Dark Tides: A Novel (The Fairmile Series, Book 2)

*** MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS ***I pre-ordered this book because I loved the first book. This book is un expectedly frustrating and unbelievable. The characters I have known from the first book sound like completely different people in character and speech. Everyone seem like fools, helpless and speechless and weak, being easily led, fooled, manipulated and under the spell of one young foreign calculating woman. I couldn’t believe I was reading a book written by Philippa Gregory..!And Ned’s story in America is completely irrelevant in this book. You can skip the entire chapters on him and will not miss a thing. I am not sure if I would want to read the next book. I’ll probably read all the reviews first and decide if it’ll be worth spending another $14.99.

I pre-ordered this book as I enjoy reading Phillipa Gregory historical novels, and Tidelands in particular, which is the first book in the series. Dark Tides was extremely disappointing. The story was slow; and unbelievable. SPOILER ALERT: While the story has a historical setting, it was primarily about a con woman from Venice. What was most unbelievable was how she managed to manipulate most of the characters into believing her overly dramatic comments about the death of her second husband (who turned out not to be her husband); the fake antiquities she was selling and the fact that she was always promising to pay everyone back, but no one ever saw the money. Aside from this con woman, the fact that the main characters from Tidelands, Alinor and Alysias were so unforgiving about accepting help from James Avery seemed unrealistic.I'm not sure I saw the value in the dual stories either. All in all, a very disappointing read.

Ned, in New England was related to the London characters but that connection was all there was. He added nothing to their story and they added nothing to his. The son, presumed drowned, was unbelievable when he finally appeared in the story after being rescued by his niece in a caper that defies the imagination. And the story was so slow in developing and was also unbelievable. Only the grandmother and Sarah came through the story unblemished. It was one of the most contrived novels ever. But I bought it! Which shows my gullibility.

Initially, following the first book in the series, this 2nd book moved along fairly well, but it continually slowed. The ending was just plain ridiculous. It seemed as if the author had backed herself into a corner and was in a tremendous hurry to finish. Unfortunately the quality of this book is nowhere near the author's previous works.

I am a great fan of all of her books but this one is a disappointment. I suggest that you don't waste your money or your time.

I love Philippa Gregory books. Typically her writing draws you in. That said, this book was a huge disappointment and terrible sequel. It doesn't match Tidelands (which was wonderful). The book was honestly boring and I only finished it because I hoped it would get better. It never did. Ned's story in not tied in at all. You could honestly skip over every New England Chapter and you would have not missed a thing. Its like she wrote 2 separate books that she did a terrible job of tying together. I could not wait for the sequel to Tidelands because I loved it so much and unfortunately even with the sequel I'm still left wanting for a proper sequel to Tidelands.... I am honestly shocked this is a Philippa Gregory work. It doesnt read as one.

I loved the first book so I have been excitedly waiting for this book to come out. Unfortunately it fell short of my expectations. It is a very different book from Tidelands which I found off putting. Alinor and her family are now in London living very different lives from the ones in the first book. Worst of all for me was that most of the book has nothing to do with the family but instead a new character I disliked so reading it was frustrating. As the story opens Alinor is told that her son Rob is drowned in Venice and his widow Livia has shown up suddenly with his baby. Her daughter Alys welcomes her but Alinor does not believe her son to be dead. Most of the first half of the novel is from Livia’s perspective as she is trying to get herself a better life. That includes attaching herself to James who had tried to get Alinor back. Livia is scheming and Alys is easily taken advantage of which was frustrating to read.Alinor’s brother Ned is in New England trying to make it in the harsh new world while also balancing friendships with the English and the Indians. Obviously those two worlds will not be living peacefully together. Ned’s chapters are short and because he’s focused on survival I found them mostly lackluster. For me the book did not pick up until Sarah finally takes up a large role. Alys has raised Sarah and Johnnie as twins, although James wonders if one is really his child with Alinor. Both are good children trying to make their way with Sarah at a milliner’s shop and Johnnie at a merchant’s shop. It’s frustrating to see the family working so hard and yet spurn James when he offers to help, although Alinor and Alys do so without Sarah and Johnnie having any idea. There are a lot of secrets that are suddenly being kept from each other in this close knit family.While the book was not at all what I expected, and a disappointment from what I was looking forward to, it really picked up and had me hooked with Sarah’s adventures. I was very invested in her and what would happen. I do think there was a ridiculous character about face that is not at all believable but that is a minor quibble. I am sorry to see the characters from the last book having very little to do with this story and when they did often being fools which is an unfortunate end. There is also a question that is never answered that I hope will not be ignored as the story resumes because it is is never answered definitively here. While the magic of Tidelands may be gone I am still looking forward to this epic story of the family.

Regretted purchasing this ebook. Tidelands was a satisfying enough read that I was led to Dark Tides. My issue was the transition from Alinor as the primary protagonist, to a secondary character, who became painstakingly miserable. A previous narrative regarding two women, Alinor and Alys, full of life, with their wits about them, and working hard from the bottom, has been downgraded to two lonely women, who nurse a big chip on their shoulder. Sir James although previously a coward for not acknowledging Alinor, still managed to be intelligent enough to see her worth and brave enough to be a spy and leave the clergy in Tidelands. Yet he has been reduced to a foolish old man who jumped from one loveless marriage to another mistake within the same moment of trying to redeem himself, two decades later. Time froze, and the characters became a lesser version of what they were, and remained as such throughout. It was unclear who the new protagonist might be in Dark Tides, as the story from start to end revolved around Livia. The point that Livia is manipulative, calculating, and used her charms to cheat, had unwittingly become the story itself rather than being an emphasis to enrich the true main characters. Rob and Sarah were less than secondary in this plot. Until perhaps the last few chapters where Sarah was suddenly thrust into the spotlight, lacking all the required introductions to generate any championing interest. Ned was left out of this review as he should have been in the book.

I am a big fan of Philippa Gregory's books. I have enjoyed Tidelands very much und could not wait to read the sequel. However I was very disappointed. The new characters were so cliché, not credible and so predictable. The plot was clumsy. I did not recognize Philippa's style of writing. Shame.

I have read a lot of Phillipa Gregory books and I always enjoy them. She starts out with historical facts and adds an element of fiction to tell a really good story as is what she does with all her books,

I have been waiting what seems like forever for this book, It was so good ( which book of her's isn't though)I finished it in 1 and 1/2 days, and in true Phillipa fashion it leaves it open for a 3rd.I hope the rumours are true that there will be a 3rd!I love how she has now added "The New World, and traveling by ship elsewhere, Her Strong Female Characters have me on the edge of my seat and cheering them on.If you love Historical fiction, Phillipa won't let you down. But be forewarned, once you read just one of her books, you will have to read them all. Wanda H.

Not particularly well written, as if by someone other than Philippa Gregory. The characters are pale copies of what they were in Tidelands. New, unappealing characters appear and some even undergo complete personality changes, literally overnight ! The last chapters in Venice are implausible and actually silly; suspension of disbelief can only go so far ! The author has also added some totally irrelevant chapters about a member of the family in the wilds of New England in the 1600s. Some important issues are left unanswered so I suppose there will be other volumes but I won't be reading them