Tidespeaker by Sadie Turner is a debut gothic fantasy that deserves a follow up. Turner builds a grim world with a stratified culture where elemental magic wielders, called Orha, have been punished for generations after an uprising. If they are lucky, they are placed in wealthy homes as servants, and if they step out of line – a life of manual labor, at best. The main character, Corith, is a floodmouth Orha, someone who can control water. She is sent to replace her best friend, who was recently sent to serve House Shearwater, a politically important family, and disappeared under suspicious circumstances. Desperate to find out what happened to her friend, Corith enters into a dangerous bargain with an underground group of rebel magic users called, The Cage. While gathering secrets to sabotage the Shearwaters, Corith becomes closer to the family, developing feelings for the eldest son, and simultaneously more determined to help The Cage when the patriarch repeatedly puts the lives of Orha in danger.

Readers of moody fantasy will easily sink into this atmospheric, at times gothic, world. Corith, who is cued Autistic, is in the Katniss Everdeen mold of YA heroines and is frequently described as stoic and highly observant. The plot moves slowly, but builds with the addition of court politics, family secrets, and Corith’s inner dilemma. Those who are well read in YA fantasy/dark academia/distopians may find the plot twists predictable and be frustrated with where the story ends, but the world and magic system are fresh enough that they will likely keep reading and be ready for a sequel. A recommended purchase for YA collections.

Reviewed by Ivy Burns, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth