Utterly Dark has been found on a beach as a baby by the Watcher of Wildsea. As she gows up looked after by the Watcher Andrew Dark and a warm couple called the Skraevelings, she becomes interested in the role of the Watcher. The Watcher has to do daily observation for the Hidden Lands reappearing and a monster called the Gorm.
She also befriends a troll like character called Aish who is closely linked to the Land and her young protege, Egg. From the Watch Tower she also observes a "witch" called Thurza Froy who wants to summon the Gorm to the Autumn Isles.

When her uncle and guardian, Andrew Dark, is drowned, things change for Utterly with the arrival of Uncle Will who believes everything can be explained by science and reason. Utterly knows that the power of the sea is beyond human understanding but Thurza Froy starts a chain of events that lead to wild sea adventures for all.

This book conjures up the power, beauty and changing nature of the sea. You cam almost lick the salt from your lips as you read it.
Utterly is an amazing character who wants to find out who she is and where she comes from.

A thoroughly involving magical adventure which is what we have come to expect from this wonderful author.

With thanks to NetGalley who gave me a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was delighted to get a review copy of this book. I’ve read and enjoyed some of Reeve’s other work so I was ready to get stuck in. This is a book for older children – somewhere in the 9-13 age range, depending on individual ability. It has adventurous elements but nothing really scary or overly mature.

The good: Reeve is an absolute master at setting and worldbuilding. He can pick you up and throw you straight into an unfamiliar world and you’ll start to pick it up straight away. Because the sea is so important to setting and plot here, it runs throughout the language. The paragraphs seem to have a gentle ebb and flow to them, which makes you feel the setting as much as the descriptions do. It’s actually quite soothing.

The characters are distinct with their own voices and personalities. They each have strengths and flaws, plenty of agency and development over the course of the plot. It’s always nice to see a young girl as protagonist. It’s even better that when a boy shows up, he plays a key role in the plot but doesn’t take over. This shouldn’t be especially remarkable, but well… it is, although I think the world’s getting better.

The bad: it’s slow getting going. Really slow. The aforementioned worldbuilding probably takes over a bit too much in the first half of the book. It isn’t that nothing at all happens – it does. There just isn’t enough risk and adventure. It’s just shy of 300 pages long, which is a substantial length for this age group. The exciting part of the story is squashed into the last fifty or so pages. I’m a 40 year old woman and I found this frustrating. I would have found it a lot more frustrating as a ten year old, so kudos to those kids who have the attention span for it.

Conclusion: this is a lovely book that will get a young imagination going. If you’re looking for more female protagonists, it’s a good choice. I’d recommend it for children who already have an established love of reading and are happy to take things a bit more slowly rather than wanting high adventure from the start.

Philip Reeve books never lack imagination whether they are about moving traction cities in a post-apocalyptic world (Mortal Engines), Victorians in pulp sci-fi romps in space (Larklight), a gender-swapped narrative of the Arthurian legend (Here Lies Arthur), or sentient trains in the outer reaches of the galaxy (Railhead). Therefore, Scott is always eager and excited to read any new Philip Reeve novels. Reeve’s latest book may be primarily confined to a small remote island on the far west of the Isles of Scilly (off the west coast of Scotland) but there is no less creative thought and imagination woven into the plot and folklore within Utterly Dark and the Face of the Deep.

After being washed up on the shore of the island of Wildsea as a baby, Utterly Dark is taken in by Andrew Dark, the Watcher of Wildsea who looks every day for the Hidden Lands out at sea that will herald the arrival of the terrifying Gorm. Following the tragic death of her guardian, 11-year-old Utterly must take on the role of Watcher for the island until Andrew Dark’s reluctant brother, Will, can return from London and take over. However, it soon becomes clear that Will does not believe in the legend of the Hidden Lands and the Gorm and dismisses it all as a myth much to Utterly’s indignation. Going against her Uncle’s instructions the determined Utterly carries on observing the seas for the Hidden Lands. In doing so, she meets a collection of characters including a part human/part troll, a sea witch, and a young boy with boundless energy and enthusiasm to help Utterly. But is one or more of these not the ally they seem, and what of the dark mystery surrounding the death of Andrew Dark, previously dismissed as a suicide?

In Utterly Dark and the Face of the Deep, Philip Reeve weaves a poetic and engaging story aimed at middle-grade readers with an inspirational child lead character determined to do the right thing. There is enough depth to the story, myths, and folklore within this book to hook in adults who enjoy windswept novels with myths and legends and engaging main and secondary characters. While not quite up there with Reeve’s best work to date, Scott still enjoyed this book.

I received an ARC of this book from David Fickling Books and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a fan of Philip Reeve for many years with Mortal Engines, Fever Crumb, Railhead and the Larklight series all being favourites of mine, so I was excited about this book before I even started it! The title is intriguing as is both quite descriptive but also gives nothing away and the stunning cover screams adventure and mystery.

The story begins after the death of Utterly's adoptive father, Andrewe Dark, who held the position of Watcher on their tiny island of Wildsea. Folktales and legends seem to surround the people who live on this island and while no-one quite knows exactly what may or may not be out there in the sea to the west, all agree that there must be a Watcher keeping a nightly look out. While waiting for her uncle to return from the mainland to take up the position of Watcher, Utterly begins her own vigil each night. However, the more she learns about the mysteries of the sea to the west, the more dangerous it seems to become.

The worldbuilding and story telling in this book are fantastic. The tales that are told on Wildsea of the Gorm and its hidden islands have a timeless quality to them, feeling fresh and original at the same time as having the familiarity of a remembered story from childhood. I loved reading about the many supersitions and rituals, how these existed alongside the more traditional Christian beliefs held by some islanders and getting to see how different characters viewed and reacted to these.

There were lots of interesting and likeable characters in this story. Utterly was definitely my favourite. She is brave, determined and kind. Her inquisitiveness drives the story forwards and in many ways she is wiser than lots of the adults around her. I also enjoyed following Uncle Will's journey and seeing the relationship between him and Utterly develop. I did feel that some of his changes happened rather quickly, but as the book itself is quite short, I can see why there wasn't more time given for him to develop more gradually.

In fact, my only complaint about the book is that it did feel a little rushed. I could happily have read another 100 pages and had the story go at a slower pace. Overall, however, I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this and would definitely recommend it to readers aged 9+ who are looking for a story full of magic and mystery about what lives beneath the sea.

The beach I read #UtterlyDark on last week was much more inviting than that dreamed up by @philipreeve1 for his tale, I didn't rusk going into the sea tho (too busy reading anyway). Wonderful characters, as always, & totally different to my other faves of his but just as gripping https://t.co/naU2aMlMpO

Further from the mainland than the Scillies lie the Autumn Isles, and on the outermost isle of Wildsea at Sundown Watch, lives Utterly Dark, ward of the recently deceased Watcher, Andrewe Dark. Folk on the island live in fear of the sea and in particular of the legendary monster the Gorm, who from time to time appears from the Unseen Islands and attacks, so the Watcher’s duty is to look out for them in the last hours of daylight and act as an early warning system.
With Andrewe’s demise, Utterly, plagued by unsettling dreams of things lurking beneath the waves, decides to act as Watcher until her uncle Will, who has been away studying in England, returns to take up the duty which is the Dark family’s birthright. Will was terrified of the legends as a child, but has become entranced by science and rationalism during his studies, and, totally disinterested in the duties of the Watcher, determines to prove that the Gorm is merely a legend. However, no-one is prepared for the events that follow when he enlists the help of the local bad-tempered sea witch to summon up the monster that he refuses to believe in, least of all Will and Utterly, whose subsequent adventure teaches her the surprising truth about her origins.
Magical, menacing and peppered with humour, this is an enthralling, fast paced adventure story that celebrates friendship and shows that family are the people who make you feel loved. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I know it will have wide appeal in our school library.

It is always a good sign when a book starts with a map.

One of the amazing things about Philip Reeve is his ability to create and write about such vastly different worlds in such a way that they come alive on the pages, are usually characters that affect the storyline and live on in your head for a long, long time.

That the same person created and wrote Mortal Engines, Railhead, Larklight (amongst others) and now Utterly Dark is a magical mystery to me. But I am so happy that he did.

Utterly Dark is a foundling, washed up on the shores of the Autumn Isles and taken in by Andrewe Dark, the mysterious Watcher of Wildsea. When her guardian walks into the ocean one day and drowns, Utterly is thrust into the role of Watcher… can she keep the island safe from the threat of the terrifying Gorm? Unforeseen mysteries lie beneath the ocean’s surface. Adventure beckons, and Utterly will unearth astonishing secrets about the sea, her parents and life itself. Wildsea will never be the same again…

I read this in one sitting…always the sign of a good read.

Reeve has created characters with depth, with a backstory in lore, sea witches, sea and land magic and unbelievers.

As Utterly grows, develops friendships and trust in those around her, and learns of her surroundings, the Hidden Islands, the role of the Watcher, the history of Wildsea and its inhabitants over the generations, she struggles to understand her role in what is happening. The sea, its power, mystery and stories invade her dreams. She feels she is being watched all time time and wonders why.

The sea around Wildsea is alive, takes lives and sometimes offers bodies back to the land, is full of mysterious water dragons, Men o’ Weed and other lorish creatures. Why is it so interested in Utterly? Who should she believe…the written logs of her adoptive father (The Watcher)? Her uncle who moved away from the island many years ago and has forgotten the pull of belief in the folklore? Her new friends Aish and Egg (who refuse to touch or go near the sea)? The sea witch, Thurza Froy, who lost her husband to the hidden depths?

Relationships are at the heart of this story and what ultimately help Utterly when she has a choice to make. I think we can all relate to that.

P.S. I grew up crushing eggshells before throwing them away. I still do it. I had been told that if I didn’t, witches would sail to sea in them and sink boats. Uncle Will obviously got told the same story! (Picture of quote from book re eggs, witches and boats)

Thanks to NetGalley and David Fickling Books for the eARC.

Reeve’s has a history of creating exciting worldscapes in his novels that seem so vivid that you can reach out and touch them. This latest novel is the perfect example of this. You know when you pick up one of his books then you will be transported to somewhere astounding. He also has a talent for also creating the most marvellous character names and this book has several that zing right off the page.

I was completely smitten by the character of Utterly Dark and her determination to be a decent Watcher to protect her community. The target audience will find her an inspiring lead character and will quickly get swept up in her life in Wildsea.

The jacket illustration is beautiful and is the perfect fit for this beguiling tale.

trigger warning
<spoiler> grief, trauma, mental illness </spoiler>

Everything changes when Utterly Dark's guardian dies, and his brother has to come back from London - full of newfangled ideas of science, despising folktales and the way things have been done for generations.

The Darks live in Sundown Watch, a place given in perpetuity to the family under the one condition: They will keep watch in case the Gorm rises. Again.

This was short, predictable, and sweet. But I guess since it is targeted toward a younger audience, who haven't read that many books before, chances are they either won't notice or won't care.
I like the concept of the ongoing watch, but I guess I would have had more fun if there had been a kind of mystery element to it, the people having forgotten what they're keeping watch for, and our protagonist having to find out. Of course, then it would have been longer, but as it is, it's the perfect length for people just staring out with longer books.

And I can't really fault a book for doing what it set out to do.

The arc was provided by the publisher.

Reeve’s build-up in atmosphere is masterful, weaving the significance of the setting with the plot seamlessly into an entrancing tale. He paints the most vivid picture of a seaside village and introduces rich lore to the tiny place that thrills and excites. As an absolute fanatic of books that use the sea as a device of storytelling (I’ll admit, it is a niche interest), this book executes it perfectly. It takes advantage of the capriciousness of the sea and molds haunting mythology out of it.

The characters introduced are exceptional and well fleshed out. Although this book is fast in pace, it does not take away from great character arcs. The cast is animated and distinct that it makes it easy to be invested in the stakes presented in the story. I really appreciate Reeve’s take of the usual jaded, disbelieving adult being thrust (or in Will Dark’s case, reintroduced) into a world of the impossible, one that the child protagonist is attuned to. The dynamic between Will and Utterly packs a lot of heart – we see him grow from a reluctant caretaker to a protective guardian, and her gradually warming up to the initially closed-off uncle.

Ultimately, the plot leads with the idea of love, of home, family and belongingness. Despite its spooky atmosphere and at times, shockingly dark themes for a middle grade, Utterly Dark and the Face of the Deep is a wholesome read and reinforces that familial love comes in different forms.

Firstly, that cover art is phenomenal. It really draws you in and focuses on the girl stood on a rock in the sea. She is looking for something but what?

As I said previously I requested this book from Netgalley as I really liked Mortal Engines and it’s actually one of the series on my TBR I’m desperate to complete. This book however is most definitely for 9-12 year olds and I will do my best to keep that in mind when reviewing it but this just honestly is not as good as I expected it to be.

Utterly Dark is a young girl who is eleven and a half. Found washed up on the beach by Mr Dark, who was the Watcher, and given to an old couple to look after since she was now orphaned. It’s the Watcher’s job to look out for the monster of legend, the Gorm. However, when Mr Dark mysteriously dies in an apparent suicide, Utterly finds herself the Watcher of Wildsea.

This is a story about myths and legends, some magic, some “monsters” and a whole lot of ‘will it or won’t it’. I like what Philip has created here and think children will really enjoy it. It has enough fear and mystery for them to be intrigued and enough character variation that this would sound great as an audiobook if read by a good narrator.

The characters are certainly different enough, with Uncle Will taking the spotlight for me – his character arc being almost the only one unfortunately. The story is a cool idea and I wished it was bigger but I have to remind myself this is a children’s book and at almost 300 pages it’s probably on the big side.

For someone like myself who likes adult SFF stories, I found it did fall flat in a few places. Character development was lacking for the majority of the characters, the level of danger was low at most times, only ramping up to what I would call high at one point and sometimes there was just too much filler – towards the last 10% of the book I found myself skimming passages to read the conversations and finish the book.

Rating – 3/5 I appreciate this is for younger children and as I said, they would really enjoy this book but if you’re 18 or over, you will probably find this as tame as Harry Potter, without as much danger or as much magic. Buy if you want to give to a child or to read to them but don’t get this if you’re an adult who enjoys Philip’s work, this is not for us.

I really enjoyed this tale by Philip Reeve.
Utterly Dark is a fantastic protagonist that I instantly fell in love with. The story starts with the news that Utterly's guardian has died (drowned), and Utterly decides to take over his job and keep watch for the 'Hidden Lands' that sometimes appear on the horizon to the west and are said to be the home of 'The Gorm', a horrible sea monster/ goddess/ thing of nightmares. When Utterly's Uncle Will arrives on the island to take over the watch, he dismisses the watch, The Gorm and the Hidden Lands as being old superstitions and sets out to prove they are old wives tales.
I found this book to be really gripping and especially towards the end I was absolutely hooked on finding out what was going to happen. It was a really great story and I think it will be popular with kids.

The only reason I haven't given the book 5 stars is that the formatting of the copy on my kindle was a bit off and the words FOR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY kept appearing at random points in the middle of a sentence, which spoiled my immersion in the story.

In a word, rich. There is certainly an abundance of riches in this story set on a peculiar island called Wildsea, British but way west, beyond the Scillies. There are troll people on it, and sea-witches, and legends of the Dark family that has to keep watch for magical islands and their monster approaching from even further west, where no ship dare sail. The current Darks are the Watcher, Andrewe, who has to keep notes of activity from the Hidden Lands, his brother Will who lives in London with too much science in his head to worry about such local yokel superstitions, and Andrewe's foundling daughter, who washed up out of the sea one day eleven years ago. But when Andrewe Dark drowns himself, both his sullen brother and his curious ward are thrust into the world of protecting their island, like it or not.

And it's a wonderful island to experience in this way – as I say, curious characters and habits and legends and lore are all over the shop. Utterly Dark, named after a childish whim, is more or less the standard young woman finding her destiny in books of this ilk, but seldom do they have so much intelligently-wrought fantastical stuff waiting to be revealed to them. The folklore and geography and people of the island are utterly convincing.

This might, then, be a book for all ages, as the best young readers, are. But here you realise Utterly and others are a little bit naive – she dismisses old Watch logs as being irrelevant, even if she's obviously in them; and nobody dares to think what it means for a girl to be washed up from out the western seas where all the magic and mystery and alleged danger also comes from. Still, if what we have is padding to cover the obvious from our eyes, it's bloody good padding. And for all my talk of the island, and all my talk of how some elements here seem predictable, there is also the sea and its utterly unpredictable inhabitants...

Ultimately, happily, this is most certainly a book I would not quibble at any age range reading. It just has that – that word again – that richness, the conviction of a well-told, intelligent fantasy that doesn't really fit into that as a genre, but lacks better words to describe it. Every beat of the characters' lives and every scene of the wondrous were as clear as an alpine pool, and reading this breeze of a novel was just as refreshing. It wasn't merely in its underwater scenes where it left me breathless.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis:
Utterly Dark is a foundling, washed up on the shores of the Autumn Isles and taken in by Andrewe Dark, the mysterious Watcher of Wildsea. When her guardian walks into the ocean one day and drowns, Utterly is thrust into the role of Watcher… can she keep the island safe from the threat of the terrifying Gorm?
Unforeseen mysteries lie beneath the ocean’s surface. Adventure beckons, and Utterly will unearth astonishing secrets about the sea, her parents and life itself. Wildsea will never be the same again…
As the entrancing, unfathomable power of the sea fills Utterly Dark’s dreams, so it will seep into your heart as you read this thrilling, magical story.

Review
Philip Reeve delivered a wonderful adventure story full of whimsy, magic and just the right amount of thrills. His engaging storytelling and superb worldbuilding completely transported me to the Autumn Isles; I could practically taste the salt and feel the sand and rocks between my toes. Luckily this coastal world is a joyous place to be in thanks to the vivid descriptions and the wonderful characters that inhabit it.

A well-paced plotline with surprising emotional depth and some well placed wordplay throughout the story make this a joy to read for both adults and kids alike.
Highly recommend this book, especially to fans of for example The Weather Weaver, A Pinch of Magic and Orphans of the Tide.

Utterly Dark and the Face of the Deep is available in print from September 2nd in physical-and online stores. Many thanks to the publisher David Fickling for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a huge fan of Reeve's work and have been anticipating this new book every since I heard that he was working on it.

As ever Reeve's book is based in a richly-imagined world peopled with multifaceted characters that you can't fail to feel sympathy towards. It's fast-paced, imaginative, exciting and surprising and I know that my readers at school will love it.

Utterly Dark is perhaps pitched slightly younger than the Mortal Engines or Railhead series but only by degrees. Towards the end of the book there are some chilling descriptions of the undersea world that will definitely haunt me for some time and as for the 'Men O'Weed'- yikes!

I've really raced through this one, as Utterly's adventure flowed so beautifully and easily, I found it so hard to put down. The writing is just perfect - descriptive, emotive, well-paced through each part of the story, and with such great characters, I'm even more surprised this is my first Reeve book...I know! I've had a couple on my shelf for a long time and now I simply must read them!

I think the story and language are ideal for the middle-grade age range, and readers will find it an exciting read without being overly scary or confusing. It has its tense and eerie parts (one particular scene really wowed me!) alongside a lot of warmth and humour, which balanced really well.

I did find some of it a little predictable, or that it didn't go into much detail with certain characters or story points, but I think that's more to do with the intended audience. Reeve could very easily extend deep into the lore and character development here for an adult read that would be just as excellent! Not that I think he should - I just find a lot of MG reads would struggle with any more depth, whereas Reeve has buckets to spare haha

I'd certainly recommend this to any middle-grade fans looking for something to lift them out of a slump or with a bit of magic & mystery.

Not to mention that gorgeous cover by Paddy Donnelly 😍 the more you look, the more detail and texture you see! The illustrations inside are also really lovely, and round things off nicely.

Thank you to DFB Storyhouse and NetGalley for the chance to read this exciting middle-grade fantasy tale.

There are some authors whose various books I have read and found to be a bit of a mixed bag, with some of their titles holding me spellbound and others leaving me cold, some who despite their popularity with children and my Twitter friends fail to engage me at all, and others who have yet to write a duff book in my opinion.

Philip Reeve falls most definitely into that last category. Having started with the Mortal Engines series and then moving through the Fever Crumb trilogy, Larklight, and – most recently – Railhead and Pugs of the Frozen North, I have yet to read a book he has written that I have not enjoyed. Knowing that this was scheduled for release in the autumn, I pre-ordered a copy from my local independent bookshop – not expecting it to be available beforehand – so when I saw it on Net Galley was thrilled to be approved very swiftly after I requested it. While very different from his previous books, this is yet another incredibly written fantasy set in a world not filled with the advanced technology we might expect, but much more similar to the one with which we are familiar.

More specifically, our story is set on the small island of Wildsea, where Utterly Dark is dreaming of the sea. Waking suddenly, she is confused that she can hear voices and senses that something bad has happened. Following the voices to the kitchen, Utterly is given the news that her guardian – Mr Dark, the island’s Watcher – has drowned. Following his funeral, the islanders’ thoughts quickly turn to his successor and Utterly volunteers to Watch temporarily until his replacement arrives from the mainland.

Shortly afterwards, Utterly runs across a strange woman close to home who has come to pay her respects and who tells Utterly she is the child the sea gave to the Watcher – to which Utterly replies that she was washed up on shore as a baby and taken in by Mr Dark. The woman, who is called Aish, tells Utterly that her people have watched the sea since long before the Darks’ home was built and says that should she see things stirring there she should send for her.

When the replacement Watcher arrives, it is clear that he does not consider the role as important as his predecessor did, and having read the records Mr Dark kept, it is clear to Utterly that something has been happening far out at sea, but she cannot make out what. Deciding to keep Watch herself secretly it is not long before she sees something she is not sure about and goes to see Aish for advice. With the new Watcher unwilling to believe that anything untoward will happen, will Utterly be able to persuade him to take his responsibilities more seriously before it is too late and the whole island finds itself under threat from whatever it is that is out there…?

As with his other middle grade titles, the author has again created a beautifully credible setting – one which is so richly described that I could almost smell the sea and feel the wind on my face at times. Together with its characters, it is explored in fantastic detail so that its folklore and the magic surrounding the island feel as though they have long been embedded in the reader’s mind – creating a book that it is both fresh and new, and yet feels as though it has been around since the beginning of time. No mean feat.

Utterly is a wonderful creation – a character who is full of respect for the traditions of the people who have accepted her as one of their own, but who is confident enough to break them when she feels it necessary for the common good. When she realises that something is happening she recognises that those to whom she is closest are not the right people to help her, and wastes no time in turning to those she believes are. Strong, self-reliant and with a keen sense of duty, she is a powerful heroine and is prepared to do whatever she believes she should to keep those she loves safe, and I adored her.

Whether or not you have read any of Philip Reeves’ other titles – written on his own, or in his partnership with Sarah McIntyre – this is a fantasy that will sweep over you and stay with you long after you have finished it. Several of my Year 5 class would absolutely love this, as would a great many of our Year 6s and those in KS3 too. Enormous thanks must go to David Fickling books and Net Galley for my advance read, ahead of publication on September 2nd. A wonderful 5 out of 5 stars.

It's always a great pleasure to read a new Philip Reeve book. This one is set in a vaguely Georgian time period on a remote island far to the west of the Isles of Scilly that no one has ever heard of. It's isolation means that it is a place were spells and magic are still believed in. It is on this island that Utterly Dark is found washed up on the beach as a baby. She becomes the ward of Andrew Dark, who is the watcher of the sea for the island. Now she is eleven and four months old and her guardian has died. She must now take on the role of watcher until her Uncle Will can return from the mainland.
This is a wonderful adventure story, full of mystery, with characters who are all endearing in their own way. It is beautifully written and very poetic. With themes of science and reason versus myth and magic; friendship and family; and the forces of nature, we see the character of Utterly Dark find her way through the difficulties thrown in her path.
A delightful, imaginative and compulsive read.

I just loved this book and read it in one evening. Philip Reeve is an amazing writer and again, he creates a totally believable world with his incredible, descriptive writing.
It begins with a map so I love it already as all the best stories have maps. Wildsea is part of the Autumn Isles which are so far west of the Scilly Isles that they practically aren’t part of Britain any more. On Wildsea, Utterly was washed up on the shore as a baby and has grown up with her guardian, Andrew Dark, and the Scravelings who care for her as if she was their own. When her guardian is found dead on the shore, Utterly’s life changes completely.
What follows is an enthralling dark adventure about the power of the sea. Utterly is a brave heroine who does what she feels is right regardless of the possible cost to herself.
It’s a brilliant book and I was thrilled to be able to read it courtesy of Net Galley and the publishers David Flickling