Winds of Marque

In a dense star cluster, the solar winds blow fiercely. The star-sailing ship HMSS Daring runs at full sheet on a secret mission from the Emperor himself: to hunt down and destroy a festering pirate threat. Armed with a letter of marque allowing them to collect the bounty of enemy vessels, the crew has been told to find the pirates’ base by any means necessary.

Dashing second-in-command Liam Blackwood and plucky quartermaster Amelia Virtue lead the infiltration of shady civilian merchant networks to gather intelligence, all while keeping Daring’s true identity hidden. But trouble begins when Daring’s enigmatic captain makes a series of questionable choices and rumblings of discontent ripple up from the crew. Liam and Amelia must discover the truth about their commander, their mission, and the real enemy threat before they fall prey to the very pirates they’re supposed to be tracking.

Genre: Science Fiction

"Bennett R. Coles ranks among my go-to list in SF. Entertaining and intelligent storytelling and terrific characters. In Winds of Marque, Coles may well have invented a whole new subgenre that has me scrambling for a description--Steam Space? Whatever you call it, a blast to read. Here's hoping that many more adventures are in the offing for Blackwood and company." - Steven Erikson