This is the story of how, in 1808, the Royal Navy used its dominance in the Baltic to rescue the Spanish Army of the Marques de La Romana.
John Marsden Books
This author delves into the inner lives of his characters through an engaging writing style. His works often explore themes of growing up and finding one's voice amidst a complex world. Through vivid storytelling, he captures the nuances of human relationships and the challenges faced by young people.







The Other Side of Dawn
- 333 pages
- 12 hours of reading
The war is at a turning point. The enemy is growing weaker, and more desperate. And so is Ellie. As the conflict intensifies around her, she is captured and separated from her friends. Overwhelmed by all she has lost, Ellie wonders if she has the strength to survive the final conflict - and if she can live with the consequences of everything she has done.
'If only our country hadn't been invaded. If only we could have carried on the way we used to, watching other people's wars on television.' Ellie and her friends are more determined than ever to make an impact on the enemy. But the constant fighting is beginning to take its toll on the group. Kevin is suffering an emotional breakdown, and the friendship that has kept the gang together for so long is under strain. And while there is no time for love in a time of war, Ellie can't forget her feelings for Lee...
It's a perfect world, where everything looks right. But ugly truths lie beneath. In a future society, life appears civilised and ordered. But when 12-year-old Jonas is given the job of 'Receiver of Memories' he realises the horrible truth that lies behind the perfect facade.
Even though the war is over and she is back on her family's farm, Ellie Linton is haunted by the memories and now must discover how to find the enemy within herself in order to move on with her life.
A year of war. A year of terror. And a year of loss. Twelve months have passed since the invasion. Ellie has lost friends, she has taken many lives and she is still as disgusted by violence as she is determined to stand up to the invaders. Now the friends find themselves back in their sanctuary of Hell, caring for a band of feral children whose lives have been destroyed by the war. Meanwhile, the conflict intensifies and the enemy draws closer...
This is a story of courage, of friendship, of extraordinary adventure in extraordinary times.
A small group of teenagers continue to hide out in a deserted valley following the invasion of Australia; they must elude capture, but they are also compelled to fight back against the enemies who have imprisoned their friends and families
Darkness Be My Friend
- 288 pages
- 11 hours of reading
Darkness is the friend and enemy of those who hunt by night. Ellie and her friends have found safety after months of fighting. But the New Zealand Defence Force needs their help to infiltrate occupied Australian territory. And so the friends must fight on.
Tomorrow when the War Began
- 304 pages
- 11 hours of reading
When their country is invaded and their families are taken, eight high school teenagers band together to fight. Seventeen-year-old Ellie Linton wants one final adventure with her friends before the school holidays are over. Packed in Ellie's parents' land rover they drive to the famously isolated rock pool Eden dubbed 'Hell' by the locals. Returning to their home town of Wirrawee, the seven teenagers realize that something is seriously wrong. Power to the houses has been cut, pets and livestock have been left dead or dying, and most alarmingly of all, everyone's family has vanished. When the hostile armed forces discover that the teenagers are lying low in the vicinity, Ellie and her friends must band together to escape, outwit and strike back against the mysterious enemy that has seized control of their town and imprisoned their friends and loved ones...



