Title: Connections in Time: Seadon’s Story

Author: S.G. Boudreaux

Genre: YA Fantasy

 

In their quest to find eldest son and brother, Bain, the Brinley family, parents Wilkins and Harper, and siblings Seadon, Wynne, and Adda, leave Zanchier and follow him through the portal in Storm Valley, discovering themselves in a place called Chindaria, with no sign of Bain.

When restless seventeen-year-old Seadon decides to explore alone, it’s a decision that has life-changing consequences, as he is snatched into service aboard a pirate airship, the Raik. After ten years of plundering, he escapes to the monarchical city of Montesario-Belarusel, whose Commander of the Guard, Quinn Quimby, looks familiar.

Seadon’s Story is Book Two in Boudreaux’s Stormwalker Series and is also connected to her earlier books, but the novel stands alone. It opens as the Brinleys are flung through the portal into Chindaria.

It’s an immediate start, but Boudreaux swiftly supplies context and backstory while the family tries to assimilate into their new, strange surroundings, ensuring it reads with comprehension and interest.

She writes with purpose and a straightforward, light touch. Chindaria is instantly well-realized, and the dynamic between the Brinleys is equally convincing, with subtle points of tension despite their bond.

As Boudreaux introduces the malign figure of Bosun Kaliel, the Raik’s kidnapper, it’s obvious, but in a reassuringly page-turning way, and we see the direction that Seadon’s future is going to take.

The novel is fast-paced, and the chapters set aboard the Raik unfold from Seadon’s point of view with singular directness. Boudreaux brings the atmosphere and characters on board to life concisely yet vividly, especially Cook and First Mate Xavier Whiteclaw.

She could have fallen into trope, but the Raik chapters and characters have depth and originality. As with those later in the novel, she lends her characters unexpected motivations, which add a fascinating layer of emotional complexity to their behavior, leading to some nicely unpredictable plot turns and reveals.

After initial brutality, Seadon settles down to a piratical life that is not entirely unpleasant, and one which absorbs the reader, especially when the Raik metamorphoses into a steampunk-style airship and takes to the clouds. It’s credible within the genre, and Boudreaux is careful not to over-engineer the details while remaining inventive.

In keeping with the galloping tempo, the narrative advances a decade by Chapter five, and Seadon is now a hardened swashbuckler renowned for his ruthlessness and fighting prowess. It’s a plausible and exciting trajectory, but his subsequent sale to the Reaper, despite having future impact, doesn’t fully convince and seems unnecessary.

Nonetheless, it forces Seadon’s escape, whereupon he finds himself in the futuristic, fairytale-esque land of Montesario-Belarusel. Boudreaux’s world-building is imaginative and thorough, with whispers of mysticism. However, she never loses sight of a story that is deeply human and which has several intriguing tangents.

Seadon is now a late-twenties action hero, which Boudreaux capably reflects in his confident swagger. Yet, in contrast, this area of the book also owes much to magical realism and contains some captivatingly whimsical moments.

Notwithstanding, it’s the relationship between Seadon and Commander Quinn Quimby that beats at the novel’s heart, and the reader is given Quinn’s perspective along with Seadon’s. She is a composed, enigmatic figure, and the attraction between her and Seadon is sweetly handled.

When interests converge in the penultimate chapters, there are some exhilaratingly creative scenes that have a distinct filmic appeal. The conclusion, while satisfying, feels rushed, and Boudreaux’s prose loses a little of its liveliness.

Seadon’s Story is an entertaining and enjoyable standalone episode in Boudreaux’s speculative fiction canon. It is well-crafted, confident, and full of imaginative action, with unusual twists driven by a diverse mix of engaging and emotive characters.

 

 

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