Peppered with amusing humor, the story has a cute premise. It feels like an easy 3-4 stars for the target with 5 for the right readers. I stopped at 6%.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC.

This felt like such a whimsical read. I loved the story, the characters, and the entire book. It was a great time. I haven't read anything else by this author but now I want to.

I was given a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Tor and Netgalley.

I have read most of the author's other books before I picked up this book, so I was already inclined to view it favorably. I had also gotten a preview of the first 4 chapters ahead of time. I was incredibly excited to get this ARC.

If you read A Taste of Gold and Iron, and loved it mainly for its intrigue, romance, and serious character development and were hoping for more of the same, this is probably not the book for you. This is a very different book.

However, that being said, this book has some excellent characters, including Avra Helvaci, the main character, a man of many undignified mouth noises. Also there is some great worldbuilding, adventure at sea, and a plot-relevant cake competition. Plus queer pirates. And many, many sex jokes.

The book is hilarious. I was laughing very loudly while reading it, to the point that my partner and cats were concerned. I could not put this book down. It was the funniest thing I have read this year, probably this decade. I am still laughing about certain scenes!

I adored the book, and I hope you do as well.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What a joy!

Absolutely blessed by Tordotcom pub for this ARC.

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

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

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

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

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

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


TYSM Tor for sending an early copy!!

Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for the review copy!

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

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

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

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