Firefly: Carnival is a 2021 novel by Una McCormack set in the Firefly 'Verse. It is sixth in a series of novels that take place between the events of Firefly and Serenity, though this novel takes place during the first season, before the episode "Heart Of Gold".
The crew of Serenity have a job. . . even a legal one, for once! All they have to do is go to the planet Bethel, meet a supply train carrying a shipment of valuable ore, and guard that shipment until it is loaded onto a ship to take it offworld. Easy as pie, not a thing that could wrong, easy money. Right?
Wrong. For starters, the reason the gentleman moving the cargo is engaging outside contractors is because Bethel is about to start Carnival, a weekend of absolute revelry, and everyone else who could do the job has other things to worry about. For another, there's some complex political and economic interplay between the rich gentleman who hired Mal, the head of the Companion Guild House, a few other rich and influential people, and the head of the local hospital. Finally, there's a fourteen year old girl named Ava on the run from a pair of unsavory types who seem to mean her harm, and she's trying to get in touch with some rather secretive folk who seem to want to help her. . .
This novel includes examples of the following tropes:
- Anachronic Order: While the previous novels all have a loose continuity that essentially make up a second season of the show, this novel is set during the events of the first season, prior to the episode "Heart Of Gold." As such, Kaylee is still a bit wary of River and hasn't mentioned her actions in "War Stories", and Inara has not yet decided to leave the ship.
- Cleans Up Nicely: River, after Inara is done with her, looks a vision in a Little Black Dress with styled hair and artful makeup. But the real surprise is Jayne in a velvet tuxedo with shiny lapels, and actually looking good in it!
- Everyone Has Standards: Much as Jayne likes a romp with a willing (or paid to be so) woman, even he is aghast at the youth of the girls the trafficking ring is targeting.
- I Have Your Wife: After the security job goes sideways, Zoe and Book are trying to chase down the thieves when they're caught by the police, who bring them to Roberts. Roberts contacts Mal, explains that he has Zoe and Book, and the crew have 48 hours to pay him back the value of the cargo that was stolen, 500 platinum. If they do, Zoe and Book come back, safe and sound. If they don't, they come back in boxes.
- Minor Crime Reveals Major Plot: A couple of thugs trying to kidnap a teenage girl and the theft of a valuable mineral shipment leads to a conspiracy involving the two richest and most powerful people on Bethel to kidnap girls and sell them as Sex Slaves.
- Poor Communication Kills: Very nearly. The head of hospital states she's undercover, investigating potential corruption and theft of medicine from the hospital for sale offworld. Inara offers to help, because the Companion Guild cannot abide even the accusation of corruption, and the local Guild House owns the hospital. Inara agrees to accompany the doctor to a party. The doctor instead kidnaps Inara (though she objects to calling it that), stating that she knows why Inara's here, what the Guild does and what it's like, and she won't let them cover it up. Inara has no idea what she's talking about, but does manage to convince them she's legitimately clueless. When they let her in on the human trafficking ring, Inara is incensed and agrees to help however she can.
- Psychic Powers: River is in fine form. She has Inara dress her up pretty and do her hair and makeup, then gets Jayne and Wash to come out with her to hit a casino to quickly earn the money they need to rescue Zoe and Book. She gets a winning streak at a futuristic roulette table, racking up some 68,000 platinum. She also picked the right casino, with an owner who celebrates her winning streak before politely but firmly asking the three to leave and never come back. She also scored so much more than the 500 platinum they needed so she could donate half to the underground railroad, half to helping the Sheriff finally move on the ringleader.
- Two Lines, No Waiting: We first meet Ava, running from two men of ill intent through Bethel's capital city. We then pick up the Serenity crew, preparing for their job. We then meet the head of the local hospital and her staff woes as Carnival approaches, and the hospital will be super busy with all the revelry and its attendant chaos. We also meet the head of the local Guild House, who owns the hospital (along with a lot of other real estate). Then we meet a wealthy brother and sister as they make their own Carnival preparations. Finally, we meet Jacob Roberts, the real mover and shaker of Bethel, who hired Mal for the job. These all come together as Eva bumps into Mal and Kaylee, Simon goes to work at the hospital, the head of the hospital is friends with the rich female sibling and they're working together to run the underground railroad, and the head of the Guild House and the guy who offered Mal the job are in a conspiracy to sell girls into sex slavery.
- Underground Railroad: There's one to try and keep the young girls out of the hands of the human traffickers.
