Review – Tides of Mana by Matt Larkin
Those of you who have read my previous reviews will no doubt be aware of how much I enjoyed this author’s Ragnarok Era series, which told of the events leading up to the death and rebirth of the world, ergo the eschaton cycle, from the perspective of the Norse gods who tried to prevent it. Now we have the same idea, different setting.
This time around we’re in Hawaii, an archipelago surrounded by a seemingly endless sea. While we now tend to view the 50th state as a tropical paradise, in Tides of Mana we’re dropped into a world of warring tribes, above and below the sea, This is deeply rooted in Hawaiian mythology, but this not just a grown up version of Moana, this is so much more than that.
The story revolves (for the most part) around rival sisters, and queens, Pele and Namaka. Both are kuapa, which gives one powers, such as longer life, strength and so forth. In the case of our “heroines,” Pele can control fire and Namaka water, both useful skills on volcano-riddled islands. Both seek to wipe the other off the face of the earth, only to find that there are far bigger problems on the horizon.
There’s a lot going on here, and from what little I know of Hawaii mythology (not from Moana, you cheeky gits), the story rings true. There are some parallels with Ragnarok, including a mention of the World Tree and the eschaton cycles, but in other ways it’s very different. Instead of the mostly male cast of Ragnarok, women dominate the scene here and it gives a different feel, although it’s just as dark and gritty. There are all sorts of critters on display – dragons, merpeople, werebeasts, sentient octopi and a sea urchin that could have popped straight out of HP Lovecraft. Speaking of HPL, parts of this book definitely had a faint whiff of his works.
Bear in mind that this is part of a series, so there’s no neat little bow tying up the story at the end, just some pointers to what we can expect down the road. That being said, there’s plenty to keep one engaged and looking forward to future books. There’s some epic battle scenes and eh, a sled race, the characters are likeable (wait until you meet Kamapu’a) and how often do you get to read about Hawaiian myths anyway?
4.5/5 stars.
