Raiders' Ransom

Children's Literature - Shirley Nelson

The twenty-third century finds London and much of what is now England under water because of catastrophic storms. Technology has been banned as a force of evil since the "Collapse" in the late twenty-first century. Only Greater Scotland allows the use of technology such as cell phones. Most electronics are now antiquities for display in museums or hidden away by collectors. Thirteen year old Lily lives in a primitive fishing village in one of the remaining Ten Counties of England. Her village is attacked by one of the Raider families of London who kill her grandmother and kidnap a young girl. When her best friend, Andy, is forced into the military along with the other males of the village, Lily sets off with her seacat in a small boat to ransom the child and make things right again. The novel is told alternately from Lily's point of view and that of Zeph, the Raider Boss's son. She and Zeph become unlikely allies in this seafaring adventure. Treasure in the form of an antique, artificial intelligence with a distinct personality provides humor in the midst of battle. Reviewer: Shirley Nelson

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)

School Library Journal

Gr 5–8—An environmental catastrophe befalls England in the early 23rd century, leaving life backwards both socially and technologically for the survivors. Much of the country has been flooded. Lilly Melkun, a 13-year-old fishergirl, manages to get by with the aid of her seafaring cat, a valuable commodity in a world broken into hostile factions. While Lilly fishes, raiders pillage her village, killing her grandmother and kidnapping the Prime Minster's daughter. Lilly comes into possession of a "jewel" and sets off to rescue the girl. The jewel turns out to be a computer from the 21st century. When Lilly meets Zeph, the son of the chief raider, she tricks him into helping her. But Zeph isn't that naïve and finds his loyalty to his father and new friend on shaky ground. The dangers that await them drive Emily Diamand's seafaring adventure (Chicken House, 2009) into a jolly good tale. The story is told from the viewpoints of Lilly and Zeph, and Charlotte Parry and James Clamp do a stellar job of bringing these voices to life. The underlying story line is one of consequence—a futuristic society suffering from past decisions. Those who enjoy a suspenseful tale and a good pirate yarn will find the audio version performed in true swashbuckling form.—Robyn Gioia, Bolles School, Ponte Vedra, FL