What would have been a routine shopping trip with her father and sister turns into something much more for Neta Ragnor when she finds herself kidnapped to a pirate ship belonging to one of the most nefarious captains. With no choice but to settle in for the journey at sea, Neta explores the ship while thinking about her future escape and wondering about the variety of people she sees living happily onboard. Soon, cabin boy Elmoore Nash befriends her and makes it his mission to aid her in finding her place among the people of this entirely new world she has been swept into.

Before long, Captain Freth and his ragtag family of pirates initiate Neta into their crew, a band of eccentric people who have come together each for their own reasons. She is told of the crew’s next mission, a compass of magic, learns of a runaway princess who seems a bit too familiar, and uncovers a traitor amongst them.

An expedition is set, and a traitor has been caught by the water…