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A review by hollycal75
Voyage of the Damned by Frances White
funny
lighthearted
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
If I could give this six stars, I would.
I'll be honest, the moment I saw "queer fantasy murder mystery at sea", I knew this book was getting at least 4 stars. What a cool premise! I love genre blending murder mysteries, and I think Voyage of the Damned may be my favorite one to date. I expected a good time, but I'm blown away by just how much FUN this was. I just know Frances White was giggling away at her keyboard while writing this. It's a perfect escapist read. The characters are just as enjoyable as the plot. Best of all, this book doesn't take itself too seriously. Its job is to entertain, and it does that from start to finish.
Interestingly enough, the highlight of this book isn't the fantasy nor the mystery. There's not much that sets this whodunnit apart from other books in that regard. The worldbuilding also isn't too elaborate, which is common in genre blend mysteries. Not enough page space. I agree with the review that compares this to Fruits Basket, one of my favorite mangas/animes ever. Twelve people who are "Blessed" by the Goddess (or eleven plus our pseudo-Blessed Ganymedes), yet their gifts are also their greatest hindrances. That's about as far as the worldbuilding goes. But not every book needs a complex magic system. The way it's presented here is fine as is.
No, the best part of this book is Ganymedes himself. It's been a while since I've read a book in which the protagonist ends up being my favorite character, but he's just so damn lovable! You get to see so many different layers to him depending on which character he's interacting with. To top it off, his narration had me laughing out loud multiple times, often multiple times on the same page. Frances White's sense of humor is right up my alley. I always knew I would've been better off growing up in the UK. Y'all are just funnier out there. It is what it is.
About 90% of the books that I read I get from the library, this one included. But this is so freaking good that I'm actually going to buy a physical copy of because I KNOW I'll be reading it again. Likely for many years to come. (Also the sprayed edges are gorgeous and I just want an excuse to keep looking at them.)
I'll be honest, the moment I saw "queer fantasy murder mystery at sea", I knew this book was getting at least 4 stars. What a cool premise! I love genre blending murder mysteries, and I think Voyage of the Damned may be my favorite one to date. I expected a good time, but I'm blown away by just how much FUN this was. I just know Frances White was giggling away at her keyboard while writing this. It's a perfect escapist read. The characters are just as enjoyable as the plot. Best of all, this book doesn't take itself too seriously. Its job is to entertain, and it does that from start to finish.
Interestingly enough, the highlight of this book isn't the fantasy nor the mystery. There's not much that sets this whodunnit apart from other books in that regard. The worldbuilding also isn't too elaborate, which is common in genre blend mysteries. Not enough page space. I agree with the review that compares this to Fruits Basket, one of my favorite mangas/animes ever. Twelve people who are "Blessed" by the Goddess (or eleven plus our pseudo-Blessed Ganymedes), yet their gifts are also their greatest hindrances. That's about as far as the worldbuilding goes. But not every book needs a complex magic system. The way it's presented here is fine as is.
No, the best part of this book is Ganymedes himself. It's been a while since I've read a book in which the protagonist ends up being my favorite character, but he's just so damn lovable! You get to see so many different layers to him depending on which character he's interacting with. To top it off, his narration had me laughing out loud multiple times, often multiple times on the same page. Frances White's sense of humor is right up my alley. I always knew I would've been better off growing up in the UK. Y'all are just funnier out there. It is what it is.
About 90% of the books that I read I get from the library, this one included. But this is so freaking good that I'm actually going to buy a physical copy of because I KNOW I'll be reading it again. Likely for many years to come. (Also the sprayed edges are gorgeous and I just want an excuse to keep looking at them.)
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicidal thoughts