Book excerpt: A typhoon’s wrath can be weathered with friends. Olenka is running away, and nothing is going to stop her: not monks, not monsoons, not even the crushing depths of the ocean itself. For too long she’s been dreaming of a life on the high seas, somewhere far beyond the temple’s suffocating walls. A sirena’s life filled with mystery and adventure and freedom. But freedom comes at a price. As Olenka quickly learns, the bustling boardwalks of Sotay Wharf harbor more than silks and spices. Wicked things haunt these waters: hungry sharks searching for careless minnows. If she’s going to have a chance of navigating these treacherous straits, she’ll need a crew. An experienced crew. But experience also comes at a price. Clueless and afraid, Olenka stumbles into Daisay, a fast-talking sirena captain, and her ragged band of almost-pirates. With the temple’s bushi tracking her on one end, and a ship of kaizo hunting her on the other, are Daisay’s seasoned spears just the help she needs to survive? Or will the crew’s checkered past add another weave to the net already closing in around them? What readers are saying about Kindred Straits: "I enjoyed the story telling and all the characters. VERY strong female cast ...A gritty adventure and I loved all of it!" —Rae Kaup, Shut Up and Book Up “I really liked this book! ...The main characters were all super interesting…The growth in the main character was great to read…I really loved this story and I'm pretty excited to read more of this series! I love how it can stay a standalone but I'm definitely enjoying everything about it enough to want to learn more.” —StoryGraph Reviewer “I…LOVED…THIS…BOOK! The world building is original, the characters are lively, the plot is engaging, and the writing is awesome!” —StoryGraph Reviewer “I really enjoyed this start to the Daughters of the Storm series … I'm glad I was able to go on this journey and I enjoyed the characters.” —Goodreads Reviewer