Dolphin Way (Rise of the Guardians) by Mark Caney

 

Rise of the Guardians is book one in the Dolphin Way series, Mark Caney's beautifully imagined exploration of how life must be like for dolphins.

The novel follows Sky, a young male dolphin grappling with the challenges of remaining true to traditional dolphin beliefs in the face of a changing ocean. Dolphin society is split as to whether the ocean is changing due to the greed of other marine species or the unknown activities of the Walkers (ie humans).

Sky embarks on an adventure to outwit the Guardians, a cult like group who have abandoned the traditional dolphin values and who thus  threaten to undermine dolphin culture. On the way he falls in love, is injured and makes enemies.

It's a very engaging book, which feels as though it offers real insights into life as a dolphin and is exciting and moving at the same time. Crafty Green Boyfriend felt that the environmental message was handled too heavily (though he hasn't yet read the whole book!) but I thought that by looking at everything from a dolphin's perspective, the reader is more willing to pay attention to the urgent issues facing our oceans and the creatures that live there.


Dolphin Way byMark Caney published by Aquapress.