The Transcendent Tide: Volume 3
The EPIC FINALE to the bestselling Enceladons Trilogy - as seen on BB2's BETWEEN THE COVERS
Published on 14. August 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
300 pages
978-1-916788-62-6 (ISBN)
Description
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...
'An affecting and thought-provoking read. Johnstone's worldbuilding is top notch in this pacy eco-alien tale of peril and hope' Tendai Huchu
'Doug Johnstone has emerged as the unholy, octopoid lovechild of David Attenborough and Michael Crichton ... a thrilling, action-packed adventure' Callum McSorley
'Forget what you think you know about science fiction ... pick up this book if you want to explore what it means to be human, with all the hopes and fears, loves and losses that brings - something Johnstone has done in so many of his novels, but rarely as beautifully as he does in this trilogy'Scotsman
'Surprising, compelling and out of this world' Ann Morgan
'Johnstone brilliantly plays out the tensions between competing groups and their response to the peaceful aliens off the coast of Greenland. But will they survive? Johnstone is a born storyteller whatever the subject' Mirror
'A delight! We need more novels that take on human exceptionalism with such gusto' Ever Dundas
______
It's been eighteen months since the Enceladons escaped the clutches of an American military determined to exterminate 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 Encedalons 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 Encedalons Trilogy - a final showdown between the best and worst of humanity, the animal kingdom and the Encedalons. The future of life on earth will be changed forever, but not everyone will survive to see it...
______
'A powerful, poignant, and devastating finale to the Enceladons Trilogy, a series that has consistently blurred the lines between sci-fi, eco-thriller and character-driven drama ... a gut-punch of a read, serving up a tense, high-stakes plot that's as emotionally resonant as it is action-packed. It culminates as a bold and heartrending conclusion that resonates with profound themes and leaves an indelible impression'SciFi Now
'The gripping conclusion to his Enceladons trilogy - exploring first contact, humanity's relationship with our planet, and the possibility of alien civilisations' Daily Express
'A brilliant novel, handling complex themes ... a timely meditation on man's destructive nature' Ambrose Parry
'Wonderfully drawn ... a serious critique of the state of the world today in a tense thriller anchored in the lives of ordinary people' James Oswald
'One of the best writers of his generation,' Paul Burke, CrimeTime
'The perfect end to the perfect trilogy' Michael Wood
'Powerful, profound, prescient and pacy ... A brilliant near future tale, told beautifully, and sure to appeal to sci fi and thriller fans alike' Lyndsey Croal
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
'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
'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
'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' SciFi Now Book of the Month
'An affecting and thought-provoking read. Johnstone's worldbuilding is top notch in this pacy eco-alien tale of peril and hope' Tendai Huchu
'Doug Johnstone has emerged as the unholy, octopoid lovechild of David Attenborough and Michael Crichton ... a thrilling, action-packed adventure' Callum McSorley
'Forget what you think you know about science fiction ... pick up this book if you want to explore what it means to be human, with all the hopes and fears, loves and losses that brings - something Johnstone has done in so many of his novels, but rarely as beautifully as he does in this trilogy'Scotsman
'Surprising, compelling and out of this world' Ann Morgan
'Johnstone brilliantly plays out the tensions between competing groups and their response to the peaceful aliens off the coast of Greenland. But will they survive? Johnstone is a born storyteller whatever the subject' Mirror
'A delight! We need more novels that take on human exceptionalism with such gusto' Ever Dundas
______
It's been eighteen months since the Enceladons escaped the clutches of an American military determined to exterminate 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 Encedalons 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 Encedalons Trilogy - a final showdown between the best and worst of humanity, the animal kingdom and the Encedalons. The future of life on earth will be changed forever, but not everyone will survive to see it...
______
'A powerful, poignant, and devastating finale to the Enceladons Trilogy, a series that has consistently blurred the lines between sci-fi, eco-thriller and character-driven drama ... a gut-punch of a read, serving up a tense, high-stakes plot that's as emotionally resonant as it is action-packed. It culminates as a bold and heartrending conclusion that resonates with profound themes and leaves an indelible impression'SciFi Now
'The gripping conclusion to his Enceladons trilogy - exploring first contact, humanity's relationship with our planet, and the possibility of alien civilisations' Daily Express
'A brilliant novel, handling complex themes ... a timely meditation on man's destructive nature' Ambrose Parry
'Wonderfully drawn ... a serious critique of the state of the world today in a tense thriller anchored in the lives of ordinary people' James Oswald
'One of the best writers of his generation,' Paul Burke, CrimeTime
'The perfect end to the perfect trilogy' Michael Wood
'Powerful, profound, prescient and pacy ... A brilliant near future tale, told beautifully, and sure to appeal to sci fi and thriller fans alike' Lyndsey Croal
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
'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
'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
'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' SciFi Now Book of the Month
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 131 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
197 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-916788-62-6 (9781916788626)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Doug Johnstone
The Transcendent Tide
The EPIC FINALE to the bestselling Enceladons Trilogy - as seen on BB2's BETWEEN THE COVERS
E-Book
08/2025
ORENDA BOOKS
€9.59
Available for download
Person
Doug Johnstone is the author of twelve novels, most recently The Great Silence, the third in the Skelfs series, which has been optioned for TV. In 2021,The Big Chill, the second in the series, was longlisted for the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. In 2020, A Dark Matter, the first in the series, was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year and the Capital Crime Amazon Publishing Independent Voice Book of the Year award. Black Hearts (Book four), will be published in 2022. Several of his books have been best sellers and award winners, and his work has been praised by the likes of Val McDermid, Irvine Welsh and Ian Rankin. He's taught creative writing and been writer in residence at various institutions, and has been an arts journalist for twenty years. Doug is a songwriter and musician with five albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin' Crime Writers, a band of crime writers. He's also player-manager of the Scotland Writers Football Club. He lives in Edinburgh.