Here’s a book that made me remember how fond I was of sea-based stories, like The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, or literally any Brian Jacques book that takes place on a ship.

Whisper of the Tide by Sarah Tolcser is the second book in the Song of the Current series. Reading the second book makes me want to check out the first one. The main character is a young and seemingly newish Sea Captain by the name of Caroline Oresteia, but she usually goes by Caro. Chosen by the sea goddess, Caro has apparently left her old life on a river wherry to become one of the sea goddess’s favorites.  Torn between the sea goddess’ will and her own desire to stay with Markos, a young noble with a claim to the throne and whose very claim makes him a target for assassins, Caro must decide what’s more important: Her duty to the sea goddess, or the fate of her heart.

This was a really great story with a fun main character, and the only thing that dropped it from five stars to four was the obligatory sexual scene between the main character and her romantic interest. This scene also makes this a recommended read for older young adults. 

Overall, though, a great story and a pleasure to read. I’m looking forward to the other book in the series.

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  15 religious exclamations; 8 mild obscenities; 31 religious profanities; 8 derogatory names; 8 scatological words; 3 anatomical terms.

Violence/Gore:  Many instances of violence and gore, including but not limited to: characters frequently exchange verbal threats and insults; characters often discuss politics and war; a character is shot in the leg in an attempted assassination; in an extended scene, a character defies a powerful entity and is caught in a natural event where a character is brutally killed, property destroyed with implied death of a character and injuries/peril; a character is discovered dead and rotting on a beach; a character vomits saltwater; characters are frequently threatened with weapons such as pistols, swords, and daggers; a character slips on a scree and almost falls down a rocky incline; mentions of characters’ violent pasts; a woman knocks out a soldier; a character wears a man’s fingerbones in her hair; a character pins another character to the wall and challenges men to outline him with knives; a cannonball brings down a building; characters are caught in a battle between ships and soldiers; a character has a nightmare about past violence; a character knocks a suspected poisoned glass of wine from someone’s hand with a knife; a character claims to have killed someone; a man holds a woman at gunpoint; a character is discovered hurt with a poison dart in her shoulder; a male character punches another man and accuses him of murdering his family; characters spot evidence of past violence done in an abandoned city; in an extended scene, characters are shot at and pursued, a character cuts herself on a rock, characters are attacked and retaliate with swords, a character throws a knife into a man’s thigh, and a man kills another man; a character is captured and interrogated; a girl is struck in the face so hard she loses a tooth; a character enters a cave pool and is killed by something in the depths; a character accuses someone of abandoning her; a man is shot in the heart; reports of past violence. 

Sex/Nudity:  Some instances of sex and nudity, including but not limited to: a young man and woman frequently flirt and kiss; a woman undresses in her cabin and sits in only her underwear; a character has a tattoo of a naked mermaid on his arm; characters discuss the political advantages of a man marrying a woman; mention of ladies of the evening; a man and woman break up; a character undoes two buttons on her shirt to seduce a soldier; a man unbuttons his trousers; a man mentions a brothel in jest; mention of a man having a mistress; two girls take a bath in a public bath house; a character rises from a bath and wraps a towel about herself; a male character reports being married to a woman; a woman states going to bed with a man; a woman requests a man unlace her corset so she can breathe, and the man kisses her bare shoulder.

A man runs his hands up a woman’s legs, they fall onto a bed and kiss, he kisses down the woman’s stomach and she slips out of her trousers, then they lay in bed together, a woman admires a man’s bare shoulder, the woman is naked and the man’s eyes drift to her chest. In another briefer scene, a man and woman get intimate, touching each under other their clothes, and it is implied they sleep naked together.

Mature Subject Matter:

Socioeconomic conflicts, death of friends, war, theft, assassination attempts, tattoos, gambling, poison.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Characters usually drink rum; a young woman goes to take a “chug” of brandy; a character relates people drinking port; a drunkard approaches a girl; a man offers rum to a girl; characters drink wine; characters drink whiskey; a character has a collection of salvaged liquor; twice a character is said to be drinking himself to death; mention of poison; a man pours a celebratory drink for himself and his two young crewmembers; a man goes to find a tavern; characters discuss treasure hunting while at a bar; a character says someone is drowning in guilt and whiskey.