Almost all of the characters have abilities that come from
tidemagic so they’re called Tide-Blessings. Ista is able to change her
appearance into that of anyone she’s previously seen. Ruby always lands on her
feet and Padley, co-owner of a restaurant, moves small metal objects, not
always intentionally. Giddon is the other co-owner of the Fabulous Fletwin and sometimes
gets short glimpses of the future when he sleeps. Nat is the one character
without magic but his dream of becoming a reporter gives him strong
observational skills. Alexo Rokis is a curious character because it’s unclear
if he’s a helper or someone the others should fear. He doesn’t have any
Tide-Blessings but as a gelkin, he can perform magic anyhow. Readers will enjoy
watching characters interact to see how their different priorities combine, or
conflict, with each other.
Much of this book is set on Glass Island which used to be
where criminals were sent. No one from Shelwich ever goes near it. Readers
immediately know this island will be trouble when Ista steps through a portal. She
meets a character who tries to lure her through a mysterious archway but she
senses its danger. She’s searching for her missing father and thinks he
probably followed the music coming from the archway. She senses it will be
dangerous to go there herself but she comes up with a plot when her friends
arrive. However, much of it depends on what they’ve learned from a new
character named Tamlin but he’s keeping secrets from them.
The real intrigue of the story surrounds marsh spinners and the
trouble they’ve created. Their new queen feeds off fear and chaos so her marsh
spinners are constantly hunting for humans to trick. Ista is told not to make
any deals with them even if they offer a free favor. It’s similar to reading
the small print in contracts where something harmful is hidden among the words.
Marsh spinners can twist the words in any agreement so characters must take
care with how things are said. This makes readers aware of the potentially
dangerous consequences of interacting with spinners so they’ll anxiously
anticipate the uncertainty of future events. The overwhelming power of the
queen’s music only adds to the doubt that Ista’s plans will go smoothly.
What didn’t work as well:
The wicked queen uses magical music to control unsuspecting
victims and it affects Ista and her friends too. The line between losing
control and fighting off the effects is fuzzy as the author describes characters
beginning to sway to the beat. They’ve taken measures to combat the music but
still feel themselves beginning to fall under its spell. How do they repeatedly
feel the music’s influence but somehow fight it off? Why does willpower fight
off the music’s influence, until it doesn’t, but then it does again? It’s not a
big issue but it may cross readers’ minds.
The final verdict:
It’s not absolutely necessary to read the previous book first but
it will help to understand the characters and backstory. The author has crafted
an imaginative adventure that requires clever minds to navigate tricky language
and surprising plot twists. Overall, this is a very entertaining book and
series, and I recommend you give it a shot.
