Ellie lives in the City, the only place habitable after the flood which drowned most of the world - the act of an evil god known as the Enemy who uses 'vessels' (people) as hosts. When the tide washes up a whale that beaches on a roof, it's Ellie who realises there's a boy inside the creature and organises his rescue; however, everybody believes him to be the Enemy and sets about trying to kill him. Ellie (a strong and feisty character), on the other hand, protests his innocence and is determined to keep him alive after he is sentenced to death by the Inquisitors (the City's 'police').
Orphans Of The Tide is a deliciously dark and somewhat sinister book with an unusual plot-line. There are wonderful twists that you most certainly won't see coming and an end that will utterly grip you (indeed, I read way into the night as I just couldn't put it down!)
This is an original, Gothic fantasy novel (I couldn't help but imagine a sinister version of Mont Saint Michael) that looks at friendship, loss, loyalty and forgiveness. As the front cover says, it's perfect for fans of Philip Pullman and Vashti Hardy, but I'd also recommend it to those who've enjoyed Tom Hiddleston's FloodWorld as well as the Cogheart series.
Reading Orphans of the Tide, I found it difficult to believe that this is a debut novel and was even more shocked when I read in the acknowledgements that the 'novel was nearly abandonned' - thank goodness it wasn't!
This is going to be a huge hit with upper KS2 and lower KS3 children who will just gobble this book up!
Huge thanks to Penguin Random House for sending me a proof copy to review.
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