Orphans of the Tide, Struan Murray’s debut novel, is a great middle-grade read. I was drawn in immediately by the unique world-building. The novel is fast-paced, filled with action, and populated with delightful characters.
The City, the only remaining city in the world, is built on a mountain that juts from the sea, dating from the flood that covered the world and during which one god drowned the other gods. A whale washes in with the tide and lands on the roof of a cathedral. The protagonist, Ellie, seems to be the only one in the city with any common sense, and she prepares to vent built up gases escape from the animal before it explodes. When she makes the first cut, a human hand pops out. A group of men called the Inquisition function much as the Inquisition did during the fifteenth through the seventeenth centuries, torturing people and ruling with iron fists, as they aim to control “the Enemy,” a parasite that grows within the mind of a human Vessel until the Enemy becomes powerful enough to take on his true form and wreak havoc in the human world.
Ellie, an orphan, no longer lives in the orphanage but makes a living building steampunk type machines and repairing those made by her mother. She is tormented by the death of her brother plus being messy and good-hearted. Her best friend is Anna, still living in the orphanage and in charge of a motley crew of Baker Street irregulars. Seth, the boy pulled from the whale, is mysterious with no memory of his past other than his brothers and sisters are missing.
This is one of the best written children’s books I’ve read recently, a high-stakes read, full of twists and turns that will keep readers enthralled. It is, however, somewhat dark, and parents should be aware of that.
*********************
Orphans of the Tide is available through:
*********************
This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small amount from qualifying purchases.
