Amelia Mellor, The Wicked Ship (Oceanforged #1), July 2025, Affirm Kids, 240 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781922992390
This new fantasy series for middle-grade readers by Australian author Ameila Mellor, is jam packed with adventure.
Cori wants freedom. Like many protagonists in children’s literature, life hasn’t been kind to her. Growing up an orphan in the Burrows of her native Aquinta, which has a corrupt Prime Council, she has had to fight for what she wants. She now finds herself on board a pirate ship. And given that her nickname from the crew is Roach, we can see that she is low in the nautical food chain. Cori’s pluck and courage are going to be both her undoing and her redemption as she charts her own course through life.
Set in a fantastical world (there are two moons in the sky and magic elements), this story feels like it might take place in a quasi-pre-industrial revolution era. In fact, there is almost a steampunk vibe, which feels original and original for the intended audience.
Speaking of, I would think the likely audience will be keen readers in grades 3-4, or weaker readers in grades 5-6. While the content and setting are very different, the level feels similar to current Australian series such as Katrina Nannestad’s The Travelling Bookshop, or Tina Strachan’s Wilder Zoo series. Just like these chapter book series, The Oceanforged series focuses on one main character, who is the action-maker, the hero. Also like these books, there are a few illustrations throughout the book to augment young readers’ experience with the text.
Reviewed by Cherie Bell
