Avra Helvaçi has a problem. Maybe. Possibly. He has stolen a secret, a secret so important that nations would kill to keep it and it could change the balance of power between ship captains and the government. Avra is also exceptionally lucky, divinely so. And despite having stolen a dangerous secret, Avra’s luck has brought him to The Running Sun, the ship of his sometimes lover, Captain Teveri az-H?aff?r.

Teveri hates Avra. They also probably like him. Maybe even love him. Avra is a ridiculous, needy creature who seems to exhaust Tev’s patience just by existing. But Avra’s luck has saved The Running Sun before and they need saving now. A lean season has left Tev struggling to pay the crew and their reputation among the other captains is foundering. Thankfully, The Running Sun’s new crew member, a celibate but devastatingly attractive cleric called Julian, might be the key to unlocking Avra’s secret and saving them all. If they can survive sea serpents, government lackeys, glowing blue dogs, and a cutthroat annual cake competition, The Running Sun might have a chance at glory. And if Julian can keep Tev from throttling Avra along the way, the trio might be able to achieve a bit of personal glory all their own.

Running Close to the Wind is bonkers. I mean properly bonkers. It’s laugh out loud funny, occasionally exhausting, and surprisingly endearing. There were times I set it down and wondered what on earth I was reading, but ultimately I decided it didn’t matter because I enjoyed it so much. There were times the pacing lagged a bit, but these moments were few and far between and, on the whole, I was utterly charmed by this high seas adventure.

Avra is obnoxious. We all know someone like him, the friend that is so clingy and whiny and wearying you start to wonder if they’re the worth the effort. But they also tend to be incredibly loyal and offer kindness and support when we need it most. He’s an exasperating character, but so completely charming it’s impossible to dislike him. He and Tev have a complicated, tangled history that is full of sharp edges and fierce devotion, but ultimately they only work with the presence of a third. Julian, he of the six and fifty-two (I can’t say more, but if you read the book you will understand), balances Tev and Avra perfectly, soothing their frayed and ragged nerves as he teaches them how to communicate and to navigate the complex nature of their relationship. Tev is someone with the weight of the world on their shoulders; they cast off their family and an oppressive religion and did the impossible by claiming The Running Sun for themselves. But they’ve closed themselves off from nearly everyone and are in danger of breaking under the sheer strain of trying to hold their world together. But with Julian and Avra by their side, Tev is truly made whole. There is no significant on page sex in the story; just discussions of it, so even if you’re not normally into throuples or polyamory, you may still enjoy this one.

Tev, Avra, and Julian are irrepressible and a bit insane, but utterly charming and I adored this novel because of how their wildly chaotic personalities bent and shaped the world around them. This book is not for everyone; it takes some patience and you have to enjoy the Mad Hatter-esque nature of its plot, but I loved it. I have no idea if Running Close to the Wind will be a standalone or if there might be a sequel someday, but I am desperately hoping the author has more adventures planned for this trio. Because I want more sea monsters, more cake competitions, and I need to know if Julian is actually capable of six and fifty-two!

**Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (4-4.5)**

A queer, pirate, romantic comedy full of adventure, magic, and espionage, *Running Close to the Wind* is a barrel of fun and a perfect summer read!

Our story centers on former intelligence agent Avra Helvaçi, who is on the run after stealing a major secret from his former employer. With the assistance of his sometimes lover—the pirate Captain Teveri az-Ḥaffār—and a mysterious and handsome stranger—the inconveniently celibate monk Brother Julian—their crew sets off to find a black-market buyer for Avra’s priceless secret. While the potential for immense riches are great, they will need to brave dangerous sea serpents, tumultuous waters—and perhaps most challenging, they will need to survive one another.

>> What I loved: This book is gratuitous in every way—it is over the top, raunchy, and completely absurd. The whole cast of characters are adorable and endearing, paired with a ridiculous plot that feels delightfully chaotic. While some might find this to be distracting I think it was sort of perfect for what *Running Close to the Wind* was trying to accomplish.
>> What I didn’t love: I would have liked a bit more sentimentality or earnestness to balance the levity of this book—it was absolutely ludicrous in wonderful ways, but I think I personally needed a touch of seriousness to feel more grounded.

If you love shows like *Our Flag Means Death* and want a fun and absurd queer love story full of adventure, pick this book up immediately!

**Acknowledgments & Disclaimers**
✨ Thank you to NetGalley, Alexandra Rowland, and Tor Publishing, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.
✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

I really enjoyed the way that the main character in this was done. I was unsure how to feel about him in the very beginning, but as the story progressed, I enjoyed watching him interact with others and be a sort of anti-hero protagonist. Definitely a bit unusual, and it made me really compelled to keep reading. I thought that the world-building was fascinating, and I've seen a few people mention that this story is adjacent to Rowland's other book "A Taste of Gold and Iron" so I'm interested to see where the world overlaps in both stories. Overall, I loved this!--I loved the characters, thought that the world was really well done and interesting, and the banter/character interactions were so much fun to read.

I unintentionally went on a bit of a pirate themed reading spree and this ended up top of the list. As a fan of Our Flag Means Death I was hoping for some fun queer pirate romps and Running Close to the Wind delivered. The main character took a little while to grow on me, but once we got to know him a little better I appreciated the anti-hero protagonist, completely shameless and only accidentally showing hints that he cares. Once the plot was underway it was delightful to read and catch those hints from our unusual hero. I had very little idea where it was going to go and thoroughly enjoyed the journey. I thought the the world building was fascinating and only later realized it was adjacent to Rowland's other work, A Taste of Gold and Iron, when I read that one a bit later. I'm somewhat glad I hadn't read it first as the tone is so very different that I would have gone in to Running Close to the Wind with mismatched expectations. Will definitely recommend as a fun summer read.

Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland is brilliantly funny, a bitingly witty satire with vividly charismatic characters but layered with insight into human behavior and systemic oppression. It is the funniest novel that I’ve read in a long time but not surprising considering the author was inspired by the late Terry Pratchett and her writing has honored him.
One of the reasons I love the novel is that the narrator is absolutely hilarious but also fun, keeping you on your toes. Your first impression makes you think the character is shallow but that is far from the case. The characters in this novel, even though they are fun and charismatic, are some of the most layered and complex characters that I’ve read, with depths to everyone, even the minor parts. Even among the crazy hijinks, the story wanders into some profound insights and does so with snappy dialogue that will make you laugh throughout the book.
If you like pirates and Alexandra Rowland’s previous books, you will adore this. It is witty, it is hilarious, the dilemma of what to do with the secret intriguing and the characters one and all, will charm you. It is a romantic comedy with a touch of satire and it will make you fall in love with Avra, Captain Teveri, and Julian as they steal their way into your heart with wit and jokes.

🏴‍☠️🖤 Running Close to the Wind 🖤🏴‍☠️

Thank you so much to Alexandra Rowland and Tor Dot Com for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Running Close to the Wind is a standalone queer fantasy novel. Avra is in a pickle - he’s accidentally stolen one the key to one of the greatest secrets in the realm - and now his ship has been commandeered by his pirate captain ex. Can they learn to work together if it means they get the biggest payday of their lives??

This book was such a phenomenal read! The humor and sass in this book is top tier! I was laughing and smiling the whole time! The world building and story were so much fun - I loved this world! Avra is an absolute chaos gremlin and I adore him so much! Teveri is such an amazing character and I loved their sass and strength in this book. Julian was such a fantastic balance between the two of them and I loved their dynamics together

This book was a fantastic five star read. I loved the characters, the world and the humor! Definitely a new favorite book of mine! This book did have some darker moments, so please check triggers if you’re sensitive. This book did have a romantic subplot but no on page spice, so one flame for spice

If you’re a fan of pirate fantasy books with fantastic characters, unique world building and witty humor, then absolutely pick this one up!

A very different tone from the previous book I read from Rowland! This one was super silly and absurd. I do agree with the tagline that those who liked Our Flag Means Death will enjoy this one as well.

Alexandra Rowland’s A Taste of Gold and Iron is a book I loved so much that I consider rereading at least once a week. So imagine my excitement when I heard that they were publishing a book in the same universe — but this time about queer pirates in a throuple. YEAH.

Well, Running Close to the Wind is very, very different from ATOGAI in both tone and scope. But no complaints, because friends, it is EXTREMELY FUNNY and full of heart! I’d almost call it a cozy book (cozy romantasy?), but that doesn’t feel quite right, because here’s the thing: It is also extremely (comedically) horny, LOL.

By that I mean there’s a LOT of talk of sex. It’s the only thing the main character thinks about (he’s a self-proclaimed “silly little slut”), and there’s a sex joke at least once a page. Admittedly, sometimes this can feel like too much — I would have preferred either some truly steamy scenes OR less casual horniness. I also counted only one truly “serious” scene, and I almost wanted a few more of those to really feel connected to these characters.

But at the end of the day, I can’t complain because I laughed a LOT. It was also the only book to hold my attention during two weeks when I was very busy and very tired (and very pregnant, lol). This was super queer and super fun, and I had a great time. Highly recommend.

PS: I am a bit sad that I read this book before publication so I didn’t have the chance to listen along with the audiobook while I read, because I bet you it’s going to be GREAT. May have to reread in that format!

HIGHLIGHTS
~blue dogs
~spooky dildos
~cruel, cruel possums
~laughing till it hurts, then laughing some more
~comedy that will convert you to anarchism

Every time I think Rowland can’t possibly get any better, they go ahead and OUTDO THEMSELF AGAIN!

(A brief note: if you fell in love with A Taste of Gold and Iron, then a) you have great taste and b) you need to know that Running Close to the Wind is a very different kind of book. It is equally (if not, dare I say, EVEN MORE) excellent! But where AToFaI is very sensual and luxurious and full of yearning, Running Close to the Wind is cheeky and exciting and utterly shameless, and I think it’s best to know that going in. I adore both, and I think many others will too, but you do have to shift gears and appreciate Running Close to the Wind for what it is, not go comparing it to AToFaI. That way lies only disappointment, and that would be a tragedy, because if you embrace Running Close to the Wind and judge it only on its own merits, it will light you up with so much joy that you will shine like a STAR.)

Running Close to the Wind is fundamentally FUN. It is essentially fun, and I do not mean that in the sense of, when you boil it down RCttW is nothing but fun – because it is not, there’s a whole lot of other really great stuff in there, rage and philosophy and critiquing power structures and a beautifully blasphemous coat. What I mean is, fun is essential to the make-up of RCttW.

RCttW is a vessel helmed by hilarity. It sails upon a sea of silliness. It is packed to the absolute gills with glee. When I said it’s a fundamentally fun book, I was being wholly literal: fun is fundamental to the structure, plot, tone, characters, messaging and execution of RCttW.

THIS IS AN INEXPRESSIBLY FUN BOOK, MY FRIENDS. INEXPRESSIBLY.

<“Listen, though, I can’t decide–do you think Tev would like it if you delivered me to them hogtied?”

*

“Hello, incandescent one,” Avra said adoringly, lying hogtied at Teveri’s feet on the deck of their ship.>

I giggled so much reading this book. When I talked about it with the hubby, I only managed to get through a description of the first chapter before we were both laughing too hard for me to continue. IF YOU WANT A SMASHING, SPARKLING, SIDE-SPLITTING GOOD TIME, THEN MY DEARS, I REALLY CANNOT RECOMMEND RUNNING CLOSE TO THE WIND STRONGLY ENOUGH!

What is it that makes it so funny??? The main character, Avra, is definitely a huge part of it; he is a chaotic trash-goblin with no shame whatsoever, a scrawny, self-professed trollop who is absolutely willing to Cause Problems to get his way (or get some attention)(or when he’s bored).

<“You want me to not cause problems. But you see, Markefa, I have decided to cause problems.”>

He is ridiculous and over-the-top and semi-manic all the time, and I love him with my whole entire heart.

<“So now they’re expecting you to cause problems.”

Avra mulled on this.

“Think of how irritated they would be if you did such a good job that everyone was really nice to you. They’d hate that, no?”

“They would hate that,” Avra agreed, still transfixed in her gaze. “Yes. Yes. I will cause…different problems.”>

There’s also the fact that he maybe-probably-definitely has been blessed by a goddess of luck after beating one of her priests at cards, allowing Rowland to arrange the most brilliant and impossible coincidences around him. (Nothing that affects the free will of others, which is a detail I noticed and appreciated a lot, but distractions happening at just the right moment to allow him to sneak past a guard, that kind of thing.) I wouldn’t say the plot relies on these coincidences – coincidence-driven plot might be annoying after a while – but they do add to the plot marvellously, in the same way that sprinkles are not strictly speaking necessary on ice-cream, but do make it indisputably better.

And the fact that Avra himself is extremely sceptical of his so called ‘witchy-luck’??? Honestly makes it even funnier.

<“I have a sparkling personality,” Avra said. “I have bags of charisma.”

“Bags of it,” Markefa said, because she was arguably Avra’s best friend on the whole crew. “Bags and bags of charisma you scrounged out of a rubbish heap and carry around with you in damp burlap bags.”>

This man gets into arguments with his not-tarot deck, okay, I love him.

<“You made a suspicious face when you drew the first card,” Teveri said. “And you drew three.”

“You don’t need to know what the first one was, it’s not relevant. Don’t change the subject! He’s definitely guilty of something–”

“Thought the first card is usually the most relevant one.”

“The deck was being bitchy! It was a fun little joke!”>

What else? There’s Avra’s very non-traditional dynamic with Taveri, the non-binary pirate captain; their relationship may be on-and-off-again, but their dynamic remains, regardless of context, annoyed-but-aroused dominant and the brattiest bratty submissive you could possibly imagine. Avra worships the ground Taveri walks on, needs (and demands) their constant attention (what kind of attention doesn’t matter in the slightest), and wants nothing more than to be allowed to sleep on the floor next to Taveri’s bed after sex. Taveri finds Avra infuriating, impossible to predict, and is slightly disgusted with their own taste re finding Avra attractive at all.

Drop into the mix one Julian–

<“Does anyone know who or what a Julian is? Teveri asked me to bring one to them.”>

–an impossibly sexy monk who is very much aware of his sex appeal and is so very ready to use it to manipulate others or just to wind up Avra, regardless of his vow of chastity (which he is very unfairly sticking to despite, you know, wielding his sex appeal like a weapon). Both Taveri and Avra are attracted to him – hells, everyone with any attraction to men is attracted to Julian – but where Taveri wants the sexy (and very educated) monk to make sense of the expensive secret Avra (very accidentally) stole, Avra does not trust Julian as far as he could throw him.

<“He will betray us all. He will decode the science into small words that you and I can understand, Tev, and then he will do something shocking with it. We cannot predict what someone that pretty is going to do. We don’t know how the minds of pretty people work, Tev. He could decide to do anything and we would never see it coming.”>

(Which would not be far, what with Avra being a scrawny ‘rat-faced’ little thing and Julian being something of a Viking.)

Honestly, any one of these characters – Avra, Teveri, and Julian – would be enough to carry a normal book all by themselves. The three of them together??? Is the literary equivalent of the philosopher’s stone, turning everything they touch into gold and granting their names (and Rowland’s) immortality. No one in their world will forget them, and I seriously doubt any reader ever will either!

And there’s yet more to wax poetic (jester-ic?) about: the setting. All but two of Rowland’s books so far have been set in the same world, so if you’ve read other novels of Rowland’s you may pick up on some Easter eggs, but Running Close to the Wind is tied particularly closely to A Taste of Gold and Iron – in some ways you could argue that RCttW is a sequel of sorts. It’s definitely a companion. Avra is from the kingdom featured in AToGaI, and the secret he stole is the one (one of the ones) the characters of AToGaI are concerned about.

But we are not in the kingdom of AToGaI; we are in the Isles of Lost Souls, which is the closest thing pirates as a demographic have to a town or communal home base. And the Isles are a freaking delight. To reach them, a ship must navigate around the giant (and I mean GIANT) turtles that surround the Isles, and the various (human) ghosts who haunt said turtles! There is a Street of Flowers, populated by sex workers who all adore Avra; there is a tavern inside what ought to be the holiest site of a major religion; there is a retired pirate slowly carving a cliff into a giant skull just because. Rowland’s approach has clearly been of the bigger, better, bolder, MORE variety, loudly asking why not??? when creating their pirates and their society. Yes, haunted giant turtles! Yes, blasphemous taverns! Yes, skull-cliffs!

And the BAKING COMPETITION. The importance of the baking competition to everyone on the Isles! Yes, it’s inherently funny to imagine a bunch of pirates engaged in a baking competition, obviously, that is objectively a whimsical flavour of hilarious. But it’s the fact that the competition MATTERS! It isn’t a joke! It’s deadly serious, and not in the way that invites the reader to poke fun at how seriously someone is taking a stupid thing. Because the competition is not a stupid thing. It’s a Cultural Event. It matters. And that is so very marvellous; that is so much better than it being a stupid thing for us to laugh at. I mean, I did laugh, and you will too, but not mockingly. I laughed out of delight, and I loved that the baking competition, its existence and the fact that it matters, the fact that it is not a stupid thing, makes the pirates people. Up until the competition, it is so clear that Avra and Teveri and Julian are people; the crew of Teveri’s ship are people; the not-exactly-pirates we interact with are all people.

But the baking competition says that all the pirates are people. Because they have culture. They have an art form that is unique to them, that their entire community is deeply invested in. They’re not just background characters. See, ‘pirate’ is a cool fantasy template that many, many people enjoy immensely. We have so many movies about them, we dress up as them for Halloween, we have pirate-themed weddings! We love pirates. But pirates are (usually) just pirates. They do not exist outside of traditional pirate-related activities. They vanish from our minds when the adventuring is over. We do not ponder what they do on their months off, and we certainly don’t imagine that there’s any universal pirate culture beyond eye patches and cool hats. But the baking competition examines pirates outside of the template, the stereotype. It says, there is a universal pirate culture, and it involves cake. And if they have culture, then pirates are no longer ‘just’ pirates, only existing while the adventure is ongoing, caring only about plunder. If they have culture, they are people.

Do you see?

<“I am building so much character. I am developing a sense of personal dignity, Tev.”

“You are hiding under the bed and chattering.”

“It’s a work in progress.”>

Speaking of pirates-as-people – in a lot of ways, I think RCttW is Rowland’s most relatable book yet. Which is an odd thing to say, because: pirates! Sea serpents! Being on the run with the world’s most expensive secret! How relatable can that really be, Sia??? And, like: yeah, true. But.

It’s in how the pirates are, fundamentally, normal people. And I don’t mean normal as in mundane, necessarily – many of them are anything but! – but in how they react to things, the things that they want, the choices they make in situations both fantastical and less so. And the comedy. It isn’t true that humans can always laugh, but we almost always can; under intense stress or in truly horrific situations or in the midst of great tragedy, there will almost always be someone who makes a terrible joke and almost always someone else who laughs far too loudly at it. I am not as funny as Rowland, but I would be laughing when their characters are laughing, were I in the shoes of those characters; I would be cracking jokes (or at least trying to) right alongside Avra, I would be unable not to be sarcastic as fuck about the ridiculous situations Tev’s crew find themselves in, I would be rolling my eyes right alongside Markefa, all gods give her strength. Give me enough M&Ms and I will be almost as much of a ridiculous gremlin as Avra trying to pose alluringly atop a wardrobe!

I’m not a world-travelling storyteller, like the Chants in A Conspiracy of Truths and A Choir of Lies; I’m not a prince or a superhumanly perfect bodyguard-bureaucrat like the main characters of A Taste of Gold and Iron; I don’t have the devotion to the divine required to join the cast of The Lights of Ystrac’s Wood; I certainly can’t write or memorise entire plays like the incredible players and playwrights of Some by Virtue Fall. All of those characters are wonderful, and Rowland is far too good a writer to have made any of them feel distant and strange to me, to not have humanised them and given them plenty for me to empathise with and connect to and adore – and yet.

These pirates, folx. They are my people.

(I should probably find that worrying, but I do not. I am simply charmed.)

<“Stupid fucking pond, fuck that pond, I don’t even need to know what it did, all ponds are layabouts and ne’er-do-wells and should have rocks thrown at them.>

If this was the entirety of Running Close to the Wind, it would be more than enough. It would still be excellent. It would already be one of my favourite books of the year! Because there is nothing ‘just’ about entertainment, about a book that makes you laugh; you cannot say something is ‘only’ funny, as if being funny is somehow less than. Anything that brings you delight is priceless.

That would be more than enough.

But Running Close to the Wind is more than a bundle of giggles. Or, maybe it would be more accurate to say that it is comedic, yes, but the type of comedic it is is not fluff, is not forgettable. It is humour that has a lot to say; it is a great deal of meaningful philosophy and political critique and fury at the ways the powerful treat the rest of us, all conveyed through laughter. Running Close to the Wind is a comedy in the style of Terry Pratchett; undeniably, hysterically funny, and utterly enraged at the manifold injustices of the world.

And the effect is startlingly subtle – or maybe it would be more accurate to say that Rowland’s righteous anger slips under your skin and is absorbed without your even noticing. A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down, as Mary Poppins tells us, and even if you do not consciously notice the incisive dissection of too many injustices going on in RCttW – even if the sugar of humour covers the taste of systemic anger that has grown in response to systemic wrongs – you are absolutely still getting your daily dose of anarchism. No matter how much you loved Kadou and his sister – the royal family in A Taste of Gold and Iron – you will not, cannot walk away from Running Close to the Wind without being firmly convinced that hoarding knowledge is wrong, that killing people for sharing knowledge is wrong, that having so much – maybe any? – power over other people is wrong.

<“Town full of outlaws and rebels. Of course we have a newspaper.”>

Rowland is punching up with this one. And this is far from the first time these kind of themes have appeared in their work – but I think the punch lands harder when the power behind it is laughter.

There’s something very magical, very important, about that. I don’t know how to articulate it; I’m not sure I’m smart enough to work it out properly. But Running Close to the Wind is not only a manifesto wrapped up in whimsy and wisecracks; it is a case study in the power of comedy – not just the power to land those punches, but also the power to spread or teach different ways of thinking, the power to make a reader receive the message beaming out of the pages. Because a lot of the time, that sort of thing fails! Many, MANY storytellers don’t manage to get their message through to the people who come to their stories, and many of those who do do so clumsily, heavy-handedly, drowning us in the dreaded info-dump. And I can’t be the only person who has previously dismissed comedy as a genre – there are exceptions, there are individual storytellers and individual comedians and so on, but as a genre, I am used to passing on stories that try to be funny, because (and I am speaking only from personal experience here, I have no proper data on this) most of the time, funny is fluff. Most of the time, funny is forgettable.

But not when it’s done right. Not when it’s done GREAT. Great comedy stays with you; who can forget the moments when they laughed so hard they cried? I remember every stand-up comedian who’s managed to make me do that, and I remember what they said, and because they were truly great they were not talking fluff. They talked about deeply important things and they made me laugh while they did it, and because they made me laugh I went home with their takes engraved on my funny bone.

(So to speak. The funny bone isn’t actually a bone, it’s – you know what? Another time. Or you can look it up!)

There’s nothing wrong with fluff comedy. Giving someone joy, even if just for a moment, even if ‘just’ about something ‘silly’, is something we will always need in the world. We don’t value it like we should. But I think it is true that comedy which is not fluff can be even more powerful than a moment of joy, and I don’t think I realised that until I read this book and thought about how and why I’d laughed, and at what, and then started thinking about all the other comedy that has really and truly stuck with me, and what effect it (both book and other not-fluff comedy) has had on me.

<“Speaking as one man to another: Ugh. Men.”>

And because Rowland does nothing by halves when they can instead do 150% of everything (which they do EVERY TIME, how, I don’t even, HOW) there is, amidst all the laughter, so many moments that will make you ache. Tev’s backstory, and their yearning to make a name for themself, to create a legacy. Avra’s very real fear of his own people, now that he’s stolen what he stole (by accident!!!) Julian’s long, hard look at his religion and its human-made structure. The very real emotions, especially the tenderness, that grows between them; and the salt-in-the-raw-wound pain when they try and fail at something desperately important. The scene with the stolen sausage, and what we learn about Avra thereby.

So yes, I laughed until I cried, many, MANY times – but sometimes I had to put the book down and just breathe because my heart ached, or my stomach was knotted up with anxiety for these ridiculous characters I’d fallen so hard for, or I was so fucking MAD at the stupidity and arrogance and sheer undeserved power of the powerful.

None of that was made lesser by the fundamental fun of the story. It did not undercut the emotion; if anything, the laughter anchored it, made it feel so much more real, almost – no, no almost, simply made all the ache-hurt-love-rage-gasp painfully human.

Not almost painfully. Painfully. But the good kind of pain. The kind you cherish, because how many books can wring your heart like that?

<“Is it more delicious because it’s stolen?”

Teveri chewed in contemplation. “My tongue only tastes olive. But there is a more spiritual flavor to it.”>

Running Close to the Wind is fundamentally fun. It is a fucking delight. It is shameless and delicious and revels in its flamboyant disregard for Serious FantasyTM. It is extravagantly and ostentatiously hilarious, but do not be fooled into thinking that means it is shallow; it has as many layers as all the cakes of its incredible, and incredibly plot-relevant, cake competition put together. It is a showstopper, and a show-starter, and a whole entire Broadway-headlining show that will have you leaping from your seat to give a standing ovation, applauding till your hands burn.

You’ll love it. How could you not?

I tried. I truly tried.
I got 30% into this book and it is genuinely one of the most bizarre things I have ever read.
I just could not force myself to continue with reading this story.
Book taste is incredibly subjective and I don't want my lack of interest in this story to dissuade another reader, but I also want to prioritize my enjoyment while reading and this book was not bringing me joy.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This is my honest review.

An unhinged pirate Captian, a mostly retired spy, and a previously slutty-turned pious monk sail into a deadly sea of giant turtles and toothy glowing serpents. It sounds like the most ridiculous set up to a joke and, honestly, it is!

I don't know that I have ever read a funnier book than Running Close to the Wind, filled with specifically queer niche humor from backroom Tumblr posts and feverishly shared AO3 fics. Will this book be for everyone? No. But there are a few things about it that really make it uniquely special - and needed - in the current LGBTQIA+ community.

There is a lot of raunchy humor, especially from our Main POV, Avra. The majority of my queer reader friends, regardless of their prefences, Ace or otherwise, have laughed at and with the terribly horny friend. Avra is that friend. He is insatiable in his raunchiness, which could be a little annoying for some, but I find weirdly endearing? He says outrageous things, he annoys for the sake of attention - negative or positive - he doesn't think he deserves real love, and he is like so many beloved queer gremlins I call my dearest friends that I can't help but adore him.

Tev, the Pirate Captian, is jaded and broody. They have seen some real shit, have escaped oppressive living conditions, all the while flipping off the government on their way out. They are the ultimate "stick it to the man" type of queer, get rich and finally be respected and welcomed. They are loyal and protective, with a hot anger that stews for a bit before boiling over. Deep below that hardened exterior is such a beautiful soul.

Julian is the gorgeous - infuriating celibate - monk that joined the crew while Avra was away. He is the pretty boy that is also quite brilliant, maybe has a little too much going for him (what is wrong with him?!?!) but can also read people really well. He's pationate about those in his care, also wants to take down the corporate governments, and won't get off his soap box once he starts!

I've only read one other book from Alexandra Rowland - A Taste of Gold and Iron - which is, previously to this one, my favorite book I've ever read. Now I'd say it is my favorite Romance, where RCttW is there for favorite comedy. This book does touch on past books of Alex's but not so much that you won't understand whats going on if you start with this one. If you love books that don't have a heavy plot, but do focus deeply on characters this is for you. It is fast paced while also taking time for the silly things. It made me laugh out loud numerous times while also cry from how deeply it touched on certain topics.
It highlights a story that I've not seen told elsewhere - one where the main character is not particularly pretty, talented, powerful, or even well liked, save for just being Cursed (or Blessed?) with extremely luck - of which he will argue the validity.

As for the audio - I read both the earc and the audio arc - it is fantastic. I am deeply in love with Casey Jones' characters, inflection, and overall magic of pronunciation. I would read ANYTHING narrated by them. They didn't fall short with Running Close to the Wind, instead I feel it gained extra life. I can still hear Avra screeching, "CAPTAINNNN!" and smile everytime I think of it.

I absolutely loved the idea of this book and the description sounded right up my alley as I loved Our Flag Means Death. However, it honestly just felt cringey and the humor was just not for me. The main characters reads like a teen boy not an adult in their 30s and I just couldn't get into the constant dildo references. Since I didn't DNF it, this is a 2 star review.

This is probably the funniest book I have read this year! The writing was so witty and snappy, the humor truly laugh out loud. A wonderful cast of character that has you rooting for them from the first page. Rowland is a master of character driven story-telling. I will be telling everyone to put this title on their summer reading lists this year.

***Thank you to Tordotcom for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

Running Close to the Wind was one of the stupidest books I've ever read, and I loved every minute of my time with it. The humor had me cackling from start to finish, but be warned that it is extremely over the top. I'm sure some people will find it to be grating, but I enjoyed the wackiness of it all and the vibrancy of the different personalities. The writing was easy to follow and filled with ridiculous and delightful dialogue. Although, things did get repetitive at times with many phrases getting re-used over and over for comedic effect.

The premise of Running Close to the Wind was a fairly simple one. A former spy stole an important secret and needed to figure out how to find a buyer for it without getting himself killed. So, he turned to his pirate captain ex for help after he stumbled back into their life by accident. Hilarious hijinks ensue, including glowing blue dogs, horny sea serpents, and the most important cake competition EVER. I never would have thought pirate adventures and cake competitions would be combined in a story, but this book managed to not only make it happen but also have it feel like something all pirates would do.

Running Close to the Wind was horny AF. This book and its characters were obsessed with sex. The text was full of euphemisms and jokes about all sorts of horny topics, and I thought it all worked so well. All the joking aside, there wasn't much actual sex happening in the story, much to the chagrin of certain characters. The few times there was some action didn't include much explicit description, which honestly worked well for this book. Both the characters and readers were tantalizingly toyed with for dramatic effect. People looking for something super steamy might be disappointed, though. I just wish we'd actually gotten to read the sexy song about Tev's spooky dildos. lol.

Running Close to the Wind had some great characters. Avra was the definition of a bisexual disaster. He got by on good luck and fast talking, most of the time at least, but he was also incredibly flighty, hungry for attention, and incessantly horny. He was a self-proclaimed 'silly little slut,' but I also found him to be quite lovable, smart, and hilarious. His ex-lover Tev, on the other hand, was a total grump. Their dynamic was adorable and fun, with Avra pretty much annoying Tev into loving him back. Tev's captains log, which were included at the end of chapters, were extremely funny and showed just how much they cared for Avra, in their own way, of course.

There are so many other great things about Running Close to the Wind, including the hot monk turned pirate who was a total tease throughout the story and just wanted to make the world a better place. I also loved Avra's relationships with the citizens of the Isle of Lost Souls and his entire found family. His story of finding a place and people to call home was a heartwarming one. Alongside all of the hilarious jokes was a story with a great heart and a fun adventure. I cannot recommend it enough. Therefore, I give Running Close to the Wind a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I wanted to like it…. I made it to page 62. Avra is supposed to be in his 30s. You’d think someone acting like that was a babbling idiot if they were 15 instead of 35. I thought it would be funny at first. The dildo jokes in the first 10 page or so didn’t put me off but I literally can’t think of any adult or teen I’ve ever met in my entire life that’s half the obnoxious twitchy loud mouth that character is. If your sense of humor is very very purile (and crass sex jokes don’t bother me as seasoning in a spicy book so that should be a hint for you of quite how dildo focused the book is…) and you want the entire book to be as over the top as possible… you might find this the right book for you. I like dumb humor but this was just too wildly over the top for me. And I really liked A Taste of Gold and Iron by this author quite a bit so I was disappointed in this one not being for me.

I like the idea of this book, but this was just a tad too absurd for me, especially for a book of this length.

Sadly i DNFed this one, it wasn’t my taste in reading. I don’t like sharing negative thoughts for ARCs that’s why I won’t be writing a review for this one.

Running Close to the Wind is ridiculous in the best way possible - it reminded me of Tales from Verania and Our Flag Means Death. Fun, vulgar, incredibly honest, and sweet.

I don't think you need to read A Taste of Gold and Iron or a Conspiracy of Truths in order to understand or enjoy Running Close to the Wind BUT I do highly recommend that you do read everything Alexandra Rowland has written because it is all fantastic and all the little references and cameos will make your reading experience more enjoyable.

RCTW follows Avra - a recently retired intelligence courier from Arast who is blessed with godlike luck (as a result of once winning a card game against a priest of the goddess of luck). It is with said absolutely ridiculous luck, that Avra accidentally steals an Arasti secret that will get him and everyone he's ever known gloriously murdered if caught.

Avra happens upon his old on again off again fling - pirate Captain Teveri of The Running Sun and conspires with them to decipher the secret, sell it, and become disgustingly rich in the process.

Hijinks ensue.

This book was so funny and charming, the plot moved so fast I wasn't bored for a second! I will admit that at first I found Avra to be a bit annoying, but he grew on me, like a rabid possum in a cage in an alleyway. I can't pinpoint exactly why I started to like Avra, since he does continue to be irritating, but while he's irritating he is also thoughtful, genuine, and kind.

Don’t sleep on this book or you’ll totally regret it. This high seas romp features a cast of queer, sassy, horny pirates, a spy who commits accidental treason, and a hot monk with a celibacy vow. Not only is the cast of characters amazing, but the plot is laugh out loud funny that will keep you on the edge of your seat and ready for more hijinks. The culmination of the adventure (and misadventure) with the cake competition was absolutely perfect.
I had a e-ARC and an advance copy of the audiobook to listen to (Thanks to NetGalley, TorDotCom, and RB media for the advance copies! All thoughts are my own.) So I obviously listened and read in tandem and the audiobook just takes this story to the next level. Casey Jones has such fun creating voices for the diverse cast of characters in a way that enhances their personalities and makes the fun even more real. 10/5 stars for Casey Jones and his narration!
This was such a satisfying read that has easily vaulted into my list of favorite books. A must read for fans of Our Flag Means Death.

Everything I hoped for and more. Well written; witty, loveable characters. Perfect balance of action & character development.