Lintang dreams of escaping her island home and having adventures on the high seas. She gets her chance when she and her best friend, Bayani, face a deadly mythie and survive, attracting the attention of the infamous Captain Shafira. Lintang’s bravery earns her an invitation onto the ship of the pirate queen, who is on her way to hunt down a nest of vicious sirens. But they’ve barely left the island when Lintang discovers that Bayani has risked his life to stow away. Worse, he won’t tell her why. Lintang must choose whether to be loyal to Captain Shafira and continue with her adventures, or be loyal to her best friend and lose everything she’s ever wanted.

The time has come to visit the forbidden island of Allay. But first Lintang needs to find her captain, and it seems the only way to get to the Winda is to join - then escape - the Vierzan navy. Only then will Captain Shafira set sail for Allay, where the crew of the Winda must uncover what really happened to the country's missing ruler. When disaster strikes, and Lintang is separated from her captain again, she and her friends must sneak through the heart of Allay, battle terrifying new mythies and overcome Captain Shafira's enemies to return to where they belong. Lintang was left behind once. She won't let it happen again.

A prophecy has been spoken. A monster has awoken. As the conquering hold of the United Regions continues to spread, time is running out for Lintang, Captain Shafira and the crew of the Winda to find allies in their quest for peace. But when they arrive in war-torn Kaneko Brown, the local rebels are too scared to help. The Vierzans have summoned a category ten mythie that devours the star of anyone who dares stand against them. Worse, the mythie has been prophesied to mean the end of Captain Shafira. Lintang must find a way to stop the most dangerous mythie in the guidebook . . . or she'll lose her beloved captain forever.