The Olympian Affair is the second book in a series. To start at the beginning, check out The Aeronaut’s Windlass.
There are many ways to do post-apocalyptic fiction. Most are pretty dark, with an emphasis on deep, personal struggles as the characters seek to hold on to or rediscover their humanity in a broken world. Most also emphasize the apocalypse itself, holding it front and center. The Cinder Spires offers a different perspective. Sure, something terrible happened in the setting’s long-forgotten past, but the plot, like the characters, is largely unconcerned with this. Who has time to solve the mystery of the miles-tall spires where humanity clings to existence, or the poisoned, monster-laden surface, when there are airships to plunder and duels to fight?
Published just this past February as of this writing, this review is hot of the presses. Let’s set sail, reader. Editor’s Note: Obviously, I wrote this before the Great Silence of 2024. Whoops.
The Basics:
Title: The Olympian Affair (The Cinder Spires #2)
Author: Jim Butcher
Genre: Epic Fantasy, Steampunk, Science Fiction, Action-Adventure
Published: Ace, 2024
Spoiler-Free Summary:
We last left our aeronauts having partially averted an enemy plot which was sure to kick off a war with Spire Albion’s rival, Spire Aurora. Two years later, and the promised all-out war has yet to manifest. Sure, the sides steal one another’s merchant ships and fight little skirmishes on the margins, but the two fleets have yet to line up across the sky and blast one another with magic-crystal-powered laser cannons.
Open war may be averted if all goes well at the diplomatic conference hosted by the as-yet-neutral Spire Olympia. Words are not the only diplomatic tool at play in this cutthroat setting. Rumor has it a world renowned duelist will seek any excuse to spark an international incident and strike a bloody blow against Albion’s honor just when they need to appear the strongest.
Meanwhile, something is wrong with the colonies. They have gone silent. A secret Aurora project completes its test run and makes a ponderous, deadly turn toward Olympia. Will the crew of the ship escorting this mission of top-secret mystical significance follow through with their deadly assignment, or will they betray their spire?
All this and more in this fast-paced, twisty pretzel of an adventure.
Why You Will Love This Book:
These Cinder Spires books are just plain swashbuckling fun. I haven’t read much golden age sci-fi, but I imagine Edgar Rice Burroughs would blurb these books were he still alive. I personally enjoyed this second installment just slightly more than the first, but I readily admit that this may be because I am now more familiar with the characters and the setting, so I was free to enjoy sinking deeper into their journey.
This is a book of two souls. Yes, there are the daring escapes, bold maneuvers, and desperate battles. However, there is also a warm center of deep personal growth and inter-character drama. Come for the piracy, stay for the emotions.
Where Can You Learn More?
Check out this interview shortly after the initial publishing date at Grimdark Magazine. As always, I encourage you to go straight to the source for the author’s latest updates. You know where to find books, that’s why you’re here.
Happy reading, folks.
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