Swift as the Rising Tide

I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes at first. *Another* cursed love story? Another prince with a chip on his shoulder? But *Swift as the Rising Tide* disarmed me within chapters. Palmini’s performance as the reckless prince is a revelation—he nails the swagger of a man used to getting his way, but there’s a thread of desperation beneath it, like he’s one wrong move from unraveling. Shalan, meanwhile, makes the seer’s cynicism *funny*. Her dry delivery turns what could’ve been angsty monologues into something razor-sharp, especially in the scenes where she’s calling out the prince’s nonsense. Their chemistry is electric, even when they’re at each other’s throats. That said, the middle act drags slightly with repetitive power struggles—how many times can two people circle the same argument before it feels like wheel-spinning? And while the worldbuilding is vivid, I wanted more texture in the side characters; the court feels like a stage set for the leads’ drama. But the final act *delivers*. The curse’s resolution isn’t neat or pretty, and the audiobook’s production shines in the climax, where the narrators’ voices overlap in a way that makes the magic feel visceral. It’s a fantasy romance for people who like their happy endings *earned*, not gifted. Just be warned: the prince is an acquired taste, and the seer’s stubbornness will either frustrate or thrill you. Me? I was hooked.