Writing in Analog, Richard Foss criticized the pacing of the next book, "Reading the Wind".
These altered were stronger and faster, with better reflexes and sharper senses than the normal humans of Fremont.
In The Silver Ship and the Sea, there are six altered children: Chelo Lee, her brother Joseph, Kayleen, Bryan, Alicia, and Liam.
Joseph, especially, could use the data networks to sense people and predators in remote places, and see events such as crashing meteors.
Liam was treated better than anyone else, but Alicia had been accused of murder by Ruth, the East Band's leader.
Judgment was reserved, and while Liam left with his adoptive father (and band's leader) Akashi, Alicia stayed.
Largely concerned with ethics, major thematic elements of the novel are war and new technology, such as genetic engineering, nanotechnology and artificial intelligence.
Kayleen takes Liam and Chelo to the other continent Islandia, where they discover the mercenaries that have been hired to wipe out Fremont.
Meanwhile, Joseph (who was an extremely powerful wind reader) and the others reach Silver's Home, and he is trained by someone called Marcus.