The Sea Spirit Festival by Claudie Arseneault

Fate and friendship brought Horace, Rumi, Keza, and Aliyah together in Rumi’s sentient self-propelling wagon. They seek the forest haunting Aliyah’s dream, hoping for answers about the elf’s past and unique abilities—but first, they need to traverse a world haunted by Fragments, dangerous shards that can possess travellers. Their journey has brought them to Alleaze, a coastal city from which they hope to book passage across the ocean. But Alleaze’s regular life has stopped, giving way to the excitement of the Sea Spirit Festival, a weeks-long event. Forcefully grounded, the Wagon crew is more than happy to partake in the local festivities, brimming with games, seaside delicacies, and legends about the Bay. But the Festival is more than one big celebration: it is a crucial time during which the Bay’s Spirit guides its residents to their new life path and chooses a Storm Catcher, a divine hero meant to revitalize the Spirit’s strength. When the Festival winds down and no Storm Catcher has been chosen, panic washes over Alleaze and the Wagon crew finds itself embroiled in the subsequent chaos. In order to help Alleaze find its local hero and be allowed to sail out, they will need to confront the truth behind the legend of the Sea Spirit—and survive it.

Adult • Fantasy/Epic and High • Fantasy • Diversity Representation/LGBTQ+/Own Voices • Fantasy/Cozy, Low, Mundane, and Slice of Life

Content Warning: Forced eating (festival food contest)