Along the Saltwise Sea

Baker (a pseudonym for Seanan McGuire) is creating a series for those who read Oz and wanted more from it. Avery and Zib, having escaped from the King of Cups, learned that the Queen of Wands has, in fact, disappeared. The whole of the Up-and-Under is in danger--a season gone missing is a disaster waiting to happen. First, the Improbable Road, asked nicely, delivers them to a wishing well so they might have water; with a little unexpected assistance from a helpful kelp, they lose the road and find an empty cottage with beds and a garden filled with fruit. The garden belongs to someone, of course: a pirate captain who requires their service in order to repay her for the use of her property. Each of our four travelers learns something about who they are in the course of service on the pirate ship, and--as is expected in a story like this--they also stumble over secrets and trip into changing the expected narrative. The children are still a long way from their goal, but this chapter is a wonderful addition to their story.