This book was a little hard for me to get into. The pace was very slow but then the more important parts of the book I felt were rushed. I will say that Morgane is a great character, she knows who she is and what she wants. I also think the pirate aspect of the book was great, but the vampire aspect almost didn’t make sense. It came so late in the book and was so brief that it didn’t add anything to the plot. I’m curious to see how this series plays out and how the supernatural elements become a bigger part of the story.

This was a very interesting book, I wasn't sure what to expect, and was grateful to NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC of this novel. The main character, Morgane, was interesting. I have to give it to the other reviewers, they did hit the nail on the head, you wait until the near end of the book to get to the good stuff. I would still read the next book, absolutely. Sometimes, you have to get all of the introductions out of the way and really get into the world.

This was an okay read, it was very slow on some places and although it’s book 1 of the “Vampires of Dumas” series, there’s no mention on vampires until the very end. It’s more of a pirate book.

I liked Morgane, she’s a strong character and knows what she wants, I liked reading about her journey to find her real mother, in some places it just sort of fell flat and dragged on too much.

Nearer to the end I started to read faster as I lost interest, I realised it’s not the kind of book I like but wanted to finish it and give it a fair review, I think you’d like this if you like pirates and adventure.

Unfortunately I don’t have much else to say on it as I didn’t enjoy it all that much, but it could be up your valley so I still recommend to get this on release day

The story is about Morgen from the Vengence. The Vengence is a pirate ship owned by former captain Ann_Marie, who was a French lady before being a pirate. Before her death by some plot from the story, Ann_Marie told Morgen that she wasn't her mother but actually her aunt, and Morgen found some so-called secret letter in Ann Marie's possession, which resulted in her deciding she wanted to go Morgen found some so-called secret letter in Ann Marie's possession, which resulted in her deciding she wanted to go and reunite with her mother despite Ann Marie warning that her mother was a monster, and we actually talk about real monsters. The book is fantasy as well.

So we have the story of pirates, shapeshifters, vampires, and monsters. At first, when you start the book, you wouldn't really feel the fantasy atmosphere because the author did use some authentic reality in the book, like Ann_Marie being an actual female pirate and the famous pirate ship "Queen of Vengence" owned by French pirate Jaques, but the difference is that the story of these two figures was completely different since Jaques, the actual captain, was never Ann_Marie quartermaster. I shall say there is this vivid picture of nobility and the atmosphere before the France revolution, when the nobels were corrupted and vowed. I say it's really a good distraction for the purpose of not guessing the fantasy part, especially when it's mentioned that Morgen's mother is a monster but you don't know it's platonic or...

The story is third-person and describes only Morgen's situation and feelings. Also, there is this little romance involved with Morgen and Lisette, who are supposed to be Morgen's companions when the plot ends with her meeting her father. I also feel good when everything is described in order that won't annoy you and you expected it, so overall it's a good book. I say, there is this thought of democracy mindset that Morgen has, and the story explains it's because she was raised in pirate care that she has this courage and freedom call because France is still in tight holds of useless Nobels, and there is the part where she says her thoughts are straightforward that the nobels and king and...are all trash and etc., and you see a part where she subtly acts feminism: "Women aren't just pretty dolls, and they also can do anything, especially holding weapons and lead.".

I rate the book 3 and plot 3.5. There is no actual spice, it's plot and adventure adrenaline, which if you like the pirates of Caribbean movies, you will surely enjoy. I like the main point of the "I'm a pirate and stay pirate, and I like that it's sure fantasy but holds some truth about pirates being part of a community once. especially when the author used the actual name of some old story. It's kind of funny and adventurous as well.

The Vengeance was a refreshingly unique tale that started off set on a pirate ship and descended into upper-class France, with all its balls and frivolities and splendor. The main character, Morgan, is authentic and resilient regardless of the journey she goes on and the difficulties she faces throughout the book, and I enjoyed her rejection of societal values that she saw as nonsensical as well as the love and loyalty she showed towards her crew and the people she met. Although there wasn't much emphasis on the main fantasy element towards the latter part of the book, and I wish we got to see more of Morgan's life at sea, this was a good read nonetheless and I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

I really enjoy have a strong FMC. Morgane is loyal and can handle herself in a fight!

I loved everything about the pirate part of the story (which was basically) 3/4 of the whole book but I was expecting by the cover and description for there to be a bit more related to vampires. I felt as though the vampire part was sped through and wrapped up quickly to end the book BUT my hopes are that there will be a book two!

It's hard for me to rate The Vengeance by Emma Newman, because it doesn't quite fit the title or description.

First of all, it's got The Vampires of Dumas right there on the cover but this is first and foremost a pirate story. I enjoy a good pirate story so I appreciated that aspect of it, but there's no hint of vampires until the end, the 85% mark. Based on the description, it feels like the story doesn't really start until this point and then it peaks and wraps so quickly in the last 10%. But how? It appears there's to be more books in the series but I have no idea how that will work or where the story would go.

Settling on a 3 star. It's got a bit of slow pacing but I like the pirate story. Overall left me feeling confused.

A brilliant page turner with great characters,
, especially the lead character Morgane, who starts the story as a pirate and then discovers her ancestry is not what it appears to be. I was attracted to the book by the mention of Dumas, who is one of my favourite authors. and I was impressed by the novel, and really enjoyed it. Highly recommended.

The Vengeance is a fun adventure about pirates, vampires, and a woman’s quest to uncover the truth of her parentage. Morgane is entertaining as a narrator and relatable in many ways (I also don’t see the point in certain social frivolities and the rich only getting richer). She’s fair, loyal and can handle herself well in a fight. I quite enjoyed following her along in a story that is mainly character driven.
Morgane navigates through drastic changes in her circumstance, going all the way from swashbuckling to vampire hunting while contending with a sudden shift in social class. Once a pirate, now the daughter of a Comtesse.

The pirate aspect of the book was one of the best parts, it was well researched and felt authentic. This, however, only highlights the one thing I have to say against the book. Which is that there just wasn’t enough time spent in the vampire portion. It’s well over 75% of the way through before we really get a hint of the vampire aspect of the book and even then, I felt the story would’ve benefited by swaying a little longer in that direction. I find myself still wanting to know more about how vampires are tied into the nobility, apart from Isabeau and the Comte.

Hopefully, this is further explored in the following instalment in the series.