Tales of the Left Hand, Book One

In the tropical-island region known as the Frees, magic is growing stronger, and gunpowder is becoming less reliable. Amid this world of "swashbuckling, intrigue and a dash of magic," two adventurers literally run into each other and are forced to fight together against pirates, sinister assassins and powerful merchant families, in the process developing a most unlikely friendship.

Tesca is the Left Hand, a spy and assassin serving the Duke of Kohaya, ruler of one of the independent realms within the Frees. Kayrla is a sailor and sometime pirate with a few magical tricks up her sleeve. In the city of Kohayne, she jumps ship to escape the advances of her lecherous captain Jolly Red, taking a bit of his gold for good measure. While fleeing Jolly's wrath, Kayrla collides with Tesca, who's on a mission of his own, and when Jolly comes upon the pair, he assumes them to be partners and sics his crew on both of them. Their subsequent fight and flight through the dark, twisted alleys and steep rooftops of Kohayne forges a fast friendship between the pair. When Tesca offers her sanctuary under the protection of his master, Kayrla accepts, having nowhere else to go. The pair quickly come to realize that they make a very effective team, but will their combined talents be enough to stop an assassin who's come to Kohayne seeking the Duke's life, and who appears to be more than a match for either Tesca's blades or Kayrla's magic?