bookishthea's reviews
202 reviews

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

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adventurous emotional reflective 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? No

4.0

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

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dark funny reflective 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

4.0

Our Ship Must Sail by Lin Lustig

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted 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

Buckle up for an amazing grumpy/sunshine sapphic pirate romance!

Our Ship Must Sail by Lin Lustig is a quirky and delightful adventure with characters so endearing! It’s easy to see the influence of the show, Our Flag Means Death and see bits of Stede and Blackbeard in Pith and Blackbraid, but Our Ship Must Sail shines on its own merit while paying homage to the beloved queer pirate show.

Pith is an extremely optimistic person, and kind almost to a fault. She is the most wholesome sky pirate you’ll ever meet and despite her complete ineptitude, somehow manages to always land on her feet. She even manages to take down the notorious Dame’s nephew with her unorthodox methods. Blackbraid is getting bored of pirating. It’s all the same old games, everybody fears her or thinks they can make a name for themselves by defeating her. Pith intrigues her by being neither afraid of her nor attempting to fight her, and her loveable crew of misfits also intrigues her because why would they follow a captain who is so completely hopeless? They form an unlikely alliance (“and they were CO-CAPTAINS!”) while Blackbraid attempts to learn Pith’s secrets and teach her the basics of surviving as a pirate in the skies, and Pith attempts to teach Blackbraid how to show kindness. The two make an incredibly balanced pair, but can they truly take down Blackbraid’s ex, The Dame, the most fearsome pirate in the skies before she takes her revenge on Pith?

The cozy factor in the book comes not only from the heartwarming characters and found family tropes, but also in the wonderful addition of a grumpy chef who makes macarons for the crew, Blackbraid’s attempts to learn crochet, and Pith’s cabin full of plants. I loved all the little nods to some of my fave books and shows and it was fun trying to spot the influences throughout. This book made me laugh and cry and that ending made me so emotional! I can’t wait to read more of this story and see what our unlikely pair will do next!

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

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adventurous emotional funny medium-paced