Sword of Fire and Sea

A merchant captain and a priestess stumble into a web of politics, magic, and ambition in this likable high seas fantasy adventure debut. Long ago, the goddess of Chaos was locked away, and most people think that was a good thing. But magic has been fading from the world, children of mixed magical bloodlines have been dying of a mysterious disease, and Capt. Vidarian can hear the goddess begging to be released. Thanks to an accident of heritage, only he can hear and free her%E2%80%94or decide to make her imprisonment eternal. The characters are personable and well written, and the plot moves along almost too quickly, with almost no setting or wider world-building to speak of. The straightforward story will appeal to adult and young adult readers looking for high fantasy without the fancy language or cast of thousands. (June)