Review: On Silver Tides by Sylvia Bishop
Title: On Silver Tides
Author: Sylvia Bishop
Published: 1st Feb 2024
Genre: Fantasy/Magical Realism
Age: Young Adult (IMHO, suitable for older middle-grade readers)
What’s it About?
The book follows Kelda, a Silverman. Silvermen are a species of nomadic humans who can breathe underwater and live their whole lives on boats travelling around the rivers of Britain. Silvermen have their own culture and live their lives governed by strictly followed lore. However, Kelda’s younger sister Isla was born unable to breathe underwater, making her an abomination in the eyes of their people who should have been put to death at birth. The family have hidden Isla’s secret for years, but now the rivers are sick and they find themselves betrayed by some of those closest to them. Kelda and Isla are forced to flee in an attempt to prove that Isla is not responsible for the blight, but as the situation worsens, secrets and doubts begin to creep in.
You could call them Homo aqua, if you want to think of them as people. Or Anura sapiens, if you prefer to think of them as an unusually wise sort of frog. Or you could just use their own word for themselves: silvermen.
Opinions:
I’m going to begin this review by saying that I’m not really much of a fantasy fan. In fact, one of the main reasons I picked up On Silver Tides was because I needed to read a book by an author who shared my initials for a reading challenge and the blurb sounded interesting.
With that out of the way, it’s that much more notable that I ended up giving the book four out of five stars because I enjoyed it so much! The Silverman culture was so richly described that I began to suspect it might not be as fictional as the author would like me to believe and I really hope we’ll get more books featuring them in the future. Isla and Kelda were characters I could relate to immediately and I was fully engaged in their story right from the start. Yes, as an adult reader, a few of the plot twists that came later in the book were a little predictable, but that in no way lessened my enjoyment and they will no doubt be a surprise to readers in the target age.
In the end, it was Mam’s piety that convinced Kelda, and it was probably what mollified Dad too. Keeping anyone of landman blood on board was absolutely forbidden, and the River would sicken and spoil. If the baby wasn’t silverman through and through, Mam would never have her on the boat.
Speaking of which, while this is being sold as a YA novel, it did read to me more like an older middle-grade and I suspect the upping of the suggested target audience is more to do with some of the darker themes that put in an appearance here. Whenever a group of people feel threatened, violent and base instincts can quickly take over and the Silvermen are no exception to this rule. While not a violent book, there are a few harrowing moments that younger readers might find deeply upsetting and so while I’d suggest that older middle-grade readers would be fine here, parents might want to read ahead to prepare for difficult content.
This was a really pleasant surprise for me, a book I only expected to casually enjoy became one I loved and have already pushed into other people’s hands. If you’re looking for immersive, stand-alone fantasy with rich world-building and a thrilling, emotional story, then look no further.
Rating: 4/5