The Navigator's Touch

by Julia Ember

Overview

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 Ragnas 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 crews 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 whats left of her home? Inspired by Norse mythology and J.M. Barries Peter Pan, this companion novel to The Seafarers Kiss is a tale of vengeance, valor, honor, and redemption.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781945053719
Publisher:	Chicago Review Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	09/13/2018
Series:	The Seafarer's Kiss , #2
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	12 Years

About the Author

Julia Ember is the author of The Seafarer's Kiss duology and Ruinsong. Her work has been featured in USA Today, Bustle, Book Riot and Autostraddle, among many other prominent outlets. Julia has a lifelong appreciation for history and classic literature, and holds an MLitt in Medieval Literature from the University of St. Andrews. She currently lives in Seattle with her wife, two cats and a very fluffy pony.
 

Editorial Reviews

“In this haunting novel set in a world inspired by Norse mythology, Ember (The Seafarer’s Kiss, 2017, etc.) refreshingly places a number of queer and gender nonbinary characters at the forefront, all rendered with nuanced care.”—Kirkus Reviews

“The final book in a duology, Julia Ember makes good on the promises she made in The Seafarer’s Kiss with a compelling fantasy novel about a queer shieldmaiden and her mermaid companion. Fantasy rooted in Norse mythology is starting to feel cliched at this point, but Ember breathes new life into the genre with a pleasingly diverse rollicking tale that gives a nod to J.M. Barrie and sits comfortably alongside fellow queer SFF authors Seanan Mcguire and Catherynne M. Valente. A strong second novel that leaves the reader eager for whatever Ember has in store for us next.”—Kaite Welsh, author of Wages of Sin

From the Publisher

2018-06-18
Ragna always dreamed of sailing the high seas.When Jarl Haakon sends his men to raid her village for children who, like Ragna, have magical maps on their skin, she escapes, but her family is killed. Vowing revenge, she takes over a ship and crew with the help of her lover, a female mermaid named Ersel. Young, female, and inexperienced, Ragna is unsure of her ability to lead, something she is sure her all-male crew is waiting to use to their advantage. That is until Ragna and her men land on the shores of a country ruled by a queer, brown-skinned, biracial female jarl (chieftain) named Honor, who gives her a much-needed lesson in being a powerful, female leader and equal partner. In this haunting novel set in a world inspired by Norse mythology, Ember (The Seafarer's Kiss, 2017, etc.) refreshingly places a number of queer and gender nonbinary characters at the forefront, all rendered with nuanced care. Although Ragna's development rings true, the prose itself sometimes is bogged down with too much of her inner monologue, repetitiously spelling out her insecurities. Ember's writing is at its best in action and romance sequences, both of which, thankfully, are plentiful.Although the pace could be faster, all in all this is an enjoyable read with a cast of diverse and likable characters. (glossary, content warnings) (Fantasy. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews