Upon a Starlit Tide

My most anticipated book this week was Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods. If the title and cover aren’t already enough to entice you, here’s more: Unfolding like a fairytale, this novel is set in 1750s France, where Luce, adopted as an orphan, has always felt loved but like something is missing. She longs for adventure and a life at sea. When she rescues a man from a shipwreck, a new path is set in motion… but with surprises, darkness, and secrets to uncover along the way.

Why I Chose This Book:

Don’t discount the power of an enchanting title and cover; that’s what first caught my eye with Upon a Starlit Tide. With allusions to The Little Mermaid and Cinderella, I was excited for a new fairytale set against the sea. This is only the first book featuring sirens that I’ll be reading this year. I am officially entering my mermaid era!

What I Liked:

Strong similarities to The Little Mermaid and Cinderella… but who’s kind and who’s evil is all mixed up!
Hints of magic that slowly grow stronger and more present as the book progresses
A love triangle??
Superstitions about the sea, ships, and the fae
Sea-maid as the Fairy Godmother, perhaps
Ships and oceans and sea monsters, oh my
1750s France and conflict with England
If you love someone…

Audiobook

Esther Wane does an excellent job of narrating Upon a Starlit Tide, infusing so much personality and emotion into the characters. The inflections and accents she gives each character add to the vivid portrayal of the story, making for a more immersive and mesmerizing listen.

Final Thoughts

Upon a Starlit Tide is a spellbinding fantasy novel for fans of fairytale retellings, oceanic settings, 1750s France, and mermaids. I loved following Luce along her path of self-discovery, strength, love, and belonging in the world. Though at times heartbreaking, it’s ultimately an empowering and dazzling work of historical fantasy. Kell Woods is an author I can’t wait to read more from!

Special thanks to Tor Publishing Group, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy Upon a Starlit Tide here – it’s available as a hardcover, ebook, and audiobook.

Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods
Audiobook Narrator	Esther Wane
Audience	Adult
Genre	Fantasy; Historical Fiction
Setting	France
Number of Pages	432
Format I Read	Audiobook & Ebook (NetGalley ARCs)
Original Publication Date	February 18, 2025
Publisher	Tor Books

Official Summary

Upon a Starlit Tide is a dark and enchanting historical fantasy combining elements of “The Little Mermaid” and “Cinderella” into a wholly original tale of love, power, and betrayal.

*The hardcover edition features beautiful custom endpapers.*

Saint-Malo, Brittany, 1758. To Lucinde Leon, the youngest daughter of a wealthy French shipowner, the high walls of Saint-Malo are more hindrance than haven.

While her sisters are busy trying to secure advantageous marriages, Luce spends her days secretly being taught to sail by Samuel, her best friend—and an English smuggler. Only he understands how the waves call to her. Then one stormy morning, Luce rescues a drowning man from the sea.

Immediately drawn in by the stranger’s charm, Luce is plunged into a world of glittering balls and faerie magic, seduction and brutality. Secrets that have long been lost in the shadowy depths of the ocean begin to rise to the surface, but as Luce wrestles with warring desires, she finds that her own power is growing brighter and brighter, shining like a sea-glass slipper.

Or the scales of a sea-maid’s tail.

“Magnificent. This is a must-read!”—Juliet Marillier, award-winning author of the Sevenwaters and Blackthorn & Grim series

About the Author

Kell Woods is an Australian historical fantasy author. She has studied English literature, creative writing, and librarianship, and writes about made-up (and not so made-up) places, people, and things you might remember from the fairy tales you read as a child. Kell lives near the sea with her husband, two sons, and a kitten named Juniper.