[Ganymede] [published: October, 2011]

Reformed air pirate Andan Cly finds himself drawn back to New Orleans when his former lover Josephine Early offers him a mysterious piloting job that promises substantial compensation. What awaits him beneath the murky waters of Lake Pontchartrain is the Ganymede, a massive experimental submarine that could potentially shift the balance of the ongoing Civil War. The formidable war machine comes with a deadly reputation, having claimed the lives of most who dared operate it. As Cly assembles his crew for this treacherous mission, they must navigate not only the mechanical mysteries of the prototype vessel but also Confederate forces guarding the Mississippi River.

Edoardo Ballerini brings remarkable depth to Priest's steampunk adventure, skillfully differentiating between the diverse cast of characters while maintaining the story's gritty atmosphere. His narration captures both the technical complexity of the submarine sequences and the emotional undercurrents between Cly and Josephine with equal finesse. Ballerini's pacing builds tension effectively during the claustrophobic underwater scenes, making the confined setting feel genuinely perilous. The audio format particularly enhances the mechanical sounds and industrial ambiance of Priest's alternate history world, immersing listeners in the steam-powered machinery and underwater acoustics that define this unique Civil War-era adventure.