Effra belongs to a hidden community who live in boats on the tidal River Yore. Like her fellow Larkers, Effra searches in the mud for treasures to trade. Great caution is needed though as rewards are offered for the capture of her kind: those with gills which allow them to breathe underwater. Following the death of their beloved Boppa, Effra is determined to take care of her younger brother, Fleet. Their lives are cast into turmoil when Fleet is captured by the shadowy Rivermun. To save him, Effra must repay a debt, and she must do so by the ice tide or all will be lost. Thus Effra is plunged into a quest that will take all her strength and courage. This is a quest which takes her to the haunts of Mother River, whose patience ebbs and flows like the tide. From here, she must seek out the Rat Queen who resides in the sewers with her legions of rats, and finally Effra must face the terrifying river
serpent. Amidst the dangers that beset her, Effra discovers that friends can be found in unexpected places. This is an original middle-grade fantasy story for readers aged 9+. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the river and the idea of a secret community existing on the fringes of our world.
Suzanne Chinnock
The Girl with Gills by Becca Rogers
Zephyr
ISBN 9781035912377
£7.99
Published 2025
