Raiders' Ransom

by Emily Diamand Narrated by Charlotte Parry, James Clamp

Overview

Emily Diamand's swashbuckling futuristic tale generated quite a buzz in England, winning the Times of London's Children's Fiction Competition. It's the 22nd century and, thanks to climate change, much of the former British Empire rests under the sea. While out fishing one day, young Lilly Melkun witnesses a brazen band of pirates kidnapping the Prime Minister's daughter. With her village blamed for the tragedy, Lilly takes it upon herself to set sail and rescue the young girl, with only her wits and considerable seamanship skills to help her.

Editorial Reviews

School Library Journal

Gr 6–8—In the early 23rd century, much of what used to be eastern England is underwater or marshy, Greater Scotland extends down below London, and England consists of the 10 southernmost counties. Lilly is a fishergirl in a small English village, but when the marsh-dwelling raiders kidnap the Prime Minister's small daughter from Lilly's village, the 13-year-old sails off to get her back, along with her mysterious seacat. Zeph is the tough but conflicted son of the raider chieftain whose tribe stole Lexy. Their entwined fates are complicated by Lilly's theft of an ancient "jewel" that turns out to be a gaming computer from the late 21st century and by the bloody war that breaks out between the raiders and England. Readers will be fascinated by the results of environmental calamity upon civilization—Londoners who managed to escape the Collapse of their city have formed into primitive, Viking-like raiders, folks in southern England have reverted to an 18th-century lifestyle, and Greater Scotland still has access to advanced technology—not that they're sharing it with anyone else. The plot, although leisurely and sometimes straining credulity, is suspenseful, and both Lilly and Zeph are complex and interesting characters. Unanswered questions point to a sequel. This is an intriguing postapocalyptic adventure with a dash of Dark Ages spice.—Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library

Kirkus Reviews

Set in 23rd-century post-apocalypse Britain, this captivating story is told entirely in the present tense in alternating chapters by a fisher girl, Lilly, and a young Raider, Zeph, who ultimately find themselves in an unlikely alliance. One day, 13-year-old Lilly returns from fishing to discover that Raiders have attacked her village, murdered her grandmother (her only living relative) and kidnapped the Prime Minister of England's daughter, Lexy. Lilly disguises herself as a boy, procures a large jewel to offer as ransom for Lexy and sets off for Lunden. On her journey, Lilly discovers that the jewel is actually a computer, perhaps the only one to survive the Great Collapse, with a personality of its own. Once in Lunden, Lilly meets Zeph, a member of the Raider group that kidnapped Lexy, and tricks him into helping her find the kidnapped girl. But Zeph soon discovers Lilly's true identity and has to make some tough choices of his own. Will he betray his family or his new friend? A well-drawn world, plot twists galore and spunky characters make this one a true page-turner-readers will be panting for the sequel. (Science fiction. 9-14)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176111620
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	03/26/2010
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

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