Spymaster, Book One of the Dragon Corsairs Series, introduces us to a new world from the minds of Margaret Weis and Robert Krammes. It is a world where land masses float in a misty substance called the “Breath.” Vessels fly from port to port transporting people and goods. It is a mystical realm populated with dragons, griffons, wyverns, and magic. But there are other threats to be found. Pirates, salvagers, and privateers all lurk in the mists.

The first thing that caught my eye with Spymaster was Margaret Weis’s name on the cover. Having been a fan of the Dragonlance Chronicles and some of her other books such as Well of Darkness (another collaboration with Tracy Hickman). I wasn’t familiar with Robert Krammes but story sounded interesting so I picked it up.

We are first introduced to a young Kate Fitzmaurice, our heroine, who sails on her father’s airship the Barwich Rose. This isn’t a mundane merchant vessel though. The Rose is a smuggling ship upon which the crew make their living transporting contraband. Kate came to live onboard after her mother passed away and her family lost its fortune, including their ancestral estate. Recovery of her family’s lost home is a driving force for Kate from an early age.

During one “delivery” Kate spies a flight of dragons. Seeing the famed Dragon Brigade, a military unit consisting of dragons and their riders, up close is too tempting. She slips away and sneaks into the the dragon brigade barracks. Kate’s curiosity is almost the end of her when she mistakenly stands in the path of a dragon on approach to land. The dragon and its rider make a last second emergency maneuver that, while saving Kate’s life, results in the dragon being injured in the ensuing crash. The injured dragon, Dalgren, becomes one of Kate’s best friends and confidants.

Weis and Krammes put a unique spin on dragon mythology in this world. Dragons regularly work with humans. Many dragons prefer the company of their own kind but interacting with humans is often necessity. People dealing with dragons must take care so as to not to cause insult to the proud creatures. There are a few, like Dalgren, that enjoy working with and even befriend humans. For some people though even a polite dragon is a threat. In the not too distant past dragons preyed upon the human realms and the risk they could return to this behavior is on the mind of many citizens.

When an unfortunate smuggling endeavor results in the death of her father Kate inherits the Barwich Rose, including the crew, many of which have watch her grow up onboard. They become salvagers seeking out recent wrecks for profit. As we’ll soon see the Breath has its own share of dangers. Enemies can lurk below in the cold darkness and wild electrical storms can blast ships apart.

Here again Weis and Krammes put a unique spin on their world. Land masses are not separated by oceans but instead float in a magical mist called the Breath. Airships are required to “sail” between different islands. This is accomplished by a combination of engineering and magic. People who can weild magic, like Kate, are called “crafters.” Magical helms control the buoyancy of the gases that keep the airships flying as well as driving the airscrews to propel them. During naval battles a sinking vessel will plummet into the cold and dark depths of the Breath. The only chance for survival is there being land somewhere below you.

Kate’s aspirations are greater than a life spent scrounging for wrecked ships. She has dreams of her own, most of which have to do with the lost standing of her family name. But to get by in the present she takes what opportunities come to keep her ship sailing and her crew paid. This includes a fateful decision to share stories of her exploits to a reporter, Amelia Nettleship. In order to get paid and keep a steady stream of revenue coming Kate exaggerated her exploits. Little did she know that the exploits of “Captain Kate and her Dragon Corsairs” became wildly popular. Freyans including many ladies of the gentry followed the adventures of Captain Kate as she outwitted the Rosians!

But with this new fame comes attention. That attention put Kate and her friends in the path of powerful people. While she garnered several enemies she also made several powerful allies.

The furthest thing from the mind of Kate, Dalgren, and the crew would be the fate of the realm. But a few tall tales later and she finds her self embroiled in a dispute for the crown of Freya. Stories in Freya begin to circulated that Prince Tom of Rosia has come forward and claimed to the be the rightful heir of Freya. This claim doesn’t sit well with the Queen of Freya, whose claim to the throne is based on an ancestor overthrowing the sitting king, has no intent of surrendering the crown. Attempts to quash the story fail and tensions between the two kingdoms rise.

The Queen tasks her master of spies, Henry Wallace, to assess the legitimacy of the would be king along with a mission to secure a valuable cargo currently in hands of an ally of Rosia. Having heard the tales of Captain Kate the “pirate.” Henry believes she would be the ideal candidate. She has led several successful raids agains Rosian interests already and has no direct ties to the Freyan government.

Unfortunately this fame also makes Kate the target of the local crime lord named Greenstreet. He wants her to further his own interests which puts her in a dangerous balancing act. Kate sees the potential for a large payoff if she can come out ahead of Sir Henry and Greenstreet.

The story caught my attention as a refreshing spin on the fantasy and steampunk genres. Magic and technology merge to power this new world. From the start I was pulled into the lives of Kate and her friend Dalgren. Dalgren being a refreshing change from your typical fire breathing monstrosity. For reasons that become apparent over the course of the book Dalgren refuses to harm any person. He isn’t above scaring the wits out of rival crews coming to steal the plunder. Afterall, who would dare take on a dragon? Dalgren is a great advantage to Kate and the crew of the Rose as they embark on a successful salvaging career.

Kate is motivated by more than gold which impressed me about her character. She wants to reclaim her family estate and return it to its former glory. But the daughter of a smuggler and a bankrupt mother has little chance at redemption. Fate intervenes when Kate finds an intact wreck of an old warship named the Victorie. While she felt a strong attachment to the ship she inherited from her late father the Victorie was her chance at legitimacy. The vessel will allow her to transport, and more importantly protect, valuable cargo. She could leave the life of salvager behind.

Kate is not alone in her journeys. Besides Dalgren she is surrounded by loyal friends whom she considers family. We meet Akiel a philosophical former streetfighter, skilled in the use of magic, on the run after accidentally killing an opponent in a fight. Then there is Olaf, a sailor who worked for Kate’s father and has known her since birth. Olaf retired from sailing and now runs the Perky Parrot tavern which also serves as a base of operations for Kate.

The twists and turns of Spymaster kept me engrossed in the story. At one point you are following Kate and crew as they recover a wrecked ship and then you are in a meeting where a reluctant prince is pressed to take the crown that is rightfully his. These individual storylines, along with several intriguing subplots and supporting cast, gradually intersect and it becomes apparent all is not well in the realm. And caught in the middle of the maelstrom is Captain Kate who will need to live up to the legend she has become to survive and protect her friends.

If you are looking for a story that involves a mix of magic, steampunk, and subterfuge then I think you will enjoy Spymaster. It isn’t sword and sorcery fantasy where heroes cut down monsters with each turn of the page. But that isn’t to say you will be left longing for action and suspense. Believable characters that you cheer for and villains that will surprise you pack the pages of Spymaster.

Spymaster is the first part of a triology. It’s sequel, Privateer, is in stores now and as of this writing the final book, Kingmaker, will be published soon.

I look forward to your thoughts on the book so please feel free to comment below.

Greytome