“Yes, she was an orphan, a sister, a pirate, a girl, and also a boy. But more importantly, she was a person who sought power to protect those she loved. Including herself. Or himself. Both were equally true to her. Neither told the whole story.”
Aboard the pirate ship Dove, Flora the girl takes on the identity of Florian the man to earn the respect and protection of the crew. For Flora, former starving urchin, the brutal life of a pirate is about survival: don’t trust, don’t stick out, and don’t feel. But on this voyage, as the pirates prepare to sell their unsuspecting passengers into slavery, Flora is drawn to the Lady Evelyn Hasegawa, who is en route to a dreaded arranged marriage with her own casket in tow. Flora doesn’t expect to be taken under Evelyn’s wing, and Evelyn doesn’t expect to find such a deep bond with the pirate Florian.
Soon the unlikely pair set in motion a wild escape that will free a captured mermaid (coveted for her blood, which causes men to have visions and lose memories) and involve the mysterious Pirate Supreme, an opportunistic witch, and the all-encompassing Sea itself.
Publisher: Candlewick
Date: May 5, 2020
Language: English
Paperback: 368 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1536204315
Reading age: 14+
A desperate orphan turned pirate and a rebellious imperial daughter find a connection on the high seas in a world divided by colonialism and threaded with magic.
Aboard the pirate ship Dove, Flora the girl takes on the identity of Florian the man to earn the respect and protection of the crew. For Flora, former starving urchin, the brutal life of a pirate is about survival: don’t trust, don’t stick out, and don’t feel. But on this voyage, as the pirates prepare to sell their unsuspecting passengers into slavery, Flora is drawn to the Lady Evelyn Hasegawa, who is en route to a dreaded arranged marriage with her own casket in tow. Flora doesn’t expect to be taken under Evelyn’s wing, and Evelyn doesn’t expect to find such a deep bond with the pirate Florian.
Soon the unlikely pair set in motion a wild escape that will free a captured mermaid (coveted for her blood, which causes men to have visions and lose memories) and involve the mysterious Pirate Supreme, an opportunistic witch, and the all-encompassing Sea itself.
Battle
Blood
Child abuse
Colonization
Death (including children)
Emesis
Execution (by hanging)
Explosion
Forced Marriage
Guns
Homelessness
Homophobia
Imprisonment
Mind control
Murder
Mutilation
Physical violence
Racism
Rape (allusion)
Sexism
Sexual assault (allusion)
Slavery/human trafficking
Starvation
Torture
Wounds
Out & Proud- your purchase will arrive in a box covered in colour - loudly celebrating your purchase from us to you, a member or ally of the rainbow community!
A Quiet Pride- this discreet option is designed to keep you safe while still getting your favourite books in the mail. If you are not out at home or you don’t feel like advertising your rainbow purchase, you will receive a plain brown box with no identifying markers.