A smart, emotionally anchored fantasy that favors depth over dazzle.
In Connelly’s sharp, sea-steeped debut, a boy pulled from the waves must earn his place in a world that doesn’t wait for the unprepared. Seventeen-year-old Finn Tempest has always felt the sea calling, but when a sentient ship from the legendary Starweaver Academy chooses him as captain, the call becomes a command. Thrust into a world of ghost ships, cutthroat crews, and runes pulsing with old power, Finn must lead before he’s ready.
The early chapters trade high-stakes fantasy for something quieter: salt air, fishing nets, crab traps, and the warmth of a home that isn’t Finn’s by blood but is his all the same. These grounded moments make the book’s later magic hit harder. When Finn boards the Starweaver, it’s not a break from the world he knew. It’s a reckoning with everything he thought he wanted.
Connelly writes with clarity and restraint. His prose is smooth, occasionally lyrical but never showy. The lore is rich but never over-explained, hinting at deeper histories beneath the surface. This isn’t a chosen-one fantasy dressed up in seafoam. Connelly resists the urge to mythologize too quickly. Finn is no prodigy: he’s observant, hesitant, shaped by quiet resilience and small kindnesses. His leadership is earned moment by moment, mistake by mistake. Lena is a compelling foil to Finn’s quieter nature, and their chemistry hints at deeper interpersonal dynamics to be explored in later volumes. While the plot leaves several threads open (runes with uncertain origins, a prophecy steeped in sacrifice, a ship that might think for itself) it ties enough together to feel complete.
A strong start to a series that’s bound to sail far.
Pub date February 19, 2025
ISBN 979-8310940673
Price $21.99 (USD) Hardcover, $13.99 Paperback, $4.99 Kindle edition
