"The Vengeance" is about Morgan, a pirate captain's daughter whose true heritage catches up with her when her 'mother' is killed in battle. She's taken to France to meet her real family but not everything is as it seems. Morgan is sadly a very unlikeable protagonist who clings to unrealistic ideas until the very end. No reader should be surprised by Morgan's encounter with her own mother. While there is a lot of enjoyable swashbuckling and queerness, the story per se is quite weak, the fantasy and historical fiction elements included.

The Vengeance has one of those premises that immediately hooked me: pirates, France on the eve of revolution, sapphic romance, and—eventually—vampires. It’s everything I crave in a historical fantasy, and for the first part of the book, I was completely on board (no pun intended). The life aboard the pirate ship felt vivid and full of energy. Morgane was fun to follow, and her dynamic with Lisette had real charm (although they leapt from friendship to romance far too quickly).

But as the story progressed, the execution never quite lived up to its fabulous setup. The pacing was uneven—slow to start, stretched in the middle, and then rushed to the finish. The vampires don’t appear until the very end, and when they do, they don't feel fully integrated.

The biggest issue for me was the tone. Despite being marketed as adult historical fantasy, the book reads much more like YA. Morgane’s internal voice, her impulsiveness, and the sometimes forced dialogue all leaned younger than I expected. That’s not inherently a bad thing, but I went in hoping for a darker, more grounded, more adult, spicier pirate-meets-vampire tale, and what I got felt closer to a coming-of-age adventure with some gothic seasoning sprinkled on at the end.

It's a book with loads of potential, and if you’re looking for a YA-flavored adventure with pirates, romance, and a dash of the supernatural, you might enjoy it more than I did.

This is book 1 of a new series - Vampires of Dumas. This is a different kind of book with female pirates and leaders. I greatly enjoyed this different view of the pirates. The interaction between the mother and daughter is brilliant and I LOVED this book!

⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Compelling Characters & Captivating Writing

Vengeance hooked me from the start with Emma Newman’s sharp, immersive writing and unforgettable characters. I loved how complex and relatable the cast felt, and the blend of personal struggles with high-stakes drama kept me turning pages. A couple of moments felt a little rushed, but overall it’s a gripping, emotional read that leaves me eager for more.

I didn't feel like the pacing and narrative lined up well with the description that initially drew me in. While the characters and the worldbuilding were engaging, I felt like the relationship between Morgane and Lisette wasn't built up well on the page and I spent the majority of the book just waiting for the vampires to show up to fulfill the promise of the series title, instead they felt like a twist that didn't work.

This book had a good plot, but the execution left much to be desired. At first, it really grabbed my attention with that initial fight on the boat that led into the rest of the boom and Morgane finding out more about her mother. However, that is really where the enjoyment stopped for me. After that, Morgane ignores everyone telling her that it's not a good idea to seek out her birth mother, and acts like she knows best. The journey that Morgane takes to find her mother was boring to say the least and the pacing throughout the rest of the book suffered greatly compared to the first part, especially since nothing relevant was even happening. And not to mention that this was supposed to be a paranormal book but we didn't get to see any paranormal creatures until the book was mostly over? I think if the introduction to paranormal creatures happened sooner, maybe there could have been way more interesting things happening in this book.

Thank you to Rebellion, Emma Newman, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

This is historical fantasy.

Our female main character has grown up on her mother's pirate ship, but when her mother is fatally wounded she tells our FMC that she's not her mother and took her as a baby.

Determined to find her really parents she sets off for France only to find herself attacked at every opportunity. Why is this happening, and can she find and save her real mother.

This was okay, I feel like it's maybe trying to do too many things. It starts on a pirate ship and then we abandoned that and it's mostly historical fiction seeming, then werewolves appear for a few pages but the series is called Vampires of Dumas only there aren't any vampires until very late in the book (and very little when we get to them!)

The story also depends on our FMC never being told key information. It almost happens and then.... no. She's also extremely mistrustful of everyone she meets apart from the one person she really should be.

3 stars.

The Vengeance offers a bold and intriguing premise—pirates, vampires, political intrigue, and a society built around revenge—but while the ideas are rich and original, the execution doesn’t always rise to meet the potential. The story begins with promise: Morgane, the fierce heir to a pirate legacy, suddenly finds her world upended by secrets, hidden identities, and a tangled web of royal and supernatural power. Her rebellious nature—defiant, outspoken, and proudly unrefined—sets her apart, and she enters the narrative with a strong voice. However, as the plot unfolds, her character arc flattens. She remains impulsive and reactive throughout, rarely growing in ways that would deepen the emotional stakes.

The world-building is one of the novel’s strengths. The concept of a vampire-controlled justice system, contrasted with the lawless defiance of pirate crews, is genuinely compelling. There are moments of sharp insight about power, grief, and justice, especially in how these factions clash. Yet despite this fascinating backdrop, the story often feels weighed down by sluggish pacing and repetitive scenes. The momentum stalls in the middle, with much of the tension diluted by a lack of urgency.

Another notable issue is the supernatural aspect. For a book marketed as paranormal fantasy, the vampire and other paranormal elements appear far too late in the game, and feel more like set dressing than core components of the plot. When they do emerge, they’re rushed, leaving little time to explore their impact in a meaningful way.

The final conflict, too, feels undercooked. Key moments are hurried, and a few predictable twists rob the climax of the punch it could have had. The pirate crew, a potentially rich group of side characters, is given too little attention, making it harder to connect with the ensemble or feel invested in their fate.

Final Thoughts
The Vengeance is a creative and atmospheric story with an undeniably fresh premise—vampires and pirates clashing in a morally grey world—but inconsistent pacing and underdeveloped characters keep it from fully delivering on its promise. Readers who enjoy slow-burn political intrigue and unconventional heroines may still find something to enjoy, but those seeking high-stakes action and rich supernatural drama might come away wanting more.

Thank you Solaris, Netgalley, and Emma Newman for the ARC!

OKAY, YES YES YES! This is everything I want in a vampire novel. I also didn't realize it was sapphic at first, but it honestly made me even more excited once I realized it was! I also am not sure why, but I am really vibing with all the books set in historical time frames in France recently. I really appreciated the pirate aspect of this book, I haven't gotten to encounter as much of a discussion of what pirate ships are like in that time and what it would be like to be a female pirate captain, so I appreciated that part. I need book 2 ASAP.

The Vengeance est un roman énergique, à mi-chemin entre aventure et fantasy, ancré dans un contexte alternatif du XVIIᵉ siècle. Sa narration est immersive, parfois brutale, souvent prenante — mais l’ensemble souffre d’un crochetage de rythme et d’un traitement inégal de ses éléments fantastiques. Pour les passionnés de récits dynamiques et portés par une héroïne combatif, c’est une lecture plaisante, malgré ses failles. Si vous voulez plus de profondeur, tant en romance qu’en mythologie surnaturelle, cela pourrait vous laisser sur votre faim.

A novel of opposites
—
Part 1 of a new series, The Vampires of Dumas, you think what you’re getting is a supernatural take on Enlightenment France; what you actually get is a novel of opposites, a colourful beginning in the Golden Age of Piracy as Morgane grows up with her captain mother Anna-Marie, then a fish out of water prodigal daughter’s return to a France that Morgane has never known. The vampires, such as they are, and werewolves (surprise!) don’t appear until 95% into the book (or 5% before the end of the book, take your pick) so to call this fantasy is a bit of a reach.

There was scope for so much more in this. The linear structure of the novel laid the simplicity of the plot bare: this follows this, and this happened because of this in the past that the main character never knew about, and now this follows that, ohh and here’s a character with answers, oops, they’re dead. Lather, rinse and repeat. You need a main character that wants something and Morgane just falls into the decisions she makes, rather than having a real desire, even if it were for the wrong thing. Add a few more years to Morgane and structure it as a dual timeline of her life as a pirate’s daughter in contrast to her incognito quest in France, and you might have had something that rose above its fantasy ambitions, which it barely scraped at.

'If she had known that it was the last hour of her mother’s life, Morgane would have done things differently. But that was the thing about a life at sea such as they had; there was no way to tell where death would come from.'

The aptly named The Vengeance follows Morgane after the death of her mother (the captain of her pirate ship) as she leaves her life at sea and everything she knows to go to France hoping for vengeance. Dealing with several surprises coming up during her quest - chief of which is that she uncovers letters from her birth mother pleading for rescue, and a father who has been searching for her, she finds France and life on land very different from the life she led until then.

'Morgane felt horribly awkward. Why did everyone care about being a man or a woman so much in France? On The Vengeance, the only thing that mattered was skill. But perhaps her aunt’s ship really had been an exception.'

The interesting plot, action based but event driven, is the foundation of this book, and held my attention. Morgane is a great character, her strengths and weaknesses outcomes of growing up on a ship in a late medieval world. The overall duration of the book doesn't see a lot of change in Morgane's character, but she is pretty strong and street smart to start with.

' “Nah.” Morgane sheathed the knife. “Any problem involving a man can always be solved with violence. Violence or gold, to be fair.” '

A few good themes like gender-based expectations and rule of aristocracy came up, and meshed well with the other lead and secondary characters. The world-building contains some supernatural entities in addition to the medieval descriptions (as can be seen from the name of the series), but this wasn't explored as much as I'd like. Another quibble was that the plot progression didn't actually allow Morgane to spend much time with each of her parents, except for the mother who raised her, or actually see them in each other's company - which could have added to her character arc.

On the whole, The Vengeance is a fun read, and I'll keep an eye out for the sequel and more books by Emma Newman.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Rebellion publishers for an ARC, the review is entirely honest.

🌟🌟🌟
[3/4 star for the premise and the whole book; Half a star for the characters; 3/4 star for the plot and themes; Half a star for the world-building; Half a star for the writing - 3 stars in total.]

Thank you to NetGalley and Solaris for this ARC!

The Vegeance is a beautifully done pirate fantasy that I enjoyed reading. I felt very immersed in the pirate tendencies of the main character and enjoyed the French setting. You will enjoy this book if you enjoy pirates, historical fantasy, and strong LGBTQIA+ representation.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Morgane loses her mother and learns she was kidnapped as a baby all at the same time. She decides to leave the pirate ship that’s been her entire her life to try and find the mother she never knew.

The conceit of this was really great, a daughter of a pirate trying to learn where she really comes from, but that was really the only thing that worked for me. If something is advertised to me as monstrous and magical, I really need stuff to show up before the three quarter mark of the book.

And if a romance is a big part of the plot, I need to believe in it. Lisette is such a flat character, and the falling in love part happened way too quickly for me. Which is fascinating when compared with the fact that everything else about the plot was glacial to the point that I was putting down the book for days and forgetting what had happened.

Thank you NetGalley and Rebellion for this arc.

Vampires and pirates? Sign me up! While I’ve read better, this wasn’t bad. I think the cover art could be a lot better. I’d still recommend.

A Vengeance is packed with great ideas — a society built on state-sanctioned revenge, power-hungry vampire courts, and rebellious pirate crews — but it doesn’t always weave them together smoothly.

The world-building is fascinating, especially the way vampires manipulate the justice system and pirates push back against their control. I loved the political scheming and the tension between these factions, and there are some sharp, thought-provoking moments about grief and justice.

But the pacing drags in places, and while the concept is strong, some characters feel underdeveloped — especially the pirate crew, who deserved way more page time. The final conflict felt rushed, and a few predictable twists dulled the impact.

Overall: a creative, atmospheric read with vampires and pirates in a morally twisted world, but uneven execution keeps it from truly shining.

The Vengeance had all the ingredients of a gripping tale—pirates, hidden identities, dark secrets, and a dash of paranormal intrigue—but unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite live up to its potential.

The story starts strong with Morgane, a bold and brash pirate heir raised at sea, suddenly thrown into a world of mystery and royal intrigue after discovering her entire life has been a lie. Her defiance of societal norms—wearing pants, cursing, being unapologetically herself—should have made her a standout protagonist. But over time, her character began to feel one-dimensional, as she kept making the same impulsive choices without much growth.

One of the biggest disappointments was the pacing. The narrative became repetitive, with little forward momentum for large stretches. The stakes never felt urgent enough, and it was hard to stay engaged when much of the book felt like it was circling the same internal and external conflicts.

Also, for a book marketed as a paranormal fantasy, the supernatural elements showed up surprisingly late in the story. By the time the paranormal aspects finally emerged, they felt like an afterthought rather than an integral part of the world-building.

That said, the book does offer a unique setting and an intriguing concept, and readers who enjoy slow-burn political and personal mysteries might find more to appreciate. But for those expecting a fast-paced, high-stakes paranormal pirate adventure, The Vengeance might not fully deliver.

Emma Newman’s The Vengeance is the first book in the The Vampires of Dumas series and is a rollicking, genre-bending adventure that sails far beyond the typical pirate or vampire tale, whilst being both. Set in an alternate 18th-century France inspired by the novels of Alexandre Dumas, it has a mix of high-seas piracy, sapphic romance, and supernatural intrigue. It’s not the normal kind of book I read so I approached it with slight trepidation.

The story follows Morgane, a 19-year-old raised on the pirate ship Vengeance by her formidable “mother,” Captain Anna-Marie, who relentlessly targets the Four Chains Trading Company (think East India). When Anna-Marie is mortally wounded in a badly planned raid, she drops a bombshell: she’s not Morgane’s mother but her aunt, having stolen her as a baby. A hidden letter from Morgane’s real mother, hinting at danger in France, propels Morgane to abandon her pirate life for a quest across French society. What follows is a fish-out-of-water romp packed with action, political scheming, and a romance with Lisette, a governess hired to polish Morgane’s rough edges. As well as all that there’s also vampires, but they aren’t featured as much as I thought.

The strength, and occasionally weakness, of The Vengeance is its refusal to be just one thing. It’s not pirate novel, it’s not a vampire story, and its not a standard period romance, so sometimes it feels a little like you’re not sure what its trying to do.  Newman focuses on Morgane’s outsider perspective, which works well and her disdain for noble excess and feudal oppression, informed by her pirate upbringing, feels refreshingly modern yet true to her character and time period. Her occasional naivety allowed us an in to this strange similar but different world.

Morgane herself is a flawed, impulsive, and fiercely independent character and as such she’s not always likable, but her growth from a pirate to someone grappling with generational trauma and identity is compelling. Her romance with Lisette shows another side to her character, evolving from prickly animosity to tender intimacy. Newman’s prose, sharp and evocative does do a good job of bringing 18th-century France to life, from grimy inns to opulent chateaus, making every setting feel lived-in.

The pirate-heavy opening is a thrill, but the middle is slower, and this is maybe where the different genre’s feel like they don’t quite meld as Morgane adjusts to land life, the vampire plotline at times feels a little rushed when it emerges. That being said the resolution ties up major threads neatly but it did leave me intrigued as to where the next book in the trilogy might go, and made me wonder if it had initially been written as a stand alone.

The Vengeance is a swashbuckling tale that, at times, sets itself apart with its bold protagonist, queer romance, and a world where pirates and vampires collide against a richly drawn historical backdrop. Despite it not being my kind of thing I found lots to like, and it felt like a full story – sometimes the beginning of trilogies suffer from feeling just like that but Newman avoids that.

If you like this kind of book then definitely give it a shot, it might be the start of your next favourite trilogy!

Who doesn't love vampires and want to be a vampire? Just me!

Anyway this book has vampires and romance and action and adventure. A little spice too! We get vampires and werewolves and some paranormal bits towards the end.

The books does feel like it has been split in two parts which don't seem to make much sense but hopefully book 2 helps to bring it together.