Last Exile

On the planet Prester, the skies are the main thoroughfare, powered by Claudia Fluid—a liquid derived from the world’s crystals. Over it all stands the Guild, holding an iron grip on flight technology through its exclusive control of the engines that use this resource. As ecological upheaval worsens the long-running war between Anatoray and Disith, the Guild even serves as the official mediator, while independent Sky Couriers in nimble, two-seat vanships slip between factions to keep goods and messages moving.

Claus Valca and his navigator, Lavie Head, are teenage couriers driven by a shared ambition to outdo the legacy of their parents. Their work often means braving the Grand Stream, a violent air current dividing the rival nations and dangerous even for full-sized airships. Everything changes when they accept a top-priority job: delivering an orphaned girl, Alvis Hamilton, to the battleship Silvana—an assignment that pulls them into the heart of the conflict and into direct opposition with the Guild’s overwhelming power.