy with fairy elements will probably enjoy this, as will fans of Wood's first book Thanks to Titan Books and Netgalley for the e-ARC!