Ship of spells

In this jam-packed nautical romantasy, Dickson (the Cold Stone & Ivy series) conjures up an intricate world of seaborne wonders and terrors, populated by colorful characters and maritime monsters. Ensign Bluemage Honor Renn, a mage in training, is shipwrecked when her frigate is destroyed by an enemy but rescued by the privateers of the Touchstone, the infamous Ship of Spells. She swiftly discovers that a magical backlash during the battle has granted her an unprecedented ability to manipulate chimeric, the arcane element used by the elven Rhi'ahr, longtime foes of the races of Oversea. Eager to master her new powers and intrigued by both the sentient nature of the Touchstone and its handsome, enigmatic captain, Gavriel Thanavar, Honor joins the crew. But Gavriel has set the Touchstone on an ambitious, deadly mission that could change the world for better or worse. As the quest progresses, the Touchstone is hunted by enemies from both Oversea and Rhi'ahr and haunted by secrets and tragedy--and Honor's new abilities make her essential to whatever comes next. The slow-burn romance between Honor and Gavriel simmers for much of the story, allowing the political intrigue, magical chaos, and ship-to-ship combat to take center stage. While it's occasionally difficult to parse the heavy worldbuilding, readers will enjoy Honor's ambitious, indefatigable nature as she takes charge of her destiny. It's a promising series launch. (Nov.)

Dickson crafts a rich fantasy world, deeply infused with the seafaring spirit of a pirate yarn. Ensign Bluemage Honor Renn of the Oversea Navy desperately clings to a plank of wood following a brutal battle with theRhi'AhrshipEndorathilthat reduced her ship to charred splinters, sinking beneath the waves. Her hands--her tools as a magic-wielding mage--are horribly injured, leaving her helpless: "With a cry, I pulled them from the waves and froze in horror at what I saw….The flesh was torn away like ribbons, revealing glimpses of thin white bones and long yellow tendons." Just as she's about to give up, the legendary and mysterious Ship of Spells arrives to rescue her; she's shocked and horrified to learn that the craft is helmed by Capt. Thanavar, aRhi'Ahr whose people hail from the mysterious southern hemisphere known as the Nethersea. TheRhi'Ahrpossess the secret of "chimeric," a dangerous alchemical powder that enhances their munitions with caustic magical runes. Although Renn initially hates and mistrusts Thanavar, she comes to learn that he's the key to her learning how the mysteriously healing of her wounds has left her with a deep connection to the chimeric--one that the Ship of Spells puts to use in an attempt to end the ongoing war. Dickson delivers an inventive riff on familiar fantasy tropes within the framework of a thrilling swashbuckler. Any pirate story lives and dies on the dynamics of the crewmembers, and in this, the author does not disappoint. Each character satisfies familiar tropes of fantasy and seafaring adventures while also thriving as fully realized individuals--whether it's the telepathic faun, Echo; the jovial minotaur, Buck; or the stoic harpy, Kit. The relationships among the players develop in rewarding ways, and none more so than that between Renn and Thanavar. The narrative, rendered in clear, straightforward prose, also sketches out its fictional world in detail and drives readers relentlessly forward toward a satisfying conclusion, which will leave them wanting more. High-seas adventure meets rich fantasy worldbuilding and strong character development. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.