Scarlet Morning (Scarlet Morning #1)

In his riveting series-opening prose debut, Stevenson (Nimona) deploys lush, lyrical writing to craft an original pirate adventure. According to the lore of the region of Dickerson’s Sea, after the pirate captain Scarlet Morning murdered Queen Hail Meridian, a storm dramatically altered the world, turning the ocean into a salt desert. Abandoned by their caretaker on the isolated outpost Caveat, 15-year-old Wilmur and 14-year-old Viola grow up reading stories about the pirates, who disappeared along with the sea. As they await their guardian’s return, the teens protect a book of esoteric knowledge. When Cadence Chase—captain of an iron-hulled ship called the Calamary Rose—arrives, seeking the tome, Wilmur and Viola strike a deal: they will relinquish the volume if Chase ferries them to the fabled city of Faire Distance, where Queen Meridian once ruled. While Wilmur endears himself to the crew, Viola grows suspicious of Chase, whom she believes to be Scarlet Morning. Soon disaster strikes, separating Viola and Wilmur, and their efforts to reunite force them deeper into the mysteries of their mystical world. Dynamic b&w illustrations heighten the surrealist atmosphere of the vividly rendered fantasy setting. Characters are described with varying abilities, body types, and skin tones. Ages 8–12. Agent: Charlie Olsen, InkWell Management. (Sept.)