I have just been marvellously entertained over the space of
a few evenings, by an unusual fantasy about the concepts of
friendship and loyalty. WHERE THE WATERS TURN BLACK takes us
to a South Sea Island setting in the fictional Yarnsworld,
also the name of the series. Travelling entertainers meet
war canoes, wandering gods, and lurking monsters.
When the chances of survival are affected by volcanoes,
storms, giant sharks and tsunamis, people are going to
personify them as gods and monsters. Kaimana is a young
woman who has left home, despite the pleas of her fisherfolk
parents, for the excitement of life with a travelling
entertainer troupe. Only, it's not all that exciting when
all she does is practise on her ocarina and wait for the
Spark, a visible sign of inspiration. Kaimana's personal
Spark only visits her after she disturbs a lurking monster,
which her people call a taniwha.
Taniwhas come in various forms, but all are potentially
deadly. Through retold legends, we come to understand the
gods and monsters, which is how people learn about perils
and survival. Kaimana finds herself being followed by the
taniwha, whether she wants it or not; it takes the form of a
doglike being shaped out of a huge treetrunk. Seeing how
destructive the taniwha she names Rakau can scare her, but
it scares others too, and that gives the musician an
advantage. If she can just keep from letting Rakau kill
anyone while she writes the masterpiece song that will make
her name, she'll be famous throughout the archipelago.
I love the descriptions of the different environments, one
island rich with breadfruits, pearls and fish, another
impoverished through human disturbance, and another black
and hard with volcanic activity. Magical realism is here to
stay as the god of war enters the fray and defends his
title, while even the meager god of yams gets a part to
play. Outwardly simple, this is a woven and graceful story,
which made me feel for the characters and challenged me to
predict the outcome. Author Benedict Patrick is from
Northern Ireland, but explains that he spent a summer in New
Zealand absorbing the folk history and culture which
strongly influenced WHERE THE WATERS TURN BLACK. This
adventure is suitable for adults or Young Adults who love
excitement.
he Crescent Atoll is a remote string of tropical islands, connected by long canoe journeys and a love of stories. Islanders live in constant contact with gods and monsters, following the rules handed down by their storytellers to survive in harmony with these primal forces. However, when a young ocarina player called Kaimana discovers the lair of a taniwha - a legendary monster - she attracts the ruining gaze of the god of war. In a land of sea witches, pig-faced gods, and Magpie Kings, Kaimana must trust her growing friendship with her taniwha if they are both to survive
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