Passage, n.
i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.
ii. A journey by water; a voyage.
iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them—whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home… forever.

book 1 in the Passenger series

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Miranda rated it ★★★★ and said “What a great new series from Bracken! I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going into this one, but it has great world building and the characters are fully develeoped and likeable. Plus the cover is fabulous.

“Etta has spent years preparing for this moment, and now she is ready to start performing. When she overhears her mother and her beloved mentor arguing about her readiness, she is extremely hurt. And then her world falls apart . . . and she is off on an adventure where lives hang in the balance. Discovering that she descends from a long line of time travelers and that she has the ability to travel herself, Etta is thrown into an unfamiliar world of corruption. Who can she trust? How will she save those she loves?

“A great start, though I could have done without the horrible cliff-hanger ending. Now I have to wait forever to find out what happens next!”