Scant years after a terrible war that shook empires, a 600-year-old ship sails for enemy lands and must deal with deadly assassins, treacherous mermaids, and monstrous slavers in order to deliver a young woman whose marriage will seal the peace.
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The first in a four-book fantasy series, The Red Wolf Conspiracy introduces us to a plucky young tarboy, Pazel Pathkendle who soon finds himself working aboard the immense Imperial ship Chathrand. The Chathrand is on a peace mission from the Arquali capital city of Etherhorde to the island of Simja at the edge of the Mzithrin territory. Some forty years previously, the Second Sea War between the Arqualis and Mzithrinis ended. Now, in an effort to broker peace, young Thasha Isiq, the daughter of famed admiral Eberzam Isiq has been promised as a bride to a Mzithrini prince. She's not too happy about it either. Complicating things are sentient animals, a race of hand-size warriors, an insane so-called god-king, and many different plotters with their own agendas. There are battles, escapes, captures, magic, weird creatures, and of course, a conspiracy. This was a fun read. Occasionally the author would suddenly dump a lot of information concerning events happening elsewhere which was a little disorienting and a little too pat, but it's a small quibble. The first half of the book kept me interested, the second half ratchets up the level of action and adventure. I'm looking forward to reading the second book when it comes out in paperback at the end of the year.
