PRINCESS OF THE WILD SEA

A princess, a curse, and a pricked finger—but something is different this time.

Harbor Rose, princess of the Lands of Lapistyr, was cursed at her christening by one of her aunts. To keep Harbor and her lands safe from the prophesied war and strife, she was whisked away to Small Island, where she lives with her mother and other magical aunts. Harbor spends her time receiving lessons from her aunts and the island’s townsfolk as well as keeping a close eye on the beach for any items that might have washed up from The Somewhere Else. Then comes Harbor’s 12th birthday: The curse comes to pass, and Peter, a boy from a strange land who doesn’t think he’s much of a hero, arrives. Suddenly, Harbor is the only one who can save her kingdom, her family, and more, as she draws upon the gifts from her aunts and uncovers secrets, some ancient and others much closer to home. Starting with the basic elements of “Sleeping Beauty,” Harbor’s story quickly diverges from the familiar classic, exploring what it means to be a hero, both in our world and in the land of fairy tales. Blakemore blends the fantastic and the mysterious into a fast-paced narrative that still leaves room for the characters to breathe and to wonder. Harbor and Peter are cued White.

An imaginative adventure both familiar and new.