After reading the author's 'Dead Djinn' series, I decided to give this earlier novella by him a try. Turned out to be a good decision.

Set in an alternative world where the Union and Confederate US forces came to a truce in the US Civil War and New Orleans is a neutral independent city, the story involves a street girl who accidentally eavesdrops on Confederate Troops hoping to obtain the Black God's Drums as a weapon.

As the story progresses, we learn that the weapon was what set Haiti free: it is a regional power in the story. She approaches a Haitian airship captain with the information in exchange for joining her crew. Together, they discover other forces are also interested in the Black God's Drums, and they intend to use it on a major target. Only they, together with the forces of the local gods that inhabit them, can hope to save the day.

An exciting and fascinating alternative world history that hints at more to come, if the author continues to write in this world.