Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods
Pages: 414
Format: Hardback (Special Edition)
Saint-Malo, Brittany, 1758.
For Lucinde Leon, the youngest daughter of one of Saint-Malo’s wealthiest ship-owners, the high walls of the city are more hindrance than haven. While her sisters are interested in securing advantageous marriages, Luce dreams of escaping her elegant but stifling home and joining a ship’s crew. Only Samuel—Luce’s best friend and an English smuggler—understands her longing for the sea, secretly teaching her to sail whenever she can sneak away. For Luce, the stolen time on the water with Samuel is precious.
One stormy morning, Luce’s plans are blown off course when she rescues Morgan de Chatelaine, the youngest son of the most powerful ship-owner in Saint-Malo, from the sea. Immediately drawn to his charm and sense of adventure, she longs to attend the glittering ball held in honor of his safe return and begins to contemplate a different kind of future for herself.
But it is not only Luce’s hopes at stake—the local fae are leaving Brittany and taking their magic with them, while the long-standing war with the English means Saint-Malo is always at risk of attack. As Luce is plunged into a world of magic, brutality, and seduction, secrets that have long been lost in the shadowy depths of the ocean begin to rise to the surface. The truth of her own power is growing brighter and brighter, shining like a sea-glass slipper.
Or the scales of a sea-maid’s tail.
Advertised as a combination historical-fantasy retelling of The Little Mermaid and Cinderella, Upon a Starlit Tide was about as perfect as I could imagine a project like this being. It was also a lot of fun to see how Woods added elements of the Bluebeard tale and the general fairytale motif of the selkie bride alongside actual historical events. A lot of thought and consideration had gone into melding all these aspects together, and it made for an altogether enjoyable read.
The romance subplot is evenly balanced against Luce’s personal journey and the “main” events of the novel. Despite the highly romantic fairytale inspirations, this is not a pure romance novel, but Upon a Starlit Tide has a good pace on the romantic subplot that elevates the rest of the narrative. And even though it may be considered trope-y, I love that a major element of the romance is how the main love interest is determined not to change Luce. Relationship conflict comes from other sources, but it made their potential relationship feel more authentic, knowing neither wanted to change the other. There are also a lot of complicated family relationships in this book, which makes it easier to connect with each of the characters. They squabble over little things and fight about serious issues like any family would, yet they always (well, almost always) find their way back to each other.
The plot involves some minor political intrigue, which can be expected from historical fiction. However, Upon a Starlit Tide focuses more on the fantastical elements and worldbuilding through the characters’ experiences. Luce’s character is very push-and-pull, which complements her seamaid nature. She can be stubborn and determined, but not to the point of annoyance. The same could be said for Samuel, though not in the exact same way as Luce. His ties to Luce are central to the story, but he still functions independently without relying on Luce to be interesting. Despite any mistakes he might make, it’s extremely hard not to like him (especially after the final chapter and epilogue). And of course, no story is complete without its villain. Morgan was a fascinating antagonist because of all his schemes and plans. He’s someone who’s used to being in control, and that fact is evident in the way he approaches obstacles. The way these three work around each other ups the tension throughout the entire novel.
In my opinion, this was a fantastic book with the perfect mix of fantastical and real. I highly recommend it, especially if you’re fond of fairytale retellings.
AMBER BUDD - Author 