As always, this Author draws you completely in, rips your heart out, stomps on it and then pieces it back stronger than it was before. There is a lyrical feel and cadence to the dialog that rings true and I will always read this Author's offerings and recommend them. I've yet to be disappointed (though my favorites are the Fish Tales). Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

It's a ridiculous book about someone hosting a centaur onboard the ship. It offers a mix of tears and laughter.

5 Stars - Utterly beautiful

Content warning: murder, child abuse, rape, physical violence. There is plenty of seriously dark stuff.

What a beautiful book this is. First of all there's the writing, that is just utterly beautiful, poetic, full of truth. I haven't read writing so lovely for quite a while and it brought me so much joy.

Then the worldbuilding and the world itself just made me happy. Suanne Laquer has brought together parts of different mythologies and combined them to create a whole, complex culture, including a unique language (based on Esperanto, which I just love!) to create a world you want to immerse yourself into and never leave again. There's a tree of life, there are gods that make stupid mistakes, there are all sorts of horsefolk.

The story I loved - it's a modern take on a legend or tale in that there is a prophecy, a destiny, a fated love. But there is so much more to it than a formulaic checking off of all of the plot elements the genre would require. The different elements of the story come together so beautifully and I am in awe of just how well constucted the plot was. Laquer is also cares about the characters that are destined to become more than they ever intended. She cares about them deeply and we understand that fate can ask a lot and maybe too much and that it hurts. But they persist, and, if I may spoil a tiny bit: all will be (pretty) well in the end and that is how such a story should end indeed.

Which brings me to the next point: the characters! Good grief, I find it really hard to put into words just how WONDERFUL they all were. Some of them really are put through the wringer and they become damaged, and badly so. But still, they stay honest, vulnerable, open. While reading this I kept thinking that Laquer captured just so well how being the best version of yourself is really the only way to go. Don't be petty, don't be a jerk, if you like someone, open up to that person, be vulnerable. And it will reward you with true, meaningful relationships. Big love, but also real friendship, honest companionship. You know a book is special when it inspires you to want to be a better person.

Honestly, the longer I kept reading, the more I wanted this book to never, ever end. This ist most definitely one of the best books of the year for me, and it is likely that I will reread. (Which happens very rarely these days.)

If you even remotely like Fantasy (and even if you don't) this is very, very heartily recommended.

I have received a review copy via NetGalley and voluntarily provide my honest opinion. Thank you very much!

The first 20% ish or so I had a hard time getting into. It had a lot of info, names, characters etc to absorb. But getting through that is worth it!

A great story, wonderful characters. I'm not much for pirates usually, but this one was very enjoyable.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it was a fun fantasy novel. The characters were great and I enjoyed going through this story.

I wasn't invested with any of the characters in this book as I haven't read anything in the series before, but I thought that it pretty clearly said that it could be enjoyed as a standalone. All the same, I liked the idea so here is the most neutral rating I could make

I want to Thank Netgalley for giving me an advanced copy of this book

I really liked the boys relationship and everything with the fantasy but I noticed that this was not the first book then I realized why I didn't get anything at all but overall the book is good and enjoyable

There are some books that you just can't help liking even though you know there are issues. This one was such a book. I hated the pacing and the ending was just so out there that I don't even know what to say about it.

Here's what I thought:

1. Representation and diversity in all its forms --almost. Whether you're talking about sexual orientation, disability, race, the characters populating this world are varied and multi-hued. <i> What I would have liked were more female characters who were equally awesome -- besides the one monarch, one rape survivor deity, and a kidnapping survivor that we got. Any other women who did show up were maternal figures. Even the single female on the crew was cut off quite early when she got pregnant.</i>

2. Tackling of social issues. From sex trafficking of minors to PTSD, the story takes on various social evils and treats them very carefully and justly. <i> However, the glossing over of the fact that the reason the centaur-like race existed was rape did irk me. The incident is mentioned quite a few times but none of the characters express their revulsion over it -- except for the survivor, who mentions it JUST ONCE.</i>

3. The writing. I really loved the writing. Some sentences were worded so beautifully that they made me want to hug the author. Like the one about father being the biggest word in giantstongue and almost all the scenes with Fen and Trueblood after they become a couple.

4. The humor. Loved it!

I liked the characters, their backstories, and the relationships they formed or sustained between themselves. I also liked the story a lot. So, to conclude, this was a good read for me!

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book!

My god what a beautiful story this was... I didn't want it to end. I loved every second of this. It was so deep yet left me feeling lighter. I read this as a stand alone and will 100% be looking into getting my hands on more! I feel like this is going to be one of those stories that I just keep coming back to and re-reading over and over.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was truly exceptional. I really enjoyed Suanne Laqueur's writing style and the overall plot. I enjoyed the characters and the pacing of this book.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

This is one of those books that's so hard to review because it's so different and almost kind of ethereal and fairytale-esque in a way that defies description.

The story starts off by kind of summarizing and giving us snippets of Trueblood's childhood and teen years and getting the reader accustomed to the world and its mythology. Eventually it gets to Trueblood when he's 19 and becomes more focused and set in one time. The characters discover they're part of an important prophecy and set off by ship to fulfill it.

I've seen a lot of reviews that talk about how beautiful this book is, but I want to make this clear: parts of this book are beautiful, and as a whole it's beautiful, but other parts are horrifying, disturbing, and tragic. There is child slavery and rape, trauma, grief, suffering, and both physical and emotional pain. Characters endured terrible things. Characters did terrible things themselves, sometimes out of desperation or love.

The characters were wonderful. Trueblood was kind, fair, and understanding. Fen was surly at times, struggling with guilt and trauma and fear of intimacy, but with good intentions in life. Raj and Lejo were fun, loyal, and sweet. Everyone felt distinct and complex.

The relationships were touching. The romance between Trueblood and Fen took a while and had a rocky beginning, but that was because there was always this thrum of want and tension between them, even when Fen didn't want to admit it. And once they finally got close and admitted their love, it was such a beautiful, solid relationship. The friendship bond between Trueblood and the twins (Raj and Lejo) was just as beautiful and strong in a different way. There was also the way Fen came to view them like family, and the way Trueblood looked up to his father, and how Abrakam was always there for all of them as a guardian figure, and the young love and explorations between characters in the past, and all of it was just so sweet.

The world was fantastical. Trueblood was descended from giants. Fen was part of a race of beings who could shift between human, horse, or half (like a centaur) form and also sprout wings and fly. There were also centaurs and minotaurs and krakens and gods and a giant tree that grew an almost magical substance with a sort of healing property and mythical ships that would show up right when they were needed. There was so much uniqueness and mythology to this world.

But as I said, there was also sadness. Every character had their struggles, their traumas, whether it was living with chronic pain and a drug addiction, or being kidnapped and sold into slavery as a child and doing terrible things to get out, or losing loved ones, or selling their souls for someone they loved.

Storytelling was a big theme throughout the book. The POV was that of an omniscient narrator telling us, the readers, the story of Trueblood and Fen, but it mostly felt like 3rd person limited through the alternating POVs of Trueblood and Fen.

This is technically part of a series, but this is the book that a character in that series has written. You can definitely read this without reading that series, it functions as a standalone, and I know this because I have not read that series.

Overall, this was a fantastical, magical sort of book with lovely characters and touching relationships that had a lot of heaviness and hardship but also a lot of beauty and love.

I will admit to having been slightly apprehensive starting this novel considering at the time of requesting, I did not know that it was a novel in the middle of a series. However, having now read this, I can say that this novel absolutely stands on it's own and can absolutely be read as a standalone. Part of me wishes that it had been advertised as such because I truly do think it would have been eagerly welcomed by the LGBTQIAP+ Fantasy readers who may have been otherwise turned off by the idea that it is technically book 2.75.

Having done some digging since finishing, I have learned that this novel is actually a story within a story, as one of the character's from the author's other novels "wrote this story." Considering this background, I can imagine that having that additional background knowledge might have brought another element of lushness to the novel that I wasn't privy to, but may be so for other readers of the series.

With that preface aside, let me just say that I adored the worldbuilding in this novel. It is novels like this, with creativity and fresh concepts that I have not seen before, that always draw me to fantasy in the first place. Considering I accidentally let this novel sit on my shelf a bit too long, I ended up purchasing it so that I'd have a chance to read it, and I am so glad I did. This is a novel that I am happy to have on my shelves (or my kindle library literally speaking) and had I of heard of this novel outside of Netgalley, I probably still would have purchased it.

The relationship between Pe and Fen and the evolution of that relationship was breathtaking. Again, I reiterate that I wish this novel were not advertised as an in between novel in a series, as I worry that will stop other readers from delving into this amazing journey and falling in love with the cast of characters as I did.

All in all, an excellent adventure, a wonderful concept, and a novel that I truly enjoyed. This story will not disappoint.

Epic tale set in a fantastical world with dead gods, giant trees, warrior queens, horse-human hybrids called kheirons, and giant ships. Centers on a M/M love story between Trueblood and Fen.

I liked it at first. There is a vibrant culture of storytelling. Many of the chapters are diary entries. Oh, the world-building. The fantastic elements were well-handled. its central relationship, however, felt unearned. Perhaps I would appreciate it more had I read the non-SF romance novel(s?) from which it came. "The Voyages of Trueblood Cay" is a book within another book.

I hadn't read the existing series yet before starting this book, but this is a perfect stand-alone and it took me no time to get absorbed into the story.

The world is nothing short of epic, featuring immortal horselords, pirates descended from giants, sea monsters, destinies and redemptions. It truly reads like a myth, and I loved the way the world unfolds throughout the story and the hybrid language that was created.

The writing was very engaging and though there was a large cast of characters, all of them were sufficiently fleshed out to make me feel connected to them.

I think my only problem was the pacing. Especially in the beginning, the story felt quite slow, but this might be because I was missing out on some parallels/connections to the main series, so this didn't bother me too much.

All in all this is an absolutely beautiful fantasy story about love, born and chosen family and friendship. I can't recommend this highly enough!

I haven’t cried this hard while reading since The Song of Achilles.

I have to admit, I read this as a stand-alone book and haven’t read anything else connected to this world. That didn’t stop me from enjoying it thoroughly though. And while I loved all the background and world building, I really got sucked into it around the middle when everything started coming together.

It does contain quite a few references and some descriptions of horrible things like slavery and rape. But much like The Captive Prince series, it doesn’t glorify them and characters are able to slowly heal from their trauma.

Overall, it was a really enjoyable read with a surprising amount of emotion and character depth.

Suanne Laqueur was one the best surprises for me last year when I decided I would finally read that book I'd had sitting on my e-reader. After that I was gone and went to read all her books in the Venery series. This one is a bit different, it's written by one of the characters in the other books and brings of the story of Trueblood Cay, a giant descended mariner, and Fen, the son of the Horselord who has a traumatic past. It's a lengthy fantasy book with giants, kentauros, mythology and gods. But also with the main ingredients that are in all of her books: courage, perseverance and deep seated love in all shapes possible. Don't let the length of the book stop you nor the fact that you haven't read a single one of her other books, this is well worth your time and reading this will make you think, admire, cry and be inspired. Suanne wove a beautiful tale involving mythical creatures, godly squabbles, bad stuff happening to good people and manages to fill you up with love and hope even when you're seeing the worst the world has to offer.

An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. ***

DNF'd at 35%. I just couldn't connect with the characters as I haven't read anything else in the series. The concept sounded very intriguing, I just couldn't find a way to make myself more interested.

How I loved this book! I don't even know where to start. It's magic on a mythical scale. Even the side characters made me curious about their lives. I want the stories of all the crew members, and the side quests, and Fen and Trueblood's fathers. I loved the beautiful language gleaned from Esperanto and made familiar as the story goes on, repeated until the reader feels like they share a special language with all other readers. I loved the interweaving of Greek and Norse legend to make a love story so epic in scale. The story felt weighty with meaning, but also playful with unexpected, ridiculous humor. I cried not only when the story was sad, but also because it was beautiful and meaningful and just warranted an appreciative cry. This book will certainly be a forever favorite and I'm sure to read it again when I need the comfort of wonderful characters and tears.

This is a coming of age tale interwoven with tales of tales. It borrows heavily from Norse mythology.

Here in this world a battle between the gods has left the magical tree which sustains life lost. So the plants and trees which are slowly losing their vitality are referred. Trueblood himself is descended from a line of giants, and grows up with his dad the Captain of one of the great ships of old.

More and more layers of the story unpeel as Trueblood matures.

It is a series of love stories: familial and romantic which bind this fascinating mythical universe the author has created.

TRUEBLOOD is a novel-within-a-novel: it's being written by one of Laqueur's other fictional characters, but it can absolutely be read as a standalone fantasy. Knowing nothing about the author or wider series, I pick this up on a whim as I've been keen to read more books featuring queer characters - but boy was I unprepared for the emotional rollercoaster.

The story starts off slow, establishing the mythology and the two protagonists. This is a world of giant ships, centaurs, horse shapeshifters, sea monsters and ancient gods. Pelippé Trueblood has a loving childhood growing up on his father's ship. Fen il-Kheir, a winged horse shapeshifter, is kidnapped and brutalized in his youth. Eventually, the two are thrown together on a legendary quest - and this is where the main plot kicks in. I'm already mesmerized, but from this point on, the story creeps under my skin.

Other than the creative worldbuilding, what impresses me about this story is the depiction of the various shapes love can take between men. The focus is on the romance between star-crossed lovers Pelippé and Fen, but their relationship is underpinned by brotherly comrades and the bravery it takes to be a father. It's also refreshing to see Pe discover his sexuality in a world where being queer is accepted, and how he helps Fen come out of his shell. (Be warned... it's steamy.)

Stylistically, the diary format might not work for all readers, but I don't mind it. The romance between Pe/Fen is a tad cliché, but I still root for them and cry at all the right moments. My main gripe is that this is a brilliant world that I would love to spend more time in.

READ THIS IF... You enjoy historical romances and mythology. TW: Rape, child abuse, substance abuse, death.