If Pirates of the Caribbean and Practical Magic had a baby, it would be this book! Coming from a reader that only slightly dabbles in the fantasy world, this was such a page-turning fun time! And only further convinces me that someone like Ursula in The Little Mermaid was criminally misunderstood!

Alys is our queen captain and she is unapologetically fierce. I did wish we got more of her background and motivation, though. The one-year jump didn’t feel long enough for her and the witches to become such seasoned pirates. A lot of her strength was told rather than shown. Still, she carried the story, and I liked that her leadership showed both power and flaws.

Ben was really hard to like at first which was the point. He came off self-righteous and too bound and loyal to authority. His gradual arc worked really well. It wasn’t abrupt or only tied to his romance. He grew by observing the women and their purpose. His relationship with his father was kind of confusing. The father seemed oppressive, yet Ben still fought in his name. That vengeance thread was messy.

The romance was a a wonderful slow burn. I really loved how intimacy was tied to healing giving their physical connection purpose more than chemistry and sexual gratification. Their relationship had balance, respect, and mutual growth.

As a non-fantasy reader, I found all the magic and world-building stimulating and fun. Some monsters felt over the top, bordering on spectacle (gave me “Lost” vibes when it went off the rails), but not hard to follow. WHY DIDNT I KNOW THERE WAS A CLIFFHANGER?!

The feminism themes were definitely front and center which I always love to see portrayed in creative ways. At times it felt a little heavy-handed, but it worked. The crew’s resistance to oppression and their role in freeing enslaved people stood out but the actual colonialism and power structures could have been explored more.

Loved the found family dynamic was on the ship, but I wanted more depth to the crew’s backstories. But the book was already over 400 pages so maybe we will get more in subsequent books.

The start was a little slow, but once the story took off I was so stimulated I couldn’t put it down! Book 2 better be on its way ASAP!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.