Tidespeaker by Sadie Turner
Tidespeaker is the first in a new YA fantasy duology. In line with a current revival of interest, resulting in other contemporary publications that reimagine Austen and Bronte novels (eg. The chateau on Sunset inspired by Jane Eyre), Tidespeaker is inspired by Jane Austen's Mansfield Park. UK author Sadie Turner writes in the genre of "gloomy, romantic, neurodiverse YA fantasy," according to her publishers, Rock the boat, the dedicated children's /YA imprint of Oneworld Publications Ltd. Tidespeaker is indeed gloomy, romantic and a fantasy so it fits that description! Corith, its central character, is neurodiverse in that she is autistic. She is isolated and struggles with social interaction at school but does have one friend - Zennia. Corith is an Orha, one who can control water by speaking to it. She is known as a Tidespeaker or Floodmouth.
Corith emerges from the elite magic training school where she has been trained to spend the rest of her life in the lowly station of an Orha serving in the house of a noble family. As in many good fantasy books, the world is divided along strict social stratification lines. In this case the fantasy world is divided into one hundred noble houses with each house having many servants plus four Orhas representing the elements of tides, wind, earth and fire. On the death (which becomes more and more mysterious) of the previous Tidespeaker of Shearwater House (Corith's best friend Zennia) Corith is sent as a replacement. As she receives mysterious anonymous communiques about Zennia's death, Corith becomes bent on revenge and finding the truth. Corith is used by two different groups, the Shearwater family, who house and employ her and those who would bring them down. As the story progresses, Corith develops conflicting loyalties as she is put into the frightening position of becoming a spy in her own household.
Like Fanny in Mansfield Park, Corith encounters snobbery and condescension as she enters the Shearwater family home as a young, innocent and vulnerable girl. She relies on the goodwill of the family for survival but at the same time she is an outsider who shines a moral mirror on the chaos of the household. She is not without resources and these develop as the story progresses. Out of fear and for survival she practises her skills with the tide. She is actually quite morally grey herself as she rifles through private bedrooms looking for secrets that can be used against her employers to bring their house down. She lies her way out of trouble.
Somewhat like the gloomy Thornfield Hall of Jane Eyre, the ancestral Shearwater family house is dark and gothic complete with ivy covered towers and only accessible across a causeway when the dangerous tides are right. This is where Corith's power lies. She will be called upon to harness the treacherous waters of the tides that cut off the house from the mainland and to work her skill in defence and for the protection of the Shearwater family.
Secrets unravel. With increasing knowledge gained through underhand methods, Corith develops the ability to exploit the owners of those secrets whilst simultaneously succumbing to bribery from outside. However she does not know the full story. Clashing fights between the families vying for political leadership begin, accidents and rescues occur, violence erupts and the plot thickens darkly. Romantic sparks start to fire. Treachery is everywhere. Who does one trust?
The cover art by USA based Alexxander Dovelin perfectly suggests, fantasy, intrigue and romance. The interior map that one expects of fantasy books where the authors have built complex worlds is drawn by the well-known illustrator and creator of fantasy maps for books (Dreamslinger, The Aether Chronicles, etc.) - Virginia Allyn. With its detailed, dark, watery, woodsy vibe the map of Nemestra aids the reader by showing the location of the various Houses (named after birds), the path that Corith had to travel from Arbenhaw, the Wilds, the rivers, the Crags, the Quaglands and etc. - all looking bleak, dark and forbidding.
Amongst many plaudits Tidespeaker is described by reviewers as "hauntingly vivid," "lush and atmospheric," "claustrophobic and salt-soaked," and as having "luscious gothic vibes." All of these descriptions are true. We will await the second book of this enjoyable debut duology.
Themes: Class stratification, The elemental world, Loyalty, Privilege, Isolation, Secrets, Political intrigue, Fantasy, Mystery, Secrets, Exploitation.
Wendy Jeffrey