Set during the catastrophic New Madrid earthquake of 1812, Black Powder is the story of Robert Young, a former captain in the Barbary Wars and his river journey on America's first steamboat to rescue the woman he loves from a gang of river pirates led by his cutthroat nemesis and former commander, Samuel Mason.
In the aftermath of the last earthquake, Robert and Molly find themselves in the hands of the Shawnee leader Tecumseh, who reveals his prophetic vision of the coming cataclysm. Rendezvousing with the rest of the crew at Wolf Island, Molly is reunited with her fiancé Edward. But does she still feel the same about him now that Robert is back? What dark secrets does this strange river island hide?