Book excerpt: A ruthless, greedy ship captain. An assassin’s intrigue. A ferocious battle with the Tlingit. In 1795, Russia dominates the Pacific fur trade. Cultures clash on every shore as explorers sail the unknown waters of Pacific North America. Brothers Grigori and Mikhail Romanukski, born to early American settlers of Spanish-Russian heritage, join the crew of the Russian brigantine Phoenix. Their journey along untamed shores takes them to ancient China and a shapeshifter’s prophecy yet to be fulfilled. Diversity and shared destinies fill this tale of adventure, survival, and a brotherly bond that cannot be broken by the passage of time.