An Unintended Voyage: A Maradaine Saga Novel follows Sergeant Corrie Welling. Readers of the Maradaine Constabulary novels will recognize Corrie as Minox's sister, and this novel starts off with the young and brash woman thrown completely out of her comfort zone as she is kidnapped and put on a ship. With some effort, she frees herself along with one other kidnap victim, but they soon learn that the boat that picks them up isn't interested in taking them back to Maradaine. When the pair find themselves ashore, they are in the country of Mocassa, and the laws there are far different from what Corrie is used to. For one, it seems that the cost of room and board on the rescue ship is seen as a debt on the two women, and they are expected to pay that debt off before they are allowed to truly go free. Their debts are quickly sold off to a broker who lives in Mocassa and he soon explains to the two foreigners exactly what kind of situation they find themselves in.
Nalaccian, Corrie's debt holder, quickly explains her new situation. Corrie is expected to work around the city in order to not only earn enough to live off of, but also put money towards her debt. Nalaccian doesn't care how she earns the money (and there are plenty of debt holders who employ their female debtors in specific ways), just as long as she is able to make regular payments.
At first, Corrie struggles to find her place in the strange city. She works to pick up the language, and the few jobs she gets early on don't feel like they are the best use of the skills she honed while a constabulary on the streets of Maradaine. To make matters worse, she starts to notice a level of lawlessness in the neighborhood she lives in, and finds the troubles her neighbors have to deal with go against her Maradaine sensibilities.
As Corrie grows more comfortable in her new surroundings, she also picks up on a growing threat to all those around her. It seems a local religious leader is gaining power and she is drumming up her followers in a dangerous way. Unfortunately, the odd laws in the strange city turn any action against the zealots into dangerous power plays that could lead Corrie and her new friends into even more trouble than they are already in.
Maresca does a great job of showing the bigger world outside of Maradaine, and introducing his readers to some new and interesting cultures. Add in more than a little social commentary regarding debt and An Unintended Voyage becomes an intriguing addition to his growing shared world. I've been enjoying many aspects of Maresca's storytelling so far, and I'm interested to see how this new series will continue to add to the Maradaine Saga.
