The Black Ship — Diana Pharaoh Francis

Welcome to Crosspointe, the hub of the Inland Sea, where gold runs like water, and the balance of politics shifts uneasily between the monarchy, the majicars, and the Merchants' Guild--a land where dangerous majick courses through the dark waters.

Thorn is a member of the Pilots' Guild, a group composed of those rare, brave souls who possess the magical ability to navigate Crosspointe's deadly seas. But his reason for living is ripped away when a malevolent master within the Guild betrays him and bans him from sailing. Then Thorn is kidnapped and forced to serve aboard a ship --unregistered, unmarked, and pitch-black from bow to stern.

The Eidolon is a cursed vessel, and Thorn finds himself battling a mad captain, a mutinous crew, and the terrifying magic of the sea. And soon a series of strange accidents suggests that there is a saboteur aboard, trying to make sure the Eidolon never arrives safely in port. Thorn begins to realize that his kidnapping may have been no mere chance--and that the cargo the black ship carries may seal his doom.