I really did love this one! It took me a minute to get fully invested but I was definitely interested from the start.

When the murders began, I started trying to figure out who it was and settled on the killer pretty quick. I was DEFINITELY NOT RIGHT. Several things I guessed were totally wrong and I love that! I didn’t feel mislead or betrayed, either. Simply didn’t figure it out and I love that for me.

I loved the arc for the main character, Ganymedes. He changes so much through the book but his core values remain. I was rooting for him throughout the book and wanted to see him rise!

Advance reader copy provided by Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

I must fist start by thanking both NetGalley as well as the publisher MIRA Original Hardcover for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.
A unique unconventional fantasy. Weak background world building along with a main character who works to have you hate him. The mystery component never seems to grab your attention. I had hoped for so much more.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for the eARC of this book. I ended up reading a physical copy I received at the ALA conference. All thoughts are my own. I gotta say, this book had me on my toes from the very beginning. I loved Dee from the start, his humor being very relatable to my own. I also love Grasshopper and some of the other side characters.

I loved how much they emphasized the importance of mental health in this book. And just the general belief of believing in yourself. This book overall was a good laugh and a good mystery novel. I definitely recommend it to those who enjoy mystery/fantasy themes and LGBTQ+ representation.

Voyage of the Damned by Frances White is an LGBTQIA murder mystery full of magical beings, intrigue, and suspense.

< 1x
Voyage of the Damned book cover.
While overall, I enjoyed the story, this one has many issues. First, it’s billed as adult fantasy, but reads more like YA to me. Second, the world-building is all over the place, or more aptly, full of holes, as is the magic system.

At times, I wanted to empathize with our main character, Dee. At other times, I wanted to smack him for being so self-absorbed and lacking in any sort of self-confidence.

There are also a lot of references that seem out of place, like hot dogs and poutine. What are these doing in this magical world?

I considered putting this down several times, but ultimately, I felt compelled to see how it ended. Somehow, the ending managed to be both satisfying and a let-down.

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advance copy in exchange for sharing my opinions. All opinions in this review are my own. Links in this review are affiliate links, and I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.</i>

"TO EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER ENTERED A ROOM AND FELT THEY DID NOT BELONG"

I expected this book to be a bit heavier, and darker than it was. This book has taken me out of my 5-star drought!

I loved everything about this! After reading the cover art was the perfect choice.

I loved this forced proximity, first-person POV, found-family, fantasy murder mystery fated cruise!

Ganymedes Piscero is now my book best friend! I love his personality, his banter, and his heart. The mystery, romance, and magic elements were perfectly placed, each cast member did nothing but add to the story. They were an absolute supporting cast with individual personalities that pulled me across all my emotions. I would love it if Frances wrote a spin-off for each province and focused on the ducs of each, when, and how they came into power, especially in the Ox province.

This book floats across your emotions like a boat floats on water. Do you see what I did there? You laugh, stress, cry, and celebrate all in one book.

There's so much I want to say but I am afraid that I will begin to spoil it, that would be a grave injustice to all readers who come after me. Frances White is an author I will continue to look for and read, I truly enjoyed this story.

Please do yourself a favor and grab this book!

It is Clue with magic houses (provinces) like Disney's Descendants, LGBTQ+IA, non-binary, and trans representation.

I thought that i would really like this book, but it didnt really peek my interest. It was one of my most anticipated TBRs. Maybe it was the format that it was transfered to my kindle in, but i could not sit through reading i the way it was.

I was pretty excited about this book. I *do* judge books on their cover (not wholly) and this one is stunning. However I had a really tough time getting into the actual story and didn't feel that spark. The writing is solid and the characters are well done, so I know someone out there will enjoy this book. It just wasn't for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance read of this book. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

✨Adult Fantasy
✨Murder Mystery
✨Close Proximity
✨Magic
✨LGBTQ+ Rep
✨Physical Disability Rep
✨Mental Health Rep
⚠ Suicidal Ideation

I loved this book! It’s such a fantastical murder mystery filled with secret magical powers, political enemies, a tongue in cheek protagonist, a splash of romance, and all the pining and revenge-seeking! This story features a complex cast of characters in a “whodunit” scenario and things definitely get very “murdery” as characters continue to meet their demise. Dee is the protagonist and narrator in the book and he’s such a fun character who carries a lot of pain and past trauma that manifests itself into humor and ridiculousness. You can’t help but laugh with him, feel for him, and root for him all at the same time as the book continues.

Despite this being a stabby murder mystery, it almost has a cozy fantasy quality to it. There were moments of unbridled sweetness and positivity that made me feel all warm inside. Acceptance was a big theme to this book, both internally and externally, and it was a much needed journey for the characters.

Overall, this was a 5 star read and I’m so grateful to have received an advanced copy of the North American edition from Harlequin Trade Publishing!

I LOVED this book! It was so much fun to read. Loved how funny the main character was and he held a balance of arrogance with self-doubt. The characters were so human and I enjoyed the journey. Highly recommend!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I initially saw this book online, but it was only out in the UK and I tried real hard to get my hands on a copy. But, once I heard it was being released in the US I was SO EXCITED. The idea for this book is soc fun and unique, and the plot and setting were really well realized by the author. This was super well-written, with compelling characters and a unique vibe. This was just a great story, it tackled important topics while also keeping you hooked on the murder mystery. Absolutely fantastic, and I've already gotten my hands on my own personal hardcopy. Eee, I cannot wait for more from this author!

This was so beautifully written. It kept me hooked throughout. The story was very unique and the characters so lovable.

I am so happy that I read this book. There should be more books out there with diverse characters like in this one. I laughed a LOT while reading, but also cried so much. The story is really intriguing (it’s a murder and mystery), while also broaching important subjects that are rarely seen in books, such as intimidation, outcasting others because of differences and struggles with self-love.

I loved the first 75% of this book, and I did enjoy the ending, but there was like a 10 page “this is stupid and I don’t like it” thought about 1-2 hours before I finished.

Even though some of this was predictable, I really loved the relationships and characters. It was fun learning about each province and the magical elements brought it to life.

I usually get bored when a story is placed in one setting, and while most of this book takes place on a boat, it was still super exciting and interesting.

Some people mentioned not liking the tongue-in-cheek writing but I loved the humor and wit. It made me love the MMC even more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC.

#voyageofthedamned #netgalley

This was definitely an anticipated release for me and I was so excited when I got it early because of the hype. This one ended up being a 3.5 or 3.75 for me. I think I needed more world building and information on the magic systems. This was much more of a murder mystery than a fantasy novel for me. Yes there was some magic and there was some romance but the murder mystery was definitely the largest plot. I think the underdog story of Dee was great and I love Grasshopper. I did love the ending because it definitely had the jaw dropping moment of a thriller that I love.

If you are into fantasy books, the game Clue or murder mysteries with magic… on a ship nonetheless… then this one is going to be for you.

We have our Kingdom of Concordia that is broken up into 12 provinces and has maintained peace between them for a thousand years. Each of these provinces have an ‘heir’ that has special abilities also knowns as ‘Blessings’, except for one of the heirs who is our main character named Ganymedes. All of the herds come together on a 12 day voyage to the sacred Goddess’s Mountain.

While on this voyage, the top heir that most everyone seemingly loves is murdered which creates chaos. And then the kicker is that everyone is stuck together on this 12 day voyage because the ship is powered by the the magic of the Emperor who is not on board so the ship cannot stop until it meets its destination.

The chapters cover the morning, afternoon and evening of each of the 12 days where bodies keep piling up and Ganymedes pairs up with 2 of the other heirs to actively try to solve who the unaliver could be. Which is especially hard as it is not common for these Heirs to talk about what their special ability is so that is part of the mystery to solve.

The characters are extremely unique and diverse and there is a good amount of representation in this book including bisexual, non-binary, lesbian, disability, mental health, plus-size and probably a few others that is escaping me right now. Our main character doesn’t quite fit in where he is supposed to be and you unpack a lot with his own personal journey of outer confidence that masks a lot of insecurities underneath and doesn’t think he is capable of great things.

I thought this was a really fun read and I finished this book in 3 days giving it 4 stars.

I really enjoyed reading this!

This book was so incredibly chaotic, but in all the best ways. An LGBTQ+ forward fantasy murder mystery on a boat with 12 incredibly different personalities that both clash and come together so perfectly. The banter is top tier, and I absolutely need Dee to be my best friend. Grasshopper is an amazing side character and I love her so much. I suspected the murderers pretty early on however there was a big plot twist that I absolutely did not expect and left me gasping. This book had me laughing out loud. Make sure you check your trigger warnings, as there are some tough themes of suicidal ideation.

"Living by the sea, death always surrounded me. The ocean gives and the ocean takes, that’s what the fisherfolk say. We take life from the ocean, and it takes lives from us."

I just finished up Voyage of the Damned by Frances White, and to be completely honest, I was a little disappointed by this one.

The cover is absolutely brilliant and it sounded amazing, but it just lacked something for me. I really struggled with the conversation style and couldn't get into the story. It definitely reads more like a YA book, especially with some of the dialogue and humor. I could see how it would be super popular, but this one just wasn't it for me...

But that's okay! I know that other people are going to love the conversation style and the story, and so I hope you'll still give it a chance!

It's an interesting and fresh take on Murder on the Orient Express, and overall, it was a pretty entertaining read!

This murder mystery, Voyage of the Damned, is available to read now!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance read of this book. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

Um, hi, can I just live in this book? Thanks. I went through the entire range of emotions while reading this book and I cannot wait to reread it. Murder mystery on the open seas? Yes please!

Voyage of the Damned by Frances White is a phenomenal debut!
A stunning locked door murder mystery with magic, murder and a romantic romp through a fantasy world! Yes please!
The characters are absolutely delightful and the writing is freaking gorgeous!
I had the absolute best time with this one!

Thank You NetGalley and MIRA for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I wanted to love this way more than I did. It read very much as a YA book and I didn’t really feel like it qualified as a fanatsy. The writing was very well done and the characters were solid. I really enjoyed Dee and appreciate his sarcasm and sense of humor. But this definitely qualifies as a murder mystery, it was giving me Murder on the Orient Express Vibes.