Laced with suspense and intrigue, Philippa Gregory has woven a complicated but yet realistic tale that would hold you bound till the end. However, Alinor has fallen for James, the stranger she helped and he is also smitten by her but things get complicated as Alinor discovers she is with child and this secret threatens all the good fortune that has fallen on her family.

Her children are presented with opportunities that will alleviate them from poverty as her son Rob, is given a scholarship to study as an apprentice and her daughter, Alys is now betrothed to the Eligible Richard Stoney. On a fateful night, she risks her life to save a stranger and this encounter changes her life for good and for bad. Some whisper that she is a wise woman who uses dark arts and magic as her mother and grandmother before her but Alinor denies that she has any extraordinary powers especially in these times of the new Church where you can be sent to the stakes if called a witch. Tucked away in the Tidelands, she struggles to survive as a midwife and herbalist. Set at a very crucial time in English history where monarchy and parliament fight for supremacy, Alinor is a poor woman who is without a husband and is left with two children not because she is widowed or divorced but because her husband has been missing for over a year. In her usual style, the author has crafted another captivating and provocative tale that ends with a beginning as this is the first book in this series.

This time she has come out with a new series starting with ‘Tidelands’ as the first book and I am excited to go on this new journey with her.Īs usual, this turned out to be an excellent read. I have been reading books by Philippa Gregory for over fifteen years now and she still stands out as my favourite historical fiction author.

Tidelands book review