A fairly complex mythology that contributes to a fascinating world. This is helped along by a strong cast of complex characters. We are cheering for all of them and have some understanding for even the villains. The final chapters get a little confusing but it's worth wading through.

This is an in incomplete review. Orphans of the Tide started out great! I loved the seaside setting and very unique storyline. Unfortunately I decided that it wasn't for me. Based on what I did read, I would recommend it to fans of middle grade who love a mysterious and immersive story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I'm really not the demographic for this book, but I am sure older kids will enjoy this story. I just found it slow and not something I was really interested in reading. I read it bit by bit over more time than I can remember, and just never got into the story. Sorry.

It was well written though the story was convoluted. I feel like we were dropped into a world with little background and told this is what happens without any context.

I do not read much middle grade, only when I'm re-reading childhood favorites, but this book just may change that for me. It's a book with a lot of twists and turns and really interesting characters, all making it just a really fun read.

Ellie is a brilliant inventor just like her mom was when she was alive, she counts on her clever mind and inventions to help her solve problems. When a mysterious boy arrives in The City the suspicious townspeople immediately guess he is the host for a great evil, The Enemy. Ellie is convinced the boy is innocent and sets her mind to the task of saving him and proving his innocence.

Orphans of the Tide is a fast paced and exciting. While the story unfolds and discoveries are made, Ellie is grappling with her own internal struggles with grief and healing. I especially loved Ellie’s relationship with her best friend Anna, they support/trust/love each other and apologize when necessary, it’s a brilliant example of friendship.

Orphans of the Tide is fascinating and fast paced, I’ll definitely be reading the sequels and recommending the series.

There is only one city left in the world after a god turned on all the other gods and drowned the world. The god that is left is now known as The Enemy and takes a human vessel to give him power. When Ellie finds a whale washed up on top of a cathedral with a boy inside the whole City thinks he is the next Vessel and is out to kill him to keep The Enemy from becoming to powerful. Ellie tries to save the boy and in doing so many secrets of The City and herself are revealed. I enjoyed this book and I think many middle grade readers will enjoy it also.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in return for an honest review.

Orphans of the Tide is a fantasy novel with splashes of steampunk throughout. The story takes place in a city that has survived the death of the gods. But the city has paid a price. Much of it has been reclaimed by the sea. And what is left is plagued by the threat of the Enemy, who could be anyone, anywhere.

Ellie is an orphan but has made a name for herself as an inventor and repairer of inventions her late mother created.

The city and these creations are fascinating, and it would have been nice — though not imperative — if author Struan Murray had expanded on them a bit more. As it is, they almost feel like characters that weren’t fully realized.

What has been fully realized are the characters. Ellie, her friend Anna and Seth (the mysterious boy) are lovely characters whose relationships with each other ring true. Also, well-developed is the Enemy, who is cunning and creepy.

The pacing and energy throughout Orphans of the Tide is strong, moving the story forward with action and emotion.

Orphans of the Tide is the first book of a trilogy that should appeal to a wide cross-section of readers.

Over the top book, with just the right amount of fantasy mixed in. The reader is pulled into the story from the start and can't let go. The relationships between the characters are interwoven so well, and really add to the storyline.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Ellie, an orphan, lives in the City – an island that is being slowly reclaimed by the sea. Residents of the City rarely see anyone from outside. That all changes when a whale washes up on one of the rooftops and a boy emerges from its belly with no memory of who he is. The people believe the boy is the Enemy, a legendary god who drowned the other gods and possesses a “vessel” until he is strong enough to emerge and cause even more chaos. Ellie doesn’t believe that the boy is the vessel and sets out to protect him.

While I liked the premise of the story, there is one aspect that turned me off. The sea lords of the City are whalers, so whale oil is used as fuel and for lamps. The story was also very formulaic but I don’t think that will matter to the target audience. I did give it 3 stars so I feel comfortable recommending it to grades 4 and up.
#OrphansOfTheTide #HarperCollins

I realize that I am not the intended audience for this novel, but it just took too long to get going. There was a lot of “wait and see” and slowly revealing key plot/character points…I smell a sequel? I have too many questions and not enough answers, but it wasn’t nearly engaging enough to keep me interested. I could see some Middle School students thinking this was a cool series though, so I would recommend it to them.

A wonderful ride from start to finish, Orphans of the Tide is a great study of what happens when someone takes the time to properly world-build. Not only are the characters wonderful, the plot thrilling, and the mystery engaging, but there are a lot of small details about the way The City interacts with the ocean and how the Enemy operates. Would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves steampunk or fantasy!

The Enemy drowned all the gods and most of the lands and people, Those that are orphaned by the great tragedy of The Drowning made a life the best that they could in The City- the highest part of a mountain that remains above the sea. Ellie, an orphan herself, is a spunky and smart young woman that is an inventor and engineer. She lost both her mother then later her little brother to illness. She made it her job to protect him so the grief and guilt of his death has all but consumed Elli.
Since her mother died, Ellie has taken up the mantle of being the go to person in The City for all of their mechanical needs even though both she and the other towns people aren’t all the time confident in her cleverness and ability. But what Ellie lacks in certainty, she makes up for in persistence because she is obsessed with trying to fix things that are broken. Eventually this puts Elli and The City in danger and instead of asking for help, she digs herself deeper and deeper trying to make things right. What she eventually learns, like all of us, is that some things are not only out of your control, but are not always what they seem. And most important, we have to ask for help.
This was a truly fun read full of adventure, drama, humor, and tender moments. I really liked Elli’s character because she reminds me so much of the “strong woman” trope that so many of us are struggling everyday to live up to KNOWING how harmful it is. I think this book is meant for younger readers, but it was still pretty enjoyable to this 44 year old mom of 1!

A real page-turner! I could not put this book down. The book was a little slow and confusing at first but once the plot got going there were a lot of twists and turns. Brilliant characterization and plot. The novel discusses topics such as execution and some other topics that as an educator I would not feel comfortable presenting in class. However I would definitely recommend placing it in a classroom library for students to read at their discretion.

Fascinating! I was intrigued from the start, but this clever story just kept getting better and better: Action, excitement, character development, friendship, psychological conflict, mystery, suspense... I just couldn’t put it down!

The creative premise and vivid, mesmerizing world building pulled me in, but the deeper moral dilemmas, involving guilt and innocence, right and wrong, that Ellie and her friends faced dug into my heartstrings, and had me pondering long after I finished the read. I can highly recommend this story for young readers and adult readers alike!

A girl trying to live up to her mother's reputation for creating clockwork devices. A boy cut out of a dying whale. A society trying to prevent a god, known as The Enemy, from taking on a human host, called The Vessel, and returning to wreck havoc on the world. That Enemy had previously killed his fellow gods and drowned most of the city and every few decades attempts to return. The only way to keep this from happening is for the Inquisitors to kill the human host when it is discovered. The Inquisitors believe the boy is the human host. The girl believes he is innocent. This fantasy/mystery is a captivating story with plenty of twists and turns and is definitely worth adding to a library collection.

I received an advanced reader copy for my honest opinion.

When you ask for a favor there is always a cost. The cost can be good or bad, but in "Orphans of the Tide" the cost is always bad.

In "Orphans of the Tide" by Struan Murray we follow the story of Ellie, who has lost her whole family. She lives in a city that believes they are the last city in the world. The city lives in constant fear of The Enemy that is housed in The Vessel.

What I loved:
I loved the premise for this story. I liked the idea of The Enemy housed in a Vessel. I loved the interplay between Finn and Ellie. I did love how the ending came together and I was glad I made it to the end.

Where I struggled:
I felt like I jumped into the second or third book in a series. I didn't feel like I had enough about the characters to know the characters. The world they lived in may have been well developed, but because the characters felt under-developed I had a hard time connecting to the world.

My biggest take away:
The people believed what they were told to believe. They feared what they could not understand. The Enemy was effective because they did not understand what it was or how to over come it. It seems like human nature to fear the unknown. But to live in fear because of ignorance or because of herd mentality is dangerous.

The question I ask myself is, would I read this book again? The answer is no. I might read the next book if this continues as a series. I wouldn't mind seeing what happens to Ellie and Seth.

This book started off great. The story wasn’t something I’d expect and was really unique. But the action felt a little rushed, especially at the end. Definitely reminded me of the anime Children of the Whales.

A thoroughly engaging fantasy debut that leaves you hoping the sequel is readily available! I need to know more about Seth's brothers and sisters!