As Sure as the Sea

Ogle (Of Love and Treason) sets this captivating historical in an ancient Turkey roiling with religious tension. It’s been three years since 20-year-old Demi’s parents, sister, and fiancée were killed by Diocletian’s anti-Christian regime, and she’s still wrestling with guilt for renouncing her faith in order to survive. She and her brother Theseus work as coral divers, using their meager wages to buy food for the secluded, resource-starved Christian city of Myra on the Mediterranean coast. When Theseus is bitten by a moray eel, Demi gets him medical aid with the help of a passing stranger who turns out to be the city’s new pastor, Nikolas. As the two grow closer, Demi discovers that Nikolas has traumas of his own, stemming from an accident that killed his older brother and left him to inherit his father’s shipping company. But there’s not much time to work through their feelings before they must flee Roman soldiers intent on forcing them to swear allegiance to the emperor. Ogle keeps the suspense sky-high as sparks fly between Demi and Nikolas and both question how far they’re willing to go to uphold their faith. It’s a winning mix of thrills and heart. (Feb.)