Ocean of Dust review

Blurb:   

Fourteen-year old Lissa is snatched from her home and finds herself a slave on a trading ship traveling on a waterless ocean of nothing but gray dust. A feisty, curious and intelligent girl, her desire to explore the ship earns her the hatred of the cruel first officer, Farq.

Fascinated by the ocean of dust, Lissa becomes embroiled in its mysteries, sensing things that the crew cannot, while cryptic whispers in her head are leading her toward a destiny linked to the dust itself. Only one man aboard can help her make sense of her new talent, but can she trust him? All is not as it seems, and she must unravel the clues before it’s too late.

When a sinister plot casts her adrift on the barren ocean, her best friend is left in the hands of the treacherous crew. Everything hinges upon her courage, quick wits, and her ability to master her new talent. 

My review:

While running an errand for her mother, Lissa crashes into a snooty merchant's son in an alley. Both of them are taken from their hometown and forced to work as slaves on a trading ship. Lissa is horrified, but she's determined to make the best of a terrible situation. She's always wanted to travel and the ocean of dust captivates her. Someone or somethings whisper to her and she sees strange lights that make her fall to her knees with pain. Yet no one wants to help a slave girl who might be going a little mad. When she uncovers dark dealings on the ship, her worries become bigger than a jealous galley girl and getting beaten by a cruel Deck Master. Lissa must discover how to use her talents or everyone she cares for could end up buried under the dust.

Graeme Ing has created a fascinating fantasy world that drew me in with the wonder of a child. Exotic people and places, strange creatures and plants, and a massive ocean of dust. An amazing original concept. The mystery of the ocean enthralled me as much as it did the protagonist. Graeme gives us enough details to tantalize us, but not too much that the mystery is vanquished.

Another aspect I loved about this book is the ship. Most of the story takes place on this massive vessel. It has so many rooms and secrets. I wanted to explore it all. Lissa is a strong and lovable protagonist. She's a clever girl with a big heart. She's the type of YA characters that I love to see because they make great role models. The whole cast of characters was well written.

If you haven't picked up your copy of Ocean of Dust yet, make sure to get it while it's 99 cents. With excellent world building and characterization, I guarantee readers of all ages will love this book.

Where to Buy:
Amazon Kindle: USA | UK  | France | Germany | Spain | Italy | Japan B&N Nook | Apple iBook | Kobo | WHSmith | Smashwords
Paperback: USA | UK

Author Bio: Graeme Ing is a writer of fantasy and SF novels, both adult and YA. His first novel, Ocean of Dust is a YA fantasy. Graeme is currently working on his second book, a horror fantasy hybrid, starring a cocky, sarcastic necromancer in a world of vicious undead and political machinations.

Born in England in 1965, Graeme lives in San Diego, California. His career as a software engineer and development manager spans 25 years, including the development of a dozen computer games for consoles, home computers and online. He is also an avid D&D nerd, armchair mountaineer, astronomer, mapmaker, pilot and general geek. He and his wife, Tamara, share their house with six crazy cats.

Find Graeme on his website. He's also a fellow member of Untethered Realms.

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