Synopsis:
There is much to be done when the kingdom isn’t looking.
Iona Strider is a ruthless pickpocket cursed with a disobedient shadow. Violent, too. Worse, she can’t remember who cursed her, or why. But she does know one with each passing day, her control of the shadow dwindles.
In her relentless pursuit of answers, she winds up stealing from the wrong Captain Liam Blackwater of the Wraith. A man who, according to legend, might just turn the Silver Seas red.
Blood-bonded together by a dishonest mistake, Iona begrudgingly teams up with the handsome rogue to embark on a bloody, swashbuckling quest in the hopes that she can break the curse of her shadow once and for all.
Alas, it’s never that simple. Especially when Liam and Iona can’t keep their hands off each other.
But as they carve a path through the realm, disastrous secrets of the kingdom are revealed, and when shocking revelations of her true past come to light, Iona must decide whether she is to become the kingdom’s villain, or something else of her own making.
Review:
*I read this book as a judge for Fanfiaddict for SPFBO XI. These are my personal thoughts and do not represent the thoughts of the whole team!*
Blackwater by Emily Blakeny is a romantic dark fantasy with action, thrills, and romantic tension. This was a really fun read that I’d say is perfect for fans of R.A. Sandpiper’s Amefyre trilogy and Carissa Broadbent’s novels.
We follow Iona Strider, a loner and a thief who has some serious anger issues! Iona comes across Liam Blackwater, Captain of the sentient pirate ship The Wraith, and the two of them find they are blood-bonded together. Iona absolutely hates Liam, so this is the worst possible news for her.
The opening scene is visceral and sets on a breakneck course for the rest of the novel. I was immediately hooked! Blakely’s writing is excellent and there’s some fantastic banter between characters, something that’s always a plus for me. I thought I knew the way things were going to play out, and several times, Blakeney surprised me, which is always something I enjoy! This is not your typical romantic fantasy! Sure, there’s romance, but this is a fantasy-first story with some fantastic character work. The romance enhances the story, rather than becoming the story.
Liam is a well done male lead–this is an enemies to lovers story, but he is very much a normal person with trauma, and he knows how to communicate. I always love that in a story with romance! The real MVP character is probably Luhan, the ship’s healer who has a tragic backstory of his own. Iona is certainly not always likeable, but she has her moments, and I enjoyed following her!
The world here is really cool, with all sorts of different fantasy creatures–dragons, mermaids, etc. I’m a sucker for a pirate adventure, and setting most of the adventure at sea really worked for me. There are different types of soldiers–Greys and Reds, who fulfill different roles for the enemy, and I found that an interesting tidbit. Greys function more as guards/cannon fodder, while Reds have more skills. Then there are Rooks, who are magically enhanced elite soldiers for the King, and they’re absolutely crazy! The magic here is also well-thought out and fun–for example, one character can heal anything, but in doing so, that means he cannot heal himself of that same injury in the future.
I did feel like the pacing was sometimes slightly too fast at times, especially during some of the subplots in the middle. There was a really cool sidequest in the middle that I loved—dragons, y’all—but I wanted that section to go on a little longer and feel a bit more connected to the forward movement of the main plot. There were also some other major plot twists that seemed to come a bit out of nowhere, especially one concerned a former enemy of Liam, and a section with a witch, which did slightly pull me out of the story. I’d say that in all of the different subplots of the middle, I sort of lost track of the original conflict, though Blakeny does a good job in bringing that back to focus and has a killer conclusion! The set up for book two is fantastic, and I will definitely be on board!
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