Archie Dent and his friends Fergus and Hachi are continuing their mission as the founders of a new League of Seven. To that end, they've traveled to the city of Cahokia in the Clouds to retrieve the Dragon Lantern. It is an artifact from the civilization of Mu, and they hope it will give them a major advantage against the Mangleborn. Unfortunately, they lose the lantern almost as quickly as they find it. So, the team decides to split-up. Archie and Mr. Rivets head out to the western territories to track down the thief. Meanwhile, Hachi and Fergus follow a tip to New Orleans. They hope to track down the woman responsible for the death of Hachi's father. There's plenty more steampunk adventures in an alternate America to be had, but is splitting up the team really the best idea?
The League of Seven started off strong with an excellent first novel. The Dragon Lantern not on keeps up the momentum, but is even better than its predecessor. There's plenty of new exciting details to add to the worldbuilding. First of all, what is Cahokia in the Clouds? In our world, Cahokia was a major settlement in southwestern Illinois, not too far from where St. Louis is, during pre-Columbian times. It had widespread agriculture and irrigation, but was most famous of its massive earthwork mounds. If the artifacts that have been found are anything to go on, then Cahokia might have been able to rival the civilizations of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica and the Andes in terms of advancement. Of course, given that the people Cahokia left no written records, we know frustratingly little about their civilization.
In the world of The League of Seven, however, Cahokia was never abandoned. These days, it is owned by the Illini people. Although, in a twist of irony, St. Louis was abandoned following the awakening of the Mangleborn. It is only remembered as a former French settlement. Anyway, there are technically two Cahokias; the one on the ground is call Cahokia on the Plaines, and the one in the sky is called Cahokia in the Clouds. Cahokia in the Clouds started as a massive hot air balloon connected to the ground by an equally massive cable. It was built by Mu; another of those lost civilizations like Atlantis, but said in the Pacific. Cahokia in the Clouds was used as a docking port for airships over the years, and before long people began hanging entire buildings off of the great balloon.
By the present day, Cahokia in the Clouds is a massive layered dangling city crisscrossed by walkways and gangplanks. It is a popular destination during the hot summer months. Sounds a bit too acrophobia for my liking, but different strokes for different folks, I suppose. Cahokia in the Clouds also serves as the prison for the giant Antaeus, who is a Mangleborn. He was defeated by Heracles, but Antaeus being a king in Greece was just the cover story. Antaeus will remain frozen as a statue as long as he never touches the Earth.
There are also more appearances from real world historical figures. Archie gets a ride thanks to George Armstrong Custer. He's a captain in the United Nations Steam-Man Corp. The United Nations of America has about ten or so giant steam-powered mechas. Each of them is ten stories tall, super strong, and can shoot aether blasts out of their arm cannons. In many ways, they're kind of like battleships that travel on the land. The one Custer commands is named Colossus. Colossus is used for border skirmishes with the Sioux. So, Custer is still fighting the Sioux, but Colossus' crew is almost entirely composed of Native Americans; so, two steps forward, one step back, and all that.
There is one notable non-Native America among the crew: a black kid named Clyde. He's training to help pilot Colossus, and is a natural-born leader. He spent many years in an orphanage, but he doesn't let that get him down. He's nearly always cheery and upbeat, and has a kind word for everyone. Naturally, it isn't long before Archie recruits Clyde to the League. It is good that Clyde knows how to pilot Colossus. At one point, Colossus becomes possessed by the spirit of a dog named Buster. Colossus, or rather Buster, will only obey Clyde If you want to know exactly how that happened, well, you'll have to read the book for that one.
Well, things were getting a bit animesque once the giant robots got introduced, but that's just makes it even more so. Clyde‘s like the protagonists of one of those animes where there's some giant robots or mecha, but only the protagonist can command and/or pilot it. Get in the robot, Clyde He wouldn't need my promoting, but I couldn't help myself.
So, now let's talk about Hachi and Fergus in New Orleans. I was a bit wary when I saw that voodoo was going to play a major role in the New Orleans storyline. If you'll recall, last time, Alan Gratz tried to pass a Billy Graham quote off as Cherokee wisdom. There were a lot of potential pitfalls and stereotypes that Gratz could fall into if he wasn't careful. Thankfully, I'm pleased to report that this did not happen...for the most part. We'll get to what wasn't good in a minute. We're going to focus on the positive for now. Early on, Hachi and Fergus meet Marie Laveau. She was a practitioner of Voodoo, but did so out of religious devotion. Voodoo is a religion like any other. Most of that stuff about charms and spells is called Hoodoo. There were practitioners of both in New Orleans, and there was a bit of cross-pollination between the two.
Laveau played up her reputation as a Voodoo queen to scam gullible white people out of their money. Before you think too harshly of her, I'd remind you that a black woman in 19th Century New Orleans didn't have very good prospects for employment.
The League of Seven version of Marie Laveau does seem to have at least a few legitimately magical powers. However, magic is a fact of life in the world of The League of Seven, so that is perfectly excusable. Moreover, the vast majority of the time, Laveau prefers to use trickery, sleight of hand, and misdirection, rather than magic, to get things done. One detail I like is that, at certain points, Laveau wear a white robe and a white headdress. That is the traditional attire of a voodoo priestess. I also liked that it is emphasized that the point of voodoo is to serve the loa. They aren't gods per se, but they largely fill that role in voodoo. Voodoo teaches that there is supreme creator deity, but he isn't involved much in daily life. So, daily life is overseen by the loa. You serve them, and pray through them, but don't actually worship them directly. It is important to note that Voodoo is the result of fusing traditional West African religions with Roman Catholicism.
Now let's talk about the Kingdom of Louisiana itself. Shortly after the Mangleborn rose in 1775, Aaron Burr gathered an army and marched on New Orleans. He then proclaimed himself as King of Louisiana. The Kingdom of Louisiana comprises the states of Louisiana and Arkansas from our world. As of 1875, Aaron Burr's daughter, Theodosia, is the current monarch of Louisiana. In our world, Aaron Burr did indeed take part in a scheme to carve out a new nation somewhere in the American West. Where exactly is subject to some debate; many historians say Louisiana, but others say Texas, or the Southwest. However, he was only able to attempt this thanks to the many connections he'd made over the years. Burr simply did not have these connections in 1775. I enjoy alternate histories with independent Louisianas, don't get me wrong, but Burr establishing a kingdom in 1775 is too early to be considered realistic.
Louisiana doesn't really use Tick-Tocks like America does, but it compensates by using zombies to supplement the military and workforce. Vodou, the Haitian equivalent Voodoo, has a special class of priests called bokors. They serve the loa with both hands. That means, they can perform rituals that some might describe as black magic. However, it is important to emphasize that, in this context, black magic is not the same as evil. There are certain spirits in Vodou that are said to be bribable, and for a price, they can help you out. If you want to make a deal with the spirits, a bokor will act as the middle man. Bokor are also useful for making zombies. In Vodou, zombies are believed to be revived as mindless slaves, not flesh-eating monsters.
Louisiana does have a few particularly notable zombies on-hand. For example, Andrew Jackson served as a general in the army of Louisiana, but he died twenty years before the event of The League of Seven. So, he was revived as a zombie, and serves as Queen Theodosia's personal bodyguard. Quite ironic, as Jackson was one of the people responsible for getting Aaron Burr tried for treason in our world.
There's an amusing scene where zombies are going crazy in the throne room, so Fergus decides to make a magnet. He mentions how gold won't be magnetically attracted. Shortly after this, pretty much every gold object in the room comes flying at him. Queen Theodosia has to sheepishly admit Louisiana has been going through some tough economic times for the past few decades. Let's see, corrupt government, economic turmoil, hot and humid weather. As someone who is actually from Louisiana, I can attest that this all checks out. Also, I sure hope somebody invented steampunk air conditioning units; because if not, and with all the other steam-powered machines being used, Louisiana is going to be hell on Earth. Well, more so than usual. That goes for the rest of the South as well.
Okay, now we get into the main flaw with the Louisiana storyline. At one point, Helena Blavatsky, who killed Hachi's father, summons the loa Baron Samedi. He is portrayed reasonably correct. He loves to party, drink rum, and is a shameless ladies' man. Hey, he's the lord of the dead, and you don't have to worry about proper behavior when you're dead. However, he's also portrayed as being evil, and wanting to take over New Orleans. The loa can be temperamental, and easily offended, but they are not evil. Baron Samedi is not evil just because he is connected to the dead. His wife Maman Brigitte also appears, and at first it looks like she's going to be good, but no, she's evil too. She also has storm powers, despite Maman Brigitte not being associated with storms. Damn it, Alan! And you were doing so well too!
What's more it is mentioned that the loa are actually aspects of a Mangleborn, known as Le Grande Zombi, that is buried beneath Lake Pontchartrain. Salt repels it and puts it to sleep, and usually the waters of the lake are brackish enough to keep it sedated. Pretty much everything from mythology and folklore is connected to either the League, the Mangleborn, or both in the League of Seven universe. However, having the loa being an aspect of a Mangleborn plays into the "Voodoo is basically Satanism" trope.
As an aside, Helena Blavatsky was a real Russian person who was involved in the occult. She mentions she came to America after Napoleon invaded Russia. So, the Mangleborn took over the Old World, but Napoleon still conquered Europe? And he was more successful than in our world? Was Napoleon a Manglespawn, or otherwise working for the Mangleborn?
Let's move back to the Western storyline. Last time, I wondered how the presence of the Tick-Tocks impacted slavery. Turns out, slavery never happened in the world of the League of Seven. Black people came to America of their own volition. We also frequently see women serving in the armed forces, and in positions of authority, without issue. It seems that Alan Gratz wanted to create an alternate 19th Century free from the racism and sexism that characterized the decade in our world. Though, that's not to say there are no social issues in the Leagueverse.
Tick-Tocks have certain limitations built into them. They can't deliberately harm a human, they can't disobey an order, and they can't lie. If pressed for sensitive, or otherwise classified information, they are programmed to respond "I'm afraid I can't say." Well, most Tick-Tocks have these limitations. Mark-3 Tick-Tocks were built without these limits, and thus had genuine free will. They could also wind their own springs and insert their own talent cards. However, this meant they could back talk to their owners, and question their orders. Many revolts and uprisings ensued, and Mark-3s were discontinued. For reference, Mr. Rivets is a Mark-1, and the latest model as of 1875 is the Mark-4. It is mentioned there was a particularly large uprising lead by a Tick-Tock named Mr. Turner in 1831. So, yeah, apparently Nat Turner was a robot in the Leagueverse. Though, confusingly, it is mentioned that the Haitian Revolution still occurred. Was it a robot uprising? Was Toussaint Louverture a robot?
Of course, Nat Turner isn't the only robot of note. Jesse James is a Tick-Tock outlaw. He and his gang kidnap other Tick-Tocks, and give them upgrades to make them more like Mark-3s. The James Gang is based out of Dodge City in the nation of Wichita. It's called Dodge City because it is the site of a major biohazard. Well, that's what the signs around it claim. Robots don't have to worry about such things, but humans try their best to avoid it at all cost. In other words, they dodge around it.
The hunt for the lantern thief leads Archie and company across quite a bit of western North America. I was pleased that we finally got to see the mobile city of Cheyenne. I was even more pleased that we finally to see Beikoku. I'd been especially interested in them. Beikoku is a Japanese colony located about where Washington state is, and also includes a few bits of Idaho and Montana. Unlike the nations of the Americas, Japan doesn't hide the existence of the Mangleborn from its citizens. All citizens of Japan work together to fight the Mangleborn. As a result, Japan is one of the only places in Asia not to fall to the Mangleborn. The cities of Japan and Beikoku are defended by giant steam-powered mecha samurai. Japan established Beikoku to supplement their food supply, and to mine for materials to make more mecha samurai.
The capital of Beikoku is Ametokai. It is located where Seattle is in our world. It has lots of tea shops, but it has even more coffee shops. Clyde thinks it's all a bit much. By far the most popular coffee chain is Queequegs. It's a joke about how Starbucks got its start in Seattle; and that it gets its name from the character of the same name from Moby Dick. From this, we must assume that Herman Melville still had a noteworthy literary career. Ametokai also has an underground city where numerous illegal activities take place. This further reinforces that Ametokai is an alternate version of Seattle. Seattle has a very famous underground city dating back to the 19th Century.
Interestingly, when Archie and company first arrive in Beikoku, Mr. Rivets has to act as their translator. Most of the Native American nations speak English without issue, but Beikoku uses Japanese as its primary language. Also, the way the dialog of the Japanese characters is written suggest they are speaking with accents. This is in contrast to the Native American characters, who lack any noticeable accents.
So, who is the mysterious lantern thief? She's a girl with fox ears and a tail named Kitsune. Her name and appearance are an obvious nod to the shapeshifting fox women of Japanese Mythology. She's a compulsive liar, and likes to troll people just for shits and giggles. In fact, she gives Archie at least three or four different versions of her backstory. Kitsune also has the power to cast illusions. However, Tick-Tocks are immune to the effects of her illusions. She grew up in an abusive orphanage, but escaped, and became quite skilled at stealing and pickpocketing. But her mischievous nature is what I love about her, and I was very pleased that she joined the League. Well, that and I've got a soft spot for fox girls.
Archie's half of the League also briefly stops in the Republic of California. For some reason, San Francisco is called Don Fransisco. The Golden Gate Bridge is there ahead of schedule, but that's because it was built by Mu. It is cover in pagoda roofs, and has dragons and lions on either end. It would seem that Mu was the forerunner of Chinese Civilization. If I did have one complaint about the Western storyline, it is that we moved around so much where barely get to explore any of the places the characters visit. This is a real shame, as based on what we do get to see they all seem fascinating.
Also, as a random aside, at one point a character mentions that Yankee people have invented some sort of cheese and tomato pies. Cheese and tomato pie is a thing that exists, but I think what he meant was pizza. So, despite not have any Italian immigrants in sufficient numbers, the United Nations of America somehow invented pizza. Granted, I suppose it isn't impossible that some cook might go "I wonder what would happen if I put cheese and tomato sauce on this dough and stuck it in an oven?" But it is still pretty odd.
I'll also take a moment to plug the audiobook version. It is once again narrated by James Fouhey, who keeps up the good work.
Okay, now we're getting into the spoilers. So, if you don't want any of that, turn back now.
Last chance, you sure you want to continue?
Well, okay then, if everyone who wants out is gone, let's get into it.
Let's back track a little to Dodge City. Just what sort of biohazard was going on there? Well, turns out it used to be a secret Septemberist research facility. Back in 1850, the Septemberists decided to create an artificial League of Seven, rather than wait around for a new league to rise. They gathered several children and exposed them to the power of the Dragon Lantern. What does it do? It activates latent Mangleborn DNA within humans. It is estimated that at least forty percent of all humans have at least some Mangleborn DNA. Kitsune was also exposed to the Dragon Lantern at some point, and that's why she has fox ears and a tail.
One of the most promising kids was an Illini girl named Sings in the Night. The Dragon Lantern gave her bird wings and bird feet. She built, essentially, a cryogenic preservation chamber. Good thing too, because that's what saved her after the other kids went crazy and started killing everyone. The Septemberists decided to cut their losses, released a virus to kill their failed test subjects, and washed their hands of the whole affair. The virus is long gone, but they keep the biohazard signs up to keep nosy people out of Dodge. I liked how this added some shades of grey to the conflict. It shows that the Septemberists aren't above performing morally questionable acts in the name of defeating the Mangleborn. The implication being that they view the ends as always justifying the means.
As you might imagine, Sings in the Night is shocked to wake up twenty-five years in the future. She's initially hesitant, understandably, to join Archie's league. However, after mulling it over, she decides she can trust them, and that she doesn't have many other options. Sings in the Night is a bit shy and nervous, but she does start to open-up more as the book goes on. Personally, I was very excited when she joined the League. It was nice to have more than one Native American on the team. One of my complaints from the first book was that it looked like Hachi would be the sole Native American on the team, despite how much Native Americans factor into the plot. Sings in the Night being from the past also presented many excited opportunities. It would be a great way to compare how North America has changed over the decades, and expand on the worldbuilding.
Things were looking great, but sadly, it was not to be. You see, there was one other survivor of the Dodge City lab. Sings knew her as Mina, but she grew up to be Philomena Moffit, the current leader of the Septemberist Society. Mrs. Moffit has gone a tad insane over the years, and wants to use the Dragon Lantern to mutate as many people as possible. Also, her lower body is entirely composed of octopus tentacles. That’s the reason she always wears large hoop skirts. For some reason, none of the Septemberists ever noticed this.
I bring this up because Mrs. Moffat kills Sing in the Night when Archie's half of the League visit Alcatraz Island. I mean, wow, Alan Gratz was not messing around. At the same time, I'm as appalled and outraged as Archie was. We barely got to know Sings, she had so much potential, and now she's dead! Well, at least Kitsune gave her a traditional Illini burial. Oh, and then it briefly looks like she survived. Nope! Just an illusion Kitsune casted. Wow, way to twist the knife in, Alan.
Oh, but Archie isn't done getting traumatized just yet. Turns out he's, basically, a golem. He was carved from stone and bathed in the blood of 100 men. Thus, he has the strength of 100 men. Oh, and did I mention Hachi's dad was one of those men? Well, Archie has officially been run through the wringer, and this is all probably going to play major roles in book three.
Well, at least there is one silver lining. Queen Theodosia is dead, and the people of New Orleans picked Marie Laveau as their new queen. She's going to reveal the presence of the Mangleborn. That way, everyone in Louisiana can work together to fight the Mangleborn. And we find out how she constantly jumps between different bodies: she doesn't. Her two masked assistants are her mother and daughter, and they all take turns being Marie Laveau. That way, everyone will be on the same page, and able to keep up the illusion. That defiantly sound like something the Marie Laveau of our world would do. A good resolution to the Louisiana storyline.
Okay, this review has gone on for way longer than I intended. Suffice it to say, The Dragon Lantern is a more then worthy second entry to The League of Seven series, and an excellent follow-up to the first novel. It’s full steam ahead for more action, adventure, and alternate history. I can't wait to see where the rest of this series goes.
Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.
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