When the Sea Is Rising Red

Gr 8 Up—Felicita and Ilven are members of Pelimburg's elite ruling class, permitted to practice limited magic under the city's strict rationing of the enchanted arts. Seeking to escape an arranged marriage, Ilven throws herself from the seaside cliffs. Doomed to the same matrimonial fate, Felicita runs away and, disguised, takes refuge in the slums of Old Town. Here, she befriends Dash and his ragtag band of misfits, becomes infatuated with the vampire Jannik, and loses her pre-conceived prejudices. For the first time, Felicita experiences a hint of happiness. But Ilven's watery suicide has cursed Pelimburg, unleashing an ancient and destructive magic that will not be reined in—and Dash hopes to manipulate this primal power to begin a revolution. Only a human sacrifice will save the town from the dangers that crawl from the tide. And when this time comes, Felicita will be forced to make the hardest decision of her life. Her world is exquisitely rendered, from the harsh beauty of Old Town to the splendor of Jannik's existence, and characters leap from the pages. Saturating every element of the story is the salt-tinged aura of the sea. Hellisen's captivating debut will haunt readers.—Alissa J. LeMerise, Oxford Public Library, MI