The Transcendent Tide – Doug Johnstone

Published By: Orenda
Pages: 300
Released On: 14/08/2025

It’s been eighteen months since the traumatic events of The Collapsing Wave, where the Enceladons escaped the clutches of the American military intent on exterminating the peaceful alien creatures.
 
Lennox and Vonnie have been lying low in the Scottish Highlands, Ava has been caring for her young daughter Chloe, and Heather is adjusting to her new life with Sandy and the other Enceladons in the Arctic Ocean, off the coast of Greenland. But fate is about to bring them together again for one last battle.
 
When Lennox and Vonnie are visited by Karl Jensen, a Norwegian billionaire intent on making contact with the Enceladons again, they are wary of subjecting the aliens to further dangers. But when word arrives that Ava’s daughter has suffered an attack and might die without urgent help, they reluctantly make the trip to Greenland, where they enlist the vital help of local woman Niviaq. 
 
It’s not long before they’re drawn into a complex web of lies, deceit and death. What is Karl’s company really up to? Why are sea creatures attacking boats? Why is Sandy acting so strangely, and why are polar bears getting involved? 

*****

Book 3 of The Enceladons Trilogy

Book 1: The Space Between Us (2023)
Book 2: The Collapsing Wave (2024)

Thanks to Orenda for the gifted proof of this title in return for an honest review.

I will say right now that I have no idea how I’m going to review this book, because this series has meant so much to me, it’s just beautiful and there’s nothing I can say that will truly get over what I thought about it, so you’re just going to have to bear with me on this one – or event better, go and read it yourself and you’ll understand.

I knew before I had even started that this book would break my heart.

I just couldn’t put it down. I went to bed early with the plan to read a couple of chapters and then get an early night, but I couldn’t stop reading it and before I knew it, it was nearing midnight and I was half way through.

Normally when I’m reading a book I need to review, I make notes as I’m reading so I don’t forget things, but I realised that by the time I’d finished it, I hadn’t made any notes at all because I couldn’t be parted from it.

I am so heartbroken. It’s so sad in so many ways but also uplifting and hopeful, and the importance of friendship and tolerance and forgiveness across all beings.

There are some horrendous characters in this book, truly truly pantomime villains – in the best (or worst) way. And you really hate them. But you also love them because they’re so bad, if that makes sense. They’re so well written and it’s impressive to get such a character across on the page.

We have got our familiar characters that have become like our own friends that we’ve travelled on this journey with. And then we’ve got new ones, villains yes, but others that slip so seamlessly into this world.

Yes it is as people say, it’s an allegory of life, of refugees and power struggles and whatnot, but it’s not heavy handed. It’s important we read about it and Doug has done a fantastic job of approaching a complex topic, made it entertaining, but without losing any of its importance.

I always worry with series that by the time I read the next book, I’ll forget what happened in the previous one, especially if it’s been a long time since I read it. And I always think sequels should have a reminder page at the start. But this one, I was immediately in, I remembered everyone, what had happened, what they were doing now. It was great.

Doug says this is the last book in the trilogy, and yes it does finish it a satisfactory way, but I want more. And in my opinion, there is scope. If he finishes it like this then fine, but I have a spark of hope that there may be more to come, even if it’s not in the form of a complete novel.