Curious Tides Series: Drowned God #1 Published by Simon and Schuster on October 1, 2024
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Dark Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Romance
Pages: 560
Find the Author: Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram
Goodreads
Reading Challenges: 2026 Audiobook Challenge, All booksTwo starred reviews!
“A marvel in atmosphere.” —Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent DelightsNinth House meets A Deadly Education in this gorgeous dark academia fantasy “that will capture readers like a rip current” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) following a teen mage who must unravel the truth behind the secret society that may have been involved in her classmates’ deaths.
Emory might be a student at the prestigious Aldryn College for Lunar Magics, but her healing abilities have always been mediocre at best—until a treacherous night in the Dovermere sea caves leaves a group of her classmates dead and her as the only survivor. Now Emory is plagued by strange, impossible powers that no healer should possess.
Powers that would ruin her life if the wrong person were to discover them.
To gain control of these new abilities, Emory enlists the help of the school’s most reclusive student, Baz—a boy already well-versed in the deadly nature of darker magic, whose sister happened to be one of the drowned students and Emory’s best friend. Determined to find the truth behind the drownings and the cult-like secret society she’s convinced her classmates were involved in, Emory is faced with even more questions when the supposedly drowned students start washing ashore—alive—only for them each immediately to die horrible, magical deaths.
And Emory is not the only one seeking answers. When her new magic captures the society’s attention, she finds herself drawn into their world of privilege and power, all while wondering if the truth she’s searching for might lead her right back to Dovermere…to face the fate she was never meant to escape.
Moon Magic, Murder, and Secret Societies
I knew I was in trouble the moment this book handed me a dark magical academy, mysterious sea caves, lunar magic, secret societies, and a murder mystery wrapped in gorgeous atmospheric prose. That’s basically a personalized invitation to ignore my responsibilities.
Curious Tides is one of those books that demands your attention. This isn’t the kind of fantasy you casually breeze through. Pascale Lacelle builds a world filled with moon-based magic, ancient traditions, hidden histories, and enough unanswered questions to keep the pages turning long past bedtime. There were moments where I had to stop and think, but I actually enjoyed piecing everything together instead of having every answer handed to me.
The atmosphere is easily the star of the show. Aldryn College feels mysterious and haunted by secrets, while the constant presence of the sea gives everything an eerie, almost haunting feeling. Every chapter carries this sense that something isn’t quite right, and I loved slowly uncovering what was really happening beneath the surface.
Emory was a compelling main character because she isn’t the most powerful person in the room. She’s grieving, confused, and constantly questioning what really happened to her friends. Watching her chase the truth as she discovered abilities she never should have possessed made her journey feel both emotional and suspenseful.
The magic system deserves its own applause. Magic tied to the phases of the moon and the tides felt fresh and unique, and once I started understanding how it all worked, I couldn’t get enough of it. It’s one of those systems that rewards paying attention.
This definitely leans into the dark academia vibe, but it’s much more than magical school drama. There are mysteries layered inside mysteries, morally gray characters, political intrigue, dangerous secrets, and enough twists that I was never completely confident I knew where the story was headed.
My only real complaint is that the learning curve is steep. Between the worldbuilding, terminology, and multiple mysteries, the beginning requires some patience. Once everything clicks, though, the payoff is absolutely worth it.
If you love atmospheric fantasy, intricate magic systems, dark academia, and stories that slowly reveal their secrets instead of rushing to the finish line, Curious Tides is well worth diving into. Just be prepared to pay attention—the tides don’t wait for anyone.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
