From the Queen's Kindle

This novelette is a thing of beauty.

It tells a more compelling tale in 30 pages than many a full-length novel.

A girl, disguised as a boy, who ran away to sea.

This book is not shy with same-gender relationships, something I've not come across often in stories of sea voyages (which I admittedly have not read many of).

It does not shy away either, from the risks that the main character is taking as a female masquarading as male on board a ship at sea.

 

Gareth, you must treat her only as your friend, and you must never, ever tell anyone else her secret.”

“Aye,” Gareth said, laughing, “or the captain will propose marriage to her, as happens in all the ballads, and we know our Peg will never marry.”

“The captain might do a great deal worse than that, and so might his men.”

(show spoiler)

 

 

She’d given me a bag of herbs before I left. “If you’re forced, Peg, make this into tea and drink it. You’ll get sick, but if a baby’s started, it will stop.”

(show spoiler)

 

 

And then of course, there is a storm and a shipwreak :D

In a nutshell, this was startlingly lovely, and I highly recommend it.It can be found for free reading here: http://www.tor.com/stories/2013/07/homecoming