Fenn Halflin and the Seaborn by Francesca Armour-Chelu
Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406366181
(Age; 10 -14) Recommended. Survival. Floods. Future worlds.
Good and evil. Fenn Halflin and the seaborn concludes the
epic story of Fenn and his mongoose Tikki as they flee from the
fierce Terra Firma. This fast-paced novel, starts immediately after
the final action in the first novel, Fenn
Halflin and the Fearzero, where he set fire to the
Punchlock, signalling all the Seaborn tribes that the Resistance is
ready for an uprising. Now, he is traipsing across treacherous
marshland, hunted by his enemies - Chilstone and his band of evil
henchmen.
Fenn's survival skills gained from his grandfather Halflin are vital
to his journey: knowing the difference between edible and poisonous
plants, swimming underwater with a reed for breathing and how to
take cover in the gorse. After a close encounter with Chilstone, a
Marsh Sargossan, Gerran, fortuitously rescues him and takes him to a
secret place. Here, behind huge piles of debris, the tribe has
reclaimed the forest and built a fortress from recycled materials,
regenerated the land and grown food supplies. In this wonderfully
rich and exotic landscape, the caring folk carry out their mandate
to 'graft the land back to life'. The Sargossans were victims of
Chilstone's band; he stole their younger generation and sent them to
work as slaves for the Terras, as they work to build the great wall
and stop the flooding. Fenn's destiny waits as he reunites with his
friends and leads them into a battle with the Terras. His friends
show courage, determination and a fierce sense of loyalty as they
fight together.
This is a fast-paced and thrilling adventure, with plenty to ponder
and cliffhangers ending many of the chapters. Fenn Halflin and
the Seaborn is a creatively written fantasy adventure story
set in a dystopian landscape. Armour-Chelu delivers richly imagined
settings in her tensely woven narrative with many surprises,
fortuitous encounters, amazing escapes and secrets uncovered. These
two novels support and extend students in the Middle Years; they are
perfect for textual analysis, with great examples of
characterisation, plot development, creative settings and imagery.
Rhyllis Bignell