-
Your next favorite book
is waiting.
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.
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.
"Woods pays loving tribute to two classic tales while crafting an intricate coming-of-power plot that is entirely its own. Readers will be enthralled." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A masterful melding of fairy tales and historical events into a luscious, lyrical story of sailors, smugglers, secrets, and sea maidens." ―Booklist (starred review)
"With beautifully flowing prose and countless twists, Woods concocts a tale of love, betrayal and revenge that will drag unsuspecting readers along with its currents." ―BookPage (starred review)
"This vividly reimagined fairy tale will enchant those who enjoy historical fantasies with a romantic streak, such as Leigh Bardugo's The Familiar." ―Library Journal
"Upon a Starlit Tide is an enchanting read, as rich with historical detail as it is with magic, with surprising beings around every corner and a sea-foundling with a grand, dark secret. The novel mines the material of fairy tales in a unique and delightful way that fantasy fans will love." ―Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches
"A dark and enchanting twist on two fairy tales in one, Upon a Starlit Tide will draw you into its depths from the very first page." ―Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Weaver and the Witch Queen
This information about Upon a Starlit Tide was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
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.
If you liked Upon a Starlit Tide, try these:
by Yume Kitasei
Published 2026
From the acclaimed author of The Stardust Grail comes the epic tale of two sisters who sail across oceans to find their missing third sister―and Earth's environmental salvation.
by Hannah Stowe
Published 2025
A book to sweep you away from the shore, into a wild world of water, whale, storm, and starlight— to experience what it's like to sail for weeks at a time with life set to a new rhythm.
by Mark Helprin
Published 2024
Mark Helprin, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Winter's Tale and A Soldier of the Great War, presents a fast-paced, beautifully written novel about the majesty of the sea; a life dedicated to duty, honor, and country; and the gift of falling in love.
We have to abandon the idea that schooling is something restricted to youth...
Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!
Can you name the title?
Test your book knowledge with our daily trivia challenge!
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
