3.5

I saw murder mystery on a ship of magical passengers and knew I had to read this immediately. I have to admit, I struggled through the first 25% of this. The world building and magic are very surface level and I was getting bogged down in poking holes in what was happening, but once bodies started dropping I stopped caring so much about the world and let myself get pulled into the mystery which led to a much more successful reading experience. I should have known when I saw "TikTok sensation" that this wouldn't read as standard adult SFF and it didn't but I think going in with the expectation that it will read more New Adult helps.

I liked Ganymedes as a main character. He is flawed and has some serious issues (including but not limited to suicide ideation and disordered eating) but the way it was written felt relatable to me. I have seen other reviewers criticize this though so your mileage may vary. I also appreciated how casually diverse this cast of characters was and how White was able to make me care about them so quickly.

I am such a sucker for an isolated closed circle mystery and I found myself continuously compelled to keep reading so I think my high of finishing the book and solving the mystery is probably making me rate this higher than I would if I was rating purely on craft. But I had a really great time reading this so, I would highly recommend to anyone who loves a fantasy mystery blend and is willing to just go along for the ride.

All aboard with Ganymede of the fish province and the rest of the 12 “Blessed”, as they journey to the sacred temple for the traditional celebration. Each blessed chosen one is bestowed with special magical gifts unique to them, but a murderer is in the midst with a devious plan of revenge. The magical journey embarks and quickly turns to chaos, fear and mistrust. This story is a magical whodunnit Clue type mystery with a legend-infused storyline. I struggled with the movement of the plot for most of the book, the unexplained magical system, and some of the tropes/themes were not what I typically read, but I gain more interest in seeing how the story played out towards the end and finished it out. The premise was not terrible, but in the end it fell so short. I did feel the world-building could have used more work. I received an arc copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A mysterious, fantasy journey with magical characters. This story slowly unravels the events abroad a ship with 12 characters. The whimsical whodunnit reads more YA than adult fantasy.

Thank you, Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA

Sometimes I read a book and it really hits home that I'm not as young as I used to be. This is one of those books.

It takes place in a lightly-described fantasy world made up of 12 provinces. Each province is ruled by one of the "Blessed," who receive their magical Blessings between ages 6-12. (Yes, this means that the rulers of this fantasy world are incredibly young.) The Blessed don't live as long as their subjects, thanks to their magical burdens. So they die young but live hard, I guess.

Told from the first person present tense of Ganymedes, the Fish Blessed, we learn that the world is rife with inequality: although all of the provinces are supposed to be as important as each other, the Uppers think they're truly on top of the world. All 12 Blessed are on a unity cruise, but from the first night someone starts offing the others...

Look. Honestly, there were too many characters for me to keep track of and too many plot holes for me to ignore. From the beginning I realized I shouldn't care about any of the characters, since they were dropping like flies as soon as I got to know them. And not a single one was likable, including main character and viewpoint perspective "Dee."

I do see the appeal of the book: it's incredibly inclusive, featuring characters of all races, body types, sexualities, and abilities, and none of them were tokenized. (They were all equal opportunity jerkfaces, TBQH.) I think this just isn't the right fit for me as a reader at this time in my life!

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.Thank you to NetGalley and Edelweiss for providing me with an e-ARC and DRC for early review.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

I will be completely honest and give you some bullet points. Do not expect to enjoy this if you hate:
•Fantasy marketed as Adult that very strongly verges back into Young Adult in tone
•Unserious main characters who come off as annoying
•Flimsy or half-baked magic systems and world building
•Unapologetic diversity that rings very loudly and insistently

Voyage of the Damned was a title I was completely uninterested in until a coworker of mine and I saw physical copies of it and were entranced by the holographic cover. And then we had another coworker of ours who read and enjoyed it pitch it to us--- "magical powers, gay romance, and it takes place on a ship." Needless to say we both bought our copies that night. Even though I turned around and got a DRC from Edelweiss and then was approved for the e-ARC via NetGalley. The physical B&N edition really is stunning and of good quality.

I read this book over the course of two days and I can fully admit that, yes, it veers to Young Adult realms with all of the swearing, humour, and tone. The world building is flimsy and barely held together at the seams. The magic system is basically non-existent. There's no established limits of anything. The main character comes off as a dick, which didn't bother me but will absolutely drive others to DNF.

I enjoyed Dee for the most part. I liked Grasshopper. I don't care about realistic writing for six year olds. I hate six year olds. This is much better, a feral ominous kid with superpowers. I liked Wyatt. I liked Tendai the best of the Blessed, but a lot of them were massively unlikeable. The powers each of them had were... Fine? Just not really explained well.

The diversity is very in your face. Everyone has wildly anime-coloured hair based on which house/district/lineage they're from. There's a wheelchair user, a chronically ill person, plenty of mental health issues, asexual and queer representation, trans and nonbinary gendered individuals, and plenty of cultural inferences to be made about the regions of the world. Dee is described as having white skin, "chubby," and has pure white hair. You will hate this book if you're any kind of phobic, don't even try it. The author is clearly incredibly happy to make a queernormative world filled with incredibly diverse people. Go read something else if you complain about non-straight non-cis non-white characters being shoved down your throat.

The murder mystery is done well enough. I don't read mysteries so I can't really say if it stacks up to the comparisons made for it, but I enjoyed it. I saw guilt in a certain character early on, but was still pleased with the twist. The twists all kind of had me smiling. Really fun murder mystery romp.

The romance is where I have my biggest issue, and it all comes down to one line at 97% through the book. Here it is, it's a spoiler.

"It’s Ravi’s. So obviously Ravi’s—he’s the child of two worlds…who turned away from a *genocide.* Who went on to a ship, knowing half the people aboard would be murdered, and let it happen. Who would be standing by Cordelia’s side, silent and obedient, instead of holding her down, if not for me."

This character is the one Dee ends up with, allowing him to advise him and stand by his side, loves and protects with his whole heart. He is posed as a good guy at the end of the story. I didn't mind the fact that he was technically someone else for most of the book, or that we were led off on a different romance for most of the book, or that he was complicit with murder for most of the book--- it's that specific quote that bothers me. Because if you want to frame something as a genocide, you can't have your cake and eat it too. Ravi can't be a good person who goes unpunished if he was complicit in a genocide. We should not be ending this book with him and Dee living happily ever after with Dee running the kingdom (why he is allowed to run the kingdom, I don't know. Please make a council. The white guy who doesn't know the first thing about running a hugely diverse kingdom should not be allowed to do so.) This one quote shot this book in the foot for me. It would have been a five star--- I enjoyed it a lot, despite its flaws. But I can't look at a happily ever after the same way when that bombshell has been dropped.

Overall, I think maybe this should have been a Young Adult title, and that quote should have either been removed, edited, or Ravi should have faced his crimes and been punished for them. I mean, he literally murdered multiple people. Why is he allowed to run around anyways? I look forward to more potential releases from Frances White.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Beware of spoilers.

It flips between 2 and 2.5 stars, depending on how I'm feeling.

The thing is, this book has a lot of potential. I just don't think it was executed the best. And, quite honestly, it reads like the author pantsed their way through the book and so that's why there are so many plot/world building holes. There isn't anything wrong with pantsing. It works for a lot of authors. But with fantasy, there needs to be extra care when it comes to revising to make sure everything fits. I don't know if the author pantsed or planned. This is just the feeling it gives off.

This will probably be a long review because I'm struggling to put my thoughts into words...

Firstly, the main character. Ganymedes isn't exactly the best main character, but he also isn't the worst I've read. I don't think he was as funny or charming as the author intended, especially in the beginning. The jokes didn't hit and they went on for far too long. I understand he's 22, and technically he does feel like what a 22 year old man might be like (I've known enough of them), but do we really want to be in their heads?? The humor just didn't work for me and his constant flip flopping was annoying. Not to mention, his plan to make everyone dislike him (while a good one in theory) was not done well enough for me. Come on, there are much better ways to make people hate you than poking fun at them.

That being said, he does grow a little near the end of the book and it was around this point I started to find him...okay. He does continuously flip flop, but the jokes seem to even out and he becomes a little more serious about what's happening, which I think is what I needed to at least find him tolerable.

The world building wasn't exactly up to par either. I will say that the idea of having Blessed people and the twelve provinces was interesting. I actually really liked all the other side characters. Save for Ravi, but we'll get to him. I liked that they had their own personalities, so no one felt like a repeat of another. Which is hard to do with a cast of twelve.

But the Blessings being secret makes no sense. If they're Blessings from the Goddess, they should be used and celebrated. Why are they secret?? On top of that, obviously the idea of assassinating other Blessed children is common, so why did the Dragon Emperor only have one? I know it states that it's to guarantee that his power passed to her and, in retrospect, that does makes sense (have one kid and you know exactly where the power is going), but what if she dies? Did we not think about a contingency plan?

And the hair colors. I get that it's cool and, honestly, I don't hate it. But what if people have children together? Which apparently they do sometimes. All the hair colors wouldn't be for one specific province anymore unless the person was, like, purely one province. There should have been more of a mix.

PLUS can we talk about the fact that a Bunnerfly was used as a province? I don't know if it was intentional that these provinces echoed the Chinese Zodiacs, but to have all of them and switch Rabbit out for Bunnerfly? I'm sorry...that just personally didn't work for me.

It's little things like this that had me completely out of the story, trying to make sense of it. Because I couldn't stop asking questions. Despite all the info dumping, and there's so much that it's kind of annoying, there were still answers that I never got that would have made this world feel much more realistic.

The love story....On paper, it probably works. In practice, it was so annoying. It goes like this:

Ganymedes has been in love with Ravi since they were kids and he always thought they would be together until Ravi's province gain more importance and Ravi basically tells Ganymedes to go away the first night on the ship. Then he drops that he's engaged to Cordelia. On the second night, Ravi is killed. This causes Ganymedes to pair up with Wyatt, who he ends up falling for throughout the whole book. He feels a little guilt toward loving Wyatt, but he's moving on and he tries to accept Ravi's fiancée as well.

And then we find out Wyatt is just Ravi transformed and he was never really dead and so all the feelings and Ganymedes pointing out Wyatt's facial features and freckles are a completely moot point. And that Ravi did this because his fiancée gaslights him into believing killing the others made sense and that he let the murders keep happening because Ganymedes needed a....confidence boost?

And Ganymedes reaction? He's totally happy that his first love is back and just goes along with it.

No. I hate it. Not only do we, as the reader start to really like Wyatt, you're now telling me that Ravi helped plan and orchestrate these murders and then just...kept letting them happening? It would have been so much better if Wyatt had been real. Or if he really had to die, to have Ravi reveal himself, announce everything he did, and then have Ganymedes be revolted by it. But no. Ganymedes forgives him and ends up with him and it's just like...Oh, so we're over Wyatt and his freckles just like that?? It made Ganymedes such a flimsy character.

I did like the ending, though. I will give it that. I found it interesting and liked the idea that all the powers went to the mountain after the Blessed died to wait for the next host. It also kind of made sense for Ganymedes to take them all and use them for good. I don't know if there will be another book, but this one felt like it closed off very smoothly.

Despite all the gripes I've made, I won't say it's a BAD book. It just had too much happening in it that I questioned or disliked. All of which were personal things I couldn't get over. I do think a lot of people would find this a fun one otherwise.

Ganymedes Piscero isn't anything he should be. He's heir to a Blessed legacy...but it seems the Blessing passed over him and perhaps went to a bastard half sibling instead. His fsther has sworn him to secrecy, and so he's been lying for 10 years to everyone - including the Emperor - about his ability. Only one other person knows; his best friend (and former lover) Ravi. Now on a voyage with the other Blessed heirs getting ready to take up the mantle of leadership, heir after heir turns up murdered. And Ganymedes needs to figure out who killed the Dragon and Ravi before the murderer gets him too.

Voyage of the Damned has a me-problem. It reads like YA and the fantasy elements felt underdeveloped to me. Plot holes abound, so if you like solving mysteries, this may leave you gasping for air like a fish out of water. That said, for those who like a plot that moves and an incredibly inclusive cast of characters, it could be an easy to digest fantasy for a lot of readers. The worldbuilding is a low lift, and I think it's easy enough for a novice to enjoy and not be confused. I'll always root for more inclusive fantasy writing with queer mcs of all sorts, even when those books are not for me.

I had a blast with this book! The humor of the main character was funny and among other reasons made this a great read! This book honestly has a little bit of everything! Imagine all of the popular tropes and it's there! It's a fast paced story with a large cast of characters and yes because there are so many it did get a little confusing but in no way do that take from the story! I truly hope there will be more of these characters and the world I'm not ready to say goodbye yet! Thank you Tandem Collective, Frances White and Mira Books for sharing this wonderful story with me!

Voyage of the Damned is an Agatha Christie-inspired fantasy where the pitiable heir to the lowest province must stop a murderous plot to save his friends and country.

Even though the story revolves around a murder mystery, Dee's narration makes it feel quite fun and silly.

The magic was interesting, but the world-building was a little ridiculous. This book shows that a story can be a silly, goofy time but still have heart and be successful.

"'They lie. They all lie.' I nod. 'Except you.'
'Thanks--'
'Too stupid for lies.'
Oh.'"

"Sometimes all it takes is one person to make you believe you're worthy of something. Even all the power in the universe."

This story was a ROMP. They were not joking when they said there would be murder and mysteries. But it's also incredibly funny and sweet. It was really hard to pick quotes to include because I was highlighting constantly, especially whenever Grasshopper spoke. I love a feral little girl.

A murder mystery combined with fantasy makes for such a fun story with really interesting additions to normal mysteries. Since the Blessed's powers were such a key part of the mystery, trying to figure those out was really unique and fun. I figured out some of the mystery but not all of it, which to me is the perfect balance.

The characters were great. Even though there were 12 people on the ship, I learned to distinguish between them quickly thanks to how individual they were and the really effective way that information and lore was doled out at the beginning. I was scared of being overwhelmed, but once I trusted the book to tell me what I needed to know and when, it went really smoothly.

Dee was such a sweet, relatable character. A protagonist who absolutely does not want to be involved, and would rather everyone hate him than see his truth. His journey through this book was beautiful to see.

I loved the world, and especially loved where it went at the end of the book. The epilogue was fantastic.

Overall, this was a really fun fantasy mystery that I'll be comparing other mysteries to for some time!

I love the world building and the characters. I felt the writing could have been stronger. It almost read like a first draft rather than a polished finished peice. but over all it was still encaptivating with the story line.

Voyage of the Damned was an interesting storyline. The idea of heirs and blessings and putting them together in a ship with no outside contact definitely built the anticipation. I enjoyed Ganymedes as a character, funny, self-conscious, trying to navigate a world that doesn’t value him. Growing out of humor to mask pain. Where the story lost me was the world building, it felt like the world of Concordia was underdeveloped and there were missing pieces. Also, the book dragged out and was overly long. It came together and picked back up in the end. Overall, I liked but didn’t love it.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Anyone who is a fan of Agatha Christie will love this. A cozy murder mystery that has echoes of classic Christie but with a modern treatment.

An enthralling murder mystery set on a magical ship, Voyage of the Damned was part fantasy, part queer love story, part Agatha Christie, and a wholly enjoyable reading experience.

This is the good shit I got my coworker to read this when it came out. The mystery, the drama, the MURDER, the doomed relationships. It has everything my little queer heart could want. Get ready for some plot twists and sad shit. A must read for fans of lgbt books with hella good plots. Also superpowers.

The Voyage of the Damned kept me satisfied from its interesting start to its tender end. This is perfect for anyone who would enjoy an Agatha Christie murder mystery set in a fantasy world. It was cozy while still being very intriguing--politically, romantically, and magically.

Unfortunately I only made it two chapters before deciding this story, this writing style, and this world was just not for me. It wasn't bad -- I can absolutely see another reader enjoying it. I think it would be ideal for someone in the 18-22 age range. And the humour style was just very young and a bit immature for me. Lottt of mentions of "pissfish."

I ended up DNFing this....I just couldn't get into it and struggled relating to the characters. I struggled with the setting and the relationships the characters had with each other and their surroundings.

Voyage of the Damned is an engaging blend of fantasy and mystery that pays homage to classic whodunits like Agatha Christie's Murder on the Nile and Murder on the Orient Express. Set on the emperor's ship during a twelve-day voyage to the sacred Goddess's Mountain, the story thrusts its characters—and readers—into a tense game of survival and suspicion. The premise is simple yet effective: heirs from the twelve provinces of Concordia, each with a unique and secret magical ability known as a Blessing, are trapped on a ship with a murderer in their midst. As the body count rises, everyone is a suspect, and no one is safe.

At the heart of this bloody sea-bound tale is Ganymedes Piscero, an unexpected protagonist who breaks the mold of traditional heroes. He is not graced with a Blessing like his fellow heirs; instead, he’s a class clown and slacker, seemingly ill-equipped for the dangerous mystery that unfolds. But it is precisely his lack of status and his self-deprecating humor that makes Ganymedes such a compelling character. As someone who is often underestimated, he uses his wit and compassion to navigate the treacherous waters of suspicion and deceit, particularly in his heartfelt interactions with Grasshopper, a character whose relationship with Ganymedes adds emotional depth to the story.

Francis White does an excellent job of crafting a closed environment on the ship that still allows readers to get glimpses of the broader fantasy world of Concordia through the diverse characters and their intriguing Blessings. The setting’s confinement only heightens the suspense and sense of claustrophobia as tensions rise and secrets unravel. Each heir’s unique magical ability adds a layer of complexity to the mystery, keeping readers guessing not just about the identity of the murderer but also about the true nature of each character’s powers.

While some characters are mere flashes in the story, serving more as plot devices than fully fleshed-out individuals, Ganymedes shines as the unexpected hero of this tale. His journey from a perceived failure to someone who must rise to the occasion and solve the murders is both entertaining and poignant. His humor and empathy make him a standout protagonist, capable of carrying the story on his shoulders.

Overall, Voyage of the Damned is a captivating read for fans of both fantasy and mystery. If you enjoy murder mysteries with a magical twist and a dash of self-deprecating humor, this book is well worth the voyage.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

And Then There Were None meets a queer fantasy murder cruise with a splash of romance! In a world where heirs of provinces are gifted with powers known as "blessings" the heirs must embark on a twelve day voyage to the sacred Goddess's Mountains to maintain peace. Yet this year's heirs are different... one of the heirs does not have any ability. Ganymedes Piscero "Dee" to his friends, is the least liked heir and the disappointment amongst them, and he lied to the emperor about his powers. Yet things only get worse for Dee as the moment they get on the ship they were excited to meet their beloved, Ravi, heir to the Crow province only to be given the cold shoulder and to find that he is engaged to someone else. Dee is crushed... and then the heirs begin to be murdered one by one. Dee is determined to solve the mystery and save the heir to the Grasshopper province, a young girl. Dee finds himself being helped by the unlikely Wyatt, the sickly heir to the Bear province... yet is torn between his love for Ravi as well. Can Dee figure out who is the murderer before he is next... and when the truth comes out an he handle the repercussions of it? This was definitely an interesting ride that had a wild ending that just went from 0-100. The story had a slow build and the middle part definitely felt a bit dragged on but the ending picked up. Dee was an interesting character and the romance in this one was a bit twisted but I enjoyed it. It definitely had a "Death on the Nile" vibe (I adore Agatha Christie) and this was an enjoyable read in the end. It wraps up everything perfectly fine and overall, if you like fantasy murder mysteries then I'd absolutely recommend it!

Release Date: August 20,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*