J. S. Meresmaa: The Jackdaw Master
A touching and vivid story that launches The Ursine Affairs Trilogy!
Casting Master Lundan's workshop is Enni's home. Every day she longs for her parents, who never came back to fetch her. One morning, Enni discovers a jackdaw—and her life changes. Completely.
The Jackdaw Master is a story set in Tampere in the year 1900, blending alternate history with steampunk. Its independent sequels are Twilight Rays and Powerhouse.
Length: 17 000 words in original Finnish
Published in Hungarian in 2023 by Főnix Könyvműhely.
From a review:
"The story begins as a historical novel but starts to formulate fantastical and alternative elements the further it develops. Between the narration parts there are newspaper clippings inspired by the actual articles and adverts published in Aamulehti newspaper of the time, and slowly they start to shine a different light on what the past really was like in Tampere in 1900. There is enough factual history to open up a disturbing "what if" state in the reader's mind, and enough wild steampunk technology and fantasy for imagination to fly. Yet a big part of the story still concentrates on the relations between characters, the use of power, xenophobia and fear — and in the end, redemption and sacrifice."
-Reeta Saine, IBBY Finland
"To put a seemingly unimportant girl into a role of heroine and a savior of the whole community is a well-known and safe theme in fantasy literature. That's why it takes great skill to approach the story in a refreshing way. […] The plot surprises you repeatedly. A happy ending isn't as clear as it is in so many fantasy stories."
– Mari Viertola, Turun Sanomat
Introduction to the second and final part of the Ursine Affairs Trilogy:
Twilight Rays (The Ursine Affairs #2)
True bravery is daring to try even though you're afraid.
Espionage, alternate history, and an animistic spirit world in early twentieth-century Finland.
Säde and Anttoni, two young Ursines, travel under false papers to Imatra in eastern Finland. A new hotel has just opened there—a handsome, castle-like stone building called the Grand Hôtel Cascade. The Jackdaw Master has caught wind of an important meeting to be held there between the Finnish-minded Fennomans and the Karelians. Finland remains under Russian control, but rumors are circulating about a plan to establish a federation of the Finnish and Karelian Grand Duchies, independent of Russia. The outcome of the meeting could prove pivotal for the fate of the Ursine people.
Events take an unexpected turn when a third party enters the negotiations.
Soon Säde and Anttoni face obstacles and hardships that jeopardize the mission. Inexperienced in fieldwork, they find themselves in over their heads. Will the Jackdaw Master be able to send help in time?
Length: 18 000 words in original Finnish
Powerhouse (The Ursine Affairs #3)
What is right and what is wrong in a world brimming with cruelty and inequality?
The ursine youth Jyly is used to fast-paced turns and dangerous situations in field missions, but the constant pressure has begun to take its toll on both mind and body. Jyly faces a momentous decision when a new placement must quickly be found for the Jackdaw Master—and help arrives in the form of Tuuli, an airship pilot.
Powerhouse is the thrilling conclusion to the acclaimed Ursine Trilogy, preceded by The Jackdaw Master and Twilight Rays. The breathtaking final showdown takes place in Northern Kymenlaakso, amid the historic landscapes of the Verla mill village.
Length: 25 000 words in original Finnish