It took me awhile to get into this book. It is very different and the characters are other worldly. At its heart, however, it is a book about love and hate, good and evil, rich and poor, and what envy and jealousy can do to us and those around us. It provided an interesting insight into what it means to be human - both the good and the bad - and in the end how courage in who we are and love for others can make any world a better place.

I had so much fun with this. It took me a little while to get used to the world and voice of the narrator, but I was soon caught up in the mystery. The Agatha Christie-with-magic comparisons are fair--there's a cast of twelve twisty people with tangled motives and unknown magic (they're the heirs to the provinces of Concordia, and each one has a Blessing of magic, except our narrator Dee), they're trapped together, and convenient little dragon-servants make sure they're fed. And the bodies are starting to pile up. Dee may hate almost everyone on that boat, but he can't condone murder. Once the first body shows up, it's nonstop until the end of the novel.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my free earc in exchange for an honest opinion.

Voyage of the Damned follows Ganymedes (Dee) who is one of twelve Blessed traveling on a mandatory bonding voyage. The point of this voyage is to foster relationships between each Blessed in order to ensure unity, as each Blessed will lead a respective province. Then Blessed start getting murdered and Dee is left to try and figure out who is responsible.

Although this is listed as an adult fantasy novel, it reads as very YA. A lot of this has to do with being stuck in Dee's POV, who purposely tries to be as annoying as possible. I did not find him funny at all in the beginning but then he became so ridiculous that it swung back around to being ironically funny.

I have seen this compared to Agatha Christie and I just don't see it. People get murdered and there's a mystery, that is about the only thing that they have in common. I think Christie necessarily had to be more considerate with her murder mysteries because she couldn't rely on magic to fill in plot holes.

I sensed the ending fairly early on into the book, and it still left me disappointed. I am really not a fan of one character just magically resolving every political problem that has been plaguing a country for like 1000 years. Yes, it's a fantasy novel, but it just strikes me as so unrealistic that it pulls me out of the story.

I'll give it three stars because the murderer was genuinely surprising to me and because Dee ended up endearing himself to me by being so stupid.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This book is really captivating me beyond my imagination with a lot of fantasy thing ever. I like to read through this book and I hope you can get the enjoyment, too.

A queer locked-room murder mystery in a fantasy world?? Um, yes please. Add to it an all too relatable self-deprecating main character and I am completely on board (quite literally - it’s set on a magical ship).

I’m almost at a loss for words with this one. I was so invested and it just kept pulling me in the more I read. I mean, anytime there’s a fantasy world I’m all in, but the world building in this story felt so well-balanced to me. It was well paced and was just so fun in a way some fantasy worlds are not. It felt real and tangible, like something I wanted to slip into and be part of. The author gave me enough to feel satisfied yet left me wanting to know more and more.

The murder mystery component was absolutely insane, but in the best way. It was baffling to me as a reader. I couldn’t for the life of me figure it out. I so desperately wanted to know what was happening, who was doing it, and most importantly, why. I didn’t expect it to turn out the way it did. In fact, I was so surprised I believe there may have been some yelling involved. I was left guessing up until the end. Even when I thought I finally knew, I truly hadn’t the slightest clue what was coming next.

The character development was beautifully paired with the plot. Each character was so utterly themselves, complicated and oh so human. They were each written in a way that made me feel as though they could’ve been peers of mine. They were just so real. Some I loved to love and others I loved to hate. And the personal drama and tension were palpable.

In the end, what was a very fun and engaging queer murder mystery became a lovely journey of self discovery and acceptance. One fueled by the unconditional love of others, but moreover by realizing one’s own inherent worth was there all along just beneath the surface.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. I truly loved every second of this book!

This book was engrossing. The world building was fantastic and original. The story was tight and complete and ended satisfactorily. I would definitely read from this author again, especially in this world if that is a possibility in the future. I really enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this digital arc.

I thought about this book for a while, as it was a difficult rating decision, that ended up being 4 star rating in the end. The story itself is good and I enjoyed the sleuthing and investigation. The characters were what made the book less great I have to admit. Some felt a bit immature especially Dee as the main character. I would have appreciated a slightly older cast compared to the young adult cast that the book features. On the other hand I think this book would make a great movie though!

Concerning the characters I can say that Dee as the main character somewhat feels very immature to me. He sometimes acts quite adult but then drifts back into more teenage way of acting. His friend Ravi is an interesting character aside from Dee. He seems more mature and interesting. Wyatt is a kind character and means well. He cares for Dee and he’s a good addition to the cast. And last but not least, Grasshopper is very young with 6 years old and somewhat mysterious.

All in all I the locked room mystery in combination with the fantasy element. The book is a good fantasy’s mystery combination.

This is a definite romantasy with an emphasis on the romance. Readers who want something a little spicy (but not too spicy) and who love classic romance tropes, like enemies to lovers, forced proximity/stuck together, and drunken games of 'never have I ever,' will find all that and more here, including a HEA. The other element is the mystery, which is similar to And Then There were None, only on a cruise ship rather than an island. Fans of snarky narrators will enjoy the feisty main character, Ganymedes, who is never without a quip no matter if the situation is a fusty dinner party, or witnessing a murder. The characters, representing the twelve political entities of the fantasy world, are a representation of POC, disabled and LGBTQIA+ folks. This romantasy mystery mashup is for fans of In Other Lands, and would lend itself to YA crossover readers. Fantasy readers who want very detailed world building and magic systems may feel let down. Avid mystery readers may figure out the puzzle early on in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book.

This is not a book I myself can recommend.

I read it. But it was a struu6. I could not get past the writing style, and the magic system was poorly developed. I did not connect with any of the characters. The setting was.poorly done.

Sorry for me, it is one star. Wish I could recommend it, but it's a no for me.

A different take on a caste system world where children are given divine blessings tied to the maintenance of their country, including one which doesn’t want to be part of the system, others who believe themselves top of the pile, and all with hidden motives. Locked room aspects, some romance, wild spectrum of characters and more. Took a little to get into, but glad I did

Dee is not the hero that you think of. He is not tall dark and handsome, but he has the most amazing personality.
The characters were well rounded and represented a diverse spectrum of people.
The twist at about the 75% mark floored me.
I have seen other blurbs that have compared this to Agatha Christie and I can completely see why they did that. This is a great murder mystery in a fantasy setting.

Wow this book was so good! I was immediately drawn into the story and the world of this book. The fantasy world is beautifully built and just the right about of corrupt. And then adding in the whodunnit aspect of it??? So good. I was kept guessing until the end and there were plenty of shocks and twists. Highly recommend this book for fans of mysteries and fantasies.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was a wonderful epic stand-alone fantasy novel as well as great locked room murder mystery. The magic system was very unique and interesting. In the beginning I found the main character to be whiny and self-centered, however, as the story progressed, I grew to like and respect him. This is a story about discovering your identity and finding your place in the world. While at the same time finding a killer and saving the world.

Thank you to NetGalley for this opportunity to read rate and review this arc which will be released by Harlequin Trade Publishing on 8/20/24!

If Agatha Christie wrote fantasy is how this book is being labeled and to be honest I can see it. The plot was wildly fun and quirky. The characters flowed seamlessly throughout the story. I enjoyed trying to figure out who had dunnit. There is a romance subplot. I truly enjoyed myself

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book. The mystery was really engaging and the main character was likable and really funny! I enjoyed the depth all of the characters got and the uniqueness of the blessings! If you want a mix of magic and a good murder mystery I would highly recommend!

A beautiful LGBTQ+ representation of a book wrapped in a mystery at sea. The writing and characters are easily lovable and flow well together. I hope to delve into this world again someday 5/5.

I got most of the way through this book before I had to call it quits. I was so interested in the mystery as well as the really unique worldbuilding, but the dialogue felt off and every conversation just ended up boring me. Of course, it was important for us to learn the dynamics among all of these characters, but I felt like the side characters all blurred together.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a DRC of this book! I requested it on a whim, knowing almost nothing about it if I'm being honest and I'm so glad I did. It has everything I love - magic, brilliant world building, lovable characters (I was interested in all of them, even the unlikeable ones), romance, and a diverse cast.

Twelve magical young world leaders get on a ship powered by their dying emperor for a pilgrimage, except Dee isn't actually magical at all, he's completely ordinary. Each of his cohorts has a role to play in the continued existence of a corrupt empire, but they have their secrets. Dee plans to spend the twelve day journey thoroughly pissing them off. He succeeds, then people start dying.

Mystery is a difficult genre for me to like. I find them predictable and formulaic. I need more out of a story. Voyage of the Damned gave me all the more I could need. To boot, I was wrong about all my predictions, and I love that.

Highly recommend!

The heirs of Concordia's twelve provinces have now all received their magical Blessings and embark upon a voyage to the sacred Goddess's Mountain. But when the heir to the empire is murdered, definitely-not-a-hero Ganymedes Piscero, who has been faking his hereditary Blessing, will slowly have to step up, because that murder was only the first step of a much larger plan - which may or may not involve his longtime crush - and only the first death. The empire is decidedly not as harmonious as claimed. Intriguing world building, a protagonist who grows up a lot, and a darn good mystery.

Amazing book, love the set up of the book and the whole magical ship and magical people. The murder mystery very well done. The writing style was very well done , enjoyed a lot .