London, 1670. Two visitors. An unlikely alliance. A story of greed, deceit, lies and fraud.
I have read and enjoyed Philippa Gregory's books before and was delighted to be able to read and review this one. It didn't disappoint and I was swept away by the end of the first page. It is the 2nd part of a series but easy to follow without having read the first part.
Set in 1670 in London, Venice and New England (America), the beginning of the story sees two visitors arrive at Reekie Wharf.
The first, Sir James Avery, wishes to right past wrongs but is not well received after a 21 year absence.
The second visitor is a beautiful Italian woman with a baby who claims to be the wife of the deceased son of the family's matriarch. These two characters form an unlikely alliance.
It soon becomes apparent that not all is as it seems and a tale of greed, deceit, lies and fraud is to follow before we are able to learn the incredible truth.
A counter - story runs alongside of Ned, the brother of the family's matriarch, who has gone to New England to make a new life, free from the rule of the new King, and lives in harmony alongside "Red Indians" until unrest blows in and Ned is forced to choose which side he is on.
A great follow-up to Tidelands which Philippa Gregory fans are sure to enjoy!
Dark Tides is a 17th-century tale set in restoration England, New England and latterly in Venice. A sequel to Tidelands, it follows the story of Alinor, Alys, Ned and James Avery, but the main protagonist is the beautiful widow, Livia who arrives from Venice with bad news for the family and gradually tries to change their lives.
It helps to have read Tidelands but the back story is briefly explained in this book. The honest but poor family are largely overwhelmed by the personality and drive of the Italian noblewoman as she encourages them to think big, takes risks and back her new venture and she manipulates her way through their lives. But is all as it seems with her, or does she have her own plans?
Running parallel to this story, we also read of Alinor’s brother Ned who, after fighting on the side of Cromwell’s Roundheads, has fled England on the restoration of the monarchy to make a new life in America. His life is brutally hard, and as tensions arise between the settlers and the Natives, he finds himself with an almost impossible choice.
A great follow-up to Tidelands which Philippa Gregory fans are sure to enjoy!
A richly populated story of the choices one family has made in the name of love and how deceit can tear it apart.
Dark Tides is the second book in the Fairmile series and is set in 1670, twenty-on years after the well received Tidelands. We pick up with Alinor, and her daughter, Alys who now has children of her own, Sarah and Johnnie. When Livia, a beautiful young from Venice, arrives with her son, Roberto, she has earth-shattering news. Alongside Alinor's story runs that of her brother, Ned, who is now making a life for himself in the New World in a time of growing conflict.
A tapestry of societies is richly woven into this novel with Philippa Gregory's usual commitment to the historical backdrop. Ned's story, although fascinating, appears to be a little disconnected from the rest of his family, but that might be addressed in the next installment. For me, the outstanding character is Sarah. who grows into her part in the story and makes us want to know more.
One of those books that when you finish you look up unsure where or when you are!
Another wonderfully gripping story from Philippa Gregory. This is the follow-up to Tidelands. Whilst it can be read alone, I would suggest reading the first book beforehand to get a fuller understanding of the characters and situations.
Set in the 1600s, this follows some of the characters from Tidelands in their lives. King Charles has been restored to his throne which means that James Avery is no longer destitute and in hiding. Alinor is living in London and has a lot of secrets. Ned is in America and trying to make a new life for himself. Amazingly written. So detailed and intricate. You do need to pay attention to follow along as there's a lot of detail and so many things happening, but this only helps to draw you into the world even more. Fantastic writing as you'd expect from Philippa Gregory. Rich and deep characters who you really care about as you become immersed in their world. Another wonderful read!