The day 16-year-old Azria completes her training as a mage, her ship-captain mother offers her a life of riches and adventure if she joins her crew. For Azria, it's a chance to prove that she is the greatest of Mizrian mages; unravel the secrets surrounding her parents' lives; and discover the mysterious connections between her family, the mage war, and the gods. The good ship Hen and Chick sails between islands and people who are diverse and distinct, led into incredible adventures by a powerful, capable, brown-skinned mother-daughter team. At points, the description of the world and its cast of complex characters are reminiscent of Nalo Hopkinson's Brown Girl in the Ring (1998) and The Chaos (2012). In this first volume of the Hen & Chick series, Tarwater creates a richly imagined fantasy world thrumming with adventure, successfully kick-starting the story of a young woman who may become the greatest mage her world has ever known.