“The Keeper’s Six” by Kate Elliott

This novella was a pure, action-packed adventure about a pissed off Jewish mom setting out to rescue her son.

Esther is a member of a Hex, a collection of six individuals, each with their own magic abilities, collectively able to navigate the dangerous Beyond between different worlds. Except Esther’s Hex recently lost their license to operate (granted by the Dragons who oversee interworld travel) when Esther engaged in some illegal shenanigan to shut down some slave traders. But then she gets a message from her son (another member of the Hex) telling her that he’s been kidnapped, so Esther gets the gang back together to rescue him.

This novella is purely and simply fun. You’ve got cool magical abilities, an original and highly hazardous environment, dragons guarding their hoards and scheming to increase them, workers engaging in slowdowns to force management to the negotiating table: everything a great fantasy adventure needs. Strongly recommended if you’re looking for an entertaining way to pass a few hours.