the way i was actually obsessed with this book and am forcing everyone to read it. this book was so much fun. it has found family on a pirate ship, queer rep for days and disability rep. i love finding characters in fantasy stories with blindness and Tevs character was so good. the relationship between the captain tev and their crewmate avra is one of my favorite dynamics now so love that for me. please note that this book doesnt take itself seriously and that is part of its charm and there is a lot of crass humor and this book had me actually lolling a lot. i would recommend this to anyone looking for a fun fantasy book. i highly the audiobook as the narrator did a phenomenal job to the ooint where i was thinking about the characters in the voices he gave them.

The first third of the book was a serious struggle. I LOVED the world and the one liners. Such an original feel. The sheer dumb luck involved was hysterical.

This book would have been a 5 star for me, if you remove a lot of the overly crass comments.
The cake competition, pirate shenanigans, And one of a kind creatures were the highlights for me. Really wanted to rate this higher, but just couldn't do it.

In the Fantasy Romance novel “Running Close to the Wind” by Alexandra Rowland we follow the protagonist Avra who finds himself on a ship on the open sea with the single most valuable secret in his possession. Trying to make the most money off of it he gets himself into more trouble than he has bargained for.

With a heavy heart I had to DNF this book. On paper the setting and characters should have worked perfectly for me but I wasn't prepared for the volume and frequency of vulgarity and sexual themes. The writing style was just not to my taste. But if you like an unhinged, horny story set on the sea, definitely give it a try.

I listened to this as an audiobook and the narration by Casey Jones is great. Their voice was very fitting for the characters and pleasant to listen to.

A big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher RB Media for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you read this book and didn’t find it funny, we can’t be friends. This was an utter delight of a story, which felt both rambunctious and cozy, with characters that will have you both gasping and endeared to with each turn of the page. I read this both as an audiobook and digital ARC, and I must say, the audiobook was so incredibly told. The voices, the acting, the delivery - all perfection in my book!

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

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

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

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

I absolutely loved the audiobook of "Running Close to the Wind". It has a great plot, fantastic banter, and is hysterical. The narrator, Casey Jones, was outstanding, with fantastical voice changes and use of inflection for conversations and multiple individuals, men, women, and nonbinary. It felt like Jones captured the book and author's intentions perfectly. I hope to listen to more books narrated by them. This book is NSFW and I do not recommend it around children due to lots of talk of sex and horniness. I would recommend this title for anyone interested in cozy humor, fun adventures, and for fans of Our Flag Means Death.

Aaaaaahhhh Loved it! I hated and loved Avra, he was soo annoying, but lovable at the same time. I read along the book too, but definitely preferred the audio version.
I really liked the funny episodes in the story, the cake competition was hilarious. Also loved the open relationship that they had, and the tension between the 3 of them.
I was so into the story, it was finished soo quickly.

Big thanks for Netgalley and RB for this advanced audiobook


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

I found it hard to read it and requested it in audiobook format, and then... It got more interesting. The narrator really knew how to change the voice of Avra. Absolutely prefer the audiobook format than the traditional format

DNFed about 20% through. This is well written. The characters have a lot of personality to them and the prose is quick and witty, but the humour just really wasn’t for me and I couldn’t see myself making it through this. If the humour lands for you I think you would definitely enjoy this, and I would not hesitate to recommend people try this to see if it’s their cup of tea.

Running Close to the Wind is very different in tone from Rowland’s first book but that is not a point against it! In fact, the hilarity is absolute perfection. Not only that, but the narrator, Casey Jones, perfectly embodies Avra’s character. His neuroses and anxiety, as well as his general ridiculousness, were well performed by Jones. His voice was high and a little annoying at times but Jones infused emotion into every word, with both Avra and with all of the other characters.

Avra’s relationship with Teveri, as well as with Julian, take center stage. Tev treats Avra with annoyance and reluctance most of the time. They pull him closer only to push him away when he’s done being useful. But they reach for him in times of trouble, and they understand him on a level unparalleled by anyone else. It’s adorable and frustrating and fascinating in equal measure. Poor Avra is jerked around by Tev, constantly, but he seems to like it, so. He’s kinky that way, I guess. He understands just as well as they understand him and that’s a wonderful harmony.

Julian has taken a vow of celibacy and Avra claims him from the start, especially after hearing a little bit about Julian’s sordid past. With Avra’s obsession and Julian’s mysterious past, I was so sure Julian was going to betray Avra and Tev somehow, at least for the first third of the book. Having read Rowland’s previous book, I thoroughly expected a more serious tone with tons more betrayal. Then I realized that this was not the tone at all and I was so happy to find that was the case. I needed this faintly ridiculous story and these amazing characters in my life, just as they are.

Despite the faintly ridiculous elements (Avra’s attitude and personality, the cake contest, Julian’s frankly impossible night of debauchery), the relationships are very real, plus the intrigue is incredibly intricate. The stakes are high and real. The alliances are peak humor. Oh my goodness, the insults that flew during the cake competition! As well as the rivalry against the seagulls (a very real, very scary enemy). I can’t believe a person actually came up with these insults disguised as compliments and vice versa, they are so funny. Avra’s character is incredibly charismatic and witty and I’m so jealous of how smooth he was.

There is little to no spice, to be honest. Only hints and innuendos, as well as several fade to black scenes. The discussions of past deeds can get a little raunchy, but nothing is super explicit, to my disappointment. I was hoping to at least get a glimpse of Julian’s undoing but oh well.

I wholeheartedly agree that fans of Our Flag Means Death will thoroughly enjoy this book! Avra is similar to Stede, possessing a similar level of obliviousness in some ways, and also confidence. They’re both blindly confident yet incredibly insecure and so lovable, even when they’re annoying, that I want to hug them both. I highly recommend this book to fans of OFMD, as well as fans of Rowland’s previous work. If they, like me, were drawn in because of A Taste of Gold and Iron, this book will be like a breath of fresh air. Like the anxiety letting go and being able to take in a full breath for the first time in forever. Highly recommend! ‘

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for giving me a chance on this audiobook! It is one of my most favorite methods of reading, because it allows me a chance to craft as well as read. Sometimes, audiobooks are the only reading I can afford to get done, with how busy I am.

This was a really fun book and a great way to shake things up. A heads up: If you’re not into super humorous and horny (yes, both) stories, this might not be the book for you. I was in the wrong mood the first time I started it and am glad that I started over two days later. It worked so much better for me then and I immediately felt more immersed. I received an audio review copy and loved experiencing the book that way. The narrator felt like a really good fit for the story, was pretty consistent with the voices (and you could easily tell who was speaking), and I enjoyed their narrative voice as well.

This was my first experience in this universe (I’ve heard her other series are set in the same one) and I loved what I got to see of it. I would’ve loved more world building but what I did get to see made sense in the context. This definitely focused more on the characters and their relationships and I quite enjoyed those for the most part. Sadly I found the MC through who the story was told quite annoying. Overly so. Too much often times. He really got on my nerves because I don’t enjoy immature characters very often. Thankfully he was balanced by two other main characters that didn’t show those same behaviors but still were very different from each other. I’m not sure who I like more out of those two. They both had their charm.

My biggest criticism is probably that the story often felt drowned out by the interactions between the characters. While I loved most of the horniness and silliness (apart from the immaturity sometimes), it definitely made me lose track of the plot sometimes. I really would’ve liked for the book to lean more heavily into why their goal was important, why the status quo was unfair. I think that would’ve been a good counterbalance to the massive amount of humor in the story (thanks for the confirmation, truth witch! Lmao) and would’ve made the ending more meaningful.

Overall though, this was really fun and I’m excited to try more books in this universe, even though I know not to expect this kind of humor. I liked the world building bits we got and want to learn more about it and see how the author handles a different style.

A delightful and adventurous romp through a world of swashbuckling pirates and irrepressible chaos.
The story follows Avra Helvaçi (a Chaos Goblin) a former field agent who has accidentally stolen the world’s most expensive secret. To find a buyer, Avra must seek help from his ex, pirate Captain Teveri az-Ḥaffār who is non too happy to see him.
Together, they navigate a series of challenges, including government officials, sea serpents, and a sexy celibate monk named Julian.
The book is filled with humor, heart, and vibrant characters, it clips along at a fair pace, make sure you hold on and enjoy the ride!!

Avra’s absolute manic energy and Teveri’s reluctant cooperation create a dynamic and entertaining duo. Avra's no filter delightful word vomit reminds me of Robin Williams Genie from Aladdin, manic, tangent happy, adorable and infuriating at the same time.
Teveris calm brooding, sick of everyones shit demeanor creates such a nice juxtaposition relationship. Add the sexy untouchable monk Julian into the mix and we have a horny adorable trio.

There is a huge amount of spicey talk but not much spice if that's what you're wary of, but be prepared for huge serpents and pythons.....

I was given access to an advance listening copy of the audiobook, and I have to add that Casey Jones is an immense narrator!
The timing and delivery were perfect at conveying the jokes within this type of writing, and Jones never misses the mark!
He is brilliant at multiple easy and memorable voices for all the characters, the range was actually astounding. I wasn't a huge fan of 'Arvas' voice, but I got used to it, it was definitely more chaos goblin that the sexy flibertigibbet slut Avra claimed to be!


Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advance listening copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

Avra stole the most heavily guarded secret in the world when he's unexpectedly reunited with his ex, Tev. Now they have to figure out how to make sense of this secret and utilize to make money and not get killed for the knowledge they now posses.

I loved Avra. He's the worst, in the best possible way. I also loved Tev, Brother Julian, and the entire crew of the ship. It was a very fun, slightly absurd adventure, propelled by Avra's supernaturally good luck. It was my first introduction to this fantasy world, and I can't wait to read more. I honestly wish this book had been longer, I happily would have continued to read more of this story.

I thought the voice actor did an incredible job with Avra's voice and exclamations. I never had any trouble distinguishing which characters were talking because each had such a distinctive voice.

This was absolutely, wonderfully, delightful. I wasn't sure about it when I started, but Avra and company grew on me. Especially Avra. I found him borderline annoying at first, but he quickly morphed into endearing and hilarious. I laughed so much while reading and I absolutely did not want it to be over. I would have read a book twice as long quite happily.

The characters really shone in this one. Every one felt unique and real, even those with only small parts. The absolute unquestioned queernormativity of the world was delightful and made it all feel so warm and cozy. Even when everything and everyone was absolutely insane.

The world also felt very real and believable and cohesive, even with the giant turtles and the glowing horny sea serpents and ghosts and cake competitions. I definitely want to read more in this world and with these characters.

The sex jokes and innuendo were near constant, but there wasn't any actual sex on page which was actually really refreshing? I appreciate innuendo but on-page sex generally decreases my enjoyment of a story. This walked along the line of what I find too much for practically the entire book but never crossed it which was frankly impressive.

In among the hilarity and absolutely bonkers situations and constant stream of innuendo was a surprising amount of characters being philosophical. I think my favorite quote in the whole book (although that's really a tough call and I could also point to the whole entire book) was this from Avra:

----
"...Behind everybody's sanity mask is someone who is unalloyed batshit in one way or another. That is the truth of human nature, Baltakan." He polished off the last dregs of beer. "When I say 'one absolute madman,' that's not somebody less sane, because nobody's sane. That's just somebody who's decided that leaving his mask off gets him where he wants to be, which is usually somewhere really weird that nobody expects him to go." He paused. "Like the top of a wardrobe."
----

I had just the best time while reading this. Definitely one of my top books of the year and I will revisit when I need something comforting and uplifting to read.

The audiobook performance was also absolutely fantastic and was one of the best audiobooks I've listened to in a while. The characters had such unique and easily recognizeable voices that felt so authentic to who they were as characters. Avra's voice, including the frequent exclamations of "reeeee!" to express various emotions, was especially well-done.

*Thanks to tordotcom and RB Media for providing an early copy for review.

Alexandra Rowland has become a new favorite author between A Taste of Gold and Iron and Running Close to the Wind. Set in the same world, this novel follows a ridiculous and supernaturally lucky former intelligence agent / poet on a pirate ship , the captain he has an on-again-off-again relationship with, and the celibate monk they're both desperately crushing on. It's a lot less serious than her first book, but I loved that about it. Big Our Flag Means Death vibes.

A fun, silly little book! I loved the overt queerness, crassness, and humor of this book but unfortunately found the plot to be a bit too vague and the story too slow. I loved the characters and the Our-Flag-Means-Death of it all and if you are looking for something entertaining and mindless, this may be for you. I wish some of the sounds that characters made ("vee" was used a lot) had been omitted especially in the audiobook as they became annoying after a certain point. I loved Rowland's writing and characters and would definitely read more of their work, just felt the plot here could use some definition.

This book was everything I wanted in an audio book right now and I really want to reread the physical coot!

This was so well done and a most anticipated read for me, and it did not disappoint.

What an absolutely SILLY book! I was not anticipating just how comedy heavy this would be but I had a blast. I loved that it was set in the same world as A Taste of Gold and Iron and the small nods back to that story.

What a strange book!?

When I first started listening to this audiobook, I thought I had missed a prequel or something because the story just starts with a cold opening and continues from there. The writing style of this book is very interesting. It feels more like watching a TV show than reading a book. The story is very much dialogue driven. There is little to no narration, and the only context clues the readers are given are through dialogue. There is no real plot line, and we just follow the character through a bunch of side quests. That being said, even though it might sound weird, please trust the process and give this book a try! Because once you get used to the strange way this book is written, it is hilarious.

I absolutely loved how seriously everyone took very unimportant things such as a baking competition that has some strange customs, and how completely frivolously important topics such as getting killed were treated. The whole randomness of it all and the peculiar dialogue was just my kind of humor. Although none of the “se*yness” or “sl*tyness” seemed spicy to me, this book might not be for you if you are sensitive concerning such topics.

This book is very divers without being obnoxious about it or having a ‘token *insert minority* character’. I only enjoy reading about polyamorous relationships on very rare occasions, because a lot of times books don’t seem to get power dynamics right for the relationship to feel safe and romantic. And although I had wished for Teveri to be nicer to Avra sometimes, this dynamic would actually not feel right as a monogamous relationship.

Avra is an odd little one. I felt absolutely sorry for him sometimes, but I could also imagine myself getting annoyed with him if I had to endure his presence on these quests. Unfortunately, it’s also just a smidge funnier whenever Avra acts out and is punished for his misbehavior.
I wish we had gotten to see more of Julian actually being with Avra/Teveri instead of just hinting at their dynamic. Why did the book end when it was about to get juicy??? I really hope there will be a sequel to this.

Because it is so dialogue driven, I would definitely recommend listening to the audiobook version of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for gifting me this ALC of the audiobook to review.

Oh man, Running Close To The Wind is an absolutely wild, hilarious ride from start to finish. It is fast-paced, comical, and heart warming all at once. I am not sure what I was expecting when going into this book, but I did not expect to be at work trying to fight laughter while listening to the audiobook! Avra and Teveri's dynamic was incredible. They were almost constantly fighting, but it was clear that there was real love and care between them. The rest of Teveri's pirate crew often teases Avra, but they also truly want to keep him around, partially for his luck and partially for his personality. The monk they meet, Julian, also slots nicely into their dynamic and seems to balance everything out. The audiobook also truly elevates this book, the performance really increases the comedy and understanding of the characters! I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, humorous read.

The book had TJ Klune vibes but with more hilarity. I was laughing so hard at the banter.

The writing was excellent and the storyline... GENIUS! It's a queer pirate fantasy book and I was so entertained I ordered my hubs a copy on amazon and he is almost done and he is the world slowest reader.

Cannot recommend this book enough and the narrator.... Perfection. I could listen to them all day long.

4 stars! I felt it could have been a bit shorter.