Ultramarine Books in Order

The Ultramarine books are a smaller set than Charlie Bone, but they show another side of Jenny Nimmo's fantasy. Instead of a magical school or a medieval bloodline at the center, these stories begin with siblings Ned and Nell McQueen and a pull toward the sea that they do not fully understand. Their past is not what they have been told, and the closer they get to the truth, the stranger the world becomes.

In Ultramarine, the sea is more than scenery. It carries memory, danger, and identity. Ned and Nell are left with relatives who do not feel simple or entirely safe, and a mysterious man from the water draws them toward a history that has been hidden from them. There is fantasy here, but it is threaded through family secrets, environmental danger, and the uneasy feeling that adults are withholding the most important facts.

The second book, Rainbow and Mr. Zed, narrows the lens and deepens the mystery around Nell. On a secluded island owned by the wealthy and secretive Mr. Zed, she learns more about her name, her past, and her strange bond with the sea. Ghosts and unusual powers enter more clearly here, but the books still feel personal rather than abstract. The stakes are emotional as much as magical.

What links the two books is the question of belonging. Ned and Nell are not just trying to survive odd events. They are trying to work out who they are, where they come from, and which version of the story about their family is true. Nimmo uses fantasy to press on those questions rather than to escape them.

The tone is quieter and saltier than her school fantasies. There is suspense, certainly, but also a strong sense of coast, weather, birds, and changing water. If you like children's fantasy that feels tied to place and full of hidden ancestry, this duo is worth a look. It is intimate, mysterious, and just strange enough.