Ocean of Dust

by Graeme Ing

Fourteen-year old Lissa is snatched from her home and finds herself a slave on a trading ship traveling on a waterless ocean of nothing but gray dust. A feisty, curious and intelligent girl, her desire to explore the ship earns her the hatred of the cruel first officer, Farq.

Fascinated by the ocean of dust, Lissa becomes embroiled in its mysteries, sensing things that the crew cannot, while cryptic whispers in her head are leading her toward a destiny linked to the dust itself. Only one man aboard can help her make sense of her new talent, but can she trust him? All is not as it seems, and she must unravel the clues before it’s too late.

When a sinister plot casts her adrift on the barren ocean, her best friend is left in the hands of the treacherous crew. Everything hinges upon her courage, quick wits, and her ability to master her new talent.

The Book Hookup: "That was wild! The author's imagination is amazing."

Christine Rains, Author: "...excellent world building and characterization."

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Adventure, Fiction, Pirates, Audiobook

282 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 3, 2012

About the author

Graeme is a writer of speculative fiction. He probably won't fall into existing pigeonholes, but hang around and you'll get to read tales of fantasy, science-fiction, paranormal, cyberpunk, steampunk and who knows what.

Born in England, Graeme now lives in San Diego, California. His career as a software engineer and development manager spans 30 years, including the development of a dozen computer games for consoles, home computers and online. Graeme is also an avid armchair mountaineer, astronomer, mapmaker, pilot and general geek. He and his wife, Tamara, share their house with six crazy cats.

Reviews

[Heather Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

YA sci-fi set in a world you can't forget. The concept of a dust-ocean is fascinating, and Ing fleshes it out thoroughly. Lissa is a charming, inquisitive main character thrust into a life she didn't choose. I hope Graeme has a follow-up book planned for this one!

[BookHookup · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was originally reviewed on The Book Hookup

**A copy of this book was received
but that did not influence the review**

First Thoughts: That was wild! The author’s imagination is amazing. The whole concept an ocean made out of dust was beautiful and terrifying. I was totally swept away into this magical and dangerous world.

The Story: Lissa, a 14 year old girl, gets captured by thugs along with Lyndon and Pete. They are taken aboard a ship and forced to work-forever. Lissa ends up assigned to help the cook, but can’t help but ask questions and explore. The life aboard is beyond horrible and cruel, but she is amazed by the ocean, made of a gray dust. She is able to sense colors and hear voices that no one else does and is determined to find out why. This book tells her journey.

Lissa: She is a very strong girl who thinks fast on her feet and is quite good at EVERYTHING. She is brave, even though many times I was biting my nails worried she would end up getting herself into trouble! I really liked her the entire time, though.

Secondary characters: So many to love, so many to hate, and so many to wonder about…I don’t want to say more because part of the enjoyment of this story is to getting to know the crew.

Twists and Turns: There were no major ones, I could tell from the beginning who was truly evil. I think there was enough excitement just reading about them all fighting to survive. Any more adrenaline would have put me over the edge!

Any Gripes? Well, this is purely personal preference and not really a fault of the novel. I need some romance in my books, even if it’s just a twinkling in the background. Lissa was 14, but honestly she could have easily been 17 or 21 with how mature she was. I wish there was someone aboard the ship she had an interest in, even if there was no time for love. Just knowing it was there would have sealed the deal for me with this book. Frankly, my wish is that if the captain or navigator were younger and Lissa were older it would have been TOTALLY appropriate. However, she was written at age 14 and clearly romance just isn’t in the cards for her yet.

The Ending? I loved it! It was even happier than I expected. Yay!

Rec it? If you love an action packed story with characters you can’t help but adore, this is for you. Even without the romantic element (which I’m addicted to!) I loved this story. A definite add to you TBR list!

[Christine Rains · Rating 5 out of 5]

While running an errand for her mother, Lissa crashes into a snooty merchant's son in an alley. Both of them are taken from their hometown and forced to work as slaves on a trading ship. Lissa is horrified, but she's determined to make the best of a terrible situation. She's always wanted to travel and the ocean of dust captivates her. Someone or somethings whisper to her and she sees strange lights that make her fall to her knees with pain. Yet no one wants to help a slave girl who might be going a little mad. When she uncovers dark dealings on the ship, her worries become bigger than a jealous galley girl and getting beaten by a cruel Deck Master. Lissa must discover how to use her talents or everyone she cares for could end up buried under the dust.

Graeme Ing has created a fascinating fantasy world that drew me in with the wonder of a child. Exotic people and places, strange creatures and plants, and a massive ocean of dust. An amazing original concept. The mystery of the ocean enthralled me as much as it did the protagonist. Graeme gives us enough details to tantalize us, but not too much that the mystery is vanquished.

Another aspect I loved about this book is the ship. Most of the story takes place on this massive vessel. It has so many rooms and secrets. I wanted to explore it all. Lissa is a strong and lovable protagonist. She's a clever girl with a big heart. She's the type of YA characters that I love to see because they make great role models. The whole cast of characters was well written.

If you haven't picked up your copy of Ocean of Dust yet, make sure to get it while it's 99 cents. With excellent world building and characterization, I guarantee readers of all ages will love this book.

[A. Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantasy readers, don't pass up this engrossing tale.

In Ocean of Dust, we follow Lissa, a young girl forced into a life of slavery aboard a mysterious vessel which traverses the world's oceans. As possibilities of escape diminish, she's caught in a foreign culture full of strong, conflicting personalities, and strange traditions. Lissa makes allies and enemies alike as she explores the world aboard ship, and struggles to discover the source of the strange influence the ocean itself has over her.

What I enjoyed most about this novel was the seamless melding of story and world-building. Ing's world is unique, well thought out, and wholly alive. Better yet, it's shown to us at an even pace, letting the reader drink in and absorb the unique properties and physics of the universe as we adventure with Lissa. Colorful characters populate the story, each one with their own distinctive voice and part to play.

Many publishers are putting their eggs in the urban fantasy basket, or else staying to the tried and true swords-and-horses subgenre. Ing's story doesn't fit easily into either one of these categories, which, for me, made it a welcome departure from the norm. It works as a YA tale, as the characters and plot will be relatable to young readers. I definitely wouldn't pigeonhole the story as a "YA only" read, though. Adults who have enjoyed series such as Harry Potter and His Dark Materials would be in good company here.

The conclusion of the story is satisfying, while hinting at the possibility of returning Lissa's story to us again in the future. I hope this is the case.

[Yvonne Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

So empresses with the writing from Graeme Ing. He has a way of making you feel you are on the ship watching the story. Lissa kidnapped from her home to be a slave upon a ship. The trouble that she gets in is almost unbearable. Between Alice bullying her. The mean Farq. You can't wait to get to the end to see if he gets what he deserves!! Who is on Lissa's side? Will she be able to help the Captain?
I really enjoyed this story and am wanting to read more from this author.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great debut first novel, with a story reminiscent "Kidnapped" and "David Copperfield", except in the case of "Ocean of Dust". a strong young female lead. His central character - Lissa is appealing and you are eager to see where her journey goes. Graeme Ing paints a vivid, tough life among
a ship on a ocean of dust, full of both likable and dreadful characters. I look forward to his next novel.

[Ashlyn Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adventure on the high dusty seas! A unique otherworld with a stempunk vibe, great protagonist you can't help rooting for, and some super magical realism makes this book a treat! I definitely recommend it for middle grade up to middle age and beyond..

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Kellie Sheridan and Graeme Ing.)
14-year-old Lissa knows that she will never see her family again when she is kidnapped from the market place near her home and forced to work as a Galley girl aboard a ship on the ocean on dust.

Lissa works hard, but things are not easy for her with another galley girl – Alice seemingly intent on making her suffer, and her own inquisitiveness getting her into trouble.

Mutiny on board then puts Lissa’s life in even more danger, but will the Captain believe her when she says that she knows how to navigate better than the ships navigator? Will anyone ever listen to someone who is ‘just’ a galley girl? And what does the future hold in store for Lissa?


This was an interesting story about a kidnapped girl, and her life as a galley girl on a ship.

This book was obviously set in some sort of fantasy world; they measured time differently to us, they had different foods, and they had the ‘ocean of dust’, which, as it sounds, is a large ocean made of dust rather than water, which people could not swim in (a bit like quicksand), although some strange creatures managed to live in it! I thought that this world was explained quite nicely, and I liked the little touches like the fact that in this world a week was 8 days rather than 7.

Lissa was a likable character, and quite obviously an intelligent girl. She seemed to pick things up really quickly, and had almost a photographic memory when it came to number and maps. She did sometime do things which got her into trouble, but I could understand her frustration when she had something that she desperately needed to tell someone but nobody would listen to her ‘cause she was just a galley girl.
Lissa always tried to do what was right though, and went to great lengths to protect other people, even when it meant putting herself at a disadvantage. It took Lissa a long time to get people to eventually listen to her, and even then she was still looked down upon! So glad I don’t live in this world ‘cause I would get myself in so much trouble!

There were some interesting side characters, and Lissa was particularly fond of another girl who worked in the galley, and tried to look after her a bit. I liked the way that Lissa stuck her neck out at times, but ultimately it seemed that in this world women were only fit for cooking and cleaning.

I liked the storyline in this book, although I kind-of expected there to be more about the actual ocean of dust. The main storyline of the book was concerned with Lissa and her time on-board the ship, there wasn’t a lot of storyline that related to the actual ocean, other than the problems that it caused.
Lissa was special in that she learned things about the way the ship and the ocean worked very quickly, and was also able to sense the ‘flux’ currents that the ship used to move through the ocean of dust.
I did enjoy this book, and it was a little different to everything else that I have read recently, I don’t come across many books about kidnapped girls forced to work on ships!

Overall; an enjoyable fantasy novel about a girl kidnapped and forced to work on a ship, with just a hint of magic.
7 out of 10.

[Crystal Collier · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a world! For anyone who loves travel, fantasy, and ships, definitely pick up this book. I have a habit of reading new (to me) authors, never to read them again. This will not be one of those cases. I was reminded of the old movie Shipwrecked, along with the video game Skies of Arkadia (Here there be pirates, matie). Don't take that wrong--this was a truly unique entity/experience, but it felt like a solid jaunt into a real world we've never had the privilege of discovering before. The cultures, the characters, the brutal life...

I sincerely loved this one and see it going on my top ten for the year.

Content warning: Some disturbing violence--expected with kidnapping and pirating.

[Michael Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ocean of Dust is a tale that follows a young girl in another world named Lissa. She is kidnapped and forced to work as a galley girl aboard a ship sailing across an ocean made of dust. She is mistreated and disrespected most of the time, but she eventually realizes she has a magical connection to the ocean.

Lissa has an insatiable curiosity and often puts her nose where it doesn't belong, bringing her no end of trouble. She does learn some secrets that threaten the crew, but she doesn't act on them quick enough to make any difference. While the book tells us she has a perfect moral compass, she seems to lack wisdom or prudence. Thus, much of the violence and troubles she encounters were her own doing.

Speaking of violence, this book has no shortage of it. In fact, I would say it is over-the-top and completely overdone. Having Lissa endure round after round of beatings leads little to the story.

The plot was entertaining, though the action is mostly contained to the ship. There were quite a few slow parts that could have been removed with little impact on the story. However, I felt myself wanting to know what came next so the "page turner" factor is well there.

The world building was quite imaginative and interesting. I have certainly never read a story about an ocean made of dust, filled with magical creatures. We don't learn a whole lot about the various peoples of the world, or the lands, but what we do learn is enough to push the story forward.

The characters were also well developed and intriguing, though several were absolutely despicable. Unfortunately not all met an appropriate reckoning, but at least some justice was dealt out. Lissa grows well and learns to use her abilities to ultimately rescue the crew on several occasions.

I listened to the audiobook and felt the narrator did a good job. She had a good naive voice appropriate for Lissa, and did a fine job with the other voices as well.

Overall, this is an entertaining and imaginative story that follows the growth of Lissa and the ship's crew, but one that is dark and brutal with some unnecessary violence and some slow pacing. It is, however, a memorable experience that is worth trying.

NOTE: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

[Angela Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so I have to admit the title alone made me curious. An ocean of dust? Really...yeah, had to check this out.

I'm soooo glad I did. The world building, learning about the characters...this read was less a read and more of an adventure. It took me back to my fantasy reading roots and reminded me why I fell in love with the fantasy genre in the first place.

Lissa is a fabulous character and one heck of a girl. I give her two thumbs up for toughness, because man, oh, man, does that toughness come in handy.

[T.B. Markinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has created such a fascinating world filled with oddness, making for a really fun and exciting read. And Lissa is a great character: clever, brave, and smart. A wonderful YA fantasy novel that’ll capture your imagination.

[M. Pax · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story kept me turning the pages. Exciting adventure in an exotic location, I looked forward to returning to this world everyday. I was most sorry when it ended. Great read.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love, Love, LOVE!

I soooooooo cannot wait for the sequel! Or anything else from this author.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy with a twist.

[Joleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ocean of Dust by Graeme Ing
Genre: Secular YA sci-fi/fantasy. "Gods" are mentioned

Fourteen-year old Lissa, Lyndon and Pete are snatched from her hometown to be made slaves on a trade ship. This no ordinary ship, nor is the ocean ordinary. It's waterless, made of nothing but gray dust. Currents of dust are grabbed by an object on chains below the ship to propel them along. It takes a special person to chart and "feel" these currents. And what no one knows, not even Lissa herself, is that she is gifted in it all, and can communicate telepathically with the creatures that live in this dust ocean.

Imaginative.

Lissa is clever, curious and intelligent, with a big heart. Except for two young people, the physicker and a navigation teacher, not a single person on this ship treats her with anything other than disdain. Slapping her, calling her names, shoving her into or down any hole or flights of steps, and ordering her to do every menial task is her daily life onboard. Primarily she assists the cook who is brusque and nearly as hateful as the rest of the crew. (I've never read a book with such a horrible group of miserable people in my life).

As much as she misses her family she doesn’t seem to want to go back...like something is calling her to travel. She wants to explore the ship and learn all she can.

No matter what Lissa does though, no matter how compliant, it earns her only hatred from the cruel first officer, Farq, who seems to blame her for everything, punishing her constantly. Lissa lives in perpetual fear of the crew and two other abducted teens, Lyndon, an uppity spoiled rich kid, and Alice who is never anything but cruel. Lissa is so sweet and apologetic for everything, but it seems the nature of the crew is hateful.

Sounds pretty awful, doesn’t it? To be honest, I’m not sure I’d want my pre-teen reading this. A pre-read by parents for their teens might be considered as some bizarre language is also used.

But the imagination and storytelling of this author is like nothing I've ever read. Clearly written for a younger set, it is nonetheless engaging, and the reader is constantly hopeful for a better outcome throughout the book. Oh, it comes, but it is hard won. Many adventures, and explorations of new lands and new creatures.

The story could have used less cruelty and a few more sympathetic characters, in my opinion. Worth the read? There's definitely a fan base for this sort of book, so I'll give it a plus for that. But will I read another book if the story continues? Nope. Too much stress for me. All the way through I kept saying to myself, “What more can happen to this poor child?”

If I may, though, this was an audiobook given to me by a different author and by Audible.com, and the narrator was incredible. Becky Doughty does accents, voices and emotion to perfection. I know it’s cliche to say, "I felt like I was there", but in this case, I cannot find another way to say what went on in my mind while listening to this. To me, she really made this book! Great job!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book, fascinating world building. Decent characters.

This is a high fantasy style YA book. It presents a fantastic world, and a very human (and human scaled) protagonist who's deep in over her head and has to try to figure out how to survive and thrive in a world she's press-ganged into.

Caveat: One of the most confusing things about this book is the time scale. The book does not take place on earth. The main character is ten "sunturns" old. During the early portion of the book, I believed that meant she was about 10 years old in our world's terms. As the book progressed, it became obvious that she was actually somewhat older than that, but how much wasn't clear to me.

It wasn't until I found the glossary at the end, that I realized that a "sunturn" is 675 days long, which (assuming that a day is about the same length as ours) makes the main character about 18 in our terms.


Regardless: Fun book, great world building, decent characterizations. Caveats: Yes, it's a YA book. If you like YA books, this is good one. If you don't like YA books, I doubt you'll like this one either.


As always: I paid retail price for the Kindle version of this book, my thoughts on it are my own. They were neither solicited by, nor compensated for, by the author or by the publisher.

[Patrick Stirling · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the blurb and reviews enough that I got it when I saw it on sale for $1. It's better written than many $1 books I've tried, I'll give it that. The story is interesting, a young girl kidnapped into semi-slavery on a ship that sails the titular ocean of dust. The world-building was pretty good, about what I'd expect for a YA fantasy - ie nothing too complex or deep, and mainly focussed on the plight and feelings of Our Plucky Young Hero, who remains full of hope and vigour despite the many obstacles in her way. Which got the better of me about halfway through - the obstacles, not the hope! As some other reviewers commented, the cruelty of a few of the secondary characters was unrelenting and getting progressively harder to deal with. Almost as if the author were testing the reader to see what I could put up with - and Ing got the better of me there. The story just wasn't involving enough to overcome her continuous bad treatment. I think any halfway decent management would notice this, and would know who the bad apples are, and take action. A good ship's captain would not allow the deck master to get away with this level of casual cruelty. I just don't want to spend time reading this sort of thing! Plus it was a little too YA for me. DNF.

[Rhane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book

Excellent unique environment. Well imagined characters. The story had a smart, plucky heroine and several other strong female characters. I found the Klynaks fascinating and was delighted by the special abilities of the navigators. The open-mindedness of many of the male characters was a refreshing change. I hope to read the rest of Lissa’s story in future books,

BTW, the link to book two too me to a page for this book on Amazon.

[bex · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 star, maybe a little more

I liked a lot about this book--the main character, the interesting world, the diverse species and races. But I felt like a big key in her character development got lost along the way: dealing with how she got where she was and remembering who got her there.

[Tan Ponk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly entertaining - a most enjoyable read. Exceeded expectations. A great cozy in fireside read.

[Christie Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed following Lissa's journey. I loved her characterization as she moves through a new world, wondering who she can trust. The world felt real and vivid to me, and the plot moves as a quick pace. The attention to detail is excellent--the author must have some experience with sailing ships, or have done a lot of research.

[Lynanne Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! Definitely a favorite of all my reading this year.

"But you gave it a four."

Alright, you're right. Let me adjust that rating to 4.5. Ocean of Dust was an anthropologists' paradise. The world-building was astonishingly good--there were loads of distinct, believable languages, foods, species, and cultures--and the concept of a DUST OCEAN?? I mean, it was just *genius*.

Frankly, I have yet to see such brilliance in world-building since Chime...and maybe Leviathan. Genius. Aside from my anthropological fan-girling *ahem*, you probably want to know what I have to say about plot and characterization because, let's just be honest, we love YA sci-fi/fantasy novels for more than their presentation of ridiculously wild ideas.

The plot of Ocean of Dust was a bit disappointing. But before you judge that statement (and the book by it), I think I should qualify my perspective by saying this aspect was likely just me. The brave and rather reckless female protagonist lands herself in trouble repeatedly by skulking around, 'meddling', and eavesdropping--albeit with good intentions (though I admit, skulking doesn't exactly convey 'upstanding citizen' lol). Nothing is ever easy. When one bad thing happens, it's immediately followed by something much worse. And then, when you think that it can't possibly get worse than *this*, something else happens that does, in fact, make the situation worse.

This happens like 5 times.

It was too repetitive for my taste; even if I couldn't predict what was going to happen next, I was never allowed to rest from "ill fate." To be fair, though, most writers advise doing this to characters over and over again...and I think most readers enjoy it. I think it's good the first 2 times. After that, it becomes a bit fake and I am pulled out of the world a bit because I'm reminded that I'm reading a story.

The other part about the plot that I didn't really like was the ending. It felt very abrupt, like I was in the middle of finding out what was going to happen...and then, suddenly, it was over. I had to read The End a couple of times to make sure I had read it correctly. The End? Wait, really? But I--

Yes. Yes it was. Made me sad.

As for characterization, I thought it was quite good. Unless you're a heartless monster (or a Nobody), you'll be able to relate to the main character from page one. You'll likely root for her the entire story, except, perhaps, during the parts where she decides she's going to go off and endanger herself for no reason...or the parts where she doesn't put things together quickly enough...etc. The other characters are compelling, too; I was so angry at one person I imagined throwing her off ship myself.

Overall, the best part about Ocean of Dust for me was definitely the brilliance and newness of the world. It was luscious and believable and it was teeming with adventure. Highly recommend!

[Victoria Limbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trying to save a young rich boy from harm , Lissa is unexpectedly caught up in more trouble than she bargained for. Along with another boy, pete, they are sold as slaves on a ship sailing out on the magical and mysterious Ocean of Dust. she is soon sent to the galley to cook and serve the crew but her adventure does not end there. Hounded by the spiteful Alice, beaten by the crew and the Deck Master Farq, she struggles to find her feet. Not only does she have all that to contend with, the Dust Ocean makes her ill. Lissa must learn the secrets of the Dust Ocean if she is to find out why it makes her ill, why she can see colours where others cant and why the creatures who live in the ocean have taken an interest in her.

The Ocean of Dust is not only a great adventure but a tale of courage and friendship and discovery. Lissa is a beautiful character to follow and from the very first page you are drawn to her. I connected with her on an emotional level. When she was hurt or miserable or happy, then so was I. Halfway through the book I found myself near tears at what she was put through at the nasty hands of Alice and Farq. With every battle she won, I literally cheered for her (gaining some very strange looks from my partner). The supporting characters developed Lissa's personality perfectly. She is fiercely protective of her friends and fights for them even while she is in grave danger. Branda is caring, Pete is humourous and even the cranky old Navigator and Cook brought the story to life.

I hated knowing that the story had to come to an end, and I hope for a sequel to this lovely story. To follow Lissa's adventures and discover new villains and friends with her is something I look forward to. Graeme Ing is a fantastic story teller and even though Ocean of Dust is aimed at a young audience I believe people of all ages can connect with this book and the characters in it. There is truly something for everyone! Whats next Mr Ing, please don't keep us waiting!

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Thoughts - 4 out of 5 Unicorns - I really liked it!!!
***I won this audiobook in a giveaway this summer :)

The cover is definitely intriguing and I like her eyes and the sky especially :)

My son and I have been listening to audiobooks on the ipod I won over the summer since school started, and this is one of the audiobooks that I won with that ipod. I wasn’t sure what to expect when we started listening to this book since I didn’t look at the blurb prior to listening; I just knew it was YA and therefore okay to listen to with my son :)

Graeme has an amazing imagination to come up with a world like this where sailing on an ocean of dust can happen. I especially like how Lissa comes from a place more like our world with sailing, so we get her reactions and impressions to help us see what is going on. The descriptions and storyline was awesome, and I really can’t wait for more in this series. And according to his website, there is more coming which will make my son extremely happy because even he wants more, and he is harder to please :)

Lissa is such a strong and curious girl. I don’t know if I could be as brave as her given her kidnapping and subsequent troubles. She exhibits all the characteristics I would want my son to with being kind, loyal, and courageous. I’m annoyed with some of the characters thinking that because Lissa is a girl she is useless and can’t be intelligent. Thankfully, most of them redeemed themselves in the end for the most part. I really want to see what happens in Lissa’s next adventure with Branda.

I recommend this book to any adventure lovin’ soul from middle schooler to adult :)

[Julie Flanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent debut novel by Graeme Ing and one I highly recommend to anyone who loves fantasy and adventure.

The title alone appealed to me, as I thought the concept of an ocean made completely of dust was fascinating. Ing does an amazing job of world-building and as the story went on I was completely immersed in the world of main character Lissa.

Lissa is a teenage girl who finds her life turned upside down when she is kidnapped and forced to live as a slave on board a ship. Lissa is an intelligent and fiesty girl who is easy to like and impossible not to root for. It's always a treat to read a story with a strong female lead and Lissa did not disappoint.

I hated to leave Lissa and her world when the book ended and I will be looking forward to Ing's next book.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I became immersed in the detailed world almost immediately and the characters were well developed. I especially liked the strong female lead. Graeme does a great job getting into the heads of his characters, exposing their strengths and their weaknesses. He does just as good of a job with the landscape. The ocean and town became characters just as vibrant as the people. And the story was compelling. I will read every one of Graeme's books.

[Gmc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ocean of Dust (Kindle Edition)
by Graeme Ing
5 stars *****
Fourteen-year old Lissa is snatched on her way home. She is sold as a slave to a trading ship traveling on a waterless ocean of nothing but gray dust. A feisty, curious and intelligent girl, her desire to explore the ship earns her beatings the hatred of the cruel first officer, Farq.

Fascinated by the ocean of dust, Lissa she finds that she can sense things about the dust Ocean.
This is just the beginning of Lissa's adventures.

[Gabby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though this book starts out with action, it took me awhile to get into it.

The writing is very simple, but the story became interesting after awhile. Even though it clearly is a different world than ours, I get a little bit of a Steampunk vibe.

I may or may not read the next one. We'll see.

[Mackenzie Baquiran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not usually a fantasy fan, but I LOVED this book!!! I wish there was more to it!

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book it was more of a pirate book than I thought it would be. I really enjoyed this book though I think it would have been slightly better if a dash of romance was added.