Upon a Starlit Tide
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- $21.99
Publisher Description
Upon a Starlit Tide is a dark and enchanting historical fantasy combining elements of "The Little Mermaid" and "Cinderella" into a wholly original tale of love, power, and betrayal.
*The hardcover edition features beautiful custom endpapers.*
Saint-Malo, Brittany, 1758. To Lucinde Léon, the youngest daughter of a wealthy French shipowner, the high walls of Saint-Malo are more hindrance than haven.
While her sisters are busy trying to secure advantageous marriages, Luce spends her days secretly being taught to sail by Samuel, her best friend—and an English smuggler. Only he understands how the waves call to her. Then one stormy morning, Luce rescues a drowning man from the sea.
Immediately drawn in by the stranger’s charm, Luce is plunged into a world of glittering balls and faerie magic, seduction and brutality. Secrets that have long been lost in the shadowy depths of the ocean begin to rise to the surface, but as Luce wrestles with warring desires, she finds that her own power is growing brighter and brighter, shining like a sea-glass slipper.
Or the scales of a seamaid's tail.
"Magnificent. This is a must-read!”—Juliet Marillier, award-winning author of the Sevenwaters and Blackthorn & Grim series
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Woods (After the Forest) enchants in this sophisticated fairy tale that riffs on both "The Little Mermaid" and "Cinderella." Lucinde "Luce" Léon is the youngest adoptive daughter of Jean-Baptiste Léon, a distinguished ship owner in 1758 Saint-Malo, Brittany. All her life, Luce has suffered from her misshapen feet, which cause her immense pain with every step. This ache is only soothed when she escapes into the sea, often secretly exploring its depths and retrieving stolen treasures from shipwrecks alongside her dear friend Samuel Thorner, a roguish smuggler. One day, Luce rescues an unconscious stranger near shore and they share an unforgettable kiss before she flees. The man tuns out to be Morgan de Châtelaine, the dashing son of another influential ship-owning family and captain of the recently wrecked Dauphin. To celebrate Morgan's return, the de Châtelaines throw a ball, and all the local maidens flock at the chance to win the young captain's heart. This night could finally lead Luce to a happily ever after—but she has too many dark secrets plaguing her, and every day danger draws closer to their harbor. Woods pays loving tribute to two classic tales while crafting an intricate coming-of-power plot that is entirely its own. Readers will be enthralled.
