A Book was all it ever took to hold him captive, make him forget to eat, to sleep, to exist in his own body
Curious Tides – Pascale Lacelle
Curious Tides is a multiple point of view novel full of magical dark academia vibes. Aldryn College is a renowned institution where admitted students learn all about their magical powers which are determined by the moon cycle. This part of the world building is a bit cumbersome. We not only learn about this new world with it’s brand new magical system, but we also have the personal histories of our two main characters, Emory and Basil.
The story we embark on is set up by many, many flashbacks. We learn what happened last term that has caused both our narrators to be swallowed up in guilt and grief.
I personally think this book should be rated for a higher age group – there is a lot of darker themes including, death, bigotry, cults, self harm, bloodletting rituals, murder, romantic manipulation, as well as some mature language. (Maybe I’m just showing my age? I would hesitate to let a 14 year old read it without knowing their maturity level)
All in all, this book is enchanting. As hefty as the world building and teenage angst (young adult? they are in college so I guess they are in their 20’s but we don’t know at what age college starts in this world) – I could not stop reading and had to find out the secrets that Dovermere holds so deeply. I will be anticipating the release of another book from Pascale!
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