In her debut novel, Claire Fayers creates a swashbuckling voyage in a vividly imagined fantasy realm where the sum of the world’s knowledge is kept on an island and protected by a sisterhood of librarians.
As a child, Brine Seaborne was found in an abandoned rowboat with no memory of where she came from. Now 12 years old, Brine is fed up with being the housekeeper for a grumpy magician, with only his insufferable apprentice, Peter, for company. So when she and Peter are forced to flee the magician’s house due to a ploy gone horribly wrong, Brine sees it as a chance to finally discover where she came from. Before long, Brine and Peter find themselves aboard the legendary pirate ship known as the Onion, sailing to find Magical North, a place shrouded in myth and legend.
This rollicking, high-seas adventure is a celebration of girl power and a testament to the magic of storytelling.
This article was originally published in the July 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.
