Series Placement: Book Two of The Tides Cycle
The Tide of Exile
A sweeping novel of captivity, hidden survival, sea‑borne violence, and the long passage into exile.
Description
The Tide of Exile picks up in the breathless aftermath of The Tide of Silence, thrusting Charles Hawthorne, his mother Isabella, and the Aboriginal Jandarri into a perilous journey across oceans and continents. Aboard The Resolute, a ship that is part prison, part predator, they are carried into exile by men who believe them powerless, broken, or dead. But beneath the cargo hold, three lives remain hidden, and with them the fragile hope of survival.
Charles and Jandarri cling to the darkness below deck, learning the rhythms of the crew and the dangers of discovery. Forced to grow beyond childhood, Charles must rely on Jandarri’s hard‑won knowledge of captivity and endurance. Isabella faces her own battle: weakened by imprisonment and haunted by the violence inflicted upon her, she discovers she carries a child conceived through cruelty. Her fight to hold onto identity and dignity becomes one of the novel’s most powerful threads.
As The Resolute cuts south through the Atlantic, its true nature emerges. Behind the façade of a merchant vessel lies a pirate ship sustained by deception, theft, and murder. Charles and Jandarri witness raids, plunder, and the ruthless silencing of witnesses, realising that the danger surrounding them extends far beyond the threat of being found. Meanwhile, Thomas Blackwood, believing his enemies may have survived the fire meant to destroy them, launches a hunt that stretches across the seas.
Storms, illness, suspicion, and shifting alliances drive the voyage toward the Cape of Good Hope. In Algoa Bay, a brief refuge offers Charles a glimpse of freedom and a shocking sight: a stranger who looks uncannily like his supposedly dead father, Edward Hawthorne. The encounter plants a question that will echo through the series: what if Edward did not die at sea?
When the voyage resumes, hope and danger travel side by side. Elias Calder becomes convinced that hidden passengers remain aboard, and his searches grow more systematic and violent. Jandarri must draw upon every skill he possesses to keep them concealed, while Charles begins to transform from grieving child into a young man shaped by hardship rather than privilege. Isabella endures both captivity and the emotional weight of her pregnancy, refusing to let memory or circumstance define her future.
The final act erupts on the coast of Western Australia. A devastating storm shatters The Resolute, plunging crew and captives into a fight for survival against reefs, waves, and chaos. When the wreckage settles, Charles and Jandarri reach shore alive, but Isabella is missing. Evidence suggests she may have survived, yet nothing is certain. As survivors scatter across an unfamiliar land, Elias Calder’s hunt continues, forcing Charles and Jandarri inland into the vast wilderness of Australia. What began as a rescue mission becomes a journey into an unknown continent and an uncertain future.
Rich in maritime adventure, historical detail, and emotional depth, The Tide of Exile is a story of captivity, endurance, and the courage to continue when home is lost and the horizon is the only path forward. It expands The Tides Cycle from the estates of England to the oceans of the world and the untamed frontiers of Australia, charting the transformation of Charles Hawthorne into a survivor determined to reclaim truth, family, and freedom.