Break Wide the Sea

Because of a finfolk curse placed upon her human family, 19-year-old Annie Fairfax is slowly transforming into a monstrous creature. As a child, Annie believed she had no reason to fear the curse, which dictates that if she suffers heartbreak, she’ll turn into a bloodthirsty entity. Then Annie narrowly escapes a shipwreck that kills her parents, an incident purportedly perpetrated by the finfolk that terrorize the whaling ships of her coastal village, Kirkrell. Now the head of her father’s whaling company, Annie grapples with the terrifying reality that her worsening heartache has caused her monstrous traits to emerge. When disgraced captain Silas Price, half human and half finfolk, warns Annie that her human betrothed, August Hargreave, is plotting her murder, she becomes more desperate to break the curse. But only finfolk can undo the enchantment, forcing Annie to jeopardize her company, risk her heart, and trust in Silas. Sea-swept horror and folklore elements fuse into a pulse-pounding parable of gender, love, and power. Holland (Phoenix Flame) cloaks the tightly woven plot in murky, ominous atmosphere, a stormy backdrop against which a titillating love triangle of intricately rendered white-cued characters grapple with their worst fears. Ages 13–up. Agent: Pete Knapp, Park & Fine Literary. (Nov.)