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 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781945053702
Publisher:	Chicago Review Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	09/01/2018
Series:	The Seafarer's Kiss , #2
Edition description:	None
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 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

09/01/2018
Gr 9 Up—While Seafarer's Kiss focused on Nordic mermaid Ersel's pursuit of freedom, love, and legs, this companion novel is Ragna's story. Beginning with the godborn origin of her powerfully accurate navigational tattoos and the slaughter of her village in order to capture her magic, Ragna's survival and quest for revenge take front stage. With Ersel's assistance in her kraken form, thanks to the trickster god Loki granting her more legs than she bargained for in the first book, Ragna and a crew of reluctant Vikings fight their way through icebergs, fenrir (Asgardian monster-wolves), and one another to reach Ragna's homeland. When they find her town guarded by one of Loki's deadliest creatures, Ragna's band must form an alliance with Jarl Honor, a dark-skinned female ruler of a nearby settlement, Honor's genderfluid deputy, and, in desperation, Loki. Ragna's commitment to Loki promises a continuation of this exciting and violent quest with mostly female leads and fascinating mythology. Many Old Norse terms are defined in a glossary. Also included in both front and back matter are content warnings. These unnecessary alerts for what is clearly a potentially barbaric adventure—the attractive cover features raging waters, a Captain Hook–like female warrior holding an axe, a menacing tentacle curled alongside the ship, and skulls floating in the churning sea—are very concerning. VERDICT This companion novel elevates the captivating stories of mermaid Ersel and warrior-captain Ragna introduced in Seafarer's Kiss. Fans of mythology adventures will embrace this high-action, emotional, and gory tale.—Elaine Fultz, Madison Jr. Sr. High School, Middletown, OH

School Library Journal

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