Castle in the Stars: The Space Race of 1869. Volume 1

1869, and the world crackles with space fever. Dreams of impossible horizons ignite imaginations, none more than Claire Dulac's. A brilliant engineer, Claire ascends in a daring hot air balloon, chasing whispers of a mysterious energy source called the aether. But then, silence. Claire vanishes, leaving behind a heartbroken husband, Archibald, and a son, Seraphine, who refuses to believe his mother is lost.
A year later, a cryptic letter arrives. It speaks of a hidden ship's log, kept by Claire, and beckons Seraphine to a Bavarian castle. There, a young king, fueled by visions of an aether-powered ship, awaits. Drawn by hope and shrouded in uncertainty, Seraphine and Archibald embark on a perilous journey, unaware of the shadows lurking at the castle's heart. For some will stop at nothing to claim the ultimate prize – dominion over the heavens.

Beyond adventure, this tale weaves a tapestry of unwavering hope, profound love, and the enduring search for truth. It is an invitation to a world where the impossible becomes a whispered promise, waiting to be unraveled.