I really wanted to love this book, but I had a hard time connecting with the story. I was not familiar with the universe and hadn't read any of Alexandra Rowland's prior books, so I don't know if having that background in the world building would have helped. For me, it took me about halfway until I finally tolerated Avra, our main perspective, sufficiently to be able to focus on the story. He is without a doubt, the horniest main character I have read in a while.

While the story is told from two perspectives, we mainly follow Avra Helvaçi, a semi-retired spy, as he reconnects with his on again off again flame, Captain Teveri az-Haffar, and gets to know Julian, a frustratingly celibate hot priest. Avra is well-loved, but also highly annoying to many of the characters, Tev in particular. Avra has recently stolen a secret from the ship builder's guild that has the potential to bring great riches and sea changes (you catch my pun?) to him, Tev, and their crew. If you want a queer pirate palooza with a plot-relevant cake contest you'll have a good time.

I listened to this as an audiobook and really appreciated the narrator, Casey Jones. Casey Jones' impression of Avra reminded me of a slightly deranged Alan Tudyk, and I mean that in a positive way. Casey does a wonderful job of bringing unique voices to these characters and really helps shepherd everything along in a great way.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Recorded Books for the advanced copy.

Queer in all the ways, this unhinged and hilarious pirate adventure does not stop! Such a fun story with plenty of intrigue and political drama, but nicely wrapped in a funny tortilla. I fell in love with the zany and complex characters and the intricate setting.

I think it’s possible that I would have enjoyed it more as an eye-read because listening actually put it at too fast a pace. But you’ll enjoy it no matter what!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

*Full review to be added closer to publication!*

What a ride! I've previously enjoyed Alexandra Rowland's books so was really eager to check out her latest story, and I was not disappointed. This was such a fun time and really had a fantastic mix of humor, heart, and some delightful plotting and intrigue that kept everything entertaining and balanced throughout. The audiobook was also an excellent choice and I loved the narrator's take on all the characters. This is what I would call a very horny book, and barely a page went by without some sort of sex-related joke, so keep that in mind when checking this one out! All that being said, I really had a fun time and will continue to look forward to more books from Alexandra Rowland.

After painfully mediocre "A Taste of Gold and Iron" Alexandra Rowland's book is again a let down. It probably tells a lot about my taste and how it's incompatible with their stories. I need action, it's borderline offensive to write about pirates and make them so dull. Nothing happens in this book, it's 100% vibes and sex jokes. I found Avra quite amusing at the beginning, like a perfect blend of Jaskier and Stede Bonnet, but his constant horniness and resulting humor becomes tiresome and repetitive after a couple pages. I do appreciate Rowland's style, I believe they write funny and witty dialogues but their reluctance for the characters to actually experience something fun is what kills their books for me. This is probably the last one of theirs I'm reading.
Audiobook made it a little more palatable, the narrator skillfully distinguished between different character and I'm pretty sure he made Avra sound like Rhys Darby on purpose, which was on point.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for the e-arc!
That was undoubtably the funniest book I have read I think ever. The humor was raunchy and dirty with Avra being just the absolute best character. Avra is a self-proclaimed silly little slut with the best luck and he is so entertaining. Bumbling around, he accidentally steals the most valuable secret in the entire world while dealing with an unbelievably attractive monk with a vow of celibacy and his ex-boyfriend, Teveri, a sexy non-binary pirate captain. The banter, flirting, and teasing in the story were top-tier. This is a laugh-out-loud hilarious story, and the banter is so good.
My one note is for an adult book with such a dirty type of humor, there were surprisingly very few romantic or spicy parts in this book. There was a lot of flirting and teasing between the characters and there were parts that were very tender where the characters get to connect a bit more. However, I was expecting there to be some form of spice or even romance (i.e., kissing, canoodling, romance things) in the story and was actually kind of disappointed when it wasn't there. That is partially my fault, thinking this was a fantasy romance instead of mainly just a fantasy, but I thought it was worth noting.

Alexandra Rowland’s novel “Running Close to the Wind” is subtitled “A Queer Pirate Fantasy Adventure!” which encapsulates their book pretty well. However, I’ll add that reading this book is the most silly, bawdy, over-the-top experience! Huge kudos to the audiobook narrator Casey Jones who brought this book to life – I don’t believe I’ve literally laughed out loud so many times while listening to an audiobook.

For all that Running Close to the Wind is incredibly ribald, it’s worth noting that the book is not actually open door. While hardly PG, I would still file it in the “cozy fantasy” genre. The novel features a number of adventures (or perhaps more accurately termed, shenanigans), but the plot takes a backseat to the characters— it’s really the friendship of the three MCs that steals the show. Though the absurd sexual innuendo comes close!

If you’re looking for some good queer rollicking fun, I highly recommend you check out this audiobook. Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for the advance copy. And please tell me that there will be a sequel (and that Casey Jones will be narrating it), because I am ready!

Horny pirates! Sea shenanigans! This was a bit too long for me, but was a good mindless read. Enjoyed the nonsense, enjoyed the horny elements. The narration also was really good! I think if this was like 100 pages shorter, I would have loved it more.

This book starts in absolute chaos and much co to use for the entire story and I loved it! Avra is an intelligence agent for the Arasti government who has been blessed with exceptional good luck. Teveri is the one eyed captain of a pirate ship who used to be in some sort of relationship with Avra, despite not seeking to like him very much initially. Also onboard is Julian-a sexy monk with an oath of celibacy. I did struggle with the book in the beginning, I had to re listen to the first 10% to really get to grips with the character and place names, but after that I was very invested in the world of horny sea serpents, spooky dildos and piratical cake contests. This book was filthy and hilarious and I enjoyed it immensely, the audiobook narration was top tier with fully rounded out voices that added so much to each character being portrayed-just excellent!

DNF at 20%.

It has a ton of cussing which I’m usually down for but in the midst of all of the cussing I’m just lost? It’s like sexualized cussing too but it didn’t engage me in any way other than feeling lost sadly.

I approached "Running Close to the Wind" with eager anticipation, drawn in by its promising description that seemed tailor-made for my tastes. However, my enthusiasm quickly waned as I delved into what turned out to be a disappointing reading experience.

The comedic elements, which are usually a highlight for me in literature, fell drastically short of expectations. Instead of clever wit and humor, the book resorted to cringeworthy and unnecessarily crude humor that often missed the mark. The comedy felt like an exaggerated sketch, initially amusing but soon becoming tiresome and repetitive WELL before reaching the halfway mark.

The protagonist, Arva, posed another challenge for me. Initially, when he appeared, I thought he was potentially an intriguing side character. Arva, unfortunately, takes center stage as the main character. His obnoxious demeanor and the relentless barrage of sex jokes quickly became grating. The sex jokes were not even good! It was a chorus of “we are all horny.” For like a bajillion chapters! Instead of evolving into a nuanced lead, Arva remained a one-dimensional figure throughout, failing to garner my empathy or interest. At one point, I thought maybe.... but it was squashed a page later.

Moreover, the book suffers from significant pacing issues exacerbated by its length. What could have been a concise and impactful narrative was stretched thin with unnecessary filler and prolonged episodes of humor that missed their mark.

World-building, a critical aspect of any fantasy novel, proved to be both scant and superficial. Perhaps this is because the author expected the reader to be familiar with the world through "A Taste of Gold and Iron," but a wee bit more was required than what was given here. While hints of intriguing political intrigue teased throughout, they were buried under layers of nonsensical and frivolous content. This imbalance left me yearning for more depth and substance, ultimately feeling disappointed by the missed opportunities.

"Running Close to the Wind" regrettably missed the mark for me. Its over-reliance on juvenile humor and underdeveloped characters detracted from what could have been an engaging story. While it may find its audience among those who appreciate relentless comedy and are willing to overlook narrative depth, I could not connect with its style and substance. It's clear that this book wasn't written with my preferences in mind, and I can only hope it finds its rightful audience elsewhere.

Running Close to the Wind delivers queer pirates and mayhem in a hilariously funny, incredibly unhinged, and supremely horny way, set in a queer-normative world which I am always a huge fan of. The magic, the calamity and the sheer obnoxiousness of it all.

While this book was so hilarious I also felt that it leaned so heavily on the humor i didn't really have a chance to take much seriously.

I listened to this book and enjoyed the rambunctious attitude of the narrator. I don't know if it would have been as fun had I simply read it.


I liked the book but I highly recommend it as an audiobook
Book: 3.5 stars
Audiobook 4.5 stars

This book is pure chaos and so much fun. And the banter is so good between Avra, Julian, and Tev. I loved reading this book and found myself laughing a lot during it. It’s like Our Flag Means Death meets Terry Pratchett humor and I love that.

The whole cast of the book is exciting and memorable. Alexandra Rowland was able to create even minor characters that show up as very unique and fun. The writing style is great and flows very well through the story keeping a fantastic pace. I especially loved seeing what the different cards meant at the beginning of each chapter and would love a deck of these cards that are very tarot-like.

If you love pirates, queer-normative worlds, and lots of mayhem and humor, then you need to pick this one up!

The narrator, Casey Jones, does such an excellent job providing the voices and life to this zany cast of characters. I loved how easy it was to distinguish who was talking.

3.5 stars- This was some very goofy (and seriously horny) mayhem. After accidentally committing treason, self-described “silly little slut” Avra Helvaçi runs to his pirate ex, Captain Teveri az-Haffar, for help. Ensuing events involve sea serpents, blue dogs, a cake competition, and enthusiastic seagull murder!

This was fun in a mindless sort of way, Avra is an intentionally annoying and pathetic character while Tev has more depth of character to them. Julian the intellectual monk is the foil to Avra’s empty brain and Tev’s hotheadedness. This book mostly shone through the side characters and when it was describing the world (this is the same setting for Rowland’s Tales of the Chants duology and A Taste of Gold and Iron), the cake competition in particular was nonstop fun and hilarity. The ending came out of nowhere before things felt adequately wrapped up which was a shame but overall an enjoyable read.

CWs: animal deaths (mostly seagulls), sexual harassment

In 'Running Close to the Wind' Alexandra Rowland delivers the literary equivalent of the horny chaos goblin memes. This book is ridiculous. The characters are over the top, the plot is riddled with drama, and the banter is completely bonkers. And I am totally here for it. Somewhere amongst all of the bread stealing possums, thrown rocks, and spooky dildos Rowland manages to craft a heartfelt found family and a book that gives us all the feels. It was absolutely delightful.

This was a wild ride!

If you go into this thinking it will be anything like A Taste of Gold and Iron, you are in for a shock. It is a completely different tone. It's whimsical, overly silly, unhinged and super horny the entire time. I don't even know if it's possible to prepare anyone for what they're going to experience in this. The only way I know how to describe the main character is, imagine if Scanlan Shorthalt and Nott the Brave had a baby...IYKYK.

Avra Helvaci is a former intelligence agent who has "accidentally" stolen something incredibly important and dangerous. He only did it to test if he actually was as lucky as people say he is but now he has it and is giving it to pirates in exchange for not being thrown overboard. Somehow he always avoids any and all consequences and even when it seems like he's having bad luck, it turns out to beneficial down the line. Captain Teveri, sometimes called Captain Undertaker, is a grumpy, one-eyed, ship captain who has had many previous run-ins with Avra and a previous relationship. They are endlessly annoyed by Avra but also can't quite stay away. Brother Julian, possibly the hottest man anyone has ever seen but is frustratingly unavailable due to a vow of celibacy, is on the pirate ship to collect information for his order but also maybe has a bit of a secret of his own.

The story follows Avra, Tev and Julian (and a host of other ridiculous characters) as they try to sell the secret Avra stole to become the richest pirates ever. At no point does anything truly make sense. These characters are unhinged, horny and just...you just have to read it to understand. There's a cake competition that might be the funniest thing I've ever read. I haven't stopped thinking about this book since I finished. Definitely will need to return to this for a reread later.

I'm sold on Alexandra Rowland. I know this book won't be for everyone, but I had a great time and will be working on the author backlist and pick up anything further they write.

3.5 stars

Oof... this one is so hard to rate. I might have assumed I would get A Taste of Gold and Iron 2.0 with this book, and it was most def not that.
These novels are similar in that they are heavily character driven and there isn't that big of a plot, but the tone and the banter is very different. I did enjoy the queerness and the relationships between the characters, but the MC is... a LOT. Especially the sexual jokes that seem to be in every other paragraph needs some getting used to and I personally could have gone without. That's just not my kind of humor. The situational humor on the other hand? That I enjoyed immensly.

This book is about Avra, a former Arasti intelligence agent (loose on the intelligence?) who has stolen a secret from the government and fled… right into the grasp of his ex, sea Captain Teveri. Their relationship status is firmly in “it’s complicated” territory seeing as “Tev” has tried to get rid of Avra multiple times. Like, they set him adrift at sea and left him to die. But, Avra is lucky. Like. Reeeeally lucky. So he survived to pester Tev another day. And Avra is very much a pest. He is whiney, absurd, needy, and oh boy is he horny. Enter the hot priest who has taken a vow of celibacy and even more shenanigans ensue.
Comparisons to Our Flag Means Death are very apt. I definitely got that vibe from this. A friend recommended this to me as a zany adventure. And it was! I would even call this book hilarious as I laughed out loud several times. It almost has a Monty Pythonesque flow to the humorous parts. I think that I also greatly benefited from the audiobook, as it was extremely well done. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, although there were points where it did drag a bit for me. If you're looking for a light, bawdy (not smutty), queer pirate story, then this book is definitely for you.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook ARC!

I am so conflicted about this book. There are a lot of fun moments and I mostly enjoyed the characters. Polyamorous pirates should be such an easy sell for me! I simply do not understand why it was so long. The content of the book did not support a nearly 450 page length/14 hour audiobook. The narration was also a mixed bag. I liked most of the character voices used with the exception of one of the main characters, Avra. The character is already very chaotic and the voice did not help.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

Let me preface this by saying I love this author's writing style, It flows, and it's beautiful and well done. Tadek and the princess is one of my favorite books ever YET dont expect the same tone if you want to read this book, which is why I struggled reading this book.
I'm very happy I got approved for the audiobook as well because I'm not sure I'd have finished this without it.
The narration was amazing. It brought the characters to life.
Now... how do it describe this book: this is one of the smüttiest books I've read. YET, there's no real smüt in it 😂
Our main guy, Avra, is the most infuriating and frustrating character I've ever read, yet it makes sense for the story.
Julian and the captain are polar opposites, and together with Avra, they work. Also, their interactions with the rest of the ship's crew are fun to read.
The poly relationship was fantastically done, so I appreciated that.
Overall, if you like crazy over the top characters, you'd like this book (definitely more than me)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this audiobook!
I was excited to read this--I've read some of Rowlands other books and enjoyed them. And I am always here for a pirate story! This is a light hearted romp of a story--adventure, romance, and swashbuckling, along with quite a bit of conniving and subterfuge and comedy!
Running Close to The Wind is a book about Avra--an intelligence agent; Tevari--a pirate; and Julian--an itinerant monk who is the newest member of Captain Tevari's crew.
Avra and Tevari have a long and complicated relationship that is both entertaining and at times quite fond and tender. This book has many humorous moments and the comedy is consistent and entertaining.
The world building is interesting and I liked the way it incorporated various races, religions, and cultures, as well as the cultures of the pirates and their republic Isles of Lost Souls.
It has elements that reminded me of Our Flag Means Death, with a crew that is like a family, and elements that were reminiscent of Black Sails as well. It has a diverse cast of characters and it celebrates its queer cast.
The story itself is a quick listen and entertaining overall, if a little light on background and a bit repetitive with some of Avra's dialogue.
I will say the narration was good for almost all the characters but I found Avra's voicing quite grating and irritating. More so than I expected. He's written as a polarizing and irritating character but is also meant to be quite funny and deeply endearing. The voice used for him did not feel endearing at all. That's probably my biggest quibble with this book, and considering he is the main character it did affect my enjoyment of this book.
The end felt a bit rushed and ended quite abruptly in my opinion. I had to come back and look to see it was listed as a stand-alone, as I from the ending it felt almost as if a sequel was intended?
3 stars, mainly for narration and the ending.