The Wicked Bargain
El Diablo is in the details in this Latinx pirate fantasy starring a transmasculine nonbinary teen with a mission of revenge, redemption, and revolution--now in paperback! On Mar León de la Rosa's sixteenth birthday, el Diablo comes calling. Mar is a transmasculine nonbinary teen pirate hiding a magical ability to manipulate fire and ice. But their magic isn't enough to reverse a wicked bargain made by their father, and now el Diablo has come to collect his payment: the soul of Mar's father and the entire crew of their ship. When Mar is miraculously rescued by the sole remaining pirate crew in the Caribbean, el Diablo returns to give them a choice: give up their soul to save their father by the harvest moon, or never see him again. The task is impossible--Mar refuses to make a bargain, and there's no way their magic is a match for el Diablo. Then Mar finds the most unlikely allies: Bas, an infuriatingly arrogant and handsome pirate--and the captain's son; and Dami, a gender-fluid demonio whose motives are never quite clear. For the first time in their life, Mar may have the courage to use their magic. It could be their only redemption--or it could mean certain death.
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Community Reviews
The Wicked Bargain
This exquisitely written pirate tale has magic and lots of adventure. Mar is a motherless, 16 year old pirate, their papa is the captain of the ship and Mar holds a dark secret within their body. Magia is the powerful magic that allows Mar to wield fire and ice and if religious, overly superstitious people were to find out they would execute Mar. Mar is also transgender and nonbinary which is part of their identity, but not a pivotal part of the story. Because Mar came into the world not breathing their papa makes a deal with el Diablo, his soul for Mar’s life. After sixteen years of successful pirating el Diablo turns up again looking for the soul he was promised. Mar’s life is a literal shipwreck, but they find friends and allies in the most unusual places. This story is beautiful, the writing, the characters and the historical nod to the queer and Latinx people that existed throughout time.
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