This is the second book about Fin, a boy who lives on the Pirate Stream, a magical parallel world, and Marrill, who one day gets on a ship which ends up in the Pirate Stream. In the first book Marrill meets Fin, who is unable to be remembered by anyone except her. He grew up in an orphanage and his quest is to find his mother and to be remembered. Marrill goes back to the Pirate Stream in this second book as she gets a message that her world is in danger. She and her babysitter are sent to the stream in the babysitter’s car.
They meet up with Fin on the ship from the first book. It’s owned by Ardent, a wizard. In this story they try to find out about the mysterious Iron Tide, a curse supposedly set by the Iron Master. They use their ‘Map to Everywhere’, which tells them how to get to get to the Shattered Archipelago, the place in the legends where the Iron Tide seemingly originates. They also find a stone which mentions The Syphon of Monerva, which grants wishes.
They see the Iron ship, and to get away from it, they go down the whirlpool to Monerva despite the danger. While in Monerva they encounter all sorts of weird creatures and have to battle with the Salt Sand King; Serth, the Oracle, whom they thought they had killed in the first book and The Iron Master. All of these people want the Syphon of Monerva to grant them a wish. So do Fin and Marrill, who have to try and stop them or else Marrill’s world will be destroyed as will as the Pirate Stream.
The book is cool because their parallel world is so well imagined and described. It is full of suspense and you can really feel how desperate Fin is to be remembered and for his life to make sense. I can’t wait for the third book!
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