A history-bending tale that intelligently blends action, suspense, ingenuity, and clever banter.
Rhett might be young, but his observant nature, unrelenting curiosity, and constantly churning mind keep inexperience from getting in his way. And it’s a good thing because Rhett is suddenly propelled from second mate of the airship Red Queen to completely out of a job. Once a ship flying some of the land’s finest pirates, the Red Queen is commandeered after the crew plunders the wrong airship. Being the pirate that he is, Rhett escapes the hostile takeover with a little more than his life. Low on coin and out of options, he hopes the unassuming box pilfered before his hasty departure might be the big treasure he needs to start over. The box is a mystery to Rhett, but not to Arxas corporation or the ruthless mercenary hired to reclaim the coveted prize. These influential men know the box is more than an object of religious veneration, a quick payday, or a clever puzzle to be solved, and they have deep pockets funding them. Still, Rhett is tenacious, even in the face of incredibly long odds. The box’s true value may be unclear to him, but when he sees an opportunity, this enterprising young man takes it. The stakes are high and possession of the box is crucial, but Rhett finds out there is a lot more than a square-shaped trinket left for him to lose.
Like a one-way mirror reflecting our own fiscally driven political landscape, Red Queen: Skies of Freedom yokes readily procurable politicians to big business, generating dramatic consequences. With never-before-conceived innovations that could have been standard fare if history had played out differently, Reynolds presents a tilted version of reality that reads like a glitzy alternate timeline where pirates rule the skies. Conflicts between the Continental Republic and the Southern Union play out like the evening news, adding an element of chilling familiarity. Enduring all these political maneuvers is Rhett, a likable character who finds himself getting his first dose of real-world experience. When he finally gets his nose out of a textbook, what he learns are some tough lessons and the need to adapt. Other characters have a detrimental fascination with devotionals of all sorts and this subtle theme of religiosity is woven throughout the story, as is the blurred line between political favors, policymaking, and lucrative business deals. Avast ye book lovers and adventurers alike, Red Queen: Skies of Freedom is a history-bending tale that intelligently blends action, suspense, ingenuity, and clever banter into a wildly successful novel.
