After being pleasantly surprised by All the Stars and Teeth, I went into All the Tides of Fate thoroughly excited to see how the duology would come to a close. While I’ll admit my exact expectations weren’t met, I was not let down. All the Tides of Fate is an enjoyable read, especially for readers who tend to get too emotionally invested in the characters’ lives, more so than the actual plot. 

The story of All the Tides of Fate does not differ too much from its predecessor in that they both involve a seafaring island-hopping adventure with high stakes. Its deeper focus on the characters sets this book apart from the one before. All the Stars and Teeth focused on developing this unique world and its circumstances. All the Tides of Fate uses those well-developed foundations as an opportunity to focus on the characters. While there is an external plot, the focus deeply revolves around the characters’ thoughts, actions, and reactions to the events. By the end of the first book, I was so invested in the characters that it didn’t take long to want to delve deeper into their growing selves and relationships.

Ultimately this duology doesn’t end in your typical Young Adult fashion. Without going into too much detail, I’ll just say: idealistic ending, who?

I recommend this book, the whole series, to anyone who just needs to escape reality and go on an adventure and maybe, just maybe, you’ll learn something about yourself or the world around you along the way.