THE CELESTIAL SEAS

Ishara Ming is the sole survivor of the Essex, a spacefaring whaler destroyed by the legendary Ballena. Left with a damaged memory chip and a missing arm, Ishara has vowed to avenge the twenty-three lives lost to the rogue Mech-Operated Bio-Integrated Spacecraft (MOBIS), an autonomous spacecraft containing an intricate blend of mechanical hardware and code-controlled bacteria.

To take on the Ballena, Ishara assembles a crew of capable misfits, including her first mate, Quinn, the girl who makes Ishara's heart stumble over its own beats. Quinn has always believed in her, even when the rest of the system thinks she's a delusional captain who hallucinated the Ballena.

That is, until Augustus, a handsome ship mech with his own reasons for revenge, convinces Ishara to let him join the crew. He's armed with a specialized tracking system Ishara can't refuse, but there's something familiar about him she can't quite shake. Torn between Quinn's cautious guidance and Augustus's encouragement, Ishara issues increasingly risky orders. But one too many brushes with death will force her to choose between her newfound family or the vow to avenge her old one - and the two closest to her she can't help but fall for.

Inspired by Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, this retelling brings a much-needed modern update to a beloved classic.

T. A. Chan grew up in New Hampshire, attended school in Philadelphia, then settled in California. With a passion for anything that is wonderfully weird, science fiction and fantasy quickly become her favorite genres to play in. She enjoys crafting character-focused stories that explore the human experience, as well as plots that twist and challenge expectations. Her insatiable curiosity of the natural world and technology inspires much of her writing. When she's not typing away on her laptop, she's probably snuggling with her dog, drinking boba, hiking, or working on the next Mars mission.