Running Close tothe Wind

Avra Helvaçi is a mediocre spy with astounding luck. While fleeing Araşt after copying state secrets, Avra is luckily captured by the pirate ship captained by the mysterious underdog Teveri az-Haffār, his ex-lover. They also just happen to have a new crewman, the beautiful and celibate scholar Brother Julian, who can decode the secret. Now all the crew needs to land a huge payday is to make it to the pirate island before serpent season, sell it under added scrutiny from the island’s eager new Araşti ambassador, and survive being around each other. Rowland’s return to Araşt is both comedic and complex. Pathetic, horny, attention-seeking Avra is oddly refreshing as a protagonist, aware that he’s the problem. Using luck as a theme both introduces conflict and provides a delightfully unlikely resolution. Relationships between people, religions, and nations are handled with both levity and respect. Casey Jones’s voices for the main three characters are distinct and consistent, though the side characters’ voices wander in some of the crowded scenes.