04/09/2024 || The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray by Christine Calella || #TheFinalCurseofOpheliaCray #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley, Christine Calella, and Page Street Publishing/Page Street YA for making this e-ARC available!
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author and myself.
All of my thoughts are my own~

3.5 Stars - DNF

I wanted to really like this one: pirates, sisterly love and bonds, queer, historical....what's not to love here?!!???!

The writing style is seriously phenomenal along with the story telling and character development, and I was hooked up until around 18% and I just couldn't understand where this was going - queer wise I mean. I didn't catch it, but based off other reviewers one of the sisters is ace which is great, cool! But I didn't get queer vibes that I was hoping for (I am still recovering from the season 2 ending for OFMD and still looking to fill that giant void and wound).

Due to my disappointment that I didn't get what I was looking for, I decided that the fair thing to do is shelve this book for now and come back another day when all I want is family and pirates!!!! I'm excited to be in the right headspace for this book!!!!! :)

The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray is a story about finding your place, family ties, and sister bonds. I’m gonna be honest and say that I thought this was going to be completely different than it was, but I’m not mad about it! This book is one that’s filled with constant adventure and high stakes, so my anxiety levels were going up and down the whole time. I was so invested in Ophelia and Betsy’s journeys and I wanted them to succeed.

My favorite part about this book is the relationship between half sisters Ophelia and Betsy. Many times in books, we’re greeted with the purest, deepest bonds between siblings, but in reality, familial relationships are a lot more messy, and The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray perfectly demonstrates that. Throughout the book, Ophelia and Betsy fight a lot, and they disagree about many things, but even so, they love each other. No matter how much they get on the other’s nerves, when it comes down to it, they will do what they need to help the other. I have a few siblings, and I rarely relate to those in books. Yet, these two, even if they’re nothing like me or my siblings, were relatable in that their relationship felt so genuine.

In addition to family relationships, there are many mysteries in this book. At first, none of them seemed related when they were first presented, but as the book goes on, all of the threads begin to tie together. I was fascinated and always trying to figure out how each new puzzle piece fit into the story.

Those who know me know that I love a good female-lead pirate story, and while the mc of this one isn’t exactly a pirate, it definitely scratched that itch for me. Ophelia, while conflicted and unsure of herself at times, was a strong female character who I loved following along with.

I loved watching Ophelia and Betsy grow as characters. They change so much from beginning to end, and their character arcs are executed expertly. I also love the fact that Ophelia is aro-ace. It’s not explicitly stated in those terms, but she mentions that she feels no romantic inclination toward anyone and she has no desire to be touched. This was an excellent addition to the story. I’m always looking for more books with aro-ace rep!

The only thing I wish is that the plot line surrounding Ophelia’s birth mother (and other parts of it revealed later on) had been expanded on more. I found it so interesting, and I would’ve loved more information about it!

While this book definitely stands on its own, I think there’s potential for a sequel, so I’m excited to see if anything will be announced.

Overall, this was a fun read that had me constantly guessing and always anticipating. I really enjoyed it!

This book was so fun! If you’re looking for a fast-paced pirate adventure with sweet sisterhood and an aspec main character, check out The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray! 🏴‍☠️👯‍♀️🖤🩶🤍💜

🔥Ophelia is the daughter of a legendary pirate queen, she’s fiery and is feeling suffocated in her small town where everyone is mean to her because of her mother’s reputation as a murderous pirate. Desperate to prove herself as different, she joins the Navy. But it’s not as straight forward as she hoped as she navigates mutiny, storms, and has to confront her family’s past.

💪Her sister Betsy couldn’t be more different, happiest in the comfort of her home. But when the Navy discovers that Ophelia lied about her identity in order to join, Betsy has to get brave and go after Ophelia to warn her before she’s caught and arrested.

This book was a blast, filled with DUELS and MUTINY, SECRET TREASURE and PERILOUS ESCAPES! ⚔️

🌈Ophelia is ace/aro and no nonsense about it, which I just loved. And there is a lesbian pirate couple side character that I of course loved.

Thanks to NetGalley and Page Street YA for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I would have rated this book higher as it held my attention but I really wasn't a fan of the last 20% of the book. It was a fun historical fiction romp with pirates though!

I absolutely loved this charming and adventurous romp, from the asexual rep to the family relationships that form the backbone of the novel. The cover is also just amazing.

This was an absolutely perfect pirate book! I had so much fun with this story, and how I wish it was a series. It was fast paced, with such great FMCs and a great cast of strong characters, and great villains. This author will be a must read for me in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! 5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley and Page Street publishing for the e-arc!
Queer pirates! This book is literally absolutely perfect for me. It gives me Pirates of the Caribbean vibes with a much more diverse cast of characters. From the beginning, this was such an adventure! If you love an amazing journey story with so much growth and discovery for our characters you will love this. I was also so excited to see an ace aro main character and they ended up being one of my favorite characters to fall through at the story.

Storms and pirates are nothing compared to the evil within men’s hearts.
Yeah, I didn't need anything else to be HOOKED on this amazing novel.
Set sail across the high seas with two sisters, some pirates, a handful of useless navy men, and a whole lot of danger and adventure! It was literally impossible to guess where this story would take either Ophelia or Betsy but I’m so glad I got to be along for the ride!

This book gave me serious Pirates of the Caribbean vibes, but for middle school kids. Each of the female main characters had an adventure to follow and the pace never slowed down! As a librarian, I feel like this is a book that I could recommend to any student looking for an exciting read!

When I saw lesbian pirates, I immediately requested this book. I loved the premise of this book, but I found the way the plot was written left me wanting a bit more. I wanted more focus on the intensity of the action scenes. Even though I enjoyed the book, I wasn't rooting for the characters very much, and I think the author could have given the side characters more personality and written outside of their personality archetypes. Overall it was a 3 stars. It has not been super memorable, but I enjoyed it when I read it.

This was such a fun and engaging read! There were two plotlines happening in parallel which converge at the end, each plot following one sister, and it was so much fun to see their contrasting storylines and their near misses and their eventual character resolutions!

Also, also! This book has both an ace/aro MC as well as a plus sized MC, so the representation really is win-win 🥲 it was done really well imo!

TWs - violence, murder

-- ty to the author, the publisher and @coloredpagesbt for an advanced copy!

Squash buckling adventure, YA fantasy, seafaring sisters Ophelia and Betsy Young, Pirates of the Caribbean meets Little women vibes.

This is one of the best books I’ve read all year. It was so un-put-downable and filled with one conflict after another, never giving us a lull in the action. It’s a good commentary on how assuming the worst about someone makes it true, and how a guy who seems like a good person can really change their tune when a woman says no.

Fed up with a lifetime of mistreatment from superstitious locals due to her infamous pirate queen mother, Ophelia Young, the pirate queen’s illegitimate child, decides it’s time to break free from the shackles of her mother’s legacy. Rescued from a hostile crowd by a naval officer, Ophelia sees an opportunity to join the navy, hoping to step out of the shadow her mother has cast on her. Little does she know, life at sea is far from the honourable escape she envisioned.

Enter Betsy Young, Ophelia’s timid half-sister with dreams of a peaceful life and love. Devastated by a rejected marriage proposal and Ophelia’s enlistment, Betsy’s world crumbles further when their father falls seriously ill. Forced to bring Ophelia back to save the family business, Betsy unravels a shocking secret: Ophelia enlisted under Betsy’s name. Now, to protect her sister from the authorities and a deadly crew, Betsy must navigate treacherous waters during hurricane season, risking it all to ensure their safe return home.

Set your sails and let’s ride into adventure!

Ophelia intrigued me from the very first page and I immediately connected with. We learn that Ophelia is aroace (which was weaved well into the times that this book plays in) and just wants to get out of the shadow of her mother. But nothing is as easy as it seems and Ophelia learns a whole lot more about the navy and what they consider to be honourable—which isn’t a lot more than a smoke screen for the wide public. Betsy, similarly, was someone I took a liking to straight away. She is a fat young woman who also lives with anxiety (we love to see that in any book but in fantasy even more) and is incredibly talented at needlework but is often overlooked. Together, they’re a powerhouse.

I loved the sibling bonds in this. Though we don’t get to see Ophelia and Betsy interact as much as I would have liked, their love for each other rang true throughout the story. Even when they were arguing, you could tell it came from a place of love and worry for each other rather than actual anger. The way they fight for each other will make you want to hug your sibling (or at the very least, be nice to them for a whole five minutes before antagonising them again).

What I also enjoyed was how heavy this book was on the dialogue. Often in fantasy we have quite a lot of worldbuilding happening in retellings or inner monologue, but here we get tidbits of the world and how it works (and how Ophelia is seen by the wide population) through dialogue which gave everything a more dynamic feel that paired well with the plot.

While the secondary characters could have used a bit more fleshing out, I still had a great time with following Ophelia and Betsy on their journey.

A must for fans of pirate adventures, The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray is a fun fantasy tale with sisterly bonds that will make your heart soar.

I love stories about siblings and the love between them. This book is a journey of thrilling adventure, family bonds, and self-discovery amidst the backdrop of the high seas. This is an action-packed story about two sisters discovering who they are and who they want to be.

Ophelia's longing for freedom from the shadows of her mother's infamous legacy propels her into the unforgiving world of the navy, where she grapples with the harsh realities of life at sea and the constant threat of discovery. Meanwhile, Betsy's quiet resilience and determination to protect her family propel her into unexpected peril as she embarks on a journey to save her sister.

There are numerous diverse perspectives with representation spanning across various identities and experiences. There is plenty of diversity with an asexual main character, an agoraphobic plus-sized main character, a sapphic side romance, and a bipoc love interest.

While the antagonists lean towards the archetypal and the moral dilemmas may be presented in a more black/white manner, the heartwarming portrayal of sibling love and the adventures on the high seas make this book a captivating read for younger audiences (14+) and lovers of pirate tales alike.

This was a fun read and I really enjoyed being on the tour. Thanks to TBR and Beyond Tours, the publisher, and the author for the copy. This review is based on a complimentary pre-released copy and it is voluntary.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 3.5/5 stars.

PIRATES. Look, I'm a sucker for a pirate book like this. Like, the cover??? Anyways, I overall enjoyed this and how it dealt with half-sisters Betsy and Ophelia both making a place for themselves in society (very much during the piracy/colonial era). Betsy finds her voice while Ophelia breaks free of the "curse" her notorious pirate mother left on her. There's a lot of treachery and treason Ophelia and Betsy witness.

It did feel really slow at first and then really rushed at the end. The romance aspect was also not really uhhhhhh good? Like, instalove because you're in a cell next to him is just like what???

I did enjoy it though...it is a good swashbuckling read.

Storms and pirates are nothing compared to the evil within men’s hearts.

🌊 Set sail on a swashbuckling adventure with “The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray” by Christine Calella! Join Ophelia Young, a fearless daughter of a notorious pirate queen, as she defies the odds and charts her own destiny.

📖: The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray
🖊️: @christinecalella
🗓️: 4/9/24
⭐️: 5 of 5

⚓️ Against all odds, Ophelia sets sail into the unknown, determined to carve her own path and prove her worth beyond the legacy of her notorious mother.

But when her plans take an unexpected turn, it’s up to her unlikely sister Betsy to navigate the stormy seas of family loyalty and redemption.

Filled with twists, turns, and daring escapades, this book is a thrilling reminder that courage and determination can conquer anything.

Don’t miss this inspiring tale of sisterhood, bravery, and the power of second chances!

——————————————————————

I was captivated by Ophelia’s unwavering resilience and her unwavering commitment to staying true to herself amidst the challenges she faced.

The bond between Ophelia and her sister Betsy adds a touching layer of depth to the narrative, reminding us of the power of love and loyalty.

With shocking twists that kept me on the edge of my seat, this action-packed pirate adventure is a must-read for anyone craving an adrenaline-fueled escape into the high seas! 🌊

Thank you for the gifted copy @pagestreetya

Unfortunately, the formatting of the galley that was sent to me is unreadable, and the font is too small for me to process. I have visual processing issues reading from screens sometimes, and this font was just not gonna happen. I'm still very excited about this book, and I'll likely pick up a physical copy at some point. It's too bad this didn't work out.

Thank you Colored Pages Book Tours and Page Street YA for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray is a dark YA novel about pirates, adventures at sea, sisterhood and curses. It's the dual POV story of Ophelia Cray, daughter of the infamous Pirate Queen who wants to find her place in the Royal Navy, and her half-sister Betsy, an introverted girl who is scared to leave the house most of the time, but won't hesitate to when it comes to saving her sister. The two girls face their own adventures and misadventures at sea, and readers get to explore the naval world through their very distinct perspectives.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! While some parts made me squeamish, due to graphic torture and fight scenes, I otherwise found myself really immersed in the story. The main characters were really well fleshed out and had their own, very distinctive voices. Ophelia is a fiery and determined young woman, who has felt hated most of her life and wants to find her safe place. It was quite admirable how she stayed true to herself and her beliefs, even when circumstances around her tested her and pushed her in different directions. I also loved the way her aro/ace identity was repeatedly implied and addressed. Betsy has a great character development arc and really endeared herself to me! She loves sewing dresses and is a wonder at it (thank goodness for that - you will see!), and she won't let anything stop her when it comes to saving her sister - not even her fear of strangers and the outside world.

My favourite parts have to be the times when the sisters are together and the scenes on a mysterious island you will encounter later in the book. I wish more time was spent there and with those new characters, as I was so intrigued by them!

What to expect?
⚓️ adventures at sea
🏴‍☠️ pirates
✨️ curses?
🏳️‍🌈 aro/ace MC
💗 cute romance
⚔️ betrayal

(This review will be posted on my Instagram tomorrow. Instagram.com/bookish_martina )

The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray is a fun debut about two sisters who love each other but are very different, Ophelia wants to be a pirate, and Betsy enjoys the comfort of home. It's a short fast-paced adventure where there is everything, action, mystery, pirates! sibling love, and likable and realistic characters.

Ophelia is the daughter of a famous and feared pirate, she feels cursed, in her town everyone fears and despises her, except for her father, stepmother, and stepsister, but she wants to get out of the shadow of her mother (whom she does not know). ) wants adventures and to make her path. While Betsy is happy with her life, she is calmer and more creative, she is a fashion designer, who makes her wardrobe and Ophelia's too.

It's a short fast-paced adventure, with 2POV, the cover is cute and was the first thing that caught my attention, but the story has a couple of bloody and slightly strong violent scenes that I didn't see coming (nothing shocking, but I wasn't expecting it).

From the beginning there is a lot of action, Ophelia and Betsy will be very different but if they have something in common it’s that they are both brave, strong, and loyal, both seeking their path and facing situations they did not expect, both make mistakes, learn and grow as people. They leave their comfort zone and meet new people, my favorite part was the bond between them, but I also liked meeting the crew

Overall, it's a fun story, with realistic characters who are stubborn but likable, and also diverse, Ophelia is aro and Betsy has anxiety.

Thanks for the free book! @coloredpagesbt"

Read it if you want:
• Pirates!
• Sisterhood
• Adventure