Orphaned Amanda Kirasdotr is a sailor on the lost planet Goddard. When she rescues a visiting starfarer from drowning, her reward is a trip into orbit. Now she wants to go there again, not easy when the hottest ship on Goddard has three masts and a full set of sails. The shadowy Brotherhood of the Bell realizes that Amanda wants to bring that most dreaded of all menaces, change, to Goddard. They'll do absolutely anything to stop her. Amanda begins with her wits, her determination, and her dory Northstar. She's up against typhoons, pirates, assassins, financial bubbles, starfarer ultratech, and the mythical giant ship-eating squid. Can she beat them all to find the path to her dream?