Lian Tanner, Ice Breaker (The Hidden #1), Allen & Unwin, Dec 2016, 336pp., $12.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781760293178
A mysterious metal boy.
A boat that has charted the seas for centuries.
A secret that is about to awaken.
Ice Breaker is the first book in Lian Tanner’s series, The Hidden, first published in 2013. Set in a seemingly post-apocalyptic future some three hundred (or so) years from our time, the story follows the exploits of a young girl named Petrel, an orphan who had grown up on the vast icebreaker called the Oyster, without a family, without a tribe, and with only her wits to keep her alive. The story is written in the third person, and the action switches mainly between Petrel as she struggles to survive in a harsh and cruel world; and the foundling Fin, as he strives to complete his own mission aboard the Oyster.
There’s something immediately captivating about a story that throws you into the middle of a complex narrative without a lot of exposition, and leaves you to figure out what’s happening as you go along. Tanner addresses her audience as intelligent readers of fiction, well and truly capable of keeping up with not much to go on initially. When the story opens, we have very little idea about the history of the oyster, except that it’s been circumnavigating the world for the better part of three centuries, the crew has divided itself into three “tribes”, and a contained culture has evolved on board the ship, complete with its own myths and legends. How did it get like this? Why did they set sail and never come to land? Why is Petrel the only one on board who seems to be able to cross the borders between the three groups?
We immediately warm to Petrel, feeling perhaps a little protective of her, even though she soon proves she can take care of herself. She’s curious, savvy and smart, and we want to see her succeed over those who wish to do her harm.
Tanner’s style is thoroughly engaging and keeps the story moving at a cracking pace. Older readers will enjoy the intrigue, and children as young as 12 (Petrel’s age) will delight in the adventure. A fabulous addition to Tanner’s bibliography, Ice Breaker was shortlisted for the Aurealis Award for Best Children’s Book in 2013.
Reviewed by Christian Price
- Read our review of the 2013 edition of Ice Breaker
- Read Julie Long’s review of Fetcher’s Song (The Hidden #3)
