What do you think?
Rate this book
Tidemagic #2
Tidemagic: Ista Flit and the Impossible Key
The second book in the magical Tidemagic series, perfect for readers aged 9-12.
Ista Flit and her friends Nat and Ruby have foiled a dastardly plot by the Hettle family to take control of the town of Shelwich, but Ista still needs to find her missing father. A magical key transports her to the mysterious Glass Island, where a sinister monster haunts the reed-beds, and the local inhabitants are falling under the seductive spell of the marsh spinners.
Boldly venturing into the marsh spinner court, Ista and her friends will need all their wits and Tidemagic to resist its magical pull. Can they find Ista’s father, or will they be lost forever to the power of the spinners’ sinister music . . . ?
Sequel to The Many Faces of Ista Flit.
Ista Flit and her friends Nat and Ruby have foiled a dastardly plot by the Hettle family to take control of the town of Shelwich, but Ista still needs to find her missing father. A magical key transports her to the mysterious Glass Island, where a sinister monster haunts the reed-beds, and the local inhabitants are falling under the seductive spell of the marsh spinners.
Boldly venturing into the marsh spinner court, Ista and her friends will need all their wits and Tidemagic to resist its magical pull. Can they find Ista’s father, or will they be lost forever to the power of the spinners’ sinister music . . . ?
Sequel to The Many Faces of Ista Flit.
- GenresFantasyMiddle Grade
345 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2025
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 2, 2025
What worked:
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.
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.
June 27, 2025
Ista Flit and the Impossible Key picks up right where the first book in this fantasy series left off, providing a ‘cast of characters’ and just enough background information for readers to jump into Ista’s next adventure. Early in the morning after solving the mystery of the disappearance of many residents of Shelwich, Ista uses a magical key to enter a murky, marshy underworld to continue her quest to find her Pa (leaving the key behind for her guardians). There she immediately encounters some sinister-seeming creatures, and a magical, musical strain that draws her toward an archway and has bewitched all the humans she comes across. She deliberately turns away from the archway, and realizes she has arrived on Glass Island, a purportedly haunted place visible from the shore of Shelwich. She sets off searching for clues and is soon reunited with Tamlin, a boy who had been keeping tabs on her in Shelwich for her employer, Alexo Rokis. Because of their tenuous past, Ista is unsure if she can trust Tamlin, but he seems to be her only hope for rescuing Pa.
Meanwhile, back in Shelwich, Ista’s friends Nat and Ruby confer with her elderly guardians Padley and Giddon, and Alexo, all of whom received identical letters from her explaining her departure. The group splits up to do some research, and Nat and Ruby contrive to steal the magic key from Alexo so they can follow Ista. When they find her and Tamlin, the four of them make plans to sneak into the Marsh Queen’s palace to rescue Ista’s Pa and heal Tamlin’s father from a curse. The Marsh Queen rules Glass Island; her minions, the marsh-spinners, have both human and insect form and use magic to draw human visitors to the palace for a perennial party known as the Revel. Ista is certain that her Pa (a musician) belongs to the Queen’s orchestra that plays at the Revel, while the Queen delights in tormenting and torturing the humans she has enthralled. Ista and her cohort make charms to protect themselves, but will need to rely on more than magic to avoid becoming part of the Marsh Queen’s collection.
Readers who enjoyed the first TideMagic book will be glad for this sequel, which ties up many loose threads (as Nat, a young journalist, calls them) while unraveling a few more. The majority of the narrative follows Ista’s journey around Glass Island and serves to keep the audience in suspense; the final third of the book, which takes place at the Revel, is creepy, tense, and contains some surprising twists. Ista is a persistent, headstrong heroine; her grit is matched only by her love for her friends and determination to find Pa. Highlights of the writing include authentic dialogue, creative characterization, and descriptive language, particularly regarding the new setting - the damp, fetid quality of the Marsh and its surroundings are practically palpable. Infrequent black and white illustrations, along with decorative chapter headings, enhance the story and add gothic feel. Despite a very satisfying conclusion, an epilogue indicates that further adventure awaits for Ista Flit and her friends. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
Meanwhile, back in Shelwich, Ista’s friends Nat and Ruby confer with her elderly guardians Padley and Giddon, and Alexo, all of whom received identical letters from her explaining her departure. The group splits up to do some research, and Nat and Ruby contrive to steal the magic key from Alexo so they can follow Ista. When they find her and Tamlin, the four of them make plans to sneak into the Marsh Queen’s palace to rescue Ista’s Pa and heal Tamlin’s father from a curse. The Marsh Queen rules Glass Island; her minions, the marsh-spinners, have both human and insect form and use magic to draw human visitors to the palace for a perennial party known as the Revel. Ista is certain that her Pa (a musician) belongs to the Queen’s orchestra that plays at the Revel, while the Queen delights in tormenting and torturing the humans she has enthralled. Ista and her cohort make charms to protect themselves, but will need to rely on more than magic to avoid becoming part of the Marsh Queen’s collection.
Readers who enjoyed the first TideMagic book will be glad for this sequel, which ties up many loose threads (as Nat, a young journalist, calls them) while unraveling a few more. The majority of the narrative follows Ista’s journey around Glass Island and serves to keep the audience in suspense; the final third of the book, which takes place at the Revel, is creepy, tense, and contains some surprising twists. Ista is a persistent, headstrong heroine; her grit is matched only by her love for her friends and determination to find Pa. Highlights of the writing include authentic dialogue, creative characterization, and descriptive language, particularly regarding the new setting - the damp, fetid quality of the Marsh and its surroundings are practically palpable. Infrequent black and white illustrations, along with decorative chapter headings, enhance the story and add gothic feel. Despite a very satisfying conclusion, an epilogue indicates that further adventure awaits for Ista Flit and her friends. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
August 10, 2025
The second in Clare Harlow’s fantasy trilogy for readers aged 9+ (featuring Kristina Kister’s evocative illustrations) is a clever and gripping adventure about friendship and family set against the sinister Marsh Queen’s court. Ista remains interesting and resourceful and although I wish that there had been more between her, Nat and Ruby, the friendship that develops with Tamlin is believable. I am very much looking forward to the final book.
September 30, 2025
I really enjoyed this sequel!
November 11, 2025
My only complaint is that it could use more illustrations.
May 16, 2025
Wow, what a sequel! Full of eeriness, suspense and mystery. The relationship between the characters has been really well developed and I loved seeing their friendship blossom. I couldn’t put this book down and can’t wait to see what Clare Harlow has next!
May 5, 2025
I loved the first book in this series and I absolutely adored this one too! It features the same wonderful characters and exquisite writing all wrapped up in a new, thrilling and unique plot. On the hunt for her dad, Ista and her friends find themselves trapped on the atmospheric Glass Island. But to rescue him, they must face the Marsh Queen's never ending revel where humans are enchanted to dance forever. Highly recommend for anyone over the age of 8/9 and grown up kids too! I eagerly await the next adventure from Clare Harlow who has fast become one of my favourite kidlit writers.
(With thanks to Puffin for the gifted copy)
(With thanks to Puffin for the gifted copy)
April 30, 2025
Small spoiler from Book One ahead. No spoilers for book Two.
Thank you to Penguin UK for my advance copy. I was so excited to be back with Ista, Ruby and Nat in the fabulous TideMagic world. This story takes off literally as the last one ends and we are even deeper into this fabulous magic system from the get-go, willing Ista on to find her father. Beautifully illustrated through the book, the story is pacey and satisfying…. But oooooo …. That was a cheeky little hint at the end of more to come!!!
Thank you to Penguin UK for my advance copy. I was so excited to be back with Ista, Ruby and Nat in the fabulous TideMagic world. This story takes off literally as the last one ends and we are even deeper into this fabulous magic system from the get-go, willing Ista on to find her father. Beautifully illustrated through the book, the story is pacey and satisfying…. But oooooo …. That was a cheeky little hint at the end of more to come!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2025
An unputdownable and enchanting adventure.
I adored the first Tidemagic book and I’m delighted to say that this is yet another cracker of a story. If you love magic, intrigue and strange and brilliant characters who keep you guessing whether they are friend or foe, then this clever and twisty tale is for you.
Face-changer Ista’s search for her missing father takes her to Glass Island, a place once reserved for the banishment of thieves and convicts. But the ex-convicts aren’t the problem. Creepy marsh spinners – part insect, part human – are enchanting the local inhabitants, forcing them to join the Marsh Queen’s never-ending dance. To make matters worse there’s also a monster haunting the reedbeds. Ista must find her pa and escape before she becomes a victim, but can she save her friends Nat and Ruby too?
Harlow expertly blends original ideas with folklore and fairy tales to create a thoroughly satisfying story with a pitch-perfect ending. I was completely swept away and so were my children. The perfect holiday read.
I adored the first Tidemagic book and I’m delighted to say that this is yet another cracker of a story. If you love magic, intrigue and strange and brilliant characters who keep you guessing whether they are friend or foe, then this clever and twisty tale is for you.
Face-changer Ista’s search for her missing father takes her to Glass Island, a place once reserved for the banishment of thieves and convicts. But the ex-convicts aren’t the problem. Creepy marsh spinners – part insect, part human – are enchanting the local inhabitants, forcing them to join the Marsh Queen’s never-ending dance. To make matters worse there’s also a monster haunting the reedbeds. Ista must find her pa and escape before she becomes a victim, but can she save her friends Nat and Ruby too?
Harlow expertly blends original ideas with folklore and fairy tales to create a thoroughly satisfying story with a pitch-perfect ending. I was completely swept away and so were my children. The perfect holiday read.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews