Warning: contains spoilers for Books 1 and 2.

Few series of books have made an impact quite like the Orphans of the Tide trilogy, with its incredible opening, brilliant characterisation and powerful narrative relating the adventures (although that scarcely seems a sufficient word to use) of Ellie Lancaster, fortysixth Vessel to the Enemy. Having left her at the end of Book 2 about to return to the City from Shipwreck Island, in her latest attempt to rid not only herself but all of humanity from the Enemy, expectations of this concluding title are high with readers asking if this will resolve the story satisfactorily.

Without wishing to give away huge spoilers, I believe it does. This is a strong ending, pulling together all of the threads from Books 1 and 2 and weaving them into a complex, fast-paced and highly original story that I pretty much read in a day – such was its hold over me – and one which firmly underlines Struan Murray’s reputation as a writer of the very best of children’s literature.

After being left behind by Ellie at the conclusion of the first part of the story, we reencounter her best friend Anna, together with some of her fellow orphans, on the Flats – searching for treasure. The only inhabitant of the City who knows that Ellie is still alive, Anna is forced yet again to defend herself against those who believe that she knew all along of her friend’s relationship with the Enemy but all of this is soon forgotten when the sea surrounding the City appears to completely drain away, revealing the land and many buildings it has been hiding for hundreds of years, leading Anna to decide to go in search of Ellie.

Unbeknownst to Anna, the water is under the influence of God of the Sea, Seth, who is being held prisoner by the queen of Shipwreck Island, Kate, who is determined to use his powers to allow her army to invade the City. Arguing with one another, Kate reveals her plans to Seth while he warns her that he has the power to bring back the water and hence drown her and her people – something that she counters that he will not do because it will also kill Ellie and his other friends, leaving them at stalemate.

Travelling towards Shipwreck Island, Anna encounters Viola and Molworth – friends of Ellie and Seth – who have escaped the island and are trying to track down Ellie, who then also appears – much to Anna’s delight. Telling Anna that she now has a plan to finally destroy the Enemy, the party returns to the City and Ellie sends Anna and her other friends out to collect the materials she needs to build a machine – one which is so secret she cannot reveal any information about it to anyone. But Ellie has changed in her time away and Anna cannot understand why. What is it that Ellie is building? How will it defeat the Enemy? And what will happen when Kate’s army reaches the City?

As in the previous books, there is a second thread running through the story in the form of a diary – this time that of Ellie’s mother Hannah. Revealing as much about the workings of the city itself as it does Ellie’s backstory, the entries that we read together with the main narrative throw up more questions than they answer so that the reader is constantly on tenterhooks and it is unclear all of the way through the story just how it will unfold and whether it will be Ellie or the Enemy who will be victorious.

I shall be very sorry to leave this trilogy behind, although it is one that I am sure I will return to at some point in the future – it is that good and it will be a treat to be able to read all three books in succession, something I would recommend you do ahead of this if you are able. This is certainly a book where you need to read the preceding titles before picking it up as there is far too much detail in the backstory for this to work as a standalone read.

I am very much looking forward to seeing what Struan Murray writes next; I know I will not be alone in this. Until then, an enormous thank you must go to publisher Penguin Random House Children’s UK and Net Galley for my virtual advance read ahead of publication on 17th March

There are only a handful of authors who can cause a reading frenzy in our house and Struan Murray is one of them. I did not tell the family that I had an advance copy until I knew I had the time to spend the whole weekend reading together. The weather (another wet weekend) actually was a boon and the fridge was full so I announced the final book of the series. There were cheers and tears but everyone enjoyed the book. Please write another family friendly series soon.

It’s rare to read a series where each book just keeps on getting better, but Struan Murray manages just that with the epic Orphans of the Tide trilogy.

Everything about this series has been mesmerising: the world building, the characterisation, the unpredictability… This is a trilogy that has been carefully crafted, thoroughly planned and perfectly executed.

Eternity Engine is more than I ever hoped it would be - the perfect ending to the perfect series. It was raw, emotional and it tied the trilogy together beautifully. I truly could not put it down; each and every page grabbed my attention, wrestled with my emotions and made me fall in love with the characters even more.

I cannot recommend this series highly enough. Struan Murray is a rare talent and a master storyteller. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Having read the previous two books in this trilogy, I have learnt better than to assume the finale was going to be a straightforward ’good conquers evil’ affair. Orphans demanded an epic conclusion and boy did it deliver! The way Struan has brought to life the characters with rich detail, their interwoven pasts, complex emotions and unshakable loyalty to each other is something special. Together with a compelling story, set in a world like no other I have ever read about, and the bombshells that are dropped skillfully just when you’ve managed to catch your breath, makes this an absolute must read. Great story, which is complemented by perfect illustrations. I can’t wait to get this into the classroom!

I was delighted to read an early copy of Eternity Engine, having been a huge fan of the first two books in this trilogy, Orphans of the Tide and Shipwreck Island. Both books have been shared and enjoyed in my classroom so I have been looking forward to adding this one to our class library!
Eternity Engine takes up the story where Shipwreck Island left us on a cliffhanger - with Kate ready to march at the head of her army to destroy the City and Ellie determined to destroy the Enemy once and for all. She has learned of a machine which lies beneath the vast ocean which may help her do this, but can she find it and harness its power before the Enemy destroys her?
As Ellie struggles to deal with her feelings of failure after being unable to save Finn and Seth, at leaving Anna and the orphans behind in the City and and at Kate’s betrayal, her friends must work together to show her that the responsibility for saving humankind does not rest on her shoulders alone. With a little help from her mum’s journal and some reformed Inquisitors, Ellie and her friends must put a halt to the Enemy’s deadly plans and free the people of the City from the Inquisition’s hold once and for all.
This book is a fantastic read, full of suspense, tension and much-loved characters, which made me desperate to finish it and unwilling to finish it, all at the same time!

I have read Orphans of the Tide to every class I've taught since it was published, I still have to draw names out of a hat to decide who gets to read one of the two class copies of Shipwreck Island next; Eternity Engine is every bit as good as its predecessors.

With Kate's army on the march towards the City, our cast of characters (beloved and otherwise) is about to collide. Can Ellie defeat the enemy, protect those she loves and fulfill her hopes for a better future?

Struan Murray has created something wonderful in this series. An engrossing mythology, fully fleshed-out characters and a rollercoaster plot meant I raced through it in two sittings. This book deals with some huge and heavy themes: the nature of evil, love, redemption and grief and all delivered via a first-rate story that makes it both accessible and enjoyable. I can't praise it highly enough.