The Loss of the Burying Ground

Two teens are the only survivors of a shipwreck in this swashbuckling fantasy from Coats (Spindle and Dagger). After years of fighting, countries Ariminthia, a monarchy, and Dura, a democracy, are on the verge of peace. Delegations from both nations are preparing to sign a treaty aboard the Burying Ground, a ship anchored in neutral waters, when a storm destroys the vessel. Cora, daughter of a Duran journalist, and Vivienne, lady’s maid to an Ariminthian princess, have a tense encounter upon washing up on the same uninhabited island, but the girls call a truce after evading capture by pirates and discover that much of what they’ve been told about the war and their enemies is false. Both resolve to advocate for amity going forward. Their determination is tested, however, when their Ariminthian rescuers blame Cora for the disaster and expect Vivienne to testify against her. Chapters following a Duran covert operative are woven amid Cora and Vivienne’s alternating narration. While survival initially comes too easy for the marooned duo and Vivienne at first lacks Cora’s complexity, patient readers will be rewarded with shocking reveals and conniving court intrigue. Most characters cue as white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary. (Sept.)