Midnight on the Celestial - by Julia Alexandra (Hardcover)

About the Book

After failing her trial to keep her magic, eighteen-year-old spirit-summoner Roe boards the luxurious Celestial to earn a retrial, navigating treacherous colleagues, dark supernatural dangers, and a sinister conspiracy while fighting to uncover the ships secrets and reclaim her power.

Book Synopsis

Roe Damarcus has never been afraid of the dead. Her power to summon spirits has awed the guests of her esteemed family's galas for as long as she can remember. Her future is certain, and her gift will be another shining jewel in the Damarcus legacy.

But when she fails her realm's trial to keep her magic and is deemed too dangerous for society, she faces a harrowing choice: give up her gift or serve a punishment sentence aboard the Celestial, a luxurious magical cruise ship where staff members compete for guest votes to earn a coveted retrial.

As a concierge, Roe juggles the demands of affluent guests, cruel bosses, and the suspicion that an infuriatingly handsome silks performer, Ivander, is determined to keep her from a retrial.

But the true dangers surface after her shift ends when the Celestial transforms into halls of nightmares that kill staff members after dark. Faced with the reality of serving aboard, Roe begins to question the ship, trials, and the system that put her there. But the moment Roe sinks into the ship's dark history, she's wrongly framed for a guest's murder. Vowing to conjure her own second chance, Roe will use whatever power she has to uncover the secrets of the ship, her family, and their entwined bloody past... before she becomes the Celestial's next victim.

Review Quotes

"The novel moves quickly, creating mystery and suspense with each chapter.. readers who enjoy fantasy novels will love this new addition to the genre." --School Library Journal

"Those who enjoy their fantasy darker, where magic and shadows twist in equal measure, will find Alexandra's ability to craft an expansive world captivating." --Booklist

"Colorful, concrete worldbuilding accompanies the fast, evenly paced action.. A theatrical stand-alone escape" --Kirkus Review

"A spellbinding debut." --Publishers Weekly

"I devoured Midnight on the Celestial like a five-star buffet on a haunted cruise ship. Never have I read anything like this glittering, gothic debut. Alexandra threads silk and horror into every scene, spinning a decadent critique of wealth, power, and the consequences of spectacle. I couldn't look away." --Mikayla Bridge, author of Of Flame and Fury

"Vivid and captivating! Exquisite horror haunts the halls of the Celestial cruise ship, where nothing is as it seems. Alexandra enchants with dark secrets and a simmering mystery that kept me gasping all the way to the last page." --Leslie Vedder, bestselling author of The Bone Spindle trilogy

"Darkly magnetic and twisty, Midnight on the Celestial sweeps you onboard its titular ship and won't set you free. Alexandra exquisitely weaves mystery, class prejudice, found family, and romance into her compelling heroine's unravelling of a dangerous secret. A propulsive debut that will have readers turning the pages long past midnight." --Shalini Abeysekara, Sunday Times bestselling author of This Monster of Mine

"Welcome aboard the most deliciously immersive ride you'll never want to end. Midnight on the Celestial has everything you could want. Dazzling magic, swoony romance, tension-filled mystery, and hints of horror. Julia Alexandra has crafted an enchanting debut." --Dana Swift, author of Cast in Firelight

"An imaginative tale about the difference between having power and hoarding it, Midnight on the Celestial combines a spirited heroine, a spooky ship, and a skilled found family into an immersive and unique debut adventure you need on your shelves." --Kamilah Cole, Lodestar Award finalist and bestselling author of the Divine Traitors duology

About the Author

JULIA ALEXANDRA lives in Orlando, Florida with her best friend, who also happens to be her twin sister. Julia can be found writing writing fantasy stories with magic, danger, and chaotic found families. She is passionate about mental health and is grateful to have writing on her own mental health journey. Julia writes for those who find magical worlds a comforting escape from their own. She enjoys reading, collecting too many stuffed animals, and writing to fantasy orchestral music.