Tom Huddleston - FloodWorld + DustRoad - Series Book Review - Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books


Kara and Joe spend their days navigating the perilous waterways of a sunken city, scratching out a living in the ruins. But when they come into possession of a mysterious map, they find themselves in a world of trouble. Suddenly everyone’s after them: gangsters, cops and ruthless Mariner pirates in their hi-tech submarines. The two children must find a way to fight back before Floodworld’s walls come tumbling down…



This is one of my favourite series written by the multi-talented Tom Huddleston. I recently read both books back-to-back and thoroughly enjoyed each one. The book covers are brilliantly shiny and capture the superb illustration by Manuel Sumberac. In my opinion, he is one of the best illustrators around. The first book FloodWorld was published by Nosy Crow Books in October 2019 whilst DustRoad was published just this March 2020. However, with everything going on in the world you may have missed this exciting release.

Both stories encapsulate a dystopian vision that is well constructed and fantastically written. The adventures are imaginative, creative and very cinematic. When you turn the first page of DustRoad, you travel to a world that will engulf you in a fantasy bubble which only pops once you have turned the last page. It is a truly engaging and gripping story, in fact, it's a Sci-fi pleasure to follow the characters through this narrative and be absorbed in a world full of gadgets, tech, and worldbuilding. 

Each book uses the same characters and general ideas, nevertheless, both books work equally well independently. New characters are introduced in DustRoad alongside some of the more unassuming characters from FloodWorld who now find themselves playing a greater role. The stories are layered with equal amounts of action, dialogue, and descriptive narrative that both hooks and immerses the reader. Just like a good action movie, the book has everything you want from bumps, scrapes, danger, and death as well as stilll being able to make the story feel real and meaningful. 

This is a brilliant and entertaining series full of totally addictive mystery, mayhem and madness. It's certainly a great way to pass the time at the moment, so pick your side. Will it be the ruthless Pirates or the controlling Mariners? Whoever you decide to support you'll be grabbing yourself a slice of the delicious action. Out of interest, downloadable discussion notes and a teaching resource pack including activity sheets are available on the Nosy Crow website HERE


The sequel to FloodWorld, this equally cinematic book tells the story of Kara and Joe’s adventures in the US. Travelling with a band of ideological outlaws, they become determined to destroy the Mariners and steal their world. Can the kids come up with a plan to stop the seemingly inevitable destruction?



Comments