Song of the Current

By Sarah Tolcser

Caroline Oresteia is destined for the river. Her father is a wherryman, as was her grandmother. All Caro needs is for the river god to whisper her name, and her fate is sealed. But at seventeen, Caro may be too late.

So when pirates burn ships and her father is arrested, Caro volunteers to transport mysterious cargo in exchange for his release. Secretly, Caro hopes that by piloting her own wherry, the river god will finally speak her name.

But when the cargo becomes more than Caro expected, she finds herself caught in a web of politics and lies. With much more than her father's life at stake, Caro must choose between the future she knows, and the one she could have never imagined.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: Jun 8, 2017
• ISBN: 9781408888995

Sarah Tolcser

Sarah Tolcser lives in New Orleans, where she is an elementary technology teacher. A graduate of St. Lawrence University, she double majored in writing and philosophy. She enjoys video games and NBA basketball. She is married, with two cats. http://www.sarahtolcser.com/blog/ @SarahTolcser

Reviews for Song of the Current

[pennma05-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Wow! This book was definitely one of the most adventurous pirate stories I have ever read. I loved that Caro was such a strong female lead in a roll that is usually fulfilled by a male character. She was so fierce and spunky which made her really endearing. I also loved Fee, the frogman who worked for Caro and her father. When Caro and Fee set off on their journey, there were some heart pounding moments, along with some comedic moments. The writing was fantastic and the world building was on point even though some of the names felt a little hard to pronounce. Overall this book was very enjoyable complete with thrilling adventures and lovable characters.

[ck31-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is what I call a great heroin. A fantastic YA read. Pirates, Adventure, love and Sailing.

[elizabeth_foster-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Atmospheric writing drew me in to this story and a gutsy main character kept me there. I love books about the water and Song of the Current, with its wherrymen and river gods, pirates and politics was just my sort of read.

[herenya_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Caro has grown up on the river with her father, a wherryman and a smuggler. She’s offered her first job in exchange for her father’s freedom -- to deliver a crate, unopened, to Valonikos. But when she opens the crate, its occupant has other ideas about their destination. This YA fantasy shines the strongest in the skills and knowledge Caro has about sailing and about river life. I enjoyed the rest, but some things happened a bit too quickly for me to feel invested. ”Patriots,” Tarquin scoffed. “Traitors to a great empire, you mean.” “Ayah, Akhaia must be a wonderful empire,” I said. “I guess that's why little bits of it keep cutting themselves off to become independent.”

[bookslesstravelled · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

*I received a copy from the publisher thanks to NetGalley for review. This does not affect my review.*

I actually started this book twice. The first time I only read a few pages, but life got in the way, and I put it down. Why? From early on, I knew this book was going to draw me in, and I wanted to be able to read it without worrying about distractions. So when I started it again this year, as predicted, I loved the adventure!

I loved the characters in this one, and enjoyed the character growth as well. Caroline, is a strong female lead, but even she has some doubts about who she is, something that is a recurring theme in this story. From birth the Oresteia line are meant to be wherrymen, blessed by the god at the bottom of the river. Only...she hasn't heard the calling.

Likewise, Tarquin Markos knew from birth that he only served one purpose...only that changed the day he was forced to fell his family home. Now he is on the run with Caro as they discover their fate as well as a sense of purpose.

While I love the action, adventure, romance, and of course pirates, I'll admit, my favorite part of this story it the lore and gods of the story. The mythology is unique and yet it fits perfectly with the characters and world created in this story.

[nbmars · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This young adult fantasy focuses on Caroline (“Caro”) Oresteia, a wherryman’s daughter who wants to be a wherry pilot one day herself. Eight generations of Oresteias have been pilots favored by the river god, but to Caro’s dismay, she has not yet heard the call of this god. Her pa was fifteen when the river god first whispered to him; Caro is 17, and is yet to hear anything. Nevertheless, she joins her pa on his voyages and learns everything she can.As the story begins, Caro and her dad have bigger problems than usual. The port of Hespera’s Watch has been set on fire by the “Black Dog” pirates and eleven wherries were sunk. They stop there to help, and, having the only operational wherry, are charged with delivering some important cargo in a locked crate to the city of Valonikos. The crate is what the pirates were after, so Caro’s father refuses to do it because it is too dangerous. He is imprisoned, and Caro impulsively volunteers to do it herself if they will agree to release her father when she returns.Once underway, Caro opens the mysterious crate only to find a boy inside around Caro’s age. She later discovers he is actually the new Emparch of Akhaia because of the assassination of his father. Moreover, now that he is awake, he imperiously insists they must go to Casteria, not Valonikos. It turns out his only remaining family member, his 8-year-old little sister Daria, is there. He wants to rescue her before the Black Dog Pirates get to her and kill her.The rest of the book follows their adventures as they try to hide from and outrun the Black Dogs. In the process, their relationship changes, in a way that of course you knew it would.Eventually, Caro finds out where she really belongs in life, and what her destiny will be.Discussion: Caro is a fearless female who serves as a great role model for young girls. She declares that she isn’t meant just for marriage and parties: “I have more important things to do. . . . I’m going to be a captain and privateer. I’m going to be the terror of the seas.” Yet this book is not without romance.Evaluation: A pirate novel series with danger and chase scenes that features a female protagonist as the “star”? Yes! Can’t wait for a follow-up.

[eduscapes · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

SONG OF THE CURRENT by Sarah Tolcser immerses readers in an epic fantasy world on the sea.Caro grew up expecting the river god to accept her as a wherry pilot. She hopes that a risky mission with a mysterious cargo will save her father and convince the river god to accept her. When things don’t go as planned, Caro must decide what she really wants out of life.Librarians will find middle grade and young adult readers drawn into this captivating fantasy world. The sea voyage will be particularly appealing to fantasy adventure fans.Published by Bloomsbury, an imprint of Macmillan on June 6, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

[pascale1812 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Song of the Current captures the true swashbuckling flair. Spunky young wherry-man (rather, wherry-woman) Caro Oresteia has the confidence and brashness to lead an exciting adventure down waterways big and small. Recommend for the pirates, detailed sailing descriptions, and quirky sailors.