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Running Close to the Wind
Avra Helvaçi, former field agent of the Araşti Ministry of Intelligence, has accidentally stolen the single most expensive secret in the world―and the only place to flee with a secret that big is the open sea.
To find a buyer with deep enough pockets, Avra must ask for help from his on-again, off-again ex, the pirate Captain Teveri az-Ḥaffār. They are far from happy to see him, but together, they hatch a plan: take the information to the isolated pirate republic of the Isles of Lost Souls, fence it, profit. The only things in their way? A calculating new Araşti ambassador to the Isles of Lost Souls who’s got his eyes on Avra’s every move; Brother Julian, a beautiful, mysterious new member of the crew with secrets of his own and a frankly inconvenient vow of celibacy; the fact that they’re sailing straight into sea serpent breeding season and almost certain doom.
But if they can find a way to survive and sell the secret on the black market, they’ll all be as wealthy as kings―and, more important, they’ll be legends.
To find a buyer with deep enough pockets, Avra must ask for help from his on-again, off-again ex, the pirate Captain Teveri az-Ḥaffār. They are far from happy to see him, but together, they hatch a plan: take the information to the isolated pirate republic of the Isles of Lost Souls, fence it, profit. The only things in their way? A calculating new Araşti ambassador to the Isles of Lost Souls who’s got his eyes on Avra’s every move; Brother Julian, a beautiful, mysterious new member of the crew with secrets of his own and a frankly inconvenient vow of celibacy; the fact that they’re sailing straight into sea serpent breeding season and almost certain doom.
But if they can find a way to survive and sell the secret on the black market, they’ll all be as wealthy as kings―and, more important, they’ll be legends.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published June 11, 2024
About the author
Alexandra Rowland
13 books1,193 followersAlexandra Rowland is the author of several fantasy books, including A Conspiracy Of Truths, A Choir Of Lies, and Some by Virtue Fall, as well as a Hugo Award-nominated podcaster (all sternly supervised by their feline quality control manager). They hold a degree in world literature, mythology, and folklore from Truman State University.
They are represented by Britt Siess of Britt Siess Creative Management.
Find them on Twitter, Instagram, Patreon or their website.
They are represented by Britt Siess of Britt Siess Creative Management.
Find them on Twitter, Instagram, Patreon or their website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 385 reviews
June 8, 2024
4.5/5
They believe that the stories and histories of the people who live here are valuable and important and worthy of being remembered.
This was an absolute blast! I have never had so much fun or laughed so hard whilst reading a book! Alexandra Rowland is so skilled at writing such a vast array of emotions and such different, yet equally enjoyable and compelling, stories!
I loved A Taste of Gold and Iron unfathomable amounts, which is also set in this world, but Running Close to the Wind takes place in a completely different location and has an incredibly different, more light-hearted, tone. I adore both of these books for wildly different reasons. It is such a talent to be able to write across different subgenres and different tones like Rowland has done across only these two books (I am yet to read their other works).
The first thing I have to say, that I so eloquently wrote down in my notes, is: PIRATES! Literally what more could you ask for than a fun, rambunctious, goofy bunch of queer pirates? I can think of nothing better! The whole cast is so lively and vibrant, every single one of the characters we meet along the way have such bold and memorable personalities. They're all so much fun to read about! (That truly is the word of this review, fun, it perfectly encapsulates every thought I had whilst reading!)
One of its comp titles is Our Flag Means Death and if you like OFMD please read this, I beg you, you will absolutely love it! (And if you don't like OFMD... what's wrong with you?)
There's something so freeing about reading about pirates (or watching a show with pirates) even if it's romanticised for all our viewing pleasure; they're outcasts, criminals, people who cannot exist in society, and so they find escape on the seas. This particularly resonates with people from a whole host of marginalised identities and is why pirate stories like these are so important, pirates stories where the main characters are disabled and BIPOC and queer and genderqueer, and of so many varying situations which make their participation in society so much harder and therefore the pirate's life at sea so much more freeing. And this emotion, even in a story as hilarious and whimsical as this one, still punctuates each movement and really adds to our love and affection for the characters.
It is by far the funniest book I've ever read, I was absolutely crying with laughter. It's just hilarious and so silly in the best possible way! As with anything humour-related in books, it will of course be quite subjective as to whether or not you'll like this type of humour, but I think it's incredibly funny and I think most others will think the same. I just kept bursting out laughing!
I don't even know how to begin summing up my thoughts about this book, I just feel such an overwhelming sense of love for it. I had the best time reading it and eagerly await reading it all over again (you're all so lucky, getting to experience it for the first time)! The characters were phenomenal, they had so much personality and wit and joviality. I also loved that we navigated more complex situations in their relationships and guarded emotions; for all its humour, this book was never one note, it still had a whole lot to say. The plot was so much FUN from beginning to end, it's so hard to put down, I just wanted to read and read and read!
My favourite out of context moment is: glowing blue dogs. Come back to this and tell me your favourite absolutely bonkers moment once you've read it!
I wholeheartedly recommend this story, it is the most fun you will have reading anything! And as I so eloquently already said: PIRATES!
Here we are—for now, for at least today. Here we are, as splendid as we can manage, because we might not be here tomorrow, because we won the right to do what we are doing on the tip of a blade—and because they should know, all those people out there in the world, that we were here and proud and free and that they couldn't and can't do a thing to stop us.
Thank you Tor for an arc in exchange for an honest review. (Seriously, thank you!)
They believe that the stories and histories of the people who live here are valuable and important and worthy of being remembered.
This was an absolute blast! I have never had so much fun or laughed so hard whilst reading a book! Alexandra Rowland is so skilled at writing such a vast array of emotions and such different, yet equally enjoyable and compelling, stories!
I loved A Taste of Gold and Iron unfathomable amounts, which is also set in this world, but Running Close to the Wind takes place in a completely different location and has an incredibly different, more light-hearted, tone. I adore both of these books for wildly different reasons. It is such a talent to be able to write across different subgenres and different tones like Rowland has done across only these two books (I am yet to read their other works).
The first thing I have to say, that I so eloquently wrote down in my notes, is: PIRATES! Literally what more could you ask for than a fun, rambunctious, goofy bunch of queer pirates? I can think of nothing better! The whole cast is so lively and vibrant, every single one of the characters we meet along the way have such bold and memorable personalities. They're all so much fun to read about! (That truly is the word of this review, fun, it perfectly encapsulates every thought I had whilst reading!)
One of its comp titles is Our Flag Means Death and if you like OFMD please read this, I beg you, you will absolutely love it! (And if you don't like OFMD... what's wrong with you?)
There's something so freeing about reading about pirates (or watching a show with pirates) even if it's romanticised for all our viewing pleasure; they're outcasts, criminals, people who cannot exist in society, and so they find escape on the seas. This particularly resonates with people from a whole host of marginalised identities and is why pirate stories like these are so important, pirates stories where the main characters are disabled and BIPOC and queer and genderqueer, and of so many varying situations which make their participation in society so much harder and therefore the pirate's life at sea so much more freeing. And this emotion, even in a story as hilarious and whimsical as this one, still punctuates each movement and really adds to our love and affection for the characters.
It is by far the funniest book I've ever read, I was absolutely crying with laughter. It's just hilarious and so silly in the best possible way! As with anything humour-related in books, it will of course be quite subjective as to whether or not you'll like this type of humour, but I think it's incredibly funny and I think most others will think the same. I just kept bursting out laughing!
I don't even know how to begin summing up my thoughts about this book, I just feel such an overwhelming sense of love for it. I had the best time reading it and eagerly await reading it all over again (you're all so lucky, getting to experience it for the first time)! The characters were phenomenal, they had so much personality and wit and joviality. I also loved that we navigated more complex situations in their relationships and guarded emotions; for all its humour, this book was never one note, it still had a whole lot to say. The plot was so much FUN from beginning to end, it's so hard to put down, I just wanted to read and read and read!
My favourite out of context moment is: glowing blue dogs. Come back to this and tell me your favourite absolutely bonkers moment once you've read it!
I wholeheartedly recommend this story, it is the most fun you will have reading anything! And as I so eloquently already said: PIRATES!
Here we are—for now, for at least today. Here we are, as splendid as we can manage, because we might not be here tomorrow, because we won the right to do what we are doing on the tip of a blade—and because they should know, all those people out there in the world, that we were here and proud and free and that they couldn't and can't do a thing to stop us.
Thank you Tor for an arc in exchange for an honest review. (Seriously, thank you!)
March 25, 2024
Running Close to the Wind delivers queer pirates and mayhem in a hilariously funny, incredibly unhinged, and supremely horny way, set in the same queer-normative world as A Taste of Gold and Iron.
The book is full of adventure, hijinks, the most chaotic characters, a smidge of romance, and it's so funny I nearly strained something laughing.
We follow Avra, a self-professed silly little slut and former Arasti spy, after he steals something very valuable from the Shipbuilder's Guild (remember the break-in in A Taste of Gold and Iron?) and goes running to his on again/off again beau pirate captain Teveri to share his ill-gotten gains. Teveri and the rest of the crew of The Running Sun, including newly added crew member Julian The Hot Monk, have to decide if it's worth putting up with Avra and his antics to possibly make the biggest bounty of their lives.
Throw in sea serpents, a pirate island, colourful side characters, Avra's weird mouth-noises, anti-capitalist sentiments, an impossibly hot monk with a mysterious background who both Tev and Avra lust after, and you got yourself one of the funniest books I've read.
Running Close to the Wind's also given me a new favourite chaos gremlin in Avra. He's a suspiciously lucky, somewhat pathetic disaster of a human who's constantly horny and annoys everyone around him. I fell madly in love with him almost immediately!
Because the book's so nonstop funny it left me wanting more moments of seriousness and depth in order to truly connect with the characters. It sometimes felt like the book didn't know what it wanted to be and the ending left me kind of frustrated. That could partially be related to expecting a different book going in? It's not a romance, it's more of a cozy fantasy pirate adventure with great characters. We drop into Avra's life for a few weeks of chaotic fun and then leave him, Tev, and Julian right when things heat up between them which was a bit of a bummer. And for a book this horny, there's surprisingly, and unfortunately, no sex scenes.
There's lots still left to explore and so much more I want from this story - I could easily imagine a trilogy in this universe and I'd eat it right up!
Thanks to MacMillan and Edelweiss for the ARC. Running Close to the Wind is out June 11, 2024
The book is full of adventure, hijinks, the most chaotic characters, a smidge of romance, and it's so funny I nearly strained something laughing.
We follow Avra, a self-professed silly little slut and former Arasti spy, after he steals something very valuable from the Shipbuilder's Guild (remember the break-in in A Taste of Gold and Iron?) and goes running to his on again/off again beau pirate captain Teveri to share his ill-gotten gains. Teveri and the rest of the crew of The Running Sun, including newly added crew member Julian The Hot Monk, have to decide if it's worth putting up with Avra and his antics to possibly make the biggest bounty of their lives.
Throw in sea serpents, a pirate island, colourful side characters, Avra's weird mouth-noises, anti-capitalist sentiments, an impossibly hot monk with a mysterious background who both Tev and Avra lust after, and you got yourself one of the funniest books I've read.
Running Close to the Wind's also given me a new favourite chaos gremlin in Avra. He's a suspiciously lucky, somewhat pathetic disaster of a human who's constantly horny and annoys everyone around him. I fell madly in love with him almost immediately!
Because the book's so nonstop funny it left me wanting more moments of seriousness and depth in order to truly connect with the characters. It sometimes felt like the book didn't know what it wanted to be and the ending left me kind of frustrated. That could partially be related to expecting a different book going in? It's not a romance, it's more of a cozy fantasy pirate adventure with great characters. We drop into Avra's life for a few weeks of chaotic fun and then leave him, Tev, and Julian right when things heat up between them which was a bit of a bummer. And for a book this horny, there's surprisingly, and unfortunately, no sex scenes.
There's lots still left to explore and so much more I want from this story - I could easily imagine a trilogy in this universe and I'd eat it right up!
Thanks to MacMillan and Edelweiss for the ARC. Running Close to the Wind is out June 11, 2024
May 27, 2024
This book is potentially one of the hardest ones I’ve had to decompress and think about to work out how I would rate it. There are some elements that would come close to 5 stars for me at times, although they are rarely fully realised. But there are so many moments that feel like they fell short of their potential and leave me feeling underwhelmed.
I enjoyed A Taste of Gold and Iron immensely when I read it and I know it’s a favourite that has a lot of people excited for this. What I would say is that this is DRASTICALLY different in tone and vibe to ATOGAI, to the degree I would almost actively warn people against reading this if that was the sort of story they were after cause I think you would be setting yourself up for disappointment.
When I was younger one of my favourite games was the Tales of Monkey Island series with Guybrush Threepwood. I loved those games so much. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find out that this sourced some degree of inspiration from that material because the content and the humor of this felt very reminiscent to me. I did find myself chuckling along to this pretty regularly, but the humor is very slapsticky and juvenile and sometimes belabors the point in its efforts to be funny to the degree where it misses the landing. The source of the humor is also regularly very sexual in nature which is kind of frustrating because this book absolutely blue balls the reader. Honestly, it left me a bit confused and unfulfilled at times because the jokes were often graphically sexual in nature however there was literally zero spice, barely even fade to black. It kind of feels a bit like it needed to pick a lane and stick to it.
I did love the all of the characters in this though, and if their relationships weren’t as fun as they were the rating would be much lower.
Avra, the self professed “silly slut with a head as empty as a new bucket” is an ex-Arasti spy who has been blessed by the goddess of luck (think Domino from Deadpool but less showy). Avra comes into the possession of an incredibly important government secret after he wandered into the ship builders guild on an excursion to test his luck. Avra then finds himself and his secret on the ship of his on-again-off-again ex, Pirate Captain Tevari (along with the recent edition to the ship, the very handsome monk Julian) and then ensues silly adventures in their efforts to unravel and sell Avras secret.
This part is potentially a bit spoilery in terms of the relationship so read on at your own discretion…..
Honestly, this is one of the few times where I feel like a polyamorous relationship is portrayed well and I understand the how the dynamic works and the potential between the parties and it’s not just played for novelty. Avra and Tevari obviously hold a lot of love and affection for each other but struggle to communicate it and be on the same page, Julian’s edition to their dynamic as a bridge and mediator between them, while caring for both of them, is very sweet and makes so much sense. Honestly, I feel like this book shone the brightest when these three were navigating their relationships together and with each other and would happily just read more of that. That being said they also never explicitly establish their dynamic as a polyamorous dynamic (noting the above blue balling of the reader) and it’s all mostly just implied and suggested.
I was fortunate enough to be provided an audio ARC of this and had a great time with it and think that the voice narration was pretty fantastic and lent a lot of character to the story. I didn’t love the voice put on for Avra but got used to it after a while and would happily listen to Tev read a shopping list to me.
A long story short, I think that I need to rate this 4 stars for the sake of the parts I enjoyed, but the story itself often veered into 3 star territory. I might feel differently about this upon reflection though. I think if you adjust your expectations this story has all going for it.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listed to and provide my thoughts on this audio ARC of this book.
I enjoyed A Taste of Gold and Iron immensely when I read it and I know it’s a favourite that has a lot of people excited for this. What I would say is that this is DRASTICALLY different in tone and vibe to ATOGAI, to the degree I would almost actively warn people against reading this if that was the sort of story they were after cause I think you would be setting yourself up for disappointment.
When I was younger one of my favourite games was the Tales of Monkey Island series with Guybrush Threepwood. I loved those games so much. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find out that this sourced some degree of inspiration from that material because the content and the humor of this felt very reminiscent to me. I did find myself chuckling along to this pretty regularly, but the humor is very slapsticky and juvenile and sometimes belabors the point in its efforts to be funny to the degree where it misses the landing. The source of the humor is also regularly very sexual in nature which is kind of frustrating because this book absolutely blue balls the reader. Honestly, it left me a bit confused and unfulfilled at times because the jokes were often graphically sexual in nature however there was literally zero spice, barely even fade to black. It kind of feels a bit like it needed to pick a lane and stick to it.
I did love the all of the characters in this though, and if their relationships weren’t as fun as they were the rating would be much lower.
Avra, the self professed “silly slut with a head as empty as a new bucket” is an ex-Arasti spy who has been blessed by the goddess of luck (think Domino from Deadpool but less showy). Avra comes into the possession of an incredibly important government secret after he wandered into the ship builders guild on an excursion to test his luck. Avra then finds himself and his secret on the ship of his on-again-off-again ex, Pirate Captain Tevari (along with the recent edition to the ship, the very handsome monk Julian) and then ensues silly adventures in their efforts to unravel and sell Avras secret.
This part is potentially a bit spoilery in terms of the relationship so read on at your own discretion…..
Honestly, this is one of the few times where I feel like a polyamorous relationship is portrayed well and I understand the how the dynamic works and the potential between the parties and it’s not just played for novelty. Avra and Tevari obviously hold a lot of love and affection for each other but struggle to communicate it and be on the same page, Julian’s edition to their dynamic as a bridge and mediator between them, while caring for both of them, is very sweet and makes so much sense. Honestly, I feel like this book shone the brightest when these three were navigating their relationships together and with each other and would happily just read more of that. That being said they also never explicitly establish their dynamic as a polyamorous dynamic (noting the above blue balling of the reader) and it’s all mostly just implied and suggested.
I was fortunate enough to be provided an audio ARC of this and had a great time with it and think that the voice narration was pretty fantastic and lent a lot of character to the story. I didn’t love the voice put on for Avra but got used to it after a while and would happily listen to Tev read a shopping list to me.
A long story short, I think that I need to rate this 4 stars for the sake of the parts I enjoyed, but the story itself often veered into 3 star territory. I might feel differently about this upon reflection though. I think if you adjust your expectations this story has all going for it.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listed to and provide my thoughts on this audio ARC of this book.
May 18, 2024
A very conflicted three stars.
Avra has insanely good luck. Sadly, that means he keeps running into Captain Teveri, a pirate who has tried everything they can to get rid of Avra who is like an annoying, clinging cat, a piteous pup, a lecherous leech.
Avra, now a former agent for the intelligence ministry, seeks a mutually beneficial alliance with Teveri as he has recently stolen classified information that could change the tides ( get it ;)? ) of Tev’s crew.
Oh, and of course, there’s an unfairly hot priest on board who has taken vows of celibacy. Avra has taken an oath to get in his pants.
”Therefore I will point out, to my great regret, that it is more prudent to wait on the matter of beating him up and leaving him for dead until we have a contract for the sale in hand. At which point, we can maybe just butcher him and sell the meat to Eel-Face Yusin as some weird kind of fish.”
The main character was INFURIATING. He is a self-proclaimed flibbertigibbet and just won’t shut up. Which I normally love. But he’s also a 35-year-old man who refers to himself as a ‘poor little slut’ multiple times.
Avra is, simply put, pathetic and annoying. He has zero filter, no intelligence, and one heck of a sex drive. Like he is unbelievably horny all the time. Yet he is oddly entertaining, like a train wreck you can’t tear your eyes from.
”In the last two days, I have been through more than any silly little slut should ever have to go through!"
Thankfully, Tev is a lot easier to root for. Gender non-conforming, done with everyone’s crap (understandable), broody, witty, and seemingly nursing a dark past.
Also, he writes the best inventory entries, ship logs, and diary accounts which end and start each chapter!
This book is just bizarre. Absolutely whacky.
Turtle astrology. Sea serpents. Glowing, blue dogs. Cake competitions… Like 20% of the book is a cake competition where they trade insults.
So this book is like its main character - infuriating, long-winded, yet utterly addictive and hilarious.
This kept going between two, three, or four stars! 🌟
Would I recommend this? Kinda? I had a fun ride but I also wanted to scream and rip my hair out.
”And we're all going to try to get through this with our so-called friendships and sanity intact until we can fuck Arast over and die in a blaze of glory."
Thank you to Pan MacMillan for providing a physical arc in exchange for a review!
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Avra has insanely good luck. Sadly, that means he keeps running into Captain Teveri, a pirate who has tried everything they can to get rid of Avra who is like an annoying, clinging cat, a piteous pup, a lecherous leech.
Avra, now a former agent for the intelligence ministry, seeks a mutually beneficial alliance with Teveri as he has recently stolen classified information that could change the tides ( get it ;)? ) of Tev’s crew.
Oh, and of course, there’s an unfairly hot priest on board who has taken vows of celibacy. Avra has taken an oath to get in his pants.
”Therefore I will point out, to my great regret, that it is more prudent to wait on the matter of beating him up and leaving him for dead until we have a contract for the sale in hand. At which point, we can maybe just butcher him and sell the meat to Eel-Face Yusin as some weird kind of fish.”
The main character was INFURIATING. He is a self-proclaimed flibbertigibbet and just won’t shut up. Which I normally love. But he’s also a 35-year-old man who refers to himself as a ‘poor little slut’ multiple times.
Avra is, simply put, pathetic and annoying. He has zero filter, no intelligence, and one heck of a sex drive. Like he is unbelievably horny all the time. Yet he is oddly entertaining, like a train wreck you can’t tear your eyes from.
”In the last two days, I have been through more than any silly little slut should ever have to go through!"
Thankfully, Tev is a lot easier to root for. Gender non-conforming, done with everyone’s crap (understandable), broody, witty, and seemingly nursing a dark past.
Also, he writes the best inventory entries, ship logs, and diary accounts which end and start each chapter!
This book is just bizarre. Absolutely whacky.
Turtle astrology. Sea serpents. Glowing, blue dogs. Cake competitions… Like 20% of the book is a cake competition where they trade insults.
So this book is like its main character - infuriating, long-winded, yet utterly addictive and hilarious.
This kept going between two, three, or four stars! 🌟
Would I recommend this? Kinda? I had a fun ride but I also wanted to scream and rip my hair out.
”And we're all going to try to get through this with our so-called friendships and sanity intact until we can fuck Arast over and die in a blaze of glory."
Thank you to Pan MacMillan for providing a physical arc in exchange for a review!
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February 1, 2024Oh no, this is not going to happen, no way … Arghhhh! You’re all going to kill me. It happened. This will probably be a very unpopular opinion because I DNF’d at 19%.
One of my most anticipated 2024 releases. I loved A Taste of Gold and Iron so much. But this one is way different, even though it’s set in the same universe as ATOGAI. It’s like Alexis Hall and Freya Marske teamed up and wrote the most hysterical and over-the-top story ever.
Maybe I’m not into humor right now and only want to read sad stories. I don’t know. What I do know is that I didn’t laugh. Not even because of Avra and Tev’s banter. Which was hilarious. But I didn’t laugh. Like at all. So I decided to DNF. Maybe I come back to it later. This is definitely a me thing, so please check out all those other reviews!
Thank you so much, Erin from Macmillan International, for the ARC! I’m so sorry for not liking it.
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One of my most anticipated 2024 releases. I loved A Taste of Gold and Iron so much. But this one is way different, even though it’s set in the same universe as ATOGAI. It’s like Alexis Hall and Freya Marske teamed up and wrote the most hysterical and over-the-top story ever.
Maybe I’m not into humor right now and only want to read sad stories. I don’t know. What I do know is that I didn’t laugh. Not even because of Avra and Tev’s banter. Which was hilarious. But I didn’t laugh. Like at all. So I decided to DNF. Maybe I come back to it later. This is definitely a me thing, so please check out all those other reviews!
Thank you so much, Erin from Macmillan International, for the ARC! I’m so sorry for not liking it.
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June 4, 2024DNF at 120 pages
Shelved as 'dnf'
May 19, 2024DNF @68%
Ughh I'm so bummed but this book just is not my thing and I don't want to end up giving it a low rating. I think there is definitely an audience for it, I just don't know how much crossover there will be between fans of A Taste of Gold and Iron and people who will love Running Close to the Wind. While they may be set in the same universe, they are tonally VERY different.
Gold and Iron is an angsty slow-burn political romance. This is an extremely silly book with very silly characters, absurd plot points, and ribald humor. It's an over the top, screwball comedy about a pirate, a celibate but very hot monk, and an extremely horny, absurd little man with no sense and divinely bestowed good luck. It is also very queer.
If this had been a novella, I probably would have finished and given it like a 3.5 star rating. It's not really my thing, but it's fine and entertaining enough for a short book. But this is far longer than I have the wherewithal for. And humor is very subjective, so while this wasn't really my sense of humor, I think it will work for other people. I wanted to love this because I adored their previous book, but I just think this is so different and will hit for a different audience. The audiobook is done pretty well, but again it's just not working for me personally. I received a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own.
Ughh I'm so bummed but this book just is not my thing and I don't want to end up giving it a low rating. I think there is definitely an audience for it, I just don't know how much crossover there will be between fans of A Taste of Gold and Iron and people who will love Running Close to the Wind. While they may be set in the same universe, they are tonally VERY different.
Gold and Iron is an angsty slow-burn political romance. This is an extremely silly book with very silly characters, absurd plot points, and ribald humor. It's an over the top, screwball comedy about a pirate, a celibate but very hot monk, and an extremely horny, absurd little man with no sense and divinely bestowed good luck. It is also very queer.
If this had been a novella, I probably would have finished and given it like a 3.5 star rating. It's not really my thing, but it's fine and entertaining enough for a short book. But this is far longer than I have the wherewithal for. And humor is very subjective, so while this wasn't really my sense of humor, I think it will work for other people. I wanted to love this because I adored their previous book, but I just think this is so different and will hit for a different audience. The audiobook is done pretty well, but again it's just not working for me personally. I received a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own.
Shelved as 'dnf'
June 23, 2024I would like to thank Edelweiss and Tordotcom for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
DNF @37%
What is THIS vibe, precious? Another reviewer on GR mentioned Pratchett and I can def see that, but straight up I did NOT love the colour of magic so it's a vibe I'm definitely not into. I just don't think Rowland is for me. I thought "A Taste of Gold and Iron" was poncy and insipid at best, and "Running Close to the Wind", its weird polar, went hard in the opposite direction with its unrestrained flighty foolishness. I'm just not the intended readership for this type of story, but if you like nonsensical whimsy you'll probably get behind whatever this is.
DNF @37%
What is THIS vibe, precious? Another reviewer on GR mentioned Pratchett and I can def see that, but straight up I did NOT love the colour of magic so it's a vibe I'm definitely not into. I just don't think Rowland is for me. I thought "A Taste of Gold and Iron" was poncy and insipid at best, and "Running Close to the Wind", its weird polar, went hard in the opposite direction with its unrestrained flighty foolishness. I'm just not the intended readership for this type of story, but if you like nonsensical whimsy you'll probably get behind whatever this is.
June 17, 2024
3.5 stars and the .5 is because this ends up including a queer triad romance, which CERTAINLY makes it a must-read for me. But this is absolutely a book that you have to be in the mood for. If you loved Our Flag Means Death but wish it was more blatantly sexual, then you are more than halfway to that mood.
Tbh, it took me a while to get into that mood. The first third-to-half of the book was a bit of a shock to my system. First of all, the main character of Avra is a self-described "flibbertigibbet" and that is all over the page, from start to finish in this story. You will either grow to like him, or you will hate him and DNF this book.
This 35 year-old man-child has been blessed with incredible luck, which means he is accidentally able to steal some information from the country he works for as a low-level spy, and take it to his on-again, off-again lover, Tevari, a down-on-their-luck pirate captain. Meanwhile, Tevari has acquired a super-smart and unfairly beautiful monk (with an unfortunate vow of celibacy), Julian, as a part of their crew, who they then duly ask to help figure out how to make the information Avra has saleable among other pirates. That all sounds very plot-y, but mostly these three, plus other crew members, are just terribly quippy at each other as they bumble through low-stakes adventures. What plot there is happens to be stretched pretty thin across many pages, so hopefully you like reading dialogue that aims to be clever and funny.
However, this is still the same author that gave us A Taste of Gold and Iron, which means there are a couple really amazing scenes of Avra, Tev and Julian feeling out the boundaries of their attraction to each other / budding relationship. And in the second half of the book (which Rowland admits in the afterword that they wrote all in a couple of days) the pace does gather a sort of momentum. If you manage to get to 60-70% in, you'll probably want to finish the book - I did.
I guess I'm just too serious to truly love a frothy comedy, even when I super-appreciate the sexual dynamics contained within it. Nonetheless, I ended up liking this one, though I can understand why many people won't.
Tbh, it took me a while to get into that mood. The first third-to-half of the book was a bit of a shock to my system. First of all, the main character of Avra is a self-described "flibbertigibbet" and that is all over the page, from start to finish in this story. You will either grow to like him, or you will hate him and DNF this book.
This 35 year-old man-child has been blessed with incredible luck, which means he is accidentally able to steal some information from the country he works for as a low-level spy, and take it to his on-again, off-again lover, Tevari, a down-on-their-luck pirate captain. Meanwhile, Tevari has acquired a super-smart and unfairly beautiful monk (with an unfortunate vow of celibacy), Julian, as a part of their crew, who they then duly ask to help figure out how to make the information Avra has saleable among other pirates. That all sounds very plot-y, but mostly these three, plus other crew members, are just terribly quippy at each other as they bumble through low-stakes adventures. What plot there is happens to be stretched pretty thin across many pages, so hopefully you like reading dialogue that aims to be clever and funny.
However, this is still the same author that gave us A Taste of Gold and Iron, which means there are a couple really amazing scenes of Avra, Tev and Julian feeling out the boundaries of their attraction to each other / budding relationship. And in the second half of the book (which Rowland admits in the afterword that they wrote all in a couple of days) the pace does gather a sort of momentum. If you manage to get to 60-70% in, you'll probably want to finish the book - I did.
I guess I'm just too serious to truly love a frothy comedy, even when I super-appreciate the sexual dynamics contained within it. Nonetheless, I ended up liking this one, though I can understand why many people won't.
June 30, 2024
Okay this book is FUNNY. Legitimately funny. Absolutely Terry Pratchet absurdity funny.
What a joy!
Absolutely blessed by Tordotcom pub for this ARC!
This book makes you think it’s a silly, fun romp with no heart and then BAM HERE’S THE HEART OF IT ALL!!!!!
Avra, Tev, and Julian are fantastically done. This book was just so much fun. As I was reading I kept feeling like the right phrase to describe this is cozy romantasy. Yes, there’s adventure, but it’s fun adventure. It’s not life or death or war. It’s blue dogs and turtles all the way down and cake competitions.
It felt like this novel was just meant to say “enjoy the life you live, and live the life you want within your own integrity.”
The only thing missing: I wanted more on-page sex for a book that talked about sex so much. But not everyone would so that’s okay for me
Can’t wait for more people to read it!
EDITED TO ADD: Just finished an audio reread during release month and man. It’s actually even better the second time around. The audio was *hilarious* and Casey Jones did a great job.
And like, yeah, I still wish there was on-page sex but honestly… it works. The humor is horny and BAWDY but also these journeys are more than just the sex. Being able to listen to some of these conversations had by the characters was just so, so wonderful.
What a joy!
Absolutely blessed by Tordotcom pub for this ARC!
This book makes you think it’s a silly, fun romp with no heart and then BAM HERE’S THE HEART OF IT ALL!!!!!
Avra, Tev, and Julian are fantastically done. This book was just so much fun. As I was reading I kept feeling like the right phrase to describe this is cozy romantasy. Yes, there’s adventure, but it’s fun adventure. It’s not life or death or war. It’s blue dogs and turtles all the way down and cake competitions.
It felt like this novel was just meant to say “enjoy the life you live, and live the life you want within your own integrity.”
The only thing missing: I wanted more on-page sex for a book that talked about sex so much. But not everyone would so that’s okay for me
Can’t wait for more people to read it!
EDITED TO ADD: Just finished an audio reread during release month and man. It’s actually even better the second time around. The audio was *hilarious* and Casey Jones did a great job.
And like, yeah, I still wish there was on-page sex but honestly… it works. The humor is horny and BAWDY but also these journeys are more than just the sex. Being able to listen to some of these conversations had by the characters was just so, so wonderful.
Shelved as 'dnfs'
March 15, 2024DNF at 38%
i love books that dont take themselves too seriously. what i dont love is books that dont take anything seriously. Running Close to the Wind was very decidedly the latter. hehe-haha times are great and all but at a certain point a book needs to have actual substance, and i just didnt find that here.
i love books that dont take themselves too seriously. what i dont love is books that dont take anything seriously. Running Close to the Wind was very decidedly the latter. hehe-haha times are great and all but at a certain point a book needs to have actual substance, and i just didnt find that here.
June 26, 2024
This review was originally published on Grimdark Magazine
4.5 stars
Alexandra Rowland delivers chaotic queer pirates with insanely high sex-drives, mystifying turtle astronomy, dangerous sea serpents in breeding season, loveable glowing dogs, and an absurd cake competition in Running Close to the Wind, an unapologetically unhinged seafaring fantasy with a fun-factor that is simply off the charts!
A horny as hell former Arasti spy with inexplicable good luck, a grumpy non-binary captain fed up with everyone’s bullshit, and an ungodly hot monk with an unfortunate vow of celibacy are stuck together at sea while they try to escape the law and change the tide for the crew; no, it’s not the beginning of a bad joke, but the insanely ridiculous set-up for Running Close to the Wind.
Though set in the same queer-normative world as Rowland’s slow-burn political fantasy A Taste of Gold and Iron, this feel-good and chaotic fantasy romcom is a completely different beast and stands totally on its own. It’s raunchy yet low-spice, hysterical yet poignant, and overall just batshit crazy on every single level, but I was personally eating up the hijinx and mayhem. I mean, Rowland clearly had a strong vision, and they damn well ran with it!
Never before have I read a book with such an exceptionally infuriating, insufferable, and pathetic protagonist, whom I constantly wanted to strangle, but also inexplicably loved to pieces (for which I then wanted to strangle myself). See, our little gremlin Avra is a self-proclaimed flibbertigibbet and whiny little slut with zero impulse-control and a personality more annoying than that of a mewling, clingy wet cat, yet somehow he just burrowed his way into my heart. Don’t get me wrong, I probably would’ve yeeted him straight over the railing of the ship within seconds of meeting him myself, yet I am admittedly also exceptionally glad that the characters in Running Close to the Wind had (slightly) more patience with him than I would have had.
And speaking of other characters, it is truly beyond me how Rowland managed to write such a loud and energy-sucking protagonist without having the rest of the crew pale in comparison. The broody, witty, and suave Captain Teveri (a.k.a. the on-again, off-again ex lover whom Avra simply worships) is a really refreshing counterbalance to Avra’s chaos, and I absolutely loved their tragically entertaining captain logs at the end of most chapters. Much to their deep dismay, they just can’t seem to stop themself from being drawn in by Avra’s irresistible charm, and the amount of exasperation-fueled banter between the two amused me to no end.
But that level of queer messiness clearly wasn’t enough, so enter Brother Julian (my personal favourite). Truly, I can’t blame Avra and Teveri for low-key starting a bet on who could get him to break his vow of celibacy first, as I would have joined that competition without a second thought. However, Julian quickly proves that he is not just sinfully sexy, and his actions actually end up bringing some of the most powerful themes and social commentary into the narrative.
Because yes, while this is absolutely a fun and almost cosy fantasy romcom at its heart, there is a deep undercurrent of righteous anger woven into Running Close to the Wind that Sir Terry Pratchett himself would have been proud of. Themes of capitalism, religion, and the injustice of all-powerful institutions are delivered in a cleverly funny way, and one particularly impassioned speech by Julian had me pumping my fists in the air and screaming “FUCK YES” out loud; sometimes messages deserve to be heard loud and clear, no subtlety needed.
Now, I do have to admit that the pacing felt a bit rocky at times, but if there was ever a book which I can forgive for a slightly messy and unfocused plot, then it’s Running Close to the Wind. Between Avra’s ridiculous antics, all the crazy pirate adventures, the queer messiness, and the deliciously intense interpersonal drama, there simply wasn’t a single dull moment in this story, and I am not ashamed to admit that I devoured nearly 300 pages of it in one day.
It’s hard to give this book a glowing universal recommendation considering how subjective humour is, but if you enjoyed the vibes of Gideon the Ninth or like the idea of an even more unhinged version of Pratchett-esque absurdity, then this should be smooth sailing for you! I personally think Rowland nailed the execution of their vision for this story, and I would honestly praise this book into the heavens. If you think you are ready to meet Avra and crew to go on one of the most hysterical and delightfully queer fantasy adventures you will ever have the pleasure of experiencing, then I can’t recommend Running Close to the Wind highly enough.
Thank you to Tordotcom for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
4.5 stars
Alexandra Rowland delivers chaotic queer pirates with insanely high sex-drives, mystifying turtle astronomy, dangerous sea serpents in breeding season, loveable glowing dogs, and an absurd cake competition in Running Close to the Wind, an unapologetically unhinged seafaring fantasy with a fun-factor that is simply off the charts!
A horny as hell former Arasti spy with inexplicable good luck, a grumpy non-binary captain fed up with everyone’s bullshit, and an ungodly hot monk with an unfortunate vow of celibacy are stuck together at sea while they try to escape the law and change the tide for the crew; no, it’s not the beginning of a bad joke, but the insanely ridiculous set-up for Running Close to the Wind.
Though set in the same queer-normative world as Rowland’s slow-burn political fantasy A Taste of Gold and Iron, this feel-good and chaotic fantasy romcom is a completely different beast and stands totally on its own. It’s raunchy yet low-spice, hysterical yet poignant, and overall just batshit crazy on every single level, but I was personally eating up the hijinx and mayhem. I mean, Rowland clearly had a strong vision, and they damn well ran with it!
Never before have I read a book with such an exceptionally infuriating, insufferable, and pathetic protagonist, whom I constantly wanted to strangle, but also inexplicably loved to pieces (for which I then wanted to strangle myself). See, our little gremlin Avra is a self-proclaimed flibbertigibbet and whiny little slut with zero impulse-control and a personality more annoying than that of a mewling, clingy wet cat, yet somehow he just burrowed his way into my heart. Don’t get me wrong, I probably would’ve yeeted him straight over the railing of the ship within seconds of meeting him myself, yet I am admittedly also exceptionally glad that the characters in Running Close to the Wind had (slightly) more patience with him than I would have had.
And speaking of other characters, it is truly beyond me how Rowland managed to write such a loud and energy-sucking protagonist without having the rest of the crew pale in comparison. The broody, witty, and suave Captain Teveri (a.k.a. the on-again, off-again ex lover whom Avra simply worships) is a really refreshing counterbalance to Avra’s chaos, and I absolutely loved their tragically entertaining captain logs at the end of most chapters. Much to their deep dismay, they just can’t seem to stop themself from being drawn in by Avra’s irresistible charm, and the amount of exasperation-fueled banter between the two amused me to no end.
But that level of queer messiness clearly wasn’t enough, so enter Brother Julian (my personal favourite). Truly, I can’t blame Avra and Teveri for low-key starting a bet on who could get him to break his vow of celibacy first, as I would have joined that competition without a second thought. However, Julian quickly proves that he is not just sinfully sexy, and his actions actually end up bringing some of the most powerful themes and social commentary into the narrative.
Because yes, while this is absolutely a fun and almost cosy fantasy romcom at its heart, there is a deep undercurrent of righteous anger woven into Running Close to the Wind that Sir Terry Pratchett himself would have been proud of. Themes of capitalism, religion, and the injustice of all-powerful institutions are delivered in a cleverly funny way, and one particularly impassioned speech by Julian had me pumping my fists in the air and screaming “FUCK YES” out loud; sometimes messages deserve to be heard loud and clear, no subtlety needed.
Now, I do have to admit that the pacing felt a bit rocky at times, but if there was ever a book which I can forgive for a slightly messy and unfocused plot, then it’s Running Close to the Wind. Between Avra’s ridiculous antics, all the crazy pirate adventures, the queer messiness, and the deliciously intense interpersonal drama, there simply wasn’t a single dull moment in this story, and I am not ashamed to admit that I devoured nearly 300 pages of it in one day.
It’s hard to give this book a glowing universal recommendation considering how subjective humour is, but if you enjoyed the vibes of Gideon the Ninth or like the idea of an even more unhinged version of Pratchett-esque absurdity, then this should be smooth sailing for you! I personally think Rowland nailed the execution of their vision for this story, and I would honestly praise this book into the heavens. If you think you are ready to meet Avra and crew to go on one of the most hysterical and delightfully queer fantasy adventures you will ever have the pleasure of experiencing, then I can’t recommend Running Close to the Wind highly enough.
Thank you to Tordotcom for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
March 10, 2024
Nautical fantasy, especially involving pirates, is one of my favourite subgenres ever. Any book with pirates immediately peaks my interest, but when it's also compared to OFMD, one of my favourite comfort shows, I just really NEED to read it. I have read Rowland's previous novel set in the same fantastical world, and I admit I didn't like it much. But I'm always willing to give an author another chance, mostly because I WANT to read all the great books. So yes, my expectations going into "Running Close to the Wind" were a mixed bag, but I was hoping for greatness.
After having finished the last pages of this novel, well... I fear that Rowland just isn't the author for me. This new book has entirely different vibes and a completely different tone than "A Taste of Gold and Iron", its predecessor. I don't mind at all, I love it when very different kinds of stories are told in the very same world. And the world here does seem to be an interesting one - we don't learn that much about it, though. The world building is both scarce and superficial and infodumpy at the same time, and it's disappointing because there is so much interesting political intrigue hidden behind chapters and chapters of pure and utter sillyness. Because that's what this book is. Just silly.
Now, I love comedy in my fantasy. I enjoy more comedy-focused approaches to fantasy, too. But "Running Close to the Wind" offers nothing else beyond it, and its comedy is cringeworthy at best. It reads like a weird fantastical sketch comedy, with every situation, every plot point existing purely so that our main character can do something silly.
Speaking of said main character, Avra - I'm not sure I actually consider him a character at all. He is a caricature, he exists purely to be funny in a really really over the top, cringey way. He is not grounded in reality, his flaws are never truly explored. He is OBNOXIOUS. He doesn't act nor talk like an actual person, he doesn't have any depth nor complexity, and I was absolutely flabberghasted when the book told me he was supposed to be a 35 year old man. No grown up man, not even the silliest man alive, would act like him. He's childish and insufferable, and his supposed charm wears off after about 10 pages of having to endure his antics. He'd work maybe as a minor character, a comic relief that our main characters meet at some point, but he cannot carry a book.
Not that the other characters were any better. There are two more major characters in this - Avras on and off lover, the pirate captain Teveri, and the mysterious new part of their pirate crew, the very hot priest Julian. I could not take Teveri seriously at all, and I WANTED to love them because nonbinary pirate captain?? Hell yeah! But they didn't act like a captain and noone in their right mind would follow them. Their captain's log consisted mostly of dirty thoughts about Avra and Julian. Julian, who is just hot and intelligent and celibate but used to be a complete slut, which is why celibacy was the sacrifice required of him when he joined his religious order. The relationship between the three of them never actually conveys any kind of emotional depth, there's just nothing beyond lust. Whenever there seems to be an emotional development you can be sure the next silly scene is right around the corner negating any effect it might have immediately.
All they think about is how horny they are, like 80% of their dialogue is about sex. And nothing ever comes of it either, this isn't a spicy book. There are glimpses of an actual personality between all the sex jokes, visible only once the book decides to finally give us something resembling a plot, but whenever there was finally something interesting about either of them, it was immediately ruined by yet another silly scene filled with sex jokes. We get it, everyone is horny. Please stop, please give me ANYTHING else! The sex jokes aren't even funny, they get increasingly cringey and unbearable. The main joke is just how Avra and Tev keep completely objectifying Julian in the most uncomfortable ways. That's the humour level we're at.
There is also something to be said about how Avra is treated by most of the other characters. They are unnecessarily cruel and abusive, physically but especially emotionally, but it's funny because Avra is just so annoying and he's kinda into it, you get it??
The writing in this is alright, but Rowland relies way too much on (often unnecessary 'funny' filler) dialogue, and the pacing is completely off because of it. For its actual content, this book is way too long.
Mind you, I'm clearly in the minority here. There are a lot of reviewers who very much enjoyed this novel, so take my little opinion with a grain of salt. Still, from purely a craft perspective, this book has too many issues for me to recommend it to anyone. I skim read after the 50% mark only because I was hoping for it to get better, but quite frankly, I should have followed my instincts and dnf'ed this one. 1,5 stars maybe, because the very beginning is a little funny?
Many thanks to Tor and Netgalley for the arc - I wish I could have loved it!
After having finished the last pages of this novel, well... I fear that Rowland just isn't the author for me. This new book has entirely different vibes and a completely different tone than "A Taste of Gold and Iron", its predecessor. I don't mind at all, I love it when very different kinds of stories are told in the very same world. And the world here does seem to be an interesting one - we don't learn that much about it, though. The world building is both scarce and superficial and infodumpy at the same time, and it's disappointing because there is so much interesting political intrigue hidden behind chapters and chapters of pure and utter sillyness. Because that's what this book is. Just silly.
Now, I love comedy in my fantasy. I enjoy more comedy-focused approaches to fantasy, too. But "Running Close to the Wind" offers nothing else beyond it, and its comedy is cringeworthy at best. It reads like a weird fantastical sketch comedy, with every situation, every plot point existing purely so that our main character can do something silly.
Speaking of said main character, Avra - I'm not sure I actually consider him a character at all. He is a caricature, he exists purely to be funny in a really really over the top, cringey way. He is not grounded in reality, his flaws are never truly explored. He is OBNOXIOUS. He doesn't act nor talk like an actual person, he doesn't have any depth nor complexity, and I was absolutely flabberghasted when the book told me he was supposed to be a 35 year old man. No grown up man, not even the silliest man alive, would act like him. He's childish and insufferable, and his supposed charm wears off after about 10 pages of having to endure his antics. He'd work maybe as a minor character, a comic relief that our main characters meet at some point, but he cannot carry a book.
Not that the other characters were any better. There are two more major characters in this - Avras on and off lover, the pirate captain Teveri, and the mysterious new part of their pirate crew, the very hot priest Julian. I could not take Teveri seriously at all, and I WANTED to love them because nonbinary pirate captain?? Hell yeah! But they didn't act like a captain and noone in their right mind would follow them. Their captain's log consisted mostly of dirty thoughts about Avra and Julian. Julian, who is just hot and intelligent and celibate but used to be a complete slut, which is why celibacy was the sacrifice required of him when he joined his religious order. The relationship between the three of them never actually conveys any kind of emotional depth, there's just nothing beyond lust. Whenever there seems to be an emotional development you can be sure the next silly scene is right around the corner negating any effect it might have immediately.
All they think about is how horny they are, like 80% of their dialogue is about sex. And nothing ever comes of it either, this isn't a spicy book. There are glimpses of an actual personality between all the sex jokes, visible only once the book decides to finally give us something resembling a plot, but whenever there was finally something interesting about either of them, it was immediately ruined by yet another silly scene filled with sex jokes. We get it, everyone is horny. Please stop, please give me ANYTHING else! The sex jokes aren't even funny, they get increasingly cringey and unbearable. The main joke is just how Avra and Tev keep completely objectifying Julian in the most uncomfortable ways. That's the humour level we're at.
There is also something to be said about how Avra is treated by most of the other characters. They are unnecessarily cruel and abusive, physically but especially emotionally, but it's funny because Avra is just so annoying and he's kinda into it, you get it??
The writing in this is alright, but Rowland relies way too much on (often unnecessary 'funny' filler) dialogue, and the pacing is completely off because of it. For its actual content, this book is way too long.
Mind you, I'm clearly in the minority here. There are a lot of reviewers who very much enjoyed this novel, so take my little opinion with a grain of salt. Still, from purely a craft perspective, this book has too many issues for me to recommend it to anyone. I skim read after the 50% mark only because I was hoping for it to get better, but quite frankly, I should have followed my instincts and dnf'ed this one. 1,5 stars maybe, because the very beginning is a little funny?
Many thanks to Tor and Netgalley for the arc - I wish I could have loved it!
June 4, 2024
2.5 rounded down. First off, the narrator did a really great job with diversifying the voices and adding personality to the characters and the writing!!! That said, the voice for Avra got a little bit frustrating to listen to after a while with following him.😅 But at the same time, it fits him so well so can I actually be upset about that? 🤣 I don't really know what exactly would have endeared me more to him even if I still was able to appreciate him as a character somewhat. I feel like the humor in the story itself was trying a bit too hard in ways with there being so many dick jokes and sex jokes that after a while it just kind of didn't hit the mark for me. And to making things closed door after all that didn't make sense to me. But I still enjoyed the cast, and the back and forth with Avra and Tev and Julian!
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of the audiobook for free via Netgalley, and am voluntarily leaving my honest thoughts. Many thanks to RB Media for the opportunity!
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of the audiobook for free via Netgalley, and am voluntarily leaving my honest thoughts. Many thanks to RB Media for the opportunity!
January 28, 2024
Unapologetically horny AND funny.
There’s a Venn diagram here…
In one circle, there is HO, (Avra, an undeniable hussy); then there is HO HO formed in the overlap (because this book is very funny), and then there is a third circle with YO in, (because YO HO HO; this book is about pirates)
Rowland writes like this is a sitcom. If something unlikely could happen for comic effect, it will. The kind of ludicrous conversations and situations you wished might happen in real life but never do are written out and made Extra Dramatic. But not just dramatic, but heartwarming and sweet and ridiculous.
Compulsively readable.
Featuring:
- Disaster dramatic bisexual horndog, is a sweet sexy brainless little idiot
- Grumpy (justified) non binary captain
- Extremely Hot Priest
- A suspicious streak of good luck
- Property Too Hot To Handle, in about every sense
- Spooky stuff, not least, a box of spooky dildos, and a spooky dentist (offstage)
- A Very Good and Glowing Girl (dog)
- I Am Going To Cause Problems On Purpose
- Short shorts
- Sea serpents (not just a euphemism)
- Completely unhinged cake competition (also not a euphemism)
- The word “reeee”, possibly too frequently
A joyous and passionate romp: light on spice but high on sexy humour. It will make you laugh and heal your soul. I’m coining a new genre: saucybright. It’s the opposite of grimdark but without being noblebright. @ me if you must.
There’s a Venn diagram here…
In one circle, there is HO, (Avra, an undeniable hussy); then there is HO HO formed in the overlap (because this book is very funny), and then there is a third circle with YO in, (because YO HO HO; this book is about pirates)
Rowland writes like this is a sitcom. If something unlikely could happen for comic effect, it will. The kind of ludicrous conversations and situations you wished might happen in real life but never do are written out and made Extra Dramatic. But not just dramatic, but heartwarming and sweet and ridiculous.
Compulsively readable.
Featuring:
- Disaster dramatic bisexual horndog, is a sweet sexy brainless little idiot
- Grumpy (justified) non binary captain
- Extremely Hot Priest
- A suspicious streak of good luck
- Property Too Hot To Handle, in about every sense
- Spooky stuff, not least, a box of spooky dildos, and a spooky dentist (offstage)
- A Very Good and Glowing Girl (dog)
- I Am Going To Cause Problems On Purpose
- Short shorts
- Sea serpents (not just a euphemism)
- Completely unhinged cake competition (also not a euphemism)
- The word “reeee”, possibly too frequently
A joyous and passionate romp: light on spice but high on sexy humour. It will make you laugh and heal your soul. I’m coining a new genre: saucybright. It’s the opposite of grimdark but without being noblebright. @ me if you must.
January 23, 2024
Running Close to the Wind reminded me of everything I love best about Alexandra Rowland’s writing— a laugh out loud funny, unexpectedly tender and expertly paced romp through the high seas.
Pitched as Six of Crows meets Our Flag Means Death, I absolutely adored my time with Avra, Teveri, and the (unfortunately chaste) Julian. A Taste of Gold and Iron is easily one of my favourite romantic fantasies, however RCTTW definitely harkens back to Rowland’s Tale of the Chats duology with its lighthearted humour and found family aspects. Avra especially was a delight to spend time with, and his raunchy (but markedly un-sexy, to his eternal dismay) humour had me laughing aloud every other page. I would categorise this as a cosy, character driven fantasy and think it will do especially well with readers who like a bit of low stakes fun. Like all of Rowland’s work, queerness is very much the norm and effortlessly portrayed as always, and I loved seeing a non-binary main character in Tev. Overall, I really loved this book and it just further cemented Rowland as one of my very favourite authors!
Pitched as Six of Crows meets Our Flag Means Death, I absolutely adored my time with Avra, Teveri, and the (unfortunately chaste) Julian. A Taste of Gold and Iron is easily one of my favourite romantic fantasies, however RCTTW definitely harkens back to Rowland’s Tale of the Chats duology with its lighthearted humour and found family aspects. Avra especially was a delight to spend time with, and his raunchy (but markedly un-sexy, to his eternal dismay) humour had me laughing aloud every other page. I would categorise this as a cosy, character driven fantasy and think it will do especially well with readers who like a bit of low stakes fun. Like all of Rowland’s work, queerness is very much the norm and effortlessly portrayed as always, and I loved seeing a non-binary main character in Tev. Overall, I really loved this book and it just further cemented Rowland as one of my very favourite authors!
May 24, 2024
Narrated by Casey Jones
Presented by RB Media
I honestly have absolutely no idea what happened in this book amongst all the d*ck jokes and sexual innuendo. Something to do with pirates which could have actually been cool but definitely wasn't.
Complete trash.
Unless you're into d*ck jokes, I guess.
I lost hope for this almost immediately, and if it hadn't been a NetGalley read I'd have DNF'd it on the spot.
The barrage of sex jokes is so off-putting that I found myself constantly rolling my eyes and tuning out. There are characters here that deserved better than what they were given, and I found it so disappointing.
Nothing really seemed to happen - there's a serpent at one stage and a ridiculous baking competition (??!) but not really much else beyond a bunch of boys wanting to f*ck each other etc. It got real old, real fast.
Honestly, I just ended up tuning so much of it out. I was actually listening at 3x speed at one stage just to try and get through it.
The only reason this gets a second star from me is for the narration, which was absolutely spectacular. Honestly, if you are into sassy boys who make a LOT of d*ck jokes then you should actually enjoy this immensely and I highly recommend the audio because the delivery was brilliant.
Story, though? Forget it.
With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC
Presented by RB Media
I honestly have absolutely no idea what happened in this book amongst all the d*ck jokes and sexual innuendo. Something to do with pirates which could have actually been cool but definitely wasn't.
Complete trash.
Unless you're into d*ck jokes, I guess.
I lost hope for this almost immediately, and if it hadn't been a NetGalley read I'd have DNF'd it on the spot.
The barrage of sex jokes is so off-putting that I found myself constantly rolling my eyes and tuning out. There are characters here that deserved better than what they were given, and I found it so disappointing.
Nothing really seemed to happen - there's a serpent at one stage and a ridiculous baking competition (??!) but not really much else beyond a bunch of boys wanting to f*ck each other etc. It got real old, real fast.
Honestly, I just ended up tuning so much of it out. I was actually listening at 3x speed at one stage just to try and get through it.
The only reason this gets a second star from me is for the narration, which was absolutely spectacular. Honestly, if you are into sassy boys who make a LOT of d*ck jokes then you should actually enjoy this immensely and I highly recommend the audio because the delivery was brilliant.
Story, though? Forget it.
With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC
March 21, 2024
Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for the review copy!
I was so looking forward to this, but it unfortunately didn't work for me. For the first half or so, I was super into it. It was so funny and absurd, and Avra was a fun character. It is very much a silly sort of book in the sense that everything that happens seemed to just be an excuse for Avra to say something funny or find himself in a ridiculous situation. The problem is that this started to get old after a while. I like character driven books, but I do need a plot that is somewhat engaging. For this book, I had to get out my pirate's looking glass to find it. It is there, vaguely, and it could have been a good story if the plot had been developed more. The obvious goal of the book was to showcase the humor and absurdity of Avra and his shenanigans, but once that charm wore off, there was nothing left to carry the book.
I ended up skimming the last quarter of the book because I really didn't want to DNF, but I had no incentive to spend any more time with this story. Yes, Avra is funny and haha, he's so silly, and this whole thing is just wildly absurd. But I needed a little more substance. Honestly, Avra seemed like the type of side character you meet in a book and instantly love, and he becomes a fan favorite because of his antics and personality. But that sort of character can't carry a book, and that's what this felt like. I think I would have liked this better if it had been a novella, but this book was too long for what it was trying to do.
Believe me, no one is more disappointed than me. The book started out with a bang and ended with a whimper. My 2 star rating feels right because I can't say that I liked the book. I liked half of it, but by the end I was so disappointed that my enjoyment of that half was tainted.
However, I think there will certainly be an audience for this book who loves it for the exact reasons I didn't, so I encourage anyone who thinks they might like it to give it a shot!
I was so looking forward to this, but it unfortunately didn't work for me. For the first half or so, I was super into it. It was so funny and absurd, and Avra was a fun character. It is very much a silly sort of book in the sense that everything that happens seemed to just be an excuse for Avra to say something funny or find himself in a ridiculous situation. The problem is that this started to get old after a while. I like character driven books, but I do need a plot that is somewhat engaging. For this book, I had to get out my pirate's looking glass to find it. It is there, vaguely, and it could have been a good story if the plot had been developed more. The obvious goal of the book was to showcase the humor and absurdity of Avra and his shenanigans, but once that charm wore off, there was nothing left to carry the book.
I ended up skimming the last quarter of the book because I really didn't want to DNF, but I had no incentive to spend any more time with this story. Yes, Avra is funny and haha, he's so silly, and this whole thing is just wildly absurd. But I needed a little more substance. Honestly, Avra seemed like the type of side character you meet in a book and instantly love, and he becomes a fan favorite because of his antics and personality. But that sort of character can't carry a book, and that's what this felt like. I think I would have liked this better if it had been a novella, but this book was too long for what it was trying to do.
Believe me, no one is more disappointed than me. The book started out with a bang and ended with a whimper. My 2 star rating feels right because I can't say that I liked the book. I liked half of it, but by the end I was so disappointed that my enjoyment of that half was tainted.
However, I think there will certainly be an audience for this book who loves it for the exact reasons I didn't, so I encourage anyone who thinks they might like it to give it a shot!
March 13, 2024
I WANT MORE
5 stars, rtc
Review time :
Thanks NetGalley for the arc!
This books was probably the most absurd and hilarious one I’ve read in a while. I literally cried because I laughed too much.
If you enjoy absurd, pirates, train wreck characters, dumb luck and chastity vows… well I have great news for you 🥰
Those characters are so dear to me and I hope everyone will love it as much as I did.
5 stars, rtc
Review time :
Thanks NetGalley for the arc!
This books was probably the most absurd and hilarious one I’ve read in a while. I literally cried because I laughed too much.
If you enjoy absurd, pirates, train wreck characters, dumb luck and chastity vows… well I have great news for you 🥰
Those characters are so dear to me and I hope everyone will love it as much as I did.
Want to read
February 23, 2023yes yes yes new Alexandria Rowland!
July 9, 2024
If you read this book and didn’t find it funny, we can’t be friends. This was an utter delight of a story, which felt both rambunctious and cozy, with characters that will have you both gasping and endeared to with each turn of the page.
At first, I wasn’t too sure about our main character Avra as he came off instantaneously annoying. However, there was something about his annoyingness, which I started to enjoy and found that this is evidently part of his charm (as this has the same affect on the characters he interacts with.)
I know this story is comp’d as “You’ll love this if you loved Our Flag Means Death” and I truly now want to retry watching the show again. I didn’t jive with the show in the first 20 mins but perhaps it’s going to be similar to how I felt about Avra?
Regardless, the story comes across as high stakes, but in actuality is mid to low stakes, and by golly, the last third is about a cake competition. I’m bewildered by how silly and laugh-out-loud funny this story, in juxtaposition to how well the story is actually written. The prose astonished me at times, especially when it’s dialogue coming from our ridiculously annoying and charming Avra.
For my first Alexanda Rowland book, I’m a huge fan of her writing in this and excited to dig into A Taste of Gold and Iron at some point.
At first, I wasn’t too sure about our main character Avra as he came off instantaneously annoying. However, there was something about his annoyingness, which I started to enjoy and found that this is evidently part of his charm (as this has the same affect on the characters he interacts with.)
I know this story is comp’d as “You’ll love this if you loved Our Flag Means Death” and I truly now want to retry watching the show again. I didn’t jive with the show in the first 20 mins but perhaps it’s going to be similar to how I felt about Avra?
Regardless, the story comes across as high stakes, but in actuality is mid to low stakes, and by golly, the last third is about a cake competition. I’m bewildered by how silly and laugh-out-loud funny this story, in juxtaposition to how well the story is actually written. The prose astonished me at times, especially when it’s dialogue coming from our ridiculously annoying and charming Avra.
For my first Alexanda Rowland book, I’m a huge fan of her writing in this and excited to dig into A Taste of Gold and Iron at some point.
June 24, 2024
Retai taip būna, kad pabaigi knygą ir nežinai, ką galvoti. Pusę istorijos klausiau su tokiu nuolatiniu wtf? mintyse, bet noro mesti ir pereiti prie kitos audioknygos irgi nebuvo. Ir jei skaitėt šitos autorės "A Taste of Gold and Iron" ir tikitės kažko panašaus, tai nesitikėkit (nors worldbuildingas tas pats, tik kitose vietovėse vyksta veiksmas). Visai kitoks pasakojimo tonas, maniera, čia tikrai fantastinė, queer Karibų piratų versija, kur visi veikėjai iki vieno tokie nupušę kaip Jack Sparrow. Visi juokeliai - o jų milijonas - apie antrą galą, beje, šitiek kalbų apie seksą, o per visą knygą vos viena closed-door scena. Absurdiškos situacijos, šaržuoti veikėjai, bet kartu užkabinta ir įdomių, gilių temų. Ir nežinau, ką galvoti apie pagrindinę trijulę - kapitoną Teveri, vienuolį Julian ir Avrą, buvusį šnipą, save vadinantį silly little slut, atitinkamai ir besielgiantį. Jo įgarsinimas yra kažkas toooookio. Jis ir erzina, vėliau darosi jo gaila, galiausiai pajunti simpatiją, kažkoks paradoksas. Ir dar labiau suglumsti, kai pyst ir pasibaigia istorija, WTF? Nei epilogo, nei kažkokio baigiamojo žodžio, nieko. Atsisukau du kartus atgal paklausyti, nes negalėjau patikėti savo ausimis, kad taip, čia istorija ir baigiasi. Ir vis tiek duodu 4*, neklauskit, kodėl.
March 15, 2024
When I read A Taste of Gold and Iron, about a year and a half ago now, I thought that such an amazing book - the kind that I will desperately and shamelessly thrust into the hands of anyone I know and a great many people I don't purely for the opportunity to have more people to talk about it with - was the kind of thing that a single author could only produce once in their career. Let me tell you, I have never been more glad to be wrong than I was reading Running Close to the Wind. In fact, I might go so far as to say that this book was even better. I am writing this review at two o'clock in the morning because I am dead certain that I cannot possibly sleep until I have shared how fantastic this book is with the world.
I cannot begin to express how much I loved every single character. Most of all Avra, who is possibly the whiniest, neediest and most annoying chaos gremlin that anyone's imagination could possibly produce (and I mean this in the most complimentary way possible). I oscillated between wanting to kiss the man and strangle him, often in the same sentence, and most of the other characters felt much the same way. He's horny as hell (everyone is), he has somehow managed for fifteen years not to get fired from a job that he possesses no discernible aptitude towards, he's so suspiciously lucky no one will ever play a game of chance against him but he's still luck-agnostic, and a professional hired by his own government to investigate him once told his superiors that there was not a single thought in his head. He is 5'4" and even if this had not been explicitly mentioned in the text, you could tell purely by the energy that radiates from him at all times. Imagine the ultimate sad wet cat of a character, but give him a sense of self-importance and absolutely no impulse control, and you will come close to conceptualising Avra Helvaçi.
And what can I say about Teveri? Wonderful character. Perpetually in a state of very understandable mild irritation towards Avra, even when they are considering having sex with him. Frequently much more than mildly irritated by Avra's existence, especially when he is making annoying noises for attention (also very understandable). They're the captain of a pirate ship that they claimed after everyone on it died from the plague. They are definitely insane and I love them for it. I would say that Avra is their number one enabler, because whatever crazy ideas they have on their mind, he probably has a worse one, so theirs seem quite reasonable given the options. They have neither the time nor the patience for anyone's bullshit, and their crew would probably follow them to the end of the earth, but every single crew member would be bitching about it the whole way there.
Oh and Julian, the monk. Everyone is attracted to him. It's a whole thing. It was a great running theme, and honestly got funnier the more people who met him and immediately agreed that he was hot. He utilises this, largely with gleeful abandon, though mostly manages to come across as very monkly about it whenever anyone other than Avra is paying attention. He swore a vow of celibacy to join a monastic order which requires its disciples to give up the thing that most occupies one's thoughts. He does sciency things despite seemingly not knowing all that much about sciency things, except relative to the rest of Teveri's crew. He once had a conversation about maybe killing some important people, and nearly got executed over it. After finding out that the holy site he originally left his monastery to seek is now an establishment that serves curry, he seemingly just decided to stick around, and you know what? Good for him.
Underlying all three of these characters, though, is something that I absolutely delight in seeing: the core beliefs that they live by, the things that they will not compromise. It was just so evident that so much thought had been put into these characters, who they are, their past, their principles, what led them to where they are now. Don't let the comedy deceive you. This book was crafted, masterfully, and I don't doubt that for every little detail that makes it onto the page, there are another ten behind it that exist for no purpose other than to shape who these people are.
I haven't even talked about the setting! The plot! The other characters! The cake competition! Honestly, I could wax lyrical about this book until the cows come home, and I still wouldn't be anywhere near running out of good things to say about it. To avoid spoiling too much, I will simply say this: if you watched Our Flag Means Death and thought "if only these pirates were even more disastrous as human beings," then you should be running to buy this book right now. If you want a book with a cast so queer that you will forget there could've been people that weren't, this is absolutely for you. If you want something that can make you forget about the world for a little while and potentially start snorting with laughter with great frequency, Running Close to the Wind is a book after your own heart, I promise you.
This is a book of shenanigans. The most wonderful kind of shenanigans, in that almost every single one of them will leave you doubled over with laughter, and yet they still manage to all tie back to the main plot, often in the most surprising ways. The story is definitely a comedy, but it's more than that, too. It's also about found family, being horny for monks who have taken vows of celibacy, and stealing from the government. (I am sort of kidding, but not really.) It balances hilarity with sincerity brilliantly, and rightfully takes its place among my all-time favourite books.
I cannot begin to express how much I loved every single character. Most of all Avra, who is possibly the whiniest, neediest and most annoying chaos gremlin that anyone's imagination could possibly produce (and I mean this in the most complimentary way possible). I oscillated between wanting to kiss the man and strangle him, often in the same sentence, and most of the other characters felt much the same way. He's horny as hell (everyone is), he has somehow managed for fifteen years not to get fired from a job that he possesses no discernible aptitude towards, he's so suspiciously lucky no one will ever play a game of chance against him but he's still luck-agnostic, and a professional hired by his own government to investigate him once told his superiors that there was not a single thought in his head. He is 5'4" and even if this had not been explicitly mentioned in the text, you could tell purely by the energy that radiates from him at all times. Imagine the ultimate sad wet cat of a character, but give him a sense of self-importance and absolutely no impulse control, and you will come close to conceptualising Avra Helvaçi.
And what can I say about Teveri? Wonderful character. Perpetually in a state of very understandable mild irritation towards Avra, even when they are considering having sex with him. Frequently much more than mildly irritated by Avra's existence, especially when he is making annoying noises for attention (also very understandable). They're the captain of a pirate ship that they claimed after everyone on it died from the plague. They are definitely insane and I love them for it. I would say that Avra is their number one enabler, because whatever crazy ideas they have on their mind, he probably has a worse one, so theirs seem quite reasonable given the options. They have neither the time nor the patience for anyone's bullshit, and their crew would probably follow them to the end of the earth, but every single crew member would be bitching about it the whole way there.
Oh and Julian, the monk. Everyone is attracted to him. It's a whole thing. It was a great running theme, and honestly got funnier the more people who met him and immediately agreed that he was hot. He utilises this, largely with gleeful abandon, though mostly manages to come across as very monkly about it whenever anyone other than Avra is paying attention. He swore a vow of celibacy to join a monastic order which requires its disciples to give up the thing that most occupies one's thoughts. He does sciency things despite seemingly not knowing all that much about sciency things, except relative to the rest of Teveri's crew. He once had a conversation about maybe killing some important people, and nearly got executed over it. After finding out that the holy site he originally left his monastery to seek is now an establishment that serves curry, he seemingly just decided to stick around, and you know what? Good for him.
Underlying all three of these characters, though, is something that I absolutely delight in seeing: the core beliefs that they live by, the things that they will not compromise. It was just so evident that so much thought had been put into these characters, who they are, their past, their principles, what led them to where they are now. Don't let the comedy deceive you. This book was crafted, masterfully, and I don't doubt that for every little detail that makes it onto the page, there are another ten behind it that exist for no purpose other than to shape who these people are.
I haven't even talked about the setting! The plot! The other characters! The cake competition! Honestly, I could wax lyrical about this book until the cows come home, and I still wouldn't be anywhere near running out of good things to say about it. To avoid spoiling too much, I will simply say this: if you watched Our Flag Means Death and thought "if only these pirates were even more disastrous as human beings," then you should be running to buy this book right now. If you want a book with a cast so queer that you will forget there could've been people that weren't, this is absolutely for you. If you want something that can make you forget about the world for a little while and potentially start snorting with laughter with great frequency, Running Close to the Wind is a book after your own heart, I promise you.
This is a book of shenanigans. The most wonderful kind of shenanigans, in that almost every single one of them will leave you doubled over with laughter, and yet they still manage to all tie back to the main plot, often in the most surprising ways. The story is definitely a comedy, but it's more than that, too. It's also about found family, being horny for monks who have taken vows of celibacy, and stealing from the government. (I am sort of kidding, but not really.) It balances hilarity with sincerity brilliantly, and rightfully takes its place among my all-time favourite books.
May 31, 2024
First of all, a little thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the ability to listen to this early!
This story is exactly what you’d imagine if the funny side character became the main character in the second book. It is hilarious and ridiculous and honestly exactly what I’d personally want in a pirate adventure. Normally I’m not really tempted to read pirate books (with the exception of The adventures of Amina Al Sirafi) but Alexandra Rowland proved herself to be an excellent writer with her last book so I was very excited to start this!!
The main character, Avra, is ridiculous and adorable. He basically has the power of luck but that’s also totally unprovable and he is very agnostic about it himself. And he is honestly a delight to read about and ended up being weirdly complex somehow.
Tev on the other hand, is the character you’d say is the mc. Dark and gloomy with a tragic backstory, the determination and amazing leadership skills. That’s like. Exactly what a usual mc is like.
I love the dynamic of everyone and I really really wish there will be a secodn book here.
This whole book is just sex jokes( but no on page sex), comedy and adventure
And I can’t end the review without complimenting the amazing narrator Casey Jones who did such a good job with the audiobook. It was top notch! Again! One of my favorite narrators ever and weirdly perfect for this!!
This story is exactly what you’d imagine if the funny side character became the main character in the second book. It is hilarious and ridiculous and honestly exactly what I’d personally want in a pirate adventure. Normally I’m not really tempted to read pirate books (with the exception of The adventures of Amina Al Sirafi) but Alexandra Rowland proved herself to be an excellent writer with her last book so I was very excited to start this!!
The main character, Avra, is ridiculous and adorable. He basically has the power of luck but that’s also totally unprovable and he is very agnostic about it himself. And he is honestly a delight to read about and ended up being weirdly complex somehow.
Tev on the other hand, is the character you’d say is the mc. Dark and gloomy with a tragic backstory, the determination and amazing leadership skills. That’s like. Exactly what a usual mc is like.
I love the dynamic of everyone and I really really wish there will be a secodn book here.
This whole book is just sex jokes( but no on page sex), comedy and adventure
And I can’t end the review without complimenting the amazing narrator Casey Jones who did such a good job with the audiobook. It was top notch! Again! One of my favorite narrators ever and weirdly perfect for this!!
July 3, 2024
Ahhh this book was like joyous soul food for me. Felt like it just got better and better as it went along.
Misfit pirates, farcical antics, sexual tension, and a hell of a lot of word vomit. Im here for it.
The ridiculous, farcical vibes were just my kind of humour. Honestly the cake competition might be one of my favourite book moments ever. I was howling with laughter.
I have a super soft spot for main characters like Avra, who just blurt out all the thoughts in their head. I loved that initially he might seem quite shallow and silly, but you slowly get to see more of his vulnerabilities, his cleverness and the deep care he has for those around him.
Really enjoyed all the dynamics between Avra, Tev and Julian. How different they all were made for such fun interactions. My one tiny niggle is it would have been nice to get a little bit more of them all happy together at the end. However, I loved all their teasing and toying as their relationships developed. Slow burn is how I like my romance and this delivered!
Although very different in tone, I’ve adored both of Alex Rowland’s books set in this world. I need more!! Felt like I could read another 400 pages of this story, I wanted more time with these fun characters!!
The humour is not going to be for everyone, but this was a huge hit for me.
Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc.
Misfit pirates, farcical antics, sexual tension, and a hell of a lot of word vomit. Im here for it.
The ridiculous, farcical vibes were just my kind of humour. Honestly the cake competition might be one of my favourite book moments ever. I was howling with laughter.
I have a super soft spot for main characters like Avra, who just blurt out all the thoughts in their head. I loved that initially he might seem quite shallow and silly, but you slowly get to see more of his vulnerabilities, his cleverness and the deep care he has for those around him.
Really enjoyed all the dynamics between Avra, Tev and Julian. How different they all were made for such fun interactions. My one tiny niggle is it would have been nice to get a little bit more of them all happy together at the end. However, I loved all their teasing and toying as their relationships developed. Slow burn is how I like my romance and this delivered!
Although very different in tone, I’ve adored both of Alex Rowland’s books set in this world. I need more!! Felt like I could read another 400 pages of this story, I wanted more time with these fun characters!!
The humour is not going to be for everyone, but this was a huge hit for me.
Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc.
June 11, 2024
This is a really fun romp, and the narration absolutely brought it to the next level for me. This is definitely recommended for fans of Our Flag Means Death, it's very similar in terms of mood and humor, even if the plot is very different.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
June 21, 2024
i feel a little bit scammed ngl!! this should have had a lot of smut and it didn't
March 25, 2024
I was given a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Tor and Netgalley.
I have read most of the author's other books before I picked up this book, so I was already inclined to view it favorably. I had also gotten a preview of the first 4 chapters ahead of time. I was incredibly excited to get this ARC.
If you read A Taste of Gold and Iron, and loved it mainly for its intrigue, romance, and serious character development and were hoping for more of the same, this is probably not the book for you. This is a very different book.
However, that being said, this book has some excellent characters, including Avra Helvaci, the main character, a man of many undignified mouth noises. Also there is some great worldbuilding, adventure at sea, and a plot-relevant cake competition. Plus queer pirates. And many, many sex jokes.
The book is hilarious. I was laughing very loudly while reading it, to the point that my partner and cats were concerned. I could not put this book down. It was the funniest thing I have read this year, probably this decade. I am still laughing about certain scenes!
I adored the book, and I hope you do as well.
I have read most of the author's other books before I picked up this book, so I was already inclined to view it favorably. I had also gotten a preview of the first 4 chapters ahead of time. I was incredibly excited to get this ARC.
If you read A Taste of Gold and Iron, and loved it mainly for its intrigue, romance, and serious character development and were hoping for more of the same, this is probably not the book for you. This is a very different book.
However, that being said, this book has some excellent characters, including Avra Helvaci, the main character, a man of many undignified mouth noises. Also there is some great worldbuilding, adventure at sea, and a plot-relevant cake competition. Plus queer pirates. And many, many sex jokes.
The book is hilarious. I was laughing very loudly while reading it, to the point that my partner and cats were concerned. I could not put this book down. It was the funniest thing I have read this year, probably this decade. I am still laughing about certain scenes!
I adored the book, and I hope you do as well.
June 7, 2024
i dislike this book but i wont lie the writing is not bad. however the whole book is about julian and how he is “so hot”. i don’t like it 😭
June 16, 2024
После A Taste of Gold and Iron питала на эту книгу большие надежды, но главный герой слишком раздражающий, а книга слишком старается быть смешной.
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