Pirate Queen: Book of the Navigator

Klett confidently balances several genre elements—fantasy, SF, steampunk, and more—in his debut novel, first in a planned series. Hailey Heartstone is the daughter of a well-to-do merchant sea captain, and she spends most of her time with her father on the high seas, learning everything there is to know about shipboard life. Upon becoming a teenager, Hailey’s usefulness as a navigator gives way to her family’s desire for her to become a proper young lady and take her place in a society that preaches that the way to salvation is through bettering one’s station, marrying well, and adhering to the doctrines espoused by the Church of the Ancients. Hailey’s thirst for knowledge becomes her downfall after she discovers a powerful book that communicates with her—and that the Church and Crown are eager to possess. What follows is a perilous journey into the lands of pirates and a fated quest for the truth. Equal parts thought exercise, rollicking adventure, and cautionary tale, Klett’s novel should captivate readers with its simple yet elegant language and the slow unspooling of mysteries and revelations. Ages 12–up. (BookLife)