Publication Date: November 4, 2025
A war-scarred mage. A sentient ship. A secret that could drown empires.
When Ensign Bluemage Honor Renn is rescued from the wreckage of her first naval post, she expects death or disgrace. Instead, she wakes aboard the Touchstone, a mythic vessel whispered of in dockside ballads and royal war rooms alike. With a crew of misfits. A mysterious, elven captain. And a mission tied to the Dreadwall, the crumbling barrier that has kept the Overland and Nethersea from open war for a hundred years.
But the tragedy that sank her last ship didn’t just take lives—it left something behind.
Now Renn carries a secret everyone wants. A magik that’s chimeric, arcane…and slowly killing her. But the captain’s mission may be her only chance to survive, even if he still doesn’t trust her.
Caught between privateers, princes, and spies, Renn knows each choice could sink her future—or set the sea on fire.
Ship of Spells is perfect for readers who crave the raw grit of Arya Stark, the world-building of Samantha Shannon, and the slow-burn tension of enemies who should never trust or want each other.
In the aftermath of a sea battle, a stubborn, inexperienced mage finds her fledgling magik has transformed into something unexpected.
Ship of Spells takes readers deep into a world created through author H. Leighton Dickson’s imagination, combining nature and sailing the high seas.
Coming in at a meaty 400 pages, the romantasy takes readers on an adventure aboard a mythic ship with an eclectic crew of creatures. There’s even a faint touch of Game of Thrones with the Dreadwall, which has separated the Overland and Nethersea.
Ensign Bluemage Honor Renn gets caught up in the Touchstone’s mission thanks to her new magik, but she’s in a place where trust doesn’t come easy—especially when it comes to the ship’s enigmatic captain.
Ship of Spells leans heavily on fantasy elements to create an epic tale full of adventure.
H. Leighton Dickson lives on the north shore of Lake Superior where the winters are long, and the forest is at her back door. A self-confessed naturalist, world traveler and science geek, she writes full time and is the author of over ten novels. When she is not chasing dogs, cats, foxes or grandchildren, Heather also works with several not-for-profit orgs to showcase the arts and culture of Northwestern Ontario.
