Get our latest book recommendations, author news, competitions, offers, and other information right to your inbox.
The Transcendent Tide
The epic, profound, awe-inspiring new novel from the author of The Space Between Us – as seen on BBC2's Between the Covers
Book #3 of The Enceladons Trilogy
Published by Orenda Books
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
Lennox, Vonnie and Ava head to Greenland to meet up with Heather, Sandy and the Enceladons, commencing an epic showdown that will change everything … The emotive, devastating yet ultimately life-affirming conclusion to the bestselling Enceladons Trilogy, as seen on BBC2’s Between the Covers…
‘A barnstorming thriller … and a wonderful and radical sense of a greater, wider way of seeing life on our planet’ Martin MacInnes
`Science fiction gains a new author´ Derek B. Miller
______
It’s been eighteen months since the traumatic events of The Collapsing Wave, where the Enceladons escaped the clutches of the American military intent on exterminating the peaceful alien creatures.
Lennox and Vonnie have been lying low in the Scottish Highlands, Ava has been caring for her young daughter Chloe, and Heather is adjusting to her new life with Sandy and the other Enceladons in the Arctic Ocean, off the coast of Greenland. But fate is about to bring them together again for one last battle.
When Lennox and Vonnie are visited by Karl Jensen, a Norwegian billionaire intent on making contact with the Enceladons again, they are wary of subjecting the aliens to further dangers. But when word arrives that Ava’s daughter has suffered an attack and might die without urgent help, they reluctantly make the trip to Greenland, where they enlist the vital help of local woman Niviaq.
It's not long before they’re drawn into a complex web of lies, deceit and death. What is Karl’s company really up to? Why are sea creatures attacking boats? Why is Sandy acting so strangely, and why are polar bears getting involved?
Profound, ambitious and immensely moving, The Transcendent Tide is the epic conclusion to the Enceladons Trilogy – a final showdown between the best and worst of humanity, the animal kingdom and the Enceladons. The future of life on earth will be changed forever, but not everyone will survive to see it…
______
Praise for The Enceladons Trilogy
**Selected for BBC 2 Between the Covers 2023**
**Longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year**
`A gateway book to sci-fi … I loved it´ Sara Cox
`So readable and accessible´ Alan Davies
`If you read one life-affirming book this year, make sure it's this one´ Nina Pottell, Prima
`Prioritising pace, tension and high stakes … a plea for empathy, compassion and perspective´ Herald Scotland
`An emotionally engaging read´ Guardian
`A delicious, demanding departure´ Val McDermid
`As moving as it is magical and mysterious´ Mark Billingham
`A first-contact tale full of heart and high-octane action´ D.V. Bishop
`An adrenaline-filled ride of a novel, laced with empathy and understanding´ Rachelle Atalla
`Pay attention, Steven Spielberg! This could be your next film´ Marnie Riches
`Clever and unusual … I was on a journey with these characters, and completely transfixed´ Susi Holliday
`A mesmerising tale of wonder and hope´ Marion Todd
`Johnstone doesn't shy away from complex themes and smartly leverages the lens of science fiction to cut deep into the human experience … the well-paced and carefully breadcrumbed plot is fed to the reader with tender finesse´ SciFi Now Book of the Month
`Terrifyingly plausible and an excellent allegory for our times … I'll be recommending this to everyone´ James Oswald
`A powerful and epic multi-layered story. Doug Johnstone is a true literary master´ Michael Wood
‘A barnstorming thriller … and a wonderful and radical sense of a greater, wider way of seeing life on our planet’ Martin MacInnes
`Science fiction gains a new author´ Derek B. Miller
______
It’s been eighteen months since the traumatic events of The Collapsing Wave, where the Enceladons escaped the clutches of the American military intent on exterminating the peaceful alien creatures.
Lennox and Vonnie have been lying low in the Scottish Highlands, Ava has been caring for her young daughter Chloe, and Heather is adjusting to her new life with Sandy and the other Enceladons in the Arctic Ocean, off the coast of Greenland. But fate is about to bring them together again for one last battle.
When Lennox and Vonnie are visited by Karl Jensen, a Norwegian billionaire intent on making contact with the Enceladons again, they are wary of subjecting the aliens to further dangers. But when word arrives that Ava’s daughter has suffered an attack and might die without urgent help, they reluctantly make the trip to Greenland, where they enlist the vital help of local woman Niviaq.
It's not long before they’re drawn into a complex web of lies, deceit and death. What is Karl’s company really up to? Why are sea creatures attacking boats? Why is Sandy acting so strangely, and why are polar bears getting involved?
Profound, ambitious and immensely moving, The Transcendent Tide is the epic conclusion to the Enceladons Trilogy – a final showdown between the best and worst of humanity, the animal kingdom and the Enceladons. The future of life on earth will be changed forever, but not everyone will survive to see it…
______
Praise for The Enceladons Trilogy
**Selected for BBC 2 Between the Covers 2023**
**Longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year**
`A gateway book to sci-fi … I loved it´ Sara Cox
`So readable and accessible´ Alan Davies
`If you read one life-affirming book this year, make sure it's this one´ Nina Pottell, Prima
`Prioritising pace, tension and high stakes … a plea for empathy, compassion and perspective´ Herald Scotland
`An emotionally engaging read´ Guardian
`A delicious, demanding departure´ Val McDermid
`As moving as it is magical and mysterious´ Mark Billingham
`A first-contact tale full of heart and high-octane action´ D.V. Bishop
`An adrenaline-filled ride of a novel, laced with empathy and understanding´ Rachelle Atalla
`Pay attention, Steven Spielberg! This could be your next film´ Marnie Riches
`Clever and unusual … I was on a journey with these characters, and completely transfixed´ Susi Holliday
`A mesmerising tale of wonder and hope´ Marion Todd
`Johnstone doesn't shy away from complex themes and smartly leverages the lens of science fiction to cut deep into the human experience … the well-paced and carefully breadcrumbed plot is fed to the reader with tender finesse´ SciFi Now Book of the Month
`Terrifyingly plausible and an excellent allegory for our times … I'll be recommending this to everyone´ James Oswald
`A powerful and epic multi-layered story. Doug Johnstone is a true literary master´ Michael Wood
Product Details
- Publisher: Orenda Books (August 14, 2025)
- Length: 300 pages
- ISBN13: 9781916788626
Browse Related Books
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): The Transcendent Tide Paperback 9781916788626
- Author Photo (jpg): Doug Johnstone Photograph © Orenda Books(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit