The Left-Handed Fate by Kate Milford

My name is Max, and I must find the second piece to a devastating weapon that could end a budding war and prevent others. I only have cryptic clues about its capabilities, but I can't let it fall into Napoleon's hands. Lucy and the crew of the Fate helped me find the first part, but locating the second one has become an adventure. The Americans and Britain are now at war, so it makes sailing the Atlantic more treacherous. A mysterious brig has been materializing along with eerie lights, and we've only barely managed to escape. Now, the Fate has been overtaken by an American ship and is being controlled by a very young lieutenant. He's helping us protect the first piece of the weapon, but we'll soon be without a ship and on our own. 

This book was written by the author of Bluecrowne but didn't have the same amount of supernatural detail. Other than the secretive weapon and strange lights, the rest of the events were fairly realistic. There were a few references to the Bluecrowne, but this plot described a totally unrelated story. Lucy was still the main character, but her feisty personality was muted a bit due to circumstances aboard the Fate. She displayed compassion and honor, even with her enemies, but wasn't able to utilize all of her talents. She became more of a detective than an adventurer. My biggest issue with the story concerned the weapon. It was the focus of the conflict, but the characters weren't sure what it was or what it could do. It was hard to understand how weaving cards could have anything to do with a destructive device. How can readers understand the problem if the characters can't explain it? Overall, I enjoyed the characters, including the new lieutenant, and I liked the idea of the problem. I enjoyed the climax. However, the whole project wasn't as entertaining as Bluecrowne. More clarity and more supernatural elements would have helped.