The Madness of Pursuit

Dema Ägan is a notorious pirate woman, who killed her former captain, stole his ship, and plies the seas with her J'Niah witch companion, Rymah. Or so the legends say.

As her story is presented from several different points of view, these conflicting tales of adventure on seas filled with danger, ancient power, love and betrayal, indicate there might be more to her story than the legends suggest.

"A magnificent speculative reimagining of classical nautical fiction. Rafala's swashbuckling tale fuses adventures on the high seas with alien tech to create a compelling modern narrative."
— Tendai Huchu, author of The Maestro, The Magistrate & The Mathematician

"Ancient technologies, forgotten magic, and pirates in a plot that is a mix of old and new weird fiction. What's not to love? The Madness of Pursuit is a tour de force equivalent of a trilogy in the length of a novella… gripping and intriguing. Carmelo Rafala does a fine job of delivering a narrative with a flavor reminiscent of Fritz Leiber and Sarah Monette, with a sprinkle of Kurosawa (think Rashomon)."
— Fábio Fernandes, author of Under Pressure

"Rafala's imagination is second to none and this world, and the people within it, will stay with you long after you have finished this sophisticated, well-told tale."

— Liz Williams, author of Ghost Sister and Empire of Bones

"If you like lyrical adventure, nontraditional narrative, and quests within quests, you'll love The Madness of Pursuit."

— Cynthia Ward, author of The Adventure of the Incognita Countess