After events in volume 5 Wein has access to a port， but without customers there is very little he can do with it。 The West does not want to deal with him， so when princess Tolcheila offers him an introduction to the rulers of the Patura Islands at the southern tip of the continent he grasps it with both hands。 He ends up in the middle of a civil war， needing every sail he has to get out ahead of this one。The book has the same strengths and weaknesses as the previous volumes - a good addition to After events in volume 5 Wein has access to a port， but without customers there is very little he can do with it。 The West does not want to deal with him， so when princess Tolcheila offers him an introduction to the rulers of the Patura Islands at the southern tip of the continent he grasps it with both hands。 He ends up in the middle of a civil war， needing every sail he has to get out ahead of this one。The book has the same strengths and weaknesses as the previous volumes - a good addition to the series。 Pro: world building， intelligent plotting， no magic; Cons: vile mastermind villain plotting destruction of the world in the background （at least at a first glance）， cutesy art that does not fit the story， odd exposition at times and random statement about what historians later thought of the the situation （a trope I don't like）。 Two things stood out。 If you are going to bluff in a ransom situation， offering a ridiculous amount of gold is not going to work no matter how charismatic you are。 The same situation could have been achieved with a bit more work。 I could also have done without the almost required beach episode though。 Granted， it is not exactly along the trope recipe， but bikinis and embarrassed aides being teased are。 It was kind of funny， but felt rather out of place。 Still， an enjoyable quick read and a good addition to the series。 。。。more