Sarah Tolcser
Bloomsbury
Published on June 5, 2018
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
About Whisper of the Tide
Caro Oresteia spent her life waiting to be called by the river god, as those in her family had been for generations. But when she’s swept away on an adventure to save the Akhaian royal prince, Markos, her destiny is sealed by the sea god instead.
For now, Caro is landlocked, helping Markos reclaim his throne after nearly his entire family was assassinated in a political coup. Without any financial or military support, Markos is desperate for allies, and Caro has fought off more than one attempt on his life. When a powerful Archon offers his army in exchange for Markos’s marriage to his daughter, Caro must choose: Her love for Markos, or the fate of Akhaia? And more importantly: How much is she willing to risk to defy the sea god’s wishes and chart her own course?
With shipwrecks, lost treasure, old and new enemies, dark magic, and breathtaking romance, Sarah Tolcser weaves another epic story about chasing your fate.
My Review
I forgot how much I love Caro’s character in this series. She’s so spunky and strong. All the sailing stuff and love for ships and such make Whisper of the Tide a fun read, too. It’s all my favorite things about Pirates of the Caribbean but tossed with some political intrigue and additional strong female characters. Delicious!
It always makes me nervous to read the sequel to a book I loved. I’m always torn because I want to know what happens next, but I’m so afraid it won’t be as good as the first book and will somehow diminish my good memories. No worries here. Whisper of the Tide stands alone as a great love story and a tale about how you have to understand who you are before you can hope to have a happy romantic relationship. It’s very different than Song of the Current, but I really enjoyed the high adventure and race against assassins. I’m so glad I read it. Unfortunately, it does have some references to sex (see below for details), so some sensitive readers may want a heads up on that. The tone and scope of the story will probably appeal more to older readers. You can find my review of Song of the Current here.
Cultural Elements
Caro has brown skin and red hair—an oddity where she lives.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
Infrequent use of strong profanity.
Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Two scenes show Caro and Markos getting into bed. One cuts to the next morning, letting us know they had sex without showing anything. The other gives some limited details.
Spiritual Content
Caro has been chosen by the god of the sea, and then asked to make a choice between her calling and her life with Markos. The sea god is a capricious one, who has destroyed followers who’ve disappointed her in the past. Caro’s cousin has learned some magic associated with stealth and assassination.
Violent Content
Some combat between Caro and enemies involving knives and guns.
Drug Content
None.
