When it comes to authors whose names superbly reflect the subject matter of their expertise, it is difficult to imagine too many that can best Dr. Helen Scales in marine biology. From the very first book from her pen that I read – Spirals in Time; The Secret Life and Curious Afterlife of Seashells – to the previous one she wrote that I went racing off to a bookshop to find upon completing Spirals – Poseidon’s Steed; the Story of Seahorses, from Myth to Reality – I have found her writing thoroughly entrancing in style and intellectually inspiring in content.

Now, Dr. Scales has a new book in publication: Eye of the Shoal; A Fishwatcher’s Guide to Life, the Ocean and Everything from Bloomsbury’s Sigma Science imprint. Uncovering the life histories of fishes, Eye of the Shoal “[unhitches] them from their reputation as cold, unknowable beasts and reinventing them as clever, emotional, singing, thoughtful creatures, and challenging readers to rethink these animals.”

Quite honestly, I can’t wait to begin reading it to discover what fascinating fish tales she has to tell.