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tides book coverGreek Mythology Meets Modern, Gut-Wrenching Fantasy

Author: E.J. Wenstrom

Mimicking the brutal and the strange of ancient mythology alongside the high fantasy and gut wrenching action of desperate warfare, Wenstrom does it again in her sequel to Mud. Rona, regretfully retrieved from the underworld through the lies of a fallen angel and the desperation of a guilt-ridden golem (Adem) seeking a soul, wants nothing but to die again. Yet the characters around her and the peaceful village with its strange militaristic preparations for an impending and long predicted Armageddon slowly work the ember in her soul to a blazing fire. The oblivion of the underworld cannot match Rona’s fierce desire to right the wrongs of the past, yet the ability to forgive, and work, with the rag-tag band of Adem’s beleaguered force may be too much for her. The rage that drove her to originally seek her own death and the indignation of her continual persecution at the hands of a love crazed angel also awaken a dangerous need for action that, untrained, could issue in the final war between the gods and the first creatures, with man as the unprotected middle ground.

With her ability to weave magic, mythology, fantasy, and raw emotion into an explosive bundle, E.J. Wenstrom delivers another epic and yet personal narrative. Straight from the heart of Rona, the story unravels through her perspective from numbness to rage to hope and then back to understanding, perhaps even forgiveness. While this is a world populated by demi-gods and demonic dust soldiers, it feels more real than our own – and that’s not just due to the fact that everything is at stake. Wenstrom has a magic of her own in making her characters, so fantastical, down to earth and relatable. At first, I felt a transition from Adem being the soul focus was a betrayal of my already strong bond with him, but as the narrative progresses, my heart opens to Rona and her unbreakable ties to both Adem and the realm. Rona’s grief and despair are palpable, reflected in her seemingly peaceful environment and the never-ending waves of a lake that promises the inertia of death over the agony of failing to make the right decision in this second, strange new life.

desertRona’s story is not the only heartrending piece to the tale. As Adem serves as background support, the story comes full circle with Jordan, a seemingly pious man with a call from the gods who is now adrift. Emotion is never wasted here and while it works to draw readers into the fray it also propels the plot forward as the third (and most likely final) realm war approaches, triggered by human frailty and the fickle nature of the absentee gods. Along the way, Jordan’s love story untangles and it becomes a choice between what is right for the realm and what is safe for those he loves. A choice Rona, who has nothing and nobody left to lose, is dangerously cavalier about.

As the emotions run high and the interconnectedness of the characters pulls readers breathlessly into a world that feels as real as the flesh and blood surrounding our fragile frames, Wenstrom bows to ancient mythology while taking her own fresh spin on a world populated by magic. The underworld, rent by Adem’s bad decision, is steadily pulsing new and terrifying creatures into the realm, keeping the creativity and danger high. Swirling legions of deadly dust soldiers and the siren cry of a strange woman are only two examples of the growing denizens who populate and threaten Terath.

Delivering emotion and a vividly described, tangible fantasy world, Tides keeps the action pumping, a typical verve that characterizes Wenstrom’s writing and her all-out narratives. While there are further Chronicles to come, Tides delivers on previous storylines and even gives some definitive endings. Nonetheless, the narrative is open to further adventures, balancing our need for resolution with snippets of things to come that are far worse and far more devastating than anything we have seen yet. I’m all in for the next installment!

– Frances Carden

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Frances Carden
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