Returning to the world of Stormwrack where she set the tor.com story "Among the Silvering Herd," A.M. Dellamonica offers a new story that takes us deeper into this fascinating world, the site of her new fantasy novel Child of a Hidden Sea.
The Fleet, integral to the governing of a world that is mostly water sprinkled with a number of islands, must deal with a unique form of magic, Inscribing, which is so subtle that its effects can sometimes only be known in retrospect. When a ship of the fleet visits an island where scripping is common, the crewmembers of the sailing vessel Nightjar are at a disadvantage when faced with local matters of which they know little or nothing at all. Strangers on the shore, indeed, they may enjoy the local customs ... but also may attract unwonted attention that could cost them more than embarrassment or money ...
The Castello di Putti has a suggestive sound to it, but don't be deceived. This is a story of civil strife, of culture shock, and ultimately of the risks and rewards of naval duty. Filled with Dellamonica's fresh, inventive world building and the joie de vivre of a society in flux, it shows a side of Stormwrack very different from what she presented in the previous tale.
