When I first discovered Cyanea by Ann R. McNicol and then realized it was the fourth book in a series, I quickly immersed myself in the world of these books—and I am so grateful I did!

The books in the series are Charlie’s Story, The Nest, Tentacles, and now Cyanea. The story begins in 2044 when our main character, Samantha, is fourteen. Living in a home that sits back against a tumultuous, unpredictable ocean, it’s no surprise that the intelligent and witty teen is fascinated with marine life and marine ecosystems. At this point in the story, Samantha spends every spare moment exploring the shallow reef near her home, the beachline, and independently studying marine biology.

In this world, the seas are rising and threatening the coastline, and like in our world, the health of the sea coral is questionable at best. To amend both of these problems, scientists deploy genetically modified coral to restore the reefs and to protect the coastline—but what results is far beyond unexpected.

While exploring the beach one day, Samantha is surprised to come upon an octopus who not only impresses her as more curious about her than usual, but she also realizes that he is assembling images in the sand.

Realizing that he is trying to communicate, Samantha realizes that the genetically modified coral must have advanced the evolutionary process and wonders what other sea life might be experiencing as a result of the newly planted corals. Thus begins Charlie’s Story!

Samantha and Charlie the octopus become fast friends, and their friendship continues into the second book, The Nest, where Samantha is introduced to a complicated worldly system (“The Nest”) developed by Charlie and his fellow octopi.

But then she also begins to understand just how advanced their species has become as a result of the coral. This was reminiscent for me of the 2011 Rise of the Planet of the Apes film, in which Caesar demonstrates advanced intellectual, psychological, and sociological traits after being injected with a serum, which eventually leads to the rise of his fellow apes (though Charlie’s world does not escalate to the point of inter-pecies war).

The rest of The Nest and Tentacles largely deal with Samantha’s relationship with Charlie and her personal connection with The Nest, as well as her helping their community through a variety of intense, fast-paced, and mind-bending obstacles, by sea, by land, and by sky.

Finally, turning to Cyanea, Samantha is now a promising young marine biologist in her early twenties, whose personality, worldview, and approach to her marine studies have been shaped by her experiences on her home reef with Charlie as her constant companion.

To continue her studies, Samantha travels to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, specifically to study a large blue octopus named Cyanea, who lives there. Through Cyanea, Samantha realizes how much bigger the world is than she originally thought, but also how interconnected we are, despite our geographic distances. With a variety of issues that test Samantha’s relationships with her research teammates and leave her longing for home, Samantha must put to the test not only her knowledge and experience but also her loyalty to all sea life.

This entire book series is a call to action for us to consider our understanding and appreciation of marine life, their intellectual and purposeful nature, their ecological rights, and the obstacles they face due to human involvement, activities, and history of pollution.

Cyanea especially pressures readers to think about their personal contributions to these issues as Samantha realizes that no matter the size, color, or location of the octopi who occupy coral reefs, they all face the same plunders and deserve equal treatment.

I strongly recommend this series to all readers, especially those who have dreamed of becoming a marine biologist or who have a direct connection with marine life, coastal cleanup, and more. The author also provides enough context in each of these books that they could be read independently, but I found these to be so impactful together, I decided to speak to all of them in this review.

About Ann R. McNicol

I’ve been a jack of all trades in science. I worked in the field and laboratories for NOAA, NIH, and the University of Florida Veterinary School. But for most of my career, I taught high school science, community college science, and science education.

In 2019, I left teaching and embraced retirement as a career change–returning to a lifelong love of science fiction, now as an author. My first book, Charlie’s Story, was published in March 2021. It was the first of a three-part series dealing with climate change, biotechnology, marine science, and adolescents, all topics dear to me. The series continues with The Nest (May 2023) and Tentacles (September 2023). Cyanea, the last book, is expected in September 2024.

When I’m not writing, my husband and I walk along Tampa Bay, ride our bikes, camp in state parks, visit our adult children, and play with our attention-demanding cats. Life is good.