I was not exactly pleased with the cliffhanger ending of Tidelands, but I hoped the sequel, Dark Tides, would explain more and resolve everything. The first book ends on such an unsatisfying cliffhanger, when both Alinor and Alys were both secretly preggers (Alinor was pregnant for ages!) and then revealed to be pregnant, Alys’s wedding was cancelled, and they were run out of their depressing marshy town as slutty witches. The second book opens with them living in London, with two young adult “twins” who are either Alinor’s, Alys’ or one of each, kept very vague for maximum drama. Actually, that sums up the whole book, full of intriguing hints, but kept quiet for maximum drama, for ages and ages.

Alinor’s ex reappears, offering a pile of money, marriage, and adoption of whichever child is his heir. Then Rob’s widow appears, a Venetian noblewomen with a baby and tragic tale of Rob’s drowning death, and starts telling obvious lies and spending all their money.  I found myself skimming because there were just so many scenes of Livia being shady and Alinor silently, skeptically handing over money to her. This is interspersed with a second, equally slow-moving storyline of brother Ned in New England. Again, we have hints of coming tension, dragged on and on.

I read all the way to the end, because I kept thinking I must be missing something, or that something would pull it all together. By the end, when all the drama exploded in about an hour of book-time, I realized I no longer cared to see justice done. I was on Team Nobody by the end.