Carousel Tides

Carousel Tides

by Sharon Lee
Series: Archer's Beach #1
Genres: Fantasy
Published on January 31st 2012
Pages: 432
Format: Paperback Source: Library

Kate Archer thought she could put magic and world-walking behind her by running away to an ordinary life–but destiny has other plans. With her grandmother suddenly missing, Kate must return to the bedraggled Maine seaside resort she grew up in, and take charge of the family carousel. If she doesn't–and it's by no means certain that she can–very bad things will happen, to Kate and to the town, for the carousel isn't at all what it seems.


The first sign Kate had of trouble concerning her grandmother was the notice that the carousel was about to be foreclosed on. That brought Kate back to Archer’s Beach on the coast of Maine.

She found that her grandmother had been gone for 6 months and the only clue was a leaf and a vague note left for Kate. Kate needs to take over running the carousel while she looks for her grandmother because six of the animals serve as prisons for the souls of Fae criminals and without a magical caretaker the bonds are thinning.

Kate’s search brings her in contact with many of the magical citizens of Archer’s Beach. There are selkies and shape shifters and runaway Fae. None of these are giving her as much trouble though as the local drug smuggler who built a house next to her land and with whom she is getting into a boundary dispute .

On top of her worries the Chamber of Commerce has decided to open the park early for visitors this year and the tourists are pouring in — just in time for a possible Fae war.


This was an interesting urban fantasy book.  There are creatures here that I haven’t read about often.  I liked the idea of tethering criminals to the horses as a punishment.  No one in this book is exactly what they seem to be at first glance.  I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

I also went to visit a Merry Go Round Museum after reading this book.  They have a haunted horse but if there are any Fae around, they are staying quiet.

four-stars