‘Clementine’ is
the new name of the ‘Free Crow’, the recently stolen air ship of Captain
Croggon Hainey. It’s making its way across the United States, carrying something heavy to a
sanitarium in the east. Hainey, escaped slave and air pirate, is chasing it in
the airship that he stole in turn, the Valkyrie, and has found himself the
unwilling partner of Maria Isabella Boyd- Belle Boyd- former Confederate spy,
former actress, and currently a Pinkerton agent – and, by the way, an actual
historical person. Belle’s job is to see to it that the ‘Clementine’ makes it
safely to the east and to capture Captain Hainey if possible; Hainey just wants
his air ship back. But something is definitely wrong about the story Belle has
been told, and temporarily teaming up with Hainey looks to be the best way to
find out what’s going on.
This is a fast
paced story, trimmed down like a race horse to fit into novella size. Yet
despite the short length and nearly non-stop action, Priest has room to create fleshed
out characters and to address the race relations of the late 1800s (in her
Clockwork Century world, the Civil War is still going on after two decades), where
having Belle, a white Southern woman, and former slave Hainey working and
traveling together is unusual. A word from Belle against Hainey and he’d be
strung up without question; Hainey’s all black crew doesn’t trust Belle and
wants her gone as soon as possible because of this. This gives the short
adventure story an extra tension and depth that many fantasy stories don’t
have.
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