by Allisa J. Zavalianos

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It’s rumored a monstrous beast haunts those waters, but what Huxley encounters is even worse: an elusive captain, magical herbs, a beautiful lady, and unearthed truths that could change the course of history.

Unearth the Tides is a fantasy retelling of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Filled with mystery, found family, and themes of truth and forgiveness, Unearth the Tides is perfect for those who love the coziness of the classics and the thrill of adventure.

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Full Confession: I have not read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. However, I do like retellings of classic novels, which is what made me interested in Unearth the Tides. But I can’t really comment on how it is as a retelling.

What I Liked:

-The romance thread between Huxley and Willa was cute. It was there just enough to satisfy romance fans, but subtle enough to not turn away those who dislike romance.

-Monty is a fantastic best friend side character.

–20,000 Leagues Under the Sea seems to be one of the “lesser” known classics (to me at least). So props to Zavalianos for giving a classic some time to shine.

What I Struggled With:

-The novel drops right into the action of things, which is great for getting the story going. However, because things started off with an action scene, it took me a little bit to get my bearing and feel settled in the story world.

-I personally would have liked more about life aboard the Nautilus. The concept of it is really neat and lends itself to some fun and unique things. But I felt like whenever those unique aspects of life on the ship popped up, they were only told in summary.

-There is a change with a certain character (redacted because of spoilers) that I think could have maybe been foreshadowed a little more? Maybe I just missed the foreshadowing, but the changes caught me a little off guard.

Cautions: brief, non-graphic violence; light romance

*Unearth the Tides releases October 2023*