Eternity Engine

Orphans of the Tide #3

by Struan Murray, Struan Murray

The final instalment in the breathtaking Orphans of the Tide trilogy, which The Times calls 'Unputdownable'.

The seas have parted to reveal the remains of humanity's lost empire and opened a path from Shipwreck Island to the Enemy's City. Now only Ellie Lancaster and her orphan friends can prevent a terrible war.

As Kate marches north at the head of her army, panic infests the City as the Enemy's strength grows. For the parting of the seas has also uncovered the Eternity Engine, a dreadful machine from before the Drowning, with the power to remake the world - or destroy it forever . . .

The critically-acclaimed Orphans of the Tide trilogy reaches its spine-tingling climax and dramatic conclusion. Perfect reading for fans of His Dark Materials or Vashti Hardy.


Praise for Orphans of the Tide:

'Unputdownable' - The Times

'Enthralling' - The Daily Express

'Sumptuously atmospheric . . . tirelessly inventive' - The Daily Telegraph

'Gripping' - The Guardian

'Energetic and inventive' - Sunday Times

'Gripping and original' - The Observer

'Singularly brilliant' - Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Girl of Ink and Stars and The Mercies

'Compellingly inventive and unpredictable' - Piers Torday, author of The Last Wild

'A terrific debut of strange myths and dark secrets' - The Bookseller (Editor's Choice)

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Adventure, Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult

464 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 17, 2022

Reviews

[Belles Middle Grade Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowza!! What an ending!! Definitely went out with a bang. This is for a sure 1 of my all time favorite trilogies now. These have so much depth, & imagination. Superb world/story building continues with this one. The City & everything/everyone/everything happening there, what’s below the City, a certain realm & everything about THAT, & just every last detail are written with such vivid detailed descriptions, that you can clearly envision & that just flow perfectly. Then the characters are written so well, & you love the good ones, & love to read about the bad ones too. All so good! The Enemy is sooooo well done! I feel like he’s in my own head tormenting me..maybe because I have my own “voice” in there that sometimes talks to me the same way, like many of us do. Ellie is such an intriguing & fascinating character. We have been through so much with everyone in the book, but ESPECIALLY her. We also got to learn more about her mom, & get a bigger picture/backstory there, & I thoroughly enjoyed that-along with some other characters we get to see for the 1st time in this current situation. Seth is also just as fascinating & intriguing, & such a strong soul. Anna is the most incredible best friend anyone could ever hope for. Kate’s story in this one really hooked me, & I loved the direction that took. Molworth just may have my heart though lol. Everything we’ve learned over the course of the trilogy, but especially in this 1, about the Inquisition..is very thought provoking, & a great conversation. Don’t want to spoil, but I think what they do & why can apply to many people/companies in real life. The ending was absolutely perfect. So many twists & turns, I was kept guessing & on the edge of my seat. I had goosebumps by the end, & it wrapped up perfectly, & was a very satisfying ending that these characters I’ve grown very fond of truly deserved. I will miss them, but I’m eager to see what this author writes in the future. I’ll be impatiently waiting lol HIGHLY recommend. Another STUNNING cover & inside illustrations by the amazing Manuel Šumberac too.💜

[Neeks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
Overall, a satisfying conclusion :)

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, what a way to end an amazing trilogy. I adored this story, its adventures, the journey and all of the ingenuity. Struan Murray is a master story weaver and I am so incredibly sad that Orphans is over, but I can’t wait for everyone to read this. Just incredible. I love Ellie and the rest of her crew and this world just brings me so much joy. From the first book, to this one, there’s just so so much to enjoy.

[Xanxa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: Like I said when reviewing "Shipwreck Island", I'm reading this at the wrong stage in my life. I would have appreciated it far more between the ages of 9 and 12, rather than in my mid fifties as I am now.

--------------------

An exciting and intriguing final book in the series. The characters have developed with each new experience. Most of the younger ones have learned by their previous mistakes and are trying to become better people. Some of the adult characters are changing their ways too.

This book also delves into the past, with extracts from Ellie's mother's diary included. These extracts help to provide context for what has happened since that time.

Altogether a satisfying conclusion.

[christine ✩ · Rating 4 out of 5]

1/17/23 i still haven't gotten my hands on this and it's a travesty in my humble opinion

5/17/23: screaming crying throwing up etc !! man i love middle grade novels ellie and seth and anna and viola and molworth and the orphans and kate and castion and even hargrath. it IS about the power of friendship and the good in humans!!

[Lio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible.

[Milou · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Orphans of the Tide series, and an epic conclusion at that. This series revolves around the presence of the Enemy. The Enemy of a kind of God, who resides in a Vessel. He can fulfil wishes for the Vessel, but in return gains some power to do as he wishes. He can for example save someone for the Vessel, but then himself gets the power to also save, or kill, someone. And as his name suggests, he does not want to do nice things with those powers. The town is obviously terrified of this Enemy and has installed an Inquisition to find the Vessel. If you are thought to be a Vessel, you are very likely to be killed… because then the Enemy also disappears for 10 years.

I loved the first book in this series. Yes it was a Middle Grade, but it was also very dark. The Enemy really is evil, and very manipulative. The way he was written and the reveals we get throughout the book were just so superbly done. It is a very firm favourite of mine.

This third book is still very good, objectively speaking. It is very well written, and you can just see everything with such vivid detail. The characters are interesting and intriguing. You love the good ones, and love to hate the bad ones. We get to learn a bit more about Ellie’s background. And I got to say, I got quite emotional by the end of it. But…

For me, it was too big and too epic. It let go of that Middle Grade feeling. There are several Gods, a spirit realm, a war… and a lot of suffering. It has that dark tone that made the first book so good but left no space for anything else. There is no joy in it at all.

This is still certainly a series I would recommend though, for the older side of middle grade. It doesn’t get nearly the amount of love it deserves, because it is truly something special.

[Daryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like I just got punched in the face in the best way possible by this book oh my god. The prose is genuinely so haunting, and I just feel like everything came together in such a compelling and satisfying way. Like even the complaint I had in book 2 about Molworth’s loyalties maybe shifting too quickly were rectified in this book when it’s revealed that he’s actually still a bit brainwashed and has to see the truth with his own eyes. Man, and Ellie’s journey through her grief and finally channeling all her negative emotions into a powerful acceptance, man…I may or may not be emotional rn. I feel like The Enemy and the war the enemy caused was such a fitting metaphor for people turning on one another/the danger of scapegoating that was executed so well and really turned into an amazing story. All the supporting characters were great, especially Kate, Anna, Molworth, and Viola, who got way more time to shine, also fixing a book 2 complaint I had. Just…man I wish I had more eloquent thoughts than incoherent screaming. This was just such an amazing series that completely stuck the landing.

Also Claude and Peter and Kate and Ellie were 100% in love change my mind.

[Janette · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a thrilling conclusion to a brilliant trilogy. I have been hooked on this series ever since reading the very first chapter of Orphans of the Tide and this final instalment lived up to all of my expectations and more. All of the threads from the previous two books were drawn together with some totally new ingredients thrown in for good measure.
All of the characters are vivid and memorable but Ellie in particular is a character who will remain in my memory for a long while. However, I also have a very soft spot for Molworth who is obviously destined for great things.

This book takes the reader on a giant roller coaster of a ride as the Enemy’s plans draw ever closer to completion. The plot swings from certain disaster to the possibility of a happy ending and then back again as it twists and turns in totally unexpected ways. The ending is totally satisfying. and I loved every minute of it.

[Taygus · Rating 5 out of 5]

CW Dissociation, emotional dysregulation
Brilliant ending to a fantastic trilogy.

I enjoyed this series greatly. This finl book is the most emotional of the lot. You really feel your heart being twisted for Ellie.
It handled learning to cope with trauma quite well. I'm glad the ending wasn't dark and we get to see our beloved characters go on another , this time happy and exciting, adventure .

I do like that the gods still living, weren't just killed off. So Ellie does have to continue battling her very real inner demon for her mental health of not humanity, but she's stronger now and very able to do so.

I couldn't put these books down! and I would absolutely love to re read them at some point.

[Kirsten Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final installation of the Orphans of the Tide. I'm so sad to have said goodbye to Ellie, Seth, The Enemy!

Struan manages to continue the story but also to remind us of key moments of the previous books. I love the addition of another diary and how it propels the story forward, I kept saying one chapter more but was unable to just stop! I was on the edge of my chair and just had to continue.

A brilliant conclusion, I couldn't have asked for anything more. There is no disappointment, just a sense of satisfaction when everything comes together.

[Marc Wolfgram · Rating 4 out of 5]

War is looming, as Queen Kate of Shipwreck Island has forced Seth with his Sea God powers to part the sea, so that her army can march towards the City to attack and conquer it. Meanwhile Ellie is searching for a machine buried underneath the city, which may be the only hope to stop the war and stop the Enemy from growing in strength and taking over.

A beautiful ending to a great pre-YA fantasy trilogy with fun plot twists, an interesting mythology and great characters.

[Liam Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent enough end to a trilogy that started with its strongest entry. This final part still has enough surprises and horror to keep you going but I was a little let down by the resolution which didn’t feel very epic in its finality. I’d still recommend the series to any teachers and students without any hesitation.

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a great conclusion to the series! It did start off a little slow and I struggled to remember who some characters were. Once it got going though, what a ride! I liked the way that It kept me looking at the characters in a new light, changing my perceptions of them. Great little extra bit at the end too.

[Lauren Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredible end to a fantastic trilogy. Not only is the writing wonderful, with vivid descriptions and details, but the story is also gripping and entertaining. It’s a book that you want to read in one sitting and are desperate to find out everything that happens in the end.

[Lost Inthe Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a little dark and gloomy at first but I loved the end. Struan Murray the major plot twister-I hope that's a thing- after Rick.
Spoiler alert!!!! this writer killed bis protagonist... I won't say more, read to find out. It was crazy by the way, it has this lotr vibe where all scenes are dire there wasn't much space for humor tho. I loved anyway it, I hope it will get a sequel because there is a possibility the enemy can still manipulate Ellie Lancaster.

[Joud Algorain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rlly like this book and I would defo recommend .
My fav character would probs be Ellie although I find it very difficult to choose since they’re all great except from some characters which I won’t say who or what they are .

[Claire Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely amazing way to end the trilogy. I enjoyed all 3 books so much, I couldn’t put them down. Truly exceptional writing, thank you Struan Murray for bringing this to us!

[Alice Fay · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

[Hannah]

This book is amazing and I would highly recommend it!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final instalment in the Orphans of the Tide trilogy and it is a fabulous ending. It is hard to write much about it without giving anything away, so I will just say that it is worth the read!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

[ARR]

Great

[Deema · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 love this and these kids sooooo much

[Emily]

Read 60 pages (2023)
Couldn't get into this one, I've lost interest.
Also the discovery of the engine was really weird and coincidental and WTF.

[adeen ahmed ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

brb CRYING

[Amita · Rating 5 out of 5]

i think i should explode

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

May turn into 5 stars for the series as a whole. Really enjoyed that, just a really fun, emotional fantasy adventure

[tilde elliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, and I loved the idea of the Enemy becoming Ellie. I also liked how Kate immediately changed her mind about what she did when she realized what happened to Ellie. I thought that the return of Heistermeyer (I can’t remember his name) was very nice, as he hadn’t really been mentioned since the first book. I thought that the description of the Enemy was a little underwhelming, but I loved how clearly it was shown that Kate really did not know what she was doing. Overall, I thought this book was great, but I didn’t love it as much as the first book.

[Lorienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so sad that this series has come to an end! But what a wonderful series it was. I absolutely loved Ellie and her friends and all three books had me tightly in their grasp until the very end.