Title: Blood on the Tide
Author: Katee Robert
Publication Date: May 14, 2024 by Berkley
Genres: Romantasy
Protagonist Gender: Female
Oh my, wow, and whoa – Blood on the Tide was so much more than I was expecting and, to be fair, I went into my first Katee Robert read with high hopes. Not only was this a wonderful romance, chock full of sexual tension, but it’s also a fabulous fantasy, complete with magic, monsters, politics, intrigue, and rebellion.
Lizzie was such a fun, bad-ass character, full of snark and attitude – an anti-heroine of the sharpest, bloodiest caliber. She’s powerful, single-minded, and fiercely protective, not immoral but an immortal woman with her own distinct sense of morality. Despite her age and her powers, she has her vulnerabilities, not the least of which is her fear of water – a definite challenge when you’re sailing with pirates. Maeve is the kind of character who would likely be relegated to the supporting cast in another story, a sweet young selkie who initially seems too innocent for the rebellion in which she’s enmeshed, but proves herself to be far more clever and worldly than she first appears.
The tension between the two smolders on every page, even as they’re denying their feelings and pissing each other off. It’s a convenient clash of quests that forces them into close proximity, with one chasing a family treasure and the other a personal one, and an orgasmic act of feeding that opens the first mutual crack in their independence.
There’s a darkness to the fantasy here, a story of colonization and rebellion, but there’s also a strong sense of joyous hope. There’s never any doubt that Lizzie and Maeve will see it through to the end, but what I loved most was that even though all the high stakes of epic fantasy are here, it’s the personal stakes of love and romance that fuel the story. Maeve remains determined to do the right thing for her people (and her world), and Lizzie . . . well, she may not believe in the cause, but she believes in her selkie, and that’s enough.
Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀
My sincere thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Sally Bend 
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