Children of the Starry Sea — Joe Vasicek

Tradition decrees that he must leave his homeworld forever, but destiny has other plans.From the moment Isaiah Edeni was born, the course of his life was sealed. As the firstborn son of a star wanderer, tradition decrees that he must leave his beloved homeworld aboard his father's starship, never to return. As the time for his departure draws closer, Isaiah grapples with the overwhelming weight of leaving behind all that he has ever known: the breathtaking natural beauty of his homeworld, the familiar faces he has grown up with, and his longtime childhood crush who only sees him as a friend. How can he bear the thought of leaving them all behind to venture into the great unknown?Little does he know that outside events will soon overwhelm his peaceful home. A mysterious woman and her son arrive from the Gaian Empire, seeking refuge from a band of infamous pirates thought to have been killed in the frontier wars. Unbeknownst to the colonists, these ruthless marauders have resurfaced from the shadows of the past and will stop at nothing until the witch queen is dead.With time running out, Isaiah must unravel the truth behind the enigmatic witch queen in order to defeat the invaders. But ultimately, the only way to save his home is to do the one thing he dreads more than anything: leave it, possibly forever.