Nar may have passed her Test of Bravery, but the danger is just starting. After completing the first half of her pirate training at Islanda Nylar, Nar should be relieved that a dangerous enemy is dead and another is subdued. But of course it's not that simple, for another, even more dangerous foe lives. And Nar's deathly magic just might be the key to the most powerful and dangerous treasure in the world. Whoever gains it will have control over the land and seas. So much for slipping away and controlling her own destiny. Kale's not helping with that decision, either. His mixed signals to Nar are beyond frustrating, and she may not escape without leaving everything and everyone she cares about. If she stays, Nar may have to learn about her own past, which she'd rather leave undiscovered... Can Nar stop the enslavement of the world, and sacrifice everything she holds dear to do it?

Nar has spent her seventeen years as an orphan slave with a secret: she has the touch of death. Scarred by her lack of control and accidental murders, Nar won’t dare make friends or reveal the truth to anyone. Only her dreams of escape keep her going. Instead, she gets kidnapped by a handsome pirate: Captain Kallen Shoskan, the son of the pirate king. And upon seeing her talents, he orders her to Islanda Nylar, where former slaves and runaways train for a life of sailing and plundering. It looks like freedom. It sounds like freedom. But Kallen is her personal tutor and trainer, in charge of her progress. Nar is the first recruit with deathly magic in centuries. But becoming a pirate will mean delivering more death, and Nar’s had enough of that. Even if Kallen is witty, protective, and bears his own tormented past. But if she fails her training, a savage captain will make her worse than a slave. To avoid a horrific fate, she’ll need to trust Kallen, pass her tests, and face her own darkness.

Time is running out. Can Nar and Kale stop the worst pirate of all from seizing the gods' treasure? After an explosive secret threatens to rip Nar and Kale apart, Nar and her fellow pirate recruits must race to stop Vulgan from reaching the Divine Treasure first. Whoever obtains the treasure will achieve world domination. In fact, nothing looks good right now. The pirate king blames them for crimes they didn't commit, but to catch up to Vulgan, they're going to need his help. Nar must entrench herself, and Kale, deeper into the pirate life and leading the pirate king straight to the treasure as well. Nothing can go wrong with that. But Nar's worst struggle comes from within. What's her true nature? Can she only bring pain to others? And is she doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past?

"... books are machines for reading"--P. 161.

Thinking About Literacy discusses the literacy of children in the infant years. The author takes the view that the child is an active learner when he/she arrives in school, and that it is the school's job to build on what the child already knows. The book addresses issues such as spelling, writing, and children talking and writing about moral matters. It has an optimistic view of the potential of children to surprise us with their language and emphasises that literacy is for life, not just for an hour.

Boris von der Borch is a mean, greedy old pirate--tough as nails, through and through, like all pirates. Or is he? When a young boy sneaks into Boris' ship, he discovers that Boris and his mates aren't quite what he expected! Full color.