Benjamin Gold is a steampunk airship captain, now without a dirigible--sacrificed in an attempt to keep pirates from attacking a hidden city. Worse, his longtime enemy Malik has captured him and his scientist girlfriend, Miranda. In exchange for Miranda's safety, Ben must find lost technology needed to keep Malik's ocean vessel from sinking.
To make any headway, however, Ben and a team of adventurers from the secret island of Tamoanchan have to avoid Ferals, vicious zombie-like humans who've been infected with a virus that turns them into single-minded killing machines who stop at nothing to kill and devour non-feral humans.
In their search for the pumps Malik needs, Ben and company discover that a rival government has captured Miranda's scientific comrades. The team had been researching the virus that turns humans into Ferals, and now their progress will come to a grinding halt, at the very time Miranda is on the verge of a breakthrough.
While it's fairly formulaic for a new viral outbreak to occur, similar to the old one but producing different deadly symptoms, Rajan Khanna (Falling Sky) keeps suspense high with the disclosure of Tamoanchan's location and its subsequent siege. The island natives blame Ben. Can he ever catch a break?
The plot alternates between Ben's narrative and Miranda's journal, letting readers in on various facts that either character may not be aware of, while also offering insight into the emotional strain created by their separation. Rising Tide is an enjoyable, worthy read, a welcome voyage for fans of zombie, post-apocalyptic and steampunk fiction. --Rob LeFebvre, freelance writer and editor