Sky Hawke: Building Steam
Synopsis
Sky Captain Kira Hawke has been running from herself for a long time. She's headstrong, set in her ways, and beyond stubborn. Beneath all of that, however, is a caged bird who longs for freedom from her many troubles. When she finds herself immersed in a dangerous conspiracy, in an alien realm, it's time to stop running. In an effort to repair her badly damaged airship, she enlists the help of a young mechanic by the name of Nikola Tesla, who comes aboard a little too willingly. In a world where loyalty is fleeting, Kira must rely on her untested crew, and put her life into the hands of the woman who nearly killed her.
Building Steam is the first tale in the Sky Hawke adventure saga.
The series recounts the missions of Sky Captain Kira Hawke, a headstrong weaponsmith and merchant. Kira is the chairman of Hawke Weaponry, a company passed down from her grandfather, which manufactures and supplies the finest weapons, ammunition, and artillery in the industry. She inherited the company when her father, Sky Captain Douglas Hawke, was killed in battle against a notorious sky pirate. Kira has run the family business for the past twelve years since, but she is now faced with a more daunting responsibility: She must complete the mission her father left behind. Suddenly she isn't so sure that his death was as arbitrary as piracy, and she blames herself.
Through a series of mysterious letters, a bigger story is revealed. Who is this enigmatic madman that calls himself The Magician, and what was her father really after? Stubborn, set in her ways, and maybe just a little paranoid, Kira must embark on a new journey. This mission has the potential to change her life, but first she must stop running from herself, and put faith in the allies that surround her. Perhaps that is the biggest challenge of all.
Read the prologue, plus the first three chapters here for free!