Beasts of the Sea

From frozen Arctic seas to a Russian colony on American soil. A stunning debut that explores the lives touched by one of history's most intriguing extinct animals.

A sprawling, seething epic which intertwines the mysteries of the natural world with their destruction when myth and man collide. Beasts of the Sea is a delicately woven tale of exploration and exploitation ; a sharp cry to protect what is precious in the world before it vanishes

A wonderfully evocative account of the discovery, destruction and resurrection of a near-mythic sea monster that even now seems to evade our examining eyes - perhaps out of our own guilt. IIda Turpeinen's novel is almost Shakespearean in its drama . . . As deep and profound as the sea itself

A gorgeous, thought-provoking book about the consequences of the human exploration of the natural world

Mesmerising. Near to mythic. This profound and moving novel of lost histories and lives held me captured in its spell

Almost hypnotically readable . . . interesting; thoughtful; beautifully written

Highly original . . . A remarkable parable of man's often destructive interactions with the natural world

A wondrous, devastating novel . . . I challenge anyone to read Beasts of the Sea and not fall in love with - and mourn - the curious creatures it conjures . . . Reading this magical novel is like peering in awe and terror through the window of a cabinet of curiosities - I will be thinking about it for a long time

IIDA TURPEINEN (b. 1987) is a Helsinki-based literary scholar currently writing a dissertation on the intersection of the natural sciences and literature. As an author, she is intrigued by the literary potential of scientific research and by the offbeat anecdotes and meanderings from the history of science. Turpeinen's short stories exploring the relationship between humans and animals won the J. H. Erkko Young Writers' Competition in 2014. Her debut novel, Beasts of the Sea (2023) is the winner of the Helsingin Sanomat Prize 2023, and shortlisted for the Finlandia Award 2023.