by Rebecca Rode
I looked away. He didn’t see it. It wasn’t just the ocean that pulled me. Elena had chosen a brutal, bloody path, true, but that path still had a destination that nobody had reached yet. And at the end of it lay a world far less broken than this one. A world where nations were truly brothers and children were truly free. Where women on the high seas worked as capable partners, not enemies. The dream gripped my mind even now, a chest of treasure just waiting to be won.
Aden turned back to the bay. Captain Dayorn’s ship was clearly visible now against the morning horizon. “I hoped to convince you to stay, but I’m doing a terrible job. It seems there’s just one thing to be done.”
“Which is?”
“Pack. I won’t bring much, but I’m determined to have more to my name than I did last time. It was uncomfortable, wearing the same clothes every day.” He gave a wry grin.
It took a second for the full meaning of his words to register. “You aren’t serious.”
“I’m very serious.”
“But… your country, your family. You’re supposed to protect them.”
“No, the navy is supposed to protect them. The generals. The new advisor. I have more important work to do. I think it involves changing the world, aye?”
I smiled. It did indeed. “You’d best be hurrying back to the palace to say your goodbyes, then, Your Highness. In an hour, I intend to kidnap you.”
“Sounds much more pleasant than the last time I was kidnapped.”
“And after that, perhaps we’ll make a thorough inspection of the crow’s nest.”
He chuckled and kissed me. “There’s nothing I would like more.”
Sometime later, the Bram’s Uncle left the Hughen harbor. There was no fanfare, no party to see us off. Just heavy flapping of canvas around us as we clung to the sides of a wooden box aloft.
As the docks grew smaller behind us and the palace loomed high on the cliffs above, this felt precisely right. Nothing was how I had planned. But as Aden took my face in his hands and lowered his lips to mine, I knew exactly who I was.
And soon, the world would know it too.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My name may be on the cover, but don’t think for a second that Tides of Mutiny is the product of one person. The truth is that Lane’s story was shaped by dozens of talented individuals who believed in me, gently (and sometimes not so gently) guided me in the right direction, and kicked me in the pants when I felt overwhelmed with the possibility of yet another rewrite. Every single one of them deserves to share that cover space.
Without my Pitch Wars mentor, critique partner, and friend Abigail Johnson, this book would still be a jumbled mess on my laptop. She plucked it out of the Pitch Wars pile and took us both on a ride that would change my life forever. Thanks, Abigail! I’m so happy that we get to cheer each other on through this wild ride of a career.
I’m so grateful that my incredible agent, Kelly Peterson, decided to take a chance on this over-the-top perfectionist of an author. (Kelly, I added more horses just for you.)
I’m over-the-moon happy that JIMMY Patterson editor Caitlyn Averett saw the potential in Lane’s story and kept pushing me until I saw it too. (Caitlyn—kitties!) And I’m thankful that we found an enthusiastic champion in Regan Winter at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Loads of gratitude to the JIMMY and LBYR teams who made Tides polished and beautiful. Copyediting, formatting, cover design, and marketing are tough jobs, and I will love you forever for your tireless dedication.
Special thanks to my author friend Jennifer Moore, who combed through Tides to make sure my ship details weren’t too far off (which they were, but she helped with that too). I also appreciate that sweet library research assistant who helped me find some of my favorite historical details way back in 2017, whose name I stupidly forgot to write down, as well as my deaf sensitivity reader (who wished to remain unnamed) for ensuring I represented the queen accurately and well. Heidi Brockbank and Sabine Berlin, thanks for your editorial notes on a very early and extremely rough draft and especially for begging to know more about Lane’s world.
I’m the luckiest writer in the world to work with amazing critique group members Adrienne Monson, Karen Pellett, Roxy Haynie, Angela Brimhall, Karyn Patterson, Mary King, Ruth Craddock, Lindzee Armstrong, Darren Hansen, LaChelle Hansen, Nichole Eck, and David Powers King. They somehow managed to avoid grumbling each time I submitted a new first chapter of this book. (And there were a lot of those. Sorry, guys.)
Big thanks to my father-in-law, Hugh Rode, who read an early version and became its first fan. Much love to my parents, Brad and Lisa, who planted the seeds of creative hunger inside me and have become my loudest cheerleaders. Thanks to my stepmom, Gayle, for buying copies of my books for every room in the house “just in case.” A gentle hug to my sister, Kalimba, for whom the past two years have been extra hard but who managed to read and encourage anyway. Love you, sis. You should totally write that book.
To Mike & Ike candies—you sustained me through the publishing roller coaster, but my waistline says it’s time for a break. I’m sure I’ll return to the comfort of your sugary perfection very soon.
To my girl—you are brilliant and fierce. Your dreams matter. Keep fighting for them.
To my boys—embrace adventure, never stop reading, and listen to those big, wonderful hearts of yours. They’re usually right.
To my husband—this book exists because of you and we both know it. May every girl be lucky enough to find a prince like you.
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REBECCA RODE
is an award-winning author of YA fantasy and science fiction that stars fierce girls crushing societal barriers. Her work has appeared on the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. She lives in the Rocky Mountains with her family, two cats, overflowing bookshelves, and nerdy sock collection. Learn more about her books at AuthorRebeccaRode.com.
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