In the opening epic novel of The Island of Sylt trilogy by bestselling author Ines Thorn, a young woman must choose between love and poverty, or thrilling adventure and tormented passion. Germany’s North Sea Coast: The Island of Sylt, 1764 Life in the windswept village of Rantum in the North Sea is fraught with peril and hardship. Most families must rely on arranged marriage just to survive. But free-spirited Maren Luersen doesn’t care for riches—her heart belongs to handsome but poor Thies Heinen. He may not have prospects or fortune to offer, but Maren knows their intense love can overcome any obstacle, and she is determined to be his bride. The wealthy and mysterious Captain Rune Boyse has other plans. He shocks Maren with a startling marriage proposal, and even though he can give her family a better life, her love for Thies is too powerful to deny. But when tragedy strikes, she finds herself in debt to the captain and must set sail with him on a dangerous whale hunt—with no promise of a safe return. If Maren survives, will life be the same back on shore? Or will her heart change course somewhere over the icy swells of the Arctic Sea?

In the second epic novel of The Island of Sylt trilogy by bestselling author Ines Thorn, a young woman must fight to clear her family’s name in order to claim her true love. Germany’s North Sea Coast: The Island of Sylt, 1711 It’s the age of whaling and beachcombing, and life is hard on Sylt—especially for women forced to get by on their own. Ever since the death of her parents, Jördis has lived with her grandmother in a simple hut in Rantum. The two of them survive by beachcombing and by secret fortune-telling, using the oracle runes that are a crucial part of the ancient Norse religion. Under the local minister’s skeptical eye, Jördis befriends his daughter, Inge. Jördis confides her love with the young blacksmith, Arjen, to her new friend, only to discover that Inge, too, hopes that Arjen will propose to her. The competition shatters the women’s friendship and puts their families at odds. When a cross falls from the ceiling in the church and a powerful storm hits the island, the minister accuses the “guilty” immediately: Jördis and her grandmother, who he believes are witches. Jördis survives the harsh North Sea by recovering and finding value in what was lost. But can she recover her reputation and find the value in her own life?