Aria of the Sea
core novel 2000 Windward
Record
| First published | 2000 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.86 (741 ratings, collected 2026-11-01) |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780374404543 |
| Internal chronology | 1 |
Synopsis
Thirteen-year-old Cerinthe Gale lives on the island of Normost in the Kingdom of Windward, where she works as a folk healer. When her mother dies despite everything she tries, Cerinthe blames herself and gives up healing. She sails across Windward to audition for the School of the Royal Dancers, a dream she has held for years, and is accepted although she was born a commoner. At the school she faces a cruel teacher, a misunderstanding with a young man, and the scorn of Elliana, a proud, wealthy rival. She also meets a mederi, a skilled healer rumoured to have magical powers, who draws her back toward the craft she abandoned. Cerinthe must decide where her true gift lies, and the Song of the Sea Main holds the key.
Where it sits
- Universe: Windward
- Series: Windward core; position 1 of 2 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Dia Calhoun
Awards (verified)
- Mythopoeic Award (Children's Literature), 2001: won
Notes
- From the series record (Windward): Two stand-alone young-adult fantasy novels sharing the Kingdom of Windward, one about a dancer-healer and one retelling the twelve dancing princesses.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings, but they resolve to the exact same sequence for this book, so one combined line is shown instead of two identical ones.
- Reading order, within the series Windward: position 1 of 2: next The Phoenix Dance (2005)
Sources
- Interview with Dia Calhoun
- Publishers Weekly listing (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
- Author site, Aria of the Sea
- Kirkus Reviews
- Mythopoeic Society 2001 awards
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