The Ingo Chronicles is a series of five young adult fantasy novels by Helen Dunmore that takes place in the mysterious underwater world of Ingo. The series, consisting of Ingo, The Tide Knot, The Deep, The Crossing of Ingo, and Stormswept, has captured the imaginations of readers of all ages and has earned critical acclaim for its rich world-building, compelling characters, and engrossing plot.
The first book in the series, Ingo, introduces readers to Sapphire and Conor Trewhella, siblings who live in a small coastal town in Cornwall. After their father disappears while swimming in the sea, Sapphire becomes obsessed with the ocean and discovers that she has a deep connection to the underwater world of Ingo. Along with her brother Conor, Sapphire embarks on a thrilling adventure to explore Ingo and uncover the secrets of her family's past.
The Tide Knot, the second book in the series, continues Sapphire and Conor's journey as they face new challenges and adventures in Ingo. When a young girl named Faro washes up on the beach, claiming to be from Ingo, Sapphire and Conor must help her find her way back to her home beneath the sea. Along the way, they must navigate treacherous tides and dangerous creatures and discover the true nature of the Tide Knot, a powerful force that controls the ebb and flow of the ocean.
The Deep, the third book in the series, delves deeper into the mythology and history of Ingo. When Sapphire and Conor's mother falls into a coma, Sapphire begins to have vivid dreams that lead her to a hidden cave beneath the sea. There, she meets the mysterious Mer-people, who reveal a shocking secret about Sapphire's family and the history of Ingo itself. As Sapphire and Conor race to save their mother and uncover the truth, they must confront their own fears and doubts and forge new alliances in the underwater world.
The Crossing of Ingo, the fourth book in the series, takes place several years after the events of The Deep. Sapphire and Conor are now young adults, and their lives have taken very different paths. While Sapphire is deeply connected to Ingo and its people, Conor has turned his back on the sea and is studying to become a scientist. When a new threat emerges in Ingo, however, the siblings are forced to put aside their differences and work together to save the underwater world and the people they love.
Stormswept, the final book in the series, is a thrilling and emotional conclusion to Sapphire and Conor's journey. As a devastating storm approaches, Sapphire must make a choice between staying in Ingo or returning to the surface world and the people she loves there. Along the way, she confronts her deepest fears and discovers the true meaning of family and sacrifice.
Throughout the series, Dunmore creates a rich and immersive world in Ingo, filled with vivid descriptions of the underwater landscape, its creatures, and its people. The mythology and history of Ingo are woven seamlessly into the plot, creating a sense of depth and complexity that is rare in young adult fiction. The characters, too, are well-drawn and complex, with their own fears, desires, and struggles that drive the plot forward. Sapphire and Conor's relationship, in particular, is a highlight of the series, as they navigate the challenges of growing up and forging their own paths while remaining fiercely loyal to each other.
In addition to its compelling story and characters, The Ingo Chronicles also explores important themes of environmentalism, identity, and belonging. The underwater world of Ingo is threatened by human pollution and overfishing, and Sapphire and Conor must grapple with their own identities and the place they belong in both the surface and underwater worlds.
Title In This Set:
- Ingo
- The Tide Knot
- The Deep
- The Crossing of Ingo
- Stormswept
Description from the Publisher:
Ingo
Once there was a man who fell in love with a mermaid. He swam down into the sea to be with her, and was never seen again…
Sapphire’s father told her that story when she was little. When he is lost at sea she can’t help but think of that old myth: she’s convinced he’s still alive.
Then, the following summer, Sapphy meets Faro, an enigmatic and intriguing Mer boy. Diving down into Ingo, she discovers a world she never knew existed, where she must let go of all her Air thoughts and embrace the sea…
The Tide Knot
I can’t go back in the house. I’m restless, prickling all over. The wind hits me like slaps from huge invisible hands. But it’s not the wind that worries me. It’s something else, beyond the storm…
Sapphire and Conor can’t forget their adventures in Ingo, the mysterious world beneath the sea. They long to see their Mer friends Faro and Elvira, and swim with the dolphins once more.
But a crisis is brewing far below the ocean’s surface, where the wisest of the Mer guards the Tide Knot. And soon both Sapphire and Conor will be drawn into Ingo’s troubled waters…
The Deep
A devastating flood has torn through the worlds of Air and Ingo, and now, deep in the ocean, a monster is stirring. Mer legend says that only those with dual blood – half Mer, half human – can overcome the Kraken.
Sapphy must return to the Deep, with the help of her friend the whale, and face this terrifying creature – and her brother Conor and Mer-friend Faro will not let her go alone…
The Crossing of Ingo
Sapphire, Conor and their Mer friends Faro and Elvira are ready to make the Crossing of Ingo – a long and dangerous journey that only the strongest young Mer are called upon to make. No human being has ever attempted this thrilling voyage to the bottom of the world. Ervys, his followers and new recruits, the sharks, are determined that Sapphire and Conor must be stopped – dead or alive…
Stormswept
Morveren lives with her parents and twin sister Jenna on an island off the coast of Cornwall.
As Morveren and Jenna’s relationship shifts and changes, like driftwood on the tide, Morveren finds a beautiful teenage boy in a rock pool after a storm. Going to his rescue, she is shocked to see that he is not human but a Mer boy.
With Jenna refusing to face the truth, Morveren finds herself alone at the worst possible time. Because when the worlds of Air and Mer meet, the consequences can be terrible…