Cindercast: A Tale of Tides

by Michael Blackbourn

For Ollie, a tiny quarter-inch tall Seelie, surviving the stormy sea is only the beginning. The ten-year-old finds herself lost on an unfamiliar shore littered with strange artifacts. With a brave crab as an ally against the monstrous beach creatures, Ollie must race the rising tide to find her way home.

Detailed illustrations by the author pull the reader into the adventure of Cindercast. Michael Blackbourn tells the tale through the perspective of the tiny Seelies, revealing the hidden world tucked away on our ocean’s shores. Discover an amazing landscape between the waves of the high and low tides, teeming with life, and filled with danger.

164 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2015

Reviews

[Marilyn Peake · Rating 5 out of 5]

CINDERCAST: A TALE OF TIDES by Michael Blackbourn is a wonderful, fascinating children's chapter book. It tells the story of Ollie, a tiny Seelie girl, and her brave companion, a crab named Snarz. Ollie is ten years old and a quarter-inch tall (which we're told is taller than most ten-year-old Seelie girls). She ventures out one day at low tide to explore the beach near her home. A thunderstorm arrives unexpectedly, kicking up the ocean waves amid flashes of lightning and rumbling thunder. Ollie and Snarz get swept out to sea as high tide comes in. They have to fight to keep themselves from drowning. Back on land, their struggles continue as they must use ingenious methods to evade birds and other predators and additional dangers such as spiderwebs.

I cannot say enough good things about this book. The story is wonderful. Ollie has many great qualities. She's kind, thoughtful, smart, inventive, loyal and brave — a lovable and admirable main character! CINDERCAST includes fascinating descriptions of things found in the natural world of a beach environment. The author writes in sentences that children will understand, while including technical terms that will expand their vocabulary and scientific knowledge, e.g. "bladderwrack seaweed," "laminaria seaweed," "periwinkle snails," and much more.

Included inside the book and on the book cover itself are stunning artistic drawings by the author, Michael Blackbourn, who's also an artist. He's actually a feature film visual effects artist who has worked on quite a few major films. (His film work can be found on IMDB.) Michael's artistic talent really shows in the incredible drawings he created for his CINDERCAST novel.

In addition to the natural world, Michael also writes about technology in CINDERCAST. The most important technological elements in the novel are tiny "cinderblocks" — or robotic cubes — found and used by the Seelies and upon which they cast magic to create contraptions or 'traptions.

I should mention that there are typos and minor punctuation and grammar errors throughout the book - not enough to detract from the wonderful story, but something that could easily be fixed through professional editing. I debated about rating this book with only 4 stars as a result; but the story and artwork are so impressive, I decided to go with a 5-star rating along with mention of the errors.

I read the paperback version of this book, but purchased both paperback and Kindle versions. The artwork shows up beautifully in both versions.

I'd love to see graphic novel and cartoon versions of this book. It would be great fun to have several formats in which to experience the incredible artwork and story of CINDERCAST.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely tale about a young Seelie and her attempts to find her way back home. Ollie is a sweet girl, who's gotten herself in a bit of a pickle. She's landed on a shore (where she shouldn't be) and from the first page on, must battle for her life. The adventures come at her, one right after the other, and if it weren't for her true friend the crab, things probably would take a turn for the worse. I did have a little bit of a problem finding foot in the first few pages, but after that, I was totally captivated by the small Seelie and her quest to find her way home. And what a quest it is!

There's a wonderful taste of trust and friendship, perfect for kids ages 8 and up. The language and plot are well done and remain in a realm of fantasy very fitting for this age group. I found the story refreshing, a nice change from the normal fantasy which floods the current market.

Not only will children love the story itself, but information and terms which might be unfamiliar to readers are dabbed in, adding a nice touch of extra knowledge. I especially enjoyed the beautiful illustrations, and only wish there were a few more. . .simply because they were so nice.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Erik This Kid Reviews Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ollie is a Seelie. They are like humans (AKA UnSeelies), but really really small. They could fit on your pinkie fingernail. When Ollie got sucked in by a sea storm, she gets tossed, turned, and lost. She finds herself on an unknown beach, with only her best friend Snarz (a small crab) to help her. With spiders, seagulls, and angry crabs, including mysterious cubes called Cindercubes, will she ever make it home?

What I Thought- This was a nice book. Although the publisher says it’s Middle Grade, it could fit into Early Middle Grade/Late Early Chapter Book. A lot of obstacles pop up in the book, but there wasn’t as much plot development that I would have liked in a middle-grade book. The book doesn’t resolve the main problem – Ollie knows of a place to go, but doesn’t go there, but the story feels complete and leaves room for the second book. The book was well-written and Mr. Blackbourn has a fun writing style that is enjoyable to read. You really immerse yourself into the world of a traveling Seelie. I would be happy to read book 2.
*NOTE* I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Nayuleska · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unusual story, rich in imagination, somehow captivating.