There's no room for magic in the Age of Steam...
After winning the Civil War against the Confederate
Wielders, the Union Machinists have outlawed magic to
usher in a new age of steam-powered technology. Diah,
an alchemist and the only non-wielder in his family,
owes his brother for saving his life in the war; so when
Cager is blackmailed into procuring the magical hide of
the White Buffalo, Diah accompanies him to the Dakota
territory.
Their guide is Oni, a half-Lakota woman with plenty of
secrets to hide. She's a magic wielder with an illegal
wand concealed in her knife--and she's a coyote shifter.
To her people, killing the White Buffalo is not only
sacrilege, it's dangerous. Oni has no intention of
helping them actually achieve their mission--until she
falls in love with Diah...