Book Review: Symphony of Shifting Tides

Mamma Bear Book Review

*A bear trundles in with a book under one, fuzzy arm*

Verse and Xan are pirates... for the moment. Despite their skill and success on the high seas, those seas are mysteriously, and randomly, turning back to sand. When they find themselves suddenly stranded in a distant kingdom, all they want it to get a ride back to their old life. 

Of course, nothing of the sort is in store for them and before they can quaff a few ales at the local pub they're hip deep in hot water of a different kind. 

Symphony is a sweeping tale that carries two adventurers on a winding journey through war, magic, deception and the confusing nature of their own dreams and identities. It is action-packed and deeply sympathetic and the characters that populate the story are ones you will think about for years after. 

While Verse attempts to drink and fight his way out of one disaster after another while awake, his dreams find him wandering through a murky world where he's a vixen with a past full of secrets and a future full of things he's not remotely ready to deal with.  His journey toward self discovery surrounds him with friends and foes alike, with a destiny that might save or destroy the world, and a 'fateful' encounter with the gods themselves. 

Not all your questions will be answered by the end, but you'll definitely be hooked on Verse and company. Since the sequel is already on its way, now is a great time to dive into Symphony of Shifting Tides!

Mamma Bear gives Symphony of Shifting Tides a four plus stars for being exceptionally awesome.

Character: 

Verse is an enigma and a delight to try to unravel. Each of the characters in Tides is unique, deeply realized and fully formed with complicated backstory and a lot of interest. 

World Building:

A sweeping world with a great deal of detail and a sense of history that goes far beyond what is on the page. Fully realized political systems, religious conflict, and geography combine to make the world as real as it gets. 

Pacing:  

Symphony of Shifting Tides is no light read. While they hefty story is action packed, there is a subtle lack of defined structure that put the pacing just a hair off for me. The characters are led form one conflict to another, but I had trouble picking out the definitive story goal until it was upon me. I enjoyed that surprise, but it also meant that from 2/3 of the way through and on I found myself occasionally thrown out of the story long enough to wonder where it was going and when/how it would get there. 

 Shiny:

The beauty of Tides is definitely in the characters relationships, their deep dilemmas and their rich, fully developed identities. Character is the star here, and it shines very very bright.