Sound of Sirens
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3.9 • 12 Ratings
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Publisher Description
An ancient land protected by a Tower of Light,
its people ever tempted by Siren song,
and a girl who falls for the wrong boy.
With Sirens lurking just beneath the ocean’s surface, not everything is as it seems on the island of Skylge… An enthralling story full of deep-sea mysteries, intrigue, and romance. 'Lush descriptions of a fantasy-tinged Dutch culture and evocative storytelling' (Publishers Weekly)
On the island of Skylge, electricity is only for the Currents – the rich ruling class who brought the holy fire of St. Brandan. Ever since, the light in the Brandaris Tower has protected the islanders from the Sirens living in the deep waters around the island.
When Skylger girl Enna welcomes her brother back from a sea voyage, he gives her a present from the mainland: an electronic record, only playable on Current devices. Enna strikes up a bargain with Royce, the local Current heartthrob, to share the LP and listen to it together – an act punishable by death. But soon she discovers that there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to Current society and the history of Skylge. Why do the Sirens tempt the islanders to give themselves up to the sea – and where does the Currents’ monopoly on electricity really come from?
While struggling with these questions, Enna begins to fall for Royce, risking everything to be with a guy who is clearly wrong for her. The sound of Sirens isn’t the most treacherous thing out there to haunt her dreams...
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Dutch writer Minkman's engrossing first book in the Tales of Skylge trilogy introduces 17-year-old Enna Buwalda, descended from the original settlers of the isolated island of Skylge. While her world seems small limited to school, fishing for food, and taking care of her father it's a life she loves, especially when music is involved. A subsequent group of settlers, the Currents, live a very different lifestyle, complete with electricity, cars, and seemingly magical devices that the Skylgers are forbidden from using. While many see the Currents as saviors, keeping the mermaids (Nixen) from luring them to their deaths, others are working quietly to bring the truth about the Nixen to light, including Enna's brother, Sytse. Enna's world expands just a bit when she meets Royce, a Current born to one of the richest families on the island, who shares her love of instrument and song. Lush descriptions of a fantasy-tinged Dutch culture, in a contemporary world similar to ours, support evocative storytelling that should easily pique readers' interest in the subsequent books, Light of Lorelei and Fire of Fryslan, which are also available. Ages 14 up. (BookLife)
