Heart Tide Press

Now, those reefs lie shattered, torn apart by the invading fishing fleets of the Koru-Kah Empire. No new younglings are being born. And as silence spreads across the sea, an ancient people hovers on the edge of extinction.

Scarred by grief and loss, the Kopri elder DeepRunner rises from the depths to seek help. But on land, only one human can hear him: Kei—a young girl whose legs no longer carry her, but whose voice can still cross oceans. To the world, Kei is fragile. To the Kopri, she is a rare bridge between worlds.

Together with DeepRunner and her closest Kopri friend, OldFish, she must journey beyond the safe harbors of home—before the last voices of the sea fall silent forever.

The Kopri—intelligent octopi who communicate through shape and color—are on the brink of extinction, and Kei, a young woman whose legs have failed her but whose voice can speak the language of the ocean, may be their last hope. Alongside Jacuti, a formerly enslaved young man seeking freedom, Kei embarks on a quest to find the elusive Leafpeople and the powerful Tayjaru, which could save her Kopri friends.

The Kopri’s ocean home is under threat from the Koru-Kah Empire—a powerful sea-faring culture whose massive fishing rafts are destroying the Kopri’s fragile habitat. As Kei and Jacuti navigate treacherous waters, they are pursued by a vengeful Koru-Kah sea captain determined to recapture his lost slaves. Along the way, Kei’s fight against the Koru-Kah is aided by the Zarora tribe—new allies who become her found family. Together, they face the dangers of the ocean and the looming threat of the Koru-Kah Empire.

Tide Song: Children of Tayjaru is the second, concluding novel of the Tide Song duology: a story of transformation and sacrifice.