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An annotated paperback copy of both books in the series
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The Navigator's Touch (The Seafarer's Kiss #2) by Julia Ember
Publication Date: September 13, 2018
Publisher: Duet Books, the YA imprint of Interlude Press
After invaders destroyed her village, murdered her family, and took her prisoner, shield-maiden Ragna is hungry for revenge. A trained warrior, she is ready to fight for her home, but with only a mermaid and a crew of disloyal mercenaries to aid her, Ragna knows she needs new allies. Guided by the magical maps on her skin, battling storms and mutiny, Ragna sets sail across the Northern Sea.
She petitions the Jarl in Skjordal for aid, but despite Ragna’s rank and fighting ability, the Jarl sees only a young girl, too inexperienced to lead, unworthy of help. To prove herself to the Jarl and win her crew’s respect, Ragna undertakes a dangerous expedition. But when forced to decide between her own freedom and the fate of her crew, what will she sacrifice to save what’s left of her home?
Inspired by Norse mythology and J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, this companion novel to The Seafarer’s Kiss is a tale of vengeance, valor, honor, and redemption.
EXCERPT 3 –
Torstein grabbed my arm. In front of the whole crew, he spun me around like an errant child. He brought his face close to mine. His voice was a growl. “You put too much trust in that unnatural creature. It’s Lokis-touched. You can’t trust it. Bad enough you let it on our ship. I am the most experienced on this vessel and I know what orders Haakon gave those men.”
“It’s my ship. You will do well to remember that.” His touch felt like a brand. I wrenched my arm away.
Shaking his head, Torstein spat on the deck. “You’ll lead us all to ruin.”
A few of the crew murmured their agreement. My cheeks burned. Behind me, Ersel sighed.
I pulled my axe free and pointed it at his chest. “I am the captain of this ship. I decide who goes. Speak out of turn again and your bloated corpse is the only thing that will see the shore.”
Laughing, Torstein drew a dagger from his belt. He looked around and nodded to the others. He sank into a fighting crouch and beckoned me toward him. “You think that because you killed an old, sick jarl while he was in his cups, that makes you a fighter? Haakon was a warrior during his prime, but he was a decade past it, and you still lost your hand to him. And without it, what’s to say you can still fight at all?”
It was mutiny, laid bare at least.
When we’d first set sail, another crewman, Steinair’s father, had risen against me and tried to take command of the ship. But Elvyrn had made the fatal mistake of dumping two casks of fresh water and dried meat into the sea before he drew his weapon to attack me. The crew might have wanted to see me dead, but they had no interest in starving to death.
What Elvyrn had done was unforgivable. I hadn’t even needed to draw my sword to defend myself. His sea-brothers had tried him and found him guilty. We’d bound his hands and feet, and thrown him into the sea after Trygve flayed his back open with a whip. But I had known even as I watched Elvyrn squirm and sink that it was only a matter of time before it happened again.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julia Ember is the author of The Seafarer's Kiss and The Navigator's Touch, as well as several novellas and short stories for young adults. Originally from Chicago, Julia now resides in Edinburgh, Scotland. Her hobbies include riding horses, starting far too many craft projects, and looking after her city-based menagerie of pets with names from Harry Potter. She regularly takes part in events for queer teens. A world traveler since childhood, she has now visited more than sixty countries.
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