On Silver Tides

Kelda and her family are silvermen. A race of water people who can swim like fish and breathe through their skin in water.  They live their water-based lives on the river network of the British Isles, in harmony with the water ecology and with each other.  Kelda’s sister Isla is different, she can’t breathe under water and Kelda, who saved her life when she was a baby, is her fierce and loving protector.  When the rivers seem to turn bad and the very existence of the silvermen is threatened, the community looks for something – or someone – to blame and the old superstitions and distrust of difference threaten Isla’s life.  Kelda is driven to act and driven from the safety and security of her world to discover a new and different life, new people and a whole new way of being.

A twisty, tumbling story of coming of age and developing understanding is brilliantly held together by the invention of a whole new mythology and the actual, geographically accurate, rivers of the British Isles. Part fantasy world, part ecological fable, part quest, this is a fast-paced and fast-moving adventure story that carries the reader with it, every step (stroke) of the way.  Reading it is like being in a river, you’re carried from calm waters, to rapids, through dangerous whirlpools and into beautiful still lochs and pure streams.  Through the watery journey you witness the self-discovery that Kelda goes through and learn about the mythology and lore of the rivers, but you also understand the importance of family and love, of selflessness and bravery in the light of blind belief and fear.

This is a book that will really appeal to lovers of fantasy adventure, but it will also engage any reader who loves a fast-paced voyage story with plenty of peril, daring and courage.