Meet the Characters at the Edge of the Silver Sea

“An island all alone at the edge of the silver sea.
In a place like this, anything could happen…”

Forced to move to the remote island of Roscoe, Blair Zielinski is determined to get back to her old life. Then one of the island’s darkly magical fey folk offers her an irresistible deal… As she unravels the island’s secrets, Blair makes some new friends, both human and otherworldly, along the way.

In this guest post, author Alex Mullarky introduces the key characters from The Edge of the Silver Sea. Plus, discover artist Tine Van de Velde’s (@tine_fieldling) interpretation of Blair and Cailleach! (And don’t miss our Character Art Activity sheets which will guide you through the process of drawing YOUR interpretation of the characters!)

By Tine Van de Velde

Blair Zielinski

Our protagonist Blair is a 13-year-old climate activist from Carlisle, in the north of England. Like me, Blair has moved north from Cumbria to Scotland, although unlike me she has been taken to the very remote (imaginary) isle of Roscoe, west of the Outer Hebrides. Blair’s artivism (art + activism) helps her cope with her feelings of climate anxiety, so she’s understandably upset to be leaving her activist friends behind and moving to the middle of nowhere. Which leads her to wish, out loud, for a way home…

By Tine Van de Velde

Cailleach Mho’r Nam Fiadh

At first glance, Cailleach (kal-yack) seems like a wild woman wandering the hills of Roscoe barefoot. In reality, she is the fey guardian of the large population of deer on Roscoe. Like other guardians, her task is to protect the creatures and plants that share the island with its human residents. She’s an immortal being with antlers whose number one priority, at all times, is to keep her deer safe. When she overhears Blair’s wish, she sees an opportunity.

Alasdair Reid

13-year-old Alasdair has grown up on Roscoe and is a keen wildlife watcher and photographer. Every year he takes part in a biodiversity survey to monitor the deer population on the island. He’s a bit suspicious of incomers, especially those who immediately start telling him what to do (…like Blair). Though he has a very useful working knowledge of local folklore, he firmly believes there’s nothing magical on the island – certainly not in his family.

Rosemary Duncan

Rosemary is an elderly woman who lives in the attic above her daughter’s B&B. She’s spent her twilight years making art of every form, which covers the walls of her studio. When Blair discovers this inspiring treasure trove, she strikes up a connection with the flint-eyed old woman and they spend “Crafternoons” making art together. But like everything on Roscoe, there’s more to Rosemary Duncan than meets the eye.

Józef and Anna Zielinski

Half-Scottish, half-Polish, but raised in the north of England, Józef Zielinski is Blair’s dad. Anna, her mum, is Carlisle born and raised. For most of Blair’s life, her parents have dreamed of moving to the isle of Roscoe to open a Bed & Breakfast – ever since they spent an idyllic summer there shortly after Blair was born. 13 years later their dream is finally a reality, and they’ve got a matter of weeks to get their new home up to scratch before the first tourists arrive for the Wild Roscoe Festival. Little do they know their daughter’s misadventures might just be putting their dream at risk…

Also by Alex Mullarky:

Ivy North is an adventurer and expert map reader who can pitch a tent in four minutes flat. There’s just one problem.
She’s afraid to go outside…

When her little brother is transformed into a kestrel, Ivy follows him into Underfell, the strange and magical realm beyond the garden wall.

Battling her dread of being out in the open, can Ivy navigate this extraordinary world of powerful fairies and purple skies to break her brother’s curse?