Orphans of the Tide

Published on 29 August 2024 at 14:49

Orphans of the Tide

by Struan Murray

★★★★★

My thoughts

I read this book following a recommendation from a friend and it has become an absolute favourite of mine ever since. Orphans of the Tide is a brilliant, twisting tale that contains plenty of adventure and some excellent plot twists that will make your jaw drop! I loved to hear from the children who were reading this as their class read - they quite literally couldn't wait to read the next chapters and were gobsmacked by the twists and turns.

Struan Murray presents storyline with clarity and detail, allowing the reader to walk alongside Ellie in her battle against the City and its Inquisition. I became fond of Ellie from early on in the book and was drawn to her independence and determination to fight for justice. I loved learning more about Ellie and her past and found that things slowly began to fit into place as the story progressed. I must admit, however, that I did not see most of the plot twists coming, which added another little bit of excitement to the read.

After finishing this book, I was absolutely desperate to read the two sequels (see separate blog post) and they did not disappoint! Each book is packed full of grit, determination and a whole lot of "on-the-edge-of-my-chair" moments!

I can't really say too much more without ruining the book, but trust me - it's a good one!

Dive Deeper

Key information

Author: Struan Murray

Illustrator: Manuel Sumberac

Release Date: 20th February 2020

Book type: Chapter, 352 pages, paperback

Reader level: Confident reader (8+) / Shared read (8+)

Series: First of 3

Overview

When a whale and a strange boy, Seth, wash up in the streets, Ellie fears that The City is about to make a huge mistake. With fear of the Enemy, an evil being determined to destroy man-kind, running high, the city's leaders prepare to burn him and rid the city of such great evil. However, something about this boy's strange appearance doesn't sit right with Ellie and she will do everything it takes to protect him from certain death.

Squirrelled away in her workshop, inventor Ellie sets her hand to the creations of an underwater boat to escape the island for good. But things are never straight forward. Under such great pressure, Ellie begins to unravel and her deepest, darkest secrets start to seep out and into the unforgiving world around her.

Can Ellie keep her secrets locked away and rescue Seth from his death, or will she too be hunted by the barbaric Inquisition?

Content Warning

Ellie's mum died, leaving Ellie an orphan, when she was only young. A few years later, Ellie's brother, Fin, also died and she often thinks back to the fun times they had together.