The Weeping Tide, misfires in its second entry in the Wilderlore series

Sometimes I co-teach a lesson on fantasy reading. It’s good to experience it from this perspective because it reminds me what separates the good from the great; as well as those that didn’t measure up to the levels of their predecessor.  The Accidental Apprentice was the first book in the Wilderlore series, which we were big fans of. The Weeping Tide is the second book in the series and as the name and cover image would imply, it mainly takes place around the water. This is where our fantasy lesson planning came in, because I was reminded that fantasy books typically have a large number of characters.

And does Wilderlore, The Weeping Tide ever deliver in a large cast of characters. There are so many characters in The Weeping Tide that I found myself struggling to recall who was who and where they fit into the Wilderlore universe. I say this as someone who really enjoyed The Accidental Apprentice, the first book in the series. That book was fast-paced, full of humor, and had chapters that were just the right length for upper elementary and middle school readers.

As I read The Weeping Tide it was as if the characters who I liked in the first book had changed. I realize that characters will change, but the entire feel of the second book in this series was different. They were too serious, the chapters were longer and there seemed to be three times as many characters.

In The Weeping Tide, Barclay and Tagd are running headlong toward the sea. Their beasts aren’t far behind them, plus Viola and Dumont are on this quest also as they’re looking for a ride on a boat. As the story evolves it becomes evident that this team must save this coastal village from a beast that lives in the ocean and terrorizes locals on land and in the water.

The Weeping Tide alludes to some carnivorous sea algae that’s to blame for all of this, but is it really that, or something simpler? For us, The Weeping Tide was a difficult groove to find. It did pick up in the middle of the book though, once the monsters and the internal fighting dwindled. However, the lead-up to that with the characters doubting their beasts, figuring out friendships and not believing in themselves got to be a bit of a downer. I realize that’s not technical, reviewer speak, and the need for a hero to overcome an obstacle is a major theme of fantasy.

However, it felt like a chore, more like I was reading a book out of a sense of obligation. Granted, I really did like the first book in the Wilderlore series, but it’s not a duty to read the second one. Patient fans of fantasy books, and those who really enjoyed the first one in the series will be game for The Weeping Tide. The series’ premise still has plenty of room to run and I hope that the third book has shorter chapters, with fewer recurring characters, especially if it wants to retain its interest as mglit that kids will want to read.

Wilderlore, The Weeping Tide is by Amanda Foody and available on Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

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