“One of the swimmers plunged underwater with a flick of his long, dolphin-like tail. The other followed, sending an arc of spray shooting upwards, tail slapping against the choppy waves.”
In the quiet Scottish seaside village of Dunlyre, Finn is enduring a winter holiday with his annoying new stepmother, wishing things could go back to how they were, while Sage is enjoying her new home, wishing things would stay as they are.
Finn has seen mysterious swimmers in the Firth late at night. Then, from the clifftop, first Sage, then Finn, hears an eerie song. Could the local legend of merfolk living amid the waves actually be true? When the new friends meet the magical sea-people, they are amazed and impressed, but the merfolk are hiding a secret. The two human children must put aside their own problems and help in the battle against the young merfolk's ancient underwater enemy before the last of their kind are lost forever.
‘The author has a talent for describing magical creatures with a realism that renders them integral to the Scottish landscape… Secrets of the Last Merfolk is exciting and action packed, and one of our favourite reads of the year.'
— Roaring Reads
‘Another fantastic fast-paced middle grade novel… Lindsay Littleson delves right into the heart of loyalty between two friends determined to succeed and her writing draws you in as you join Sage and Finn on what can only be described as an epic journey. With a superb nod to climate change, carbon footprints and the pros and cons to industrial planning also on the agenda, this thought-provoking tale of humans and merfolk reveals how their co-existence can make the world a better place.'
— My Book Corner
This is an incredibly exciting, fast-paced story with heart-pounding danger as secrets are uncovered and truths revealed. I really enjoyed the blending of realism with fantastical elements. Whilst this adventure has the incredible legend of the merfolk threaded throughout, it also deals with issues such as divorce, adjusting to new family relationships and bullying as well as environmental issues related to development and protecting the seas. I loved the depiction of the merfolk as powerful creatures, grieving a terrible loss and trying to survive.
A fantastic and thrilling read for children of 9+.