"Tides" tells the tale of the rise of two intelligent species on the same planet, at a time in their history when they first encounter each other. Paras and Ortok are the only two continents on this planet, the homes to these two different species, and are separated by thousands of miles of ocean. Paras is lush and hospitable, a place where no one ever knows want. It has produced a culture of kindness and honesty. Ortok is bleak and volcanic, where the inhabitants survive at a subsistence level. It has given rise to a culture of cruelty and deceit. But, will the citizens of Paras forever remain honest? And, will the sentient species on Ortok finally cast out deceit? Hab, a Parassian mariner, follows a cloud of volcanic ash twenty thousand leagues across the world-spanning ocean, battling iced-over seas, the decimation of his crew, and, worst of all, the killer tides - tides that because of two close moons are monstrous in size and are virtually unnavigable in any but the most ingeniously designed ships. Watch cultures collide in this brilliant new novel by the award-winning author of "Omnifix" and "Orbis".