The Drowned Heir

When her uncle dies at sea, a third child with no place in society undergoes a ceremony to house his spirit and take his role, diminishing the family's loss. But her uncle's spirit hasn't settled the way it's supposed to, and will not content itself with shore-bound business. Her uncle's spirit insists, angrily, that it was not just a storm that killed him and wrecked his ship, not a rogue wave; it was an unthinkably large monster. Then his lover comes knocking with news of an adult son who has set sail along the same shipping lane, and dead uncle and living niece must work together to save a son neither of them knew existed. "Profoundly poetic and infused with fascinating magic and myth, this book spoke to me deeply of the struggle between hereditary duty and the yearning for adventure. Hungry monsters and rogue waves lurk with ill intent below family secrets kept too long. I could taste the salt water in every line -- a triumph of nautical storytelling, as fascinatingly and carefully crafted as a swift ship." —Premee Mohamed, Nebula Award-winning author of And What Can We Offer You Tonight "A compelling maritime fantasy with mythopoeic resonance. Jennifer R Donohue's hypnotic prose mesmerises and grabs the reader by the throat. Easily one of the best books I have read this year." -Nin Harris "Death is only a beginning. A beautiful journey between two worlds bound by ink, blood, and hearts." -E. Catherine Tobler, author of The Necessity of Stars "Jennifer R. Donohue creates a lush and darkly detailed fantasy world full of myth and monsters." -Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki Nebula award winner, multiple Hugo finalist, CanCon & ICFA guest of honour "A dark and richly textured fantasy novella that plunges you headfirst into a captivating and uniquely imagined world full of strange magic and implacable tradition, and where a family's expectations clash with a young woman's soul. Donohue grabs you from the first line and never lets go with a rollicking, beautifully crafted tale where everything, from the tattoos to the ships to the sea itself, are imbued with magic, and where gargantuan monsters lurk beneath the waves..." --Maria Haskins, writer and reviewer