Oceanforged 1: The Wicked Ship by Amelia Mellor

STAFF REVIEW

This was a really great, fun read. We join young Cori, an orphan who has found herself unhappily part of Captain Scrimshaw’s pirate crew aboard the Harridan. But life takes a turn when the crew uncover an ancient magical gauntlet and Cori finds herself suddenly on the run. Full of humour, interesting characters, magic and plenty of adventure, I really found this an engaging read and am looking forward to seeing where Cori’s adventures take her in the continuing series. Book 2 is due out in April next year. Probably best suits the younger end of middle grade (8-10yo) readers.

Reviewed by Kate

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The realm of Aquinta has fallen into a dark age. And no one knows that better than thirteen-year-old Cori, who is fighting for her life in a pirate crew more beastly than Aquinta’s sea monsters.

But Cori’s life changes when she finds the Oceanforged Gauntlet – a piece of armour belonging to the legendary Champions who once ruled the islands. Whoever wears the armour wields the Champions’ magic and has the power to return Aquinta to its lost glory.

Cori must begin a treacherous journey to find the rest of the armour. But first, she’ll have to escape from her captain, who craves the gauntlet’s magic for himself …

The quest begins in the first instalment of an epic new fantasy adventure series from the bestselling author of The Grandest Bookshop in the World.

From the author of the bestselling novel The Grandest Bookshop in the World comes a brand new series for lower middle-grade readers full of action, adventure and ancient legends.

About the Author: Amelia Mellor began her writing career as her secondary school’s resident playwright in Year 11. As part of her creative writing course at the University of Melbourne, she completed a thesis on the reinvention of the Industrial Revolution in children’s fantasy literature. Her debut novel, The Grandest Bookshop in the World, has won an Australian Book Industry Award, an Indie Book Award, a NSW Premier’s Literary Award and a Booksellers’ Choice Award. When she isn’t writing, Amelia enjoys hiking, gardening and drawing. She can be found at authorameliamellor.com or walking the streets of Melbourne.

Alessia was born in southern Italy but grew up in Rome, where she still lives. She has wanted to be an illustrator since she was a child but she hasn’t excluded the possibility of becoming an astronaut. After graduating in 2013 with an animation degree from the International School of Comics in Rome, Alessia has worked as background artist for some of the most important animation studios in Italy. She currently works as a freelance artist on various animation and illustration projects. Fundamentally passionate about cinema, anime, literature, indie music, and fried food, Alessia is an eclectic, energetic, and inexhaustible illustrator. She uses digital techniques for her art, which is constantly evolving.

29 Jul 2025

Oceanforged 1: The Wicked Ship by Amelia Mellor ISBN 9781922992390