The Devourer - by Alison Ames (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Adrasteia Dantes always knew she'd be a pirate captain. She just didn't know she'd be seventeen years old when it happened.

Adra takes the helm of the Worldeater after her half brother Cameron attacks their father and steals a priceless treasure map. Now, the young captain has only one desire: revenge. She will restore her father's honor by killing her brother, reclaiming the map he stole, and finding the legendary treasure at the grave of the first pirate king.

But when Adra discovers her brother's ship destroyed and his crew dead--spare a sole survivor--she learns there's something lurking in the sea that's killing pirates, taking entire ships down with ease. Adra takes the surviving girl prisoner in hopes of tracking down Cameron, but no one will survive to see the treasure if they don't find and stop the Devourer first.

If Adra wants to save her ship, she'll have to strike a deal to help the Devourer reclaim something that was taken from her long ago. But it seems that their individual quests for vengeance might be leading them to the same end. . . .

Review Quotes

"[O]ne heck of a tale. [...] [Adra's] quest eschews common hallmarks of the revenge narrative. [...] Everything becomes funneled through Adra's powerful and consuming anger, and Ames uses both the ship and the vast infinity of the ocean in which it travels as brilliant symbols for the central concept."
--BCCB, starred review

"A swashbuckling, Sapphic fantasy on the high seas."
--Kirkus Reviews

"A humorously antagonistic romance between the two pirate captains brightens a dark narrative exploring the things that happen when humanity is stripped from us [...]. [Adra's] swashbuckling adventures should be a first purchase for collections where pirate tales are popular."
--Booklist

"The perfect blend of high adventure and eerie, impactful horror, anchored by a standout main character and Ames' glittering prose, The Devourer is one of my favorite reads of the year."
--Rory Power, New York Times bestselling author of Wilder Girls and Burn Our Bodies Down

About the Author