*I received this E-Arc from the publisher Written in Melanin Publishing. All views are my own*
I had the opportunity of reviewing an independent release entitled, Across the Broken Tide by Lakase Cousino. It took me a while to gather my momentum on this "New Adult" fantasy, and in return, a hard rating was the outcome. Hopefully, I can convey my thoughts clearly on why this book became my third DNF of the year.
In a world where the politics of court determines the future of every person in the kingdom, Dima has maneuvered her way not only into the good graces of the caliph as a tutor for his daughters but into the heart of his son. However, when a prank goes a step too far, the childhood friends are separated in an effort to force them to grow into the people they are expected to become.
When a simple journey turns into a kidnapping, Dima is thrust into a strange land and must rely on a dark magical power that had been long buried in the sands of her home. But as her magic grows stronger and the tides of her new home rise, so do her darker temptations.
Caught between her heart and her magic, she finds herself struggling to choose who she will become. Through interactions with vikings, pirates, magical creatures who only speak in riddles, and forces hellbent on controlling everything she holds dear, Dima must discover who she is beyond the politics of the royal court.
I didn't have many expectations going into this book, but for some genuine reason, I thought this would be a black middle-grade version of Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire. I think it had to do with the book's cover more than the premise of the story. Since Across the Broken Tide's genre is Fantasy, I didn't think the world would be as real as something you can pinpoint on a globe. It threw me off that the places named are actual regions you can hop on a plane and visit today.
The pacing of the story was pulling in different directions for me. When an abnormal event occurs, the characters notice it but continue their daily lives as if nothing happened. I believe the space for events like this could have been explored more. It can strengthen the character's development, thus making the story more relatable for whoever reads it. I think my biggest problem with the pacing is that it was way too early in the story, trying to fill in the blanks while getting to know the setup of the world.
I decided to DNF at the 40% mark. My last straw was the introduction of multiple POVs. Cousino was doing fine telling the story between the two main characters, Azad and Dima. Adding new characters so late in the game turned my interests off. If I would've kept going, I'm pretty sure these characters would have had a purpose, but I don't believe their versions of stories were needed.
Overall I rated Across the Broken Tide 3-stars. In no way was the book horrible. I think Cousino had a good idea for a story. I just think she needed to develop it some more. I wouldn't consider this a New Adult fantasy, but it would do well as a middle grade. I can see young kids loving this. If Cousino considered changing the age level of this book, we might have a higher star rating.
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