3.5
It's hard to imagine that there can be ever too much of a good thing but it's definitely the case in this book. This is a story about Avra, a 35 year old man-child with preternatural luck and a 15 year situationship with a pirate captain. When Avra finds himself in possession of some very valuable information he concocts a plan with Captain Tev to translate the information and sell it. This effort is aided by a super hot, super smart monk Julian that is helping them decode this information and is the object of both Tev and Avra's desire. It's a very silly book, full of dick jokes, and puns, insanely tongue in cheek and self aware. It reminded me of watching the deadpool franchise. It was a very fun reading experience on the whole but I think the book was just too long with too little substance. There were just a little too many dick jokes, it was too unserious seeing Avra continuously complain about not being able to "swallow Julian's dick like a python."I think if there were a few less jokes, and a bit more effort put into the plot and the development of the polyamorous relationship I would have rated it higher but alas. If you enjoy pirates, fun queer ensemble casts, and silly fantasy adventures it's still worth reading. It's just not life changing.

A delightfully low-stakes caper with a strong core of anti-authoritarian philosophy. Highly recommend to fans of the Penric series by Lois McMaster Bujold. Surprisingly a lot of frank discussion of sex but very little sex on page — but it is endgame OT3 and the kink is very much part of the character/relationship development.

DNF @ 20%

Honestly, I loved the premise of this book. I wanted to love it because I enjoy the Quest trope and treasure hunts. Plus, I was sold on polyam rep.

Unfortunately, the narrator is insufferable. From the first chapter, he made me hate him cause literally every other word out of his mouth is sexual or at least innuendo. He wasn’t funny or quirky, just one of the most obnoxious MCs I’ve ever read…though that scale is constantly shifting.

This book made me giggle out loud. The pacing get me running along with it, and I found that I couldn't put it down. I cared about the characters. I look forward to reading more from this author!

I haven’t laughed this much in a very long time while reading a book. I started it in audio but soon I switched to audio+ebook because there were too many parts I wanted to highlight (see all the photos for some of the best quotes). First of all this book is not a romance, it is set in a queernorm world and the MC is such a perv brat I loved him right away. The narrator had a way to make him sound whiny in a hilarious way and it was just perfect, fitting to how I picture him. A little monkey gremlin of sorts. Avra is the horniest man ever, he gets love and hate in equal measure from everyone he meets. His on again off again lover is a nonbinary captain who finds him insufferable but sometimes just can’t resist Avra’s charms. Between finding a way to prove and sell an invaluable secret, they also sort of fight for the very flirty monk with a celibacy oath. Julian in a hunk of a man and both Avra and Captain Teveri want him, resulting in some very hilarious screeching from Avra about Julian having shoulders, like how dare he be so handsome in front of them and not allow them to touch. Julian is clearly interested in both and he toys with them a lot; it’s hilarious because it’s enough for him to just breath for Avra to go to Teveri telling them that Julian is being a tease.
The main plot is about Avra stealing a secret and asking Teveri to help sell it, but to sell it they need Julian to decode the secret. The whole story surrounding the main plot is full of such random events: blue glowing dogs, horny sea serpents, the most unusual cake competition, Avra being the luckiest man alive, Teveri trying to resist Avra and failing, Julian having a very spicy secret past, and the most interesting group of characters.

I really enjoyed this book a lot but I wouldn’t have minded a few more pages after the ending. A short epilogue. But besides that I found myself entertained from beginning to end.

Oh this was so much fun. The literal definition of a romp. I laughed out loud several times and have never been edged so much in my life. 10/10

3.5 stars

This book is ridiculous. I literally had to put it down for a month after reading the first line it was so ridiculous. I still don't know if I would necessarily say I liked Running Close to the Wind, but it was an amusing experience.

I have to preface this review by saying that what this book is trying to do is not something that I generally like to read. I need my books to be more than just campy, unserious romps. That is not what this book is. That's fine! Good for the book! Not for me.

I do have to admit that this book is really funny. I found myself laughing out loud multiple times while reading. Captain Teveri's logs were my favorite part and I wish there were even more of them. The dynamic between the crew was entertaining and I liked the light-hearted pirate world Rowland creates. I was also really intrigued by Avra's possibly magic good luck

What Running Close to the Wind lacked, in my opinion, was balance and variety. Staying at a 10/10 wacky, unserious vibes for the whole book starts to get exhausting and redundant. The jokes get repetitive and overdone. Avra's personality and general lack of a filter get annoying. I just wanted something to develop over the course of this story. There is a vague plot surrounding "accidentally" stolen military secrets but it is stretched thin over many pages. Most of the book is just banter between the characters and sex jokes. The plot is so irrelevant that it feels like the book just ends randomly rather than coming to an actual conclusion.

But ok this silly, goofy book probably isn't trying to have a serious plot so surely there is some character development? Eh. There are one or two conversations where Avra, Julian, and Teveri negotiate their relationship, history, and feelings. But it doesn't really feel like that goes anywhere. If you squint maybe you can call Teveri's sudden attitude change character growth. What really frustrates me is how one-note Avra's character is. He is an absolute man-child who describes himself as a "flibbertigibbet." Because of this, I found him both amusing and insufferable. I wanted the book to do something with his character. Is his humor a defense mechanism and he has another side to him? Can he be serious when it comes to people he cares about? Is he actually way more intelligent than he lets on? You can read between the lines of a few scenes and maybe get hints that there is more to his character but that's pushing it.

Thank you to Tor, NetGalley, and Alexandra Rowland for the chance to read and review this book, all opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved Rowland's A Taste of Golden and Iron and couldn’t wait to read another book in this world. I am pleased to say that if you loved the richly developed world building and characters you can’t help but fall in love with then you will definitely enjoy Running Close to the Wind. If what you loved from that book was the heartwarming and romantic relationship - well you should look elsewhere, there is no romance here!

Running Close to the Wind is the story of Avra Helvaci who is quite possibly the most disaster of a character I have ever read about. Accidental thief, unwillingly kidnapped and forced into piracy, Avra seems to have the worst luck (while also somehow being the luckiest person in the world). He is absolutely endearing and might also drive you a little crazy. I sympathize with Teveri, the pirate captain and Avra's sometimes bed partner. Their love-hate relationship dynamic was hilarious and had me laughing out loud multiple times. In fact, I loved all of the characters, even the ones we only met for a page or two. Rowland has such an amazing ability to make you care about characters you just met and want to protect them at all costs. They make the world feel so well rounded and interesting.

The humor and Avra's over the top behavior is one of the best things about this book. I know that not everyone is going to enjoy Avra's brand of humor but the good thing is that you get plenty examples of this in the first chapter and I think readers will know right away whether this book is for them or not. Things only get more silly and more bizarre as the book goes on, in the best way.

One thing I wanted more of in ATOGAI was more plot and I love that RCTTW had a very clear plot and exciting adventures while also giving us plenty of time to get to know this richly developed world - like blue dogs and cake competitions! The cake competition was my favorite part for how
absolutely ridiculous it was but also how seriously the characters take it. It is the perfect metaphor for the entire book.

There are no spice scenes in this book but there is plenty of spicy talk (Avra is not shy about his desire to sleep with just about EVERYONE) so again, if that isn't your thing, steer clear.

If you love queer pirate adventures and are super sad Our Flag Means Death wasn't renewed, this book will bring you a bit of joy!

Rowland has delivered a hilarious romp for fans of Our Flag Means Death and One Piece. There are pirates and unrequited love (and a fair bit of steamy scenes). Treasure and sea creatures and ships.

It’s all good and I chuckled my way through this. I really liked this universe and wouldn’t mind spend-ing more time here.

Recommended for older teens and up.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Absolutely perfect delight of a book in every way. I have literally bought eight copies so far. Avra is my soulmate and to deny him is to deny love.

4.5 rounded up to a 5. A wacky romp with a delightful crew of characters, many "sexy" (and actually sexy) scenes, and a cake competition that you have to read to believe.

Avra should have been annoying but he was so aware of his dramatic tendencies and used them so intentionally that he was a charming chaos goblin and you couldn't help but root for him! Julian was a dreamboat from every possible perspective and Tev was hot and lightly broken and all the hotter for it. The comparisons to "Our Flag Means Death" are very apt and I would read a whole series about the crew of The Running Sun!

Okay, listen, this book genuinely made me cry. In a good way. And I know that humor is very subjective and won’t work for everyone, but it was exactly perfect for me in a completely unhinged, chaotic, and extremely horny way. A queer, piratey, adventure story featuring chosen family and the betterment of society. I do really think that Rowland did a great job in honoring Pratchett’s model of humanism, which is why the crying for me. I felt so deeply attached to these characters and invested in their futures. It maybe also hit particularly hard as a currently unemployed person who understands how imperative it is (unfortunately) to have money to function in this society, and the sacrifice to abandon possible financial stability for the greater good…yeah, that got me too.

Absolutely obsessed with this and I hope we get to see more from Rowland with this tone and tenor.

For fans of Sir Terry Pratchett and Our Flag Means Death.

This was a fun albeit a really long read. Some of the jokes didn't quite land and I found them to be a bit crude. I would however recommend this to readers who love pirates and pirates story.

Such a joyride, I started recommending it to other people about two chapters in. It held up to its promise all the way through to the end, too. This is fun fantasy for adults, which I deeply appreciate. It reads kind of like the author watched "Our Flag Means Death" and it cracked open their heart to have this story pour out. Pirates! Cake! Sea serpents! Luck! Give yourself the treat of reading Running Close to the Wind (perfect title, too)!

If you read this book and didn’t find it funny, we can’t be friends. This was an utter delight of a story, which felt both rambunctious and cozy, with characters that will have you both gasping and endeared to with each turn of the page.

At first, I wasn’t too sure about our main character Avra as he came off instantaneously annoying. However, there was something about his annoyingness, which I started to enjoy and found that this is evidently part of his charm (as this has the same affect on the characters he interacts with.)

I know this story is comp’d as “You’ll love this if you loved Our Flag Means Death” and I truly now want to retry watching the show again. I didn’t jive with the show in the first 20 mins but perhaps it’s going to be similar to how I felt about Avra?

Regardless, the story comes across as high stakes, but in actuality is mid to low stakes, and by golly, the last third is about a cake competition. I’m bewildered by how silly and laugh-out-loud funny this story, in juxtaposition to how well the story is actually written. The prose astonished me at times, especially when it’s dialogue coming from our ridiculously annoying and charming Avra.

For my first Alexanda Rowland book, I’m a huge fan of her writing in this and excited to dig into A Taste of Gold and Iron at some point.

”A silly little slut who has been through so much,” Avra amended, because at least he knew how to compromise, unlike some people, specifically some Teveris. “In the last two days,. have been through more than any silly little slut should ever have to go through!” “You probably brought it on yourself.” “I did not! These troubles have befallen me through no fault of my own! It was an accident.”

Avra Helvaçi has accidentally stolen the single most expensive secret in the world―and the only place to flee with a secret that big is the open sea. To find a buyer with deep enough pockets, Avra must ask for help from his on-again, off-again ex, the pirate Captain Teveri az-Ḥaffār. They are far from happy to see him, but together, they hatch a plan. But things get more complicated when a calculating new Araşti ambassador who’s got his eyes on Avra’s every move shows up. And they get even MORE complicated with Brother Julian, a beautiful, mysterious new member of the crew with secrets of his own and an inconvenient vow of celibacy.

I loved Rowland’s previous novel, so I was so excited when I got an ARC of this one. I only got around to reading it when it came out sorry!!! It wasn’t like anything I expected, but I really liked it!

This book is not going to be for everyone. I feel like everyone who LOVED A Taste of Gold and Iron is going to want to pick this book up, and I don’t know if I would say that that is a good idea. ATOGAI is a slow-burn romance full of yearning, with a political intrigue plot happening in the background. Running Close to the Wind is kind of the exact opposite and it’s an insanely over-the-top comedy with very (VERY!) little plot and ridiculous characters.

I have to give props to Alexandra Rowland for releasing a book, set in the same world as their previous one (actually from what I understand all of their books are set in the same world?), doing something completely different with a very different tone.

As with most comedic books, the humor is entirely subjective!! Personally? I thought it was funny. It has a very over-the-top, screwball comedy, horny tone to it. Like there's a lot of screaming and general chaos. I didn't laugh out loud but I chuckled a few times!! I smiled!!

The book worked for me mostly bc I really liked Avra. He's annoying. He's very annoying. He kind of gets on your nerves!! And I like that type of character, especially in a fantasy setting. I also really enjoyed Julian. A hot monk who used to be the sluttiest person of them all but now is celibate?? Insane, I love it.

All of that to say, I have to talk about my issue with this book, and why it didn't get a five-star: it doesn't have any smut. LISTEN. I enjoy smut I think it's fun!! I don't need every book with a romance to have smut. HOWEVER, this book is so horny and the fact that it doesn't have a single smut scene is a crime. They aren't even fade-to-black; they just don't happen. If you're going to tell me, multiple, and I really mean MULTIPLE, times that Avra can "swallow dick like a python" (and I quote), and you're not going to show it to me on page????? *include the SHOW IT TO MEE RACHEL SHOW IT TO ME meme here*. Idk I felt a bit scammed not going to lie. Like if you're going to have graphic sexual humor a lot of the book be innuendos, and a lot of the plot being Avra trying to convince a monk to break his vow of celibacy, I feel like you need to include some spice.

That being said, I did really like this!! I even missed the characters after I finished it. I liked it enough that I plan on buying a physical copy and maybe rereading it in the future. But also so excited to read more from Rowland, this was such a different vibe from what I expected, can't wait to see what they write next!!

Big thanks for Netgalley and TOR for this advanced copy.

Running Close to The Wind was such a good novel, however at some points, I didn't think the joes were funny enough to make me laugh. Not to mention, the author seems so hard to put jokes as many as possible. And really got the Our Flag Means Death vibes here!!

Amazon Review submitted, pending amazon system approval
Will be discussed in upcoming youtube wrapup
Imgur link goes to instagram photo scheduled for 7/1 (today)
Blog link goes live 7/2

**TL;DR:** Absolutely not going to work for everyone, but if you have the right sense of humor this is hysterical and such a fun adventure.
**Source**: NetGalley and I purchased my own copy, many thanks to the publisher!

**Plot**: Avra accidentally steals a huge national secret and has to either hide or sell it. All the while he’s an idiotic little bird with a fantastic pirate crew to back and assist him.
**Characters**: These characters were absolutely delightful. From Avra who is a genuine idiot, to Teveri who and Julian the sexy but very celibate monk - I loved all of them.
**Setting**: Most of this was set either on the ship or in a pirate town, and both of which felt well drawn and set well within the larger world Alexandra has established in other books.
**Magic**: Very light on the magic itself. The setting is very fantastical but the actual handwaving magic time was light and it definitely didn’t detract.

**Thoughts**:

Here I am, yet again, trying to sum up why I loved a book and I’m kind of at a loss for words. Running Close to the Wind is an absurd book that will not work for everyone, but for those of us it works for - it really works. This is set in the same world as A Taste of Gold and Iron but is an ENTIRELY different tone. Where Taste is a slow, beautifully drawn and intricate political fantasy with a romantic plot this is a comedic pirate romp. Think Our Flag Means Death meets some What We Do In the Shadows humor and you’re pretty close.

Avra has ‘witchy’ luck. And unfortunately for him that led him to accidentally stealing a national secret. Which of course terrifies him and he takes off running. He ends up (thanks to that witchy luck) on the pirate ship of his former lover and compatriot Teveri and thus begins a big adventure as the crew begins to work to understand the scholarly notes of the secret to sell it. We have the stoic and straight faced Teveri, who I would love to see more of their story in another story, Julian who is both beautiful and kind, and a whole range of hilarious crew and towns folk.

The humor is the biggest part of this. You cannot take that out of the story, so truthfully you must get along with it. Try a sample if you’re unsure, but if you get on with it I promise you this is 100% worth every page. The story has some deeper musings and it’s going to capture you and engage you, while tickling you, the whole time. It also adds more to this lovely world that Alexandra Rowland setup in Taste and I cannot wait for more.

5 out of 5 Absolutely phenomenial cake competitions

📣 a madcap fantasy that will keep you snort-laughing (if that’s your thing)

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 do you have any Saturday plans? I’m visiting with my brother, sister, their kids, & my mom today! I’m not sure what our plans are but I’m looking forward to QT!

In the “what the heck am I reading?” & also “but I’m really liking it” variety is Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland. This book is basically if Alexis Hall’s screwball comedy Something Fabulous were a fantasy, but maybe hornier 🤣.

Whereas Something Fabulous didn’t always work for me, I adored RCTTW—how it leans into the absurdity of it all, & how it’s set in a fantasy world of pirates & sea serpents, heist & intrigue.

Main character Avra is very funny, very dramatic, & very horny. He’s captured by pirate Teveri at the beginning of the book, the same Captain (& ex-lover) who marooned him before the book began for making up an embarrassing song about them.

Also on board the ship is the hottest person who has ever lived, Julian, a brilliant man who’s taken a vow of celibacy (MUCH to Avra’s dismay).

But Avra has a lot of luck when it comes to life & maybe that will help the three of them discover the answer to a mystery that could change the world, & help them convince Julian to abandon his vow.

This book is boisterous & hilarious, & then the characters will turn & act in a completely unexpected & amazing way. The story didn’t so much move me emotionally as it did sparkle at me.

5 ⭐️. Out now!

Please see a trusted reviewer’s list of CWs.

[ID: Jess holds the ebook in front of a beach.]

Running Close to the Wind" by Alexandra Rowland is a rollicking adventure that takes some time to find its stride but ultimately delivers a delightful journey across the high seas of humor and hijinks.

Initially, I found Avra, the protagonist, to be quite grating with his overly confident yet often clueless demeanor. However, as the story unfolded, I began to appreciate the complexity of his character and the way he adapted to different situations with a mix of wit and absurdity. Rowland's skill in weaving Avra's development alongside a quirky cast of characters, including the grumpy yet endearing Captain Teveri and the enigmatic Brother Julian, gradually won me over.

The novel is undeniably humorous, with moments that had me chuckling out loud. The comedic timing, especially in Avra's antics and the interactions among the crew, is sharp and engaging. What started as annoyance turned into amusement as Avra's personality quirks revealed layers of charm and vulnerability.

One of the highlights for me was the subtle yet intriguing love triangle that simmered throughout the narrative. It added a touch of romantic tension amidst the chaotic sea adventures and kept me invested in the characters' evolving dynamics.

While the pacing took a bit to pick up, once the story found its rhythm, I found myself eagerly turning pages. The blend of fantastical elements like sea serpents and glowing blue dogs with humorous situations, including an unexpectedly intense cake competition, created a wonderfully absurd yet captivating atmosphere.

Overall, "Running Close to the Wind" is a testament to Rowland's ability to craft a unique and entertaining story. It's a book that rewards patience, offering a mix of humor, charm, and unexpected depth that makes it a delightful read for fans of adventurous fantasy with a comedic twist.