Tess sets out a sea-faring adventure to stop a war in the latest fantasy novel from New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hartman.
Tess has a mission from the Queen: sail across the oceans to the bottom of the world and prevent a war. Unbeknownst to the Queen, Tess also intends to find the last World Serpent — a once-mythical creature with the magical ability to heal her best friend Pathka from a life-threatening injury. Tess never was one to follow the rules and this self-assigned mission feels like her duty, her calling, her destiny.
Destiny has other ideas.
When someone from Tess's past makes a surprise return, old wounds are cracked open, throwing her mission — both the Queen's and Tess's personal agenda — into complete disarray. What's more, Tess's personal pain is intertwined with a history greater than her own and the mending of it threatens the delicate balance of the entire Southlands. Tess was sent on this journey to prevent a war, but she may be starting one of her own.