Ista Flit lives in the town of Shelwich next to a river, a place imbued with a magic that rises and falls with the tides and gives its inhabitants ‘tide blessings’ – magical gifts. Ista’s tide blessing is that she can shapeshift – assume the form of any other person and use their tide blessing while she does it. She uses her gift to steal things for the mysterious Alexo Rokis in order to win back her father’s clarinet – the only thing she has left of him since he disappeared. But Shelwich is under threat from the grilks – terrifying creatures that stalk the streets of Shelwich by night and snatch people away from their families.
When Ista meets Nat, in the course of one of her jobs, he challenges her to help him find the person behind the grilk attacks and they begin to investigate with the help of Ruby whose sister is the grilks’ most recent victim. But, as it turns out, the grilks are not the most dangerous things lurking in the dark alleys of Shelwich.
‘Tidemagic’ is positively oozing with atmosphere and really captures the spirit of a dank, riverside town with a dark undercurrent of magic. I particularly loved the elusive Nimble Lane that Ista can only find using her sharp nose. The setting gave me ‘Malamander’ meets ‘Six of Crows’ vibes.
This is quintessential MG fantasy. In terms of the recent discussion about the length of MG books, this is not a short book (around 300 pages), but it is definitely not an insurmountable length and the charmingly whimsical illustrations, by Karl James Mountford, enhance the reading experience. It is also beautifully written – cunning and lyrical.
‘Tidemagic’ is a captivating, evocative read, perfect for fans of Jamie Littler, Amy Sparkes and Tamzin Merchant.
Thanks to Puffin for the gorgeous ARC. (I loved the transparent overlay!)