Charles Magnus Ven Polypheme—known as Ven—is the youngest son of a long line of famous shipwrights. He dreams not of building ships, but of sailing them to far-off lands where magic thrives. Ven gets his chance when he is chosen to direct the Inspection of his family's latest ship—and sets sail on the journey of a lifetime.

Attacked by fire pirates, lost at sea and near death, Ven is rescued by a passing ship on its way to the Island of Serendair. Thankful to be alive, little does Ven know that the pirate attack—and his subsequent rescue—may not have been an accident. Shadowy figures are hunting for the famed Floating Island, the only source of the mystical Water of Life. They think Ven can lead them to this treasure and will stop at nothing to get it—even murder….

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• Long-listed, Texas Lone Star Reading List
• Long-listed, Book Sense Children's Pick

Little is known for sure about reclusive documentarianElizabeth Haydon. She is an expert in dead languages and holds advanced degrees in Nain Studies from Arcana College and Lirin History from the University of Rigamarole. Her fluency in those languages has led some to speculate that she may be descended of one of those races herself. She claims to have a husband and children, but again, no one is really sure. Requests for information about her hobbies were returned with the unhelpful comment "everything except toothpaste sculpture."

“A delightful epic fantasy that will attract a readership both older and younger than the target audience.” —Booklist (starred review)

“Haydon's fantastical universe…is filled with fun details, interesting characters, fast-paced adventure, snappy dialogue, and plenty of humor and heart.” —School Library Journal

“Haydon spins a story both warm and thrilling.” —Publishers Weekly