philippa gregory tidelands series book 3

As for the narration, I have never listened to Louise Brealey before, and will say she did nice job with this novel, though no one could ever replace Bianca Amato as Gregory’s go-to narrator. More recently, I find her stories are good, just not worthy of five star ratings. At times, it was difficult to come back to reality after spending time in the court of the Tutors. The Other Boleyn Girl, The Boleyn Inheritance, etc., transported me to a different world. Since she no longer continues in the vein of her Henry VIII novels, captivating readers in court dramas and intrigue, I haven’t found her talents quite as awe inspiring. It was entertaining, and held my interest, but it cannot be compared to Gregory’s earlier work.

That said, I must say I was very generous in giving this one four stars.

If you love her stories, you will no doubt enjoy Dark Tides, as I did.

I believe I have read every book Philippa Gregory has written, so I consider myself very knowledgeable about her writing, although, certainly not an expert. Set in the poverty and glamour of Restoration London, in the golden streets of Venice, and on the tensely contested frontier of early America, this is a novel of greed and desire: for love, for wealth, for a child, and for home. Alinor writes to him that she knows-without doubt - that her son is alive and the widow is an imposter. Meanwhile, Alinor’s brother Ned, in faraway New England, is making a life for himself between in the narrowing space between the jarring worlds of the English newcomers and the American Indians as they move towards inevitable war. She claims Alinor as her mother-in-law and tells her of the death of Rob - Alinor’s son - drowned in the dark tides of the Venice lagoon. The second visitor is a beautiful widow from Venice in deepest mourning. He believes that the warehouse’s poor owner Alinor has the one thing he cannot buy - his son and heir. Now, James Avery has everything to offer: a fortune, a title, and the favor of the newly restored King Charles II. The first is a wealthy nobleman seeking the lover he deserted 21 years earlier. Two unexpected visitors arrive at a shabby warehouse on the south side of the River Thames.

Number-one New York Times best-selling author of Tidelands - the “searing portrait of a woman that resonates across the ages” ( People ) - returns with an evocative historical novel tracking the rise of the Tidelands family in London, Venice, and New England.

Philippa gregory tidelands series book 3