The Orchid Queen

Nineteen-year-old Maktai lives in the secluded paradise of his island village. Surrounded by a boundless ocean and an untamed jungle, he and his fellow islanders are far removed from the outside world. All of that changes with two momentous arrivals. The first of these comes in the form of a girl with pale skin, green eyes, and fiery hair. Her surprise appearance is nearly as bizarre as her inability to speak. Chief Elder Yungo, Maktai's patriarchal grandfather, is wildly skeptical of all things foreign and mysterious. Despite the chief's passionate warnings, the outsider is soon welcomed into the tribe with open arms. Maktai is drawn to the newcomer more strongly than he has ever been drawn to any of the native girls. When his grandfather forbids him from seeking her affection, Maktai disobeys like any rebellious teenager would, determined to follow his heart. But he soon witnesses the green-eyed girl perform a mystical act that defies everything he thought possible. Observing stealthily from afar, Maktai's grandfather is also in audience to the girl's inexplicable bout of sorcery. When Chief Elder Yungo advocates burning the sorceress on a pyre for the threat she poses, Maktai is torn between defending her and protecting his people. Fanning the flames of uncertainty, the second arrival brings three seafarers to the island. Adam Brite hails from London, where he has amassed considerable wealth through dealings in the burgeoning fur trade. After setting sail on a grand expedition for treasure with Samantha and David, his two children, Adam finds their vessel set upon by a fierce storm and dastardly pirates. As a last resort, the trio abandons ship to flee in a rowboat, though whether or not they will be safer on the isle where they seek refuge remains to be seen....