THE SUNKEN CITY

A teenage pirate discovers her true heritage in this fantasy.

Amare Bellamy wants to run the family business. The orphaned daughter of the infamous pirate Jaguar James, she was brought up by her father’s first mate, Uncle Omar, on the Moonshadow. Growing up as the only girl in a crew of scallywags has allowed Amare to truly learn what it means to be a pirate, but her overprotective uncle has mostly kept her locked away from prying eyes—and land. But none of that matters because, at 17 years old, Amare is ready to prove her worth as a pirate and as the future, rightful captain of the Moonshadow. But when a long-lost treasure chest is found, Amare unleashes a veritable Pandora’s box by unlocking its secrets—starting with uncovering the truth about herself. Amare is not a pirate: She is the lost princess of the Sunken City, a kingdom of the sereia—an advanced civilization of underwater people—and her father, the king, has been alive all along. As her body adapts to her true nature, Amare must embrace her new life, especially when she finds herself at the center of an ancient prophecy that foretells that a lost princess will free a dangerous witch bent on the destruction of the human world. From its opening line to its cliffhanger ending, Noyes’ series opener follows its protagonist’s journey from pirate to princess in gripping, beautifully told fashion. Amare’s voice carries the book in a first-person narrative that is smart, funny, and intimate. Amare tells of her adventures and her frustration with the expectations placed on her as a girl on the high seas versus the freedom she experiences in the more advanced underwater society. She grapples with the new identity that is shockingly thrust upon her. With a story full of secrets and twists, a dash of romance and danger, and lovely relationships between Amare and the friends she meets along the way, this novel presents an eloquent author and intriguing series to follow.

A treasure of a tale with a captivating hero.