Back-to-Back Badasses Cassidy Durant and Zayne Balthine.
The Dreamscape Voyager Trilogy is a series of fantasy novels set in a steampunk environment written by Vincent E. M. Thorn. The first book, Skies of the Empire, was released in May 2019. Skies follows the adventures of Cassidy Durant, an airship pilot who forms an illicit partnership with a Fae creature, and Zayne Balthine, a mercenary on a Suicide Mission.
The Trilogy consists of:
- Skies of the Empire (May, 2019)
- Promises of the Empire (March, 2022)
- Dreams of the Empire (Forthcoming)
Skies of the Empire provides examples of:
- Abusive Parents: Zayne's father, as seen during the flashback chapters.
- Action Girl: Several. Cassidy, Asier, Nanette, and Miria are the standout examples.
- Aerith and Bob: Average names like Cassidy, Nanette, and Zayne coexist without comment alongside Kekarian and Elyia.
- Alien Sky: There are three moons, and the night sky is green. Also, the Dreamscape, which is even more alien.
- And Now for Someone Completely Different: Throughout the entirety of the novel, Cassidy and Zayne are the only point of view characters, until for the epilogue which is presented from Nanette's point of view.
- Badass Longcoat: Zayne sports one of these, which includes many hidden pockets and holsters, which he uses both for weapons and mundane items.
- Ban on Magic: Associating with the Fae is illegal in every nation, and it is clear the source of Cassidy's magic is her bond with Hymn. The term "magic" isn't used to refer to those powers, however, and Zayne casually mentions wanting to be a street magician.
- The Fairfolk: The Fae. Hymn even refers to her kind as the Fair Folk at one point. They are incapable of lying, and are burned by contact with iron.
- Fairy Companion: Hymn manages to be this while also fitting The Fair Folk trope, after promising to protect Cassidy.
- Gaslighting: Zayne ambushes a depressed member of the Architects Guild and insists he's the man's nephew, plying him with booze until he starts to accept it. It turns out, he just starts playing along to see what Zayne wants, but the way Zayne and Nanette dive right into the act suggest they've done it before.
- Harping About Harpies: Harpies use their song to hypnotize victims who are sexually attracted to women. It still has some affect on those who aren't, but it's not nearly as powerful. It is also implied that rivermaids do the same.
- Illegal Religion: Subverted. The widely held belief in the world is that the gods are universally evil, and spiritual leaders are dedicated to helping people avoid them. However, while it is illegal to outright worship them, there is no law against painting a mural of one on the deck of your ship, naming your publicly recognized mercenary band after one, or using their names to curse.
- Intimate Marks: Asier has a cross-shaped scar over her breasts, which she earned in a duel.
- King Incognito: Miria is actually the Empress' daughter, posing as Asier's niece.
- Nonuniform Uniform: The Daughters of Daen's "uniform" amounts to a black coat, with no unified cut or style. Zayne and Nanette opt to wear long coats, but others wear short jackets and everything in between. Justified in that the real markers of their membership are the brands on their arms.
- One-Steve Limit:
- Subverted with Nanette, which is the name of both Zayne's First Mate, and his little sister, but the narrative leads readers to think they're the same person until it's revealed Zayne met the former on the same day the latter was murdered as a child.
- Averted with Jainin, which is the name of Zayne's father, and also a mercenary he encounters in Andaerhal, and coincidentally he sets them both on fire.
- A Downplayed example is Cassidy, whose legal name is Cassandra Durant IV.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Flea.
- Our Dragons Are Different: Dragons' stomachs contain gems that generate fire when they come in contact with one another, and their bones are made of Orichalcum.
- Sacrificial Lion: Asier, paving the way for Cassidy to become the new captain.
- Talking in Your Dreams: Hymn first speaks to Cassidy in the latter's dreams, and does so frequently even after they meet in the flesh. This is because Hymn can pull Cassidy's consciousness into the Fae realm known as the Dreamscape.
Promises of the Empire provides examples of:
- Awesome Moment of Crowning: Miria becomes Empress.
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: The Empress dies Zayne's arms. Played with because he kills her himself but it still upsets him enough to count for this trope.
- Kraken and Leviathan: The Leviathan, obviously.
- Fae Possession: Zayne is back, only this time he has a Fae riding along.
- Powers via Possession: Zayne has enhanced strength and reflexes as a result of his partial
- Sea Serpents: The Leviathan, again.
- World Tree: There's actually two of them, the original and the one Dardan planted at the end of the first book. This is a problem because only one tree is supposed to exist, and both trees are trying to shape the world in their image.
