Kestrel, the pirate who can whistle up the wind, returns in book two of the *Mad Kestrel* series. Captain Kes will defy the king, gamble with her friends' lives, and run the risk of capture by evil mages to get her hands on the magical knowledge so long denied to her. Kestrel, the King's Privateer, is preparing to wait out the annual storm season when she receives an unexpected royal order to capture and deliver a rare creature for the king's menagerie. Before she can weigh anchor, news reaches Kestrel of a long-ago friend in desperate need of help-in the opposite direction. Almost as bad, her ship may be haunted by something big, loud, and terrifying. She crosses paths with an enigmatic woman who claims to know the secrets of Kestrel's magic and offers a bargain. If Kestrel takes her home to the Continent, an ocean away, she'll reveal the mysteries Kestrel has longed all her life to know. The temptation of answers endangers her crew and might ruin her privateer status. Worse, taking on this passenger could thrust her into the clutches of the ever-watchful Danisoban mages who lie in wait for her to make the perfect mistake. Every decision is fraught with danger. Each wrong turn may mean her death or the death of her crew. And Kes can walk away from none of them.