Running Close to the Wind is a rolicking good time - definitely the cozy, queer pirate light-adventure novel that I always needed. It had me laughing out loud, and the way that Rowland explored the dynamic between Avra, Teveri, and Julian was expertly done. It's *very* different than A Taste of Gold and Iron (much more character driven than plot driven, and quite a deal lighter in terms of themes etc.), but Running Close to the Wind stands on its own as a comfort read that I know I'll come back to when I need a book that's packed to the gills with banter, hilarity, and a lot of wacky humor.

In Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland, readers are treated to a riotous adventure filled with queer pirates, irrepressible chaos, and heartfelt connections. At the center of the tale are Avra Helvaçi, a former Arasti spy with a penchant for mischief and self-discovery; Teveri az-Haffar, the stoic pirate captain whose unwavering loyalty belies his tumultuous relationship with Avra; and Brother Julian, a charismatic monk whose presence sparks tension and revelation aboard their ship. Rowland expertly navigates the dynamic between these characters, infusing the narrative with warmth, humor, and moments of introspection. While the novel occasionally struggles with tonal balance and pacing, its strengths lie in the richness of its characters and the depth of their relationships. Running Close to the Wind is a captivating journey that offers both laughter and heartfelt exploration of identity, belonging, and the bonds that unite us.

Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland is the definition of a good time. This cozy pirate fantasy pirate book has the energy of Our Flag Means Death and a chaos plot. The slow burn, closed door, polyamorous relationship between a surly nonbinary pirate captain, a failed spy (who succeeds anyway because he is supernaturally lucky), and a monk in the process of letting go of his vow of celibacy is my everything. This book is a series of unlikely but fortunate events thought up by a genius who knows what I want from literature. I could not recommend it enough.

When Avra Helvaçi, goes for a walk one night and accidentally steals state secrets, he knows he needs to leave his life as a spy behind and get out of dodge fast. As luck would have it, the ship he is escaping on is raided by none other than the ex who is currently very mad at him, pirate Captain Teveri az-Haffar. The captain only agrees to let Avra live because the information he has could save their financially falling ship. Luckily, the studious and handsome Brother Julian can understand the science behind Avra’s information. If you like pirate cake competitions, blasphemous embroidery, making fun of government officials, and messy queer courtship, boy do I have the book for you.

Thanks to Tor for providing an arc of Running Close to the Wind in exchange for an honest review. Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland is set to release on June 13, 2024.

So. Alexandra Rowland is one of my favourite authors ever, and I was soo excited for this book. And I did enjoy it!! It was a very enjoyable read, like genuinely. But that's about it. The things that I usually expect from a book from this author, were unfortunately missing. Character development, emotional bonds, a solid worldbuilding.... I really needed around a 100 odd pages interspersed in the book. But the ending was very soft, and once again, a very enjoyable read.

So. Alexandra Rowland is one of my favourite authors ever, and I was soo excited for this book. And I did enjoy it!! It was a very enjoyable read, like genuinely. But that's about it. The things that I usually expect from a book from this author, were unfortunately missing. Character development, emotional bonds, a solid worldbuilding.... I really needed around a 100 odd pages interspersed in the book. But the ending was very soft, and once again, a very enjoyable read.

Running Close to the Wind was one of the books I was most excited for this year, and A Taste of Gold and Iron is one of my absolute favorite books, so to say I had high expectations for this book would be an understatement. Whatever I was expecting, it certainly wasn’t this.

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, I can honestly say that this book took me by surprise in a really good way. Running Close to the Wind is absolutely HILARIOUS. It’s silly, and horny, and lovable, and a wild ride from start to finish. In between all of the jokes and shenanigans are flashes of humanity and emotions that caught me off guard, beautiful prose, tender character moments, fascinating worldbuilding details, and a poignant message about systems of power, the value of knowledge, and the radical act of claiming ownership over yourself and your story. I really hope that a sequel is in the works, because I want to see where this story goes, and I’ve fallen in love with these characters and their relationships with one another.

My only real critique is that I wish there was a little more emotional depth. There were snippets here and there, but I would’ve liked a few more serious moments, and maybe a couple of emotional scenes that didn’t immediately devolve into silly jokes or Avra’s incoherent noises. I think part of my reaction came from expecting another A Taste of Gold and Iron, in the sense of an emotional story with high levels of romance and angst, and this really wasn’t that. If you go into this expecting a fun romp and a lot of laughs, but not a lot of tears, you certainly won’t be disappointed!

Overall, Running Close to the Wind is a book that I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who loves pirates and shenanigans and doesn’t mind a few gratuitous horny jokes (or more than a few). Just go into it with realistic expectations of what kind of book it is, and isn’t, and get ready for the time of your life.

What else could better describe this book than this quote?
"Thank you, honored dead," Teveri said solemnly. "Would you be interested in a merry song and a sexy dance to send you on your way?"

Running Close to the Wind has to be one of the most flabbergasting stories I’ve ever read. It’s very humorous, very unhinged, extremely horny and very queer.

Avra is our chaos demon of an MC, a disaster encased in a skinny horny human bard. Julian is a hot monk who’s just here to be eye candy. And Tev is the fed up captain who is also horny but being more chill about it. It’s definitely a more character driven story (plot, I hardly know her) and the banter is full of laughs.

While this book in many ways reminds me of Our Flag Means Death, I do think it needed a bit more seriousness to really make it an excellent read. It’s entertaining, don’t get me wrong, but I can’t quite put my finger on what bothered me about it. It’s funny almost to the point of being not funny anymore. Every other line is a quip or a joke and it’s written in a very “I’m very quipy and charming and ridiculously over the top” type of way. I just don’t think it’s quite what I was expecting.

It is absolutely more in the “cozy pirate tromp” category than “action/adventure/romance pirates of the Caribbean” type. A very different vibe from A Taste of Gold and Iron. I don’t think this book will be for everyone, but it’s overall a good time!

Though sharing the same world as A Taste of Gold and Iron, this installment is a very different mood/vibe. Be prepared for a crazy pirate romp absolutely filled with shenanigans. A lighter fantasy made for laughs.

Loved this book. It's a proper romp! The characters are so clearly defined they pop off the page so far you can almost lick them. And they'd enjoy it too.
A sequel please!

Running Close to The Wind is a light and fun fantasy. It's full of wacky moments and humor. It's set in the same world as A Taste of Gold and Iron, and my serious self preferred the tone of that book more.

• pirates 🏴‍☠️
• gay 🏳️‍🌈
• gay pirates 🏳️‍🌈🏴‍☠️

If you like humorous books, I recommend checking this one out!

Running Close to the Wind follows Avra, a former government agent, as he attempts to deal with the fallout of having stolen the most massive secret his country’s government and former employer possesses. In his desperation to keep his theft a secret, Avra turns to Tev, his part-time romantic interest and full time pirate Captain of The Running Sun. Of course, hijinks quickly ensue.

This book was simply so much fun!!! It’s exactly the lighthearted, romance-filled pirate romp that I needed and I loved it!

While the plot is a fairly light fantasy story, the characters are what absolutely shines! I adored Avra, Tev, Julian and all of the other side characters. Their banter made me ~cackle~ and it was so much fun to watch their relationships (particularly between Avra, Tev, and Julian) evolve. Avra in particular is so silly and lovable, in the absolute best way, and I feel like I need an entire anthology detailing his exploits.

Overall, this book was hilarious, charming, and sweet and I would so highly recommend it!!

Honestly I didn't expect how FUN this book would be to read. It's really just fun, and funny. Excellent characters with super fun banter, and I'm always dodgy on pirate books, but this one hit every nail on the head. The latter half wained a little, and overall it held on a pretty strong to the whimsical banter rather than anything else, but overall really fun.

Okay this book is FUNNY. Legitimately funny. Absolutely Terry Pratchet absurdity funny.

What a joy!

Absolutely blessed by Tordotcom pub for this ARC.

The only thing missing: I wanted more on-page sex for a book that talked about sex so much. But that’s okay! Not every reader will want that. Truly, this story manages to be both wildly wholesome and incredibly horny all at once.

Avra, Tev, and Julian are fantastically done. This book was just so much fun. As I was reading I kept feeling like the right phrase to describe this is cozy romantasy. Yes, there’s adventure, but it’s fun adventure. It’s not life or death or war. It’s blue dogs and turtles all the way down and cake competitions.

It felt like this novel was just meant to say “enjoy the life you live, and live the life you want within your own integrity.”

"Running Close to the Wind" by Alexandra Rowland is a swashbuckling adventure that brilliantly combines the elements of fantasy, queer romance, and pirate fiction into a captivating narrative. Rowland's talent for weaving laugh-out-loud humor with tender moments shines throughout this high-seas romp, reminding readers of the charm and wit that define their work. The story of Avra Helvaçi's desperate gambit with his ex-lover, the pirate Captain Teveri az-Haffar, to fence the world's most costly secret, is both thrilling and heartwarming. The inclusion of diverse characters, particularly the non-binary Tev, and the seamless integration of queer identities into the fabric of the tale, is commendable. With its low stakes fun, engaging plot, and character-driven narrative, this novel is a testament to Rowland's skill at crafting stories that are not only entertaining but also deeply meaningful. "Running Close to the Wind" is a must-read for fans of romantic fantasies and those who appreciate a cozy, character-driven fantasy that celebrates queerness in all its forms.

Everything about this book screamed perfectionism. The characters, setting, and the plot was all cohesive which made it so easy to fall into the story. It is one of those books that completely wraps you up in the story, causing you to forget the world around you. I can’t wait to read more from the author.

As usual Alex Rowland is a genius. I absolutely adored the characters in running with the wind, their banter and just the sheer amount of LAUGHS I got from this one.


TYSM Tor for sending an early copy!!

Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for the review copy!

I was so looking forward to this, but it unfortunately didn't work for me. For the first half or so, I was super into it. It was so funny and absurd, and Avra was a fun character. It is very much a silly sort of book in the sense that everything that happens seemed to just be an excuse for Avra to say something funny or find himself in a ridiculous situation. The problem is that this started to get old after a while. I like character driven books, but I do need a plot that is somewhat engaging. For this book, I had to get out my pirate's looking glass to find it. It is there, vaguely, and it could have been a good story if the plot had been developed more. The obvious goal of the book was to showcase the humor and absurdity of Avra and his shenanigans, but once that charm wore off, there was nothing left to carry the book.

I ended up skimming the last quarter of the book because I really didn't want to DNF, but I had no incentive to spend any more time with this story. Yes, Avra is funny and haha, he's so silly, and this whole thing is just wildly absurd. But I needed a little more substance. Honestly, Avra seemed like the type of side character you meet in a book and instantly love, and he becomes a fan favorite because of his antics and personality. But that sort of character can't carry a book, and that's what this felt like. I think I would have liked this better if it had been a novella, but this book was too long for what it was trying to do.

Believe me, no one is more disappointed than me. The book started out with a bang and ended with a whimper. My 2 star rating feels right because I can't say that I liked the book. I liked half of it, but by the end I was so disappointed that my enjoyment of that half was tainted.

However, I think there will certainly be an audience for this book who loves it for the exact reasons I didn't, so I encourage anyone who thinks they might like it to give it a shot!

A giddy romp, perfect to fill the OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH-shaped hole in your heart. There are magical sea creatures, pirate shanties, emotional development, romantic interludes, and an utterly fascinating Heralds deck I'd very much like to see made real. Avra is a bit screechy at times (his most common dialogue tag is literally 'screeched') and Brother Julian a bit too good to be true -- it isn't quite as powerful on the heartstrings level as A TASTE OF GOLD AND IRON but damn if it isn't meant to be a bit more fun anyway.

This book was an absolutely wild time in the best way. It's chock full of zany antics and hilarious mishaps. If you loved the humor and found family aspects of Our Flag Means Death this is the book for you! Running Close To The Wind is perpetually horny and humorous which I was very down for. The cozy fantasy setting, low stakes, and queernormative world made the book such a relaxing read. If you're looking for something that doesn’t take itself too seriously but still has some important things to say I absolutely recommend Running Close To The Wind.
I will say I felt like the book could have used just a bit more sincerity/heart to balance the humor. It wasn't absent of sincerity/heart by any means but because the humor was balls to the wall for most of the book, adding a bit more gravity would have balanced the book a bit better for me and given something for the humor to complement. Despite that quibble, I was still cracking up for most of this book and cannot wait for the audiobook to come out because I just know the narrator is gonna make Rowland's hilarious prose even better!

My thanks to the author for providing an ARC copy.

Alexandra Rowland's <i>Running Close to the Wind</i> is a cozy low-stakes pirate adventure set in the same world of the excellent <i>A Taste of Gold and Iron</i>, loosely connected to it by a plot point. The two books couldn’t be more different, as <i>Running Close to the Wind</i> is funny. Hysterically, being-in-stitches, laughing-on-the-floor funny. It’s so funny that it’s too funny sometimes, but it’s a joy to read a book that doesn’t take itself so seriously while simultaneously delivering some very profound reflections in the more serious segments.

The trio of main characters is a delight, their banter on point as the dynamic between Avra and Teveri expands with the arrival of the mysterious Julian and his wiles. The characters are unapologetically horny, but the book is surprisingly chaste in that regard, while also being incredibly tender in parts. I especially enjoyed the few conversations about having and defending one’s boundaries. The rest of the cast, from the colorful crew to the pirates on the island, were all painted in deft strokes, resulting in vivid characters with so much to say. It really was reminiscent of <i>Our Flag Means Death</i>, as it was pitched, and it was an absolute romp.

The world gets expanded in a really clever subversion of what we know from <i>A Taste of Gold and Iron</i>, showing what the outside world thinks exactly of the choice to keep for themselves the only way to sail safely during a certain time of the year. There’s sea serpents and giant turtles and ghosts that need a complex reference guide to be handled, and it’s all so delightful. This choice to have loosely interconnected stories where the world is explored more and more is an intriguing one, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

<i>Running Close to the Wind</i> is a fun adventure with hidden depths.