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 thing: with each passing day, her control of the shadow dwindles.
In her relentless pursuit of answers, she winds up stealing from the wrong man: 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
“Welcome to The Wraith, darling.”
I was not in a good headspace when I started this book, but I had agreed to being part of this team so I would make sure to read all the books assigned to me. The cover didn’t give me much in terms of expectations and I don’t read descriptions for competition books, so I went in mostly blind aside from expecting part of the book to take place at sea.
But oh man, this has been so fun. I was immediately hooked after the prologue. Well, that’s a lie. The dedication already had me on board. I’m a sucker for dedications. But really though, the beginning of this book was exactly what I needed on a really dark day. I immediately liked the “odious little goblin” that’s our fMC and the first impressions of Blackwater had me giggling as well. These two promised so much fun right from the start.
“I’d say it was a pleasure, but you’re a horror.”
The story is mostly fold from the same POV and I really enjoyed seeing the character growth for it. It was visible not just in her actions but also in how she perceived the people around her, including the sexy pirate. Though he never really seemed as dark as the beginning of the book had me expect, I still loved him from the start. Their banter and their chemistry were great, even if the slow burn had me groaning at times.
“And for the second time tonight, Liam Blackwater finds a very good reason to put his mouth on me.”
Though the writing felt a little bit choppy in some sections, overall it was a pretty smooth read. I would’ve loved a little more world building (I’m just a sucker for that), but I enjoyed the plot, the side characters were fun to get to know (Luhannnn), and the pacing was good for that length. I honestly read the whole book much more quickly than I’d expected. I almost managed to devour it in two days. I WISH the next book was already available. I would’ve jumped into it immediately.
“Every time, in every life, I love you.”
*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!*
Leave a Reply