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The Cloudship Trader
While visiting a famed mountaintop market, cloudship flier Miris and nir companion, the Wind spirit Seres, find a merchant selling Star spirits imprisoned inside glass lamps.
And then ney learns that the lamps are only one piece of a cruel plot to capture and enslave Stars, a plot that could spell disaster for the peaceful relationships between people and spirits that have shaped their world for generations.
Joined by the merchant’s assistant Belest, a man running from a terrible situation and desperate to mend the harm he unwittingly aided in, Miris and Seres fly north, seeking the source of the lamps so that they can end the practice before it becomes widespread and unstoppable.
On their journey, they visit wondrous places, meet healers and thieves, politicians and priests, make friends both human and not. But if they are to put a stop to the slavers’ work, Miris and Belest must first learn to trust each other.
And then ney learns that the lamps are only one piece of a cruel plot to capture and enslave Stars, a plot that could spell disaster for the peaceful relationships between people and spirits that have shaped their world for generations.
Joined by the merchant’s assistant Belest, a man running from a terrible situation and desperate to mend the harm he unwittingly aided in, Miris and Seres fly north, seeking the source of the lamps so that they can end the practice before it becomes widespread and unstoppable.
On their journey, they visit wondrous places, meet healers and thieves, politicians and priests, make friends both human and not. But if they are to put a stop to the slavers’ work, Miris and Belest must first learn to trust each other.
155 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2019
3 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 1, 2019
I had a weird reaction to this book. I liked it, but found its Comfort Food aesthetic a bit too much at times. I get a little at what I got caught up on here in this blog post: https://10badhabits.com/2019/07/01/fa...
May 12, 2020
This was fantastic! I really loved the characters and the story, it had such a good ending! And the worldbuilding was so good as well, I'd be interested in reading more books set in this world to see more of it.
September 9, 2020
[ Overall Thoughts ]
This book is a fairly mellow, kind, comforting sort of read. It moves quickly, with Miris and Belest traveling across the continent in an effort to find and stop the capture and trade of spirits in just a matter of weeks, but it doesn't feel rushed, though the reader feels Miris's impatience and urgency to set things right. I found the book incredibly easy to get wrapped up in and read, and the pacing made me reluctant to set it down.
[ The World ]
The world of The Cloudship Trader is populated with a variety of cultured species. The human cultures recognize three genders--male (using he/him/his), female (using she/her), and third (using ney/nem/nir)--and partnerships in any configuration is normalized in the world. The world itself is tranquil and at peace; societies live alongside one another without conflict and value humanitarian morals. Cloudship fliers are afforded a special respect among the cityfolk across the world we see, but live by several restrictions in return. Communicating and working with various types of spirits is a trade and is done through scripts specific to the spirit's type. The world is simple, but wondrous.
[ The Characters ]
Miris is a cloudship flier, contracted to the Wind spirit Seres. Ney comes across as solitary by nature, always traveling and trading goods from one locale to another. When ney discovers the lamps being made by imprisoning Stars, ney is fiercely upset by the injustice of capturing spirits and takes it upon nemself and nir Wind to track down the source of the crystals and stop their trade from spreading. Miris felt a little flat to me, nir sense of responsibility to the spirits and doing right by them felt like nir defining trait in this story. Ney is nonetheless compelling, though, and I would love to see nem in another story to get more of a sense of nir character outside of the context of this self-appointed mission.
Belest ran away from an abusive marriage and in his desperation to escape became apprenticed to the merchant Terthe, who took advantage of his timidity and treated him cruelly. When Miris reveals that the lamps Terthe is selling are making use of trapped spirits, Belest feels compelled to make amends for his part in their capture and trade. He asks Miris to allow him to travel with nem and help bring those responsible to justice. He is timid and uncertain because of his past abuse, but shows that he is intelligent and capable whenever the opportunity arises. He is quickly endearing, kind, and easy to root for.
[ Suggested Audience ]
Readers looking for a quick adventure across imaginative lands and peoples.
Readers who enjoy mellow, peaceful worlds, kind characters, and nonviolent resolutions.
Readers who like characters who are finding their place in the world.
[ TL;DR ]
The Cloudship Trader is a very different sort of book to your typical fantasy. The story is small in scale, but not without urgency. The world is nonviolent and peaceful, but not without injustice. The characters are kind, brave, and endearing.
This book is a fairly mellow, kind, comforting sort of read. It moves quickly, with Miris and Belest traveling across the continent in an effort to find and stop the capture and trade of spirits in just a matter of weeks, but it doesn't feel rushed, though the reader feels Miris's impatience and urgency to set things right. I found the book incredibly easy to get wrapped up in and read, and the pacing made me reluctant to set it down.
[ The World ]
The world of The Cloudship Trader is populated with a variety of cultured species. The human cultures recognize three genders--male (using he/him/his), female (using she/her), and third (using ney/nem/nir)--and partnerships in any configuration is normalized in the world. The world itself is tranquil and at peace; societies live alongside one another without conflict and value humanitarian morals. Cloudship fliers are afforded a special respect among the cityfolk across the world we see, but live by several restrictions in return. Communicating and working with various types of spirits is a trade and is done through scripts specific to the spirit's type. The world is simple, but wondrous.
[ The Characters ]
Miris is a cloudship flier, contracted to the Wind spirit Seres. Ney comes across as solitary by nature, always traveling and trading goods from one locale to another. When ney discovers the lamps being made by imprisoning Stars, ney is fiercely upset by the injustice of capturing spirits and takes it upon nemself and nir Wind to track down the source of the crystals and stop their trade from spreading. Miris felt a little flat to me, nir sense of responsibility to the spirits and doing right by them felt like nir defining trait in this story. Ney is nonetheless compelling, though, and I would love to see nem in another story to get more of a sense of nir character outside of the context of this self-appointed mission.
Belest ran away from an abusive marriage and in his desperation to escape became apprenticed to the merchant Terthe, who took advantage of his timidity and treated him cruelly. When Miris reveals that the lamps Terthe is selling are making use of trapped spirits, Belest feels compelled to make amends for his part in their capture and trade. He asks Miris to allow him to travel with nem and help bring those responsible to justice. He is timid and uncertain because of his past abuse, but shows that he is intelligent and capable whenever the opportunity arises. He is quickly endearing, kind, and easy to root for.
[ Suggested Audience ]
Readers looking for a quick adventure across imaginative lands and peoples.
Readers who enjoy mellow, peaceful worlds, kind characters, and nonviolent resolutions.
Readers who like characters who are finding their place in the world.
[ TL;DR ]
The Cloudship Trader is a very different sort of book to your typical fantasy. The story is small in scale, but not without urgency. The world is nonviolent and peaceful, but not without injustice. The characters are kind, brave, and endearing.
December 29, 2021
This world includes spirits of different types, some of which deign to communicate with the different people's of the world through various scripts. The scripts used are distinct to the spirit, so their are Flamescripts, Windscripts, etc, and the person working with the spirit enters into a contract with that spirit. It is in this way that Miris is able to be a flier, onboard the *Dragonfly* with the aid of Seres.
After encountering a merchant who had somehow managed to trap a Star spirit in a lamp, Miris, with the aid of Belest, begins an investigation to discover how and where the mysterious Star stones are coming from, as the Star spirits do not, to Miris' knowledge, work with any of the people's of the world.
Join in on the adventure, as they travel to many different cities, encountering many different people - some good, some bad - all the while trying to uncover the origin of the Star spirit slave trade.
One additional note about the book, though I do not think it should deter you from reading it. When I began reading this book, it was slow-going. Not because of the story, for that is wonderful, but due to the new pronouns that were used (nir, ney, nem) for characters who are of the third gender, neither male nor female. As the main character, Miris, uses these pronouns, it tripped me up for the first chapter, slowing down my reading from their unfamiliarity - much like a foreign language. But, just like with a foreign language, it did not take long before the use was normal, and it no more slowed me down than any other word.
Indeed, by the end, I found myself enjoying the variety that the third gender brought to the novel, as it fit well within the world that had been built.
After encountering a merchant who had somehow managed to trap a Star spirit in a lamp, Miris, with the aid of Belest, begins an investigation to discover how and where the mysterious Star stones are coming from, as the Star spirits do not, to Miris' knowledge, work with any of the people's of the world.
Join in on the adventure, as they travel to many different cities, encountering many different people - some good, some bad - all the while trying to uncover the origin of the Star spirit slave trade.
One additional note about the book, though I do not think it should deter you from reading it. When I began reading this book, it was slow-going. Not because of the story, for that is wonderful, but due to the new pronouns that were used (nir, ney, nem) for characters who are of the third gender, neither male nor female. As the main character, Miris, uses these pronouns, it tripped me up for the first chapter, slowing down my reading from their unfamiliarity - much like a foreign language. But, just like with a foreign language, it did not take long before the use was normal, and it no more slowed me down than any other word.
Indeed, by the end, I found myself enjoying the variety that the third gender brought to the novel, as it fit well within the world that had been built.
March 12, 2020
A lovely read.
It took me a little while to get into it - I'm a bit distracted what with trying to stock my kitchen for a month or so playing pandemic hermit. But then it clicked, and we were off. Generous world building, and two characters you are happy to spend time with. It seems deceptively simple, but I am still thinking about the characters' choices. I'm hoping there's a second volume coming .
It took me a little while to get into it - I'm a bit distracted what with trying to stock my kitchen for a month or so playing pandemic hermit. But then it clicked, and we were off. Generous world building, and two characters you are happy to spend time with. It seems deceptively simple, but I am still thinking about the characters' choices. I'm hoping there's a second volume coming .
did-not-finish
October 16, 2025Dnf at 30%. Not terrible but just not feeling it. A tad too cozy I suppose.
May 16, 2023
Kate Diamond’s The Cloudship Trader is a gem! I recommend this to anyone who like stories that build fantastical worlds and characters on epic scales, not unlike LotR or GoT or Harry Potter. Cloudship Trader is *not* those, but the world building is on that awesome scale.
A bit of buddy, a bit of whodunnit, and a healthy side of action adventure, The Cloudship Trader is on journey to save stars, literal stars! Meet friends and foe along the way, equally complex and in a realm ahead of their time.
I can’t wait for the next chapter in Diamond’s world!
A bit of buddy, a bit of whodunnit, and a healthy side of action adventure, The Cloudship Trader is on journey to save stars, literal stars! Meet friends and foe along the way, equally complex and in a realm ahead of their time.
I can’t wait for the next chapter in Diamond’s world!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews