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THE DARK TIDE

Alicia Jasinska

A fast-paced, well-plotted fantasy retelling of an ancient Scottish fairy tale ballad, this exciting debut will appeal to fans of Stephanie Garber's CARAVAL, Shea Ernshaw's THE WICKED DEEP, and Kendare Blake's THREE DARK CROWNS.
Every year on Walpurgis Night, Caldella's Witch Queen lures a young boy back to her palace. An innocent life to be sacrificed on the full moon to keep the island city from sinking.

Convinced her handsome brother is going to be taken, sixteen-year-old Lina Kirk enlists the help of the mysterious Tomas Lin, her secret crush, and the only boy to ever escape from the palace. Working together they protect her brother, but draw the Queen's attention. When the Queen spirits Tomas away instead, Lina blames herself and determines to go after him.

Caught breaking into the palace, the Queen offers Lina a deal: she will let Tomas go, if, of course, Lina agrees to take his place. Lina accepts, with a month before the full moon, surely she can find some way to escape. But the Queen is nothing like she envisioned, and Lina is not at all what the Queen expected. Against their will, they find themselves falling for each other. As water floods Caldella's streets and the dark tide demands its sacrifice, they must choose who to save: themselves, each other, or the island city relying on them both.

Alicia Jasinski works as a library technician and is an aerialist in her spare time. She hails from Sydney, Australia. The queer and mental health rep in her work is "ownvoices." This is her debut novel.
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Published 2020-06-01 by Sourcebooks

Book

Published 2020-06-01 by Sourcebooks

Comments

An original and exciting new Australian YA fantasy. Author Alicia Jasinska has created a lush and richly imagined world that feels completely fresh. Most of all, she writes beautifully and creates memorable characters that spring to life on the page from the very moment the reader first encounters them.

A Q&A with Alicia Jasinska will appear on the #LoveOzYA blog and be a featured title in their newsletter, which is received by teachers, writers and readers of Australian youth-lit. Read more...

The Dark Tide is a lush, dark YA fairytale that enchants from the first pages. Eva and Lina spring from the page sharp and aching for connection. Their relationship feels rich and real as it evolves from enemies to lovers, even as the tension of the ticking clock ratchets ever upwards. As Eva and Lina grappled with their complex feelings and difficult moral quandaries I really didn't know if they'd choose their duty or each other, and I was breathless racing to find out. The Dark Tide is for fans of of Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik and A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas. Read more...

Dark. Bitter. Lovely. A beautiful tale, very ethereal and atmospheric. Queer and dark and whimsical... Read more...

... The sheer energy and desperation in the story made for an utterly riveting read. The stormy atmosphere bled through the pages and had me on the edge of my seat. With beautiful writing that flowed so effortlessly, the author had me feeling like I was right there inside that flooding castle. There is not a minutes breathing room in this book, not one second to be bored, and that's exactly the type of book I love. Full of magic, anguish and even a sea serpent, The Dark Tide deserved every one of its five stars. I couldn't put it down once I started! Read more...

The Dark Tide has been selected as the June featured title by two popular book clubs, The Name of the Book (QLD & NSW), and The YA Room (VIC).

I loved this book! It's so atmospheric and really sucks you into its world of magic where the sea is a dark and living entity and two kick-arse heroines save the day. It's so well-written and original, I can't recommend it highly enough!

The world building in this novel and the subversion of a common faerie tale plot were both absolutely magnificent. The atmosphere that this book creates has the potential to swallow the reader whole, and the way that the author describes the events in the novel leaves you completely immersed. The enemies to lovers feels better than it does in most books- in this one, I was very much glad that Eva didn't do anything overly egregious or abusive, which was a nice change. I struggle to like characters falling in love when there's gaslighting or abuse involved, but this was very much a 'all the cards on the table' type of romance.

Unputdownable, captivating and such a refreshingly original take on the witch genre - as well as the intricacies of relationships, both romantic and familial. A deliciously vivid book to read that's great entertainment!

I've absolutely adored this Beauty and the Beast retelling, set on a drowning island that is enchanted as much as it is cursed. A dark, lyrical, wholly original debut reminiscent of the Wicked Deep and A Curse So Dark and Lonely. Highly recommend it!

Q&A we ran with Alicia Read more...

ANZ: Penguin Random House Australia (in a 2-book deal)

The Dark Tide demands to be read in one held breath as its tide bears down on all.

I really loved this book! In The Dark Tide, Alicia Jasinska has created a unique world that will have you hooked from the very first pages. You will be totally bewitched by Lina, one of those characters that will stay with you long after you have finished reading.

The Dark Tide was a gripping, pacy read with excellent prose and a well-executed concept. I was immediately drawn into Jasinska's world and didn't want to leave until I found out what happened next. As well as just being a great story (and I read a lot of YA fantasy, so it takes something special to stand out to me!), I really appreciated the way diversity is so central to the novel, whilst being such a non-event.

.it's a tale crafted with words that just capture imagination and enchant you. Read more...

A dark scenic adventure, sensitively written for romantics, Jasinska's debut novel is a fantasy of promises, betrayal, unrequited love, and black magic. Read more...