Every voyage needs a crew, and every crew needs someone to run from. Here is a quick guide to the people you will meet in The Infinite Ocean. I have kept it light on spoilers, so it is safe to read even if you have just started.
Main Characters
Lucian
Role: Protagonist · First appears: Vol. 1, Ch. 1
A silver-tongued rogue who would rather talk his way out of trouble than fight his way through it. Card tricks, borrowed identities, and a plan inside every plan are his favorite tools. When a betrayal turns his old life to ash, he becomes the most wanted fugitive in Crimson Bay, and the first step of a much longer journey begins.
Author’s note: Lucian is the character I have the most fun writing. He almost never wins by being the strongest person in the room. He wins by being the one who saw the trap three moves earlier.
Commander Valeria
Role: Sovereign Empire commander · First appears: Vol. 1, Ch. 1
A disciplined, sharp-eyed officer of the Sovereign Empire, and the woman tasked with bringing Lucian to justice. She believes in order, duty, and the chain of command. The deeper she sails into the unknown, though, the harder it becomes to tell which side truly deserves her loyalty.
Author’s note: Valeria started out as the obstacle and slowly became one of the hearts of the story. Watching her and Lucian go from hunter and prey to something much more complicated is the slow-burn I love most.
Garrick
Role: The muscle with a past · First appears: Vol. 1, Ch. 2
A huge, weathered brawler first found nursing a flask of Imperial rum in a Crimson Bay tavern. Under the rough edges sits an old soldier’s instinct and a stubborn loyalty that, once earned, does not break easily.
Author’s note: Garrick is proof that the people who look the toughest often have the softest center. He is my favorite example of the found-family side of this story.
The Crew
Silas
Role: Lucian’s old friend · First appears: Vol. 1, Ch. 6
Nervous, jittery, and a little unpredictable, Silas is the kind of friend you only call when every sane option is gone. There is a spark of brilliant madness in him that tends to show up exactly when the crew needs it.
Finn
Role: Helmsman · First appears: Vol. 1, Ch. 35
Broad-shouldered and quietly stubborn, Finn is the steady hand at the wheel. When the stars and the charts disagree, the crew trusts his navigation.
Varis
Role: Explosives expert · First appears: Vol. 1, Ch. 29
Twitchy, intense, and far too calm around black powder. Varis brings a manic energy to every plan, and usually a very loud ending.
Rivals & Antagonists
Malachi
Role: Pirate captain · First appears: Vol. 1, Ch. 5
A pirate captain whose betrayal casts a long shadow over the whole story. Commanding, ruthless, and backed by a dangerous alliance, he treats the sea itself as his personal property.
Sylvia
Role: Malachi’s right hand · First appears: Vol. 2, Ch. 15
Cold, elegant, and always calculating. Sylvia sees more than she says, which makes her one of the most dangerous people at any table.
Draco
Role: Pirate hunter · First appears: Vol. 1, Ch. 7
A monstrously scarred brute who hunts the Iron Oath through the mist. Where Lucian uses tricks, Draco uses fear.
Admiral Vanderhoof
Role: Imperial admiral · First appears: Vol. 2, Ch. 2
A high-ranking officer of the Sovereign Navy with a cruel streak and a love of power. He is the reminder that not every enemy flies a pirate flag.
Commander Vargas
Role: Imperial officer · First appears: Vol. 1, Ch. 29
A garrison commander whose anger melts quickly at the sight of gold. Greedy, proud, and easy to underestimate.
Have a favorite character, or a theory about where someone’s story is heading? Tell me in the comments on any chapter. I read them all.