All the Tides of Fate

• Author: Adalyn Grace
• Genre: YA Fantasy
• Publication Date: February 2, 2021
• Publisher: Imprint
• Series: All the Stars and Teeth #2

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this ARC. I am offering my honest opinion voluntarily.

CONTENT WARNING: blood, gore, symptoms of emotional trauma and panic attacks, murder, death, violence

Through blood and sacrifice, Amora Montara has conquered a rebellion and taken her rightful place as queen of Visidia. Now, with the islands in turmoil and the people questioning her authority, Amora cannot allow anyone to see her weaknesses.

No one can know about the curse in her bloodline. No one can know that she’s lost her magic. No one can know the truth about the boy who holds the missing half of her soul.

To save herself and Visidia, Amora embarks on a desperate quest for a mythical artifact that could fix everything―but it comes at a terrible cost. As she tries to balance her loyalty to her people, her crew, and the desires of her heart, Amora will soon discover that the power to rule might destroy her.

I really enjoyed All the Stars and Teeth (see my review here), and was really looking forward to this book. When I got approved for this ARC, I was thrilled!

The story picks up a few months after the events of the previous book, and Amora is struggling with grief as she is learning how to rule her kingdom. Her grief is combined with symptoms of trauma, which is completely understandable, after what went down at the end of the last book (which if you haven’t read, why not?) Added to these stressors, Amora also has to hide the fact that she doesn’t have magic anymore. 

I loved the connection between the characters, although it felt like Amora consistently set herself apart from them. The quest that they took allowed for a second tour of Visidia, under completely different circumstances, but with no fewer adventures (and danger) of course. I’d honestly expect nothing less. However, while Amora had a goal in mind, she seemed to get thrown more and more off her path over the course of the book. It reminded me of the episode of The Simpsons where Homer is given a choice between two paths to take. One is bright and green, with rainbows and birds, and the other is dark and ominous, with dead trees, and inexplicably, Homer is torn between which path to take. That’s what so much of the book felt like, and it got tiresome. I just wanted to shake Amora and ask what the heck was wrong with her. 

I enjoyed the slow-burn tension between Amora and Bastian, although the female side characters stole the show hands down. Vataea and Shanty were the real show-stoppers in the book, in my opinion. There was a lot of action in the story, with a found family trope throughout, despite everything Amora did to push away the people who care about her. It kept me reading and intrigued, and I really, truly wanted to believe that Amora would do the right thing. But since this is a spoiler-free review, you’re just going to have to wait and read it for yourself to find out what happens.

People who have sat around with me while I’m reading, especially when there’s a surprising reveal, a shocking plot twist, or an unexpected event often look up in alarm when I gasp audibly. The gasp factor is directly related to the number of times I audibly gasp during a reading, and there isn’t an upper limit.

Gasp Factor: 9