It's the year 2216 and most of old England is under water. It is not a safe place by day or night. Tired and hungry, a young fishergirl, Lilly Melkum, only wants to keep her cat dry and return her friend, Lexy, the Prime Minister's kidnapped daughter, back to her father. Through a special genetic link, Lil is in possession of a PSAI gameboard, the last handheld computer in the country, if not in the world, and it has imaginatively keep them safe, but now its battery level is very low and it desperately needs re-charging.

Suddenly, they are chased by some bloodthirsty raiders in the dark and moody night. If captured, Lil knows they are in danger of being diced and sliced and killed by the vicious raiders. Lilly valiantly tries to outsail them, but they are closing in fast. Just when all is almost lost, a low Scottish voice calls out across the water. Can she trust it? What should she do? Can Lil every find her friend and hero Zeph again?

Meanwhile, with his father killed in battle, Zeph is thrust into leading his own family group as Boss. Now, he is fighting off in bloody battles every other family who thinks they can now take over Black Waters. If that wasn't enough trouble, Roba, his mean spirited brother, wants to take over his leadership and be the Boss. How can he prove he is the rightful leader? When caught between allegiance to his family and his friend, who will he choose?

FLOOD AND FIRE, the sequel to Emily Diamand`s award-winning young adult first novel, Raiders' Ransom, quickly brings alive in vivid detail the tensions and tribulations that the three children, Lilly, Lexy and Zeph, experience in a scary future world. Diamand's characters are wonderful in their quirks and peculiarities. In addition to her wonderful depictions and development of the children as they grown and learn from their adventures, I especially loved the professor (and her obsession with the old lost technology of computers) and the uniquely almost human unpredictability and creativity of PSAI. While it is relatively easy to pick up the story in FLOOD AND FIRE, it is best read in sequence for greater appreciation of the richness of the story. With its fast moving plot and scary adventures, it is a terrific futuristic story that is not to be missed! Full sail ahead for a reading adventure! Enjoy!