"The Vestrit family's liveship, Vivacia, has been taken by Kennit, an ambitious pirate. Captain Haven is a prisoner; his son Wintrow, who bears the Vestrit blood, finds himself competing with Kennit for Vivacia's love as she becomes a pirate ship. Althea Vestrit, in training to become Vivacia's captain, arrives home to discover her beloved ship lost. Brashen Trell, her old friend and shipmate, proposes that they sail to Vivacia's rescue in the liveship Paragon, who has lost two previous crews and is believed mad. Malta, Althea's niece, seeks help from her suitor, the Rain Wild Trader Reyn, whose family is the Vestrit's major creditor. Meanwhile, the sea serpents who follow sailing ships struggle to remember their history and return to their place of transformation." - product description.