Review: Tides of Mutiny by Rebecca Rode

Tides of Mutiny

by Rebecca Rode

September 7, 2021

Goodreads Summary:

Lane Garrow has a secret—one that could get her killed.

In a world where female sailors are executed, sixteen-year-old Lane’s dream of being a ship’s captain seems impossible. Sea life is all she knows, and she wouldn’t give it up for anything, even if it means she has to hide as a captain’s boy to avoid being killed. But Lane’s carefully constructed world begins to crumble when an old pirate enemy comes after her father. And she begins hearing rumors that her father was once a pirate as well.

Lane doesn’t want to believe her father could have a dark past, but she can’t help questioning everything she’s known. After all, Lane’s life at sea is built on lies—why couldn’t her father’s be, too?

Then a mysterious prince shows up, and Lane finds her very survival tied to a boy who could destroy everything. With pirates, betrayal, and death threatening Lane and those she loves, she must now decide between the future she always expected and a prince with an unknown agenda who she finds herself falling for. Lane must either protect herself and find a way to live her dream, or risk everything for a world where her very existence is a death sentence.

Maybe there’s a third option. After all, she’s never played by the rules before. Why start now?

Review

I've always enjoyed a good ole sea adventure so of course Tides of Mutiny caught my eye. The story could've used a bit more plotting but the cover and synopsis delivered on the excitement.

While Tides of Mutiny had a good foundation, the story wasn't quite fleshed out. The politics confused me. Names were thrown out without much introduction. The world would've made more sense if more background info were integrated into the plot. Although I enjoyed the pirate aspect of the book, I drifted along the story not feeling any connections to the characters.

Lane's transformation into Laney was the best part of Tides of Mutiny. She struggled with her identity which having an impossible dream didn't help with. It took some hard lessons but wow did Lane find herself. "Perhaps impossible just involved taking desperate risks that turned wonderful in the end." (p. 303) Lane's gradual shift into the real her was quietly resonating.

I was really hoping for a slow burn love story but that was sadly not in the cards for Tides of Mutiny. Laney fell quickly for the prince. There wasn't a lot of build up between the two before strong feelings were developed. They shared some emotional moments that I found touching but overall their romance was too insta-love and puppy love for my taste.

So the world and the romance didn't quite work for me with this book. However, the self-discovery journey the main character goes on made Tides of Mutiny a worthy voyage.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the copy I received.