The Wicked Bargain
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
El Diablo is in the details in this Latinx pirate fantasy starring a transmasculine nonbinary teen with a mission of revenge, redemption, and revolution. From the New York Times bestselling author of Most Ardently.
On Mar León de la Rosa's sixteenth birthday, el Diablo comes calling. Mar is a transmasculine nonbinary teen pirate hiding a magical ability to manipulate fire and ice. But their magic isn't enough to reverse a wicked bargain made by their father, and now el Diablo has come to collect his payment: the soul of Mar's father and the entire crew of their ship.
When Mar is miraculously rescued by the sole remaining pirate crew in the Caribbean, el Diablo returns to give them a choice: give up their soul to save their father by the harvest moon, or never see him again. The task is impossible--Mar refuses to make a bargain, and there's no way their magic is a match for el Diablo. Then Mar finds the most unlikely allies: Bas, an infuriatingly arrogant and handsome pirate--and the captain's son; and Dami, a gender-fluid demonio whose motives are never quite clear. For the first time in their life, Mar may have the courage to use their magic. It could be their only redemption--or it could mean certain death.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Debut author Novoa explores the often-underrepresented history of various marginalized populations in the early-19th-century Caribbean, using cinematic action scenes to conjure a swashbuckling tale brimming with sorcery. In 1820, nonbinary 16-year-old Mar León de la Rosa sails the sea aboard La Catalina, one of the Caribbean's last pirate ships, captained by their father, the legendary pirate Embrujado. When El Diablo arrives to claim Embrujado's soul in exchange for a deal he made long ago, El Diablo turns his sights to the crew and Mar, planning to steal their spirits as well. After narrowly escaping, Mar is rescued by the son of another pirate captain. Mar's ensuing quest to save their father is further complicated by their desperate attempts to hone their magia, abilities they've been ignoring their whole life. Learning that giving up their soul to El Diablo would set Embrujado free, Mar looks for a way out of El Diablo's deal, which threatens the entire Caribbean. Novoa imbues this moving exploration of historical transmasculinity and riveting examination of Spanish colonization with riotously good fun, making this an ideal read for audiences seeking a mix of knowledge and thrilling adventure. Characters are of Latinx descent. Ages 12–up.