Castle in the Stars: The Space Race of 1869

Castle in the Stars, a graphic novel by French author and illustrator Alex Alice, has an alternate history/steampunk vibe akin to the Kenneth Oppel’s book Airborn, and the Hayao Miyazaki anime Castle in the Sky.

The year is 1869, and our hero Seraphin and his father are summoned to a castle in Bavaria to help a young king build an airship that will launch them to the stars. Can they build this fantastical vehicle amidst the intrigue of warring duchies who each want to rule the empire?