Before the Rising

Combining a fascination with sea mythology, dolphins, climate change and the ocean, Hawke’s Bay GP and author, Keryn Powell, has used Napier’s myth of Pania of the Reef to dive into the secretive world of Aqueans, sea-dwelling communities of people who had long ago faded – intentionally - into the folklore of their land relatives. "Rebecca stared out over the hidden reef in the bay to the reassuringly solid peninsula. Her world had just lurched sideways. She could fit it all together in her head as a myth, a legend with a different ending to the one she had grown up with, but to think of it as a historical event – and one that directly involved her…" Eighteen-year-old Rebecca has no idea she has Aquean ancestry until her adoptive mother is suddenly asked to bring Rebecca to meet her sea relatives. According to their own legends, she holds the key to delaying a sudden sea level rise that would devastate not only those on land, but also the entire ocean ecosystem. Martin is a university postgraduate who just wants to finish his PhD research on dolphins. He is not expecting to fall for his sister’s best friend or become involved in an end-of-the-world conspiracy that defies all scientific principles. This young adult fantasy novel explores topics such as belonging, trust and relationships, inside a contemporary context of climate change and ecological guardianship.