Jo Graham worked in politics for fifteen years before leaving to write full time.  She is the author of the Locus Award nominated Black Ships and the Spectrum Award nominated Stealing Fire, as well as eight books of the Stargate Atlantis: Legacy series.  She is also the author of historical fantasies Hand of Isis, The General's Mistress, and The Emperor's Agent, as well as an additional Stargate Atlantis novel and an SG-1 novel.  With Melissa Scott, she is the author of The Order of the Air series of historical fantasies set in the roaring twenties and the Great Depression.  Her forthcoming novels include the historical fantasy/spy novel The Marshal's Lover and the fifth Order of the Air novel, Oath Bound.  Jo Graham lives in North Carolina with her partner and their daughters.

Amy Griswold is the author (with Melissa Scott) of Death by Silver (winner of the Lambda Literary Award) and A Death at the Dionysus Club, fantasy/mystery novels set in an alternate Victorian England. She has also written multiple Stargate tie-in novels for Fandemonium Books, including the Stargate Legacy series (with Melissa Scott and Jo Graham). She can be found online at @amygris.

The Eagle's Heir (Steam Code!) by Jo Graham and Amy Griswold

Defend Napoleon's heir in this steampunk alternate history game of political maneuvering, airship adventure, and romantic intrigue! Will you bring liberty to France, or plunge Europe into bloody war?

"The Eagle's Heir" is a 200,000 word interactive novel by Amy Griswold and Jo Graham. It's entirely text-based, without graphics, or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

Since Napoleon won the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, seventeen years ago, Europe has enjoyed an uneasy peace. While the great empires of Austria, Russia and England have tried to stem the tide of revolution, France has mastered steam power to conquer the air and sea. Now, Napoleon's health is failing, and France is torn between his legitimate heir, Franz, and his illegitimate son Alexandre.

Luckily, Alexandre has you, his loyal bodyguard and childhood companion, skilled in the arts of the duel and the ballroom, and ready for anything from diplomacy to airship combat!

It's brother against brother as you choose who will rule France, and how. Will France have a king, an emperor, or become a republic? Can you guide your lifelong friend Alexandre to the throne, and keep not just your prince but his revolutionary ideals alive? Or will you throw your weight behind his half-brother Franz? Will you defeat France's enemies with the thunder of airship guns or forge a marriage alliance in gaslit ballrooms?

•Play as male, female, genderfluid, or non-binary; gay, straight, or asexual
•Race airships across the English Channel
•Find romance with a journalist or a lady's maid, or ménage a trois at the Tuileries Palace
•Join a motley crew of actors in the revolutionary cause, or spy on them for your allies
•Duel aristocrats to preserve your and Alexandre's honor
•Plan a scandalous elopement which sends Europe into an uproar

When swords cross before the throne, who will be the Eagle's Heir?

CURATOR'S NOTE

Choice of Games has a well-earned reputation for inclusive games, and The Eagle's Heir is certainly that. You can play as male, female, genderfluid, or non-binary, and as gay, straight, or asexual. Because this is set in the gender-stratified society of the early 19th century, questions of presentation are front and center, and were some of the most interesting aspects of play for me. But it's also a fabulous steampunk adventure in a world where Napoleon won at Waterloo, and you begin as the best friend of Alexandre, Napoleon's illegitimate son and possible heir. You can race airships across the Channel, play politics in English drawing rooms and French salons, support Republicanism or promote a scandalous but glittering elopement or renounce politics altogether. I've played this through a number of times (I'm still trying for the elopement), but I think I'm proudest of the time I succeeded in establishing Alexandre as the heir without angering Napoleon. A glittering adventure with fascinatingly queer core. – Melissa Scott

 

REVIEWS

  • "Best interactive novel I've played. Highly recommended, even more so if you've any interest in Napoleonic France or Steampunk. Well-written, funny and even romantic."

    – Steam Review

  • "This is hands down one of my favorite Choice of Games I've ever played. The writing is phenomenal, and definitely pulls you into the story. Fair warning, though, it's a very high stakes game and getting the outcome you want is not easy. I'd also like to mention it's got probably the best narration accompanying your choice of gender and presentation I've seen yet, and is the only game I've played thus far that has a dysphoria toggle. If any of the above is relevant to your interests, I highly recommend giving it a try."

    – Google Play

  • "Truly excellent! Meaningful choices, within a brilliantly written story, containing well-rounded characters. Multiple romances and multiple endings are possible, giving great replay value. I highly recommend this game."

    – Google Play
 

PREVIEW

Excerpt

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