Aether Torrent - Paperback

by Jack Duffe (Author)

Aether Torrent is a 94,000-word YA action-adventure fantasy novel about labor, religion, found family, and the meaning of treasure, all LGBTQ+ friendly.

Even in a world where elemental magic is available to anyone with the right materials, the economics of exploitation still rule.

Tori, a disenchanted atheist who makes a living by stealing treasures and suffering through retail, wants to turn her black-market boss's ill-gotten treasures into a legitimate, life-affirming museum. Avani, a devoutly religious fugitive blamed for her temple's violence, wants to evangelize safely distant from the influence of her temple's zealots. Cirrus, a flying, shape-shifting tiger woman coerced into mercenary violence by her military, wants help for a private mission of her own.

The three women help each other fight their way out of their respective bad situations and into a new goal: reaching Tori's mother in a distant city where, Tori hopes, all of their wishes can come true.

Over five days and nights, Tori, Avani, and Cirrus travel between city-states and wilderness. The party battles other monsters and helps other people, growing closer on their journey. All the while, they race time; if they take too long, Tori's "museum" treasures will be confiscated before the world can enjoy them like she does.