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kiwij96's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The leaders of the country's 12 provinces find themselves on a murder cruise. I mean, what isn't to love about that idea? Characters with their own strong beliefs and concerns, and heavy on the distrust.
100% check your trigger warnings for this one. However, there is so much to love about this story. It is well-paced and the perfect length for the story to be told. Nothing felt wasted or out of place in terms of the pacing,however, I didn't super love the fade to black at the end of the last chapter. That felt really out of place for me.</spoiler
100% check your trigger warnings for this one. However, there is so much to love about this story. It is well-paced and the perfect length for the story to be told. Nothing felt wasted or out of place in terms of the pacing,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Murder, Body horror, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Grief, Blood, Death, Classism, and Violence
Moderate: Genocide, Child abuse, and Mental illness
Minor: Drug use, Ableism, and Sexual content
lilacverses's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I would like to preface this review with (1) my great disappointment that I did not enjoy this book and (2) that my own name is Cordelia, and that will become relevant shortly.
This book should be commended for its bold and wide diversity. Truly imaginative and colorful, this book is perhaps the most inclusive in its characters that I’ve read in a while if ever. However, this book also made me think on at least one occasion how important it is that marginalised perspectives be written by the marginalised, which gave me complicated feelings, since I do think all authors should consider and employ diversity in storytelling as often as possible.
I hated the main character. I did not find them or their voice funny, which this book really was trying to be. I found it similar to bad sitcom humor.
I hated most of the other characters, mostly because the main character whose whole existence is supposed to foil the eleven others, was just as filled with disdain for them as they were for him. Moments of empathy were only found when the veil of archetype/caricature were briefly lifted, but often almost immediately fell back into place. If you’re going to write an ensemble cast, can I suggest making them people? Perhaps not relying on one-note flags to skip the work of characterising? Especially because I could feel reading how much this book wanted to push for its “everyone matters, everyone is human” sentiments, but time and time again characters crueler actions were brushed off as being motivated by nothing but their lack of qualities aside from cruelty. The book seemed in conflict with itself in that regard.
A great way to have dealt with this would’ve been multiple POV, one for each character, sprinkled through our main POV. I’d have loved to see it, the dramatic irony and consequent tension that could have built, on top of really exercising the reader’s own empathy skills throughout! It would have been delicious!
We shant be discussing the worldbuilding. There isn’t much to speak of, anyway.
Generally, I did not enjoy the plot. This I think is not the fault of the book or author. I hate mysteries in books. I hate the way information is revealed, I hate how so often (while specifics remain unknown) I can call exactly where it’s going. However, there was also a big plot twist that made me want to throw my hands up in the air and toss the book entirely. I wish I could say more but out of respect for the pub date and the future readership, I shall say nothing more than “how fucking convenient.”
Really had a hard time with the prose at times. There was a small handful (I think three) really gorgeous lines, like truly beautiful gems of description. These ultimately made me more frustrated because I could taste however briefly the full potential of the author. Could’ve done with a small handful more! Got it, flaunt it, Frances!!! Mostly, thought the mix of “pain in my backside” washed word choice and “fuck this fuck that fuck you” happening really had me confused and frustrated. Also the sexual humor in a literal locked box murder situation was like … “in front of my salad?” But the salad is a mutilated corpse and the fate of an empire.
Finally, I want to briefly discuss the Cordelia. As a character who is not our main character, she is hated, for various reasons, some valid and some less so. As a person called Cordelia, I cannot hide my bias. I wanted to identify with her. And I did, a little. As a Cordelia who, while brunette, generally also identifies as “skinny” and has been called/likened to a “doll” (as our fictional Cordelia has), I just want to say that villainising a character or generally trying to create a sense of audience dislike for a character shouldn’t mean that character is subject to negative comments about their body. I wanted to think this would be something the main character (who is fat) would understand? Especially as he is subject to body comments throughout the book as well? It was just sort of unfortunate to read a book that was so inclusive and about uplifting others and kindness and empathy and then to have the one female character who is explicitly skinny be called “stick” over and over. Yeah, there are worse things to be called, but I’ve only ever been called “stick” and it’s not a compliment! The opposite actually! There are better words and ways to communicate the size and consequent expectations of ability of someone’s body than words like stick. Which the author demonstrated with other slender male characters who got a more favorable opinion from the MC.
All that said, the book is fine. I don’t think I will recommend it with my personal stamp of approval on it, but it’s still better than Fourth Wing, so if you like goofy fun delightfully queer tales with potentially cringey humor, pick this one up! Please read trigger warnings, though!
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book should be commended for its bold and wide diversity. Truly imaginative and colorful, this book is perhaps the most inclusive in its characters that I’ve read in a while if ever. However, this book also made me think on at least one occasion how important it is that marginalised perspectives be written by the marginalised, which gave me complicated feelings, since I do think all authors should consider and employ diversity in storytelling as often as possible.
I hated the main character. I did not find them or their voice funny, which this book really was trying to be. I found it similar to bad sitcom humor.
I hated most of the other characters, mostly because the main character whose whole existence is supposed to foil the eleven others, was just as filled with disdain for them as they were for him. Moments of empathy were only found when the veil of archetype/caricature were briefly lifted, but often almost immediately fell back into place. If you’re going to write an ensemble cast, can I suggest making them people? Perhaps not relying on one-note flags to skip the work of characterising? Especially because I could feel reading how much this book wanted to push for its “everyone matters, everyone is human” sentiments, but time and time again characters crueler actions were brushed off as being motivated by nothing but their lack of qualities aside from cruelty. The book seemed in conflict with itself in that regard.
A great way to have dealt with this would’ve been multiple POV, one for each character, sprinkled through our main POV. I’d have loved to see it, the dramatic irony and consequent tension that could have built, on top of really exercising the reader’s own empathy skills throughout! It would have been delicious!
We shant be discussing the worldbuilding. There isn’t much to speak of, anyway.
Generally, I did not enjoy the plot. This I think is not the fault of the book or author. I hate mysteries in books. I hate the way information is revealed, I hate how so often (while specifics remain unknown) I can call exactly where it’s going. However, there was also a big plot twist that made me want to throw my hands up in the air and toss the book entirely. I wish I could say more but out of respect for the pub date and the future readership, I shall say nothing more than “how fucking convenient.”
Really had a hard time with the prose at times. There was a small handful (I think three) really gorgeous lines, like truly beautiful gems of description. These ultimately made me more frustrated because I could taste however briefly the full potential of the author. Could’ve done with a small handful more! Got it, flaunt it, Frances!!! Mostly, thought the mix of “pain in my backside” washed word choice and “fuck this fuck that fuck you” happening really had me confused and frustrated. Also the sexual humor in a literal locked box murder situation was like … “in front of my salad?” But the salad is a mutilated corpse and the fate of an empire.
Finally, I want to briefly discuss the Cordelia. As a character who is not our main character, she is hated, for various reasons, some valid and some less so. As a person called Cordelia, I cannot hide my bias. I wanted to identify with her. And I did, a little. As a Cordelia who, while brunette, generally also identifies as “skinny” and has been called/likened to a “doll” (as our fictional Cordelia has), I just want to say that villainising a character or generally trying to create a sense of audience dislike for a character shouldn’t mean that character is subject to negative comments about their body. I wanted to think this would be something the main character (who is fat) would understand? Especially as he is subject to body comments throughout the book as well? It was just sort of unfortunate to read a book that was so inclusive and about uplifting others and kindness and empathy and then to have the one female character who is explicitly skinny be called “stick” over and over. Yeah, there are worse things to be called, but I’ve only ever been called “stick” and it’s not a compliment! The opposite actually! There are better words and ways to communicate the size and consequent expectations of ability of someone’s body than words like stick. Which the author demonstrated with other slender male characters who got a more favorable opinion from the MC.
All that said, the book is fine. I don’t think I will recommend it with my personal stamp of approval on it, but it’s still better than Fourth Wing, so if you like goofy fun delightfully queer tales with potentially cringey humor, pick this one up! Please read trigger warnings, though!
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Body shaming, Ableism, Blood, Bullying, and Violence
Minor: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Outing
kylosten's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I was ready to give this 5 stars because it was such a fun read up until an aspect of the ending pertaining to the L.I. that I will put in spoiler tag below.
I thought I was going to be lost at first because of how many characters there were (I struggle with remembering names) but the map and list of characters at the beginning helped a lot! I flipped back to both throughout the story.
I thought the way the author gave pieces to solve the mystery was good. Not telegraphing everything too much, but nothing came out of nowhere, either.
The relaxed writing style and angsty MC had me unsure if I was going to like this but it made this really easy to read and I ended up really enjoying it! The angst made sense for a 22 year old who has grown up with trauma.
If you like movies like Clue or Knives Out you'll probably enjoy the vibes of this (if you're also okay with some fantasy mixed in).
The chapters are on the longer side.
Ending spoiler:
I found it really odd the MC forgave the LI for going along with and being ready to participate in a genocide of all the people the MC cared about. It was pretty much completely disregarded and barely acknowledged.
I almost wish the LI would have died even though it would take away from the HEA.
I thought I was going to be lost at first because of how many characters there were (I struggle with remembering names) but the map and list of characters at the beginning helped a lot! I flipped back to both throughout the story.
I thought the way the author gave pieces to solve the mystery was good. Not telegraphing everything too much, but nothing came out of nowhere, either.
The relaxed writing style and angsty MC had me unsure if I was going to like this but it made this really easy to read and I ended up really enjoying it! The angst made sense for a 22 year old who has grown up with trauma.
If you like movies like Clue or Knives Out you'll probably enjoy the vibes of this (if you're also okay with some fantasy mixed in).
The chapters are on the longer side.
Ending spoiler:
I almost wish the LI would have died even though it would take away from the HEA.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Blood, Xenophobia, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual content
emmaggedon's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Squealing and kicking my feet at this fantasy murder mystery that had It All!
✅ Magic
✅ A protagonist who just wins you over instantly
✅ Brutal scenes but sparingly
✅ Important messages told well
✅ BUCKETS OF SEXUAL TENSION
Just, WONDERFUL. I haven’t done a “one more chapter, won’t do anything else until the book is finished” in a WHILE!!! More Cross Genre PLEASE I’m FREAKING OUT!! For something that could easily have been YA, I think it works so beautifully as an adult novel, and it does not shy away from being one.
✅ Magic
✅ A protagonist who just wins you over instantly
✅ Brutal scenes but sparingly
✅ Important messages told well
✅ BUCKETS OF SEXUAL TENSION
Just, WONDERFUL. I haven’t done a “one more chapter, won’t do anything else until the book is finished” in a WHILE!!! More Cross Genre PLEASE I’m FREAKING OUT!! For something that could easily have been YA, I think it works so beautifully as an adult novel, and it does not shy away from being one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Classism, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Abandonment and Sexual content
styxx's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Xenophobia, Outing, Suicide attempt, Grief, Bullying, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, and Murder
inkysplodge's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Murder, Self harm, Death, Classism, and Cursing
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Suicide attempt, Blood, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent, Fatphobia, Suicide, Vomit, Animal death, and Sexual content
novel_nibbles's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I absolutely loved huge hearted, funny, flamboyant , body positive Dee. While the book came to a satisfactory conclusion I would happy read a whole series headed by him.
Like all good mysteries, Voyage of the Damned kept me guessing the perpetrator and speculating on how they’d carried out their crimes.
Like all good mysteries, Voyage of the Damned kept me guessing the perpetrator and speculating on how they’d carried out their crimes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Blood, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Suicidal thoughts
persephonefoxx's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
We can get murdered tomorrow. Tonight, we party.
It’s giving Danganronpa in the best way possible.
It probably says a lot about me, but I love a fun murder mystery. And God, this book was so fun. An ensemble cast of super powerful teenagers and young adults (and one amazingly insane six-year-old) stuck on a murder cruise? Filled with politics divides, generational disputes, social expectations and pressures, dangerous secrets, and loves worth killing and dying for? A perfect cocktail mystery, magic, and so much murder.
There were multiple times this book had me screaming. As in book closed, turning to my wife, ‘omg omg omg’ screaming. (Let’s just say a certain scene pertaining to secrets and fingers will go down as one of my top ten favourite scenes of all time.) And while I had a pretty solid idea of who was doing the killing by the time we entered the final quarter (thanks to obsessive autistic pattern recognition and a very quickly diminishing suspect pool), there were twists and turns in the final quarter of this book that had me going feral.
And I can’t talk about this book without talking about the oodle and oodles of representation. Causal and expansive queer representation in an incredibly well thought out queer normative fantasy setting. Not to mention the additional disabled, plus sized, POC, and chronically ill representation across the cast of multifaceted weirdos. Plus it gets mad props for including the most accurate line about bisexuality I have ever read: “why do I want women to beat me up and men to gently embrace me?” Same Dee. Same.
TL:DR - This book was so much fun. Dripping with representation in an ensemble cast of well-rounded and loveable (and sometimes hate-able) characters. (Nergüi really is ‘that bitch’ and I love them.) It is a rollercoaster of murder, mystery, romance, magic, and friendship. A story of self-discovery, self-worth, and kindness. I loved this book, and I fear my wife will have to listen to me ramble about it for some time to come.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Animal death, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent and Body shaming
moonchild_cos's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Alcohol, Physical abuse, War, Body shaming, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and Torture
mayas's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I devoured this audiobook!!!! It was so fun. The tone, character, and comedy reminded me a bit of A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue (which I also devoured!).
I loved the characters, especially Grasshopper :’) and i loved the (respective) commentaries on imperialism and connecting to others. I feel like Dee really grew over the course of the story, especially when it came to his relationship with himself and with others. I am proud of him.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about the twist re the romantic lead. It took me a while to process and to think of “Wyatt” as really Ravi (I missed “Wyatt”!). Especially because I spent most of the book having negative feelings toward Ravi and Dee had seemed to get over him! But I pretty much made peace with it at the end. Wonder what my experience would be on a reread/listen!!!
Highly recommend the audiobook for this!!! The performance was GREAT. Wasn’t a fan of the narrator’s voice for Wyatt but was very happy with everything else! Also, the Spider Blessed’s voice really reminds me of Rachel Skarsten’s English accent, which was so ?!?! (you’ll know what I mean if you’ve seen Reign or the Hallmark movie where she’s a spy undercover as a nanny for the English royal family lol over Christmas).
Definitely recommend!!!!!!!!!
I loved the characters, especially Grasshopper :’) and i loved the (respective) commentaries on imperialism and connecting to others. I feel like Dee really grew over the course of the story, especially when it came to his relationship with himself and with others. I am proud of him.
Highly recommend the audiobook for this!!! The performance was GREAT. Wasn’t a fan of the narrator’s voice for Wyatt but was very happy with everything else! Also, the Spider Blessed’s voice really reminds me of Rachel Skarsten’s English accent, which was so ?!?! (you’ll know what I mean if you’ve seen Reign or the Hallmark movie where she’s a spy undercover as a nanny for the English royal family lol over Christmas).
Definitely recommend!!!!!!!!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Chronic illness, Grief, Death, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, and War