Sailor's Gambit

by Jed Herne

Monster-infested seas. Flying mutants. And a young smuggler desperate to show her worth.

Kef Cutmark wants to be the greatest pirate in the Twisted Seas. But first, she’ll need to prove herself.

Her Captain has given her a simple mission: to smuggle a valuable container across the seas. It should be easy. But before she can reach her destination, enemy soldiers seize control of Kef’s cargo ship. Outnumbered and outgunned, with less than three hours until the soldiers sail the ship across a hostile border, Kef will need all her wits to survive.

Because this isn’t just about her life – it’s about her pride. And that’s something she won’t surrender easily…

This novella is a free prequel to The Thunder Heist.

92 pages, Unknown Binding

Published October 20, 2020

About the author

Jed Herne is a fantasy author from Perth, Western Australia. His books include Fires of the Dead , which readers say is "the perfect read for someone looking to be quickly immersed in a magic system unlike anything else," and Across the Broken Stars , described as "an epic fantasy that has a unique setting," and The Thunder Heist - an epic pirate fantasy tale, which forms the first book in the Twisted Seas series.

His short stories have been published in The Arcanist, Scarlet Lead Review, Flintlock, and more. He is currently developing an interactive fiction game for Choice of Games.

Outside of writing, he hosts the Wizards, Warriors, & Words fantasy writing advice podcast with Rob J. Hayes, Dyrk Ashton, and Michael R. Fletcher. He also hosts The Novel Analyst Podcast, where he deconstructs his favourite books to help listeners improve their writing. And because that isn't already enough podcasting, he also hosts the Half-Baked Stories podcast, an improv storytelling show where writers are locked in a room and given half an hour to combine three random ideas into a single story.

He loves hearing from fans, and you can email him at: jed.herne1 [at] gmail.com . He does his best to read and reply to every message.

Reviews

[Jed Herne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey everyone! You can read this Twisted Seas novella for free on my website: https://jedherne.com/sailorsgambit

Enjoy!

[Lana Kamennof-sine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A riveting read as characters evolve within the span of a few pages in ways I hadn't anticipated. Kef & Captain Hampson are both appealing characters, Kef for her outspokeness & Captain Hampson for his warmth & kindness. Of course, then the plot shifts. We learn that the Captain’s daughter has been diagnosed as a crystalcoat, someone who’s mutated and whose body begins to transform into a clear crystalline prison. So, without giving things away let's just say it was an engaging read as you desperately continued to see where and how it will end.

[Barnaby Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is like Mad Max Fury Road but set on the sea. And that's my favourite movie. Intense, non-stop action scenes dominate this novella with enough plot to pull you through. The characters stand out as their own, and there is some cool worldbuilding throughout.

[Hilda Baard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome. Well worth the read.