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.